Lucid (3 page)

I ran my hand over the smooth surface of my car where I had felt the impact, but there was nothing. No scratches no dents, not even a chipped piece of paint. I am going crazy... and this was all the proof I needed. Climbing back into my car I tried my best to still my shaking hands, and pretend none of this had happened.

Chapter 5

By the time I made it to school the shaking had dissipated but the paranoia hadn't. Even the smallest rustling in the leaves cause me to jump and go into a panic. So I sit in the parking lot and try to push that werewolf like creature out of my mind.

A sharp rapping on my window caused me to let out a  soft cry, that I quickly tried to muffle. Turning I looked to see what was going to try and kill me this time, but it was just Olivia. Her long blonde hair was loose, and framing her face.  Her brow was furrowed as she stood there frowning at me through the window.

Grabbing my hoodie and pulling it on I quickly climb out of the car, happy to finally see a familiar face. It calms me. If Olivia is here I'll be okay. Unless I really am crazy...

“You look like you slept. But I'm gonna guess somehow it was worse?” Olivia asked softly as we began to walk toward the school doors.

“Oh I slept. It was awesome. Until I hit some
monster
with my car on the way here.”

Her head snapped around to take a last look at my car before we entered the school building and it was out of sight. When she finally turned to look at me she looked worried. Like she thought I was going crazy too.

“Your car doesn't have any scratches?”

“Yeah... it was like... I don't know. It was like I was still dreaming, only I wasn't.”

“But you didn't die?”

“Nope. Guess your necklace fixed that part,” I joked.

As I began pulling books out of my locker, Olivia just stood there watching me like she didn't know what to say. Like something bigger was on her mind, and she didn't know how to break it to me.

“Listen I'll talk to Aunt Opal-”

“Livs.” I interrupt her before she can go any further with the witch craziness.

“Just be careful okay?”

“Got it.” Waving as I walk away I make my way toward my first class of the day.

I tried to weave my way through the crowd without coming into too much contact with any one person. My eyes naturally found their way down to the floor and I watched feet as I walked. Avoiding all the clusters of feet I made it to my mythology class. Normally mythology wouldn't be something I was interested in but considering my current situation of mythological beasts killing me. I decided it couldn't hurt to sit through it for one semester.

Taking my normal seat in the back of the class I attempt to avoid any contact as I wait for the day to begin. But it doesn't take long for me to recognize the feeling of being watched from this morning. The feeling of being stalked. I glance up and straight into the eyes of a man, leaning casually against the dry erase board at the front of the room. His eyes are deadlocked onto mine and I know he's the one making me feel like I'm being watched. He doesn't break eye contact until the sound of the late bell begins echoing down the halls and through the classrooms.

“Hello class. My name is Mr. Shadar” The sound of the s rolls off his tongue like a hiss as he begins to address the students. “I'm sorry to inform you that your teacher, Mr. Mulber, has suffered an unfortunate accident and is at home recovering from his injuries. Until then I will be your teacher so lets get along.” The snakelike impression I felt from him continued with his smile, an almost cracking of his face to form the movement.

Mr. Shadar
slowly walked through the room passing out packets, although I felt it more as a predator prowling. When he stopped by my desk to hand me a packet our eyes locked and he gave me a friendly smile, before continuing passing out the papers.
 

“There are two names on your packets. Your name, and your partners.  You have time in class today to discuss the project with your partner but after today it must be worked on outside of class. You can thank Mr. Mulber for your partner assignments. Now group up and get started.”

Great. Just great. Of all the times we get paired up its when I'm one hundred percent sure I'm crazy. I glared at the back of the replacement teacher, although he didn't seem to notice.

“He's kinda creepy right?” The deep baritone asked with a chuckle.

