“How’s the pain?” Meredith asked, glancing over.
“I’ll live.”
Luxor wriggled her toes to get some much-needed circulation back, to help the pins and needles to disappear. After two-and-a-half hours, her legs cramped up and her backside became numb. And they were only halfway there. She slipped on her black, oversized sunglasses, popped in her earphones to block out Meredith and pressed shuffle on Spotify. Like a lucky dip Luxor had no choice, a recurring theme, on which song she would get; pop, heavy metal, soul or the doof doof music played at raves. After a pause an unrecognisable alternative song came on, the female lead singer’s voice was sweet and haunting tone, the lyrics digging deep and resonating with Luxor. But even the music couldn’t drown out the swirling thoughts that consumed her mind.
How could things have gone so wrong in such a short amount of time? Nothing was the same anymore, and every day the anger from the lies built as if she was an active volcano, ready to erupt. It had stayed neutral and in check until the day in the gymnasium.
“Ellie, are you even listening to me?” Meredith interrupted her musings.
Luxor removed her earphones, dropping them into her lap. Tight-lipped she ground her molars against each other, annoyed Meredith assumed she would still use that name. The one she had chosen for her.
“My name is Luxor.”
Meredith sighed and rubbed her forehead, her hair unravelling from her chignon. “Like I said, I want you to know what you think?”
She huffed. “Does it even matter? It’s not like I have a choice.” Choices were a blessing for others. “Tell me, did we really have to move?”
Meredith’s nose flared and her complexion reddened, a warning her temperament was on the brink of exploding. “Haven’t we already been over this? Your options were between this or juvenile detention. Besides, would you want to stay and be considered a delinquent? Attempted murder and destroying public property would do that.” She took her eyes off the road for a second, opening her mouth to continue.
“Watch out!” Luxor pointed straight ahead. A crouched animal loomed straight ahead, the tiny Cortina firmly in its sight.
The car swerved to the right, doing a one-hundred and eighty degree turn before the brakes kicked in. The wheels skidded onto the gravel, dust and dirt flicked upwards, the car stopping just short of a shrub.
Luxor jerked forward against the seatbelt. “Ouch!” She rubbed her collarbone.
Meredith killed the engine, silence lingering for a minute until Luxor unbuckled the seat belt and held her chest. Her heart pounded rapidly at an unnatural rhythm as if she had gotten off the Magic Mountain roller coaster.
“Out,” Meredith demanded and flung the door wide.
Luxor shook her head and gulped, craning her neck to get a better view. The shadow appeared to float toward them.
Was it a gorilla?
She quickly dismissed the idea as if a gorilla would be out in the open. Or float.
The thing—whatever it was—set itself in motion towards its intended target and slinked forward in slow and measured steps from bush to bush, hiding, yet still stamping its presence. As hard as Luxor tried it was difficult to keep track of its movements, one minute it appeared to close in, the next it was nowhere to be seen. It didn’t make things any easier when her body decided to let out an explosion of sparks which attacked her central nervous system. From out of nowhere, the shadow closed the distance. Just like a tiger hunting its prey, the gaze fixated on Luxor and tilted its head to the side before pausing and staring at her.
Its body changed postures and arched its back straight to its full height so it was no longer crouched. Tall and lean, the unknown creature was covered from head to toe in dark clothing with no indication as to what it was, although it resembled an image of a modern-day grim reaper without the scythe. Hands were visible, five fingers on each before disappearing into the pockets of its jeans. The head concealed by a hood reared and inched up a fraction.
It was definitely not an animal.
“Did you see that?” Luxor staggered backwards and pointed to where the shadow was. “Over there. You almost hit an animal or, or a person. No, no, definitely a person.” Her words tumbled over each other.
“So help me Luxor...” Meredith grabbed the inside of her elbow, her chipped and sharp nails digging into the flesh.
“Let go of me,” Luxor growled, snatching her arm back and lifting her sleeves. A burning ache ran through her veins, and she winced. She kept her focus on Meredith as she furiously scratched.
