by Last, K. A.
“Why?” I said, looking to the ceiling. “It’s nice up there. You should visit some time.”
I heard Charlotte chuckling as she slid back down the ladder. She’d climbed it three times while we were having our discussion.
“Ryan asked Emma out, too,” he said.
“Wow, that’s great … or not?” He looked a little mad. “Emma will be fine, Arch, she’s a big girl. You can’t wrap her in cotton wool.”
He scowled. “Since she’s out tonight I thought we could case the cemetery.” Archer glanced sideways at Charlotte. “Maybe see what we can find. A change of scenery would be nice.”
“Great idea, Charlotte can come with us,” I said. Somehow I didn’t think that was the response Archer was hoping for.
We moved around to the next obstacle and fell silent for a while. It was kind of hard to talk while running at a spring board, jumping then vaulting over a horse. We still had the balance beam, trampoline and parallel bars to go. Of course the three of us could complete each station with ease, and I caught Josh watching us several times.
The balance beam was a cinch. Why Mr Bruner included it in the line-up was beyond me. By the time we’d moved on again to the trampoline I understood. I hadn’t really been watching any of the other students and I took a couple of minutes to glance around the hall. It amazed me how bad some people were with this stuff. I guess I took being coordinated for granted.
Archer was showing off doing somersaults on the tramp. I watched, shaking my head, with my hands on my hips. Charlotte looked impressed.
“You going to get up there with him, give him a run for his money?” a gentle voice said.
Josh had wandered over while Ryan was mucking around on the parallel bars. Blood rushed to my face and my heart quickened. Josh was standing close enough for our arms to lightly touch. He was trying to imagine what I’d look like on the trampoline, then his mind wandered to other thoughts of what I’d look like and I quickly closed him off, blushing even more. I could feel the heat from his skin against mine and it took all my strength not to lean into him.
To be safe, I took a small step away and concentrated on my exhibitionist of a brother. Everyone knew Archer and I were great on the tramp, I just didn’t like showing off as much as he did. He came to a graceful stop in the middle of the mat.
“Come on Sis, tandem somersault? Or a double twist if you’re game.”
“I could out twist you any day, Arch.”
I flicked myself up onto the mat and stood facing him. My head was a little clearer now I wasn’t standing next to Josh. Archer stepped back until we were both towards the edge, then we began to jump in unison. We mostly used our connection hunting, or if we wanted to annoy one another, but it was also immensely helpful for things like this.
I’d forgotten how much I loved the trampoline, not having been on one since last year. The feeling of weightlessness and gliding through the air was magic. It almost compared to flying, but not quite.
We should put one of these in the clearing, I said as we came out of a twist in perfect time. The entire class had stopped to watch. He laughed, and everyone thought it was due to him having so much fun.
The bell sounded, scattering the class in the direction of the change rooms—Mr Bruner didn’t even get the chance to dismiss us.
“You know, it’s a shame Hopetown Valley doesn’t have a gymnastics team,” Josh said as I jumped from the tramp. “You two are really good.”
“We just do it for fun, don’t we?” I elbowed Archer.
“Yep, just for fun.” He grinned at me.
I knew better, Archer always made a competition out of everything.
TWELVE
JOSH
Early Tuesday Night
After P.E. all I could think about was Grace. She was amazing and I was totally smitten. The way she moved through the air jumping on the trampoline was beautiful. I kept finding more and more reasons to wonder why I had wasted so much time with Abby.
By the time we started heading back to the dorm at the end of the day, I think Ryan was sick of hearing Grace’s name. I probably would’ve been, too, if I were him. When we reached the front gates I had an idea.
“I’ll catch up. I just want to talk to someone first.”
“Let me guess, Grace,” he said. “See you in a bit.”
I leant against the big sandstone pillar and waited. Grace and Archer hadn’t left yet; their black Defender was still in the school’s car park. After a few minutes I spotted them walking across the yard. A huge grin was plastered on my face and I must have looked like a bit of an idiot. Archer glanced at me angrily as he walked passed.
“I’ll wait in the car,” he said without breaking stride.
With raised eyebrows I watched as he walked to the car and got in the driver’s side.
“Is he always so intense?”
“Just around you,” Grace replied.
“Great. That makes me feel just … great.”
The way Grace looked at me made my heart beat faster, and for a moment I was lost for words. I reached out and gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Her cheeks glowed, and my fingertips tingled where they brushed her skin.
“I was wondering what you were doing tonight?”
Grace wrung her hands. She tensed as soon as I asked the question and I immediately wanted to take it back. A pained expression crossed her face and I took her hands in mine. She relaxed a little, opening her fingers so our palms fitted together.
“Sorry, I can’t tonight. We have plans.” She glanced at the car where Archer was frowning at us. “Besides, it’s a school night.”
We laughed, and still holding her hands I stepped closer, leaning down until my forehead almost touched the top of her head.
“Why do I feel so drawn to you, Grace? I can feel you pulling me in, like a magnet.”
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, holding it for a second. When she exhaled I felt a tremble course through her body and it flowed into me, making me shiver. Her hair smelled like rain, fresh and sweet.