“No kidding.” I reply turning to face my partner for these next few weeks of hell. Only he wasn't quite who I had hoped he would be. It wasn't the nerdy kid nobody pays attention to, or the antisocial kid whom I'd never heard speak. It wasn't someone who I could get away being crazy with and the whole school not finding out about it. It was Mr. Everyone keeps their eyes on me new kid. Ethan Mulber... Mr. Mulber's grandson. Wracking my brain trying to remember Olivia's gossip from the weeks before when Ethan first came to town, I gave him the politest smile I could manage and hoped it would be sufficient.
 

“I'm Ethan,” he said softly as if unsure how I would react.

“Yep,” I replied flashing the paper that had our names on the top.

“Err... I knew this was a bad idea. I mean you've only avoided me for the whole five weeks I've been here. I should have known you probably wouldn't want to partner up.”

Reaching up I grab the cuff of his shirt before he has the chance to walk away. It takes everything I have but I manage to pull my eyes up and look him in the eyes. He looks uncertain... almost nervous, which is unusual for our schools current Mr. Popular.

“I don't ignore you.... exactly...” Sighing I let go of his shirt and fold my arms across my desk. “I ignore everyone really it's nothing personal.”

“Everyone except Olivia.”

“How do you know about Olivia?”

“Ahh... well its kind of embarrassing actually,” he replied once again taking his seat across from me. “But I actually asked her to introduce us when I realized you were going to keep ignoring me... or rather ignoring my shoes... since I'm not sure you've looked up long enough to see my face before now,” he finished with chuckle.

“Yeah... sorry bad habit I guess.”

He was right though. This was the first time I had bothered to look at him. I could see what the fuss was about. His clear blue eyes and sandy blonde hair made him the classic prince charming. Tall and well built. I'm pretty sure he plays sports.

“Your friend is pretty overprotective.”

“She runs good interference.”

His gentle laughter put me at ease and soon I completely forgot the fear and paranoia that had plagued me all morning. Maybe that is what was wrong with me all along. I just needed some regular human interaction, to dispel the crazy. His easy going personality and good looks were more then I could ask for as a distraction from all the things going wrong.

Chapter 6

After Ethan and I exchanged cellphone numbers and went our separate ways, the fear worked its way back in. And by the end of the day as I stood in my room ready for bed, it had come back tenfold. I could see them. Shadows moving in the trees behind our house. Like wraiths stalking, waiting, for the chance to kill me in my dreams.

As the paranoia took hold I ran through the house locking the windows and shutting all the curtains. With each whistle of the wind and creak of this old house I would flinch and move faster to block out the outside world. The near silent ticking of the clock was like a blaring siren counting down the minutes until the dying would begin.

It had never bothered me this much before. The time before I slept was usually more peaceful but if these monsters were going to stalk me in my waking life I would have to be vigilant here as well.

It felt as if the ticking clock grew louder and I knew there was no more stalling it. Tonight’s dying was about to begin. I slid into to bed as just waited in the dark silence. My whole body jerked as a sudden sound infiltrated the darkness. My phone. Reaching over I managed to find it in the darkness, and my eyes adjusted to the brightness of the screen as I flipped it open.

It was worth it. Bribing my grandpa so that he would partner us up. I hope we can continue to get along.

I should be excited, but I'm not. Seventeen years old, I should be thrilled that a boy seemed interested in me. A
hot
boy. That maybe I wasn't as socially awkward as I had thought. A boy that went way out of his way to get to know me.

I can't muster any joy. The fear is all consuming. Even as I read the sweet message the phone shakes in my hand, as though it were still vibrating. My nerves holding me in a tight grip of fear. His gentle nature and strong voice can't reach me here. Locked in fear.

I can hear them now, their claws run slowly against my window. Their laughter. They know I'm afraid and they are waiting.

I drop the phone back onto my nightstand, and instead clutch the white danburite necklace tightly in my grip. The usually silent stone is practically humming with the heartbeat of the darkness as it slowly closes in. There is nothing I can do but wait. Wait for the darkness. Wait for the dying.

The blackness gets closer, until I cant even see my hands in front of my face.

As I stumble through the darkness I can feel them moving around me, their shrieking laughter driving me faster through this pitch black hell.

