by J. C. Lucas
Celeste also showed me the adjoining bathroom, which was small, but a good size for me. Toiletries, makeup, and a new toothbrush sat by the sink. She had thought of everything I might need. Even though I wanted to go home, this place didn’t seem too bad.
“I’ll leave you here to unpack your things and get comfortable with your new room. If there's anything you think of that you need, please tell me. We can run to town anytime you like, and tomorrow we head that way to get you enrolled in school. Come on down when you’re ready, and I’ll fix us a nice cup of hot tea.” Celeste smiled before shutting the door behind her.
Ugh, school.
I didn't even want to think about going to a new school. It gave me anxiety, worrying about how everyone would treat me, the new girl. I had friends back at Central High, but no one I had been really close to. So many of the kids at my old school were entitled brats. Their parents bought them anything they could ever want, not what they needed. They were only friends with other kids just like them, who were obsessed with themselves and changed friends on a whim. I had always tried to steer clear of them. Who wanted friends like that?
Definitely not me.
After putting my meager belongings away, the closet still looked empty. My wardrobe only comprised of jeans, old T-shirts, cardigans, and my favorite Converse tennis shoes. I didn’t care about clothes and what was “in style.” I liked being comfortable and having my own look; Nan had always encouraged me to be myself. So that’s what I did. She used to tell me how “cute” I looked in my beanie and glasses. I had yet to find any reason to try contacts. The thought of sticking something in my eyes grossed me out, and I wasn’t ready to submit myself to that torture.
My beanie was the one thing I would never give up. It was a tried-and-true staple of my wardrobe, no matter what the weather was, and no matter what I was wearing. I found it in Nan’s hope chest when I was nine. When she told me it had been my mom’s, my nine-year-old self had clung to that beanie and wore it every day. It was my security blanket from that moment on. It’s silly, but somehow, I felt by wearing it, it somehow made me closer to the woman I had never known.
Making my way downstairs, I followed the smell of cookies until I found myself in the kitchen. Celeste sat at a table, sipping a mug of tea and reading the same book that crazy Anne had been talking to. I eyed it warily, half-expecting some monster or genie to jump out. When she heard me enter, Celeste closed the book and set it aside, face down.
“Would you like some green tea, Andie? I’ve got some in the teapot.”
Nodding, I sat down on a barstool by the kitchen island, swinging my feet as I looked around the room. It was clean and comfortable, with herbs lined up in pots on a shelf, and cookies cooling on a rack, their aroma floating through the air. Taking a deep breath, I savored it. That delicious aroma was familiar, and memories of making the cookies with Nan made my heart twinge.
“Here’s your tea. I made snickerdoodles. I think I remember your Nan telling me she always made them for you. I hope they’re as good as hers.”
No one baked snickerdoodles as good as Nan.
A lump of sorrow welled up in my throat, and I swallowed hard to force it down. It didn’t work very well, so I sipped the hot tea and stuffed a cookie in my mouth. Hopefully, she didn’t notice the emotion on my face; Nan also said I would never make a good poker player.
I chewed the cookie, marveling at how they tasted so much like the ones I grew up eating. I wondered if Nan had shared her recipe with Celeste. Swiveling my chair around to face her as she took a seat at the table, she was studying me, not critically, but with patience and understanding. She was waiting for me to speak up; I could tell from the look in her eyes. So I did.
“Celeste, how did you and Nan meet? I don’t remember her ever talking about you, which seems kinda strange if you were such good friends. Maybe I wasn’t paying attention, but since I’m supposed to live here with you, I think it’s fair to ask.”
She smiled and began her story.
“Your nan and I met when we were both around your age. She had a vibrant soul, full of energy and curiosity. Somehow, she got lost in these very woods one evening. I was out there too and came upon her as she was trying to find her way home. Oh, she looked a right mess with grass in her brown hair, her knees dirty from stumbling a time or two. She was so grateful, and she held onto me the entire time I was leading her home. From that moment on, we were fast friends. We fought a lot of life’s battles together in our younger years, and we were inseparable until she met your grandfather. That’s when we drifted apart. We wrote to each other for years, sharing heartaches and happiness. I also visited her once when your grandfather passed away. It was a nice visit, but she was distraught and had a lot going on so I didn’t stay long. There were a lot of important things she had to take care of, and I understood...” Celeste drifted off, a faraway look in her eyes as if lost in thoughts of the past.
