by Cox, Suzanne
I allowed myself to be dragged through the woods. At the side of Brynna’s house she shoved me to the ground.
“Now sober up before this gets blamed on us.”
Brynna was right. I didn’t need Aunt Louise to pick me up when I couldn’t see straight, or this would be my last party. I stood and walked around.
“What are you doing?”
“Trying to clear my head.”
“You want a bottle of water?”
“That would be good.”
Brynna left and returned in a few minutes with water for the three of us. I took a long drink and started walking again.
“Those parties always like that?”
Brynna snorted. “No, sometimes they’re wild. I think we got away just in time.”
“It gets wilder than that?”
Myles nodded. “But you better not be around when it happens.”
“Why?”
“It’s not a safe place to be.”
Lights flashed in the drive and Louise came to a stop in front of us before I could ask him what that meant.
“It was nice of you two to wait with Alexis.”
Brynna shrugged.
Myles leaned toward Louise’s open window. “We didn’t mind. If you could drop me home I’d appreciate it. My Jeep’s in the shop. I called dad earlier and told him I’d ask you to.”
“No problem.”
Myles climbed in the back as I fastened my seatbelt on the passenger side.
“How was the party?”
I kept my mouth shut to avoid incriminating myself.
“Oh, it was like the usual. Not much going on.” Myles said.
Louise made a noise and glanced at me. I smiled and shrugged.
Chapter Thirteen
Ahead of me, on the path, the four wolves chased each other. They nipped the coat of whichever one was closest to them. I watched and laughed, unafraid. These wolves appeared harmless. A dark grey one saw me and stopped. I took a few steps toward it then, the wolf came to meet me. It licked my arm, mouthed my hand, and finally began pulling me along into the group. I petted them while they rubbed against me. They weren’t wild dogs, like my aunt thought. They were friendly, pets. They ran through the grass, and I ran with them. Down the trail, through the woods, into the edge of the lake where they all drank, even me. Playing with them had made me thirsty.
While I knelt drinking, one of the wolves took my hair in its mouth and tugged. I laughed and pushed it away. When we scrambled to the bank, the animals lunged at each other. A honey colored wolf with eyes that were almost blue in the moonlight kept nipping and pushing at each of the others. One of the wolves with rich golden fur and light blue eyes appeared to tire of the games and growled angrily. I froze in place and my stomach lurched. What was I doing here with these animals? I could be killed. The golden wolf slunk towards me. Muscles tense, I felt a drop of dew drip from a leaf and strike my forehead. It rolled down my face and as it dripped off the end of my nose, I put my tongue out and caught it. For a brief moment the inner most part of my brain whispered you’re losing your mind.
The wolf continued toward me. When it was close enough, the animal quickly snaked its head out and grabbed my arm in a tight grip, sharp teeth closing onto my skin. Its head jerked and I slammed against the wolf’s body, my teeth jarring as I hit the ground on my knees. Fluid rose into my throat and my stomach churned. A heat rushed over me, a torrential flame of anger. The golden wolf had moved and now had its mouth on the back of my neck, teeth grinding in, holding me. I twisted, ripping the teeth away from my neck. I wrapped my arms around the wolf’s neck and flung it across the grass. It landed with a thud against the ground and immediately bounced to its feet, teeth bared. Buried within the fur and now dislodged by my arms, the blue stone collar glowed in the flash of moonlight that peeked briefly from behind the edge of a cloud. It was the same wolf I’d seen under my window that night.
On the edges of my vision I could see the other wolves, which had kept their distance from me before now, crouch low. The wolf that attacked me advanced two steps and stopped short when another wolf, the one I had played with earlier, leapt in between us. It growled. The others paused. Then it turned and stared at me, as if trying to tell me something. I heard it, a whisper in my head, or whistling through my ear.
“Run!”
Maybe it was plain old common sense kicking in, although I couldn’t imagine what part of my common sense thought I could out run three wolves. But I spun and sprinted down the path toward Louise’s house. A ferocious howl rent the night. I willed myself to go faster. Behind me the ground seemed to come alive with paws slapping against the dew laden grass. Afraid it would slow me down if I turned to see how close they were, I kept pushing myself faster. The sound of teeth gnashing and the splash of hot saliva against my legs made me lengthen my stride even more until my own heart hammering in my ears was the only sound in my head. I leapt completely over the porch steps, my feet touching briefly before I threw open the door. Twisting, I jammed the door closed and secured the locks in nearly one smooth motion. The door shook as a body slammed against it. I sunk to my knees gasping for breath, heart still banging in my chest. Slowly I twisted to a sitting position, my back against the door.
Outside, one of the wolves gave an ear-piercing howl and I shuddered. My body ached with exhaustion. Any minute now Aunt Louise would be down here wondering what was going on. But I could only sit there, close my eyes and pray I’d quit hurting soon. I had to agree, that on this occasion, I really shouldn’t have been out after dark, even though I didn‘t know how it had happened. I took a breath, quickly glancing around the room. Wait, this wasn’t really happening. It was a dream, a nightmare. I wasn’t even here. My body was safely in the bed upstairs. Closing my eyes, I relaxed and slept.
