The Eternal

by Bianca Hunter

  It was four in the morning, I had been asleep for almost twenty hours. Jet lag.

  As soon as I took a step forward, I felt a slight twinge in my ankle. I silently made my way to the bedroom door and quietly turned the doorknob. As I pulled open the door, I felt a sting in my arm and remembered the dream. More phantom pain. I ignored it and focused on my dry throat.

  I navigated my way to the staircase successfully, my nerves still jumping slightly when I reached the loose floorboards I already knew were coming up. The stairs creaked, and the bright, harsh light my phone threw onto the paintings made the surly faces seem more disturbing than usual. I was relieved when I reached the entrance hall, but as I walked past the gossip chair, I noticed something move out of the corner of my eye. The velvet curtain covering the hallway swayed slightly. I lifted my phone toward it and watched as the curtain rippled. Suddenly, I was bathed in complete darkness.

  “No, not now,” I hissed, gritting my teeth as I fumbled with the phone, trying to get it to light up again. I finally found the Menu button and pressed it with a clammy finger, flinching with the sudden light.

  My eyes shot back to the curtain, but standing right in front of it was the woman from my dreams, her mouth open, her eyes wide, her fists clenched against her hips, and her muddy, bloody feet rooted to the wooden floor. Every inch of my body froze as the adrenaline coursed through my veins. A frozen, dreadful scream filled the air, and before I could move, my phone dropped out of my hand, and the room was bathed in black again.

  Every inch of my skin crawled, and I stopped breathing to try to hear something besides my own heartbeat. I couldn’t move, but I felt the cold radiating toward me. The woman’s raspy breathing edged closer and closer. My teeth clenched, and I lifted my hands to my mouth, holding my breath as she reached out, her icy-cold fingertips touching my cheek.

  “Help me,” her hoarse voice scraped.

  I gasped and squeezed my eyes shut just as the lights in the entrance hall flickered on.

  “Evelyn?” I heard Kate’s confused voice cry from upstairs. “Where are you?” The panic took the edge off her usual level tone.

  The woman was gone, and the curtain completely still.

  “Kate,” I finally stammered when I was sure that the woman was no longer in the room with me. I heard her bolt down the stairs, her thumping feet like thunder. I flinched and closed my eyes at the bright light that filled the entrance hall. I kept my back turned to her, still afraid to move in case it triggered another appearance.

  “Evelyn,” Kate whispered. Her bare feet padded toward me on the wooden floor. “Are you okay?” she asked, stepping into my view. She narrowed her eyes in what may have been concern and studied what I imagined to be my horror-stricken face.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked, gently placing her hot hand on my shoulder. I remembered the icy-cold fingers that stroked my cheek.

  “I-I, there was—” I couldn’t finish my sentence. What was I going to say? That a ghostly woman was haunting my dreams and also when I was awake?

  “I just— I thought I saw something,” I stammered, placing my shaking hand on my chest to feel my rapid heartbeat.

  Kate narrowed her eyes and tilted her head, her long auburn hair falling loosely down her shoulder, glimmering in the light. “Why are you down here so late?” she asked as her eyes fell on my phone still laying on the floor. She bent down and picked it up, frowning at the screen.

  “Your screen is cracked,” she said, handing me the iPhone. I took it and groaned.

  “I came down to get a glass of water,” I muttered, still glancing around, expecting the woman to return.

  “Let’s get you that water then,” she said, trying to keep her tone light, but her expression was still one of either concern or irritation at having her sleep interrupted.

  Maybe I was going crazy, maybe everything that was happening was just in my head. I did technically have post-traumatic stress; maybe some of the symptoms were hallucinations and nightmares? If I were having phantom pain, were visual and auditory hallucinations really such a stretch?

  “I think it’s probably normal to feel overwhelmed right now. You’ve had to leave your home, and you’ve been through the worst possible situation with the accident,” Kate said, echoing my thoughts.

