Skeptic

by Denise Mathew

  "Where'd she go?" Dakota asked, scanning the space.

  I peeked out through the arched windows, but saw nothing. Nightfall had crept up on us, and since our closest neighbors were a half-mile away, it was as black as pitch outside.

  "Come on," I said, hauling him behind me into the screened in back veranda, that was illuminated by a string of colorful patio lanterns. We stepped onto the lanai, and I spotted an old wooden table and chair set, that through the years had been painted lavender, red, and even orange and was now aqua. On hot nights, which were frequent in the height of summer, Nanny Flo and I would eat at that table, hoping we would catch a breeze, to cool our overheated bodies. Now, with darkness all around us, and fall in the air, the temperature on the porch was chilly, and a shiver ran through me. Dakota drew me in, and I melted against his chest, but when I remembered that Nanny Flo could be watching us cuddle, I pulled away. Even though it was years in the past, it was hard to forget that I had been forbidden to date when I had lived in Cape Glenn.

  "We better not keep her waiting," I said, pushing the spring latch door open.

  We moved through the inky darkness, with only the faint light from my grandmother's workroom about fifteen feet away from the house, guiding our way. The workroom was actually a garage, but for as long as I could remember, had been converted into something distinctly different. Even with Dakota by my side, I hurried to the double doors of the shed. I had always been scared being outside in the night, because you never knew what was lurking in the dark.

  As soon as I reached the door, I flung it wide, and a shaft of dim light streamed out.

  "Be prepared to be astounded," I said with a smile, and stepped inside. A part of me was terrified of what Dakota might think, after he had seen the workroom, but another piece of me was excited to share my past with him, to reveal who I really was.

  10. DAKOTA

  From the second Dakota emerged from his car, he had been on edge. It was the first time he had done the whole meeting the parents thing, and now with only seconds before detonation, he was quite literally, quaking in his boots. He glanced over at Elise, who was already half way out of the car. She guarded her ribs with an arm across her chest. Dakota hated that she was still in so much pain. By the time he had gotten to her side of the car, she was already out, and had slammed the door behind her, making him feel quite useless.

  With Elise focused on the house looming over them, Dakota took a moment to drink her in. Her hair fluttered in the gentle wind, and the setting sun cast rosy highlights on her milky white skin. For a brief moment, he forgot everything, except how stunning she was, and that if it was the last thing he did, he would protect her. The hours of driving had given him more time than he needed, to ponder everything that had happened, and all arrows pointed to one glaring fact, if Tansy had mastered the space-time continuum, what chance did Elise have of coming out of this alive?

  Elise, unaware he was staring at her, remained locked on the house. Dakota smiled when he noticed an expression of utter contentment cross her face. Seeing her like that made him want to put on a brave front, but he wasn't sure how much longer he could do it. There didn't seem to be an end to the threat that the witch posed. The last attack in the bathroom, had really jangled him, especially since he had been so close, but unable to get to her. To make matters worse, Elise hadn't been forthcoming on what had gone down. He just wanted help, a chance to breathe, to sleep without wondering if Elise would be alive in the morning. And he hoped this Nanny Flo character would somehow tip the odds in Elise's favor.

  Halfway up the grey weather beaten steps, he spotted the shrunken hard woman, who looked not a day under one hundred. By the way she was glaring at him, she wasn't overly thrilled to see him darkening her doorstep. He willed his feet to push him forward, even though every part of him wanted to do a three-sixty, and never look back. It made no sense how someone so tiny, could exude such a presence that left him feeling like a frightened child about to step into a house of horrors.

  Elise broke away from Dakota, and was in Nanny Flo's arms without pause. He was left feeling so out of place, that he wondered what he had been thinking when he had agreed to come with Elise. The two women hugged for a few beats, and after releasing Elise, Nanny Flo set her beady eyes on Dakota again. He fought to keep a painted grin on his face, even though in one quick glance, he knew she had sized him up and found him lacking. And, if her look of disdain wasn't enough, her handshake, cold and lifeless, confirmed she was not impressed. To say that Dakota was relieved when the old woman disappeared into the house, and left he and Elise alone, would have been an understatement.

