IMMORTAL VISIONS

by M. K. ROZE

  He walked over to the door and punched his fist through it.

  I flinched and rushed out of bed to look at his hand. “Oh shit. Are you okay?” I observed his knuckles. “There’s not even a mark. How is that possible?”

  “I’m fine.”

  “Why did you do that?”

  He ignored me.

  “I’m leaving,” I said and stomped toward the nightstand.

  He grabbed me. “No, please stay. It’s much safer here.” His voice was weak.

  I pushed his hand away and sat on the bed. “Safer from what?”

  He stared at the large hole in the door. “You’ve been drinking.”

  “Fine. I’ll stay.”

  Constin looked at me like he wanted to tell me something. “I’m sorry you had to see that. Go to sleep,” he said and stormed out.

  I sighed and lay down, angry that I told him what had happened to me. I think it scared him off. I wanted to leave because of the way he was acting, but he was right, I was buzzed and was way too far into the woods to go anywhere.

  Silence filled the house, and the room started to spin like I was on a ride. I closed my eyes, hoping it would subside, but it made it worse. My stomach started to bubble, ready to puke. I sat up for a while until the dizziness passed, then eventually fell asleep.

  Animals fighting woke me up. It sounded like they were smashing each other against the house. Feeling dizzy, I looked around the dark and passed out.

  A pounding headache woke me up again, but this time the sun was peeking through the blinds. I took my phone off the nightstand and squinted at the time. It was 10:30 in the morning. I zigzagged over to the side of the bed, holding my throbbing head. I changed into my dress and grabbed my keys. Downstairs, I called out for Constin, but he didn’t answer. Maybe he went to work?

  Before I left, I locked his door and continued to my car. On the way home, I had mixed emotions. I knew I liked him but thought he was rude for not waking me up or leaving me a note. Perhaps he was still mad.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  SUDDEN LOSS

  When I arrived home, Kaylee greeted me. “Hey, Birthday Girl, your hair looks like a rat’s nest. Did you do the nasty last night?” I collapsed onto the couch. “Thanks, and no, not even close.”

  A man came walking out of her room. He was cute and reminded me of a younger Antonio Banderas.

  Kaylee walked over to him and hugged him. “Viata, this is Sebastian.”

  “Hi,” I said, and put my hair into a ponytail.

  “Hello,” he replied, with a hint of a Spanish accent, and kissed Kaylee on her lips. “I’ll call you later,” he told her and walked out the front door.

  “Kaylee, you should have told me someone was here. And isn’t he the guy from last night?”

  “Yes, I’m in love,” she replied hugging herself.

  I grinned, trying to be happy for her. “You just met him. Why would you bring a stranger into our house?”

  She gave me a guilty look. “He’s awesome! And we didn’t do anything, I promise.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Right.”

  “What about you, did you at least kiss?”

  “Yes, but that’s it.”

  “Well, what happened then?”

  I told her about meeting his father, and how Constin was acting weird during our heated moment, but I left out the part about my vision. She didn’t need to know about that.

  Her face turned sour. “Constin’s dad seems like a weirdo. And maybe your lover boy had the flu or something.”

  I threw myself back onto the couch and forcefully rubbed my face. “Kaylee, come on now, Constin’s been sweating since I met him. Something isn’t right.”

  She started to cry.

  I moved closer to her and rubbed her back. “It’s okay. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

  She was still tearful, so I reached out for a tissue off the coffee table and handed it to her.

  “Thank you,” she said and sniffled.

  “How did Constin know I was there?”

  She stopped crying and wiped her tears, causing her mascara to smear all over her face.

  “You look like a clown.”

  She laughed, wiping it off. “Constin came to the house while you were at work a few days before the wedding. He told me he missed you enormously. I felt sorry for him, so I told him where you were going to be.” She sighed and continued. “I was hoping it would be a great birthday surprise. I guess I was wrong. I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay. You didn’t know. I wonder why he came here instead of coming to my job?”

