“Here,” I said. “Take it.”
A crow cawed overhead, taking flight from his treetop perch. The old man clasped his hand around mine. The reaction was instant, the emptiness gone. The dead took so much from me, I’d finally learned how to take something back.
Chapter 6
Amber sent us a message with the address and location of the party. The house was only a couple blocks away so we decided to walk. Savannah always had people roaming around – students, families, tourists, so we felt pretty safe making the trek together.
“Those shoes turned out pretty awesome,” Ava said, looking at my feet. I’d taken a pair of flats and attached a ribbon on each side so they had a bow tied on the top of my foot.
“Didn’t they?”
We’d both made an effort to dress nice but casual. I wore a black sundress with the pink flats. I added three thick leather bracelets that Jeannie sent me from New York and the necklace Ms. Frances gave me. The pink glow on my cheeks came from the hit of energy I took off the old man before I sent him on his way.
Ava had on her standard thick-framed glasses and a pair of cut off shorts and purple boots. She looked adorable. She laced her fingers through mine and encouraged me up the front porch. My best friend knew me so well. I may appear put together on the outside, but inside I was a bundle of nerves. This wasn’t the first party she’d dragged me into.
We passed through the haze of cigarette smoke on the porch and entered the house. It was old, like everything else in Savannah, and I felt a rush of relief when we saw Amber right away. She broke into a grin.
“Hey! You came!”
“Of course,” Ava said, giving her a hug. I held my hand up and waved. “Do we know anyone else here?”
Amber shrugged. “Doubtful. I tried to get Kelsey to come but she’s super hung up on this boyfriend of hers. She calls him constantly – like all night. If she’s not talking to him, she’s texting him. Thank God I ditched my boyfriend before coming to school. Who would want that baggage hanging around your neck when there’s a fresh batch of college guys to pursue?”
Neither Ava nor I confessed we had boyfriends back home. “Maybe she’s just homesick?” I asked.
“Doubtful. She’s not from that far away. Lives in a town about 20 minutes from here.”
“That’s weird.”
“Eh, I keep trying to get her to come out and stuff but she’d rather wallow in her drama.” She rolled her eyes. “Want a drink? There’s a keg on the back porch, punch in the kitchen and water and stuff in the refrigerator.”
Ava looked at me. “Punch?”
“Sure,” I shrugged. I won’t lie. There’s no way I would get through this without alcohol.
After a quick assessment, college parties aren’t much different from high school parties. People seemed a little less frantic, probably because we weren’t trashing someone’s parents’ house. Looking around, I realized there isn’t much to trash. The furniture looked cheap – second-hand or thrift store. An erratic combination of paintings lined the walls, everything from portraits to abstract splatters. I figured they were probably created by one or more of the homeowners.
We waited in line for our drinks, dipping a huge ladle into a vat of green punch. I took a sip from my plastic cup and coughed. “Holy crap,” I choked.
Ava swallowed and gagged. “Wow. How they made that taste like foot I’ll never know.”
We ditched the cups and grabbed a couple of sodas out of a cooler on the floor. I followed Ava through the house and Amber caught our eyes when we entered the living room.
“Hey,” she said, waving us over. She sat with a group on a futon and several others gathered around on the floor. Ava squeezed in next to Amber and I sat near them on the thin rug covering the hardwoods. They seemed to be playing a game or something on a notepad being passed around.
“What’s this?” Ava asked.
“Someone starts a drawing and each person adds a section. It’s just something to do while we hang out.”
I felt like this was something we did in Girl Scout camp, but whatever. It was better than watching boys fight over video games. The guy next to me took the pad and began drawing. He had short dreads and the prettiest dark brown skin. His eyes were light blue and, when he finished, he smiled and handed me the sketch pad.
“Your turn.”
