by S. A. Hunter
“Answer the question,” he said.
She glared at him. Who did he think he was, asking her something like that at a time like this?
“Yeah, I guess,” she said begrudgingly. She knew she should say it more nicely, but she didn’t enjoy being put on the spot either.
“You guess,” he said flatly.
She knew he wanted a more bubbly answer, but he should also know her. She didn’t do bubbly. She wasn’t the type to giggle coyly and blush. If he wanted that, then he should run after Vicky. Vicky would love to be in a love triangle.
Kyle let out a big breath, tinged with frustration. He pushed himself to his feet. His shoulders were slumped, and his eyes were kind of sad. “The only reason I asked was because I thought it would make you laugh. Don’t know why I thought that.”
“I don’t know either,” Mary said.
He sighed and rubbed the back of his head. “Sorry, I’ll go.”
Seeing him upset, upset her, too. “No, it’s okay. I’m sorry. I’m such a mess. This thing is making me crazy.” She reached out and tugged his hand. “Sit, please.”
Kyle stared at her a moment, and Mary held her breath. Would he shake off her hand and leave?
She should’ve known better. He let out a breath and gave her a hint of a smile. “All right. Until your Gran comes home, at least.”
Mary smiled at his odd choice of words. “At least?”
“Uh, yeah. I won’t want to leave, but I will if she tells me to.”
“Oh?”
“Mary, your grandmother’s kind of scary.”
That surprised her. “What?”
“I don’t think she likes me.”
Remembering Gran’s odd questions, Mary wondered if he were right, but she shook her head and pulled him to the couch. “She likes you. She likes all of my friends.” Silently, she reminded herself that Rachel was technically her only friend, and while Gran did like her, making such a sweeping claim with only one data point might be considered a bit like lying. She picked up the remote and turned on the television.
“Anything you want to watch?” she asked.
They settled on a nature program, but Mary found herself looking at Kyle as much as the television. He really was a good guy. He’d put up with so much with her already. Dating her couldn’t be easy. Weirdness followed her around, but he didn’t seem to mind the weirdness. Or at least, he was willing to put up with it for her. That was really special. He cared about her. He looked out for her. He was her knight in shining letterman jacket. Plus, he was pretty cute. Not in the typical teen heartthrob sort of way. Maybe cute wasn’t the right word. Maybe handsome would be better. She wasn’t a fan of the buzz cut head, but it fit his personality. He was practical and resourceful. Vanity wasn’t on his list of faults. She wasn’t sure what faults he did have. She suspected a deep-seated jealousy of his brother, which she wasn’t about to poke with a stick. But other than that, she wasn’t sure. Yes, his practicality and resourcefulness did run a little counter to her more whimsical desires, but that could be a good thing. And it wasn’t like she got to exercise her love of whimsy much anyway. She liked it when he smiled at her. It gave her a warm feeling when his pearly whites were aimed at her. He glanced at her and caught her staring. “What?” he asked.
Mary found herself looking away and, and with consternation, she realized it might be construed as coyly. “Nothing. I’m just glad you’re here.”
His eyes softened. “Me, too.”
She couldn’t meet his eyes. She snuggled deeper into the couch cushions and looked at the television. Out of her peripheral vision, she saw him turn his attention back to the TV. She stared at the television, but she wasn’t paying attention to the program. She was still focused on her peripheral vision. He was a good guy. A great guy. She had won the boyfriend lottery.
The phone started ringing.
Mary immediately tensed up.
“Let me get it,” he said.
He reached over her for the phone.
She grabbed his arm. “No, if it’s someone, they can leave a message.”
“No, I got it.”
She turned to face him and pushed at his arm. “No, just let it ring.”
Kyle shook his head and kept reaching around her. “Let me get it, so we’ll know.”
But Mary didn’t want that. The moment had been perfect. They’d been hanging out on the couch. It had bee relaxed, happy, maybe a little flirtatious. If Kyle picked up that phone, they weren’t getting the mood back. Mary pushed Kyle’s hands away. He just continued to lean forward to reach over her. She swiveled toward him to block and now was having to arch to hold back his hands. He was going to reach the phone because he was just bigger.
