by K. A. Poe
I laughed lightly. “That is very true.”
“Yep. One thing though…I told him that I had some friends coming to check it out too and he sort of clammed up. He says he doesn’t want to show me until you guys are here and can show us all at the same time.”
“Uh-huh…that is weird.”
“Yeah, but whatever. I have this feeling he is the real deal though, you know? I don’t know how to describe it but he definitely seems like the type that would know about this sort of stuff. Oh,” she said with obvious remorse. “Is Karen…is she okay?”
I paused for a moment. “No. She’s not okay.”
“She’s gone, isn’t she?” I could hear her voice crack.
“Yeah,” I confirmed her suspicions and sighed. My lips moved to say more but I couldn’t continue.
“I’m so sorry, Alex. I…”
“Me, too…” I mumbled. “Did you want to talk to Salem?”
“Not really, you guys are probably busy anyway. Just find a new place then get down here as soon as you can. I mean…that is if you both are still wanting this.”
“Salem is definitely still looking forward to it.”
“And you?”
“I’ve got to go, okay?” I said, ignoring the question.
“Okay. Bye, Alex,” she said and hung up.
I sat my phone down against the side of my seat and looked at Salem. “She found someone that knows where the fountain is!” I exclaimed, holding back the sadness I felt at the mentioning of Karen.
“That was quicker than expected.”
“Yeah…does it seem a little suspicious to you?”
“If Hannah says she has found something then I am sure it is true.” He grinned happily and his eyes twinkled, reflecting the joy he felt. Then his eyes flickered violet and a radiating golden necklace with rubies on it appeared in his hands.
“What’s that for?” I asked as I ogled at the jewelry.
“This is what we are going to sell in order to find a new place,” he explained.
We spent less than twenty minutes at the only pawn store in town, which was relatively small but always had customers. The owner was a bit suspicious at first but I didn’t blame him. Although I knew Salem hated doing so, he quickly came up with a very believable story about how the necklace had been left to him as part of his parent’s will. In fact, after another brief purple flash from his eyes, he also had a sheet of paperwork to back it up.
After retreating from the pawn shop with money in hand, I started looking at houses again. There was a picture of a one story house with a wide, open kitchen and a dining room attached to it. The next pictures I saw made me want the house more than anything: the master bedroom was huge with a walk-in closet and a bathroom inside the room with a Jacuzzi and standing shower. There were two guest bedrooms, another bathroom and a basement. If this wasn’t enough, I also came across a picture of a pool. This was the house I wanted. I hoped the money we had gotten from the jewelry would be enough for a down payment. If not, maybe Salem could summon some more things.
“I think I found one that I like,” I said and showed him the images.
“It is a good choice,” he agreed and smiled. “And anything you dislike about it can easily be fixed over time.”
I quickly called the owners and arranged for a meeting as soon as possible. Fortunately they were already at the house taking care of some last minute touches. Before we left to check out the house, we stopped by the Willowshire Bank and created an account in my name and deposited the money from the pawn shop. Salem continued with the story of his parents who had ‘tragically passed away recently’.
We drove to the house which was off from the rest of the town by a little ways, away from the streets and nestled behind a canopy of trees. The paint was a light welcoming blue that reminded me of Salem’s eyes. There was a small, round fish pond a few feet from the wrap around porch and a garage attached to the side of the house. After admiring the exterior for a moment longer, I finally got out and took Salem’s hand as he led me up the stairs leading to our potential new home.
He rapped his fingers against the dark wood door and soon an elder couple stared us in the face. The woman was roughly my height with thick curly white hair atop her wrinkled head and her husband was a few inches taller with a comb-over that would have been better off just being cut off to save the man from embarrassment. I felt somewhat uncomfortable as I looked over these two strangers, knowing that after our trip to Florida, we would eventually become like them…
“Good afternoon, Alexis, was it?” the old woman said in a pleasant voice. She smelled like lavender and roses which led me to wonder if she spent her time gardening.
“Yep, that’s me,” I replied with a smile. “And this is my fiancé Salem.”
“How wonderful,” she said. “I’m Dianna, and this is my husband Carl.”
“It is very lovely to meet you both,” Salem said with a friendly smile.
Carl didn’t say much, but he acknowledged our greeting and friendly-nature and they welcomed us into the house. The front door led us into the living room which was covered with beige carpeting and the walls were a simple off-white. There were two windows in the room and I could see the surrounding trees outside. It wouldn’t be as magnificent a view as the lake behind the Victorian, but I would learn to love it. Against the back wall was a small fireplace with a light brown mantle over it.
The kitchen was just as I had seen in the pictures. I was relieved to see there was a dishwasher, knowing that I would soon become mortal and there would be dishes to wash again. The countertops were a sandy marble color that reminded me of the beach. I ran my hand across the surface of the counters and they felt cool and smooth. Next I noticed the fridge which was black and silver with an ice maker and plenty of room inside. I had never been so excited to see a kitchen before, but knowing that this could be our kitchen was almost overwhelming.
