by C. A. Kunz
Trish grabbed Ryan’s shoulder, “Go home. I’ll let you know how she is. I know they appreciate all you’ve done.”
“I’ve never seen her so pale,” Ryan choked out and Trish realized Ryan had true feelings for Cat. She walked him to his car and then grabbed her keys from the study and followed the Colvins to the hospital.
“Well, young lady you certainly gave your folks and friends a scare again, didn’t you? I just told your mom and dad that I was going to keep you overnight, but I think it would be best for you to sleep in your own bed,” Dr. Bane ordered.
“I don’t understand…I was doing fine…What happened?” Cat’s voice had become stronger.
“I don’t know, but I think we’ve got it under control now. I don’t feel any bumps on your head, so I don’t think you hit it. Your friend said you just collapsed. Your initial blood work is normal, so anemia is not the issue. The other test results will take a little while. Until I get those, behave yourself and no more late nights and overeating.” His handsome smile dazzled Cat as he patted her arm and left the room. She laid there trying to remember going out on the balcony, but the last thing she could remember was the conversation about Elle’s slippers.
As Dr. Bane closed the exam room door behind him, Rachel and Sam stood up from their seats and moved toward him.
“So, how is she, Harold?” Rachel asked anxiously.
“She is fine, but-”
“But what?” Sam asked.
“I think you two will need to monitor her more at night. It would seem that she’s becoming more nocturnal, as we suspected she would,” he explained in a whisper.
“Well, Ryan did say she looked as if she was sleepwalking with her eyes open,” Rachel said.
“In the mean time, we should just keep a closer eye on her. This is, unfortunately, all a part of the change she’s going through. Now, you should all go home, it’s late, and I’ll call you within the next couple of days to follow up,” Dr. Bane explained, looking into their tired and worried eyes.
Everyone was exhausted by the time they arrived back home. Sam carried Cat upstairs despite her protests that she could manage it by herself. Her mom followed and tucked her in, smoothing back Cat’s hair to kiss her forehead. “I’ll check on you in a bit. Just go to sleep, honey. Love you.”
“Love you too, Mom and Dad,” Cat echoed as they closed her bedroom door.
Cat had just shut her eyes when she heard a noise at her window. “Jewels, it’s about time you came back. You had me worried,” she said, grabbing her pink robe. Cat noticed the balcony was empty. A small rock hit the window from the outside, startling her. A dark shadow stood below and she could see by the moonlight, the figure wore a letterman’s jacket. After opening the window, she stepped out onto the balcony.
“Cat! It’s Ryan,” he whispered forcefully, so that his voice would carry up to her.
“Ryan, what are you doing here? You’ll get into trouble! What about the curfew?” she asked confused.
“I don’t care about that! I was driving by and saw your dad carrying you into the house. I had to see you.”
“You were just driving by, at three in the morning?” Cat asked sarcastically.
“Yeah, can I come up?”
“Why?”
“Because I want to see if you’re alright! We’re friends, aren’t we?” She nodded and motioned for him to come up as she sat down on the wrought-iron bench. It seemed like only a second had passed before Ryan was standing in front of her.
How did he get up here so quickly? She thought to herself, still dizzy from all the tests at the hospital.
“Hey, you’re looking really pale, shouldn’t you have stayed in the hospital?” Ryan asked as he sat down beside her and stared intently into her eyes.
“Is my hair a mess? Do I have something on my face?” she asked self-consciously wondering why he was staring at her.
“No, I’m looking at your eyes. Do you know your eyes are different colors? How stupid, of course you do. But I’ve looked at them before and never noticed.”
“Colored contacts, that’s my secret. I just started wearing them this year. I didn’t want anyone to know about my defect. So I convinced my parents I needed them.”
“Defect? But your eyes are so beautiful.”
“I…thank you,” she said, blushing.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked softly, taking her hand.
“I’m fine really, I am. So, did you go to the dance?” Cat asked, trying to change the subject.
