Cursed

by Monica Wolfson

  The antique gilded mirror over the rear counter exploded and mirror shards rained over Evan as he rolled across the floor. He came to a stop by a stack of trays and grabbed one. Sasha saw him peer over the counter from his lower viewpoint as the robber lunged at her.

  The gunman wrenched Sasha to her feet as Evan vault over the counter and smashed the tray across the gunman’s hand holding the weapon. The man roared as he lost his grip on the gun and Sasha.

  She heard the weapon skid across the tile floor. Evan brought the tray up and hit the man in the face. Blood spurted from the man’s nose like a geyser hitting Evan in the chest and face.

  Unfortunately the man didn’t go down. He clawed at this face screaming obscenities.

  “I’m going to kill you,” he shrieked.

  The gunman scrambled around to find his gun while Evan used the bottom of his T-shirt to wipe the blood from his face. He dodged the gunman, grabbed Sasha’s hand and pulled her toward the front door. They were almost there when the second guy jumped in front of them.

  This man had no gun that Sasha could see so she kicked his shins while Evan punched him in the gut. The man doubled over and Evan knocked him out of the way. Evan pushed the front door open when the gun went off.

  Sasha glanced behind and pieces of ceiling tile floated between her and the gunman. She pulled Evan’s hand to make him halt. With blood still running down his face, the gunman pointed his weapon at Evan with his uninjured, trembling hand.

  That was when Sasha felt a surge of energy course through her body. It might have been adrenaline or fear that triggered it. She wasn’t sure. She knew nothing about the blue sparks except that they were leaking from her fingertips.

  “I’m going to make you pay,” he said as blood ran down his face. He pulled the trigger and smiled.

  As if in slow motion, Sasha saw the bullet leave the barrel. It traveled toward Evan’s head at such a slow speed it was as if time had slowed to a crawl. She raised her hand and the blue sparks intersected with the bullet and made it veer over Evan’s shoulder.

  The shattering of the glass front door over Evan’s shoulder jolted her alert as if she had been in a trance. She wasn’t finished and didn’t direct the blue sparks with any real thought. She just wanted the gun disabled. As if they understood Sasha’s thoughts intuitively, the blue sparks surrounded the gun and melted the end of the barrel.

  The sparks winked out of existence as fast as they appeared. It happened in the blink of the eye although it seemed longer to Sasha. Evan and Sasha didn’t hang around, they ran.

  CHAPTER TWO

  The cold January air hit Sasha like a slap in the face. Glass crunched underfoot as they ran over shards and headed to the gas station across the street.

  Sasha tripped on the curb and nearly fell if not for Evan holding her hand in a tight grip. He steadied and dragged her across the parking lot. Surprisingly she felt weak like as if she hadn’t eaten in a week.

  Evan hauled her into the Circle K convenience store across the street from the coffee shop. They rushed inside and Evan yelled for the clerk to call 911. He pulled her to the back of the store where they crouched low behind a display of potato chips.

  Sasha’s heart was pounding. She felt lightheaded and was afraid she was going to pass out. What was wrong with her?

  She couldn’t believe they got out of the cafe alive and uninjured. Didn’t they? She glanced at Evan and scanned for blood. His clothes were rumpled but no bloody cuts or bullet wounds.

  “I’m sorry about that,” Evan said catching her eye.

  “What are you sorry for?” Sasha said confused. It wasn’t his fault the store was robbed. Part of her wondered if in fact it was her fault because maybe the robbers came for her. How did that guy know her pathetic dime-store necklace held no value?

  Why did he want her pendant? It was a strange piece of stained glass molded into a pendant. It was made from clear and blue glass but wasn’t particularly attractive and certainly had little monetary value.

  Her mother gave it to her two years ago and told her never take it off. She wasn’t specific on the reason and Sasha didn’t really care. Her mother said something about it having healing powers. A while back Willow Bean got involved in the mystical healing trends. Sasha recalled her mother saying the glass held power to keep her healthy. She didn’t understand what that meant and now she doubted it was bringing her positive energy. If anything, tonight was an attraction of negatives.

