My Life Would Suck Without You

by Krystal George

  *****

  The weeks after our journey to Atlantis were excruciating. My parents jumped each time the phone rang or someone knocked at the door. I became withdrawn from my friends. I quit the squad and spent most of my time researching strange oceanic behavior on the internet. The war was raging on. Of that I was sure.

  Jake was attentive at first. Calling and coming over to make sure that I was okay. Then I saw a picture on Facebook that proved he had been cheating on me with one of the other cheerleaders. He didn’t have to break up with me, I took care of that. He was just lucky that I didn’t break his nose in the process.

  My heart became heavier and heavier with time, and a month after returning home, I knew what I had to do. My parents decided to stay where they were. It had really taken a toll on them to learn the truth. Still, they drove me to the beach and stood on the pier as I made my dive and chose one world over the other.

  I was half way to Atlantis, when my journey was detoured. Rebel camps had surfaced all around the city, stopping anyone from entering and explaining their cause. Once it was known that King Ativi and the elders were the real enemy of Atlantis, it didn’t take long to convince others to join the armies being formed.

  It was at one of these camps that I learned of Annessa’s disappearance. I could only assume that she was okay and had made it safely to the Forgotten. There was no word of Vander.

  Days passed fluidly until I wasn’t aware of the time passing. It all just seemed like an endless void to me anyway. Battles were fought and victories were seen on both sides of the war. I moved to a rebel camp that was close to the gates of Atlantis. I wanted to be close in case there was any news of the princess or of Vander.

  It was there, after one of the many battles that I found him. He had been injured, but he was okay. When he saw me swimming toward him, his eyes opened wide in shock.

  “Am I dead?” He asked softly.

  I smiled and shook my head. “No. You’re safe… I’ve found you at last.” I knelt beside him and put my hand over his on his stomach.

  “You shouldn’t have come back,” he whispered, turning his hand so that he could twine his fingers through mine.

  “I had to,” I whispered back.

  “Why?”

  I bent and kissed him. It was a kiss full of tenderness and passion; full of promises of things to come and a life to share together.

  “Because my life… any life I choose… would suck without you,” I whispered against his lips.

  I felt him smile and then he wrapped his arms around me and I knew that despite the uncertainties of our world, I was finally home.

  Vengeful Darkness

  By Amber Streed

  ©2014 by Amber Streed

  Living in New Orleans is a privilege for me. I love everything about the Creole lifestyle; the music, the food, the art-it always has me under its spell. Wisteria line my street; which makes it an absolute blessing to drive down every day. Some say my job as a waitress is lame, but I actually really enjoy my job. I also work with a great bunch of people-my manager Maybelle, who is kind to the bone and protective like my grandma; the cook Charles, who is literally in love with his job and not only cooks the best gumbo in the world but he also sings joyously while doing it…then there’s Ophelia or Mama Ophie as I call her. She’s my saving grace. Oh, and there’s Tess. Tess is a different kind of person. She’s nice but you can tell there’s something sinister always brewing in her eyes. She’s quiet and keeps to herself and is nothing like me. I like to chat with everyone, find out their stories. I like to joke and laugh and make people do the same. I’m the kind of girl most people want to be around because I’m always happy. Tess on the other hand tries her hardest NOT to get to know you. The less she knows about you the better. Her appearance would give you some hints too. Her hair is always down in her face. Her eyes are always black with liner and shadow. Nothing about her screams personality or warmth. I guess that’s why Maybelle has her do back office tasks and bussing tables. Working with the public is not her greatest strength. Thank goodness I have Ophelia. She's been a waitress here for over thirty years. She’s like a mother to me. She always makes sure I’ve eaten breakfast and that I make it safely home at night with a good meal. She brings me dinner and cooks me homemade chicken noodle soup when I’m sick. It’s weird though, she always has some way of making me feel better. I don’t know what she does to that soup, or what she puts in the water she soaks cloths in to lay on my forehead, but it always works. I don’t know what I would do without her loving hugs and cheerful smile.

