Marked

by T. L. McDonald

  “Are you mad at me?” I ask, afraid of what her answer will be.

  “No. Back then I was. Back then I wanted to hate you, but I couldn’t, because you were also my best friend and I needed you.”

  “Do you still have feelings for him?”

  “For a long time I did, but I don’t anymore. I’ve moved on. I’m just mean to him now for the fun of it.” She smiles cheerfully, but I can’t help but wonder if she’s lying. “The question now is do you have feelings for him?”

  “I don’t know. Sometimes I think that I do, but I don’t know if I should.”

  A car honks behind us. Kat flips them off before putting Benzie back in drive. She doesn’t say anything else and neither do I, which is probably for the best. I don’t know what to do about my feelings for Jared and I’m not entirely sure her feelings for him are completely gone. I don’t want to end up losing two friends in one day.

  Downtown the streets are packed with people and every available parking space is taken. “Maybe we should have come earlier. I think everyone in town is here,” I say.

  Maybe Jared’s here, I silently hope. If I happen to accidentally run into him here maybe we can talk. Maybe I can fix things because the way they are now just sucks.

  “I know. What a turn out.” Kat drives slowly through the town square, narrowly avoiding running someone over. Once we get through the horde of people she hooks a right on Benson Street, all the parking spots there are full also. We end up driving down two more streets before finally finding something near the park. After shutting off the engine she reaches into the backseat to pull out a plastic bag containing two throw away cups and two candles. She hands me mine then tosses the empty bag over her shoulder.

  “What about matches?” I ask.

  “Damn. I forgot those. We’ll just have to borrow some from someone when we get there.”

  The sun has long since set leaving the park in front of me hidden in shadows. Only a lonely streetlamp beside the basketball court casts any illumination. My stomach knots and my hands begin to shake as I get out of the safe confines of Benzie. Dark shadowy places are not my friend. I learned that lesson the hard way in the alley outside The Iron Knife.

  Standing along the edge of light from the streetlamp in the park, a tall blonde haired boy comes into view. My hands clench into tight fists at my sides, fingernails dig into my palm on one hand, and into the wax of the candle in the other. Fear freezes me until I become a statue, my tongue thick in my mouth as his name moves past my lips.

  “Who’s Blondie?” Kat comes around the car to stand beside me.

  Just then, the blonde boy comes flying down the parks walkway on a skateboard followed by two other boys. They breeze past Kat and I while whistling, blowing kisses, and grabbing at themselves.

  “Eew, gross.” Kat flips them off, her face scrunching in disgust. Their laughter drifts back as they dissolve into the shadows ahead.

  Not Blondie.

  “Are you okay? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost or something.”

  I shake it off with a laugh that comes out a little weird and high pitched. “I’m fine. Just thought I saw something is all.” Like my life flashing before my eyes.

  I pry my fingernails out of the candle leaving behind tiny crescent moon shapes in the wax. “We better get going before it starts without us.”

  The rest of the walk to the town square goes by uneventfully, but that doesn’t stop me from searching every shadow we pass for something malevolent. It’s not until we mingle in with the crowd that I start to feel a little safer, a little less exposed. I recognize most of the people around me from school or from the shops around town and take comfort in it.

  Mr. Green, my English teacher, spots me and briefly waves, but Kat grabs my arm leading me in the opposite direction across the square before I can return the gesture.

  “I told Will we’d meet him over by Lola’s. He’s probably already there,” she says.

  Every business except for Lola’s Café and Bakery has closed for the vigil so it’s not surprising to see how packed it is, as we get closer. The longest line I have ever seen starts at the counter, winds out the door, and doesn’t end until about the front of Hank’s Hardware Store two buildings down. Guess people need their lattes and donuts to go with their tears and candlelight.

  A large man carrying a Styrofoam cup tries to squeeze himself between the doorframe and a small woman waiting in the line. His boot catches on the frame knocking him off balance. The cup in his hand tips forward. With the speed of lightning, another hand strikes out from the crowd, catching the cup before it hits the ground, not a drop spilled. I crane my neck to get a better look at whom the hand is attached to, but all I can see is the back of his head; black hair styled in a faux hawk.

