Abducted Life

by Patricia Josephine

  “Anytime.” He grinned widely, dug into his pocket, and pulled out a crumpled receipt. He scribbled a number on it. “Call me when you’re feeling better.”

  Savannah reluctantly took the slip. “Uh, yeah. See you.”

  “See you,” he called after her.

  In her apartment, she lunged for her laptop. Her hands shook as she looked up the next full moon.

  “Shit.”

  Tomorrow night. Her professors had been piling on the homework, and she forgot to keep an eye on the moon’s cycles. Nothing to do about it now. The full moon, in reality, only lasted a few seconds. She had made it through countless phases before. She’d endure this one as well.

  Two weeks after Savannah had reappeared, doctors had cleared her as physically healthy, and she was scheduled to start therapy. Wanting normalcy back in her life, her parents had allowed her to go to a school dance. Her classmates had applauded as she stepped through the door, and friends hugged her, happy to see her safe.

  As she partied and danced, her head had throbbed from the sensual overload, and the people around her blurred. A pulse beat through her, growing hotter until it burned her like lava. She surrounded herself with boys, rubbing against their bodies and flirting. They were there for her. One had led her away, sneaking her into the gym teacher’s office.

  She barely remembered the sex, only recalling how desperately she had clung to him. There was a drive in her, a desperate call to procreate. She wanted to mate. She snuck four boys to secluded locations that night.

  The urge disappeared as quickly as it had consumed her. She struggled to understand what had come over her. It had been like a possession; someone else in control of her body. The incident terrified her, and she had dreaded going to school the next Monday. But no one mentioned it. The boys didn’t even look her way. She caught whispers and gossip about the night in general, but everyone acted as if her promiscuous behavior never happened.

  The second time she wasn’t as lucky. She slept with the entire basketball team and the word got out. The girlfriends of the players weren’t happy with her. Her friends turned their backs on her. She was forced to quit cheerleading after the other girls went to the coach. Their complaints were lies, but it was Savannah against their word. Even the outcasts of the school ostracized her. The shaming was relentless. Whore. Slut. When she confided to her therapist, he said she was scared of what had happened to her and was acting out with sex. He dismissed her strange urges to mate as her way of coping.

  She never spoke of it again. The impulse returned the next month, and she stayed home, faking sick. It wracked her body like a tsunami, making her writhe on the floor and growl like an animal. She tried masturbating, but it only fueled her need to mate even more.

  Eventually, she realized the moon’s connection and began tracking its cycle. Sheer willpower was how she survived each month. Cold showers helped dull the heat, and she doused herself in perfume to drown out other scents. The strange drive was also linked to her heightened senses. Both appeared upon her return home.

  What had happened to her?

  Savannah grabbed a bottle of perfume from her make-up bag and sprayed the receipt with the guy’s number on it. It dripped on the carpet as she ran through the dorm and tossed it in the kitchen trash. Coffee grounds were dumped on top. Next, she sprayed each room with air freshener to douse Todd’s scent. She’d tell Mandy she was sick and didn’t want Todd to catch it, so he’d better stay away.

  Sniffing, she caught faint traces of Todd and Mandy, but spraying any more would cause questions she didn’t want to answer. It would be enough, she assured herself, and shut herself in her room.

  ****

  “Savannah? Can I come in?” Mandy inched into Savannah’s bedroom but stayed by the door. “How are you feeling?”

  Savannah barely lifted her head from the pillow and whispered, “Like shit.”

  “Can I get you anything? I was gonna run to the campus café. I could pick up some soup.”

  “I’m not hungry. Going to stay in bed and sleep more.” Savannah rolled over so her back was to Mandy. She waited for her roommate to leave the apartment before flinging the blankets off. Her skin prickled. Heat pulsed through her. Her shirt rubbed against her hard nipples. Exhaling, she closed her eyes to steel herself and grabbed her perfume. The bottle was half empty. She’d have to make it stretch.

