Tempest

by Jenna-Lynne Duncan

  “Let’s do this.” I shifted in my seat and turned up the volume knob on the stereo.

  He smirked as he thrust the gear in drive.

  What was I afraid of? That wasn’t an easy one to answer. Sure, I could pretend that I wasn’t afraid at all, and that is surely the face I would be giving Luke. But that was a lie. Was I afraid of whatever kind of animal it was that attacked the passerby? Was I afraid that I wouldn’t be able to stop it? That I would be too late? Or finally, maybe I was afraid of the feelings that were developing in me as a result of Luke’s unconditional faith in my abilities.

  It was a thirty-minute drive to the national park, and with the stereo loud, there was little room for talking and a lot of room for thinking, or rather, second-guessing. What was I doing? The closer we came to our destination, the more anxiety I had. I was coming up with a million different excuses to turn around and go back home but when we got to the entrance, I didn’t need any.

  “Oh, it’s closed. Too bad. Well, at least we tried.”

  “You’re kidding right?” Luke pulled the car to the side and got out.

  “What are you doing?”

  “You don’t think we came all this way to let a little gate stop us, do you?”

  When he saw that I wasn’t getting out of the car he came around and opened the door for me.

  He bent down to face me. “What’s wrong?”

  I looked at my hands, trying to decide what to reply. “It’s a swamp.”

  “And?”

  “And I’m afraid of alligators, okay Luke?” Maybe it was the fear of going into a swamp at night with hungry alligators that had been ticked off since the hurricane or maybe it was something more. Either way I didn’t want to find out.

  “You've been hunted by a ghost and driven eight hours with a gang of Hunters who wanted to kill you and you’re afraid of alligators?”

  He was right. I hated when he was right. I was not the same person I once was. I had become stronger, I had to be stronger.

  “C’mon. Not to wound your pride or anything but more likely than not, I am going to be the one that is protecting us here. I am immortal; an alligator is the least of my worries.”

  I nodded once and willfully got out of the car. It took Luke only a second to open the gate. His nonchalance about it gave me just a glimpse into his world.

  “You said you dreamt of a jogger?” Luke asked as he stepped through the gate.

  I followed close behind. “Yep.”

  “That’s weird.”

  “What’s weird?”

  “It’s weird that someone would go jogging in a state park after hours, especially one that you claim is filled with alligators.”

  “Hm. I guess I never really thought about that. I never said this was the exact place, I couldn’t be sure. It’s just what I saw, ok?”

  “Ok, ok I believe you.”

  The lights on the car went off automatically. I jumped forward, almost knocking into Luke. My heart sped up and I could hear the blood rushing in my ears. Luke laughed.

  “Will you stop listening to my heartbeat?” I barked at him.

  “I can’t help it; it’s so loud I could hear it from Terrytown.”

  “Ha-ha,” I mocked. My eyes were adjusting to the complete darkness. The moonlight was not enough for me to see where I was walking.

  “You have no idea what it does to me knowing how close you are to me right now, but could you stop stepping on my heels?”

  “I am a human remember? I can’t see anything in the dark.”

  “Oh yeah, woops.” I heard the rattling of a key chain and then a small flashlight turned on.

  I grabbed it from him. “Thank you.” I shone it on the scenery around us, hoping something would spark a memory of familiarity. We walked about ten minutes in and the smell of swamp hit me. It was probably all around us.

  “Anything look familiar yet?”

  “No, for the last time.” I was ready to give up, until I saw a bench. It was just a small resting place for walkers but it looked like one in my dream. “Maybe this bench? I don’t know I can’t be sure.”

  “OK, well at least that’s a start.” He sat down.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Waiting.

  I shone the light in his face, looking at him incredulously. This was not the Luke I knew. “You really have that much faith in me to sit here and wait who-knows-how-long for who-knows-what?”

  “Don’t you get that already, Ana? Yes. I do.”

  I shrugged and sat down next to him. Gooseflesh covered my arms; it was the cool November air. I had barely managed to grab shoes in the excitement as I left the house. I looked at Luke; he looked perfectly comfortable in a black t-shirt. Impossible. I tried to rub my arms to produce heat by friction. My cold hands only chilled me further.