“Yeah, I hung out with some of the guys. Not Isaac, though. Amelia demanded that he be exclusively with her all night.”
“I thought Isaac was in charge,” she stated sarcastically.
“Since when are men allowed to be in charge?” Ryan replied, causing her to laugh. Combing her fingers through her hair, Cat’s laughter faded, and her eyes became serious.
“I want to thank you for-” she began, her eyes widening as Ryan’s face moved closer to hers. Her eyes closed as their lips touched, first with the lightest of pressure and when she didn’t protest, he pulled her closer. Cat felt herself becoming lightheaded again.
Suddenly Ryan broke away, “Cat, I’m sorry, I know you aren’t feeling well. I couldn’t help myself. I was so scared when I saw you walk out into the road. And that car narrowly missing you. I thought my heart stopped for a second.” She stared at him, unable to speak. “I’ll go…bye.” Before she could respond he climbed over the railing and disappeared from her sight. Seconds later she heard a car start and then stood to see red tail lights moving quickly up the road. Cat headed back into her room and shut and locked the window behind her. “I hope that wasn’t a dream,” she whispered. Exhaustion overcame her as she crawled into bed. Burying herself under the covers, she fell fast asleep.
17
Movie Premiere
Robert Craven’s little hideaway always gave him a sense of security and a feeling of peace. Sitting at his desk in front of his computer, he intently scanned a large old-style leather-bound book with his index finger. As Robert closed the book, the title became visible. Vampyre Compendium was written on the cover in a black, bold Gothic font. He reclined heavily in his chair, removed his glasses, and began to massage his temples. While looking out the wall-sized window to his left, he watched a huge hawk circle his backyard and then fly off. Even though most of the country had begun to lose its winter coat, his little piece of heaven, nestled on a desolate mountainside, hadn’t. White pristine snow filled his vision along with the dark, bare trees that were patiently waiting to sprout life again.
Only one person knew of his location. Max, his longtime friend and agent, would rather die than reveal Craven’s whereabouts. Max was a ghost in the publishing world. Never having been seen, Stan Maxwell’s true identity was a mystery.
Both men knew that when Craven began writing the Dark Shadow series using the Vampyre Compendium, there would be many furious individuals who would make it their life’s mission to stop them. Their method would result in one thing, death. Thus, Craven became a man of mystery, never appearing in front of large crowds of people, just popping up at random bookstores to sign his latest book. At first, Craven’s sole purpose for writing was revenge, but now he had a responsibility. What once was a mission to shed light on an unknown world shrouded in darkness and deceit was now something more important, a mission of repentance. His ultimate goal now was to protect Catherine Colvin from the forces that she had no knowledge of. Ever since Max discovered that Cat was an avid reader of Craven’s novels and a member of the Cravenite online fan club, Robert decided to switch the focus of his writing. He would write for Cat, to inform her of her past and warn her of her future. For years now he had watched her from afar. Recently, on several occasions, he tried to make contact with her, but to his dismay he caused more harm than good. His next book would set everything straight. It had to. Until then, he would continue writing.
Amanda grabbed the Sunday paper and turned t
o the entertainment section. She laid it on Cat’s bed and cleared her throat as everyone waited for her recital. “Robert Craven’s vampire and werewolf works have set the world of horror fans on fire. His unusual take on the mythologies of these creatures have caused an unprecedented following. Book and movie reviewers alike speak highly of the Master of the Macabre. He’s set many records including box office revenue and book copies sold. Fans are eagerly anticipating the fifth movie based on his works, which is due out in theaters in two weeks. A special midnight showing is scheduled for numerous venues around the world. This reporter has to admit that he will be first in line at midnight to witness the big event!” she squealed, finishing with a flourish.
“I can’t wait!” Matt exclaimed while thumbing through Craven’s most recent work, Darkness Awakes, the fifth book in his Dark Shadow series. Cat received the book as a birthday gift and broke down and read it, thus breaking the pact the five had made when Craven’s first movie had been released.