  She cleared her throat. “I don’t know, but I do think you should break it off with him. And for good this time. He gives me the creeps.”

  “You think so?”

  “Yes. Look how rude he’s been to you.”

  There was a long pause.

  Memories, good and bad, flooded my brain. Mostly good ones. I shook my head. “No, I can’t. I’ll give him another chance.”

  She jumped up. “Viata, you’re going to get hurt if you don’t get rid of him now.”

  “I just met his father.”

  “Who gives a damn?”

  There was another long pause.

  “No, I can’t. I like him too much.”

  Kaylee rolled her eyes. “Okay, but don’t say I never warned you.”

  I received a text. I grabbed my phone, hoping it was Constin, but it was Mom.

  Happy Birthday, honey. Are you okay?

  I texted her back.

  Yes, I’m fine. I’m still sleepy.

  Mom responded right away.

  Okay, I love you! Get some rest and call me later.

  Me: I will. I love you too!

  Kaylee was chewing her cereal with her mouth open.

  “That’s nasty. Close your mouth when you eat.”

  She showed me her food. “You want some?”

  “Gross. I’m not hungry, especially after seeing that. I’m going to take a shower and go to bed.”

  “But it’s only 11:00 in the morning.”

  “I know, but I’m tired,” I said and walked away.

  Kaylee knocked on my door shortly after my shower. “Hey, I’m leaving. Do you need anything while I’m out?”

  “No, thanks,” I shouted over the blow dryer.

  “Okay, see ya later.”

  “Hey,” I called out.

  “What’s up?”

  “Before I took a shower, I smelled woman’s perfume on my pillow. Were you in here last night?”

  “No.”

  “Huh.”

  “Crap, I forgot. I allowed Liam to come over while we were at the wedding.”

  “Oh, my God. He probably was making out with a chick on my bed.”

  She giggled. “Sorry. You do have the bigger room.”

  “You didn’t want it.”

  She laughed. “At least she has good taste. It smells sexy in here.”

  I tossed my towel at her, and she shut my door.

  After I was done blow drying my hair, I slipped into my satin pajamas. The bed needed clean sheets, so I laid on the couch and snuggled up with my velvet throw, rubbing it gently across my cheek.

  The afternoon sun was shining brightly, so I covered my eyes using the blanket.

  While in a deep sleep, a loud sound woke me. I sat up and grabbed my chest. “What the heck was that?” I looked out the window to see if the noise came from there.

  I squinted at the time on the cable box. It was 3:00 in the morning. I slept that long?

  I walked to Kaylee’s bedroom and stepped inside. She wasn’t there.

  I continued to the kitchen and looked in the cabinet for something to eat. Crackers were the only thing that seemed appealing.

  As I gobbled down the entire package, a door slammed, causing my heart to skip a beat. When I walked down the hallway to investigate, my bedroom door was shut.

  “Kaylee?” I called out.

  When she didn’t reply, I ran back into th
e kitchen and grabbed the biggest knife.

  “Kaylee, stop p-playing games. I m-mean it,” I said with the knife clutched in my hand.

  I tiptoed to my room and listened with my ear up against the door. It was silent. I eased the door open, and a sudden gust of wind blew my hair back. I dropped the knife, almost hitting my foot.

  “Kaylee, this isn’t funny anymore,” I shouted, turning on the light.

  “What the hell?” I mumbled, looking at the bedroom window that was open.

  I ran over and shut it. “Stop playing games,” I said and rushed toward the bathroom to see if Kaylee was in there. When I saw my pill bottle on the bed, I stopped and smiled. “I’m going to kick your ass for this one.”

  I ran into the bathroom and ripped the shower curtain open. She wasn’t there. As I stood there wondering what the hell was going on, I felt a cold draft behind me. When I turned around, nothing was there.

  I wasn’t sure if I was dreaming or what. Not taking a chance, I ran out of the bathroom, grabbed my pill bottle, took one out, and swallowed it. Grabbing the knife off the floor, I walked around the house. I checked every room. There wasn’t anyone there. Still creeped out, I sprinted back to my room and slammed the door. I took my phone off the desk and leaped into bed. Under my bedspread, I turned on my phone and saw I had two unread messages, one from Constin and the other from my mom.

