Monster

by Yolanda Olson

  “But there are times when I don’t feel completely comfortable around you,” I said reasonably.

  “Look I’ve decided to stop making you uncomfortable. There’s only one time you act like that and we both know when that is. I figure if you ever want to, you know where to find me and I’m not going anywhere. Ever,” he replied with a grin.

  He was right. On both counts. Only when he made advances toward me did I ever feel uncomfortable. And I knew for a fact that I’d never get rid of him. What an about face from the first time I met him. I couldn’t wait to be rid of him and now I wasn’t upset at all about being stuck with him for a while.

  “Hey turn around,” he said suddenly breaking into my thoughts.

  I looked at him and he gestured with his chin at something on the front lawn. When I turned back to look I felt my breath catch. It was a pair of squirrels playing with each other on the front lawn. Running by and rolling around with each other, not caring or worried that I was out in the day time. I heard the sounds of the birds chirping signaling dawn and looked up to see a school of birds flying south in perfect precision.

  “They fly south for the summer. Must’ve gotten a late start,” he explained.

  I stepped off the porch and took a few steps onto the front lawn. The squirrels that had been playing sat up on their hind legs and stared at me.

  “I’m sorry,” I called to them as they ran away. “I guess they’re still scared of me,” I muttered to myself.

  “No it’s not that. If anything gets close them at all, human or not, they’ll run away. It’s a survival instinct,” Cody said to me.

  I felt his arm slide around my shoulders and I leaned against him. Smiling I looked up at him and he winked.

  “Told you, you’d get to see this one day,” he said softly.

  He was right. He had promised me that I would be able to see the animals in their daytime setting. The only thing I could figure was that he had foreseen it. But I didn’t want to ruin the moment that someone made me a promise that they actually kept by answering questions.

  “I guess I’ll have to get used to those eyes,” he said looking back out at the front lawn.

  “Well, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize that something I had no control over would be such an issue,” I replied sticking my tongue out at him.

  Laughing, he dropped his arm. I watched him as he took a look around. He held up his forefinger to get me to wait, and I watched as he disappeared into the house.

  Not a moment later, he came back out holding one of my black hooded jackets and a pair of fancy sunglasses. He held it out for me to slide into then, he placed the glasses on my face. Stepping back to admire his handiwork, he nodded and grinned.

  “I got a question for ya,” I said pulling the hood over my head.

  “What’s that?” he asked.

  “Why do you always kiss me on the nose? Or mostly on the nose. I mean it’s not that I mind, I like it, I’m just really curious is all.”

  “I was hoping you wouldn’t ask,” he said his face coloring slightly. “But I’ll tell you. When I watched you the few days that you were in the hospital, I saw parents of other babies kissing them on the nose. It would stop the babies from crying or it would make them let out a short happy breath. It seemed like to me that was the ultimate way that humans show love for each other. And well I like you. So I thought that it might work on you. But you aren’t human, so what was I thinking, right?”

  I laughed and gave him a shove. It didn’t offend me because I knew he wasn’t saying it to be evil. Cody had his own brand of humor and at times it could be trying, while at other times it was definitely funny. Leaning up, I surprised him by kissing him on the tip of his nose. His face colored even more and he laughed again, that same embarrassed laugh.

  Grabbing my hand, we took a walk down toward the end of the driveway. I couldn’t believe that I was actually going to see the waking world. I always saw the world as it slept. I hadn’t experienced this in so long I didn’t know how I was going to react to it.

  The sound of running footsteps behind us deflated any hope I had that my first day would be a normal one. I sighed completely defeated and turned around to see Charlie jogging toward us. My mood immediately picked up. I had half expected to see some kind of monster that hated me for one reason or another coming to screw up my day.

  “You guys mind if I go for a walk with ya,” she asked with a grin.

  “Not at all,” I replied with a smile.

  “How about you demon boy, mind if I come with?”

