Shadows

by RaeAnne Hadley

  Unable to hold back her responding grin, she nodded her agreement, then noticed her rumpled clothing. Grimacing at the thought of returning to her apartment, she couldn’t figure out a way around it. “I need to go back home and get a change of clothes, will you come with me?” She felt foolish at her reluctance to go back to the place she had considered home for the last five years but hoped he would understand.

  “Your wish is my command. Just let me take a quick shower and change then I’ll go get my keys.”

  Remembering their hasty retreat from her place, she remembered he had left his car at the bar and they had taken a taxi to his place after their day at the park. “Oh, we left your car at the bar last night, if I could use your cell phone, I’ll call a cab and have it ready for us, say in about twenty minutes?” She offered.

  “Thanks but that’s not necessary. We’ll take my truck and you can drive my car back after dinner. You do have a driver’s license, don’t you?”

  “Yes, actually, I do. You have two vehicles? In New York? It must cost you an arm and a leg to park them here!”

  “Actually it doesn’t. I own the building and it has a parking garage below. I also have a motorcycle, though I don’t get to use it as much as I’d like.”

  “You own the building? What is it that you do, Justin?” His blasé attitude at the conversation made her realize that they were still strangers, with a lifetime of information still waiting to be shared.

  He flashed her another grin and walk towards the bathroom. “Over dinner, I promise, I’ll tell you everything that you want to know. Now get dressed before I ravage you again!”

  She blushed and nodded, scrambling for her clothes, trying to ignore the heat that burned in her center when he spoke those words.

  EIGHT

  He took her to a quaint little Italian bistro across town, stealing glances at her while he drove. She was such a mystery to him, her body so exquisite and young but her mind and soul aged beyond her years. She had seemed hesitant to go through the door to her apartment, so he gently took the keys and opened the door to do a quick search. He was surprised when she walked through the door and stood in her entryway, closing her eyes and waiting. He didn’t move or say anything, searching her face for any indication of what she was feeling. No emotion showed and she suddenly opened her eyes and smiled at him.

  “Nothing’s here. There’s a soda in the fridge so please help yourself, I’ll only be a minute.” She leaned up and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before disappearing down the hall to the bathroom. He heard the shower running and fought every impulse in his body to go and join her. He knew she would welcome him and they would end up wet and in bed together but he had other plans for tonight. He needed to show her that they could be in a public place and nothing would happen to them.

  To fill the time, he decided to grab the soda and watch some TV. While he was in the kitchen, he sealed the pipe under the sink before going back into the living room and turning the television on. He really didn’t watch it very much, his time normally consumed with researching boogymen. He was so amused by a show on ghost hunting that he didn’t hear her come into the living room. He smelled her before he saw her, a sweet floral aroma filling his senses. She stood at the end of the hallway, just at the opening of the living room and he almost dropped his soda. She was wearing a black, sleeveless dress that stopped mid thigh. Above, the neckline exposed the top half of her swelling breasts that cradled a large emerald heart dangling from the glistening gold chain. Her hair was pulled away from her face with two emerald clips and then continued to flow down to the small of her back. The heels she wore were small, maybe only two inches high but showed off her toned, naturally bronzed legs. She was breathtaking and astonishing, far beyond what he could ever imagine.

  Seeing Justin’s face as he stared at her made her feel warm all over but after a few minutes had passed and he still hadn’t said anything, she started feeling self-conscious and embarrassed. “I bought it as a present for my graduation. I never wore it, I chickened out at the last minute, it looks awful, doesn’t it?” she stumbled, “I can go change, it will only take me a minute.” She turned to walk away when she heard Justin get up.

  “No, Tabs, you are beautiful. You’re absolutely breathtaking. I’m sorry for my reaction, I’m just at a loss for words.”