***
The breath I sucked in my mouth as I sat up made an audible swishing sound. My satin nightshirt was barely covering me, and I hyperventilated for several more seconds. I crushed my hands to my eyes. What a crazy dream. It hadn’t been one of my usual nightmares because I didn’t remember being afraid, at least not until the very end. Before now I’d always been very afraid through the entire sequence. But it had seemed so real. It wasn’t until the very end that I’d recognized I was dreaming. I glanced at the window, then at the clock. It was still dark outside, but dawn would be here soon. Dropping my hands to my lap, I froze, breathing in air with quick gasps. I leapt to the floor, clicking on the lamp and taking in the whole room. My heart hammered against my ribs. The doorknob rattled loosely in my hand as I made my way to the bathroom where I stared into the mirror. What had happened to me? Why was I doing this? I turned on the faucet and washed my hands then my face, tossing the dirty rag in the basket. I held a clean towel to my face fighting tears. My mother had to come home, now. I didn’t like this and didn’t want to be here. Obviously, I’d been so caught up in my dream, I’d been sleepwalking again. Only this time, I’d been outside.
In my room I ripped the muddy sheets from the bed. If I could get them washed and clean the mud from the floor then Aunt Louise wouldn’t have to know right now. I wasn’t sure I could handle my aunt staring at me like I was freak. Even though that’s exactly what I was. Sheets in my arms, I tip-toed down the steps to the laundry room. I’d left dirt here too. I must have used the front door, just like in the dream.
Once I’d dumped the sheets in the wash, I grabbed rags and cleaning spray, wiping everything right up to my bedroom door. I slipped in and went to work in there. Mud, dirt and grass littered the floor. How could I have done such a thing? I hunted for what I’d worn outside. My nightshirt wasn’t dirty, and I couldn’t find anything else lying around. After I finished cleaning, I searched under the bed, in the closet and in every drawer. Nothing. Surely I hadn’t been out there naked. I rubbed my forehead. Maybe I did need therapy, so I wouldn’t think I was going nuts. Because right now, I was seriously beginning to think I might be losing my mind.
I thr
ew open the door and Louise, who’d been walking down the hall, stopped short.
“What are you doing up so early, Alexis?”
“I couldn’t sleep.”
She stared at the rags and plastic bottle I held. “So you thought you’d clean the house?”
I nodded. “That’s right. At home we clean on Saturdays. I thought I’d help you with the house cleaning and since I was up… well, no time like the present.”
Louise arched her brows, but I rushed past her and down the steps before she could notice all the dirt on the rags. I put away the mop and broom. Hopefully, the hard work would help me not think about what I’d done, or what could have happened to me wandering in the woods at night, possibly stark naked.
***
Monday evening, after the last camper left, I made my way to the pier on the edge of the lake. I pulled in the canoes they’d used during the day and secured them on the bank. A car horn blew. I looked up to see Aunt Louise waving as she pulled away. I had ridden the four-wheeler to camp today and offered to help close down so she could go to the grocery store. Louise hadn’t mentioned my cleaning spree on Saturday. No dirty clothes had appeared. I tried not to dwell on what that meant.
After tying down the last paddle boat, I sat on the wooden deck, swirling my feet in the water. I’d only had a few minutes of peace when the deck vibrated with footsteps and Channing stopped beside me. She hadn’t spoken to me all day. I figured she had something on her mind. I was right.
“What do you think you were doing Friday night with Eric?”
“We were dancing. I didn’t think you’d care. You said you two never dated. You even said you weren’t trying to date him.”
“Around here, we don’t go after the guys our friends are interested in.”
“I wasn’t after him. We were dancing, that’s all.”
“He was about to strip your clothes off.”
“That’s crazy. He was not. No one’s going to strip my clothes off in the middle of a roomful of people.”
“You think not?”
“I know not. And I distinctly remember you saying you were not trying to date him.”
“You know, it doesn’t matter what happens between the two of you, Eric will be mine eventually.”
I stared at her, completely unsure what that meant. But rather than explain herself, she changed the subject.
“Tomorrow afternoon when we get through here come to my house and we’ll do something, ride jet skis, swim, or maybe rent a movie.”
“Okay.”
So that was it then. Channing had given her warning, or whatever it was, and now we could be friends. I watched her leave, her long, leggy strides smooth and confident. The first day I’d imagined Channing was like the girls I’d hung around in Chicago. I was beginning to think there might be more to her than that. I wasn’t sure exactly what, and honestly, I wasn’t certain I wanted to find out.
The trail home veered close to the street with an ice cream shop. I wasn’t supposed to be on the road with the ATV, but I crossed over the road from the trail, and drove straight into the parking lot. I recognized Eric’s truck immediately.
The bell over the door chimed as I went inside. At the counter I ordered a banana split with extra chocolate sauce and caramel. Eric sat in a booth with his back to me. I’d already made the decision to slip out quietly and not speak to him when he seemed to stiffen, then turned and saw me. A slow smile played on his lips. I paid for my ice cream, and he waved me back to his booth. My feet felt heavy and instead of being excited I dreaded facing him. I felt like I was being put on the spot to choose between Eric and being friends with Channing. It was one more complication in my life. I really didn’t need any more.
