The 45th Parallel

by Maureen Hands

  “We have to get Anna out of here. She’s starting to freak out,” Kat heard Helene say frantically. Then she felt someone grab her arm and her vision changed. Kat could see Patrick in the park by the picnic tables. A woman with red hair streaked with silver and strange luminescent skin had her arms and legs wrapped around him, her mouth over his in a deadly kiss. Kat closed her eyes again and shook her head back and forth to clear the vision. When she opened her eyes, she saw Helene holding on to her arm.

  “Patrick is outside by the picnic tables with the same type of creature I saw kill Barb Gillen. We can’t let it kiss him,” Kat said.

  They all turned in unison and pushed their way through the crowd and out of the tent.

  “He is over there,” Helene said pointing over to one of the picnic benches.

  They looked over and saw Patrick with his back to them. The woman was sitting on the table with her legs spread. Patrick leaned into her as she wrapped her arms and legs around his back. They locked in a passionate kiss. The woman’s eyes were open wide, and glowing.

  “Patrick!” Anna screamed.

  The woman pulled away and looked over to where they were standing. Her bones began to move under her skin as she transformed briefly into a wraithlike creature, similar to the one Kat saw Barb Gillen with in her dream, before transforming again. Patrick fell to his knees, clutching the table to keep from falling over. Now Kat could see a large raccoon with black, dull eyes on the table where the woman had been a moment before.

  The raccoon hissed, jumped down from the table, and disappeared into the trees beyond. When they reached Patrick, he was weak and disoriented.

  “What the hell…” he mumbled.

  “Are you all right?” Helene asked.

  “I feel very strange. Where did she go? Where did that animal come from?”

  “I’m afraid that animal was your date,” Anna said. “I had that same void of feeling when I looked at the raccoon as I had in the tent. It was so awful I had to get out of there.”

  “Who did you get the feeling from?” John asked as he helped Patrick up and sat him at the picnic table.

  “That’s the problem. It was more than just one person. It was coming from every direction.”

  “We are not dealing with humans. And now we know there are more than one of them,” John said quietly.

  “You said you saw this creature kill Barb Gillen,” Helene said to Kat.

  “I saw a very similar creature in a dream but the creature I saw was male. I never mentioned it because I thought it was just one of my nightmares.”

  “If these creatures can change form, how can we possibly find them?” Anna asked.

  “I need to lie down,” Patrick mumbled.

  “I think you need to get him home,” John said to Anna and Helene. “I will help you get him to the car and then I will take Kat home. He needs to rest. If Patrick is feeling up to it tomorrow, we can try the bowl again. We need to know more about them. I need to know what we are dealing with.”

  John placed Patrick’s arm around his shoulder and put one arm around Patrick’s waist. He hoisted him up and helped get Patrick to the car. Once Anna and Helene drove off to take Patrick home, John grabbed Kat’s hand and pulled her to his SUV. The abruptness of his touch startled Kat. When they got to Aunt Mary’s house, Kat started to get out of the car when he grabbed her arm.

  “Your Aunt isn’t home yet,” he said.

  “I guess she is still at the Full Moon Celebration.”

  John sat silently, his finger tapping nervously on the steering wheel, and finally said, “You’re coming with me. I don’t want you there alone. I’ll bring you back when Mary gets home.”

  “Where are you taking me?”

  “I need to stop by the winery. By the time I’m done there, your aunt should be home,” John said. Kat settled back down into her seat and fastened her seatbelt.

  John pulled away and got back on M22. Kat was lost in thought until she heard John say, “…was that all you saw in your vision?”

  “I’m sorry, I just caught the last part of your question,” she said.

  “Patrick being kissed by the creature, was that all you saw in your vision?”

  “No…before Helene touched my arm, I saw something else. I think it was the Indian drums that triggered the vision.”

  “The Indian drums?”