  My best friend Liz left me here all by myself. She was born and raised in New Orleans too but her life’s calling recently took her far away from me. So needless to say, we need a new waiter or waitress. Thankfully there are plenty of applicants and one of them is super cute. After interviews I bugged Maybelle for three days for any news, even just his name. Finally after a week of indecisiveness she decided on Avery; the new kid in town. All the buzz was that his dad was an Attorney working on a huge case here and decided to move the family from Georgia to Louisiana. All I could think about was his eyes. Bright green and full of life. He was a quintessential southern gentleman. The kind that opens doors and pulls out a chair for a lady. I was particularly attracted to that for some reason. But more than that he was genuine, and I totally dig that in anyone.

  “So Maybelle, give me the dish on Avery.” I said with a wink.

  “Oh child, you get your own information. I ain’t playin’ matchmaker here!” She demanded. In her sweet voice, as not to cause an argument.

  “Okay Okay. When does he start so I can interrogate him, huh...huh?” I asked annoyingly as I poked her in the arm.

  “Tomorrow morning child! Now get!” She snarled as she lightly smacked me on my head.

  I giggled and went back to my tables. Now I really had something to look forward to in the morning, besides Mama Ophie’s biscuits and gravy.

  I tried to sleep but I was so excited to meet this guy. I hadn’t had a male in my life for too long. The next morning Tess came in looking quite normal. She looked pretty for once. I hadn’t noticed how gorgeous her eyes were, now that they weren’t caked in black powder. She even seemed happy. Maybe the idea of a cute guy working here had her hormones erupting too.

  She went to the back to do inventory and Mama Ophie walked in with a grin on her face and steaming hot plate of biscuits and gravy.

  “Here child you go get some food in that belly. I will get your tables set up while you eat shuga’.” She spoke slow and gently. I smiled and gave her my tightest hug, kissed her on the cheek and went into the break area to eat. As soon as I stuffed the first bite into my mouth and made myself look like a complete slob, Maybelle walked in with Avery.

  “Oh Avery, this is Alyssa. She’s just been dying to meet your likeness.”

  Avery reaches out to shake my hand and me being my clumsy self, as I reach over to shake his, I knock over my entire plate of food onto my black pants.

  “Smooth Alyssa.” I say as I smack my forehead in pure shame.

  He laughs. God his laugh is sexy. “Here, let me help you clean that up ma’am.” He chuckles gently.

  My cheeks are red I can feel it. Even the tips of my ears are hot with embarrassment. Maybelle runs into the back room to grab some towels and a bowl of water.

  As I bend down to begin cleaning the floor, so does he and our heads hit hard. What is wrong with me? Can I be more of a klutz? I wipe my pants and my hands, and reach out to finally shake his.

  “I’m so sorry. Nice to meet you Avery.” I say shyly.

  “The pleasure is all mine Miss. Are you alright?”

  “Yes, sorry I am a bit off today.” I say as I shake my head in shame.

  “All right, let’s go meet the rest of the crew.” Maybelle interrupts.

  Our eyes connect at that moment as if to say no, not yet! But it is too late, she whisks him away from me. Being the crafty girl I am, I have spots that I know of
in the café that are wonderful for spying. I hide my face behind the wall and see Maybelle introduce Avery to Tess. I watch her eyes light up with joy as he shakes her hand. He is polite, and sweet. Maybe almost to the point where a girl could get the wrong idea. I never saw Tess smile the way she did when she saw him. I knew at that point that things could get ugly. I am up for the challenge, Avery seems like the kind of guy that is worth fighting for.

  Maybelle takes him around to the back to meet Charlie, and as they left I watch Tess close her eyes and say something. I am too far away to tell what was said but I’m not gonna lie, it was a little bit odd.

  So the next day it was my turn to train Avery. He’s waited tables before, so he doesn’t need much. All he needs is coaching on the dishes and of course I have to tell him about our normal customers and what they like and don’t like.

  “Ophelia seems nice. She makes me feel at home.” He says thoughtfully.

  “Yeah, she’s pretty much like the mom I never had. She means everything to me. So you better be nice to her or I will have to hurt you.” I joke.