Carl led us into the dining room which shared the same colored walls as the living room and had beige tiling that spread throughout the kitchen and into the adjoining room. Then we went down the hall where there was a door that led to a small bathroom with a standing shower and brown cabinetry, a wide mirror over the sink and identical countertops to the kitchen.
The spare bedroom was relatively small with a closet and ceiling fan and one wide window. We entered the master bedroom moments later and I was already in love. The flooring may not have been as spectacular as that of the Victorian, but I could make do with beige carpeting. There was a sliding glass door that led directly out to the pool which finally came into view. The master bathroom looked just as it had in the pictures and I couldn’t help but get excited over the idea of having my own hot tub.
Once the indoor tour was over, Carl and Dianna took us out to the pool and we looked it over as we discussed what we thought of the place.
“I love it, personally,” I said as I dipped my hand into the pool water.
“Do you have a stable income?” Carl grunted, “You two seem awfully young to be thinking about buying a house.”
“My parents left me some inheritance after they passed away last month,” Salem explained. “I believe we should have enough for a payment now and by the next time it is due, more than enough.”
“I’m so sorry for your loss, dear,” Dianna said and patted him comfortingly on the arm, and then turned to her husband
The old man shrugged. “I’m not risking our future on something like that. This isn’t a rental, boy, this is for sale. Do you know the difference?”
“Yes, but I thought that you would perhaps consider an arrange-”
“I won’t be making any arrangements until I have a check deposited in our account for the whole amount. I’m too old to deal with this nonsense and too smart to trust every sob story that comes along.”
“Sir, I know it is odd but I promise…I vouch for him,” I replied.
He huffed again, “Right, a voucher for someone I don’t know from som
eone else I don’t know. Come back when or if you get enough money. Until then the house is still on the market.”
Despite his wife’s quiet protesting, Carl ushered us to the front door. If I could, I would’ve cried. I didn’t know why getting this house meant so much to me, but it did.
Barely believing what was happening, I walked by Salem to the car. He seemed less affected by not getting the house than I was. Maybe I was being a little too impulsive. It was only the first we had looked at. Perhaps there was one similar or even better that was rentable or rent-to-own. The chances were slim though, and I knew it.
Salem wrapped an arm around me as we walked and gave me a half-hug. “Don’t worry, Alex, we will find something. I promise. Besides…we should most likely get going. I had not expected Hannah to find information so quickly and I am more than a little eager to be rid of this curse once and for all…to no longer be a monster.”
“You’re not a monster,” I said yet again. So this was why he seemed unaffected, he was just wanting to rush back to mortality as fast as possible. I was unsure still if I felt the same, my feelings on the matter seesawing from one side of the matter to the next as I thought over the different possibilities.
As I sat down in the still unfamiliar driver’s seat of Jason’s car the frustration of not getting this house surfaced again. “You just didn’t try hard enough to get this one because you want to hurry and get to Florida,” I said, harsher than intended.
“That is not the case. He was set on not letting us have it without more money.”
“You could have summoned more stuff!”
“And what then? Have us be questioned about all these items we are pawning off and selling? Or worse, investigated on the matter…jail perhaps? I do not think the pawn shop of Willowshire has enough funds of its own to compensate enough for that house.”
“I never…sorry…I didn’t think of any of that.”
“One has to be cautious how they use their powers, Alexis. It is true I indulge in them greatly at times…but always with caution…always within my own home and in secret.”
Before I had the chance to reply again I heard the ringing of my phone. Jason was calling, probably wondering if his car was okay.
“Hello?” I said as I shut the car door and fastened my seatbelt.
“Where are you?!” Came Jason’s panic-stricken voice.
“We just got done looking at a house…don’t worry your car is fine...”
“No, that’s not it, Alex…” he paused and sighed. “Paul knows you’re here.”
19. WRANGLER
“What?! How? Who told him?”
“I don’t know. Maybe Kate saw you when we passed by Howard’s, she used to work with him, right?”
“Crap…” I muttered and looked at Salem. “Thanks for the warning Jace, we’ll get your car back to you and then we’ll leave.”
“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea…It might not be safe, Alex. Be extra careful, please,” he practically begged.
“I’ll be fine. We’ll be there shortly.” I was glad that it sounded like he was putting what happened before behind us, though I wish it had not been forced by this new danger.
After telling Salem what Jason had said we pulled away from the house I had had my heart set on and drove away. My eyes were wildly examining the streets around us as we made our way to my old home, just in case Paul was out looking for us. I was extra cautious when we passed the elementary school near the trailer park, but there wasn’t a Jeep Wrangler in sight. To my relief, we made it to what was now Mitch and Jason’s house without any sign of the car that I had begun to fear. That was, of course, until we pulled into the driveway.
The yellow Wrangler was not-so-conspicuously hidden sticking out slightly from behind the house. Paul was about as good at hiding things as he was at hunting.
“Oh, no…” I moaned and stared at the back of the Wrangler in dismay.
“We should leave,” Salem said to my surprise.