  “You’re cold?” He asked surprised.

  “Uh , yeah? It’s like 40 degrees out here!”

  A unique expression came over his face; it was of confusion, then pain. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize…”

  “Aren’t you cold?” I shone the flashlight over his t-shirt for effect.

  “No, Ana. I don’t get cold. Or hot.”

  “Oh. I hadn’t thought about that.” He still held the same expression, thinking. I continued, “I guess there is a lot I don’t know about Hunters.” There was hint of sadness to my comment, which I tried to hide from him.

  He suddenly stood up, taking off his t-shirt.

  “What are you doing?” My back straightened.

  “Keeping you warm.” I moved the flashlight abruptly off his torso. If he thought my heartbeat was loud before…

  “Here, put this on,” he handed me his shirt and I obeyed. It was still warm when I put it on and gave his autumn scent a stronger, more home-like feel.

  “Thanks. Are you sure you won’t be cold?”

  He laughed. “No, Ana.”

  “Okay…” I wished he would have just kept the shirt on, which would have been less awkward than knowing he was shirtless beside me.

  “So, what’s the plan?”

  “You’re asking me the plan? I thought you’d have one.”

  “It’s your dream, you know all the details.”

  The beauty of his facial features in the moonlight distracted me. “How’d you get that scar?”

  He pulled his eyebrows together and turned away. “It’s nothing.” I tried to reach out to his face and touch it with the tips of my fingers.

  He exhaled a jagged breath. “It’s from the night my parents died.” I pulled my hand away and placed it on top of his not forcing him to say more about how his parents were killed, but hoping he would. He turned his hand, palm up, entwining his fingers in mine. A tingling sensation shot through my body.

  “Something’s coming…”

  I jerked my hand away at his comment. “I don’t hear anything?”

  “Shhh…”

  I turned off my flashlight, my hands shaking in the process.

  A minute later I heard quick footfalls on the leaf-covered pavement. Adrenaline rushed through my body; the shot of blood to my head caused it to spin. My heart pounded against my rib cage; anxiety and joy took over as I realized I was going to witness my dream coming true first-hand.

  A couple things happened simultaneously. The man approached us, Luke stiffened, and I turned the light on and jumped up to stop him.

  “What is this?” The jogger skidded to a stop. His postured erected like he was ready to defend himself.

  Luke got up with me, standing to my left. His eyes were scanning the darkness around the jogger. Upon seeing a shirtless, and muscular Luke, the jogger started to run in the other direction.

  “Wait!” I yelled after him. Luke held out an arm to stop me. I shined the light on him, his chin rose and his gaze narrowed in the opposite direction of the jogger.

  “We’re not alone.” He let out what sounded like a growl. Luke pulled me closer with his arms. “You ready?”

&n
bsp; A tried to force a swallow and nodded.

  “Whatever it is, we’ve disrupted its plan, and it’s not happy about it. The jogger is no longer its target. Listen to me, Ana. You need to go back to the car immediately. I’ll take care of whatever it is. Go now.” Luke disappeared beside me and I didn’t hesitate to think about how I was alone in the dark swamp. My legs took off under me, faster than ever before. The adrenaline pushed me harder and faster. ‘Whatever it is?' That can’t be good. That definitely can’t be good. My heart was racing but my breathing remained steady. Should I be worried about Luke? No, surely he can handle whatever’s out there. I stopped running, looked in both directions, not sure which path to take. I had to listen to him this time. To stay out of trouble and meet him at his car. But the energy that was flowing through my veins told me otherwise. I felt like I could take on whatever was out there. But I didn’t want what happened last time at Club Skye to happen again. There would be no Hayden or his parents to bail me out this time. I was still wearing Luke’s shirt and it saddened me. I looked one final time in the direction Luke went and started running toward him. I ran for a few minutes with the darkness enclosed on me. Fear prevented me from stopping, a high kept me going. Luke’s black t-shirt clung to the sweat forming on my body and I slowed to a fast walk.