  I opened Mom’s first.

  Viata, why aren’t you answering your phone? We were hoping you would come over for your birthday. Call us.

  I sighed and scrolled down to Constin’s.

  Are you okay? I miss you. Call me.

  It was too late to text anyone back, so I lay down and covered up. “I know you’re messing with me, Kaylee Ashfield. I’m going back to bed. Have fun scaring yourself.”

  My phone rang nonstop, so I answered it. “Hello, Dad. What time is it?”

  “It’s 8:30. Your mom and I tried to call you all day yesterday. What happened?”

  “The wedding lasted all night. I didn’t go to bed until after four in the morning.”

  “I can’t believe you slept all day on your birthday.”

  “Sorry, I needed the rest.”

  “It’s okay. Just call your mom later. She’s upset.”

  “I will.”

  “Are you and Kaylee going to stop by and eat the cake we got you yesterday?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay, go back to bed, and I’ll see you later.”

  “Okay,” I said and ended the call.

  I sighed, got out of bed and walked to Kaylee’s room. She wasn’t home, so I called her. It went straight to voicemail.

  I texted her.

  Where are you? I’m not mad about last night, but I will get you back. Love you, Sis.

  I texted Constin next.

  Good morning. Call me when you get a chance.

  My stomach was growling, so I drove to McDonald’s to get breakfast. After eating my favorite, egg white delight, I decided to shop for new clothes at the mall. As I was exiting the mall with three bags of clothes, I saw Sebastian.

  “Hey,” I shouted. “Where’s Kaylee?”

  He walked up to me. “I haven’t seen her since I met you yesterday morning.”

  “Huh, she wasn’t supposed to work today. I wonder if she went in anyway.”

  Sebastian shook his head. “I don’t even know where she works.”

  “Oh, well, I gotta run,” I said, and walked away.

  “Tell Kaylee to call or text me,” he shouted.

  I was a little concerned because she wasn’t known to act this way. Plus, she seemed to like Sebastian.

  When I pulled out of the mall, my phone rang. It was Kaylee’s mother.

  “Hello, Ms. Ashfield.”

  “Hi, Viata. Do you know where Kaylee is? She was supposed to come over and help me around the house, and now she’s not answering her phone.”

  “No, I haven’t seen her since yesterday morning.”

  She was silent on the other end.

  “I’ll be home in a few minutes. If Kaylee’s there, I’ll tell her to call you right away.”

  “Thank you, Viata. I appreciate it.” She seemed concerned.

  “No problem,” I said and ended the call.

  Wondering where the heck she was, I called her job and asked them if they had seen her, but they hadn’t. When I got home, her car was still gone. I ran inside just to make sure, but she was nowhere in sight.

  I called her mom back, and she picked up on the first ring. “Hi, Ms. Ashfield. Kaylee’s still not here. Do you know another place where she would be?”

  “I have no clue. Did you two get into a fight or something?”

  “No.”

  “Hmmm. I don’t know then. Please have Kaylee call me as soon as she walks in.”

  “Okay, I will. I’m sure she’s fine.”

  When she ended the call, I called Kaylee over twenty times in a row, leaving message after message.

  After 8:00 p.m., I started to pace around the house waiting for Kaylee. I called her again and still got no answer, so I called my mom and dad to tell them what was going on. They came right over.

  As we were talking on the couch, the doorbell rang.

  I got up and opened it.

  Two male detectives were standing on the doorstep with their badges in their hands. They both had a serious look on their faces.

  I stood frozen, knowing it was a bad visit. I could feel the acid in my stomach hitting the back of my throat.

  Dad came up to the door. “How may I help you?” Dad asked.

  Mom came out and placed her hand on my shoulder.

  “I’m Detective Maverick, and this is Detective Stone. Can we come inside and talk?”