She had a way of making things sound so mysterious, which only made me want to press for more information. I wanted to know more about Nan and her life that I was never privy to before, but Celeste had closed the conversation. I would just have to wait.
We discussed the school I would be going to, and Celeste went on and on about it. She thought it was a great school. Time would tell. We were going there tomorrow and she would sign me up to be a student. My stomach clenched at the thought. She also mentioned we would stop at the store to pick up whatever supplies I might need, and she wanted to take me to lunch at a café one of her friends owned. She raved about the food and how much she thought I would enjoy it.
With all the talk about what we would do, I warmed a little to the idea and looked forward to a normal day. Once the sun set, we had a small dinner consisting of salad and warm bread. It was simple but good, and I relaxed more than I had in a while, enjoying her quiet companionship. I was grateful she didn’t push me into talking about how I was coping with everything. Right now, I just couldn’t talk about it without getting emotional, or angry.
Not long after, I headed up to bed, hoping to sleep without the regular nightmares appearing. As I lay down on the pillowy softness of my new bed, sleep dragged me under.
Running through the dark woods, fear overtook me. Heavy footfalls caught up and had my stomach clenching in horror. I pushed my legs to go faster, and my breath crystallized in the air as I panted from exertion. Frantic, I couldn’t stop. I knew it would kill me. I dodged through trees that displayed four-point stars with twisted knots inside of them glowing on their rough bark. The sight of those stars burned into my brain, and somehow, I knew they were important.
Moist breath whispered over the back of my neck, reminding me I didn’t have time to worry about the symbols. Whatever was chasing me had caught up, and the terror I felt was overwhelming. Tumbling, I fell to my knees, rolling over to jump up to face my pursuer. My eyes widened, and my mouth fell open in horror as I stared at a giant man standing menacingly in front of me.
Pale white skin stood stark in contrast to the midnight black of his armor. He sneered down at me, and jagged teeth filled his mouth as saliva dripped from the corners. Lifting a razor-sharp spear high in the air, a hideous noise sounded low in his throat, and soulless black eyes pierced me. My body moved as if it already knew what to do. Like a puppet on a string, I jumped with feet raised, kicking my legs hard into his chest. The hit catapulted him through the dark woods, his body disappearing into the forest while all the glowing symbols on the trees dimmed and faded.
Chapter Three
Rolling over onto my side and stretching, I opened my eyes to see the sunlight filtering in through the curtains while the remains of the dream left me feeling confused. The great oaks swayed in the breeze while Pachelbel’s Canon played through the earbuds that lay on the bed beside me. Ugh. I had pulled them out during the night. No wonder I had that horrible dream. I always went to sleep with my earbuds in and classical music playing. It was the only way I could go to sleep and stay asleep. That is, if they
stayed in my ears.
Nan had suggested music long ago when my nightmares began. She had known it would keep the dreams at bay. There had been plenty of nights she would have to wake me up because my night terrors were so bad. Many times, after she woke me, she would rock me in her arms with soothing words spilling from her mouth. Her eyes were always troubled, and I wasn’t sure if she tried to soothe me or herself.
Glancing one more time out the window, I tossed the earbuds on the nightstand before making myself roll out of bed to prepare for the day. It was seven in the morning, and while we didn’t have a set time to be at the school, I wanted to get our visit to town done as early as possible. While putting my shoes on, Celeste called my name from the bottom of the stairs, asking if I was ready to go.
“I’ll be down in a minute,” I grumbled and headed down to meet her.