Cars whizzed by as they were on the cusp of entering Brighton Falls, ignorant of the impending argument between them both.
Meredith peered ahead to the direction of where the person was. “This is ridiculous, I swear if I have to get you medicated I will.” She dragged Luxor around to face her and pressed her spine against the rear-view mirror, pointing one of her jagged nails in Luxor’s face. “Now you listen here because I will only say this once. You’ve had a month to get used to the idea, and the sole reason we’ve had to move was because of your actions. Your actions caused all of this,” her voice continued to rise.
“Touch me again, I dare you,” Luxor hissed and gritted her teeth. Her pulse thrummed wildly at her neck, and she palmed her chest to keep the dark thoughts at bay.
A deep seeded urge demanded Luxor hurt Meredith. Her fingers itched to grab her by the throat to stop her vile words.
Luxor dug her nails deep into the flesh of her wrist again. Pieces of skin flicked up and embedded underneath her cuticles and the stinging moved elsewhere. She turned her back on Meredith for a second and closed her eyes to centre herself. When she was calm enough, she turned back to face her.
“Why don’t you ever believe me?” Luxor said, desperately wanting answers. She wanted to shout that none of this was her fault, but those words were lodged in her throat. She was the one who had been lied to all of her life. The accident was not her fault, hurting Verity, her best friend was not her fault.
How could I be held accountable for something I had no memory of?
It was useless, Meredith had already decided she was a crazed liar. “Because logic says otherwise.” Meredith rubbed her forehead, defeated. “Snap out of it, this is a fresh start. Now get back in the damn car.”
Luxor hesitated and waited for the person to re-emerge to prove Meredith wrong. The shadow had all but evaporated, leaving a blank space as its imprint. It most likely ran into the bushes, consumed by the darkness as though it never existed.
But she knew what she saw, she wasn’t crazy, or maybe she was and refused to admit it.
Wasn’t that the first step? To acknowledge you had a problem and get help? Maybe medication would be the way to go.
A large wooden signpost greeted them as they entered Brighton Falls, the faded red lettering “The Place to Be,” was a laughable joke. Luxor could think of a million other places she’d rather be.
The car headed straight into the heart of town and encircled the Village Bowl, an enclosure lending its name by the way it dipped as if a meteor had struck. Immediately it was clear something was amiss. It was as if they had entered another dimension; dark and blank.
Luxor squinted into the distance. Only a few orange street lamps illuminated the sleepy road, flickering like fireflies, which provided the only light source. No signs of life from the row of shops, no cars at all were in the vicinity but worse of all no people existed. The town was devoid of most of its senses, blind and deaf, with the faint smell of gasoline.
Meredith pulled into the one pump petrol station and popped the cap. “Pay the cashier immediately and get back and wait in the car until I come back.” She held the pump with one hand and gave Luxor a twenty-dollar note.
The door chimed as Luxor entered the door to pay, although she didn’t have to walk far. Five steps she counted, and she was at the cashier’s desk. After a minute of waiting nobody came to serve her, so she rang the bell that sat on the counter.
> The gas station had a local paper, The Daily News, and a small selection of magazines, and from the look of them they were severely outdated. She rang the bell again, this time a couple of times. A few moments later, the sound of the door echoed it.
Luxor glanced over her shoulder. A boy around her age entered, his ebony hair ruffled and sporting a raw and rugged look as if he has just gotten out of bed. He took slow and measured steps, the pleasant aroma of petrichor wafting off him. The boy tilted his head to the side for a brief moment, exposing Luxor to his caramel eyes.
An electrical current sizzled through, and briefly smoothed her inner numbness, igniting a spark.
The boy’s proximity was overbearing but glorious, his earthiness a welcome change from the stuffiness of the car. Luxor’s heart thudded violently, and she balled her hands into fists to stop the oncoming tremors. He held her gaze for a fraction too long, caramel against blue. But it wasn’t enough. She wanted him to look over again.