  “I sometimes hear the sound of Indian drums before I see things. Maybe hearing actual drums triggered the vision. I saw a clearing in the woods. It was nighttime and the moon was red. There was a man standing at the edge of the woods wearing the head and skin of a wolf. I couldn’t see his face but his eyes were glowing just like the creature that kissed Patrick.” Kat looked over at John but his expression was unreadable. He rubbed his hand over his mouth and stroked his jaw.

  “Have you seen this man before in your visions?”

  “No, this is a new one. What could it mean?” Kat asked in frustration.

  John ran his hand through his hair and looked to be lost in thought. “I’m not sure. From now on, make sure you are not out alone after dark,” he said as they pulled into the winery.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  John parked close to the entrance of the winery, came around, and opened Kat’s door. Once she was out of the SUV, he opened the back and took out an unopened case of wine.

  “We sold a lot of wine tonight,” John said as he carried the box to the tasting room door.

  “Let me get that,” Kat said as she stepped in front of him and opened the door.

  “Thank you,” he said. He carried the box in and began unloading the bottles. “Why don’t you have a seat, I’ll be done in a minute.”

  “Actually, do you mind if I use your bathroom downstairs?”

  “Of course not, help yourself.”

  “Thanks,” Kat mumbled as she walked down the steps to the ladies’ room. She could no longer hear the sound of the bottles being put away and she had the distinct feeling John had stopped what he was doing to watch her. After using the bathroom, Kat heard the door upstairs open and the sounds of laughter. As she was coming up the stairs, she could hear a woman say, “We are going over to Greg’s, why don’t you join us?”

  “You can’t tell me you are going to sit here by yourself,” a male voice said. “What happened to the John I used to know.”

  As Kat got to the top of the stairs, she saw two men and three women in the tasting room. She recognized Cindy from the winery, and Ruby from the party at John’s house. Ruby was hanging on John’s arm. They all turned to look at Kat.

  “Who says I’m by myself,” John said as he looked over at Kat. Ruby unwound her arm from John’s and looked a little embarrassed. “Kat this is Ruby, Cindy, Tina, Jay, and Sam.”

  “Hello,” Kat said.

  “Well, you guys know where we’ll be if you want to come by,” Sam said as he grabbed Cindy’s hand and pulled her out the door. The others quickly followed.

  Kat went over and sat on a stool by the counter. “If you want to go to Greg’s, I’m sure Aunt Mary is home by now so don’t feel like you have to entertain…or protect me.”

  “I do have to protect you,” John said sharply.

  “I can take care of myself.”

  John ran his hand through his hair, took a deep breath and said, “I don’t want to go to Greg’s. I am exactly where I want to be…here with you.”

  Kat’s breath caught in her throat. She had to remind herself his “wanting” to be here with her had more to do with not leaving her alone than with any interest in spending time with her. “Well…I guess you will be stuck babysitting me then,” she said.

  John gave her that intense stare and appeared to be struggling with what to say next. “Would you like a glass of wine?” he finally said as he slid into the stool next to her. As he turned his stool to face her, his knee brushed against hers, and she felt a twinge of excitement from the contact.

  Kat closed her eyes for a second and tried to focus on so
mething else. “Yes, after tonight I could use a drink.”

  “Do you prefer red or white?”

  “Red, please.”

  John stood up, went behind the tasting counter, brought out two glasses, and a bottle of Cabernet Franc. “I think you’ll like this. It was popular with the wine tasters this week,” he said. John sat back down next to her and poured the wine, twisting the bottle as he finished each pour.

  “Why do people love wine tasting so much?” she asked trying to think about anything but the creature with Patrick or her intense attraction to John.

  John smiled slightly and said, “If done correctly, wine tasting can be a very sensuous experience.”

  She stared back into John’s deep blue eyes. “Oh…and why is that?”

  “You need to use all five senses to fully appreciate wine.”