She didn’t think. Her only objective was to stop him. So she kissed him. She’d been aiming for his cheek, but her lips landed on the corner of his mouth. Kyle froze and looked down at her. Mary found herself sinking back into the cushions, her eyes glued to him. She couldn’t believe she’d done that.
The phone stopped ringing. Neither of them noticed.
“Mary?”
He was lying on top of her, looming over her. She moved a hand to his cheek. Her heart was pounding. There was a howling silence in her head. She pulled down his head and met his lips with hers. This was her first real kiss. The one yesterday had been just a peck, there an instant then gone. This one was different. It was tentative at first. She let her lips wander across his, exploring. Kyle hovered over her. He seemed equally tentative. She wondered how many girls he had kissed.
It seemed they opened their mouths at the same time. She pulled him in closer. He let himself carefully fall onto her. Feeling his body on her made her feel safe. He’d block everything for her. The kiss deepened. Their bodies were flush now. Legs intertwined. Mary’s hands were on his back. His hands were planted on the sofa. When one of them shifted, the other had to as well. Kyle made a muffled noise as she bent her knee and raised her leg between his. Kyle’s mouth broke away from hers. He pushed himself a few inches away from her. He looked down into her eyes. His cheeks were flush. She wondered if hers were, too.
“Mary, are you all right?”
Why did he keep asking that? Had the kissing been crap? It had felt pretty good to her. “Yeah, I’m fine.” She was a little breathless, and her heart was pounding, but she figured that was pretty normal, considering the circumstances.
“Really? Because an hour ago you didn’t know if you liked me.”
Mary tensed up. Why’d he have to bring that up now?
“So?” She knew it was the wrong thing to say, but couldn’t stop herself.
Kyle frowned and moved off her. She sat up, too. She couldn’t look him in the eye. “I think I should go,” he said.
“Was it that awful?”
“No, it felt good. But I want it to be good, too.”
Mary didn’t understand. Had the kissing been bad or not? “What does that mean?”
He sighed and stood up. “I don’t want to make-out just to make-out. If that’s what you’re doing, then it doesn’t matter that it’s me or someone else. I want it to matter that it’s me.”
“Oh.” She understood, but she couldn’t bring herself to say what he needed to hear. She was so messed up. All of her life, she’d been around guys who put her down and ridiculed her. She could handle that. She knew how to fight back. She didn’t know how to deal with guys who liked her. Cy had liked her. She’d never dealt with that before, but had been so happy. Then she screwed it up. Now Kyle was telling her that he liked her, and she couldn’t accept it because she was going to screw it up again. By saying nothing, she may screw it up anyway.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
She wished he’d stop asking. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
He nodded. “Okay. I’ll go home now. See you tomorrow?”
She nodded and Kyle left.
She watched television until Gran came home with dinner. The phone didn’t ring. She told Gran abo
ut the PA incident. Gran was alarmed, but had no idea what it meant either. Later, when she was alone in her room, Mary touched her lips and thought about Kyle. She had liked making out.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Living Nightmare
“Mary, drop the knife!”
Mary felt strange. Like she was waking up after not being asleep.
“Drop the knife, Mary! Drop it!”
She blinked her eyes in disorientation. She was in her room. That was normal. She remembered going to bed, but she didn’t remember getting up. She must have because she was kneeling on the floor now. And when had Kyle come over? He shouldn’t be in her room. Gran had told her that boys weren’t allowed in her room.
“You’re not allowed in here,” she said, though she still couldn’t remember him coming in or her getting up.
“What’s going on, Mary? What were you doing with this knife?”
“What knife?”
He held it up for her to see. Where had he gotten that? It looked like glass, obsidian actually. It was black and had leather straps covering the handle. The blade looked hand-carved. She reached out to touch it, but Kyle jerked his hand back. “No, don’t touch it!”