  “Luke?” I whispered knowing I didn’t need, or want to, yell in order for him to hear me. Seconds passed with nothing but the sound of locusts and bullfrogs. But then even those quieted and it was pure silence around me. I whispered his name again. I heard footsteps behind me. My heart was frozen in my chest. Luke.

  “There you are! I have been looking for you, are you all right?” I turned around to try to find him, shining my flashlight in every direction. There was nothing. Nothing but dead silence. I turned in each direction, always hearing footsteps behind me. Maybe I just didn’t know from where they were coming. “Luke, it’s not funny.” The sound of the footsteps got closer. My ears were ringing and skin burning from a painful chill. “Luke!” I yelled tearing my vocal chords as I started to run. Yes, I definitely had to run. I ran as fast if not faster than before, the footsteps trailing me, getting faster, catching up to me getting louder and louder as they hit the ground, sounding like a horse trot on hard pavement. Something stung my back in one sharp movement and I fell face first to the ground. I turned on my back ready to face whatever was after me. I felt the ground around me with my hands, hoping by some stroke of luck that the flashlight had just turned off but not broken. Warm liquid dripped down my face. It was too thick to be sweat. Blood. I sat up feeling the gash on my forehead and cringed at the pain. My breathing heaved as I waited for whatever was in front of me. Nothing was there until all-at-once something dark and heavy was on top of me. I kicked it off me with such force I heard its friction against the ground. I should run but I didn’t. I knew it would just come after me again. I had to kill it but how? Was it man, animal or something other entirely?

  I stood up preparing to find something I could use as a weapon. The shadow rose taller than me and seemed to split in two? There were now two things, one on either side of me, surrounding me. In what felt like hours passing, not seconds, I flashed back to Halloween night at Club Skye. I pictured the Hybrid, a pig’s head and a man’s body, even more disturbing than I remembered. The pig-head craned its neck to the side, its black, empty eyes boring into mine. The corners of its repulsive mouth drew up into what appeared to be a smile. A satanic smile. My whole body shuddered. Luke was there. He pushed me forcibly behind him. His body was tensed and positioned in a crouch. His broad shoulders blocked my view of the hideous creature. He was protecting me that night but I had no one to protect me now. Luke was prepared to fight then. How could I let this happen? I was supposed to save his life but he ended up risking his to save mine. Something wrapped tightly around my neck, choking me as I was lifted into the air. My feet were set on top of the bar, but the tightening around my neck was not released. I felt the blood start to pool in my face. There was only one person pressing against me from behind, but too many arms imprisoning my body. One around my neck, each arm and leg, my waist… Luke turned around and looked up at me, determined. My vocal chords didn’t work as I tried to call out his name…

  I should fight the two dark shadows approaching me. I should never give up. I would never let them kill me so easily. But I was frozen. Frozen in the past. Locked in the memories of just one of the many times I would almost die.

  A gush of wind, one after the other, blew past and the dark shadows were gone as far as I could see. A new presence came with the wind and I knew that the shadows hadn’t just left, they had fled. This was getting out-of-control and fast. The sounds of bugs and nighttime creatures returned and I knew I was alone for the time-being. “Luke!” I called out to him again. Where was he? I knew he could hear me. Why did he have to believe in me so much? This was a stupid idea. I wished Hayden were here, he would know just what to do. I felt the ground with my hands, working my way over to the trees. I dug through the cold mud, pulling up a promising branch I could use if necessary, and started moving once again to find Luke. I debated whether to walk or run. Running didn’t pan out too well last time but as I heard the impending silence around me again, I knew it was my only option. Before I could sprint, I felt a hard, angry arm around my waist and I was lifted into the air, upside down. I still had the stick in my hand and prepared to use it until I realized what, or who, had caught me.

  “Drop the twig, Ana”

  “Hayden?” The combination of his touch and smell brought back all the familiarities at once.

  He didn’t answer. I let out a slight squeal as I was thrown over his shoulders. Hayden felt like a rock underneath me. “Hayden?” I pleaded for some sort of response and when I didn’t get one I changed my tone. “Put me down! We have to find Luke.” Wrong words. Hayden tensed slightly at my comment.