  “I should have been able to stop it before he shot off the gun,” Evan said squeezing her hand. “I don’t even remember if he asked me for money. Did he?”

  Sasha’s mind raced over her memories. She recalled the gunman focusing solely on her. Did he ask for money and she missed it?

  “I don’t know,” she said reluctantly pulling her hand from his and rubbing her face. She was so tired. She felt drained of energy. Images spun through her head and made her woozy. She closed her eyes and the room felt off-kilter like a swaying ship.

  “Are you alright?” Evan said with alarm. He grabbed Sasha’s shoulder and steadied her.

  “I feel weak,” she said opening her eyes slowly and squinting at him. His eyes were so blue, almost too pretty for a guy. Staring into his eyes she felt calmer and it gave her a slight boost of strength. “I really needed that hot chocolate.”

  Evan smiled his teeth bright white. “Next time,” he said. “It’s on the house.”

  “Hopefully without bullets,” she said.

  “Definitely,” he said smiling.

  After a pause, he turned away and slowly rose from his crouch peeking through the chips display toward the front of the store.

  “Can you see anything?” she asked.

  He nodded and pulled Sasha to her feet. Two police cars skidded to a stop outside the coffee shop. They watched officers jump out of the cars and run into the café with guns drawn. They watched as more police cars came with a police forensic identification truck. They didn’t move from their spot in the back of the store.

  “Did you notice anything, uh, weird,” Evan said avoiding her eyes.

  “What do you mean?” she said innocently. She wasn’t sure what he saw and she wasn’t going to volunteer anything. If he mentioned blue sparks, she would deny everything.

  “Well,” he said and then paused. “That bullet was going straight for us. I saw the muzzle flash. But it hit the side window.”

  “Maybe he was a bad shot,” she said knowing she made the bullet veer from its path. “He was using his non-gun aiming hand too.”

  Evan stared at the police. One was tying a roll of yellow crime scene tape to a light post. “Maybe,” he mumbled quietly appearing deep in thought.

  Phew. She dodged that bullet, literally. She smiled at her own joke and then when Evan gave her a questioning look, she wiped the smile off her face and frowned. She didn’t want him to suspect anything. She wasn’t sure she did anything, wasn’t she?

  Cripes. Who was she kidding? She made the bullet go through the window. It was self preservation and she would do it again in a second. She would have to be very careful. She couldn’t risk anyone knowing what was going on until she figured it out.

  The police wouldn’t believe that blue sparks melted a gun barrel anyway. Geez. How was she going to explain that? She didn’t think that one through. Next time she would heat up the gun making it so hot he’d drop it instead of ruining it in such an unexplainable way.

  Next time? She chided herself. There would be no next time. No more blue sparks. She swore off them. She was on a blue sparks diet. No more.

  The first time was bad enough. A few weeks ago Sasha and Cady walked through Zilker Park. It was safe. She had no clue that stoners went there after dark to deal drugs.

  Okay, maybe Cady knew but Sasha didn’t. So they cut across the field to Sasha’s house when this guy jumped out from behind a tree. He scared the crap out of her. Sasha almost peed her pants.

  At first she was ticked off. Why was
this guy scaring them? Then he demanded their phones and money and took out a knife, a freaking knife. Sasha saw the blade gleam in the moonlight and she didn’t doubt he was serious.

  She couldn’t explain what happened next. She was drinking this milkshake that Cady makes at home for her. It had this unique taste that she loved. She was slurping it while they walked and still clutched the plastic cup when the guy threatened them.

  As if her arm had a will of its own, she threw the cup at him instead of handing over the money and phone. She just tossed it, a weak overhand throw. It was nothing special. Out of nowhere, there were brilliant blue sparks like special effects in a movie.

  The sparks surrounded the cup and made it pick up speed and density and clipped the guy on the head forcefully. He went down hard. He was out before he hit the ground. Sasha checked to make sure he wasn’t dead. He was breathing but unconscious.