  “Yeah I certainly don’t want that. In fact, since I’m new around here, I was hoping that maybe you could show me around. I have no friends and hanging out with my little sister is not exactly my idea of a fun Friday night. There’s only so many times you can have tea with her and her stuffed animals before you actually start to feel like you are becoming a girl.” He says shyly.

  “Well, I’m not saying I’m going to take you dirt biking or something totally testosterone filled-but I’m super good at watching movies. So maybe we can catch a movie and I can take you to one of the old cemeteries. Sounds creepy I know but the cemeteries here are old and so beautiful. Whatever you want to see here I can show you. I am in love with this place.” I say thoughtfully as I recall all my early memories of discovering New Orleans.

  “Let’s go tonight after work and have some normal fun without princess crowns or fake cupcakes.” He exclaims with an expression of desperation for adult interaction.

  Just as I turn around, Tess is right behind me with a look of pure hatred on her painted face. I guess she overheard our conversation and is not happy about our decision to hang out.

  “Excuse me Tess, I have to clean those tables.” I ask politely.

  She glares at me still, while moving to the side. She even watches me as I walk past her. Like one of those dolls with the eyes that follow you wherever you move.

  We go about our normal day and I catch him a couple of times glancing over at me while I am conversing with Mrs. Longmont about how she likes her gumbo. She is a very particular old lady who hates children and despises anyone helping her but me. When I catch him glance my way, Mrs. Longmont seems to fade away. Her voice becomes lower and quieter. I find myself completely blocking her out and just staring at Avery. Until she snaps me back into the moment by saying “Child are you even listening to me?”

  “Yes Mrs. Longmont. Gator Gumbo extra spicy, no big chunks of onion, less liquid, more rice. I got it. I will get Charlie right on this for you.” I say dreamily.

  I walk to the back to snap myself out of this haze when I bump into Tess. She must have been standing there staring at him too because she doesn’t even see me come into the kitchen. She isn’t even trying to hide it. She completely ignores me and continues to gaze. It’s not even like a he’s so dreamy stare it’s more like a fatal attraction glare. Another total creeper moment. I shrug my shoulders and give Mrs. Longmont’s order to Charlie.

  As we clean off all the tables and put the chairs up, we laugh and joke and play around like silly little high school kids. He throws a wet wash rag at me which makes a gross splat noise when it hits my face. I wipe off the dirty water and snort.

  “Oh hell no! It is so on!” I shout as I laugh my evil laugh. The smile on his face is priceless. I am being myself and he is totally loving it! I pretend like our little play session is over. He is cleaning off tables with Tess. I am glad he is at least acknowledging her. I don’t want her to go completely serial killer on me just because he pays too much attention to me. I actually observe as he makes her smile. I don’t know what he’s saying, but I am happy for her. Even if Avery starts to like her, at least I made a new friend in him. The night ends without me being able to get him back. But I have a plan for tomorrow.

  Tess and I walk into Celestine’s early the next morning at the same time. Mama’s already there waiting for me. Tess walks into the back while I observe her give Ophie a sinister glare. We both watch Tess pass us and we turn around to have our eyes meet.

  “You be careful with that girl baby. Somethin’ ‘bout the likes a’ her, rubs me the wrong way.” Ophelia says, giving me a look of pure concern. It’s like she is looking straight into my soul. Maybe it’s because it’s Ophie warning me, but I take everything she says seriously. And this is no different. In fact it makes me more concerned because of the way she says it and the look on her face is gravely concerning.

  “Don’t worry Mama I’ll be fine.” I give her a kiss on the cheek and tuck in my shirt, ready to face the day.

  The day drags on and on. Avery and I exchang smiles throughout the day, but it’s so busy that we don’t really have a chance to talk. By the time I know it, it is closing time. I wash my tables and then remember that there is a battle I need to finish. I walk into the back and I can hear them talking. I am about to initiate a war. Avery has a tray in his hand full of trash. Miscellaneous things like dirty napkins, color crayons, food that was dropped. I see Tess next to him cleaning off a table. She’s glaring at me as I walk by casually, surprising Avery by smacking the bottom side of the tray with the palm of my hand. My intent was to just knock the stuff off the tray onto the floor. What actually happens seems out of my control. The tray flies up and hits him straight in the nose, causing it to bleed and swell immediately.

