by Cox, Suzanne
“In what way?”
I pulled at the blanket on my bed. I hadn’t shared this with anybody and didn’t know how exactly to say it so it didn’t sound completely ridiculous.
“I went outside the other night and walked in my sleep. I think I might not have even been dressed. I had a crazy dream about wild wolves chasing me. When I woke up there was mud everywhere in the room”
“Did you tell Louise?”
“No, and please don’t tell her. She’ll think I’m crazy. She already tried to lock me in my room once. I did tell you that, didn’t I?
“You told me. But you went outside when you were sleepwalking at home, and I’ve locked your door to keep you from doing it again. So I don’t see what the big difference is.”
“You locked my door?”
“We talked it over the night after you came back in. Don’t you remember?”
“Maybe.”
I didn’t remember, but now I didn’t want to admit it because my own mother might think I’d lost my mind.
“This is different, Mom. It’s way worse.”
“Then you have to talk to Louise.”
I opened my mouth, but couldn’t bring myself to tell her about the sheriff, the images in my head and the yellow t-shirt.
“No, she won’t understand.”
“I think she will”
“You’ve got to come home or let me go back to Chicago.”
“Being in Chicago won’t stop this. It was happening there, too.”
“But not as bad. It’s worse here. I need to go back. I’ll go to counseling, see a head doctor, whatever. Mom, it’s scary, please.”
Silence. The seconds ticked away as I held my breath. “It’s going to be fine, Alexis. You’ll stay there. Louise will help you. I’ll talk to her.”
I could hear the same strain in her voice that I felt in mine. “No, don’t tell her anything. She can’t help. I’ll deal with it.”
I punched the off button on the phone without saying good bye. The knot in my chest tightened until it spread to my throat. Whatever was happening here, the dreams, the sleepwalking, the wolves, the woman’s death all seemed to be tied to each other with a thin thread that I couldn’t see, but inside me I felt it. I couldn’t do anything about it, couldn’t stop it, didn’t know where I fit in the picture. I snatched the edge of the bedspread to swipe at the tear that slid down my face. It reminded me of the dew drop that had run down my face the other night in my dream. I shivered. Picking up the phone, I looked at it for a few seconds, then carried it downstairs. Briefly, I’d thought I might try one more plea for help from my friends in Chicago, but they’d ignored me thus far so I didn’t imagine they’d suddenly had a change of heart. Louise was right. They weren’t the kind of friends you dreamed of having, but they were the only kind I’d ever known. Maybe, they were the only kind someone like me would ever have.
In the kitchen, Louise had a pan of something cooking that made my mouth water. After returning the phone to its base, I walked to the stove and leaned over sniffing.
“What’s that?”
“It’s going to be crawfish pasta. If you want to help you can check that pasta for me.”
I got a fork from the drawer and swirled it in the boiling water.
“What did your mom say?”
“Not much.”
“You ready for her to come home.”
Desperation swept over me like a tidal wave. “Yes.” It was the only word I could force past my tight lips.
She kept stirring. “I’ll bet you are. Is it so much more boring here than in the city?”
“Just different.”
“I think you’re handling it well.”
“Really?” That wasn’t what I expected. I figured Louise thought I was a cranky, whining teenager. “Thanks. Does that mean it will be okay for me to go to Channing’s tomorrow after camp?”
Louise laughed. “I guess so.” She shook seasoning in the pan of sauce, then turned to look at me. “Be careful with those girls, Alexis. Sometimes they act before they think and I don’t want you to get mixed up in a situation you’ll have a hard time getting out of.”
I didn’t answer. Louise’s voice held a warning that was truly scary. An uneasiness settled in my middle. What would I not be able to get out of? Right now I didn’t want to know more, but the yellow t-shirt covered in red flashed in my brain.
“I went to the ice cream shop and while I was there the sheriff stopped by. He said another woman had been killed not too far from here by a pack of wild dogs.”
Louise stilled then said. “Mandeville.”
“Huh?”
“The woman was killed in Mandeville.”
“Oh, yeah, that was it.”
She turned and leaned against the counter watching me. “Did you tell him anything?”’
“What was there to tell? I don’t know anything about that. He’s weird, always staring like I did something wrong.”
“You think he believes you did something wrong?”
I dipped a fork into the pasta, captured a strand on the tines, and blew on it until it was cool enough to taste.
“This is done.” I announced and went to the sink to empty the pot in to the colander before answering her. “I have no idea what he believes.”
Turning to stir the sauce, Louise didn’t respond immediately, but then, she spun so quickly sauce dripped from the spoon onto the granite counter top.
“Did you tell him about the wolves that you keep seeing?”
I looked away from her and turned the faucet on, running water over the pasta. “No, I didn’t say anything about them.”
After several seconds I turned off the water. I studied the noodles waiting for Louise to say or do something. I glanced toward her, and she’d turned back to the stove.
“The sauce is ready.” She announced.
I let go a deep breath and went to the cabinet for plates. Neither of us mentioned the sheriff again.