  I lean closer to Kat. “Did you see that?”

  “See what?” She suddenly jerks my arm to the right knocking me off balance as she pulls me further into the crowd. I trip over the toe of my shoe and do a little hop step to prevent myself from doing a face plant. “I think I see Will. Come on Hanna, speed it up.”

  After a few more arm pulls, and almost trips, we make it to the sidewalk in front of the café where to my relief she finally lets go of my arm. I take a moment to massage out the cramp she left behind.

  “So where’s this Will guy?”

  No answer.

  I look up from my arm expecting Kat to be standing there. She isn’t. “Kat?” I skim the crowd looking in all directions for her. I push through the crowd not seeing her anywhere. My breath picks up, hyperventilation well on its way of taking over when my eyes land on something that stops my breath altogether.

  Sitting at our table in Lola’s Café is Jared. He has his arm draped across the back of the chair beside him, a chair that’s occupied by Amber Bradford. A girl who has dated every player on the high school baseball team, at once, with the exception of one; Jared Vaughn.

  His head falls back in laughter as Amber playfully slaps him across the chest. What is he doing with her? He hates her. He shouldn’t be in there flirting with her.

  My stomach sours and my heart breaks, as I imagine the two of them together until something else replaces those feelings of hurt. Something darker. Guess he’s not that upset about what happened between us after all. My hands automatically clinch into fists, my feet moving forward taking me through the door stopping only when I’m standing in front of Amber. Without a word, I grab her by her bleach blonde hair dragging her up out of the chair and then tossing her to the floor.

  “Earth to Hanna.” Slender fingers wave in front of my eyes bringing me back to reality. Kat stands in front of me blocking my view of Jared and Amber through the window. My hands unclench, my feet still planted firmly on the sidewalk outside the café.

  “Come on, Will’s waiting for us over there.” She points down the sidewalk. “What are you staring at anyway?”

  “Nothing.” I look away before she has the chance to follow my line of sight. “Let’s go.”

  I pull myself together enough to follow Kat’s lead, wedging in between the small gaps in the crowd. Seeing Jared flirt with Amber hurts more than I care to admit. Against better judgment, I stop at the edge of the café window risking one last look. For the briefest of seconds his eyes lock onto mine with a million different emotions struggling to break through to the surface. Severing the link, I disappear into the crowd.

  “There he is,” Kat says pointing in front of her as I catch up. At the edge of Hank’s Hardware Store, standing before the mouth of a darkened alley, is the boy with the black faux hawk. His back is toward me so I can’t see his face or the face of the person he’s talking to. The conversation looks heated judging by Faux Hawk’s body language. After a few more finger jabs from Faux Hawk, the other person turns to leave.

  I catch a glimpse.

  Officer Jensen?

  A woman with three kids cuts in front of me obscuring my view. I maneuver around them but by then it’s too late. Officer
Jensen, (if that’s who it was), is gone. Kat runs ahead linking arms with Faux Hawk like they’re old friends.

  “Hanna, this is Will. Will, this is my best friend Hanna.”

  “Hi,” I say with a half wave. He’s taller than Kat, which makes him almost a good foot taller than me. He’s dressed in black from head to toe; black t-shirt, black jeans, black motorcycle boots. A pale white scar runs through the edge of his left eyebrow ending at the corner of his eye.

  Déjà vu settles over me.

  “It’s nice to meet you Hanna.” He extends his hand and as we touch the symbol on my wrist burns under my sleeve. His midnight blue eyes are the last thing I see before the world washes away and I become Sam.

  “Come on Will, I know you’ve heard the rumors too.” I peer out the door looking up and down the hall before shutting it. “I want to find him.”

  “If there is even anyone to find, Sam. What they’re whispering is pretty far out there.” Will leans lazily on the window seal, his back against the glass.

