Forest of the Forbidden

by W. J. May

  “Maybe similar, but trust me, it’s completely different.” I pulled out my house key. “I get the feeling your folks are pretty well off. Jim and Sally are, well...they just are...They work hard, but...” Not knowing what else to say, I turned and headed towards the front porch. The neighborhood and house spoke better than I could.

  Grace followed on my heels, but I didn’t miss the funny look on her face. When I opened the front door, she pinched her nose. Her face screwed up tight.

  “Sorry. It’s bleach. We’ve been cleaning and painting.”

  She coughed, politely covering her mouth and dropping all expression from her face. “It’s fine. It just caught me by surprise.” She glanced around. “The place is, uh, cute.”

  Jim lay on the couch watching TV in dirty jogging pants and a paint-stained shirt, one of those ugly wife-beater tank tops. He lowered the volume with the remote and waved before looking over. Then his thumb hit the wrong button and channels started flickering past when he noticed Grace. Obviously at a loss for words, Jim sat up, his mouth hanging open. In the past three years, I’d never brought anyone home, and Grace was probably the prettiest thing he’d ever come in contact with.

  “My room’s upstairs,” I mumbled.

  “Hu-llo there.” A weird smile crossed his face as he stared at her.

  Is he actually trying to flirt with her? Gag! Any minute he’d be salivating like a dog – all I needed was a bell.

  I grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards my room. Her eyes were wide and bright blue. She didn’t say anything, but as soon as we got into my room, she went straight to my open window and took a few deep breaths.

  “Sorry ’bout that.” My cheeks refused to stop burning. I grabbed my black miniskirt and threw a turquoise shirt over my white tank top. Pulling my pony holder out, I shook my tangles out, ran a finger through my hair and then clipped a small barrette to hold most of my bangs away from my face. Far from stunning, but at least it looked decent.

  Thank goodness Jim was absent from the living room when we left. Hopefully to shower and change.

  Two steps outside, I started laughing.

  Grace stared at me, one eyebrow raised. “Sorry. I just wasn’t expecting...I don’t know what I expected.”

  “Not taken personally.” I grinned. “He’s never acted like that before. He’s harmless, honest.” At least she hadn’t taken off running. If she could handle that, she was definitely friend-worthy.

  Both giggling, we got into her car. “How did you end up with them?”

  “I didn’t have much of a choice.” I shrugged. “The system kept me stuck inside it. I got bounced around a lot back in Niagara Falls, and when I landed with Jim and Sally...I’ve been with them through most of high school and when Sally got the job transfer, she an’ Jim asked if I wanted to come with them. I said yes. I have to stay until I graduate.” I tried not to let my frustration and disappointment leak into my words. “I never got adopted. It supposedly took the system forever to try and locate either of my parents, which they never did, and by the time they stopped searching, I wasn’t the newbie baby parents wanted to adopt.” I absently stared out the window as we drove. Why did I just tell Grace my sob story? It’d never been a self-pity point for me and I turned eighteen in January, so it wouldn’t matter much longer.

  “Screw shopping. Do you want to come over to my place and watch a movie instead?” She swung the little car around, doing a one eighty. “We can dig through my closet and find something for each of us.”

  We passed End of an Era cemetery. I held my breath, something I’d always done as a kid whenever I drove by one. Michael crossed my mind. I quickly pushed him out. “Sounds good.” My breathing resumed as the car travelled by houses and left the cemetery behind.

  The road became more hilly, the houses sparse. Grace made a sharp turn, the little wheels squealing in protest. The long driveway lay between luscious green grass and red maple trees with the biggest leaves I’d ever seen.

  House wasn’t the right word to describe where she lived. Church or castle seemed more fitting. Built out of limestone with beautiful architectural detail, there were unique carvings in the bricks. Gorgeous. It took my breath away.

  Grace mumbled something I didn’t hear. She parked her car between a dark blue Mustang and a black Mondeo.

  A sudden wave of nervousness flushed through my veins. Some weird urge to jump out of the car and run nagged at my insides. Chewing my pinkie fingernail, I tried to squash the jitters. Why in the world did it feel like I wasn’t supposed to be here?