  “Oh my god! Are you okay? I’m such an idiot! I didn’t mean for that to happen! I only meant to knock that stuff on the floor! I am so sorry.” I shrieked in utter horror of what I had just done. But he laughs! I am so confused. I don’t know whether to cry or start laughing with him. I run to the back and grab as much tissue as I can and sit with him on the floor while I try to stop his nose bleed.

  “You are such an idiotic klutz. What is wrong with you? Avery, are you okay? Let me go get you some ice.” Tess snickers with a look of pure hate on her face. As she starts to walk into the back he stops her by grabbing her arm.

  “No Tess I’m fine. She didn’t mean to hurt me. Relax.” Avery says sternly.

  Obviously mad by his reaction, she pulls her arm out of his grasp and walks out the door. We look at each other and start laughing.

  “I really am sorry. My intent was not to hurt you. I hope you know that. Now I owe you big time.” I say, while our eyes lock. His nose stops bleeding. I pull away the tissue and wipe his face with a warm wash cloth. And before I knew it, his face was coming towards mine slowly. I watched as he closes his eyes, and tilts his head. His hand finds its way to the back of my head and he pulls my face towards his. I feel a warm rush through my body and my heart starts beating a little faster. His soft lips finally touch mine. It is just a small sweet kiss, but it is full of so much more. He pulls away and says “I know you wouldn’t hurt me Alyssa.”

  I get him a glass of tea and make him sit down while I finish cleaning the lobby. He walks me out to my car and opens the door for me.

  “So, may I please have the pleasure of hanging out with you tomorrow?” He asks sweetly.

  “Of course, I can’t wait. You won’t be disappointed.” I answer.

  “Goodnight Miss Alyssa.” He replies quietly as he kisses my cheek.

  “Night Avery.”

  I go home completely electrified. Lying in my bed is impossible. I can’t be still. I’m too excited to see him in the morning. Eventually I fall asleep and have awful nightmares. Black shadows float above me. I can’t speak or move. I see Avery’s face, twisted and bloody. I am en
tirely paralyzed, in complete and utter fear. I start to hear a voice speak to me. A female. A female I know. Tess. I don’t know what she saying, it isn’t in English. But her tone of voice is enough for me to understand. She is angry. I don’t know why. I try to wake myself up from this terrifying dream. After what seems like hours I am able to come to consciousness. I sit straight up in my bed soaked in sweat and tears cascade down my face. It’s not just the thought of Avery being hurt that scares me. It’s the fact that I can’t do anything to help. I was locked in a different dimension, unable to speak or fight for myself. I run to the bathroom and splash some water in my face.

  “You’re okay Alyssa. It was just a dream. Get a grip. You are alive, you are fine.” I tell myself as I choke back the tears. I suck it back, take a deep breath, and get into the warm shower. As the hot water pours over my face I begin to relax. Yes I have to face Tess soon but what’s the big deal? It’s only a dream…right?

  Then I remember today was my day with Avery and excitement rises inside me. I get out of the shower, dry off and pick out my cutest clothes to wear. I put on my makeup, and run out the door to pick him up. I pull up to his beautiful home and honk the horn. Almost instantly he walks out the door with a huge smile on his face.

  We drive to one of the old cemeteries. We walk around for hours talking about everything. His hobbies, favorite movies, music, his family…everything. He seems interested in everything I’m saying and I love listening to him too. I’m disappointed we didn’t have the chance to meet sooner. I tell him all my silly jokes and he seems to seriously think that I’m funny, which I thoroughly enjoy.

  “So how are you feeling about moving to New Orleans?” I ask. At this point we are sitting on a bench near one of the cemetery gardens. It is beautiful. Dogwood flowers are my favorite. He picks one from a nearby tree and brushes my hair back to gently put the flower behind my ear.

  “I’m feeling mighty fine about now Ma’am.” He says with his beautiful shy smile full of straight white teeth. I could literally feel my cheeks get red hot and my stomach starts flipping around.

  “Are you real?” I ask with a laugh. I honestly don’t believe this guy’s charm.

  He smiles and grabs my hand. “Let’s go get some lemonade and catch a movie. What do you say?”