  "You want to see the house?" Elise asked, and when he nodded, she took him on what she called the grand tour.

  After a few rooms, he was surprised that the house wasn't as spooky as he had originally expected it to be. Sure, the décor was sixties style, and the place was in need of repairs, yet it was by no means what he had expected a psychic's house to look like. And he was actually shocked, when he didn't see even one crystal ball, deck of tarot cards, or any of the regulation tools he had predicted would be there. Even so, he couldn't quite shake the lingering tension, that kept him on edge, and the feeling that something wasn't quite right there.

  After he had seen half the house, Nanny Flo called them to eat. Elise led him to the dining area, where the sight and aroma of the home cooked food made his mouth water. He followed Elise's lead, and sat down at the laden table, careful not to make eye contact with the old woman. In seconds, he had loaded his plate with fried chicken, potato salad, flakey biscuits and of course, poured a tall glass of sweet tea. After he had devoured a couple of butter slathered biscuits, had a few bites of the chicken, that was both moist and tender, and had a perfect crunch, and washed it all down with sweet tea, he conceded that Nanny Flo might not be the friendliest woman he had ever met, but she was one hell of a cook. But just as he was about to scarf down another piece of chicken, Elise snatched his arm.

  "Come on," she said, tugging him to his feet. He grudgingly stood up, casting one final longing glance at the mounds of food.

  "Don't worry, all this food will still be here later," she grinned, and he shrugged in response, attempting to hide his disappointment.

  The workroom, was only about fifteen feet from the house, and as he and Elise approached it, his feeling of unease inexplicably multiplied ten fold. His gut knotted, and no matter how many times he ordered himself to man up, he couldn't shake his mounting dread.

  "Be prepared to be astounded," Elise said, her eyes alive with excitement. Not wanting to burst her bubble, he followed her without comment. And when he entered the space, in a fraction of a second, he concluded that it made sense that there wasn't anything bizarre in the house, because all the wacky junk was stuffed in the tiny shack.

  He stepped inside, and drew in a deep breath, attempting to take it all in. Elise didn't know, that after her encounters with Tansy, Dakota had done extensive research on witchcraft, Astral magick and anything else that seemed to tie in, and because of this, he recognized more than he wanted in the room.

  Thick pillar candles lit the space with a guttering light, and made the already macabre room, even drearier. Three glass witch balls, the size of grapefruits, dangled from the thick ceiling beams, along with bundles of herbs, in various stages of drying. Plain board shelves, lined all four walls, and went from midline right up to the ceiling. Assorted faceted spheres, and double-sided crystal points, made from various semi-precious stones, lined the shelves, and were interspersed with jars of dried herbs, bones, and even the bleached skull of a small animal. On another shelf, stood a grey granite mortar and pestle, a stack of cloth and stick poppets, a curse and wish box, a birch twig broom called a besom, used to in ritual magic, and various items, that Dakota wasn't familiar with.

  He brought his gaze to the center of the room, where Nanny Flo, with her skinny arms folded across her chest, stood behind what could only be described as an altar. The gr
in she directed at him was icy and unnerving, and her eyes glittered almost black in the dim light.

  The altar was constructed of a dark, almost black, slab of wood, that was about four inches thick. It was six feet long, and three feet wide, and was perched atop, three round black painted columns. On its surface was an athame, also called a witches sacred dagger, that was used to cast spells, and circles. Next to the athame, was a practical knife, that Dakota had read was used to cut herbs and ingredients for spells. Other, more or less common items, like a golden chalice, a huge shallow wooden bowl, a censer used to burn incense and herbs, seemed benign, but the dark, sightless sockets of the human skull, that seemed to stare at him, was just plain nasty. If there had been any doubt that Nanny Flo was a practicing witch, the black pentagram that took up most of the concrete floor, smashed that theory to pieces.

  He cut his eyes to Elise, and noticed her shock mirrored his own.

  "Nanny Flo, what..." Elise stuttered. She moved closer to Dakota. Dakota wrapped his arm around her waist, and she grabbed his hand, squeezing it painfully tight.

