Chasing Shadows
Title Page
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chasing Shadows
Rebecca Stoddard
Copyright © 2016 by Rebecca Stoddard
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
Chasing Shadows/Graham Publishing Group
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.
Chasing Shadows/Rebecca Stoddard -- 1st ed.
ISBN 978-0-9963966-6-0 Ebook Edition
To my grandparents and parents, thank you for everything and all your belief in me. I love you.
Chapter 1
This August day was just like the others that had passed—too hot. My parents wanted to take another long trip to the lake, so we were all crammed in the car. My little sister Amelia was about to begin one of her endless tantrums. I could see it in her pale blue eyes, eyes that my parents and siblings all had. Yet I somehow ended up with mossy green eyes that seemed to change colors with the scenery. I was the oddball of the family, always had been. I was short, curvy in all the right places, with dark hair and paper-white skin. My older brother Alexandier always teased me about being adopted, but I knew I wasn’t.
“AubrieAnna, be a dear and give Amelia her juice?” my mother’s soft voice shot back from the front seat.
“Got it covered, Mom. So, how much longer ’til we actually get there? ’Cause this heat is killer.” I reached down and grabbed the yellow tumbler cup from the floor, and handed it to Amelia. It always seemed to have some sort of juice in it. She was finally seven and wanted to be treated like a “big girl” but still always wanted juice like my little brother.
“Auby, we will be there in just one more hour,” my dad responded to me, using my nickname. We all had them, but I always thought mine was the coolest. Amelia’s was Melly, Alexandier’s was Zandy, and little Micheal ’s was Mickey. I nodded in response, threw my hair up into a haphazard ponytail, rolled my window down the rest of the way, and tuned in to my iPod.
Another hour passed and we were finally there, and I was coated in a film of sweat. I helped my little sister and brother out of their car seats and took off toward the water. After stumbling out of my dampened clothes, I jumped into the freezing water of Waldo Lake. When my head resurfaced, I saw Alexandier standing on the edge of the creaky old dock with his head cocked to one side and a smile so big I could see his dimples and pearly white teeth. I scrambled onto the dock and hugged my big brother. He spun me in circles, not seeming to mind that I was soaking his clothes. Gently, he set me on my feet and handed me a towel. After I dried myself off as much as possible, I walked off the dock and headed toward the hot sand of the shore.
As we walked I noticed how tall he was, just over six feet, and even how he hadn’t had a haircut in months, the way it curled wildly around his ears. His hair had more of a golden tint than the rest of our family’s, but he still looked every bit a Lukenson with his baby blues always shining brightly. We walked side by side, with a slow and easy pace. When we finally reached the sand, he bent down to take off his shoes and walked barefoot to the water’s edge. The water danced with our toes while the boats raced by. I sat down and looked up at him, and started the sisterly questioning. “So, how was your second year at McPherson College?”
“It’s pretty easy, actually. They say college is supposed to get harder each year, but it feels like the opposite for me.” He chuckled softly. “It’s still hard being away from you guys, though, especially you. Plus, you’ve got me a little worried with all of your one-worded and long cryptic texts lately.”
I stared at him for a moment then quickly looked back at the water and the boats zooming by.
“My girlfriend is starting to worry a little bit too. She feels like she knows you so well, since I talk about you all the time. I know what you see in your dreams, Aubz . . . Some of it has come true too. All of this, Mom and Dad rushing everyone out here so quickly this summer, it has to do with what you see, doesn’t it?” For the first time in a long time, I could actually see the tightness in his face and the concern in his eyes. He was genuinely worried about the things that were in my dreams.
“Zany, I have to tell you something.” I paused for a brief moment. “Mom and Dad still have no idea . . .” I trailed off and chewed on my lip. I couldn’t look at him.
“Goddamn it, AubrieAnna! You promised me you would tell them. That was a year ago when these started up again! I cannot believe you lied to me.” His voice went quiet with disappointment.
“I, uh, wasn’t exactly finished . . . ” I looked back up at him, swallowed a hard lump in my throat, and continued. “They’re getting weirder and worse . . . I don’t understand why I’m having them, but I am. They terrify me, and they are all about an explosion of some sort. The world is just so different afterward, almost like we were bombed with nuclear warfare. I’m scared, Zany. And I don’t want anyone to know. Please don’t tell?”
He just stared at me for a while and then hugged me tightly. It was his way of saying that everything was going to be okay and he would keep my secret to the ends of the earth. We were best friends, regardless of the three years that separated us. He was my hero, and I somehow managed to be his. Alexandier always protected me. This time was no different. The truth of that resonated in his eyes.
A few hours later we made our way back to the cabin. The sun was beginning to set, and dinner was almost done. It smelled of barbequed chicken and homemade mac and cheese. I shook the remaining dirt and sand from my feet and legs then walked inside. Sounds of continuous laughter came from the kitchen to the left, and the quiet sounds of a fire burning came from the living room to the right. It was peaceful, normal, and happy. I focused my entire being on the moment, committing it to memory—then it happened.