  Cody laughed and shook his head. “No feline girl, you can come if you want.”

  “Behave children. Besides you’re both not completely right about each other,” I said playfully.

  They both laughed and Charlie saddled up on the other side of me as the three of us walked through the streets of Devils Lake, taking in its residents during the daytime.

  18. Death, Again.

  (Dawn of Day 22)

  As we walked further into the city I noticed that the streets were coming alive

  with people who were on their way to work or opening their shops for the business day. I smelled the aroma of the freshly brewed coffee coming from coffee houses and the scent of people who had purchased breakfast sandwiches as they walked out of them briskly.

  I chuckled to myself thinking about the time I had made breakfast for Kendall before I really knew how to cook. She looked positively ill as she ate the scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast I had laid before her. It seemed like it was taking everything in her power not to spit it all out as she washed it down with a tall glass of orange juice.

  My memory was cut short when we stepped back as a mother came walking quickly out of one of the coffee houses being dragged by a child screaming about having to go to school. I smiled. I couldn't help but wonder if I had done that. It really did suck not being able to remember my past.

  Cody must've felt my mood because he looked down at me and raised an eyebrow. Taking a deep breath I smiled at him and gave his arm a squeeze. We walked in silence for a few more blocks.

  The world whizzed by me in a haze of strangers’ conversations, people hailing taxis, and stray animals wandering about. I wondered if maybe now that I could be seen during the day if I should try to sneak up on Skiles and save my sister.

  No.

  I shook the thought of out my head and looped one arm through Cody's and the other through Charlie's. We walked happily through the town as I gawked at things and pointed out other things like a child seeing the world for the first time. In an odd way I felt like I was reborn in that morning.

  I laughed when a couple of kids went by us on bicycles almost losing control and swerving on the patches of black ice that were so easy for the three of us to see. Cody nudged me when one of them almost wiped out and Charlie howled with laughter. We weren't laughing in a cruel way, it was just funny to see.

  As we pushed on I saw another little girl that was on one of the coin operated horse rides outside of a store. She was squealing with joy as the horse slowly rocked back and forth. I smiled at her suddenly feeling a sadness overwhelm me.

  That's something I'll never have thanks to Skiles.

  I felt Cody snake his hand down my arm and intertwine our fingers. I looked up at him and noticed a group of teenagers staring at me. They looked at each other and whispered something, one of the older guys trailing a finger along his face where the stitches were on mine. I sighed.

  “Problem?” Charlie asked them.

  “No,” said one of the girls, “We were just wondering what happened to her face.”

  “Explain to me how that's your business and I'll tell you,” she retorted crossing her arms over her chest.

  “Don't worry about it Charlie,” I said to her. I pulled the hood closer over my face. “Let's just go.”

  She relented and the three of us turned to leave when the older boy said something to his friends.

  “Who knew we had freaks walking
around Devils Lake.”

  Next to me Cody stopped walking. I pulled on his arm to get him to move because I knew that those kids would be no match for him. I looked up and saw that his jaw was clenched and that his entire body was tense.

  “Cody, no,” I said pulling at him.

  “Yeah, Cody,” the bully taunted, “Keep walking.”

  Looking down, Cody scoffed. I saw a smile playing across his lips. He turned slowly and faced the boy as he stepped closer to us. Letting go of my hand, Cody slid off his jacket and handed it to me. He looked over at Charlie who nodded at him. The two of them stepped toward the group of teenagers.

  I mean I knew that by all rights, they were all around the same age. The oldest teen in the group looked like he was eighteen at the least and the youngest looked like she was sixteen. I just knew in my heart that it wasn't a fair fight.

  “Come on guys, let's just leave,” I begged them.

  They ignored me and stepped right up to the group of teens. Cody's size alone should've worried that one boy and I think as Cody got within a few feet of him, he realized how massive he was. I could smell his sudden fear. He was hiding it well though as he met Cody and Charlie half way with two of his friends, which were girls. Obviously they knew they wouldn't be able to take her down if it was only one of them. Hell the entire lot of them wouldn't dent either.