“Were you going to ignore me?” He motioned for me to sit down.
I slid into the booth and smoothed a paper napkin on the table before answering. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
He nodded and sat there staring at his melting ice cream. “I know you’re angry about the party. You should be.”
“I’m not angry about the party. You can dance with Channing. She likes you and I think she has for awhile.”
“I don’t care about Channing. That’s not what I’m talking about. Things got out of hand while we were dancing. I drank too much punch. I don’t remember everything, but I do remember pulling at your clothes. That definitely wasn’t what I intended when I asked you to dance.”
I nodded. “Yeah, the punch wasn’t so good for me either.”
He reached across the table and took my hand. “So you’re not mad at me.
“I…”
“It won’t happen again, I promise.”
I squeezed his hand and sighed, staring at our fingers locked together. “I’m not mad about that, I promise. It’s just the whole thing with Channing. Is there something between the two of you? Because, if there is, I don’t want to get in the middle of it.”
“I’m not dating Channing.”
“I get the impression she thinks if I stay out of the way she still has a chance with you.”
His teeth clenched. “She’s wrong.”
“I’m not sure that she’ll want to continue to be friends with me if you and I are spending time together.”
He pulled his hand away, frowning. “Is that what you want, to be friends with Channing?”
“I would like that.”
“More than you want to be friends with me?”
“And you want us to be friends?” I held my breath, not sure what to say or do next. I only knew something else existed inside of me where Eric was concerned. I didn’t think I’d be able to label it as friendship.
He stirred in the swirls of a now liquid cup of ice cream, his attention focused on the red plastic spoon. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but instead pressed his lips together firmly. Then in a rush he reached over, catching my hand and looking straight at me. “No, that’s not how it’s ever going to be between us.”
I jerked back slightly at the force of his words.
“I’m not sure we should do this, Eric. I feel like I’m in the wrong here.”
Leaning further across the table, he gave me a solemn look. “I promise you, Channing wouldn’t care if the situation was reversed.”
“Well, I’m not Channing.”
“Exactly, so why are you so set on being friends with her?”
I didn’t have an answer for that, not a real one. The first day I saw Channing and her friends, I felt like I needed to be part of them. I was drawn to them, even though there were things about them I didn’t even like. I couldn’t explain it, not even to myself.
I pulled my hand from his and poked the spoon in my ice cream. “I’ve been having a hard time lately, coming here, getting a new step dad.” I could have added having nightmares and wandering off in my sleep, but that wasn’t for sharing, even with Eric. “I need to have friends here. What I don’t need is Channing ready to kill me all summer because I’ve spent some time with you.”
He sat quietly, watching me. Then frowned. “I guess you’re right. Channing could make life miserable for both of us. You’re only here for a couple of months so there’s no sense in you being harassed by her all summer because of me. Now, let’s eat your ice cream because most of mine has melted.”
Before I could comment a flash of tan appeared at the end of the table. Glancing up I saw the sheriff with his arms folded across his chest.
“You’re Louise’s niece down to visit, huh?”
“I… yeah, I am.”
“Went to the day camp and her house looking for her, but she wasn’t home. Know where she might be?”
“She uh… drove over to Slidell to go to Wal-Mart to shop. She should be home soon, though.”
The sheriff glanced at Eric and frowned.
“There was another woman killed over in Mandeville last night. You kids hear anything about it?”
I shook my head, relaxing a fraction. I’d never heard of Mandeville and definitely didn’t
know where it was.
“No sir, I haven’t heard anything. Was it another animal related killing?” Eric asked.
The sheriff studied him for a minute. “Yes it was. You two best be careful when you’re out and about.” He turned to me. “You and your aunt, too, especially if you’re going to be out after dark.”
‘Miller girls travel at night’ the words sing-songed in my head in Angeline’s scratchy voice.
I only nodded not trusting myself to speak.
“I’ll be going. Let your aunt know. She might want to take some precautions at the day camp.”
“Okay.”
The sheriff turned and left while I continued to stare at the table until I heard the bell over the door jangling to mark his exit.
“I better go.”
“Alright.” Eric took my hand and squeezed it. “I’m saying I agree to not ask you out or put you on the spot in front of Channing. If you feel like you two are going to be friends, I won’t try and mess that up. It’s not what I want. I promise you.”
I met his eyes and saw the dark blue had turned nearly violet again. I didn’t know what else to say, so I slid out of the booth and tried not to run from the shop.
Chapter Fourteen
The ringing phone met me when I walked in the door. Before I could make it up the stairs, Louise shouted.
“It’s your mom.”
After the usual formalities about what they were doing in Europe and what I was doing in Lebeaux, the time had come for the important discussion. I took the portable handset to my room for privacy.
“Mom, I am having a little trouble.”
“With what?”
“I’m having nightmares and sleepwalking again.”
“Louise mentioned that.”
“But it’s worse now than when we were at home. A lot worse. She doesn‘t know about every time. And it’s been really bad.”