  I heard footsteps in front of me, and I quickly panicked.

  The footsteps slowed “Whew!” Luke. “All I have to say was what the f—“

  “Shut it, Luke.”

  “Geez, somebody came back from Texas cranky. Ana is that you?” I slumped against Hayden’s death grip, my mind running through everything that happened in the last ten minutes. I had lost Luke, come close to death, and Hayden had returned early from Texas. “Damn. I thought I told you to go back to the car!”

  “And you expected her to comply? “ Hayden scoffed sarcastically.

  Hayden dipped down and picked up the key chain I had dropped earlier. The adrenaline that ran through my body now eased, leaving me a headache from the extra blood that shot through my head. I winced.

  “Are you ok?” Hayden and Luke said simultaneously and I felt Hayden’s head snap in the direction of Luke. There was too much tension in the air. I dreaded when I would have to answer questions about what I was thinking to go along with something like this. Even though it wasn’t Luke’s fault, Hayden would blame him anyway.

  “I’m fine,” I finally answered.

  When we got to the gate I only saw one car and wondered how Hayden got here.

  “Where’s the truck?” I mumbled.

  “It’s already at home.” The lights on the car flashed as it was unlocked.

  My head throbbed again as Hayden sat me down in the back seat.

  “I’m driving,” Hayden said as a command to Luke.

  Luke threw up his arms in surrender. Not even he wanted to push Hayden any further tonight.

  “Hayden…” I started, as we pulled away from Lafitte.

  “Not now, Ana. I’m not ready to talk about this now.” His jaw muscles clenched.

  “Why the hell not?” Luke butted in, obviously deserting his previous position of not pushing Hayden. “You can’t shelter her from the underworld forever. She needs to know, has to know! She saved the guy's life for God’s sake. This could be something.”

  My eyes shot up. I had been able to change the future?

  “We are not doing this no
w,” Hayden said through his teeth.

  “Whatever, man. It was amazing. She was amazing. Think about it, now we don’t have to go hunting later. How lucky did we get that this thing, or these things, weren’t human?”

  Hayden froze at Luke’s last word. But his emotions quickly changed into something else. Anger? Jealousy? I didn’t know. “Are you really that stupid? You could have gotten her killed! I know you’re all bent on destroying your own life but leave my girlfriend out of it. You say you love her but then you put her life in danger. If you truly loved her, you would leave her alone. She is with me. Whatever you are trying to do to prove otherwise is not working and is going to get her killed!”

  “Don’t start with me. Yeah, yeah we all know your sob story. Well, who the hell cares you’ve been waiting 100 years for her? She is my true One and you know I will never, can never, stop trying to make her love me!”

  “Whoa, hello? I am right here. Stop fighting and stop talking about me like I am not right in front of you! I was, once again, almost killed. That may seem like a walk in the park for y’all but I am freaking out back here and have a killer headache so, if you guys could, please save your displays of testosterone for another day.” Hayden whipped around a curve before finally slowing down. I rubbed my temples, trying to make the throbbing go away.

  “No problem, babe.” Luke winked at me. That was the last straw for Hayden. The car jolted to a stop and I hit the back of Luke’s seat. A new pain shot through my head.

  “Ah, shoot!” I said with my hands over my face.

  “Ana, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—“

  “Just please take me home,” I moaned

  “What is your problem, Hayden?” Luke turned toward me, holding out his hand to touch me. I was too busy cringing in pain to notice what was going to happen. “Are you ok, Ana?”

  “Don’t. Touch. Her.” I heard a thump and my eyes shot open. This drive felt like it was taking forever. Please, let’s just make it home.

  I leaned through the middle, creating a barrier between them. “This is ridiculous. You guys are being ridiculous. Please just stop. You are brothers or did you forget? And I really don’t have the time, energy or desire to play referee, especially when it’s about me.” I dropped my head, gripping it with my arms. I felt the car start moving again and a few minutes later the fluorescent lights of the garage lit up the car. The engine went off and no one moved until I lifted my head.