  “I can’t think of anything else I would rather do right now Avery.”

  We sit down at the café since neither of us have to work. Mama Ophie walks out to bring us our order.

  “You kids havin’ fun?” She says with a cute wink and warm smile.

  “Yes Mama. We are going to catch a movie in about thirty minutes. Don’t you worry about me tonight. Avery has been a true gentleman, he will take care of me.” I promise, and truly believe.

  “You would do well to stand by what Alyssa said Avery. You don’t want me huntin’ you down.” She informs him as she gives him a nod of declaration.

  “Yes Ma’am. I give you my word.” He says as he nodds back in acceptance of her statement.

  While we sip on our drinks, we become almost giddy. We are laughing at silly things and making jokes. We scoot closer and closer to each other. I turn my head for a second only to see Tess glaring at us from the window. I wave at her and throw her a smile, but she rejects all acts of kindness. She keeps her stare directly at me, and we decide to leave so we aren’t late for the movie.

  “Wait Alyssa, I want to get a picture of you. I want to remember this moment.” He suggests gently.

  He pulls out his phone and I give him my biggest, happiest smile and he snaps the picture. I make sure to look at it before he keeps it. The picture is cute and I tell him he’s allowed to keep it. Only the scary thing is-Tess was in the background. A figure of hatred, she pierces me with her cold brown eyes. A chill runs up my spine. I have to block it out. This is an amazing date and I am not about to let her change that.

  We walk to the movie theater just a couple of blocks away and he still wows me with his chivalrous behavior. What kind of guy still opens doors? Avery does. He buys my ticket, a huge bucket of popcorn and a lemonade and a couple boxes of candy. We sit down in the side aisle with the single set of two seats. It’s nice and cozy and there’s almost no one in the theater. We laugh and joke while we wait for the movie to start. I almost don’t want it to. About 30 minutes in is when he starts to inch his hand toward mine. I smiled inside, and probably a little outside too. I help him out a little and move my hand over his. We lock hands, and enjoy the rest of the movie in pure giddiness. After the movie is over I drive as slow as I can because I don’t want the night to end, but alas we turn on his street and stop in front of his house.

  “Well Miss Alyssa. I truly enjoyed your company today. It was the best day I’ve had in a long time. I hope it’s the beginning of many more.” He says shyly, looking down at me with his beautiful lime colored eyes.

  “It will be I think.” I reply, looking up at him and hoping he would kiss me.

  And so he does. A sweet, gentle, sincere kiss. With each movement I can feel that he means it. I truly don’t want this night to end but I know it has to. He lets go of my hand, and kisses me on the forehead.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow Miss.”

  “Tomorrow Avery.”

  I watch him walk up to his door and before I turn the keys I take another look and see that he turns around too. He gives me a smile and waves. My heart again, flutters like a newly released butterfly from its cocoon.

  I’m about to get into bed when my phone rings and its Ophie.

  “Hi baby, how’s ma girl doin’?” She says with her thick creole accent.

  “Oh I’m doing wonderful Mama how are you?” I ask her with excitement in my voice.

  “Oh child that’s so good to hear. Tell me what’s goin’ on.” She pleads.

  “It’s Avery. We have spent some time together lately and it’s been amazing. I feel like we have known each other forever. We are always laughing together. He just gets me.” I say as I recall the gentle sweet way he kissed me and the soft kisses on my forehead. As I do, I begin to feel a small flutter in my stomach.

  “Oh hunny I’m so glad. You make sure he keeps on treatin’ you right. An’ like I said, be careful ‘o that Tess. She ain’t got nothin’ but darkness in her ya hear?” She cautions.

  What she said lingers with me all night. I sleep but it is infused with wicked images of dead people and deformed animals with human faces. They slither out of the swamp towards me, screaming awful sounds and words I can’t understand. I try to run but the muddy swamp floor swallows me whole. I choke on the black gritty mud and algae ridden water, until I am completely drown in utter hopelessness. Finally I wake up drenched in sweat. It announces my fear and brings it to life as I try to dismantle the nightmares from my memory. I am physically exhausted from my fight. It is all too real for me. I call Mama to tell her about it. She’s always interested in my dreams. She likes to untangle them and see where they lead. This one was different. It wasn’t a light hearted interpretation. It was a winding path of shadows, full of hate and retribution. She says a special prayer, and tells me she would be by later to bring me a special charm she made to protect me from nightmares. I don’t argue. Mama always knows how to fix me.