Chapter Fifteen
I changed from the grimy clothes I’d had on at day camp into a swimsuit, then pulled on a nice pair of shorts and a sleeveless button up shirt over it. Stopping in front of the mirror, I chewed my lower lip. Occasionally, I wondered why I bothered. I’d spent the past year changing myself, trying to be popular, running scared really. For what? Friends? People who hadn’t bothered to call, send a text, or an e-mail since I’d been here. When I went home Channing, Jana, and Celina, would never think of me again. Back in Chicago the whole thing would start over. It made me kind of tired thinking about it. I turned away and headed outside to the four-wheeler.
Rounding the curve by the lake, I saw Eric sitting on a jet ski that was tied off to a tree on the bank. I stopped, turned off the engine of the four-wheeler and waited. He threw his leg over the seat, splashing through the knee-deep water until he was standing next to me. He put a hand behind my head, leaned over and closed his lips over mine. My heart hammered inside me. I put my palm against his chest and could feel his beating with the same intensity. Sliding my arms around his neck, I held on as his body pressed against me, his lips and tongue on mine making me forget every decision I’d made about avoiding him. Then he pulled away and pushed a stray hair away from my face and let his hand slide along my arm.
“I’ve wanted to do that since the first minute I saw you, and if we can’t be together, well at least I’ve done that.”
“You’re trying to make this hard for me.” I whispered.
He pulled me toward him until my head rested against his chest. “I’m not making it hard. The situation is hard all by itself.”
“Channing has liked you for a long time. She still likes you.”
“I realize that.”
“She’s my friend, and you don’t date the guy your friend has liked forever unless she says its okay. I promise, Channing isn’t going to say it’s okay.”
“She’s not your friend.”
I pulled away from his chest and immediately missed the wa
rmth, the beat of his heart. “What do you mean?”
His mouth was in a tight line. “I mean you two aren’t that close of friends. You haven’t known her more than a few weeks.”
My throat tightened. “I haven’t known you any longer than that either. I thought you agreed it would be best if we didn’t do this.”
“I did think that, do think it. I only wish it was different.” He said quietly.
I held on to a fistful of his shirt. “Me too.”
He reached out, his fingers grazing my cheek. “I’ll let you go now.”
I nodded, and he walked away. Watching him get on the jet ski and look at me one final time before riding away, my chest tightened. Automatically, I started the ATV and headed for Channing’s house.
***
“So, you up for a couple of nights out on a real town?”
I glanced up, realizing I’d missed most of the conversation between Channing and the other two girls. “How do you mean?”
“My cousin is coming back soon to take me to spend the weekend with her in New Orleans. I can bring some friends.”
“You should come,” Celina piped up. “We always have a good time.”
“I’ll ask my aunt. When are you going?”
Channing flicked through channels with the remote. “Two weeks. Come on, let’s go downstairs and mix drinks before my parents get here.”
I followed them to the kitchen, then glanced out the window at the darkening sky. “I better get back. My aunt will freak if I’m out after dark. We’ve been having these hybrid wolf dogs at our house lately. She doesn’t want me out if they show up.”
The three girls stared at me.
“What! It’s true. I swear. I saw them.”
They started laughing. I shifted from one foot to the other. I’d have thought they might have seen them too. But it could be happening on our side of the lake only.
“You’re hilarious.” Channing said.
They were busy digging in the liquor cabinet when I headed to the door.
***
Louise and I approached the front of the very large and very beautiful house with its massive porches and decks surrounding all four sides. Another Friday night and another meal with the Sanfords and Brantons. In the end they weren’t so bad.
Mrs. Sanford let us in and informed me that Brynna was in her room, up the stairs, second door on the left. Then she and Aunt Louise stood there waiting for me to excitedly race away in that direction. I couldn’t think of a single excuse not to go, so I climbed the stairs, my feet dragging across every tread, praying Myles and his dad would hurry and get there so I wouldn’t have to deal with Brynna alone.
I tapped on the door and Brynna opened it. “Your mom said for me to come up.”
“Figures, I hate you got such a nasty sentence. Maybe you’ll get a parole soon.”
I ignored her because I didn’t have the energy to argue with the girl. Brynna’s room had a huge bed with posts that nearly touched the ceiling. I reminded myself that it really wasn’t hers at all. I wondered if the Sanfords had a real house of their own anywhere, or if they roamed from place to place with nowhere to call home. Maybe none of them did, not the Brantons or even my aunt. I’d never bothered to ask Louise if she owned her own home somewhere else.
Brynna had laid claim to this room by filling it with pictures of herself and her family and friends. I wandered around, looking at the framed images.
“So, your friends all look kind of normal.” I picked up one photo and waved it. “Where’s this taken?”
Brynna came over and took the photo from me, setting it back in place. “My friends are normal, unlike you. That was taken in Venice, Italy. I went there on a trip with my normal friends.”
“You mean your parents didn’t go?”
“They went, but we weren’t together all the time.” Brynna studied me for a minute. “As strange as it is to you, I don’t think adults are enemies I have to escape from.”
“I don’t think that.”
Brynna snorted. “Well you sure act that way.”