  If I am going crazy, what do I do? Should I tell someone? Maybe I should have accepted the medication the doctor wanted to give me after the funeral?

  “Everything has happened so fast, it’s hard to keep up,” she added.

  I filled the glass and took a few small sips. Following Kate back into the kitchen, my hand shook, and I couldn’t keep the glass steady, so I set it on the table.

  The only other explanation was that I was being haunted by this woman, but that was even more insane than me going insane.

  “Can I ask you something?” I said, turning to Kate and ignoring her frown. “It might seem a bit strange.” Nerves cramped in my chest before I even asked the question. “Do you know a woman with really light-blue eyes and almost silver-blond hair?” I spoke as quickly as I could.

  Kate frowned. “Can you be a little more specific?” she said curiously.

  Um, she’s probably my height and dead or a hallucination that I’ve conjured due to the psychological trauma I’ve been through.

  “Um, she has really long silver hair, very white skin, and extremely light-blue eyes, that’s all I know. Oh, and she’s really pretty, beautiful even, really full lips, high cheekbones. She looks a bit, I don’t know, pained,” I replied, trying to remember more details about the woman, but the memory was already fading.

  Kate pursed her lips and looked at me thoughtfully. “I can’t recall anyone like that,” she said. “But there is definitely no one living in Greyhaven with that description. The only one I can think of is Victoria Baxter, but she has honey-blond hair, and her eyes are dark blue. How old is this woman? Where did you meet her?” Kate asked.

  “Oh, um, I just remember her in one of my mom’s old photo albums?” I lied, knowing that my expression never concealed my deception. Kate observed me for a moment. She knew there were no old photo albums.

  “Well, Victoria is your age. Your mom wouldn’t have known her. In fact, you’ll probably meet her tomorrow at school.”

  I had forgotten about school. Things were about to get a lot worse.

  Chapter Seven

  I woke up to gray skies, again. My arms still stung, and I groaned as I sat up in bed and pulled up my sleeves. My eyes widened in disbelief as I examined my right arm. Five vertical deep red marks were etched into my skin, exactly where the woman in my dreams had scratched me when she doubled over. How did I not notice this when I woke up from the dream? I quickly checked my left arm. Identical marks shone out on my white skin. I leaned my entire body weight against the wooden headboard. Was I scratching myself in my dreams?

  What is happening to me?

  “Evelyn, you need to be ready in about an hour,” Kate called from the hall right before I heard her footsteps walk away.

  I took a deep, steadying breath and moved slowly, thinking about how my friends, Natalie, Serena, Kim, and Beth were all starting a new semester in the school I had attended since junior year. They would be laughing through the light and airy hallways, making their way to their lockers, signing up for cheerleading, and buying their prom tickets.

  Just don’t think about it. The more you think about it, the worse it will get.

  I numbly pulled a black knit sweater over my head and chose a pair of black jeans, not really caring what I looked like. I had tied my waist-length ebony hair back and then realized that people would be able to see my face more this way, so I let it drop over my shoulders, hoping it would grant me some shelter. I picked up the same monogrammed Louis Vuitton bag I had been using for school for the past two years, a gift from Grace. I brushed my fingertips over the leather and l
ifted the bag to my face, inhaling. Home.

  Kate was waiting for me in the entrance hall as I came down the stairs.

  “Do you want something to eat?” she asked, her arms folded across her chest. She wore blue jeans and a plain white shirt. She was probably waiting to leave for the hospital.

  “No, I can’t really eat in the mornings. I’m ready to go,” I said, my voice sounding strangely constricted. I wasn’t ready at all.

  “Good,” she replied and held out her hand to me. “I’d like you to drive yourself to school.” She was still holding out the key, which I now stared at. “After yesterday, I think it’s best you don’t walk anymore. I had the Q2 delivered. Apparently, it’s a very safe car to drive.”