“Because … I’m sorry, I have to go.”
Grace pulled her hands free and ran to the car. She didn’t look at me until they were driving out of the car park. The expression in her eyes stirred something deep inside me. I knew she felt it, too, but I couldn’t understand why she was fighting it. Girls, why were they so complicated?
On my way back to the dorm I didn’t see the figure come flying down the steps. It took me by surprise and I almost fell between two large roots of the Moreton Bay Fig that stood across from the girls’ dorm.
“You don’t waste any time, do you?” Abby said, planting herself in front of me.
Great, just what I needed, and here I was thinking I’d got through the worst of it since she hadn’t spoken to me all day. I looked at her with a blank expression and waited for her to continue, not wanting to add any fuel to the fire.
“Well? What do you have to say for yourself?”
“I don’t have to explain myself to you,” I replied. “It’s over, you need to accept that.”
Abby’s face began to crumple. “I don’t know what I did wrong, Josh,” she said quietly.
My heart twinged with a little sympathy but I wasn’t going to fall for it. Sure, I felt bad after breaking it off with her, but she knew how to be manipulative and I was tired of being one of her pawns.
“Like I said, Abby, it’s over.”
I turned away before she could respond. My feet felt heavy and I wished things didn’t have to be so hard. I knew how Abby felt. Grace’s rejection was eating at me, and I wasn’t sure if I could take it again.
“Wow dude, who died?” Ryan said. He was sitting on the steps outside the boys’ dorm watching everyone come and go. “Did things not go too well with Grace?”
“I can’t figure out why she’s holding back,” I said, sitting down beside him. “I can see in her eyes how she feels, but then her face clouds over and she runs away.�
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“Maybe you’re losing your touch,” Ryan said, punching my arm. “What did Abby want? She looked intense.”
“Just trying to get under my skin, or win me back, or I don’t know, make my life even more miserable.”
“Come on, let’s grab dinner. I’m meeting Emma during free time.”
“Oh, that’s right, the big date. You excited?”
“Just a little,” Ryan said, smiling.
“You know Archer will kill you if you do anything wrong by her.”
“It’s cool, why would I do that anyway? She’s great.”
“Just be careful,” I said. “Something tells me Archer is the kind of guy you’d rather have as your friend than your enemy.”
We headed towards the cafeteria which was already full of students. I had no plans after dinner and study hour, but I wasn’t too crazy about being a third wheel. Lights out wasn’t until ten so maybe I’d visit my mum.
Back in the common room Ryan and I took a seat on one of the couches and waited for Emma. The girls’ and boys’ dorms were the same inside, but a mirror image. They had three floors with thirty-four rooms, ten on the first and twelve on the other two levels. There was a shared bathroom on each floor and a large common room on the first. It actually joined the two buildings together and could be accessed from the hallway of both dorms. There was also a main entrance from the outside for all students to use, because the boys weren’t allowed inside the girls’ dorm, and vice versa.
The space was comfortable with a few small tables and chairs scattered here and there. A kitchenette with sink, fridge, and microwave, sat on the back wall. There was a large pool table, TV, and two big three-seater lounges. Abby and Claudia had their heads together at a table in the far corner, and about ten other people were milling around the room. Ryan’s face lit up when Emma walked through the main glass swinging door. It was nice to see such an expression of happiness in his eyes.
“Hey,” she said tentatively.
She looked great in her skinny jeans and a yellow tank top, but I got the impression she didn’t quite know what to do or where to sit.
“Here, take my seat,” I said, jumping to my feet. “I’ll leave you to it. Think I might take a walk.”
“Catch up with you later?” Ryan asked. “Thought we might head over to the hall for the movie.”
“Maybe,” I said as I walked out the door. I already knew I’d be giving the Tuesday night movie a miss.
The night was pleasant with the heat of the day lingering in the air. On my way to the cemetery I passed a few groups of students out enjoying the weather and eating their dinner on the grass. I stuffed my hands in my pockets, walked around the cafeteria then along the back of the main building, past the library and the hall. The big doors were open and I could hear the scraping of chairs on the floor inside, getting ready for the movie.
As I rounded the back of the library, the school’s church came into view. In the dusky light cast by the rising moon you’d have been forgiven for thinking it looked like a haunted house. Holy Trinity Cathedral was a beautiful and majestic building with grounds large enough to be a separate property. It had its own gate on the main road, enormous circular gravel driveway and front garden. Built from the same ageing sandstone as the school’s main building, it had matching wooden doors with ornate cast iron hinges. The two spires reached out to the heavens and there were seven stained glass windows down each side, beautifully depicting the fourteen Stations of the Cross. I’d never really been one for attending church, especially since Mum died, but I could still appreciate the building’s beauty. I must admit I was a little bit mad at God for taking her.
The cemetery sprawled out behind the cathedral and was old and run down, the low sandstone wall surrounding it was dirty with algae and moss, and the wrought iron pickets were mostly brown with rust. I pushed the gate open, walked through and went straight to the third row. Mum’s grave was about half way down, next to my grandparents. Their headstone was a large cross nearly twice my height, and the intricate floral pattern was stained with algae. Mum’s stone was simple and modest. Made from a slab of black marble, the gold lettering of the inscription sparkled in the moonlight.