Did I? “You don’t understand because you’ve never been jerked away from your friends and your home and dropped off in some place you’ve never heard of.”
Brynna tilted her head and regarded me in silence. Obviously, to allow me time to figure out the idiocy of what I’d said.
“Okay, okay. So I guess you do know because you guys move all the time. Doesn’t that make you mad at your parents? Don’t you want to tell them to quit and stay put?”
“Sometimes I think it would be nice to have a home and stay there for years, but then there are fun things about moving. I’m sure I’d find things I didn’t like about staying in one spot. It’s the way my life is. In the end I wouldn’t change it.”
I turned away to look at the other pictures, lightly running a finger across the top of the frames as I studied each one. What kind of person didn’t want to change their life? Grudgingly, I did have to agree with some of Brynna’s reasoning. “I guess that’s true. There were times I was sick of living in Chicago and wanted to travel to other places or live somewhere else for awhile.”
“Right. If you’d quit being so pissed that your mom left you here with Louise, you might even have a good time.”
I really didn’t like it that Brynna actually made good sense. I didn’t want her to know, but the words popped past my lips anyway.
“You’re right, I guess.”
Brynna arched an eyebrow but didn’t say anything.
I ignored her and continued my exploration. I passed Brynna’s closet door, and a couple of bright colors caught my eye. I paused in front of the half open door and fingered the silky fabric.
“That’s a dress I wore to a formal ball in England.” The other girl pushed the door wider and pulled the dress from the closet.
“It’s beautiful. You really do travel a lot, don’t you?”
Brynna nodded putting the dress back.
“My parent’s have friends in different countries.”
I didn’t respond because something behind the dress caught my eye.
“What’s this?” I ran my hand over the dark steel gray, almost black jacket and the gray stretchy shirt underneath it. The jacket was long and must have hung almost to Brynna’s ankles. Showing beneath the shirt was a pair of black pants.
“That’s something I wore to school, for a play.”
“A play, what were you, the night crawler?”
“Just a character, nothing important.”
Bryanna snapped the closet shut. I moved to the window and stared at the lake. Shadows lay on the water, broken only by a few wind blown ripples. In the yard, tree limbs sagged toward the ground, the moss seeming to weigh them down. I started to sit in the chair next to the window, but noticed something shiny at my feet. I pulled at a flat box with its lid askew, and it slid into view. Inside were a pair of glittering silver knives resting on a velvet covering. Knives might not have been the most accurate description. I’d always thought a sword was a long thing. These were mini swords. The entire thing couldn’t have been over a foot and a half long including the handles, which were made of swirling pieces that started at the top of the grip. When you held them, and of course I had to, your hand was nearly concealed. I tried to make out the design, but couldn’t.
“Hey, now these are too cool. What do you do with them?”
Brynna rushed over and pulled them away from me. “Where did you find those?”
“They were on the floor.”
“Has anyone ever told you that you’re extremely nosey?”
“Sure, all the time, has anyone ever told you that you’re extremely stingy with your stuff?”
Brynna didn’t answer right away but stared at the floor. Then her shoulders twitched. Her head came up and she was smiling.
“All the time, so at least we recognize our faults, huh? Here,” Brynna handed me the little swords back. “Be careful, they’re sharp. I take a class, kind of
like martial arts. Anyway, I learn to use these in it.”
I stood and struck a pose with the swords in hand. “Cool. I’ve always wanted to take karate or something, but my mom didn’t want me to.” I spun around the room and stumbled on the rug. Brynna grabbed my shoulder to keep me upright.
“Maybe I should take these before you gut yourself with them.”
I watched her tuck the silver pieces into their box and slide it under the chair. “So, you’re good with those?”
“I do okay. Why?
“Just wondering.”
“You think maybe you’ll need me to help you fight off Channing if she realizes Eric is never going to date her because he’s much more interested in you.”
I stared at Brynna for a moment, then frowned and sat on the bed. “What makes you think there’s something between Eric and me?”
“Myles said he thought you two liked each other. I think he actually said ‘like at first sight’.”
“Myles talks too much.”
Brynna nodded. “That’s true. However, I did see Eric practically take you down at the party.”
I took a deep breath. “I think we both drank too much punch that night. Eric apologized the other day.”
Brynna’s eyes widened. “He apologized for mauling you at the party?”
I groaned. “He was not mauling me. And yes, he apologized. He said he felt bad for being too pushy and aggressive. Does that surprise you?”
The red head looked at the ceiling then at the floor as though concentrating before she spoke. “Nope, doesn’t surprise me at all, because he really likes you.”
Sitting on the bed, I scratched my finger on the comforter’s floral design. “I don’t know what to do. It’s kind of weird.” I stopped and picked up a pillow to hug.
“What’s weird?”
“Just that… You’re going to think this is ridiculous.”
“Probably, but I’ll still listen. I’m very good with ridiculous things.”
I sighed. “I’ll never hear the end of this, but I’ll tell you anyway.”
“Good, because you can’t say something like ‘it’s weird’ then not finish.”