I looked down and laughed. No one in Girl Scouts drew pictures like this. It was a drawing of a nude guy and girl standing in a field of flowers. The female’s hair covered her breasts and an umbrella had been drawn over the guy’s junk. The guy next to me pointed to the spiral making up the girl’s navel. “That was the starting point.”
“Ah, okay.” I found a patch of empty space on the girl’s hip and sketched the outline of a bird.
“Like your necklace,” he said.
“What?”
“The bird on the picture is like the one on your necklace.” He pointed to my neck.
“Oh, right.” I smiled.
“What’s your name?”
“Jane.”
“I’m Tony.”
Tony smelled like a mixture of soap and incense. I finished filling in the bird and passed the pad to Ava. She rolled her eyes when she saw my bird. “Jane has a thing for ravens and crows,” she said to those around us. “She even got a tattoo of one on her…”
I pinched her calf and she squeaked. Amber and Tony laughed. Ava finished the drawing – she was the last one and a girl with short red hair tacked it to the wall. On the way back to her seat, she said, “I love your hair.”
“Thanks,” I said, fighting a grin. Everyone was so nice and welcoming. The exact opposite of my high school experience.
“Crows and ravens have an interesting history, mythologically speaking. Native Americans think they’re tricksters, like coyotes, and in Celtic cultures they’re harbingers of death.”
“So I’ve heard.”
“I’m more inclined to just think they’re cool birds, but I guess all myths have roots in truth somehow.”
“I guess.”
“Want to do another one?” Amber asked, holding up the pad. The group all agreed to start after everyone got another drink. I hopped up and went to the kitchen for another bottle of water. I turned around and found Tony standing behind me.
“Sorry I geeked out back there. I kind of dig mythology and stuff. I’ve been incorporating different things in my artwork lately. Like really pushing myself and branching in a whole different direction. Your crow sort of caught my vibe.”
“Sounds interesting,” I said. He looked skeptical. “No really. Inspiration is a big part of art.”
I caught Ava’s eye and we shared a look across the room.
College was awesome.
*
The next morning I scribbled a note to Ava on the whiteboard letting her know I’ll be back before our studio time at 10. It’s Sunday, which meant I was due for my weekly jog. My dad should be blazing through The Ruins right now, but I’m happy to take on the flatter, paved streets of historic Savannah. To get credit, I synched my iPod to Facebook before I left so he’d know how far I ran and that I didn’t sleep in.
I exited my building and started down the sidewalk, crossing over into the tree-lined park. Few people were out, other than church-goers and moms with strollers. I adjusted my earbudsear buds and attached my green shiny iPod to my tank strap before settling into an easy pace.
About half a mile into my run, a shadow fell across the sidewalk to my left and I moved to the side. I wasn’t a fast runner, so it wasn’t a big deal to let other joggers pass. This person didn’t make a move to go around me and I glanced over, annoyed at the encroachment into my personal space.
What the hell?
To my complete and absolute surprise, Connor jogged next to me. He had on earphones and carried an iPod in his hand. He wore athletic shorts and a ratty T-shirt with a zombie on the front. I stopped abruptly in the middle of the sidewalk. He stopped next to me.
“What are you doing?” I eyed his clothing. I’d never seen him in sports clothing before. I’m not sure he even took gym in high school.
“Jogging,” he said, pulling his earphones out.
“You don’t jog.”
“Yes, I do.”
I laughed. “Since when?”
“Since I went to the wilderness program and half our day was spent outdoors, hiking and exercising. I go to the gym, too. Physical activity helps keep my emotions under control.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
I had no idea how to react to that so I turned my music up and ran off. Connor caught up quickly. We ran side by side for a couple of blocks and I looked over, unable to stop myself. His breathing held even and, to be honest, he struggled a lot less than I ever did. Jerk. Figures he’d pickup running and excel immediately. I shouldn’t be surprised.