  “Yes, but just so you’re aware, my husband and I are lawyers.”

  “We’re well aware you are attorneys,” Detective Stone said.

  They followed us inside. “Please take a seat so I can explain why we’re here,” Detective Maverick said.

  Mom, Dad, and I sat down next to each other. I looked at Mom, and she frowned and held my hand.

  “What happened?” I asked.

  Detective Maverick looked over at his colleague then back at me. “I’m sorry to inform you, but we found your roommate’s car in a densely wooded area in a park down the street.”

  I jumped up. “Is she okay?”

  “No, unfortunately, she’s not,” Detective Stone replied. “She was found deceased beside her car.”

  “No, no, no, this can’t be happening,” I bawled.

  I ran over to the kitchen sink and threw up.

  My parents rushed over to me and tried to calm me down.

  I dropped to my knees as Mom held me.

  Dad walked over to talk to the detectives. They lowered their voices, but I could still hear Detective Maverick. “It looks as though Kaylee may have gotten out of her car for something and that’s when an animal attacked her.”

  They walked over to me. “We know you’re upset, but when is the last time you saw Kaylee?” Detective Stone asked.

  “Yesterday morning,” I said in a daze.

  He continued, “Do you know why she would be at the park?”

  I shook my head, got up, and started to pace around the living room, crying hysterically.

  My parents told them that if they had any more questions, they would take me down to the police station tomorrow.

  When they left, my parents suggested it would be better if I went back to their place for the night until they could find out more about the case. I agreed and staggered to my room to pack a small bag.

  On the way back out, I stopped at Kaylee’s door and dropped to my knees, crying. “I’m so sorry, Kaylee.”

  Mom came over, hugging me. “Aw, honey. I’m truly sorry for your loss,” she said, in a low tone.

  I looked up, barely able to see Mom’s face through my swollen eyes.

  Dad helped me up, and we walked out to his truck.

&n
bsp; When we arrived at the house, we talked for a while on the couch. I didn’t want to hear anymore, so I walked to my room to lie in bed and cry. I texted Constin and told him about Kaylee, but he never got back to me. I wanted him to hold me and tell me everything would be all right.

  After a while of tossing and turning, I woke up, looked at my phone to see if Constin texted. He didn’t. I staggered into the kitchen and found a bottle of wine in the refrigerator, so I poured a glass. Minutes later, I felt a little queasy. I walked out front and sat on the bench. The darkness matched my mood. “Please God, take this pain from me,” I cried.

  Liam’s bedroom light came on, and he opened his window. “Are you okay?”

  “Kaylee’s dead,” I managed to say.

  “What?” his voice echoed through the neighborhood.

  Before I knew it, Liam was sitting next to me. “What did you just say?”

  I looked up at him and saw two of him. “Kaylee is dead.”

  Liam collapsed on the bench next to me. “How?”

  “Some animal killed her,” I said bluntly.

  He turned to me. “Viata, you’re drunk. Let me get you inside. I don’t think you know what you’re saying.”

  “Fine, but I don’t want to be alone.”

  “Do you want to stay at my house tonight?”

  I got up, and he did too. I fell into his arms then kissed him on his lips.

  He pushed me back, trying to hold me up. “Viata,” he protested, “you don’t know what you’re doing.”

  I laughed. “Yes, I do, Constin.”

  Liam frowned. “Exactly. You’re drunk. Let’s go.”

  As we walked up the stairs of his porch, a loud growl came from behind us.

  I turned around, and the same black leopard from Romania was across the street. “No way,” I shouted and ran inside.

  Liam ran after me. “What’s wrong? Did you see something?”

  I nodded and walked into the kitchen, downed a glass of water, trying to sober up, but it made it worse.

  “Viata, what did you see?”

  I stood frozen. “You didn’t see the leopard sitting across the street?”

  He chuckled. “What? I think you had way too much to drink. First, our best friend is dead, and now you saw a leopard? Come on let me get you in bed before my mother wakes up.”

  “Kaylee is dead, and I did see a leopard.”