IMMORTAL VISIONS

by M. K. ROZE

  Liam brought me into his room, placed me on his bed, and tucked me in. His eyes filled with tears as he leaned over and kissed my forehead. “I hope you’re not telling the truth about Kaylee.” His voice shook.

  When he walked away, I grabbed his shirt. “Lie with me. I don’t want to be alone.”

  He sighed. “Viata, are you sure?”

  I nodded again while rubbing his arm.

  “No, you’re not thinking clearly. I’m going to sleep downstairs.”

  “Fine, you do that. I did see a black leopard and Kaylee did die.”

  Before he could reply, another loud growl came from outside, followed by a car alarm going off. Liam rushed up and looked out his window.

  “What is it?” I asked, trying to keep my eyes from closing.

  “It’s nothing,” he said in a shaky voice.

  As soon as my head hit the pillow, I woke up to something growling in my face. I jumped up and saw Cujo.

  Without hesitation, I threw the blanket over him and ran out the door, slamming it behind me. I ran down the stairs, calling for Liam.

  Liam emerged from the kitchen, crying uncontrollably. “I’m so sorry for not believing you. I can’t believe she’s gone.” He grabbed me and pulled me close. I could feel his tears fall in my hair.

  I cried with him but had to stop because my head was pounding so hard.

  I pulled away. “I’m sorry for telling you the way I did last night. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

  “It’s okay. I can’t believe Kaylee’s gone.”

  “Me either.” We cried for a long time.

  I backed away from him and wiped my tears away with my hand. “Your dog just tried to eat me.”

  “He did?” Liam replied and sniffled.

  I nodded.

  “Sorry about that. He used to love you.”

  “I know, and now he hates me. Well, I’m going to go home and take a shower. I smell like alcohol.”

  He walked me to the door. “I know this isn’t the time, but do you remember kissing me last night, then calling me Constin?”

  I looked away. “No, I’m sorry if I did. Thank you for everything.” I waved bye and walked away.

  I did remember, and I felt stupid.

  “Oh, I forgot to tell you.”

  I turned to him. “Huh?”

  “Remember the car alarm going off last night?”

  “Kind of.”

  “I came down to look and saw that someone scratched my Jeep. I hope it wasn’t your new boyfriend, Constin.”

  “Who told you I was dating him?”

  “Kaylee did.”

  I walked over to his car and ran my fingers over the deep scratches.

  “No, he wouldn’t do this. It was the leopard that did it.”

  “Viata, there’s no such animal around here. I think that you may need more sleep.”

  I shrugged. “Sorry about your car. I gotta go.” I hurried toward my house.

  I knew what I saw, and I didn’t care if he believed me or not. I was still upset about Kaylee, and that’s all I was concerned about.

  Inside, I found my parents in the kitchen.

  “Where have you been?” Dad asked. “I’ve been looking all over for you.”

  “Sorry. I went next door and told Liam about what happened.”

  Mom walked over to me with the empty wine glass I left outside. “Viata, I know you’re going through a lot, but this is not going to solve anything. And since when did you start drinking? You’re not even of age yet.”

  I looked away and broke down in tears. “I’m not an alcoholic if that’s what you’re thinking. I can’t handle this pain.”

  They came over and hugged me.

  “What happened to Kaylee,” I asked.

  “They are still saying it was a wild animal or a bobcat that killed her. We’re sorry,” Dad said wiping his tears away.

  My stomach turned, so I ran into my room and locked the door, knowing that something wasn’t right.

  * * *

  When I drove back to my house a few days later, I found Kaylee’s mom there collecting some of her stuff. I ran over to her and hugged her. “I’m so sorry for your loss. I miss her and love her so much.”

  She cried on my shoulder. “I know sweetheart. I know you do.”

  We sat on Kaylee’s bed, and she handed me a small black box. “Kaylee had this sent to our house for you. It was a late birthday gift.”