His presence brought out a competitive streak and I pushed myself harder. Upping my pace. He kept up easily, but I suspected only because his legs were longer. We continued this for another couple of miles, breathing heavily next to one another. He wasn’t lying. He was in better shape than before he left. He’d always been slim but now he was fit. Lean biceps bulged under his shirt. His back muscles dipped when he pumped his arms. His legs looked strong. Thank God he had on a shirt or I’d probably trip and break a leg.
As we neared the waterfront and the four mile mark, I broke into a sprint and I felt him on my heels. I passed the closed bars and shops that hadn’t opened yet for the day and raced to the edge of the water, stopping at the railing.
“Damn, you trying to kill me?” Connor laughed between deep breaths. “Or just ditch me?”
I fought for my own air and fished my inhaler out of the zippered pocket in my running pants. I shook it up and sucked in two big puffs.
“You all right?” he asked. A crease of concern developed between his eyebrows.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” I wasn’t fine, but not because of my asthma. My morning run just turned into something else and I didn’t know what it was. “You know what? I’m not fine. I’m not okay with this.” I gestured between the two of us, my hand waving more wildly than I would’ve liked. “Not a word, Connor. Not one in the year you were gone. Nothing.”
“Jane,” he said. “I wanted…”
“No. Shut up. I don’t want to hear your excuses.” I took a deep breath. “You made your…”
He cut me off with a held up a hand and looked around. “Did you hear that?”
I shook my head because the only thing I heard was the pounding of my own heart. “No.”
“I heard a scream,” he said. “Or I thought I did,” he cut off. “There, you didn’t hear that?” He leaned over the railing and I did the same. The water rocked quietly against the rocks below us. I spotted a pair of arms flailing over the waves.
“Someone fell in!” I cried.
The water wasn’t easy to get to – at least a 10- to 15-foot jump. A sheer wall of stone separated the land and the water, but somehow someone had fallen in.
“Help!” a man cried. I heard it this time and kicked off my shoes.
Connor’s eyes widened and he grabbed my arm. “What? You can’t go down there.”
We both searched the boardwalk and it was empty. The few other people didn’t seem to notice the emergency. “Who else is going to go, Connor?” I asked, climbing the railing. I pressed my phone into his hand. “Call 911.”
Connor looked from the water back to me with an odd expression on his face. I took the opportunity to climb the railing.
“Jane, stop. Stop! This is—“ I jumped, feeling his hands grab for my shirt and then nothing until the cold water from the river engulfed my body.
My ears filled with water and muffled sounds. Using my arms, I swam back to the surface, popped up and took a gulping breath. I saw a small crowd surrounding Connor. The splash must have brought the attention of a couple of tourists. I searched the water but found nothing. There was no one nearby. I cried, “Where is he?”
Connor shook his head and mouthed something. Said something. I couldn’t make it out.
“What?” He leaned over the edge with a grim expression. “Jane,” he yelled and I looked up. Connor shouted the words I hadn’t heard in almost a year. “Water tower!”
Chapter 7
A guy on one of the massive tourist boats that lined the boardwalk helped me out of the water. The boat captain acted cool about it – we told him I thought I saw someone down there. That much was true. I guess the fact it was early on a Sunday morning and we were both in workout clothes proved we weren’t a couple of drunks hanging around the empty bar fronts.
“Shit,” Connor said once we were alone. I stood next to him shaking from the cold, in only a tank and shorts. Even though it was summer, the river water was cold. Water dripped down my bare feet, making a pool on the brick-lined sidewalk. Connor stripped off his dry shirt and quickly draped it over my head. It fell to mid-thigh.
“Thanks.”
“Are you okay?” He asked, resting his hand on his arm. I tried to keep my eyes off his chest. I’d never seen him like this. He had a tan and, man, he was ripped. Connor had a six pack. I sneaked a peek. Ugh. And a happy trail.
“Yeah, just cold and a little freaked out.”
He carried my shoes and phone, and we walked back toward the park. “So, right,” he said. “That was kind of messed up. I was confused at first with the water and all, but why didn’t you realize it was a ghost?”