  Sasha and Cady ran. They barely talked about what happened. Cady said she must have smoked something strange because she saw blue sparks flying around the cup. Sasha hadn’t been sure whether she saw blue sparks until now, she knew she had.

  Sasha walked to the front of the store and stood behind a display of maps. Evan stood behind her and they watched in silence the police work. Evan picked up her hand again, inspecting it as if he were seeing it for the first time. His hands were large compared to her small ones. His were soft and smelled of coffee.

  “This wasn’t how I intended us to meet,” Evan said still watching the police. “I’m Evan.”

  He let go of her hand as he turned toward her and cracked a small smile. Sasha felt a thrill but wasn’t sure if he was just joking around. She searched her mind for a witty answer. None came out. She grinned goofily.

  “Sasha,” she whispered because she couldn’t find her voice.

  “I know,” he said. “Nice to meet you.”

  Sasha nodded back and before she could respond two policemen came through the Circle K doors. They introduced themselves and asked them to come outside.

  A big burly policeman with a gut that spilled over his belt introduced himself as Sgt. Al Corey. The police put them in separate police cars and took their statements. Corey took notes and drew a diagram asking Sasha to mark where the robbers were when they shot at them.

  The interviews were over quickly and Corey invited her to go to the police station the next day to analyze suspect pictures. Sasha reminded him the men were wearing masks.

  “Doesn’t matter,” he said gruffly. “A picture might jog your memory. They might have cased the place before the robbery or maybe you saw them in the parking lot.”

  The man from the insurance company showed up with boards to cover the broken window. Evan called his boss and went inside the café to finish closing it up. Sasha followed him because she had nothing else to do and she hoped he’d offer her a ride home. She was too afraid to walk and didn’t want to call her mother for a ride.

  “You need a ride home?” She asked casually.

  “Naw,” he said putting money from the cash register into a bank deposit bag. “My car’s out back.”

  “Perfect,” she said. “You’ve got the wheels, I need the ride.”

  Evan busted out laughing. “Sly, very sly.”

  “I live close,” she said. “Normally I wouldn’t ask but I’m a little creeped out tonight.”

  “No problem,” he said turning away moving to pour her hot chocolate down the drain.

  “You still want it?” he asked raising the cup. “I can warm it up.”

  She shook her head. “My craving is gone.”

  “I get it,” he said. “Next time.”

  She nodded. She was excited for the next time already. “Right.”

  It was midnight when he got everything wrapped up. They walked to his 15-year-old car and Evan opened the door for her. A gentleman, she thought. Not having much dating experience, she wasn’t sure if all guys opened doors for girls. Knowing her friends didn’t do it, Evan did make her feel special. He closed it after she got settled in the seat.

  Evan drove to the bank, put the car in park but kept it running while he ran to the deposit slot. He put the bag inside and ran back to the car. He moved quickly, scouting over his shoulder and peering into shadows. He seemed nervous. Maybe he was worried too.

  He slipped into the car and put it in gear before he had his seatbelt secured.

  “Are you always this nervous?” She asked.

  “Only since I met you,” he said with a toothy smile and seemed to relax once they were driving again.

  They didn’t talk much. She gave him directions and then closed her eyes exhausted. It wasn’t just the late hour. She felt spent as if she’d run a marathon.

  He pulled up in front of her strange clapboard house with additions sticking out at every angle. The porch light illuminated half of the front lawn. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw no one was sitting on the porch.

  Evan cleared his throat and took a moment to speak.

  “I’m sorry about tonight,” he said not making eye contact. “I keep imagining horrible things. I hope you’re going to be alright.”

  He winced with pain and she wanted to give him a hug. It wasn’t his fault. If anything, it was hers. She didn’t feel comfortable telling him that though.

  “No worries,” she said putting her hand on the door knob. “Did it ever occur to you that it was my fault because I’m cursed?”