  I opened it up, and two gold best friend charms were split in half. Tears fell into the box as I looked at it. “Thank you,” I sobbed.

  I helped her take Kaylee’s belongings to her car and hugged her. I kissed her on her salty cheek.

  She placed her hands on my face and wiped my tears away. “It’s not your fault, please believe me,” she cried.

  I looked away.

  “Were having her funeral tomorrow. Please come.”

  “Of course,” I said and blew my nose. “Do you want me to bring anything?”

  She shook her head and got into the car.

  I waved bye as she drove away and went back inside. When I was done crying my eyes out, I called my job and told Bruce I quit.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  TOO MUCH WINE

  Kaylee’s funeral was heart-wrenching but beautiful. In her casket, she lay there wearing a white dress with a pink scarf around her neck. I’m sure they added it to hide the bite marks from the wild animal.

  I cried hysterically and sat next to Liam with my parents on the other side. Many memories were shared, among laughter and tears. I managed to hold it together until I thought I saw Constin standing behind her casket. When I blinked and looked again, it was someone else. I didn’t understand why he wasn’t calling or texting me.

  The day after Kaylee’s funeral was the first day back at school. I wasn’t done mourning, so I called the office and told them I needed a few more days.

  Wednesday came too fast. I wasn’t ready to go back, but I had to. Before class, I saw Maria and Liam talking. I approached them.

  “Why are you talking to her?” I said looking at Liam.

  “What?” Liam said.

  I stared Maria up and down. “How do you know Constin? Huh?”

  Her eyes widened. “I met him a few days after I moved here, and we started dating. Didn’t he tell you?”

  Liam backed up with his hands up. “I’m not in this girl drama. I’ll talk to you two later.”

  My heart sank. “No, he didn’t. Why did you tell him about my dreams?”

  “He asked about who my new friends were, so I told him about what happened to you in the bathroom. I’m sorry.”

  I sighed. “Do you know where he is? He’s ignoring me.”

  She stood there thinking. “I saw him yesterday walking hand and hand with someone his age. He’s a player. That’s why I dumped him.”

  “I have to go.” I walked to class, digging my nails into my hands, trying to hold my tears back.

  I sat there listening to the teacher talk and couldn’t help but look over where Kaylee used to sit. The empty space produced such an overwhelming wave of sorrow within me that tears came out like a raging waterfall. Between her death and Constin seeing another woman, I rushed out the door and drove back home.

  After throwing up from crying so much, I sat at the kitchen table and tried to eat oatmeal to coat my sour stomach. I felt a little better, so I walked to my room and lay down, looking at pictures on my phone of Kaylee and me being silly. I continued scrolling through and came to the photos from the vacation in Romania. I felt at peace staring at them, especially the ones I took of the mountains.

  I wanted to call Constin and tell him off, but I chickened out. He wasn’t worth it. I turned over, fell asleep for a few hours and woke up screaming and crying. I needed to talk to someone. I called my parents, but they didn’t answer, so I drove to their house.

  When I arrived, they weren’t there. I looked at my phone. It was 6:30. Where are they?

  I c
alled Mom, but she didn’t answer, so I called Dad, and he didn’t answer either.

  I sighed and texted Mom.

  Where are you? I need you guys.

  When she didn’t text me back, I walked inside and cried as I paced back and forth. “Screw this.” I opened a new bottle of Merlot and poured a glass.

  “Maybe this will take the pain away,” I said as I forced a sip.

  After I downed the entire glass, I started thinking about all that happened to me in the past and decided to go back to the park to see if Mihnea was there.

  I texted Mom, but my vision was fuzzy.

  I’m goingg toooo the park to see if the mannn is thereeee

  I staggered out of the house without shutting the door and walked to the park.

  “Mihnea,” I slurred.

  When he didn’t answer, I ran in the woods losing my sneaker in the process. I stopped. “Mihnea, I’m here,” I shouted. “Show me you’re real.”

  As I went back to get it, branches started breaking behind me.