  A whimper worked up her throat as she sprayed her door. Did Mandy bathe in Todd’s scent? It was like a sledgehammer to Savannah’s nose. A tremble rolled through her. She needed Todd, her mate.

  No. NO! That was the moon talking. What she needed was to survive until the compulsion faded. Until it happened again… next month.

  She crawled back into bed and under the blankets. It was sweltering and suffocating, but the fabric stopped outside scents, and she breathed easier.

  Mandy returned a half hour later. Savannah listened to her bustle around the apartment. She checked on Savannah a few times, ensuring she was okay.

  “Savannah?” Mandy poked her head into the room. “Some guy was in the lobby asking if anyone knew a tall blond who was at the party this weekend. I told him you were sick.”

  Savannah peeked from under the blanket and caught a familiar scent. A groan vibrated in her throat. He was persistent. At least Mandy sent him away. “I know who you’re talking about. We talked a little that night.”

  Mandy’s eyes glimmered, and she smiled.

  “Don’t get any ideas,” Savannah warned. She added a cough. Remember the charade.

  Mandy’s shoulders slumped. “I don’t get why you’re resistant to meeting guys.”

  “Maybe I like girls.”

  “Your phone’s lock screen says otherwise,” Mandy said in a singsong voice.

  Savannah grimaced. Tom Hiddleston as Loki graced her background. “It’s not a big deal.”

  “I guess…”

  “What?” Savannah prompted at the wistful look on her roommate’s face.

  “Sometimes I catch you watching me and Todd,” Mandy said softly. “And you have this look, like you want someone. Or you had someone once. It makes me sad. I want you to be happy. If that means helping you find someone, I’ll do it. But if you don’t want to date, I’ll respect your choice.”

  Savannah nibbled on her lip. Mandy was more observant than she gave her credit for. Beneath the carefree smile was a kind soul.

  “You’re a great friend,” Savannah said. “I appreciate you wanting me to find happiness. That’s what I’m trying to do. I promise. If I ever need help with that, I know I can turn to my roommate.”

  “You’re a good friend, too.” Mandy smiled. “I’ll let you rest. Hopefully, by tomorrow you’ll be over this bug. Then we can do something fun.”

  “It’s a deal.”

  ****

  Birds chirped outside the window when Savannah woke. She stretched and sighed at the feeling. The heat was a tingle that faded with each beat of her pulse. It would be a few days before it fully stopped, but the worst part was over. She wouldn’t be fighting herself anymore.

  “Good morning.”

  The male voice froze her. She didn’t want to open her eyes and face the truth. The smells surrounding her weren’t familiar. She wasn’t even in her dorm building.

  An arm snaked over her stomach, and warm breath tickled her neck. “Last night was amazing.”

  At least it wasn’t Todd. A trickle of relief slithered through her. She’d never be able to face Mandy if it had been her boyfriend. She had met this person before, though. She recognized his scent and voice. Daring only a glance, she wasn’t shocked to see the guy from the party who had given her his number. He grinned and brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear. She repressed the urge to recoil. Act natural.

  “Yeah, it was good.”

  His smile widened. “Are you hungry? I can make breakfast.”

  She forced a smile. “Sounds great. I’m famished.”

  He sprang to his feet, dressed in a pai
r of blue plaid boxers, and strode out of the bedroom. She grabbed her clothes and inspected them. It was her pajamas she had worn while pretending to be sick. Great, she walked around campus in fleece Futurama PJs.

  Unimportant. She wracked her brain for when she had left her dorm to hunt this guy down. At what point in the night had her control lapsed? She wasn’t sure. She hadn’t paid attention to the time while she located his scent. It had been easy. His scent hung heavy in the air and led her straight to him. There had been no internal struggle as she hunted. Only need.

  She snatched a condom wrapper on the nightstand and slumped to the bed. A memory of grabbing it flitted through her mind. At least she had that much sense last night.

  Dressing, she headed to the kitchen. The guy—she didn’t recall getting his name last night—was making pancakes. He grinned crookedly and flipped one, sending it high in the air. When it came back down, half missed the pan. She couldn’t help but laugh.