  * * *

  Chapter 3

  “Are you coming?” Grace held my door open as she peered in the little car. Her forehead creased then quickly disappeared when she smiled. “Caleb’s a bit dramatic.” She laughed at some private joke as I stepped out.

  I frowned. “Caleb?”

  “Yeah...Yeah, my adoptive father.” She gave her head a slight shake, her hair sparkling in the porch light’s reflection against the now growing darkness outside. The sun must have given up trying to get through the clouds, and called it an early night. “There’s a royal air about him. It’s hard to explain. You’ll see when you meet him.”

  “Air?”

  “Bad joke.” She giggled. “I meant h-e-i-r, like he pretends to be a king.” She rolled her eyes. “He designed the house.”

  I didn’t get the joke, but I’d never been great with parents or any adults. Probably why part of me wanted to stay outside. Another part begged to step inside and find the peace this place had to offer.

  The front steps led to large wooden doors with multi-colored stained glass insets. Grace pushed one open and ushered me in. “My room’s upstairs. Let’s check out what I’ve got to wear for Saturday.” She kicked off her ballet flats and started up the stairs, turning to wait for me.

  The place screamed rich. I bet old money since everything looked antique. Grace said Caleb built it, but the house seemed from before this century. Maybe the guy dug reproductive stuff and had it all done to look ancient – like the stuff belonged in a palace somewhere. The cool windows probably made rainbows on the walls. They ran all the way to the second floor with an open concept view. A great room. I remembered studying it in an architecture class at my old high school.

  Grace led the way up the winding staircase to the first door on the left. Why am I so comfortable around her? Like I’ve known her forever and yet we’ve barely just met.

  Grace chattered at the top of the stairs, “I know what it’s like to be the new kid. If I’d had someone to show me around, it would’ve made things a lot easier.”

  Her massive room had a king-size bed and four matching dressers, everything painted with bright and fresh colors. Stepping into her closet, I barely made it two feet. It was easily three times the size of my bedroom. Hundreds of clothes dangled on hangers, organized by color and type. Dresses hung on one side, skirts, pants, tops and blouses on the other. Massive shelves, with more shoes than I dared count, climbed to the ceiling. “Maybe you need to seek professional help.” I laughed, setting my bag on one of the shelves. “Too bad you’re so tiny, or I’d borrow a third of your clothes. You wouldn’t even notice them missing!”

  Grace bounced up and down, like an elegant ballet dancer. “Tiny? That’s your polite way of saying I’m short? Ha!” She grinned. “You’re just tall. Everything’ll fit but my pants.” She twirled around the closet. “Sleep over on Saturday. We can get to know each other. It’ll be fun.”

  Her face looked so hopeful. Even with the weird nagging feeling still pulling at my gut, I couldn’t say no. “Twist my ar—” I stopped mid-sentence when her door flew open.

  “Gracey. You smell something? I smelled it all the way down—”

  My heart stuttered a few beats before racing out of control. There, in the closet door frame, stood Michael.

  His head whipped from Grace to me. Heat rose on my face. I dropped my gaze to my hands. Grace’s brother. It suddenly felt like I’d unco
nsciously used her to find him. They looked exactly alike. Why didn’t I put it together sooner?

  Grace ran over to him. “Michael, knock before coming in. I tell you that all the time.”

  “No you don’t. It’s nev—”

  “This is Rouge.” She rubbed her neck. “She’s new. A senior at Port Q.”

  “Hello.” His voice made me melt and freeze all over—like fire and ice.

  “Ha-hello.” I cleared my throat. “It’s, uh, nice to see you again.”

  “You know each other?” Grace’s head swung back and forth between the two of us.

  “We ran into each other the other night – that’s all.” Michael's eyes never left my face. He inhaled, stepped out of the room and disappeared down the hall. A door slammed shut and, seconds later, loud music hit the air.

  I wanted to disappear. Could his disgust be any more obvious? “I went running in the cemetery. I didn’t know he’s your brother. We just met one time...he helped me find my iPod.”