  When I looked up, a black shadow hovered over my head, and beyond that was the moonlight peeking through the darkness.

  I took cover behind the tree and listened, but the only thing I heard was my heavy breathing. Creaking branches came from above me, so I took off running toward the houses that were on the other side. Thrashing through the heavy brush, I scratched myself all over, but I kept running until a loud growl echoed from up in the trees. I stopped and scanned the shadowy branches, and two red eyes were glaring down at me.

  “What do you want?”

  It hissed, and launched itself in my direction, dislodging branches, tearing them from the tree. The dark figure landed on its feet, making the ground shake.

  I stepped back, managing to stay upright, as the thing faced me in the shadows.

  “I want your soul,” Savina hissed and glided toward me with large, extended bat wings that stretched out at least eight feet on each side.

  “W-what the hell are you?”

  I tried to run, but Savina flew at me and grabbed me by my shirt with her talons, lifting me off the ground, and flew me high up in the sky.

  “Bring me back down!”

  “As you wish,” she said and flew me further up.

  I looked down at the houses.

  Savina looked at me with glowing red eyes and laughed demonically.

  “Mihnea, help me, please!”

  She grabbed me with one hand and with her free hand, she blew a thick black powder in my face.

  I inhaled it and began to choke on the chalky, metallic powder.

  Savina cackled.

  Seconds later, I saw a figure with bat wings, gold at their tips, swooping down toward us. I tried to hold on to her arms, but Savina broke free. I closed my eyes as I fell backward, kicking and screaming, descending to my death.

  Her menacing laugh echoed as she flew away up into the black sky.

  Something caught me in midair.

  I opened my eyes and gasped when I saw it was Mihnea.

  “Don’t be frightened,” he said, soothingly. “I won’t hurt you.”

  My shaking hands latched around his neck. I looked over his shoulder at his wings protruding from his back.

  I kicked and screamed. “Let me go!”

  Mihnea’s eyes turned red, and he flew me back down and lay me on the grass in front of the park bench. He forced my mouth open and placed his mouth over mine, sucking the air right out of my lungs.

  My body became limp, and I coughed nonstop.

  Mihnea stumbled away and began to choke on something.

  “Why did you do that?” I said then coughed.

  Mihnea’s large clawed feet and wings disappeared as he stumbled over to a tree. He exhaled, and the black dust came out, vanishing into the air.

  “W-what kind of monster are you?”

  He got up and walked over to me. “I will die if I tell you.”

  I jumped to my feet.

  “Why would you come back here knowing what had happened last time?”

  “I wanted to see if you were real,” I replied.

  “You need to go to Romania like I told you to.”

  “Why? And why did Savina tell me that she wanted my soul and try to kill me?”

  Mihnea stepped back. “You’re still not acting like yourself.”

  “Yeah, well, maybe that’s because she just flew me up in the sky and let me go. Or maybe because you just sucked the life out of me and won’t tell me why.”

  A black shadow appeared above us. Mihnea’s talons and wings ripped through his feet and back. He flew straight up in the sky and charged Savina. What looked like a man with red wings came flying out of nowhere and charged Mihnea.

  “Run,” Mihnea shouted as he held them by their wings.

  I took off running toward my house and saw Mom and Dad pulling in the driveway.

  “Help me!” I yelled.

  Dad got out and ran up to me. “What happened?”

  “The man from my dreams is real. Please, we have to go inside.”

  Mom ran up to us. “Viata, why did you go to the park alone? And where’s your other sneaker?”

  “T-they all have wings and clawed f-feet. We need to go inside and call the c-cops.”

  Dad grabbed me. “Stop this crap right now!”

  “I’m not lying,” I shouted in his face.

  He looked at Mom. “She reeks of alcohol.”

  I pushed him away from me. “That’s not the problem.”

  “Get inside right now,” he ordered.

  Liam came out. “What’s going on?”

  “They’re here. Go back inside,” I yelled.