  “What? Do you have something to say?” the boy asked Cody. His voice cracked and I had to put my hand over my mouth to hide my smile.

  “No!”

  I quickly regained my composure and ran over to Cody, putting my hands on his chest. He looked down at me and even though my eyes were still hidden behind the sunglasses I’m sure he saw the urgency on my face.

  He took a deep breath and let it out.

  “Okay, dolly. I won’t do anything. Promise,” he said with a smile.

  I looked over at Charlie who was still frightening the group with just a look. I reached over and nudged her arm.

  “Sorry Finn. I’m not going to promise anything. I don’t trust them and if they decide that they want to sucker punch one of us when we turn around, well. I’ll handle it.”

  The look she was giving them was so scary that I knew that not one of them would dare to attack us from behind. Cody grinned at her and slid his arm around my waist. She gave them one final stare, and then dropped her arms to her side and the three of us turned and started to walk away.

  “Oh my God,” I said under my breath.

  I felt my body stiffen and the world seemed to suddenly tilt underneath me.

  Cody caught me as my body wavered and I almost fell.

  “Dolly? What’s wrong?”

  I couldn’t speak because the shock and slight fear were gripping me. But I saw her. I know I did. I couldn’t help but think that somehow Skiles was in cahoots with her.

  “Finnegan?” Charlie asked nudging me.

  “Billie,” I whispered.

  “What? Where?” Cody asked whipping around so quickly that he almost dropped me.

  “Look! She’s behind that store! She saw me see her and she ran behind that store.”

  I knew that I sounded like I was babbling at that point but I was so upset that my one day pretending to be human again, had gotten ruined. If she was working for Skiles, she’d tell him. I mean it wasn’t like he would be able to do anything, but I didn't want to take that chance.

  “We’ve got to stop her,” I said.

  Before either of them had a chance to object, I ran off into the alley, picking up her scent. I had to stop her. I had a new reason to stop her. I figured I’d explain it to Charlie and Cody who I could hear scrambling to catch up to me, once I had proven it to be true.

  “Slow down, you’re in public!” Cody shouted behind me.

  I didn’t listen. I pushed myself into one of my manic breaks and picked up so much speed that the debris in the alley flew into the air like a hurricane had swept past as I ran.

  “Finn!” Charlie shouted.

  With as urgent as her voice sounded, I refused to stop. Billie ruined the one day I had to be normal again. It wasn’t fair and I hated her for it. Of course chasing Billie had the strong possibility attached that I’d run into Phoebe, who had every reason in the world to kill me.

  Suddenly I felt a pair of powerful hands grab onto my shoulders and stop me in mid run. I jerked back and the pain jolted through my body with an angry vengeance.

  “Do you have any idea what you look like to these people running like that?

  Half of them ran away screaming while the other half started to chase us. What’s wrong with you?” Cody asked.

  I could tell he was angry, but I still couldn’t tell him my theory. I wouldn’t. Not yet. I’d have to face his anger and hope that he would let me continue my pursuit of Billie.

  “I’m sorry,” I started. I was panting and it wasn’t because of the run, it was because of the pain of the sudden stop. “But you have to let me go, Cody. I have to find Billie. I have to stop her. I can’t explain it right now, but you have to trust me.”

  “No way. You’re not going after her until I know why.”

  “I can’t explain right now,” I repeated urgently. I looked at the end of the alleys that connected Devils Lake and saw her standing there with a smug expression on her face. Almost as if to say “you can’t catch me.”

  With an animalistic scream that rose up from deep within me, I shoved Cody to the side with all my might. I heard his grunt of pain as he hit one of the brick buildings and I took off after her again. She was taunting me now and I didn’t like it.

  Not one bit.