Luxor’s breath hitched. She stepped back to make room for him, but took one too many and had to hold herself against the magazine rack for support. A flush of warmth invaded and infused her with a heat that had nothing to do with the weather. The sensations intensified, and she averted her face away as her face flushed brightly.
The boy’s mouth twitched, and he grabbed a packet of Skittles, winking as he left.
Did he just steal?
“Good evening, miss.” A middle-aged man greeted her, coming out from the back, wiping the grease from his hands on his overalls.
“Good evening,” Luxor replied, as she focused her attention on the door, wanting the boy to come back. As soon as he disappeared, he had taken the sensations with him, but the smoulder continued to linger.
“Where you off to?”
Luxor turned her head back around at the sound of the man’s voice. “Home. My mother and I just arrived.” She passed him the note.
“A new resident?” He arched a grey, furry eyebrow. Luxor nodded. “Well, I’ll be damned, we haven’t had one in a long time.” The man grinned widely, showcasing a set of cigarette stained teeth with a couple missing on the side. “No charge, call it a welcome present.”
Outside, Meredith beeped the horn.
“Thank you, it’s nice to meet you.” Luxor pocketed the note into her hooded jumper. She scanned the area before she re-entered the car.
What happened back there with that boy?
Never in her life had she gotten nervous around guys. Maybe it was the fact that since the accident someone had looked at her and not judged. Or maybe it was the brazen theft and Luxor keeping quiet about it.
Luxor quickly surveyed her surroundings before getting back in the car. On the one side, there was a tavern, library and ice cream shop while on the other side further down the street, a small convenience store and a bakery.
Yeah, I’ll fit in just fine, Luxor thought wryly
Fifteen minutes later they drove up the bumpy driveway until The Chalet came into view. Standing alone on top of a steep hill, a three-story grey stone monstrosity loomed, a cathedral-styled roof with a point smack bang in the middle resembled a castle in the medieval century. Two stained-glass bay windows protruded outward in a curved shape, framed by peeling white paint which provided the only source of colour. Flanked on either side were withering trees, their skeletal limbs reaching out and mimicking a welcoming embrace.
Luxor shuddered and quickly retrieved her belongings and placed them at her feet. She stole a moment to soak up the night sky. As a lover of astrology, she found the full moon especially significant tonight. It signalled the end of her old life, and tomorrow the start of the new.
“Not what you were expecting?” Meredith said, removing the luggage from the boot before unlocking the door.
That’s the understatement of the millennium.
Luxor ducked her head and dodged numerous cobwebs dangling from the doorframe to avoid them. She yanked down the cuff of her jumper, covering her mouth, and inhaled. The stench of mould and mildew was overpowering, and she was on the edge of dry retching.
The Chalet was open spaced, with each room exposed. Luxor ventured in to a dimly lit foyer designed with grey cement flooring and black walls, and through to the lounge-room. It was sparsely furnished with only two beige sofas covered in plastic sheets, a shaggy cream rug on top of a small-glassed table which all faced a low line cabinet with a plasma television on top. A film of dust gathered across the cabinet and when Luxor ran her finger across the cabinet, grey particles sifted off. She shook her finger, and with a quick motion wiped the remaining residue onto her jeans.
She passed the arches into the kitchen where Meredith was dishing a couple slices of microwave pepperoni pizza on two plastic plates. As unappetising as it looked, she hadn’t eaten all day.
“Special just for you,” Meredith sneered, taking a slight bite of pizza and scrunching up her nose. Luxor slumped into the chair and took a big bite. “How long will you be on this ridiculous gluten-free diet?” She criticised.
“I’m intolerant.” Luxor pushed her plate forward. The pizza was disgusting.
“Since when? I thought it was another fad like your no-carb week.”
“I guess after I got out of the hospital? I can’t stomach it,” Luxor replied, although she knew the precise time it occurred.
“I’ll add that to your so-called, lactose intolerance, shall I? The one you also developed after the accident,” she said. “Seriously, this is getting out of hand. Do you know how much soy milk and gluten-free products cost?”
“You think I’m making this up? Why would I do that?” Luxor said exasperatedly sick of the same repeated argument.