Her head felt so fuzzy that she didn’t get angry with him. She got up from the floor and sat down on her bed. The bed was rumpled as though at one point she had been asleep in it. She’d like to know what was going on.
“What are you doing here?” she asked. She knew she hadn’t invited him. She was sure of that. She noticed he had his cell phone in his other hand.
He seemed to remember it when she noticed it. He lifted it to his ear. “She’s awake now and I have the knife. Hello? Are you still there?”
Whoever he’d been talking to must have hung up. She looked around her room. There was a smoking candle on her dresser. It was being held by a wax hand. Goosebumps rose on her arms when she realized it was the Hand of Glory.
“What the hell is that doing here?” she demanded.
Kyle didn’t answer her. Wisps of smoke still rose from the candlewick like it had been recently lit. She shivered and rubbed her arms, not liking the look of it all. She didn’t want to look at it too closely. She didn’t want to recognize the hand.
“Kyle, where the hell did you get that?”
Instead he told her, “We need to wake your grandmother up.”
“She’s not going to like it that you’re here. What time is it anyway? Why’d you sneak in?”
“Mary, wake your grandmother up, please.”
She was in her pajamas, the black ones with white stars. She was glad she was wearing her nicer sleepwear. She’d have hated for Kyle to see her in the ratty sweats that had questionable stains on them. She looked around her bedroom. She could ignore what Kyle said just as well as he could ignore her. She jumped when she saw beside her on the bed was Mr. White’s box, and it was open.
Her hand swooped out to pick it up before Kyle could stop her again.
“Did you open this? How? We couldn’t get it to open. How’d you find it?”
It was empty, but the inside was lined with red satin and the bottom was cushioned. There was a long narrow indentation in the center. She eyed the knife in Kyle’s hand, measuring it to see if it fit the indentation. The box didn’t tingle in her hands. It felt like an ordinary box, but she was afraid to close it though, in case it wouldn’t open again.
“Mary, please wake your grandmother.”
“Why? We’re just going to get into trouble, and I didn’t invite you over. Why’d you sneak into my room? How’d you open this? Where’d you get the Hand of Glory? What’s with the knife?”
“All I know is what the guy told me on the phone.”
“Who?” Mary asked. She wasn’t leaving until he answered one of her questions.
“I don’t know. He just called me and started yelling that I had to get over here because you were in danger.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know. But something weird was going on, and you didn’t look right.”
Mary blew out a frustrated breath. The more Kyle talked, the more questions she had. “How did I not look right? I was asleep.”
“No, you weren’t. When I turned on the light, you were kneeling on the floor with that knife in your hands. Your eyes were spaced out. Wake your grandmother up, Mary. Maybe she’ll know what’s going on.”
Mary crossed her arms, unsure if she wanted to wake Gran up when she still didn’t understand what was happening. Kyle shook his head and turned toward the open door of her bedroom. “Gran! Wake up! Gran!” he yelled.
Mary grabbed his arm with both her hands. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“We need to tell her what’s happened. You can’t keep this secret.”
“But tell her what?” she asked.
Mary heard the floorboards creak, and Gran’s bedroom door open. “What in the world?” Gran exclaimed. She appeared in Mary’s doorway, still in the process of cinching her robe. She stopped short and looked at Kyle. Her brow lowered. “Young man, what are you doing in my granddaughter’s room?”
“Mrs. Dubont, do you know what that is?” He pointed at the Hand of Glory.
Gran looked at it, and Mary saw her stiffen. “Where did that come from?”
“Mary had it.”
“What!” Gran cried.
Mary vehemently shook her head. “No, I did not! I don’t know where it came from.”
“It was here when I came in. It was burning.”
“Mary!”
Mary wanted to shove Kyle. Why was he lying to Gran? The Hand of Glory wasn’t hers. She had no idea where it had come from. “It’s not mine.”
“Then where did it come from? And Kyle, why are you here?” Gran asked.
“Maybe we should go downstairs,” he said.