  Time flies by. And so all the time I spend with Avery is cherished. What can I say, I love him, but unsure if he loves me too. He hasn’t said it yet. I haven’t either but I’m afraid to. What if he doesn’t feel the same? I’m not about to lose him because I have too many feelings. I will continue to hold it in until it consumes me. An extra special night is coming up. Our 5 month anniversary. Cheesy, I know. I’m young, I’m allowed to be silly. Avery has something extraordinary planned for us. It comes so fast and even though I want it to come, I also love this tingling feeling of anticipation devouring me.

  Work hasn’t changed. In fact, it’s much worse. I’m convinced Tess is trying to sabotage me. My food takes extra-long to come out and something is always wrong with it. A hair, a cold piece o
f meat, a missing side. I know it isn’t Charles because he takes pride in his cooking. It has to be her. Of course there’s no way to prove it, but I know I would catch her one day. Mama tries to keep things calm. She knows there’s tension between us three. She knows Tess is trying everything she can to get Avery to hate me. It just hasn’t worked…yet.

  The day comes to an end just as it started. Tess, Avery and me. An adorably sweet thing happened today-I saw a photo of me in Avery’s locker. I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to embarrass him. But it definitely made me a little more smitten. He took the time to actually go to the store and print it out. That took some amount of effort on his part, which is flattering and special to me. Avery and I are cleaning tables and messing around as usual and Tess is in the back counting the register.

  “You know she wore that dress today just for you right Avery?” As I giggle and throw a towel at him. He doesn’t look amused.

  “Alyssa I don’t care what she wears. I’ll never want her like I want you. I will never love her like I love you.” He says as he gives me a curious glance to gauge my reaction. Of course I am stunned. I’m sure my face is as red as a tomato. I can feel all of my blood rushing to my face. My heart starts fluttering and I look at him and say “I love you too Avery.” Just as he goes to kiss me, I see Tess in the back. The look on her face is pure horror, like I had killed her best friend right in front of her. Then something happened behind her eyes. I can’t explain it. Darkness began to flourish with unsettling ease. She disappears into the kitchen, and is gone before we can see where she went.

  “I think she heard us.” I whisper in a regretful tone.

  “So what Alyssa! She needed to hear that it is never going to happen between us. I fell in love with you when I first saw you.” He proclaims as his face begins to soften.

  “Well it’s good to know someone loves me despite my proclivity for awkwardness. God knows it’s ended more relationships that it has started. Thank you for that.” I giggle. I try to give off the vibe that everything is ok. But deep down I was scared. I know Tess was hurt. I didn’t mean to hurt her. Honestly I am scared of her. I feel like she’s capable of anything, and she craves Avery in the worst way. But what can I do? I’ve never felt this before. I gather up the courage and ask “So does this mean we are, like, together? Like boyfriend and girlfriend?”

  “Well Miss yes, that is, if you will have me.” He speaks softly with that half smile sexy thing he does.

  “You are so funny. I’m gonna end up washin’ that proper right outta you!” I say and imagine I probably will.

  He walks me to my car, scoos me up for a big hug, and kisses me with a fervor unrivaled. Finally a night of hope for me. I feel…happy. Like everything in the world is okay at that moment. Everything about him is beautiful to me. I want to see him every minute of every day. But for now, even once a day is good enough for me.

  The nightly phone calls last hours, until it’s so early in the morning that we both only get a couple hours of sleep before work. But that’s ok with me. The more I hear his voice and get to know him, the longer I wanted to talk to him. The superficial stuff was fun too…movie talk, playing video games, asking each other stupid questions. The best part is the real stuff. The long walks in the cemetery, the truth in our secrets to each other. The way he looks at me. The way I feel when we kiss. The way I know that everything I tell him was safe, that he would never tell another soul. I truly feel like we are meant to be together. And this is just the beginning of a long and charming courtship.