  She turned and found he’d crossed the room faster than she believed possible. Before she could say a word, his arms were around her, the stunned expression still on his face. When he didn’t say anything else, just stared at her, she giggled and kissed him softly on the lips. “Will you take a lady to dinner then? I’m starving!”

  He blinked as if coming out of the trance and then laughed, though it sounded a little strained. “Of course, but I have to admit, I want you for the main course.” He leaned down and kissed her passionately. When her arms snaked around his neck to deepen the kiss, he knew she would have readily agreed to order in, and he relished in that delicious knowledge, enjoying the taste of her a little longer. Reluctantly he broke the kiss, trying to focus on his goal, and offered her his arm. “Shall we, my lady? A reservation awaits.”

  Still nervous about going out at night, she tried to pout but then seeing his expectant face, hooked her arm through his. “As ready as I’ll ever be.” she sighed then followed him out the door.

  She was surprised when the maître d’ acknowledged Justin by name and showed them to a table immediately. It didn’t go unnoticed by her, the mixed reactions of the waiting patrons, some agitated by having to wait longer and others staring eagerly, trying to figure out who the couple was, who were being seated so promptly. She heard some of them whispering that they were probably movie stars and then discussing what movies they may have seen them in. Tabitha tried to stifle a giggle in her throat at the thought of her being a movie star.

  They moved through the large, crowded room and she hesitated when she saw the maître d’ walk towards the outer tables of the room which were dimly lit compared to the tables in the center. She felt Justin’s arm tighten encouragingly on hers and she continued to follow him to their table. The shadows created along the tables and chairs from the dark maroon tablecloths were barely touched by the tea lights that provided the only illumination.

  They sat down in their seats and Tabitha was instantly afflicted by a shiver that ran down her neck and spine. The maître d’, noticing her discomfort, asked if he could show them to a different table.

  Justin reached over and grabbed her hand, squeezing it reassuringly before turning his attention to their host. “No, this is fine, thank you. A glass of red wine for the lady and sparkling water for me, please.” Justin smiled and dismissed the waiter, turning his attention back to Tabitha before the man could respond. As the host walked away, Justin leaned across the table and whispered to Tabitha, “Everything is fine. They’re not near us and don’t even know we are here.”

  She stared at him with wide eyes, “You know where they are already? Should we leave?” Her eyes already scanning the room for the offending presence.

  “Trust me, Tabitha. I want to show you that we are okay.” He soothed, trying to lock her eyes with his.

  “But what about all of them?” She gasped “What if we cause harm to all of these innocent people?”

  “Nothing is going to happen to them.” he growled, a little more harshly than what he’d intended but was relieved when she brought her attention back to him. “You just have to remember that they are only in danger if you stare at the creatures. All they can do to other people is cause irritations, nothing more. Try and think of them as obnoxious children, irritating and disruptive, you wouldn’t stare at ornery children, would you?”

  She sighed and tried to smile, staring at Justin’s face. “Actually I would! Disgusted that their parents would allow them to act so badly in public!”

  He smiled and gripped her hand again. “It’s okay. You just have to trust me. I’ve done this a million times. Here’s our drinks now, t
ake a sip of wine and try to relax.”

  She smiled up at the waitress as she set their drinks down and waited to take their order. While Justin ordered for both of them, she sat back and tried to enjoy the wine he had ordered for her. After their waitress left and she felt the warmth of her drink spread through her, she stared at Justin, amazed at how calm and relaxed he appeared to be.

  “Something on your mind, Tabs?” he smiled roguishly.

  “Yes, as a matter of fact there is, but not what you’re thinking.” She smiled sweetly. “You may be old hat at this but right now, I’m a nervous wreck. Before I spontaneously combust, will you please let me know where I can’t look, so I know where I can?”

  “As long as you’re sure you won’t be tempted to stare at them. It takes a lot of focused self-control not to stare at them and to be honest, after the other night at the bar, I’ll admit I have my reservations.”