  I heard the shouts of confusion from the humans as she led me back out onto the city streets. I didn’t care what they thought or what they said; I had to catch her before she disappeared. I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I didn’t realize that she had run us straight to the Devils Lake Cemetery on the edge of town.

  I didn’t know that is, until I felt the tremendous blow to my chest by Phoebe. She had stepped out from behind one of the massive trees and used her arm as a battering ram to the center of me. If I were alive, that blow would’ve sent me into cardiac arrest. My body jerked to a violent stop and my feet went up from under me and I hit the floor hard.

  Unfortunately for me, since my lungs still worked I laid there gasping for air in heaving breaths. The two of them stood over me looking down at me. Billie had that vacant, scary look in her eyes and Phoebe crouched down over me with a vicious smile on her face.

  “Looks like my brother isn’t here to save you now,” she said with a sneer.

  My eyes were closed behind my glasses, which surprisingly enough, hadn’t been knocked off of my face when I went down. I was trying so hard to steady my breathing. I had tears spilling out of my eyes. Not because I was sad or afraid, but because of the pain.

  “This is going to be easier than I thought,” Phoebe said to Billie.

  They both laughed. Then Phoebe’s facial expression changed as she got to her feet. A mask of twisted hate and anger was now covering her normally beautiful face. In a flash of movements, she shot a hand down toward my neck. I felt her fingers grip into a vice around it and felt my lungs screaming at me for air.

  The world was starting to black out around me.

  A sickening gurgle escaped my throat. I felt myself being lifted off the ground with insane strength. My feet kicked at the air. I needed to get down on the ground soon, since that would give me some kind of chance at regaining my breath.

  Suddenly Phoebe dropped me. I heard her surprised shout as she tumbled to the ground. I rolled over onto my stomach. Even though I still hadn’t caught my breath at least if one of them attacked I would be able to do something to protect myself.

  I felt a pair of strong hands wrap around my arms and hoist me back up onto my feet. Whoever it was sure to stay close behind me. I didn’t know if it was being done for anonymity or if it was just a tactic but I wanted to know who it was. The pain of having my
neck squeezed so tightly kept me from swiveling my head to look back.

  “Steady,” the voice said in a whisper.

  Clever. All whispers sound the same. The only thing I can tell is that you’re male.

  Just wait until my body gets back to normal.

  “How is this possible?” Billie asked my savior, stepping back cautiously.

  “All things are possible. You just let yourself get wrapped up in myths,” he replied.

  No. Way.

  “Kaeden?” I asked finally swiveling my head back.

  “Yeah,” he said with a chuckle. “Didn’t think I’d let you out into the waking world without me, did you?”

  “But, I thought you couldn’t ...”

  “We’ll discuss this later,” he said as Phoebe started to stir. “For now, I want you to get to the mausoleum that we took refuge in a while ago and close the door firmly behind you. I’ll keep them busy while you go and then come for you when I’m done,” he said giving me a gentle shove.

  “Kae ...”

  “No time for arguments, Finnegan,” he said with a smile.

  I looked up at him again and saw that his eyes were starting to pool with the onyx color of his fury. I didn’t want to leave Kaeden alone with these two. I didn’t know if he could do it alone. But running up to the street to the cemetery, I saw Charlie and Cody so I knew that Kae would be okay.

  I gave his arm a quick squeeze and took as deep a breath as my strained lungs could take and ran as quickly as possible. It wasn’t very fast but it was fast enough to shoot right past Phoebe who tried to grab me on the way by.

  When I reached the concrete monument of death, I heard the sounds of battle behind me. I wanted to turn to look but I didn’t. I knew they would fill me in later anyway. And with Cody there I knew that he wouldn’t let anyone kill his sister even though she wanted to kill him.

  I stepped into the mausoleum and pulled the door firmly shut behind me. I went over to the raised slab of concrete that I had laid on before, and made myself comfortable on it. My curiosity was telling me to peek out the window, but I didn’t want to see what was happening.