The drive to town took fifteen minutes. I hadn’t realized how far out in the country the house was. The winding roads had trees bowing over them, making it feel as though we drove through a tunnel of nature, and everywhere I looked, the landscape was green with wildflowers scattered across the ground.
We arrived in town, and it was small. There was one main street going through town, with shops and restaurants lined up and down. The school loomed at the end of the road, with only three different old gray buildings. Elementary, middle, and high school shared the same campus. And let me tell you, they didn’t seem like the warmest or most welcoming looking buildings either.
“Here we are, Andie. Let’s get you signed up!” Celeste seemed cheery as she parked the car, and we got out.
Me? Not so much.
Heading to the front door, we walked inside just as the bell rang. Doors in the hallway were flung open with a flood of teenagers barreling out and heading in every direction. Grabbing my hand, she led me to the office, where bulletins were posted on the window for different events. One caught my eye. “Moonlight and Magic.” The flyer stated the school would hold the event on April 25th. There were dragons, dwarves, castles, and unicorns gracing the flyer. Was it a dance, or a carnival? I knew I’d have to find out more. Anything involving mythical creatures was right up my alley.
I didn’t have much time to think about it before Celeste introduced me to the secretary, Mrs. Simpson. We chatted for a moment and then signed all the papers. I held a class list and a supply list gathered to my chest before I even realized it. Celeste talked for a while with Mrs. Simpson, and growing bored, I leaned my head back against the wall, stared at the floor, and wished they would hurry.
As I concentrated on a piece of dirt on the linoleum floor, something scurried fast as lightning under the office door. Right after, the door crashed open, bouncing off the wall with a loud bang, and a tall boy lunged inside, panting as his head moved in every direction. He smoothed back the caramel-colored hair that had fallen into his eyes, looking at the three of us with a flash of embarrassment in his eyes.
“I’m so sorry, Mrs. Simpson. Harvey escaped his cage again, and I was trying to catch him for Mr. Timmons.” He looked at me with curiosity.
Mrs. Simpson nodded and smirked like this happened every day. She wasn’t surprised at all. “Teagan, you scared the daylights out of our visitors here. Ladies, this is Teagan King. He’s a junior here at Junction and is the only one who can ever catch Harvey when he gets out. Which happens daily.” She laughed and waved at Teagan to go get Harvey, a tiny white mouse huddled up against a bookbag in the room’s corner.
Poor thing. I would want to escape too if I were locked up all the time too. I studied Teagan as he moved toward Harvey with slow, steady steps. Kneeling, he scooped up the little mouse in both of his palms, bringing them cupped to his chest as he cradled the tiny creature. The mouse wasn’t scared of Teagan and didn’t try to run away.
Amazing!
As he looked up from his hands, I saw that his eyes were dark gray, with thick black eyelashes any girl would die for. The depth I saw in them as they pierced into my own mesmerized me. Shaking myself, I broke the stare, embarrassed.
“That’s awesome how he let you pick him up like that.” I pushed my glasses further up my nose in a nervous habit while he grinned back at me, his eyes crinkling at the corners. I thought he had a nice smile and seemed friendly.
Clearing her throat, Mrs. Simpson smiled and introduced us. “Teagan, this is Andie and Celeste. Andie will start school here tomorrow. She’s a junior too. I hope you’ll help make her feel at home.”
“Nice to meet you both! Andie, if you want to, you can meet me here by the office tomorrow morning. I can show you where your classes are.”
His kindness surprised me, and I stammered.
“Uh... um, yeah, sounds like a plan. Thank you.”
Ugh, that sounded so stupid. I wanted to slap myself for sounding like such a loser. My cheeks heated, and I could feel them turn bright red.
He only gave a lopsided grin as he waved to us before turning to exit the office. “See ya tomorrow, Andie!” he called over his shoulder.
After leaving the school, we stopped at multiple stores, buying all the supplies I needed and marking them off the list. Then she took me to a small boutique in town and bought me a few new pairs of jeans. I protested at the frou-frou shirts she tried to coax me to try on, making sure she understood I thought my T-shirts were just fine. She shook her head at me, but I caught the smile as she turned away. She reminded me a lot of Nan.