  “Are you sure?” I asked, my stomach tensing. I didn’t know if I could bring myself to drive after the accident.

  “Go on, take the keys, you don’t want to be late on your first day, do you?” she asked, forcing a grin that looked more like a grimace and finally pressing the keys into my hand.

  “Thanks,” I mumbled. I couldn’t believe she trusted me after everything that had happened in Raleigh. Although, she didn’t know the full extent of what happened in the accident, which probably explained her relaxed approach to me driving.

  Kate quickly launched into directions to the school and what to do once I got there. She gave me a pat on the shoulder. “You’ll be all right,” she said, smiling. I nodded, tried and failed to smile.

  Outside, I came face-to-face with the Mythos Black Audi Q2. I pressed down on the key fob, and sure enough, the lights flickered, and the car unlocked. I wouldn’t have dared driving in a city ever again, but nothing much could go wrong in this small village surely?

  “Come on, Evelyn, it’s still better than walking,” I whispered under my breath as I made my way to the driver’s side, my arms feeling like lead, tentacles of anxiety wrapping around my chest.

  I closed the car door just as a massive bolt of lightning cracked in the distance followed by the crash of thunder. Definitely better than walking, I thought as I started the car. My jaw clenched, and I drove slowly toward the black gate, which clearly had a sensor that opened on approach.

  I navigated the car down the gray stone road, my fingers wrapped so tightly around the steering wheel I thought my knuckles would break through the skin.

  Drive slowly, it’s going to be okay.

  As the minutes went by without anything terrible happening and no other cars on the road, I relaxed my grip on the steering wheel a bit and sat back. Finding the school road with Kate’s detailed instructions was easy enough, even in a town where everything looked identical. I passed the ostentatious mansions with their marble statues and arches.

  I knew I was on the right track when I met with other cars all filtering toward a building at the end of the road. From what I could see, it looked like an old British boarding school. I joined the long line of cars all moving slowly through the big black iron gates. I leaned forward, nervously trying to see more of the building.

  The roof’s red tiles were faded with age, and ivy climbed across the sandstone bricks. I passed through the gate’s archway, and my heart pounded in my throat. The parking lot was filled with expensive cars and students all wearing fashion that I would expect to see on a runway in Paris. Was everyone in Greyhaven wealthy?

  Good thing you decided to wear old jeans and a faded sweater. Great choice, Ev.

  After slowly driving around for a couple of minutes, I finally found an empty parking space at the very end of the lot. I took a deep, steadying breath as I stepped out of the car. Some of the students lingered around their cars while others moved toward the main entrance and through the massive wooden door.

  No one paid any attention to me, and I shut the car door behind me as quietly and carefully as I could, hoping that I could get through the day without attracting any. As soon as I shut the door, I heard a voice behind me, and I jumped.

  “Evelyn?”

  I straightened my face and plastered what I thought might be a believable smile, turned around, wondering who could possibly know my name in Greyhaven, and came face-to-face with an attractive guy.

  “Erm,” I mumbled, taken aback by him standing so close. He was only a little taller than I was, but his shoulders were broad, and his skin was perfectly tanned. His dark-brown hair and blue eyes reminded me a bit of my first boyfriend, Kyle; they both shared the same boyish round face, dimples, and big eyes.

  Kyle. If anything happened, he would come get me.

  “I’m Bastian, well, Sebastian, but no one actually calls me that. Well, just Mom,” he babbled, grinning. I couldn’t help but smile, he was one of those people, those nice people that from the minute they look at you, you just know they’re going to be kind.

  “Hey?” I ventured, wondering why he had approached me.

  “I just have to get you to reception, and we’ll have to hurry if we want to get to our first class,” he said, pointing to the main entrance.

  “Oh.” I guess the school had some sort of buddy system? “Okay, great. I’m pretty much ready to go,” I said, suddenly relieved that I wouldn’t have to walk around by myself. “How did you know it was me?” We began walking toward the building.