  Grace came over and waved her hand. “Michael’s, like, kind of abrupt. He’s lousy with socializing. What were you doing running in a cemetery at night?” She paused then held up a finger. “On second thought, don’t answer.”

  A burning between my shoulder blades reminded me I needed to relax. I took a deep breath. Screw it. Not worth the time. I’d be out of here after graduation so it wasn’t like I had to hang out with him or try to be friends. Nice try, Rouge. You still think he’s cute.

  “Don’t you dare change our plans for Saturday.” Grace must have thought my silence meant I didn’t want to be here. She picked out some clothes, led me out of the closet, then flipped the light off. “I’ll tell Michael to get lost for the night. He could do with getting a life.”

  “No. Don’t worry. I’m still coming.” I swallowed, glancing down the long hall as we headed for the stairs. “How old is Michael?”

  “Just slightly older and trust me, he never lets me forget. I hate to admit it sometimes, but he’s actually my real brother. Sarah and Caleb adopted both of us.”

  She took me through the living room, which had a huge flat screen TV and an awesome sound system. One of those wireless ones. The furniture looked antique and expensive, but very comfortable, like it was meant to be sat in. The beige and bright white accents of the room made the abstract artwork on the walls seem like they were painted right where they hung.

  A woman, as stunning as Grace, sat at a desk near the window. They could almost pass as sisters. Both had similar features—the same perfectly tanned skin and beautiful ocean blue eyes. She also had the same extremely feminine physique, but more muscular. She probably did Yoga or Pilates ten times a day.

  She had to be Sarah, Grace’s adoptive mom. Sarah’s blonde hair skimmed her shoulders. She grinned and leaned against the desk, her chin fitting perfectly into her little hand. “Hello.”

  “Sarah, this is Rouge.”

  “Nice to meet you.” I was jealous of her perfect-sounding voice. Bold, sensual and like she feared nothing.

  Grace pointed to a burnt red colored door on the other side of the living room. “That’s Caleb’s office.”

  The room fell silent at the mention of his name. The butterflies in my tummy started dancing again. I’d never met the guy, so why should I be nervous about his office?

  “He’s out this evening.” Sarah stared at Grace. “A meeting out of town.”

  The butterflies settled a little, or maybe one managed to escape. I clenched my teeth together. Urrgghh...I hated being nervous.

  “Is it okay if we watch a movie in here? If you’ve got work to do...” Grace spoke oblivious to my inner battle.

  “Go ahead. I’m going to clean the kitchen then run some errands.” As she stood, a beautiful silver pendant caught my eye. I leaned slightly closer to see the detail but never got the chance. Sarah tucked it inside her blouse.

  We settled in to watch the movie. I didn’t remember half of it; my mind kept wandering back to the boy upstairs.

  When it finished we both stretched and headed to the hall. “I’d better get you home. Heaven forbid I get you in trouble.”

  I laughed. “You won’t. Jim and Sally aren’t much bothered when I come or go.” I sighed when I realized I didn’t have my key. “Shoot! I left my purse upstairs.” I pictured it where I’d dropped it in her closest on one of the shelves. “Just let me run up and grab it.”

  “I’m gonna grab a bottle of water. Want one too?” Grace turned back towards the living room and the kitchen beyond.

  “Sure.” I darted up the stairs two at a time, counting my steps. I sneaked a quick peek down the empty, door-closed hall.

  My purse lay right where I’d left it. Head down I checked for my keys as I ran out of Grace’s room. I glanced up in time to bump straight into someone’s chest. Michael’s. His hands reached for my elbows. I froze. He smelled so good – husky, masculine and something that made me want to close my eyes and inhale so deeply the scent saturated my lungs.

  It took all my willpower to step back. Why he didn’t move away first skittered across my mind.

  “Sorry,” I whispered. “Didn’t see you.”

  “It’s fine.” His voice came out husky.

  “Did you find it?” Grace called out from the bottom of the stairs.

  Michael flinched and dropped his hands. He stepped aside to let me by. “Sorry.”