“To be difficult and make my life harder than it already is,” Meredith spat and retreated upstairs.
The words slapped Luxor across the face.
After the accident, Meredith made small talk mainly about the weather or inane facts she had just found out such as why tomatoes were considered a fruit. Unless it was necessary, Luxor merely gave short, curt answers or nodded but preferred silence to the uncomfortableness of their interactions. After a few months Meredith must have sensed their relationship had been fractured beyond repair and followed suit. Although Meredith didn’t hesitate when it was time to chide her at any opportune moment.
The betrayal and lies were too hard to forgive and forget. Maybe one day Luxor would get over the treachery, but for now she couldn’t.
Luxor dumped the paper plates in the bin and tidied up. Back in Hampton Cove Meredith was never home to cook and clean, in fact, Luxor doubted she even knew how, as she had never seen Meredith do either. Meredith had maids and cooks to provide for Luxor while she tended to her duties as a socialite.
Luxor rummaged through the brown paper bags on the bench next to the sink which Meredith had brought in from the car. Inside one of them were five notebooks, one for each of her subjects, and a clear pencil case. The first bag had been emptied, and as she poured the contents of the second bag out, she held a hand to her mouth, stifling a gasp.
You have to be friggin’ kidding me?
A backpack was displayed on the counter with horses adorned the bottom, in a formation, mocking her. The worst part was it was baby pink! She hesitantly filled it up with the assortment of pens and prepared her backpack for tomorrow.
A pine grandfather clock chimed eleven times. Luxor yawned and stretched her arms out wide and high above her head as exhaustion poured from every part of her body. The floorboards creaked, and her muscles ached with every step. She steadied herself on the bannister and dragged the suitcase along the stairs, but before she could make it too far, scratches sounded at the door.
Luxor hesitated before checking it out. She was all too aware it could be something as innocent as branches, but seeing that shadowy figure before entering into town had spooked her out. She unlocked the door and cracked it open a smidge and popped her head out. After two head turns, she stepped out and neared the shaking tu
mble of weeds. She knelt down on her knees and pried the prickly bushes apart, sucking in some courage and hoping it wasn’t a snake or some other kind of reptile.
Deep into the foliage and curled into a ball, a ginger and black kitten, no more than a few months old, peered up and meowed.
“Hey there, don’t be scared,” she whispered and held out her hand for it to sniff.
The kitten trotted forth on unsteady legs and nudged Luxor’s fingers. She scooped up the fragile bundle of fur and stroked down its spine. “What happened to you?”
The kitten lifted a tiny paw and let out a strangled cry when she picked the prickle from its fur. Kneeling down, Luxor placed the kitten down and turned to go back inside. The kitten pounced on her sneaker and let out a weak meow.
Luxor stared at the kitten, peering up at her with wide orange eyes that reminded her of the fruit persimmons. Just like the kitten, Luxor could relate to feeling all alone. “Fine, fine. But only for tonight. If you’re found, I’ll be dead meat,” she said while the kitten circled around her. “Now we have to be quiet, okay?” She scooped the kitten up and slipped it within the confines of her hoodie and zipped it up halfway.
Luxor was rewarded with a meek “meow,” but she knew by the way the kitten cradled against her stomach she was grateful.
She opened the fridge and poured some milk into a bowl. Everything was a juggling act; the kitten weighing her jacket down, bowl in one hand, small backpack slung over one shoulder and now she could only pick one suitcase.
Once upstairs, the suitcase accidently swung open a bedroom doom. Rustling came from the other side and Luxor guessed Meredith had chosen the first bedroom which worked out perfectly because she would have chosen the one right at the end which quite a distance from the rest. She positioned her body so the bowl and the bulge weren’t noticeable so she could take a sneak peek at how Meredith’s was laid out. Instead, she found her kneeled over an ottoman, her head resting against the suede material. Meredith whipped her head up and Luxor scuttled away quickly, hearing the distinct lock of Meredith’s door.
Unveiled: The Chronicles of Luxor Everstone Page 3