I shot him an angry glare. “You’re kidding, right?! My friends are in there!”
“This could all be a trap, Alex. Mitch’s car isn’t here, and Jason could very well be at work.”
I thought it over as I noticed the lack of Mitchell’s red car in the driveway. Was Paul even in the house? Could we possibly settle our differences, or was I leading us to our untimely death or Paul’s for that matter? What if Jason was in there…would Paul do something to hurt him? I didn’t know the answers but I knew the only way to find out.
“I need to make sure Jason is okay…” I muttered and opened the car door, barely noticing that something slid out and fell against the ground. Salem reached over and grasped my arm tightly.
“You are going to get yourself killed, Alex,” he said despite my pitiful attempt to pull away. “Paul is smarter than you might think. Call Jason on his cell phone and tell me if you hear it ringing in that house.”
I stared at him in disbelief for a second, then picked up my cell phone and dialed Jason’s number. The dial tone rang through the phone but I heard nothing coming from inside the house. I continued to let it ring as I listened and awaited a response from my friend.
“Alex?” Jason asked when he finally answered. “I can’t talk right now, I’m at work. If Howard catches me on the phone I could get in trouble.”
“Oh, okay…I was just making sure you weren’t at home. Paul’s car is parked behind your house, and I was afraid you were in there.”
“Paul is at my house?!” he hollered. “You need to get away from there, Alex.”
“We need to get to the airport, but I don’t want to take your car and leave it there…”
“Don’t worry about it. Mitch and I can go pick it up after work. I have spare keys; just get out of here before things get out of hand. Call me as soon as you get somewhere safe, okay?”
“Okay, thanks Jason…” I said and hung up and directed my voice to Salem. “We’re going to the airport and leaving before Paul notices us. Jason will pick up the car later with Mitch…I just hope Paul doesn’t hurt them for helping us.”
“I’m sure they will be fine,” Salem assured me.
“I don’t think he’s in his right mind, Salem, there’s no telling what he would do,” I replied and pulled out of the driveway, not stopping to check on whatever had fallen out of the car and into the gravel driveway.
20. FLORIDA
Five hours later and we were boarding a plane to Florida. I fumbled with my small luggage Salem had summoned at the hotel, which held my laptop and gasped, nearly dropping it to the ground, when I noticed my journal was missing. I stuffed the bag gently into the overhead compartment and sat down next to Salem, frantically searching around our seats in case it had fallen out unnoticed as I was shuffling through the bag in search of it as reading material.
“Have you seen Ezra’s journal?” I asked as I bent forward in my seat to look underneath it.
“No. Is it not in your bag?”
“No…that’s the first place I looked!”
“Calm down, Alex. You most likely just left it in Jason’s car by mistake,” Salem suggested.
I put my head in my hands and considered the possibility. “Maybe…I hope so.”
“Let’s just relax and enjoy the flight, and you can ask Jason about it when we land.”
“Right…” I mumbled and leaned back in my seat. Deep down, despite his constant reassurance, I had a bad feeling about all of this. I strapped my seatbelt around my waist as the blinking light overhead suggested and waited as the plane slowly lifted upward, ascending into the sky.
The journal would have come in handy during this flight as a distraction as time slowly slipped by, but instead I spent the majority of the flight messing around with Solitaire on my laptop as well as creating poorly drawn pictures in Paint. I eavesdropped on the conversations from the other passengers on the plane, but there weren’t any very interesting discussions going on. Most of them were kids on their way bac
k home from summer vacation, and a small group of people were animatedly discussing their plans for when they arrived at Disneyworld.
Every now and then I had myself convinced that I heard a familiar voice, but when I glanced around the plane I didn’t see any familiar faces aside from Salem’s. He stared out the window at the changing scenery and occasionally pointed out the lakes and mountains as we would pass over them.
I was relieved when we finally touched ground again and I could get off of the plane. I was sick of being cramped in the tiny seat and wanted to call Jason as soon as I could. We waited patiently for the rest of the passengers to shove their way through the tight area, some of them pushing others out of the way. I didn’t care to be the last one out – for now I had all of the time in the world to waste standing still watching the mortals scramble from the plane. Soon, however, I would be back on the same ticking time bomb called life – never knowing when it might go off.
Once we were off the plane and inside the terminal, I immediately pulled out my phone, turned it on and dialed Jason’s number. This time he answered instantly.
“Hey, where are you?” he asked.
“Florida, we just landed. I have to ask you something really important,” I replied and adjusted the strap of my bag. “Did I leave a leather bound book in your car?”
He didn’t reply right away. I heard the door shut as he must have gone out to re-check. “There’s nothing in here that I see.”
Then it hit me all at once; the object that had fallen out of the car that I had so easily disregarded must have been the book. If only I had looked down. This was not good at all.
“Jason, are you sure? Check the driveway! Check under the car!”
“Umm…okay.” After a few minutes of the unmistakable sound of gravel being walked on he spoke again, “Nope, nothing. What’s so important about this book anyway?”