“Why? You came up here without invitation,” Mary muttered.
“Because the front door is still open from when I forced it.”
“What?” Mary and Gran both exclaimed. They all trooped downstairs without further debate. The front door was wide open, and the door jamb was splintered where Kyle must have forced it open.
“Sorry about that, but no one would come when I rang the bell or pounded on the door.” Mary and Gran stared at the door.
“Mary, did you hear any of that?” Gran asked.
She shook her head. “I didn’t know Kyle was in the house until he was in my room.”
“The Hand of Glory,” Gran said.
“What is that thing?” Kyle asked.
“A Hand of Glory is very bad magic. It is used by thieves to rob homes. It puts everyone in the house into a deep sleep that they can’t awaken from until the Hand is blown out,” Gran explained as she went over to the door and tried to close it. It wouldn’t latch. It looked like they might need a new door. If Kyle wasn’t on the football team, he should be. He’d pulverize the competition.
“Mary wasn’t asleep.”
Gran turned back to her, and she looked so angry that Mary had to physically restrain herself from attacking Kyle. “Will you shut up! The Hand of Glory isn’t mine! I’ve never seen it before you showed up tonight!” Tears were leaking out of her eyes. She angrily wiped her eyes to dash them away.
Kyle put his hands up and explained further. “She wasn’t asleep, but something wasn’t right either. It was like she was in a trance.”
Gran slid a large flowerpot over to the door to keep it shut. She straightened with a wince, and Mary felt guilty for not jumping in to help her, but she was so upset with Kyle at the moment that she wasn’t thinking straight. How could he keep accusing her of stuff? Didn’t he like her? Why’d he keep saying the Hand of Glory was hers?
Gran sat down in her recliner with a heavy sigh. “Kyle, sit and start from the beginning. Mary, you sit, too, and keep quiet.”
Mary’s eyes widened at the order. Gran hadn’t spoken to her like that since she was little and being a holy terror. She was not being bratty. She was as much in
the dark as Gran, but the look Gran gave her kept her mouth shut. She curled up in the corner of the couch, as far away from Kyle as possible. He noticed her aversion to him and gave her a pained look. She didn’t feel an iota of guilt. He looked down at his hands.
“It started with some guy calling my cell phone and insisting that I come over here and save Mary. I asked him who he was, but he wouldn’t tell me. He said you were in grave danger and I had to get over here right away. I asked him why he didn’t call here and he said no one could answer and he couldn’t reach Rachel. I didn’t believe him at first. I thought it might be some jerk trying to pull a prank. I asked him why didn’t he call 911. He said it wasn’t a normal emergency. He said something had Mary and was making her do stuff and I had to get over here to stop her. He said Gran couldn’t help because she was, like, drugged. That’s how he said it: ‘like, drugged’. I said fine, I’d check on you. While I was getting dressed, I kept calling here, but the phone would just ring and ring, then switch over to voice mail. I started getting antsy because I knew you both were home and after what happened at school today, I thought something else might be happening.
“I drove over and rang the bell and banged on the door. I could see your vehicle was here, Mrs. Dubont, so I knew you both should be home. As I’m trying to get someone to answer the door, my cell phone rings again. I pick it up and it’s this guy again. He says, ‘Kick it down!’ I’m like, ‘What?’ And he says again, ‘They’re not coming. You have to kick it down and stop Mary before she hurts herself.’
“And that did it. I threw myself at the door and after a couple tries, I got the door to burst open. I ran up to Mary’s room. I turned on the light and found her holding a weird knife, totally spaced out. I yelled a couple of times to get your attention, Mary, but you wouldn’t even acknowledge me. From my cell phone, I heard the guy screaming, ‘Blow out the candle! Blow it out! And get that knife away from her!’ So I went to the weird candle and blew it out, then I grabbed your hands and pried the knife from you. You, finally, started coming to or whatever. You were disoriented and I didn’t understand anything. The guy said to not let you near the knife again. Then I guess he hung up.”