  “Small town. I don’t think we’ve had a new student in over a year.” He grinned as we navigated our way through the horde of students now moving to the entrance. I smoothed down my old cashmere sweater and followed Bastian through the crowd and into the building, trying to keep my eyes on the ground as much as I could, but I gave in to my curiosity and looked around. The halls were wide with tall windows displaying immaculate gardens and green grass outside. Heavy cast-iron chandeliers hung dangerously close to the sea of heads meandering the corridors. I bit my bottom lip like I always did when I was nervous.

  Please, no one notice me.

  Oblivious to my reluctance, Bastian continued to push through, obviously comfortable in his environment.

  “School building is pretty old,” Bastian said as I followed him. “I think it was built in 1703, and it started as the town hall.” He was most likely trying to break the silence.

  “It’s amazing,” I mumbled, taking in the beautiful building. The doors to the classrooms were wide and of solid dark wood, and the gray stone slabs making up the floor had been smoothed out by the feet of endless students over the years. How was Greyhaven not on any maps? Given, it wasn’t big, but with a school as big as this one, surely kids from surrounding towns attended?

  “Your old school didn’t look like this, huh?” he said, glancing at me and grinning.

  “Nothing like this.” I shook my head, now smiling too. There was something about Bastian’s smile that made me feel better. “The school I was in was a five-year-old building,” I admitted, thinking of my school back in the States. My eyes met with portraits of severe looking men and women decorating the white walls between the classroom doors, probably former teachers or patrons of the school.

  “Where did you live before?” Bastian asked as we left the corridor. Cold hit me as we walked into an internal courtyard surrounded by a colonnade.

  “Raleigh, in North Carolina,” I added, not sure of how good Bastian’s US geography would be.

  “Why would you move to Greyhaven?” he blurted out, his innocent face screwed up in confusion. My heart dropped. They didn’t know, no one in the school would know. My heart accelerated as I realized I would have to recount my story to every stranger that spoke to me today.

  “Um, my family, they died. Kate, she’s my aunt,” I mumbled, looking away.

  “Oh,” he said, and before I could react, Bastian pulled me into his chest and hugged me with his massive arms. What the hell? For a brief second, I wanted to jerk away, but there was something about his smell and his warmth and his tight grip on me that suddenly made shoulders relax a bit.

  “My dad di
ed,” Bastian said as released me. “It’s just Mom and me now.”

  I immediately wanted to fall back into Bastian’s arms. He knew how I felt. Do not cry right now.

  “I’ll wait here while you register.” He smiled and pointed to the intricately carved wooden reception desk. Somehow, I had hidden my sorrow. Maybe I was getting better at it?

  I turned away from Bastian and approached the secretary, who couldn’t have been older than twenty and was also extremely beautiful. She looked up and smiled at me, her soft-blue eyes pleasant and welcoming. Why is everyone in this town so beautiful, and why do they all have the same blue eyes?

  “You must be Evelyn. Welcome to Greyhaven.” She looked down, and when she looked up again seconds later, her hand stretched out, handing me all my materials and my class schedule, which was elegantly printed on thick, silky card instead of the scrappy paper I was used to.

  “Is this it?” I asked, surprised that she wasn’t giving me instructions.

  “That’s it. If you need anything, just ask one of the teachers or a student. You’ll find everyone at the ready to help.” She smiled. There was something so robotic about her, like she had practiced what she was going to say to me.

  I narrowed my eyes. “Okay.” I nodded and turned back to Bastian. He reached out his hand and pointed at my schedule and I handed it to him.

  “We don’t have the same first class,” he said, frowning. “I’ll have to take you to yours and then run to mine.”

  I shook my head. “You don’t have to, I can find my—”

  “Don’t worry about it. I’ve been asked to take care of you today, and I’m going to do just that. I’ll introduce you to Gwenn, and she’ll be able to take care of you until art class,” he explained. “Ready to go?”