Everything was burning. No one around me was left unscathed. People screamed on the shore as large black creatures tore them apart and wreaked havoc. There were so many dead, limbs had been torn off, and their bodies burned beyond recognition. Blood was everywhere. The lake was no longer the pretty blue-green it always was; it was now tainted with so much blood that its color looked black. Fear and horror clouded my mind as I looked around. Everything around me was destroyed. And those horrible creatures were causing the damage, and laughing as they did. It took me a moment to see it; my family was trapped inside the cabin, with very few ways to get out. They were crying out for each other, for help. Little Micheal was crawling toward an open window. I tried to catch him, but I couldn’t get to him in time. Tears exploded from my eyes and my heart sank at the sight of his small body in a crumpled heap. As hard as it was to leave his body there, I had to; the rest of my family still needed help. I t
ook deep breaths and rushed into the cabin. When I wasn’t burned, I realized it wasn’t real, but panic still welled within me, causing my lungs to work overtime. I tried to pinch myself awake; it didn’t work. Terrified, I still tried to save them. As I searched the house, it began to crumble around me. Pushing through it, I climbed the stairs and reached Amelia’s room first. I called out her name, but she didn’t hear me and continued to scream for our mom. My heart broke at the sight before me as I ran into her room. My vision went black, and the world around me faded out.
“AubrieAnna, come on, sweetheart, wake up! Please?” The tears in my mom’s voice jerked me back to reality and away from the terrible vision that had been burned into my mind.
I felt the plush cushions before I opened my eyes. Blinking the blurred vision away, I saw my mom sitting by me with wide eyes that were still wet with tears while my dad and Alexandier stood above me, with worry lines creasing their foreheads. They looked so much alike in that moment that I knew the saying “Like father, like son” was true. I reached up and rubbed my face. My hand came away wet with blood and tears. Curious and scared, I looked to my family for answers. My dad and brother hurried to help me sit up. Alexandier knew what had happened. His eyes were questioning whether or not he should tell them. I nodded, giving him permission.
“Aubz told me earlier that she has been having those strange dreams again. They are also worse than the ones she had when she was younger—end-of-the-world worse. So either you guys think she’s crazy, and if you do she’ll be going back to Kansas with me, or you can help us figure it out. This is not being brushed under the rug, not anymore. Maybe they are visions like they once were or something else, who knows. But regardless of what it is, we need to figure it out, soon. So, AubrieAnna, tell us what you saw when you were passed out.” My older brother only used my first name when it was time to be completely serious.
I inhaled deeply and let it out. Twisting and untwisting my hands, I spilled every detail of the nightmare I was forced to witness behind my closed eyes. When I finished, my parents shared a look of horror and then one of understanding.
“AubrieAnna, honey, we need to tell you something. It’s something that we didn’t expect to have to do, especially after your visions stopped years ago. We thought it was just a childhood ability, like seeing ghosts . . . ” My mother paused, and tears welled in her eyes. She looked to my father to finish what she had started.
“You are extremely different from anyone we have ever met. We never expected any of this to be true. Like your mother said, we thought it was just something you would grow out of, but apparently you didn’t . . . After you were born, something went wrong. There were going to be two of you, as you know.” I nodded, and he continued. “However, your sister did not make it. You both were just so sick, and you . . . my God, you cried so hard when they took her away from you, so they decided to keep you two together. The doctors didn’t think either of you were going to make it. You started getting worse when she got worse. We thought it would be best to let you two stay together, even though the nurses thought it was a bad idea. Then, the night before your mother was released from the hospital, your sister passed and you became healthier, almost immediately. Doctors couldn’t explain it. They kept you there at the hospital for weeks to run tests to make sure there was nothing wrong. Each test came back negative. It was a miracle. You were a miracle. We were still worried that you might become ill again, so your mom and I took you to multiple other doctors. Not one of them could find anything wrong. The last one we took you to, his nurse told us about a psychic, so we took you. Her eyes kept rolling back, and she kept talking in another language. We were about to leave, but she stopped us. She told us that you would be powerful, that your sister gave you more than life itself, she gave you magic. When I told her that was enough, she said that you would be the savior of all things good. Not just all people, but all things. We never understood quite what she was talking about, but I think we’re starting to.” My dad squeezed my mom’s shoulder and composed himself to look as calm and collected as possible.
“So what’s wrong with me? Don’t you dare say that I’m special.” I jabbed my finger at them. “I can’t be. Not like this. I’m clumsy in the dark, I’m too weird, and . . . and I am not at all special. I’m just me. I am AubrieAnna Sailour Lukenson. That’s all I want to be.” Tears began to flow down my cheeks, and I let them. My head hurt, my heart was heavy, and I felt strange, as if I didn’t belong in my own body. I needed to escape. I got up and walked outside. The evening air was warm as I headed toward the water.