  “Is it really that far out there? Look at who we are Will. Look at what we do.”

  “Yeah, but what you’re saying is against the laws.”

  “People break the law all the time.”

  “Hanna.” Someone smacks my face. “Hanna wake up.” My eyes open to Kat’s face inches from mine. She sighs in relief. “Are you okay? Should I go get help? Will can stay with you.”

  “No. I’m fine.” I half sit, leaning on my elbows. The world takes a violent dip and my head spins. Nausea digs its claws up my throat. I close my eyes taking deep breaths until the spinning stops.

  “Its okay folks. She’s fine, you can stop gawking and go about your business.” Kat waves her hands out in front of her, shooing away the looky loos before turning her attention back to me. “At least let me go get you some water or something.”

  “Water sounds great. Thanks.”

  Kat hugs me, nearly knocking me back to the ground. “You scared the crap out of me. Don’t ever do that again. I’ll be right back.” She disappears into the crowd, leaving me alone with Will.

  He offers his hand to help me up.

  I have no intention of touching him ever again. “I know who you are.”

  He raises an eyebrow. “And who am I?”

  “A member of The Order.”

  In one swift movement he’s kneeling down beside me shoving my sleeve up. “So it’s true then. Sam marked you.” Just as fast, he lets go of my arm tossing it aside. He stands. “Eric said he thought he saw it on you, but I was hoping…” He charges the alley wall slamming his palms against it. “Damn it Sam.”

  “Who’s Eric?”

  “My brother.”

  “And this symbol, what does it mean?” I ask hoping to finally get some answers. I cover my wrist back up with my sleeve as I climb to my feet, dusting off my backside.

  “Nothing good.”

  “That’s not really making me feel any better about it.”

  “It wasn’t meant to.” Will pushes away from the wall coming to a stop in front of me. He’s an emotional tornado - confusion, hurt, heartbreak, sadness, and most of all anger, all swirl around in his features. The muscles in his jaw tighten as he clenches his teeth together. “Tell me everything that happened at The Iron Knife. Now.”

  It isn’t a request.

  Who does this guy think he is? I’m the one who’s been walking around with this mark on my wrist. I’m the one who’s been getting visions of someone else’s life along with developing super human abilities. I’m the one who’s being tormented by some evil blonde guy with black holes for eyes because he wants whatever’s in those memories. If anyone is going to demand anything it’s going to be me.

  My hands fly out shoving him hard in the chest, knocking him back several steps. “I’m not telling you anything until I get some answers first. Starting with who The Order is, and why this Sam guy marked me, or whatever it was you said he did.”

  For a second Will’s eyes widen in surprise at my outburst, but it’s not long before they go back to being narrowed and angry. With his lips pressed into a thin line, he steps forward until the tips of his boots scuff against the tips of my Converse.

  If looks could kill, we’d both be dead right now.

  CHAPTER TEN

  “Am I interrupting something?” Kat asks. She crosses her arms over her chest, a bottle of water dangling from her fingers. Looking back and forth between Will and I, she waits for one of us to answer.

  Will backs up giving me the ‘we’re not finished yet’ look.

  I roll my eyes and turn to Kat. “Will was just helping me to my feet is all,” I say, but Kat’s not stupid, she knows something’s up. She glances sideways at Will. His face is blank giving nothing away.

  “Whatever. The vigil is starting,” She mouths the word ‘later’ at me. I nod even though I don’t plan on telling her anything about what she just walked in on.

  Using Kat as a buffer, I keep her between Will and myself as we merge in with the crowd. Someone gives a speech about the tragedy of it all and people cry going on and on about how it’s so sad to lose someone so young. It makes me sick. They speak as if they knew him, as if Sam was their best friend when in reality, most of them didn’t know him at all. The only sincere face I see among any of them is Will’s.

  I know firsthand how hard it is to lose someone you love and I can’t help but sympathize with him. He’s trying to put on a brave face, but it does little to hide the sadness in his eyes. Some of the anger I’m clutching to like a mad woman towards him evaporates. Just a little.