  "Welcome back," a silky voice said from behind them. Both he and Elise spun toward the door.

  A woman in her mid-twenties stepped into view, and Dakota couldn't help but goggle at her. She wore her hair short, with tight shiny curls close to her head, and her café au lait skin was smooth and flawless, and seemed to be made of velvet. She studied him with eyes the color of warm milk chocolate, and the sultry smile she shot his way, made Dakota's heart skip a beat.

  "Mira," Elise said, in a tone laced with anger.

  "It's been a while," Mira said, hitching her thumbs into the pockets of her faded blue jeans, that clung to her curvy hips deliciously.

  "Not long enough," Elise said.

  Mira didn't seem affected by Elise's slight, and bent her full glossy lips into a smile, then giggled. When she did, Dakota couldn't help but notice how her full breasts, obviously not constrained by a bra, strained against the thin white cotton fabric of her t-shirt. He drew in an unintentional sharp breath, that he hoped no one noticed.

  Scared that Elise could somehow read his thoughts, he tugged his eyes away from Mira and onto Elise, and was grateful to see that Elise was too focused on Mira, to have spotted his reaction.

  "So what brings the Skeptic back to this neck of the woods," Mira purred. For a second Elise's face twisted with rage, but then her expression went impassive.

  "That's none of your damn business," she snapped, and gave Mira a stony glower.

  Mira shrugged, and strode forward, shouldering past Elise and Dakota. As she passed Dakota, she gave him a flirtatious wink, and he caught a whiff of her rose scented perfume.

  He glanced at Elise, wondering if she had caught Mira's wink. From the way Elise's eyes were burning with fury, he figured she had.

  "Nanny Flo, I brought the pig's blood you wanted," Mira said, with a soft southern drawl, similar to Elise's grandmother. She pulled a large covered mason jar from a plastic shopping bag.

  "Pig's blood?" Elise said, and stomped toward the altar. "Nanny Flo, what's going on here?"

  Mira let out an exaggerated sigh, and rolled her eyes. "It's for black sausages," she said, throwing a long-fingered hand on her hip.

  Elise and Mira locked eyes, and the room seemed to drop several degrees in temperature.

  "Enough, you two," Nanny Flo said, in a tone that said she wasn't kidding and both women deflated, and cut their eyes toward the crone.

  "Thank you Mira, you're a sweet peach for bringing it to me, my blood has been low and this is just what I need."

  Mira shot Elise a triumphant glance, and the degree of malice in their opposing glares, said their animosity for one another went bone deep. She placed the jar in front of Nanny Flo, and twirled around seductively. She locked eyes with Dakota, giving him a burning stare, before flicking her tongue over her shimmery lips. Dakota pressed his lips together, attempting to hide the stupid grin that he could feel rapidly spreading across his face.

  Mira wore sexy like a second skin, and it was impossible to overlook. He shook his head, trying to clear the unwanted image of her naked and draped all over him, and couldn't understand why he suddenly felt like a horny teenager, lusting after a Playboy centerfold.

  After a painfully long look in Dakota's direction, Mira brought her gaze to Elise, and it was like she had changed channels. Her brows knit into a line, and she angled her head to the side, scrutinizing her.

  "Your show is quite..." Mira paused, arched an eyebrow, then narrowed her eyes to slits. "Informative," she said, with a mocking smile.

  Elise echoed Mira's pose, scowled, then focused her eyes on Nanny Flo, still behind the altar, observing the two.

  "Though it's all a pack of lies," Mira continued, and even though he didn't know her, Dakota could tell that Mira was goading Elise into a confrontation.

  Elise straightened her spine, and drew her body to its full height, but she was still a few inches shorter than Mira.

  "Like I said before, what is she doing here, isn't this supposed to be just family?" Elise said, staring past Mira at Nanny Flo.

  If Nanny Flo was affected by the exchange between the two women, it didn't show in her calm expression.

  "As far as I'm concerned, Mira is family, and to answer your question, she's here to help me make a protective gris-gris for you."

  "I don't want her help," Elise said, sounding like a petulant child.

  "But I do, and since you came to me for help, we'll do it my way," Nanny Flo said, and from the edge in her voice, the topic wasn't up for discussion.