“I can’t believe you broke our pact, Cat!” Amanda groaned while trying to take the book away from Matt. Escaping her grasp, he deftly jumped over Cat’s bed, plopped down on the yellow bean bag chair, and continued to thumb through it.
“The way he tells a story is like no other before him. Every little detail is tied together in the end. No matter how small or insignificant it seems,” Matt explained.
“Wait until you get to the end Matt, the twist is great,” Cat said with a grin.
“Don’t tell me. I want to be surprised,” Elle moaned, covering her ears.
Cat giggled. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to ruin it. And guys, I’m really sorry for breaking the pact. It was a gift after all, so I felt obliged to read it. But it won’t happen again, promise.”
“It’s okay, Cat. We forgive you. By the way, speaking of Darkness Awakes, the premiere of the movie is in two weeks at midnight! And of course, we little kiddies can’t be out after the sun goes down,” Amanda complained.
“They didn’t really have a choice, Amanda. Three girls went missing, and one of them turned up…not alive,” Cat commented.
“There just has to be a way we can go,” Amanda said, ignoring Cat’s comment.
“I think we should wait and go the next afternoon. What’s a few more hours, really?” Julie interjected in her motherly tone. Matt threw a pillow at her, missing by inches.
“Julie, lighten up! What could happen, especially with me protecting you guys?”
“For once, Matt’s right! Not about the protecting part, of course, but about lightening up. Let’s think about how we can pull this off!” Amanda said mischievously. The three looked at each other trying to think of a way around the dire situation as Cat and Julie just shrugged their shoulders, knowing their input was useless.
“How about we sneak out? I have to see this movie,” Elle blurted out at the lunch table the following day.
“Sshhh!” Amanda hushed her. “Do you want everyone to hear you?”
“Sneak out?” Cat whispered, giving Elle a shocked look. “Our parents will kill us if we sneak out of the house. Can we say grounded for life? Besides, it’s rated R, how will we get in to see it? Not to mention the whole it’s-dangerous-out-there thing,” Cat continued furiously whispering.
“Calm down, Cat, we’ll be fine. My sister’s working that night at the theater, she’ll get us in,” Matt commented while petting Cat on her head.
“I’m not a puppy, Matthew, and thanks for your concern,” she replied, giving him a withering stare.
“So, it’s settled. We’ll sneak out next Friday and meet at the end of the street,” Amanda whispered cautiously.
“Un problemo. How are we going to get there? We can’t take Matt’s car, or any of our cars for that matter since they would give us away,” Cat explained.
“I got it! We can take our bikes,” Matt whispered excitedly.
“That’s a great idea. We’ll make less noise that way,” Elle said, nodding to Matt.
“Are Julie and I the only ones that think this is a bad idea?” Cat asked.
“Oh Cat, why are you so worried. You’re usually the one that’s all gung ho about things like this!” Amanda stated while looking at her.
Well you’re not the one having weird things happening to her, now are you, Cat thought. “Alright, well if we get in trouble, I just want to go on record to say that I told you so,” she murmured while folding her arms and slouching back.
Standing at their lockers two weeks later, the group could barely contain their excitement. “I can’t wait for tonight,” Matt’s voice echoed loudly in the hallway.
“Great, Matt. Just tell the whole world what our plans are, why don’t you?” Amanda angrily murmured while punching him in the arm.
“You know that hurts, Amanda. Not physically, but my ego. How am I going to impress the ladies when I’ve got a girl beating up on me? Could you cool the physical barrages in public and save them for private, please?” Amanda punched him in the arm again and continued looking through her locker for her books while he rubbed his arm ruefully.
“So, what are you planning on doing tonight?” a voice asked from behind them. Cat turned to see Ryan grinning at her.
“We’re going out tonight to see…oww-” Matt stopped in mid-sentence as he was elbowed in the gut by Amanda.
“It’s okay, Amanda. Ryan won’t tell anyone, will you Ryan?” Cat said confidently while looking at him. He shook his head.