  She gave him as friendly a smile, hoping the joke would lighten the mood. She wondered if he’d ask for her phone number and was disappointed when he didn’t.

  “I’m glad you’re ok,” he said laying a hand on the gear shift. “Come by again. I owe you a hot chocolate.”

  “Will do.” She stepped out of the car as the front door to the house opened. She could see her mother standing in the foyer. “Gotta go.”

  She slammed the car door shut and ran up the walk.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Sasha’s freakiness was on full display last night. She had the misfortune of losing control in front of a cute guy too.

  As she replayed the night’s events over in her mind, she realized that she may have convinced Evan that nothing unusual happened. He seemed to accept her reasoning that the bullet went off target because the robber had bad aim. She hoped that lie stuck.

  Sasha was confident that he didn’t suspect anything freaky was going on. It was hard to explain what was happening when Sasha, herself, didn’t know.

  She hoped she’d see him again. He was unlike anyone she knew. She wasn’t interested because he was good looking. There was something special about him. He was super brave last night and didn’t even know her, yet he risked his life for her. He could have taken off out the back of the café and left her with those thugs. He didn’t and that impressed her.

  She liked to think she wasn’t shallow. She still had a crystal clear image of Evan in her head. He was working diligently behind the counter doing what baristas do. His light brown hair stood up in an almost military style haircut.

  When he drove her home, he didn’t speed or do what other boys do to show off or pretend he was a race car driver. He just did what he had to do.

  She had to tell Cady about last night. Cady had been with her when the man jumped them in the park and the blue sparks first appeared. Maybe she could help her figure out what was going on.

  She dialed the number and it rang a dozen times before a sleepy voice said hello.

  “Did I wake you?” Sasha spotted the clock. It was 10 a.m.

  “Who is this?” Cady asked. Sasha frowned stunned.

  “It’s Sasha,” she said uncertainly. Was Cady playing with her?

  “Oh, right,” she said unapologetically. “Why are you calling me so early?”

  Sasha cleared her throat nervously.

  “Something happened last night,” she said and told Cady about the robbery. She decided to hold back talking about Evan. He was her secret right now. “So the blue sparks reappeared
.”

  “What sparks?” Cady said yawning.

  “You know, the blue sparks that appeared when that guy jumped us in the park,” she said.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Cady said sounding unpleasant.

  “You know, when the guy demanded our phones and wallets,” she said clarifying.

  “I know a guy jumped us in the park,” Cady said sounding annoyed. “I kicked him and he ran off. What about it?”

  Sasha didn’t know what to say. That wasn’t how she remembered the attack. She saw her cup fly at the guy with supersonic speed. She didn’t remember Cady kicking the guy.

  “I don’t remember you kicking him,” Sasha said uncertain. How could they have recalled the night so differently? “I threw a cup at him and there were blue sparks.”

  “And I don’t remember blue sparks,” Cady said. “Really, Sasha, blue sparks? What is that code for?”

  “It’s not a code,” she said feeling tears of frustration fill her eyes. “Just forget it.”

  Cady sighed. “Maybe that joint we smoked was laced,” she said.

  Sasha remembered Cady smoking but she didn’t touch it. She didn’t answer for a minute, trying to figure out what was going on. Maybe Cady’s memory was cloudy. She should probably just drop it before Cady started to think she was crazy.

  She’d been feeling that way a lot lately. Her insecurities were getting the best of her and she worried about losing Cady as a friend. It wasn’t like she had many friends other than Cady and Jenna, her next door neighbor. Jenna and Sasha used to be super close but grew apart when they got to high school. Sasha met Cady a few months ago and they became fast friends almost immediately.

  Lately though Cady seemed to disagree with almost everything Sasha said and did. It was frustrating and Sasha didn’t know how to fix it.

  “Moving on,” Sasha said. “Are you coming to my birthday dinner?”

  Her birthday was in two days and her mother wanted to throw her a party. It wasn’t a party a 17-year-old would like. It was more of a party for her mother as most of the guests were her friends. Sasha hadn’t invited anyone yet.