  Kat watched as he raised his glass up in the dim lighting. She studied his handsome profile as he focused on the wine glass. “First, use your sense of sight. Look at the color of the wine. A young red wine may start out as a deep purple color, but change to a brownish red color as it ages.” Kat’s eyes moved from his face, up his muscular arm to the wine glass perched in his hand. “Young white wines will start off as a pale yellow color, but darken to golden amber as they age.”

  “You can also tell a little about the origin of a wine by its color. Wines from cooler climates are not as richly colored. A Michigan Chardonnay will be a paler color than a California Chardonnay.”

  John lowered his wine glass and focused his intense blue eyes on Kat again. “Now, use your sense of smell. Most of what you taste comes from your sense of smell,” he said as he reached over and gently placed Kat’s hand on the base of her wine glass. “Move your glass in a circular motion…slowly. This will release the aroma of the wine.” With his hand still over hers, John gently moved Kat’s glass in a circular motion. She stared down at the swirling wine, not wanting to look into his hypnotic eyes. Kat was starting to feel lightheaded when he pulled his hand away to raise his own glass. “Now close your eyes and tell me what you smell.”

  Kat raised her glass, closed her eyes and breathed in the aroma of the wine. “I smell…plum…and…pepper,” she said, her voice almost a whisper.

  “Each wine will reflect the unique terroir of the land, the special aroma, taste and texture that expresses the place where the grapes were grown and the climate for that particular growing season. As wines age, they develop more complex aromas.”

  Kat opened her eyes and looked into John’s face. He was watching her closely.

  “Now taste. Remember it is your sense of smell that will bring all the flavors of the wine, so breathe as you taste. You only need a little to get a full sense of the flavor.”

  Kat tipped her glass and took a drink of wine.

  “Let the wine wash over all your taste buds,” John said as he raised his glass. “Notice how the wine feels on your mouth. Is it heavy or light? Use your sense of touch.”

  Kat swallowed the wine in her mouth. “It is medium bodied…I think,” she said as she shifted in her seat. The air in the room was heavy with anticipation.

  “What about hearing?” Kat asked.

  “That would be the audible sigh after you swallow.” John said as he looked from Kat’s eyes to her lips. Kat took a large drink of her wine and set her glass down. When she looked back at John, his eyes were wide and luminous. He reached over and took her chin in his hand.

  “You have a beautiful mouth,” he said as he rubbed his thumb across her bottom lip. He looked back into her eyes and suddenly dropped his hand from her chin. What is it with him?

  “You can stop with the games. I’m already helping you, you don’t have to pretend to be attracted to me,” Kat suddenly blurted out. Oh my God, I have been spending too much time with Helene. Kat, embarrassed by her outburst, forced herself to look into his now burning eyes.

  “I am not pretending to be attracted to you. You don’t understand how difficult this is for me,” he said in a cold, measured voice.

  “What is difficult for you? Pretending to be attracted to the strange girl who sees things so you can use her to get information?”

  “Is that what you think you are…a strange girl who sees things?”

  “Yes, and other than Patrick, you are the only man who knows that, so I would appreciate it if you would stop playing games.” Kat glared at John’s startled face, stood, and started walking to the door, forgetting momentarily John had driven her there. As she put her hand on the door knob to leave, she felt John grab her arm and spin her around.

  Kat looked up into his dark eyes as he backed her up against the door, pressing his body into hers, pinning her in place. Kat gasped in surprise as he bent his head and kissed her hard on the mouth. His kiss was immediately passionate, his tongue circling hers erotically. She felt a surge of sensual energy from his touch, and she grabbed the back of his head and returned his kiss with equal fervor. She heard a deep moan from the back of his throat that made her body ache with need.

  “Kat.” John groaned as he suddenly pushed himself away and took a step back from her. “I’m so sorry Kat. I knew I should not have come here alone with you,” he said between breaths.

  “What?” Kat gasped through her own erratic breathing.

  “We are running out of time,” he continued as he rubbed his jaw. “People are dying. We can’t lose our focus.”

  “You…kissed…me,” Kat said, angry and confused.