“Well you see, we’re going to sneak out tonight and go see that new Robert Craven movie Darkness Awakes,” Amanda whispered.
“Really? You’re going to risk getting in trouble over that movie?”
“Yeah, Julie and I tried to talk them out of it, but we were outvoted.”
“What do you mean that movie?” Amanda exclaimed, ignoring Cat’s comment.
“I mean, it’s just another vampire movie that will reiterate the false stereotypes that most people have about them. Plus, most of those movies have terrible plots.”
“Not these movies though, they’ve got great plots, Ryan,” Elle said, trying to calm Amanda.
“Yeah, and the guys in them are really hot, too,” Amanda chimed in.
“Well, to each his own, I guess.” Ryan laughed
“Would you like to come with us?” Cat asked, ignoring the stares from her friends.
“Thanks, but I’m busy tonight. I’ll take a rain check though,” he replied as they moved down the hallway, leaving the others behind.
“I’ll hold you to it,” Cat said, hoping he meant it. She smiled at him, thinking back to the tutoring session a couple days after her sleep walking incident. She remembered how nervous she was walking into the library that day and seeing him smile at her. Things had definitely changed. Ryan would hold her hand under the table during their sessions and steal kisses when no one was looking. He began to sit with her at lunch and ignored the glares from his group. Her friends seemed to accept him. Julie and Matt were the only ones who had any reservation, but they too eventually came around. When he asked her to be exclusive, she had no hesitation. The answer was yes. Though each day it became more difficult to keep their romance a secret, but they had to.
Up in her room Cat hid that night’s outfit behind her tri-fold rice paper screen. The creak of the attic stairs alerted her and she flung herself on her bed, opening her English book.
“Come in!” Cat called out after hearing the knock on the door.
“Is something wrong, Cat? You ate dinner awful quickly,” Rachel asked as she entered the room and sat down on the corner of her bed.
“Yeah, Mom, I’m doing fine. I’m just catching up on my reading.”
After noticing that the book was upside down Rachel sighed, “Oh, okay. Cat, I know it’s been tough being stuck inside every night. But you know we could always play a game like we used to. Or rent a movie and eat popcorn?”
“No, that’s okay, Mom. I’m pretty beat. I think I might go to bed soon anyway.”
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br /> “Alright, Cat. Night then, sweetheart,” Rachel said, bending down and kissing her forehead. “If you change your mind, we’ll be downstairs, okay?”
“Okay Mom, g’night.”
Rachel walked to the door. Looking over her shoulder as she opened it, “I love you, Cat.”
“Love you too, Mom,” she said with a smile.
The house stood silent. Cat’s bedside clock showed eleven. Everyone was asleep except for Cat, who was climbing out her oval bay window onto the balcony. She made her way to the white lattice fence that covered the back side of the house. Taking each step carefully and trying not to rip her clothes on the sharp thorns of her mom’s roses, she made her way down. Cat let out a gasp as her foot broke a piece of the fence. She held on tightly and tried to regain her footing. Dangling high above the ground, she felt around for another spot to place her foot. After trying to pull herself up, she quickly leapt to the next piece of fence, surprised when she caught herself effortlessly. She made her way to the ground and breathed a sigh of relief until she looked up at the gaping hole in the lattice. “Mom and Dad are going to kill me for that,” Cat moaned. “Crap, I’m going to be late,” she said, looking at her cell phone while running to the shed to retrieve her bike. “I’ll worry about the fence later!”
Cat rode her bike to the end of the street and found everyone waiting for her.
“What took you so long, Cat? We were beginning to think you weren’t going to show,” Amanda whispered.
“I had a complication. I still don’t feel right about this,” she replied.
“Well, we’ve come this far, we might as well just keep going,” Elle interjected.
“Okay guys, we’ve got to watch out for patrol cars. They’re all over the place. We need to get to the theater quickly,” Amanda said, looking at everyone.