I sat down at the edge of the dock and stared thoughtlessly into the water. The footsteps were so quiet that I barely heard them. They eventually came to a stop next to me, and the dock shifted slightly under the weight of Alexandier. He sat down beside me and handed me a cup of tea. The cup was warm in the palms of my hands. Roses and herbs filled my nose with a heavenly smell, and I slowly began to relax. Even though I was starting to calm down, there was still a hollow feeling in the pit of my stomach, and a brokenness had settled in my soul. I felt a warm arm wrap around my shoulders and looked up to see Alexandier watching me carefully. I decided to let him in on the thoughts that were plaguing my mind. “Zany, I want to go see this psychic that Mom and Dad saw. I feel like I need to hear everything for myself. And I need to get all of us out of here. If what I saw was in the future, you are all going to die in the cabin. I won’t let that happen . . . I can’t.” I looked back down at the water and the starry sky that was reflected there.
“All right, I’ll take you tomorrow afternoon. I told them you would want to go, so they gave me her information. We’ll leave around noon. We need to know if what you saw is actually a vision of the future, and if it is, then we will get them out of here, I promise. Sound like a deal?”
I looked up, smiled, and said, “Deal.”
We stayed out on the dock for hours, sitting in silence. He knew I just needed to sit and think. My best friend and protector, Alexandier was my support. No matter what decision I made, my brother would be by my side.
***
The light that peeked through my curtains was golden, as on any typical August morning. I stretched as I thought back to last night. It still didn’t feel quite right that I might be powerful. Looking back on my childhood, I realized that I was different from the rest of my family. I never got sick, I healed from injuries faster, I could see farther and hear better, déjà vu was a common occurrence, and I had never felt alone, even when I was by myself. The knock at the door startled me, making my heart speed up. As I headed to the door, it burst open and I was tackled by Melly and Mickey. They laughed as I tickled them. When the tickle fight ended, I looked at them. I saw how much they looked alike. They both had curly hair—not the frizzy kind, but small, delicate spiral curls. Their eyes were the same pale blue as everyone else’s in the family, and even their facial structure screamed Lukenson, with strong cheekbones, slightly rounded jaws, and cute little button noses. Not even their skin was pale like mine, but a light golden brown that was purely radiant.
“Auwy! Mommy says yummies are done!” Mickey was only three and still learning to pronounce his words correctly. They both grabbed my hands and tugged me down the stairs and straight into the kitchen.
The aroma of bacon and ham, eggs, cheesy hash browns, and pancakes filled the air. I sat down on a bar stool and stole a piece of bacon. Melly and Mickey chased each other around the island and giggled. My mom clapped her hands and motioned for us all to be seated at the table where breakfast would be served. Once we were all settled in our seats, my mom smiled at my dad, and he grinned back at her. It was always nice to know my parents were still in love. They gave me hope that you really can spend the rest of your life with one person and never truly hate each other. My parents cleared their throats and we all looked at them, waiting patiently for whatever news they needed to tell us. “Your father and I are thinking about staying here for the rest of the summer.”
>
I felt my face drop. They knew what I saw, and they were still thinking about prolonging our stay at the exact place we needed to get away from, fast. Alexandier shook his head and looked down at his lap. He was shocked at what Mom had said, since she knew what he and I suspected. To make it even worse, we had no time frame for what I saw. A lump clogged my throat, and I gasped for air that was hard to find. I grasped the edge of the table and squeezed. “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” played in my mind, which slowed my breathing to normal. Air flowed into my lungs, and I released my grip on the table. Five pairs of eyes were staring at me, wide with worry. I tried to speak, but my voice eluded me.
“Aubz, it isn’t a for sure decision. Nothing is set in stone. It’s okay. We’re going to see that lady today, and we’ll get this figured out, okay?” Alexandier was trying to placate my nerves; it worked.
Nodding my response, I drank some of my orange juice. After swallowing, I smiled to show them I was all right. I stared down at my plate and started eating my breakfast. A few minutes had passed before everyone at the table forgot what had happened. We were telling stories and laughing about one story in particular: Mickey had caught a giant bullfrog and let it loose in the house. It took days to find the frog—after it destroyed some of our cupboards—and Mom still wouldn’t let Mickey go outside unless she was with him.
***
The drive to the psychic took longer than I had expected. I stared out the window and thought back to before Alexandier and I left. Even though my parents weren’t thrilled about Alexandier taking me to the psychic, they allowed it because I needed to understand what was happening to me. They pulled me aside as we said goodbye and told me to be careful, to watch what I said, be cautious, and to always keep the medallion in my pocket. Then they handed me a gold coin—at least I thought it was a coin until I looked closer. On one side was an intricate pattern of snakes, roses, branches, and a pentagram. The other side was simpler, just an engraved phrase in a foreign language. It was beautiful; I thought it looked like a tattoo that represented the deepest of meanings.
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