Marion Patricia Chase 1963–2005
Wife of David, Mother of Joshua
She lives on in our hearts
Reading those words pulled at my heart, but after more than seven years I was beyond crying. I sat cross legged in front of her grave then told her all about Grace and the last two days. It felt good getting it out even if it seemed I was talking to myself.
When I’d said all I needed to say and was almost ready to leave, I resigned myself to the fact that I had nothing else to do. There was a big fat door stop of a book sitting on the desk in my room that needed reading, but that wasn’t a very exciting prospect.
When I got to my feet I noticed the night was lighter than it should have been. The back of the cemetery was home to a thick row of trees with another giant Moreton Bay fig in one corner. I watched in awe as a ball of pure white light appeared before the enormous tree. My mouth dropped open, and I had to lean against the cross of my grandparent’s grave to stop from falling over. The light began to spin, casting smaller balls of light into its orbit. Just when I thought my mouth couldn’t hang open any further, the light expanded until it became as big as the shape of a person. I was too far away to see who it was, but at that point it didn’t matter. I was wrestling with the image of someone appearing from nowhere in a ball of light. How was that even possible?
I pressed against the stone cross, trying to make myself as inconspicuous as possible. Another person emerged from the light. They were talking but I couldn’t hear them, and my brain was attempting to figure out where they’d come from. It was all very weird. Then the hairs on the back of my neck rose. Something in my gut told me I was being watched, and I was right. With my heart thumping in my chest loud enough so I could hear it, I turned and looked into the darkest, most menacing pair of eyes I’d ever seen. Then I think I passed out.
THIRTEEN
GRACE
Tuesday Night
Archer glanced at me as we drove out of the school. My eyes were fixed on Josh standing at the gate. If only I could explain everything to him.
“You know nothing can come of it,” Archer said.
“Why not, I’ve spent so long playing by the rules, when do I get something for myself?”
“This is different. It’s not like taking a holiday or buying a car. You’re an angel, you’re not allowed.”
“Don’t remind me,” I mumbled. I couldn’t wait to stab something with a stake. Dust on my boots was exactly what I needed.
After a light dinner Archer and I headed to the cottage. I walked up the steps onto the concrete veranda and looked at the door which hung askew on its hinges. Using my shoulder I shoved it open, wondering why we hadn’t fixed it when we did the renovations. I added its repair to my mental list of other highly important things to do.
The old veranda, which now served as the foyer, was sparsely furnished with a bookshelf on the left wall and a small table across from the door. Archer pushed the door closed with his foot, and we walked through the open plan dining room to what used to be the main living area.
At first glance it looked like any other room; white walls, a timber floor, and a couch and coffee table at one end. But once you stopped and focused, you could see the grooves of the hidden wall panels. The front window framed the shed outside. Along the far wall, we’d built a second wall about two metres in. I walked over and pushed a section of the panel. A small square flipped down to reveal a silver key pad. The buttons beeped softly as I entered the code, then part of the wall slid sideways revealing the hidden door way.
This was the bit I loved the most. I reached around and flicked the light on. Our entire arsenal was in this room. Stakes, knives, swords, axes, even a couple of whips, all hung up in rows on the wall. You name it we probably had it. The really heavy duty st
uff was housed in a cabinet at the far end. Archer went back and forth loading himself up with weapons; his stake belt, a small dagger strapped to his ankle and a tiny arrow gun that could fire with the flick of a wrist. I strapped my dagger to my upper arm and put my stake belt on.
Outside, the night was still and the stars twinkled in the dark summer sky. Dressed in our usual black T-shirts, jeans and boots, we’d be perfectly hidden in the shadows. Before we left, we practiced some manoeuvres in the clearing. Archer was a pretty good fighter, but still no match for me. While we were sparring I decided to bring up the subject of our birthday. It was less than a week away, and I thought we could have a little party on the weekend.
“A party here?”
“Yes,” I said to my unenthusiastic brother. “You know, with friends, and music, and some drinks?”
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea, Gracie, what with the kind of people we attract to this place. It could end up turning into a big feeding frenzy.”
“Oh, come on. Even the vamps of Hopetown Valley aren’t that stupid,” I said, flicking my leg around and knocking him on his butt. “Everyone knows they hunt inconspicuously so they don’t risk exposure.”
“Everyone!” he said, jumping up.
“You know what I mean. Plenty of parties happen around here, why shouldn’t we have one?”
“We’ll talk about it later,” Archer said.
“Fine.” I stomped off across the clearing determined to have a party whether he liked it or not.
We’d agreed to meet Charlotte at the school cemetery. Archer wanted a change of scenery but wasn’t too keen on her tagging along. I thought it was a fantastic idea. Since Matthew and his boys were after her we were bound to run into them. After one final check of our weaponry, I orbed us to the back of the cemetery. We landed in front of the big Moreton Bay Fig that stood in the far corner. Charlotte hadn’t arrived so we waited on the edge of the shadows.