  In the dark of the night she knelt to the soft warm ground. The air was so thick it made her choke but the vengeance in her bones made it possible for her to endure. The silence was filled with the cicada’s cry; a continuous hum of off-beat chirping. It was a haunting sound that mimicked her mood. She was consumed by jealousy and hatred, and in the moment of her spite, she made the choice that would change the fate of Alyssa forever.

  The moss hung from the live oak tree; reaching for the safety of the swamp floor breathing beneath her. She raised her hands up to the midnight sky, closed her eyes and envisioned the debt that Alyssa would pay. She wanted her gone. She wanted her to be unable to tempt Avery with her witty jokes and charming smile. She gathered the carefully picked bones and the picture of Alyssa that she took from Avery. She laid them in the ancient basin in front of her and pulled out her dagger. Lifting her hand to the moon and whispering in tongue, she dragged it across her sweaty palm and watched as the blood slowly poured from her wound. She let it drip onto the bones until the cut stopped bleeding. The blood in the bowl began to burn through the bones, like the way acid eats through skin. Smoke rose from the picture and Alyssa’s smiling face slowly began to fade, until there was nothing left but the empty seat in front of Celestine’s Café.

  I wake up with a new energy. I can’t wait to see his face. I want to smell his cologne and feel his heartbeat while we hugg. My one true desire in this moment is to have his hand in my hair and his lips on my lips. I decide I feel so good that I want to walk to work. It was a dreadful day out, the sky was dark with rain clouds and the wind made an awful howling noise. The smell of wisteria usually fills my nose but today it’s filled with a putrid stench. I walk by Della’s Flower shop on the way and said hello to the owner, Molly.

  “How are you today Miss Molly?”

  She turns to me as if to speak, but nothing comes out. Her face becomes frightening. It starts to distort into a long, hollow face with no eyes. My pace goes from walk to sprint. I shake my head thinking maybe I didn’t get enough sleep. Then I begin notice that most of the people who are usually friendly and always talk to me, are not like that today. No one wants to wave back or even say hello. My smiles go unreturned and I am tortured by their hideous twisted faces. Paranoia starts to creep into my thoughts. Maybe I’m in a nightmare. Maybe I haven’t woken up. Despite my fear I keep walking and finally I reach the café. I walk through to the back right away to get my apron on and put my hair up. Tess is back here too so I decid to take the moment to tell her sorry for what happened a few nights ago.

  “Hey, I’m sorry about the other night. That was mean of us and I hope you will forgive us for it.” I say.

  Silence.

  “Tess?” I ask curiously.

  She slams her locker, turns to me and smiles malevolently. Then she turns around, and walks to the front of the house.

  I am floored. Yeah I thought Tess was a bitch but I thought my apology would at least satisfy some of her hatred for me, but it seemed to amplify it. I take off to the front of the house ready to get to my tables and talk to my regulars. I see Mrs. Longmont at the counter and pat her on the back and tell her hello. She must be extra hard of hearing today. Sometimes she gets into those moods. Maybe she had a bad morning. Finally I see Avery. The one person I know will be happy to see me. He’s across the room wiping down a table so I sneak behind him and put my hands over his eyes.

  “Guess who?” I say playfully.

  When he doesn’t say anything or try to pry my hands away I start to worry. I let go and walk around to face him. “Avery what is going on? Are you guys trying to play a joke on me? If so, it isn’t funny anymore.” I hiss.

  His face reveals nothing. His lips stay pursed as he goes on washing his tables and ignoring me completely. At this point I talk louder. “Avery. I swear if you don’t answer me I’m going to scream.”

  No answer.

  So I scream. “Avery!”

  I watch his reaction. His face stays stoic. This is no joke. He really can’t see me. Or hear me. He looks towards the door, then down at his watch. Possibly waiting to see when I will walk through the door. What is going on? Maybe I’m still dreaming. I pinch myself just to see but I’m definitely awake. Maybe Ophie would help straighten this out. If it was a joke she surely wouldn’t be in on it-not if it affected me in anyway. I walk to the back where she’s gathering some plates to take to her customers.