“I just got confused, I guess. That’s never happened before. And what about you? Seeing them before me? That’s the weird part,” I lied. I’d always been able to identify the real and not real. Even that first day with Evan. With Tonya. With Charlotte. The fact I misread the ghost in the water alarmed me. But not enough to say anything, not to Connor.
“I told you I was off the meds. I don’t block them out anymore.”
I wiped my face with the hem of his shirt. “How many have you seen?”
He pushed his hair out of his eyes. “A couple. Not really at the program. We were kind of isolated. There was one kid who had committed suicide. And then there was a man roaming around my dorm. I think he used to live there when it was the hotel or something. I only caught glimpses of him. I figured he wasn’t ready to deal with it yet.”
We walked side by side and something shifted between us. I just wasn’t sure what exactly. When we reached the main street near my dorm, he stopped and said, “I know things are weird between us, but you know I’ve got your back with all of this, right?”
“I know. Same.”
He handed me my shoes and phone and I checked the time. Crap. I was late. “I’ve got studio time in about 15 minutes. If I’m late, they’ll move me to the end of the list.”
“It’s okay.”
We stood awkwardly across from one another. A couple of girls walked by and eyed his body. I remembered his shirt and reached for the hem. He stopped me by placing a hand on mine. “Don’t worry about it. You can give it back to me later.”
“Thanks,” I said. “See you.”
“Bye.”
We parted on the street and I climbed the front steps of my dorm thankful that we’d had that moment together. I didn’t need to stress out about seeing him again. For good or bad, Connor and I were bonded to one another.
*
Several nights later, over dinner, I asked Ava and Amber about the bathroom crier. We were sitting at on a patio at a local Mexican place gorging ourselves on chips and salsa. “Have either of you been in there with her? I can’t figure out who it is.”
“It’s not my roommate. I’ve only seen her twice. Whatever problem she was having with her boyfriend stopped and she’s shacking up with him half the time. I figure, as long as it’s not in my room, it’s okay. I just don’t need to walk in on people having sex all day,” she announced bluntly. “I figure we’ll work out a system if it becomes a problem.”
This was som
ething Ava and I hadn’t had to deal with yet. People had sex in college. High school, too. I just wasn’t one of them. If Connor had stuck around senior year, I suspected we would have had sex at some point. Because of that, I was sort of relieved we didn’t have to make that decision. Things between us had been so intense – I didn’t think I was ready for that kind of situation. I wouldn’t have made a clear decision. Like I would’ve had a choice. He fogged my brain and made appropriate decision making a struggle.
Even though Louis and I moved faster physically, we weren’t connected by such strong emotions. I preferred it that way.
Ava dipped her chip into a bowl of salsa. “You said she wears black Converse and has a tattoo.”
“That doesn’t narrow it down much,” Amber said.
“Yeah, I heard her again the other day when I got out of the shower, but just caught the back of her leaving the bathroom. I was still in my towel and didn’t want to run after her.”
“Did you see anything else?” Ava asked.
“That time I saw her hair. Brown and long.”
They both shook their heads. “Maybe she lives on a different hall and comes down to cry where no one knows her,” Amber suggested.
“Maybe,” I agreed. “I should mention it to Lila I guess.”
“Off topic,” Amber said, leveling a hard look in my direction. “What’s going on with you and the shirtless hottie?”
“Umm… who?”
“I saw you out front the other day with a guy and no shirt.”
“Oh, yeah. That’s just Connor,” I said nonchalantly, as though I wasn’t just thinking about him. Ava snorted at my false ease.
“That’s Jane’s ex.”
“Ex?” Amber asked. She grabbed a handful of her long black hair and twisted it in a knot/bun at the back of her head. “Why the hell would you ex that?”
“It’s a long story,” I said.
Ava nodded in agreement. “Very long.”
Grave Possession (Wraith 3) Page 4