  “That’s not really fair,” she started to argue “You had the knowledge that if you stare at them, it draws their attention. I never knew that so, of course, I did what comes natural, staring in disbelief at the aberration. Now I know better.”

  “Okay, I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. I’ll point out where they are but keep in mind, quick side long glances, never look at it straight on.” When she nodded her agreement, he continued. “The young couple against the far wall, the woman is wearing a sunny yellow dress, there is a small boogyman under their table. There’s a mid-size canine one that keeps tormenting that redheaded waitress. She’s new here and he’s following her along in the shadows, tripping her and pushing her forward, causing her to spill the drinks of her customers, thriving on her embarrassment and the patrons anger and frustration. Then there was another one in the waiting room, bothering a middle-aged couple.”

  Tabitha sat up straighter, “Wait, the man in the tan blazer? He was complaining about us being seated before they were.”

  “That’s the one. The grumbling is compliments of the demon, he was whispering in the guy’s ear about the injustices of rich and famous people.”

  “And the guy didn’t freak out? I would have if I had someone whispering in my ear!”

  “No, it’s one of their talents. It just comes across as that little voice in your head, people chalk it up to their subconscious. It‘s another way they are able to kill.”

  “How can they kill by whispering in a person’s ear?” Tabitha frowned.

  “People think it’s their little voice talking to them, the demons start suggesting to their victims that they hurt themselves, or take their lives. Then they start giving all of the reasons why until that person is in such a depression, they will actually commit suicide. I had it happen to a girl I was sort of seeing. I found her in her bathroom with her wrists slit, I had fallen asleep in her bedroom.” he explained quietly.

  “Oh, Justin. I’m so sorry. God, these things are horrible!” she exclaimed.

  “Another reason why I want to figure out how to destroy them. I doubt we can ever eliminate all of them but I want to figure out a way to take out a good percentage of them.”

  “How come I feel like there is so much I can learn from you?”

  “Because you do.” he raised his eyebrows suggestively and was rewarded with Tabitha’s giggle.

  “Well, yes, definitely that but I was talking about them! How is it that you have so much information on them? These things have been plaguing me for most of my life and I don’t know a thing about them other than that they are creepy and I thought, up until now, I was the only one able to see them.” Her body shuddered as another shiver warning ripped through her, her natural instincts trying to get her to flee.

  Justin frowned at something out of the corner of his eye but Tabitha missed it, distracted with trying to keep herself calm. “So, Mr. Murphy, you promised to tell me what you did for a living over dinner. How is it that you own your own building?”

  She took a big sip of wine and Justin knew she was trying to gather the courage to check out her surroundings, so he decided to try and keep it light and entertaining. “My family is basically into real estate and property management. We own some apartment buildings and a few hotels all over the world including Great Britain, New Zealand, Hawaii, Brazil, Japan, Mexico and Australia. My Dad had actually inherited a few companies from my great-grandfather, mostly apartment buildings through out the United States but Dad wanted to go bigger and better. He gathered money from stocks and bonds and started buying hotels all over the world, just one or two every couple of years but eventually it paid off. In the eighties, there was a boom in the travel industry and that’s when Dad was able to purchase most of the hotels overseas. The apartment building I live in is the very first one my grandpa ever bought.” he ended quietly, nostalgia and memories taking over.

  “I imagine you miss them very much.” Tabitha said softly, reaching for his hand.

  “Tons, but I’m sure it’s the same way for you. It’s hard to lose family, at any age.”

  “It is. At least I didn’t have the loss of siblings too. I know how difficult it still is losing my parents but to lose brothers and sisters also must be excruciating. You’re a very strong man, Justin Murphy.”

  “Not very, I tried to end it, remember? But we didn’t come here to relive our sorrows, we can save that for a more private moment. Tonight is to show you that you can still enjoy life and participate with others, even something as simple as eating out.” He smiled at her and gave her hand a light squeeze before releasing it. He saw her cast a sideways glance at the young couple, her eyes widening just a fraction before she snapped her attention back to him. “I know it’s hard, Tabs, but trust me, it’s really ok. Just ignore them.” As he soothed her, he noticed her shiver again and he glanced at the demon who was harassing the waitress.