  “Leaving you alone is much more difficult than I thought. I am used to being in control of myself and of others. But with you…” He reached out and took Kat’s hands, looked earnestly into her eyes and said, “I can’t afford to be selfish now. I’m sorry for doing that.”

  “I’m not,” Kat said as pulled her hands from his grasp, placed them on either side of his face and kissed him.

  “Kat,” John said raggedly as he gave into her and pulled her up against him. John moaned softly against her mouth as the kiss escalated. He whirled her around and began walking her toward his office, flung the door open, and backed her up to the couch and laid her down without breaking the kiss.

  “What spell have you put on me?” John whispered as he kissed the side of her neck. Kat had never wanted a man so badly in her life. She began to pull off his shirt when they both froze. There was a loud thud on the roof of the winery, immediately followed by the sound of heavy footsteps.

  “There is someone here,” John said as he pulled away quickly.

  “What are you going to do?” Kat asked.

  John got down on his knees in front of her and held her hands in his. “I want you to stay here. I’m going to go outside and check.”

  “What if it is one of those creatures?”

  “If I don’t come back in five minutes, call Greg,” John said as he handed her his phone. “It is the last number I called.” With that, John stood and went out the door. Kat sat and waited for what felt like an eternity. She heard the tasting room door open and crept out to see if John had come back in. As she peered around the corner, she could see John walking toward her in the darkened room.

  “Did you see…?” Kat started to say but stopped when she saw his eyes. They were glowing in the dim light. He grabbed her roughly and put his hand over her mouth. The cloying smell of decay filled her nostrils. Then she saw the female wraith. This one had long, dark, tangled hair with strands of glistening silver.

  “She wears the pendant,” the female hissed. “Too bad, you could have fed.”

  “He comes,” the male said as he tightened his grip on Kat and pulled her into a dark corner. Kat watched as the female changed form to look like Kat. Just as she completed her transformation, John came through the door.

  “I didn’t see anything out there” John said. The female wraith went to John, pushed him against the door and put her mouth over his. Kat struggled in the male wraith’s arms and let out a muffled screech. John heard the sound, focused his eyes on Kat and tried
to pull away as he realized what was happening. Kat watched in horror as he grew visibly weaker by the second. Finally, the female wraith released him, letting him drop to the floor.

  “I have what I need,” she said as she stepped back from his body. She knelt down so John could see her twisted smile. “I will see you on the Reaping Moon,” she said menacingly.

  The male wraith released Kat and shoved her to the side. The female opened the door, stepped outside, and transformed into a large black dog. The male followed her, transforming into a large black bird. Kat ran to John’s side as both of the supernatural beings took off into the dark night.

  “John,” Kat said as she cradled his head in her lap, “Please say something.”

  “Can you get me home? I need to sleep,” John mumbled weakly.

  “What if they are still out there?” Kat said frantically.

  “I think they got what they came for,” John said so softly Kat could barely hear him.

  “You are too big for me to carry. Do you think you can walk if I help you?”

  “I will try,” John said as he struggled to sit up. It took twenty minutes, but Kat finally got John into the passenger seat of his SUV. Getting him into his house once they got home was even more difficult. She helped him to the couch in the great room where he fell asleep almost immediately. She called Aunt Mary to tell her she was staying at her cousin’s house for the night so she wouldn’t worry.

  Kat sat on the opposite couch, watching John sleep. She remembered what he said after their first embrace, “We are running out of time…people are dying…we can’t lose focus.” The meaning of his words began to resonate with her. She finally fell asleep sometime around three in the morning. When she woke in the morning, the only thing she remembered from her dreams was the sound of Indian drums. Kat tiptoed to the bathroom then to the kitchen to make some much needed coffee and to call Anna to come pick her up. When the coffee was done brewing, she poured two cups and went back to the great room and sat back down on the couch. John suddenly went from sound asleep to sitting bolt upright, gasping for breath. It looked as if someone had pushed him up forcefully from behind.