Once done shopping, we stopped at the café for a late lunch, and I met her friend Sari. She was a hardened older lady who didn’t fit the typical picture of a small-town café owner. Sari had a purple pixie cut and wore all black leather, and I thought her nose ring was cool. I wondered what I would look like with a little stud in my nose. I couldn’t pull it off like she could, though I longed to look a little more badass. But first I guess I would actually have to be a badass to pull it off. I was far from that.
Sari was funny, and her sarcastic attitude endeared her to me. She cracked jokes and instantly made me feel at home. She was great, and I already wanted to get to know her better. Maybe after I got my driver’s license, I would see if she needed any help at the café. I could use a job to save up money. I couldn’t live with Celeste forever.
I studied Sari as she went behind the counter to help some customers while we ate our lunch. Celeste ate a fantastic-looking chicken salad, and I had decided on a juicy burger and fries that made my taste buds tingle. I almost moaned at the first bite, savoring and enjoying the flavors. Once I finished my meal, I sat back, patting my full stomach, satisfied like I couldn’t ever remember being. Several other customers were doing the same. Satisfaction radiated from them, and I found it humorous and mind-boggling at the same time. Sari looked at me from over the counter, a glimmer of mischief in her eyes, and she winked before going back into the kitchen.
Interesting.
Excusing myself from the table, I went to find the bathroom at the back of the café. As I reached for the door, a woman with long black hair and dark eyes yanked it open, bumping my shoulder on her way out. I apologized after stepping out of her way and rubbed my shoulder where she had hit it.
Stopping in her tracks, she looked me up and down, her eyes flashing fire. Her perfect features screwed into a frown as she leaned forward, sniffing the air around me. My back stiffened, and the hairs on my neck rose. What the heck?
I shifted backwards, trying to distance myself from her as best I could in the small hallway. Never had anyone been rude enough to actually smell me. What she was doing wasn’t normal, and it ticked me off. Before I had a chance to say anything to her, she sneered, taking a step back with her hands on her hips. The woman stared into my eyes with clear menace, her perfect eyebrow arched and deep red lips pursed.
“You are weak! I can’t imagine what they see in YOU!”
She spat at me as if I were the most disgusting thing she had ever seen, and then murmured strange words under her breath, throwing her hands up in the air between us
. I swear her eyes glowed, but it had to have been a trick of the light. My hair ruffled with a slight breeze, but there were no fans inside the diner that could have caused it. Standing there in shock, I tried to figure out what this lunatic was doing.
The woman lowered her arms, her brow sinking as she scowled at me. She looked me up and down one more time before stomping off with her heels clicking on the tile.
My feet were planted to the floor as I looked after her. Something about the way she had acted gave me the chills.
Disturbed by what happened, I shook the ominous feeling off as best I could and walked back to our table, not saying a word to Sari or Celeste about the encounter. They wouldn’t believe me anyway and would probably assume I had somehow caused the trouble.
Later, we pulled into the driveway as dusk set atop the trees, casting light beams over the ground and taking my breath away at the beauty. I realized right then that the country was much better than the city, if not just for the views. When the car stopped outside the house, I caught movement out of the corner of my eye. Turning to look out the window, a boy, maybe twelve years old, looked back at me from the edge of the thick forest. He was smiling ear to ear, then bowed at the waist with a sweep of his arm.
I looked back at Celeste, exclaiming as I pointed out the window.
“Who is that!?”
Confusion showed in her eyes as she looked where I was pointing. Turning back, I saw that the boy had disappeared. Celeste scanned the area before gazing at me again, shrugging her delicate shoulders.
“He was there! He must have run into the woods.”
She looked skeptical and patted my shoulder. Was she patronizing me? That frustrated me to no end.
“Look. I really saw him, I swear!” Throwing the door open, I scrambled out of the car, running over to the edge of the trees where he had been standing.
“Andie, why don’t you explore a little? Fresh air might do you some good,” Celeste said.