  Mira's grin was wide, showcasing her brilliantly white, post-braces perfect smile, and Dakota knew, that the mysterious woman had won this round; it was time for Elise to concede defeat. But from the poisonous glare Elise gave Mira, she wasn't going down so easily. Dakota tapped his fingertips against his pant leg, and almost wanted to laugh at the posturing going on in the room.

  Elise opened her mouth to speak, but Mira laid a finger against Elise's lips. Elise reared back as if she'd been shocked. Mira's self-satisfied smile only grew brighter.

  "So this witch has visited you three times?" Mira asked, matter-of-factly, as if they hadn't just waged a pissing contest.

  "Four," Elise said, between lips so tight, that Dakota was amazed she could even speak.

  Trying to diffuse the situation, he slipped his arm around Elise's shoulders, resting the palm of his hand against the back of her neck, and he felt Elise respond to his touch.

  "Four?" Nanny Flo asked. Her expression was mildly surprised. "But you came to me only three times."

  "Came to you?" Elise asked, her fisted hands, relaxing.

  "Your crisis apparition came," Mira cut in. Dakota felt Elise go stiff again.

  "Crisis apparition?"

  The last thing Dakota wanted was to draw attention his way, since he was the only man in the room, but they hadn't driven all this way not to get answers.

  “It’s when part of your spirit separates from you, and travels to someone who you feel safe with,” Nanny Flo said.

  Dakota was pondering what that meant, when Mira stepped toward him, and before he could move, she slipped her satiny fingers into the neckline of his t-shirt, and caressed just below his collarbone. She moved rapidly down the muscles of his stomach, before dropping her fingers down the front of his jeans. He let out a low moan when she took him in her hand, and applied just the right pressure. He knew he should pull away, but his need was too great, too raw, and blotted out all his inhibitions, leaving only desire in its wake.

  She slipped her hands around his back, down the inside of his jeans, and grabbed the flesh of his butt, and forced his groin against her pelvis, grinding rhythmically against him. Her breath was almost too hot to be human, and she nipped his neck, then not too gently, scraped her teeth against his chest, and bit him hard enough to leave a mark.

  Dakota seized her by the hair, arched her head back, and crushed his mouth ove
r hers. She tasted of cherry lip-gloss, and something else, something metallic that he couldn't quite place. Growling low in her throat, Mira explored his mouth with eager thrusts, probing every part of him with expert efficiency. He couldn't catch his breath, but he couldn't stop either. He grabbed her around the waist, and brought a hand to her breast, then pinched her nipple, through the material of her shirt.

  "You're mine," she snarled in his ear. And when he felt his pleasure crest, so much faster than he expected, he closed his eyes, felt her gyrate against him, until he was ready for release, but suddenly she was gone. In a second, all his sensibilities came crashing back, and he was shocked and appalled at what he had just done.

  He snapped his eyes open. Mira was leaning against the altar, an amused expression on her face, and astonishingly, was in the same position she had been before, as if she hadn't moved.

  "Are you okay?" Elise asked, tugging his arm. He stared at her dumbfounded, then raked a shaky hand through his hair, cutting his eyes from Mira to Elise, and back again. A thin film of sweat formed on his upper lip, and the room seemed to close in on him. He knew he needed to get the hell out of the little shop of horrors, because it was doing a serious number on his mind.

  "I need air," he said, and without waiting for a response, spun around and marched out the door.

  Rain pelted him, saturating him with what felt like icy needles, and he wasn't sure if it was his guilt, or the actual temperature, that made him shiver, until his teeth clacked together uncontrollably. His mind worked to make sense of what had just happened. Mira was undoubtedly sexy, but he'd had no control in there, and it was a feeling that he never wanted to experience again. But more alarming than having a high definition erotic fantasy featuring a strange woman, was that if it had been real, he wouldn't have done anything differently. He would have taken Mira right there on the altar, with Nanny Flo and Elise watching, and he wouldn't have batted an eye. His desire for Mira was so over the top, that he understood Freud's Id theory, better than he would have ever wanted, and it terrified him.