  For bumping into me? Or for earlier? I had no idea.

  “Good night, Rouge,” he spoke quietly. The way he said my name, I would have done anything he wanted. No one had ever put that much meaning into one little word.

  * * *

  Chapter 4

  “Folklore.” Something about the cover made me stop working. The leather was warm in my hands, even when all the other books were cool from being in storage.

  It was Saturday morning. I’d gotten a job at The Eclectic Bookstore. Liza, my new boss, asked me to sort through inventory which needed filing. Liza had a natural Goth appearance and couldn’t be older than thirty.

  The store sold new and old stuff. She handed me a cardboard box of books and asked me to enter the bar codes into the computer or create titles in her system if they didn’t have an ISBN number. Not as confusing as it sounded. Once I typed in the number, the title would show up and if it didn’t I just entered the title and author, her computer did the rest. It wasn’t the most exciting job, but at least I’d have spending money and hopefully be able to put a bit away for after graduation.

  Halfway through, I’d found the leather book.

  Everything around me melted away, except the raised contours of some kind of beasty animal on the cover. So lifelike I wondered if it’d been hand drawn from a photo instead of being some made-up creature. Gingerly, afraid I might crack the leather, I opened the front cover and checked for a date. Apparently it had been written pre-copyright days. I flipped through, my fingers running across thick parchment and ink blotted pages. A noise inside the shop snapped me out of my reverie. I set it aside, figuring I’d ask Liza how much it cost.

  The rest of the morning I spent sorting and stocking books. They all seemed to cover stories about witches, warlocks and other immortal legends. Liza had mentioned she loved old fairy tales and their history. She dressed the part and seemed to have that eerie, far-away thought and conversation process. She had the personality to suit it as well. I loved it.

  When we finished mid-afternoon, she picked up the leather book I’d set aside. “Interested?”

  I shrugged. “It looks old.”

  She tossed it at me. “Keep it. A bonus for your first day.”

  Catching it like a football, I hugged it to my chest. “You sure? I can pay for it.”

  Shaking her head, she laughed. “It’s okay to accept a freebie once and a while. Trust me, it always feels better to give than to receive.”

  “Except if you give everything away, you’ll go broke.” I tried to stop a grin but it managed to escape. “Thanks. See you late
r.” I stuffed the book into my backpack and headed out the front door.

  After the dimness of the shop, the bright sun blinded me. I squinted against its glare. Slipping my other arm through the backpack strap I froze momentarily when a car sped behind me. I jumped to the other side of the sidewalk when it screeched against the curb.

  “What the –”

  Grace’s little Smartcar stopped within inches of my feet.

  “Need a lift?” The fuzzy dice still swung from her crazy driving.

  “You’re nuts!” I pounded my chest, trying to restart my heart.

  She chuckled and grinned. “You’re fine. I stopped in plenty of time.” She revved the sewing machine engine. “You heading somewhere or all finished?”

  I opened the passenger door and got in. “I started a part-time job today.”

  “At The Eclectic Bookstore?”

  “Yeah, how’d you know?”

  “I saw you leave the store and swung the car around. Ready for tonight?”

  “Sure. Just need to grab my stuff.”

  We drove to my place. Once there, she played with the car keys and glanced towards the house.

  “I’ll just run in and grab my stuff.” I opened the passenger door and tossed my backpack in the back. I dashed inside, thankful Jim and Sally weren’t home to question me. I left a note on the fridge: “Sleeping at a new classmate’s. Text my cell if you need me.” Throwing my already packed bag over my shoulder, I was out again in less than three minutes.

  Grace leaned across the seat and swung the car door open for me. I tossed my bag with my backpack and then jumped in. “Ready.”

  “Awesome. Let’s get outta here.”

  At her house we went straight to her room. Grace ran down and grabbed a fruit tray so we could snack, chill on her bed and listen to music.

  “I wonder what the weather’s supposed to be like tonight.” I glanced out the window toward the clear blue sky.

  Grace jumped off the bed and strolled to the closet. “Cloudy by the lake. It’ll be cool, but I’ve got the perfect scarf for you.”