  “Viata! Get the hell in the house. You’re making a scene,” Mom yelled.

  “Screw off!” I said and spit in her face.

  Dad grabbed me by my shirt and walked me forcefully toward the house.

  Liam rushed over and walked alongside me. “Viata, calm down.”

  I jerked away from Dad. “Let me go! or I’ll hurt you.”

  “Oh, please,” Dad replied, laughing.

  I twisted myself out of his grip and grabbed him.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  HOSPITAL HORROR

  The next thing I knew I was in the hospital strapped down to a bed. I kicked and screamed until a nurse rushed in.

  “Please calm down. You’re in the hospital,” the nurse said, standing by the door like she was afraid of me.

  “W-what, why am I here? Unstrap me now,” I ordered as I tried desperately to get loose.

  “Please calm down. Let me get your doctor,” she said in a shaky tone.

  When she walked away, I cried out for my parents.

  An older male doctor came in. “Viata, I’m Doctor Swartz. Please calm down and breathe.”

  “Why am I here? Let me up now.”

  He walked over to me. “You blacked out from too much alcohol and were acting psychotic. Your parents had no choice but to have you admitted.”

  “This can’t be real. I didn’t do anything wrong.”

  “What is the last thing you remember?”

  “I-I was. I was arguing with my parents, and I woke up like this.”

  I knew that if I kept acting like a nut, he would treat me like one. I calmed down. “Where are my parents?”

  “You can see them tomorrow. Right now, we have Dr. Wells coming in to see you.”

  I looked away.

  “Are you calm enough to be taken out of the restraints?”

  I nodded.

  The doctor called the nurse in, and she took them off.

  I sat up on the bed rubbing my wrist. “Thanks.”

  “No problem. Now let’s get you something to eat. What about crackers?”

  I nodded again.

  “You got it. Dr. Wells will be here shortly.”

  After he and the nurse had left, I got up from the gurney and walked over to a small closet. I peeked inside and saw only one sneaker. I wandered over to the chair and sa
t, trying to remember what had happened. I could remember everything up until I grabbed my dad’s pants.

  As I was sitting there, the nurse came back in with a handful of crackers and a pink water pitcher. Her hands were shaking as she set the pitcher down, spilling a little bit of water.

  “I’m sorry. I’ll clean it up,” she said in a shaky tone.

  “You’re fine,” I said and reached over to clean it up with a napkin.

  She yanked her hand away from me and walked out of the room.

  What’s her deal?

  After what seemed to be hours, Aunt Jessica showed up.

  “How are you doing, Viata?”

  I didn’t think I would be so happy to see her, but I was.

  “I’m fine, I guess.”

  “Do you know why you’re here?”

  “Because I drank too much wine and blacked out.”

  I could see her gulp. “No, you picked your dad up off the ground and tossed him onto the hood of your car.”

  “Ha,” I blurted. “I can’t even lift a damn suitcase let alone a 190-pound man.”

  “Well, you did. Now please sit down. I don’t want them strapping you down again. Do you?”

  I sat back down holding my chest. I thought I was about to have a heart attack—it was pounding so hard.

  “Is Dad okay?”

  “Yes, Viata, he’s fine.”

  “Who told you I tossed my father?”

  She looked down at her paperwork. “According to this report, your next-door neighbors, my sister, and your father did.”

  “They’re lying. Please, this is insane.”

  “Trust me. This is hard to believe, but when credible people such as your parents say this is what happened, I have to look into it.”

  “This is stupid.”

  “How much did you drink? And did you take any illegal drug?”

  “The only drugs I take are the pills that you prescribed to me.”

  “While you were unconscious, the doctor had your blood drawn. They found an unknown drug. Can you remember what you took? It’s crucial that we know. It can kill you.”

  I remembered Mihnea sucking out the powder that Savina blew into my lungs. “This can’t be happening to me.”

  “Are you going to tell me what you took?”

  “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”