  “Hey Mama
how’s it goin’ today? I’ve had quite the morning.” I sigh. I anxiously await any sign of recognition. But she just passes me by with the steaming hot bowls of red beans and rice. Not a word to me, not even a glance in my direction. I decid to walk back home to see if maybe I really am still sleeping and by some chance I will go into my bedroom and see myself still lying in my bed. I don’t know what else to do.

  Finally I make it home and rush to my bedroom, hoping there’s some weird explanation for this sad and frightening phenomena. Anxiety erupts in my core as I realize my bed is just as it was when I woke up this morning-covers still thrown around, sheets and pillows in chaos and most importantly, empty. I am awake. Why doesn’t anyone see me? The only thing I can think of to do is to go to Mama Ophie’s. I will sit on her porch until she comes home. Then somehow, someway, I will figure it out. She always makes things right. I just don’t know what she can possibly do to help me. As I walk to her house all I can think about is my future. What if I’m stuck in this dimension beside humanity, and never break back in? Will I wander forever alone? Will Avery move on and live “happily ever after”? With Tess? As my mind races about him I try to think about what is wrong with me. The only person I’ve ever made mad was Thomas, a little boy in my second grade class that constantly made fun of my glasses. Finally I was fed up enough that I bit him on the arm. He certainly did not hold out his anger this long to curse me. And Tess. Tess didn’t just dislike me, she despised me. I always watch out for people here, because I know Voodoo is still prevalent. So rampant but so secretive. Like spiders. They are always near you, but you never really know until it’s too late. It’s crawling up your leg while you’re sleeping, ready to inject that slow thick venom into your healthy veins. I believe in it yes; because that’s how I grew up. We were taught about it. My mom always warned me about being careful of who I crossed. I was now remembering things about Tess that I hadn’t realized before. The necklace she wore that had a couple of small bone looking charms dangling from it. How I saw her mouthing things while she was closing her eyes like she was in a trance. The uncomfortable stares. Her obsession with Avery. How did I not see it before? She wants me out of the picture. She wants him all to herself. It looks like she might have succeeded. After a while I end up at Mama’s house. A quaint little home that I was so familiar with. I sit down on the porch in her old rocking chair and wait for what seems like forever for her to come home. She arrives like she usually does, slowly but promptly. She has worry written on her face. She comes in, sets her keys down and heads right to the phone. Her fingers shake slightly as she dials the number. Just before the other person answers the phone, she takes a deep breath and lets it out real slowly.

  “Clementine, we got a problem. It’s Alyssa. She didn’t come ta’ work today. I know it’s jus’ one day. But I really have a feelin’. Somethin’s wrong. I think she mighta’ been crossed. Alright, alright. I’ll give her one more day and that’s it. Then I will be callin’ ya’ for help Miss Clementine. You know this girl is all I got.” Ophie cries softly.

  My heart sinks. I had no idea she felt that way. I sit across the table from her, looking at her dark brown eyes full of sadness. Her chin rests on her intertwined fingers. Her crow’s feet permanently etched on her russet skin. Her gray’s starting to claim her full head of hair like dandelions on a healthy lawn. I love her. She treats me like I am her child, and now I know, that I kind of am.

  “Alyssa baby. If you are here can ya’ give me a sign? Anything baby. Knock somethin’ over. I jus’ wanna know if you are around me. If you are and you still can’t reach out ta’ me, don’t ya’ worry. I will find a way to ya’.” She speaks as she closes her eyes, thinking that maybe she could feel me if she blocked out her sense of seeing. I try to speak to her, but I can’t. I scream, I cry…but I am completely veiled. I watch her sleep that night. I try for hours to make something happen so she knows I am here. I concentrate on what I want to do until finally I am able to make her door move just a smidge. After hours of doing this it was close to shutting. With the last bit of energy I have, I make it happen. The door slams shut and wakes Mama up. I see her wake with a smile, and she knows it is me. That smile makes me believe that everything is going to be okay. She heads to the phone again, only this time she calls Avery.

  “You need ta’ get over here straight away ya’ hear me?” She asserts before hanging up the phone hastily and jumping out of bed to get dressed.