  “What time did I show up here?” she asked. “I… didn’t pay attention.”

  “About one, one thirty.”

  Savannah cringed. About the time the full moon peaked.

  “You okay?”

  She wiped the emotion from her face with a smile. “Yeah. Just hungry.” At least that wasn’t a lie.

  He made chit chat as they ate. Savannah did her best to keep up and nod when appropriate, but she was focused on the knots of shame twisting through her stomach that made her feel like vomiting.

  “Did you hear me?”

  Savannah blinked. “Oh, sorry, zoned out. What did you ask?”

  “If you wanted to go see Jonathan’s Revenge this weekend with me? You said you didn’t like parties, so I figured those were out.”

  She gulped down a bite of pancake. He wanted more than a one-night stand. That was bad… no, no, it was good. Maybe she should hook up with him. Then she could turn to him monthly instead of fighting her urges.

  But you don’t like him.

  The guy was nice, even cute with his button nose and neatly combed hair that gave him a boyish look, but there was no fluttering heart, no longing to spend time with him. She felt nothing for him. It would be wrong to use him for sex. More shame burned her.

  Setting her fork down, she kept her voice flat. “Sorry, but I’m not looking for a boyfriend right now.”

  “Oh… I see.” He hung his head.

  Guilt surged up her throat. “It’s nothing against you. I just need to focus on my classes.”

  His eyes narrowed. She didn’t need heightened senses to know his thoughts. He believed she used him. In a way, he wasn’t wrong. Why hadn’t she been strong enough last night?

  “I better go. Sorry.” She rushed out without looking back. In the sunlight, she paused to compose herself. A lot of one-night stands happened. He’d brush her off as a slut and forget her.

  That made her feel worse.

  She trudged to her apartment. It was silent; Mandy was at class for the next few hours. What a relief. Savannah didn’t want to deal with her bubbly and happy roommate right now. She curled up in bed as tears formed. She’d give herself a pity party and get over it. She had a life to live. No regrets allowed.

  Chapter: Xxxx

  The dorm building loomed before him, four stories tall. Windows glowed with light and warmth. A voice yelled inside, followed by laughter. He guessed about fifty students resided inside. A mash of body odor, food smells, perfumes, and colognes clashed in the air. Among it, though, he caught a whiff of honey and lilies, Savannah’s scent. He could pick her scent out no matter how much perfume she used.

  He hadn’t meant to follow her. The night had been clear, and the stars and moon were shining brightly. While walking the empty hallways, he had been imagining what college was like. They had talked about attending the same university. This one in fact. He wanted to study criminology, and she marketing.

  At least one of them was living their dreams.

  Footsteps had alerted him that he wasn’t the sole person out. Hiding behind a parked truck, he had watched Savannah stalk down the sidewalk in her pajamas. She had stopped and looked around before continuing. Curiosity and longing to be closer had him tailing her. He refrained from following her inside the building, but he did find the room. On the second floor, belonging to some guy.

  Bitterness filled the back of his throat. He wanted her to move forward. How many times would he have to repeat the lie before he believed it? But it didn’t change the truth. She was moving on.

  He forced himself away from the campus and the memory of last night. Other than small animals searching for food in the foliage, the woods were quiet. His own stomach grumbled for substance. A week had passed since he last fed. He had pushed himself to go longer, but the weakness seeping into his bones made his legs shaky. Time to face reality.

  The trees opened up to reveal an abandoned dump. Sloping hills were littered with tin cans and class bottles. Small appliances stood like monuments to a forgotten time. The road leading through it was overgrown. No one came there anymore, not even to dispose of their garbage. It was the perfect hiding place for a reject.

  Stopping by the abandoned car that had become his new home, he stripped off his trench coat and scarf and stored them inside. The air made goose bumps rise along his exposed skin—a wonderful feeling. He removed his shirt and stretched. The quills along his back clicked against each other, making a tic-tic noise like hungry mouths.