My feet tangle on some sort of undergrowth as I continue on unable to see where I'm heading. My arms swinging wildly in front of me to keep me from running into anything that would slow me down and allow the monsters closer. As my feet got ensnared in the darkness I went down hard scraping the skin off my hands, and I was at once thankful for wearing pajama pants to bed, instead of my usual shorts.

Dragging myself back to my feet I continued on my course through oblivion. Letting the fear and paranoia drive me deeper into the black. As the howls grew closer fatigue began to set in. I am not an athletic person. It's all I can do to pass P.E. And I am seriously regretting that now, as my breathing becomes labored and my chest begins to cramp.

My run was abruptly cut short, when I crashed directly into something solid. The warm pulse from the solid object beat directly against my chest. And as I tried to pull myself away and run in another direction, thick warm bands held me firm.

The darkness pulsed against my skin and I closed my eyes. This was my end whatever caught me held me firm. Easy pickings for the things lurking in the black. A sudden growling roar vibrated through my chest and limbs, and I closed my eyes tighter waiting for the pain to begin.

Chapter 7

I waited. But nothing ever came. My eyes clenched shut against the blackness so I wouldn't see my killer. But no pain came. And eventually the strong bands holding me tight loosened their grip. The thumping pulse of whatever held me was slow and steady. Warm.

“Hey. You alright?”

Jumping back my eyes snapped open at the sound of the gravelly burr. And there he was. My imaginary hero. Clad in his fitted black shirt and dark jeans. His midnight black hair slightly unkempt, as though he had just woken up.

“I'm okay...” I replied backing away. His crimson red eyes regarded me carefully. This man was dangerous. He killed that other monster as though it were nothing. Whether he saved me or not I had to be careful.

“You're... Not going to kick me again are you?” he queried with a slight grin playing at the corners of his full lips.

My hands flew up to cover my face. How embarrassing. I could feel my face heating up under his gaze. “That was... uh... for your protection.”

“Thanks... for the protection I mean. I appreciate it. Could've done without the kick though.”

“Yeah... I wouldn't...” I managed to drag my hands down and look him in the eyes. They were softer today. And he was acting almost civil. “Thanks... for saving me from that...
thing
. Last night and tonight... Thanks... Sorry for calling you an ass... you were though... an ass I mean...”

Okay. Scratch my earlier statement. I
am
socially awkward.
A lot
. Especially when an
extremely
hot guy is looking at me with that gorgeous rugged smile. Even the tips of his fangs sticking out added to the overall image. And where Ethan was the prince courting women in the ballroom. Mr. Mysterious was definitely the knight. All pillage and plunder. Tall, dark, and setting my poor underused hormones on fire.

“Well... I wouldn't count it out. I really am an ass. However... I didn't expect to get sucked into some chick's dream. No offense.”

“What do you mean 'sucked into some chick's dream'? You're a figment of my imagination anyways. I wouldn't be able to dream about you if you were real cause I don't
know
you.”

His response was a lopsided grin, accompanied by a deep rumbling laughter. His eyes were flashing brightly with mirth. And, much to my dismay, two very adorable dimples appeared in his golden tanned skin.

“Well... if that's the case... Truce then?”

He held out his hand, and I reached out and grabbed it. The grip of his calloused hands was firm. Warm. My imagination had come up with someone I had no doubt was more of a man than any gangly boys that could be found at my school. He didn't look much older than me however.

“My names Mercy by the way.”

“That suits you,” he replied with a gentle smile, but he did not offer his name in turn.

“And you are?” I asked with more force that I intended. You'd think this hot guy I made up would have common sense to offer his name back.

His lips creased into a frown, before he replied. “Deegan”

Deegan continued to hold my hand in his for a moment more, before loosening his grip and letting our hands slowly fall apart. His large stature which had been intimidating the night before, was now relaxed, almost casual in its stance.

“You're... a lot different tonight.”

He sat down on a moss covered log and seemed to contemplate my statement before responding. “I... don't get along well with others. But I'm trying very hard.” He offered with a smile.