  Mixed in with everyone’s phony tears for Sam are the stares and unspoken questions directed at me for being the one who lived. A gigantic magnifying glass hangs over my head with everyone examining me. They want answers I can’t give because I don’t really know them myself. And with every questioning stare my chest constricts more and more until the world seems to shrink inward and there’s no air left to breathe.

  “I have to get out of here.” The words come out in strangled gasps as I fight to keep it together. I push myself through the sea of staring faces. Kat yells my name from somewhere behind me. I don’t stop, because I can’t, because I’m suffocating and the world around me is starting to fade into darkness.

  I break free from the claustrophobic confines of the crowd and breathe deeply. The world comes back into focus, pushing away the darkness that was threatening to take me over. I walk faster until I’m almost running, distancing myself as much as I can. My phone beeps in my pocket with an incoming text message that I can’t respond to, at least not until I can get further away.

  Once I’m around the corner where I can no longer hear the sounds of the crowd I stop. Putting my hands on my knees, I lean forward catching my breath before I check to see whom the text is from.

  It’s Kat.

  R u ok? What happened 2 u back there?

  Panic attack at its finest.

  What I text is: I’m fine. Just need some air.

  Want me 2 come get u?

  No. I wanna walk. Clear my head.

  K. Text me if u change ur mind or need anything.

  Will do. I text.

  The street lies dark before me making me start to reconsider Kat’s offer to pick me up. Who knows what could be hiding out there. Before all of this I never would have thought twice about walking the streets of Lake Haven at night. For the most part our little town has always been safe and sound, but now it’s been tainted by death and nothing feels safe anymore.

  Thumbs poised, I start to send a text to Kat.

  “Want a ride?”

  I turn abruptly, nearly dropping my new phone. Straddling a black Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle, Will waits for me to answer. He extends his arm, a black helmet hanging from the tips of his fingers.

  “Where the hell did you come from? Shouldn’t you be back there with Kat? Does she know you left?” I narrow my eyes. “Are you following me?”

  He smiles at my slew of qu
estions without answering any. “Do you want a ride or not?”

  I put as much venom in my voice as I can. “I’d rather walk.”

  “Do you really want to walk home in the dark all alone?” He shakes the helmet.

  Suddenly the street seems darker. I really don’t want to walk alone, but I don’t know if it’s really a good idea to accept a ride from him either.

  “What do you say we call a truce? If you let me give you a ride, I promise I’ll answer all of your questions.”

  I do need answers.

  “Fine.” I take the helmet and climb onto the back of his bike. “I live at 213 Whitmore Lane.”

  Taking my hands, he wraps my arms around his waist. “Hold on tight.” Revving the engine, he grins. I’ve never been on a motorcycle before and I always thought I’d be scared to ride on one, but now that I am, it’s not scary at all. It’s exhilarating. I lean into him, his abs tighten under my touch as the world rushes by.

  Will pulls into my driveway parking beside my car. I hop off the bike. Removing my helmet I place it on the seat. With a flick of his foot, Will releases the kickstand then swings his leg over. He stands on one side of the bike while I stand on the other. I cross my arms over my chest, watching him with a careful eye. He stares back, watching me too. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he rocks back and forth on his heels.

  “So, we’re at my house, how about those answers you promised,” I say breaking the silence.

  Will walks past me to take a seat on the top porch step. He waves me over to do the same. “I won’t bite.” It’s hard to tell in the dark, but I’m pretty sure he’s grinning.

  “Funny,” I say as sarcastically as possible. I sit down on the edge of the porch, putting as much distance between us as I can. For all I know he does bite.

  Will moves closer. He reaches for my wrist. I yank my arm away cradling it to my chest. “I’m not going to hurt you Hanna. I know I was a jerk to you earlier, but I promise, you don’t have to be afraid of me.” His voice is calm, somewhat soothing. Nothing at all like it was when we first met.