  He returned to the forest, heading away from the college. The darkness of the trees accepted him. Quickly, he located a raccoon curled up in the hollow of a tree. It squealed and snarled as he pulled it out, baring tiny fangs. He hissed back and sank his needle-sharp teeth into its flesh.

  Blood burst onto his tongue. As he sucked it down, his hunger pangs faded. When he finished, red splattered his skin. He placed the raccoon back in the tree—a sort of burial—and trudged back to the dump. He cleaned up and put the stifling clothing back on.

  Sometimes, he didn’t know who he was hiding from more: humanity or himself.

  Chapter: Savannah

  The two-story farmhouse with navy blue shutters sat among a vast field dotted with bales of hay. Flowers of every color were scattered in flowerbeds around the house. Birds gathered at feeders. Hummingbirds darted among them, perching only for a split second before zipping away. A massive oak tree grew on the west side of the home. It had been planted the year the house was built in 1912. A soft breeze made the leaves quiver. The gentle sound promised serenity.

  If only Savannah could find peace at her parents’ home.

  She sat in her car with the engine idling. Memories flooded her mind. Playing in the yard and pretending the gas tank was a horse. Climbing the maple tree in the back yard—she got stuck more than once and had to get her dad to help her down—and sitting in her room with friends, gossiping about other girls and boys.

  Now there was something alien about the place. What was missing?

  Don’t lie. You know who is missing. You can’t escape the truth.

  Savannah closed her eyes. He was with her on the gas tank and in the tree. His name was among those mentioned in the gossip she shared with her friends. If she looked out an east window on the second floor, far in the distance by the lake, she could spot his house. A tiny dot of blue she couldn’t miss. He was everywhere.

  And nowhere.

  How were his parents doing? She had been unable to bring herself to visit. They had been family. Now they might as well be strangers.

  It was better this way. She’d only bring bitter feelings. Why did she return and not him?

  Grabbing her bag, she headed inside. The kitchen was painted in warm tans and beiges. Cookies lay on a newspaper. The smell of peanut butter filled the air. She picked one and took a bite. The center was still warm. She groaned in delight.

  “I thought you’d like to come home to your favorite treat.”

  Charity Janowitz smiled. Wrinkles deepened around the corners of her mouth a
nd blue eyes. Her blond hair was braided and hung to her waist. She wore an apron with bluebirds on it.

  Savannah hugged her mother. “You’re the best, Mom.”

  “And don’t you forget it,” Charity playfully chided. She relieved Savannah of her bag. “Come on, your father is waiting.”

  They headed to the living room, passing through a dining room with a table set for three. Flowerpots sat on stands by the windows, and a 1980s-style chandelier hung from the ceiling. Savannah loved how welcoming the home was. In the winter, she’d curled up by the fireplace after dinner to read until she dozed off.

  “There you are.” Andrei’s voice boomed. Leaning forward in his recliner, he held out his arms. Nearby, his prosthetic leg sat propped against the wall. He had served in Iraq and lost a leg to an IED. It had taken him months to recover. Sometimes, he needed a wheelchair or walker to get around. His spirit stayed strong, though. He filled every room he entered with a commanding presence.

  “Hi, Daddy.” She grunted at the crushing hug.

  “Your mother has been looking forward to your visit.”

  Charity swatted her husband. “Me? You were the one counting down the days and minutes all week.”

  Savannah smiled at the jesting. “I’ve missed you both, too.”

  “Tell us. How’s big city life?” Charity asked once they were seated with cookies and mugs of tea.

  “It’s not a city, Mom.” Savannah rolled her eyes. “It’s college.”

  “You’re close to the city, though,” Charity pointed out. “I remember when there was nothing but trees there. Pretty soon the city is going to swallow everything.”

  “Progress. You can’t stop it,” Andrei chuckled.

  The smile on his face nipped at Savannah, guilt surging through her. Why couldn’t she be as strong as him? He had seen horrors in war and survived. She, on the other hand, struggled constantly against things she couldn’t remember, and felt as if she was drowning.

  “Well, I like living out here. It’s quiet and peaceful.” Charity folded her arms.