  This time Tabitha noticed him frowning. “What’s wrong? Didn’t I do it right? Did they notice us?” She asked fearfully, not daring to look at the creatures again.

  His eyes softened as he looked at her and he linked his fingers through her free hand. “No, you’re doing great. I just need to excuse myself to the men’s room, for just a minute. Think you can focus on the desert you’d like to order while I’m gone?”

  Nodding, she grabbed a little side menu that described the delicious drinks and desserts the bistro advertised. As he stood up, he leaned across and kissed her forehead softly. “Relax, Tabitha. You’re doing great. I wouldn’t leave you for even a second if I thought you were in danger.” he whispered.

  She looked up at him and smiled, wanting desperately to believe his words.

  He walked through the restaurant towards the bathrooms located near the entrance and noticed the boogyman in the waiting area had latched onto a new couple, this time whispering feverishly in the woman’s ear. He made his way into the men’s room and splashed cold water onto his face. His little experiment was revealing some unexpected complications and he had to figure out how to work around them. The boogyman appeared to be more in tune with Tabitha than what he had expected, which could raise some problems. He grabbed a paper towel to dry his face when he noticed a flicker of movement in the mirror. Looking up he saw the gnarled, leathery creature in the reflection of the mirror. It sat on its haunches, much like a rabbit would when checking the air for predators but there was no fear in its beady eyes.

  It moved several feet towards him but when he turned around, it was gone, as he had expected. Turning back towards the mirror, he faced his intruder again and he thought it had moved even closer. It reached out as if to tug on his pant leg, its long claws curling and then uncurling and he instinctively tensed for a moment before making himself relax. There was no use wasting his energy on mirror demons, they certainly gave you a start but didn’t appear to be able to do any damage, locked in a glassy, reflective world. He turned to walk out of the men’s restroom, in the mirror he saw the creature hiss after him, bearing its filthy sharp teeth as froth dripped from its jaws.

  NINE

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nbsp; He tried to clear his mind as he walked back to their table. He knew Tabitha was already uneasy with the situation and he didn’t want to worry her unnecessarily with the ideas that were forming in his head. He wanted her to have a positive experience, eating in a public place at night without having to worry that it would end in bloodshed. As he walked towards their table, he saw that Tabitha was looking out the window towards the street, not touching the food that had been delivered in his absence. He knew it must have been hard not to keep constant tabs on their foes while he was gone but everything appeared to be under control.

  “Sorry for the delay, I hope everything is all right? Our food looks delicious.”

  She looked up at him and smiled, tension still in her eyes. “It smells wonderful but I wanted to wait until you got here. The redheaded waitress was serving the table behind you and her, um, helper followed.” She leaned closer to him across the table. “I know I’m new to this but, Justin, I swear, when I got a shiver warning as it came close, it stopped frozen in its tracks and looked directly at me!” When he didn’t say anything, she continued “I promise I wasn’t looking at it! I just saw it out of the corner of my eye as I drank my wine. Do you think it can sense me?”

  He casually glanced around the room, not allowing his gaze to stop on anyone or anything before he looked at her again. “It’s something we need to consider and talk about, but not here.” he said soberly. “Let’s enjoy our meal and go back to the apartment.” He smiled and winked at her before picking up a fork and diving into his lasagna.

  Not daring to look around, she nodded and started playing with the linguine on her plate. It only took a few bites of the delicious pasta for her to push aside her thoughts of the boogymen and enjoy her meal, it was absolutely delectable. Once again they made small talk, him questioning about what made her go to school for interior design and her questions about his father’s business. He smiled as she recounted some of the information he had given her earlier about his family, impressed that she had been listening through all of the distractions.