Whisper (15 page)

THIRTY-FOUR

Fear

The shadow slinked around my mouth, the bitter taste of dirt and bark touched my lips. My back is facing the mansion in the tree line, Jefferson paces back and forth. I wanted to peek over my shoulder to see if Luken was still walking away, but the shadows shove my face forward when I turned my head to the side.

“I warned Luken, this wasn’t over.”

My wide hazel eyes stabbed with fear. Nobody knows where I am. It is late enough, nobody will notice, with the exception of Luken. Who would he tell? We thought Jefferson had been taken away by dark forces.

Jefferson looms over me. A cloud of dark shadows trailed behind his black cloak. My breathing is too steady. He circles me triumphantly. “This is pure gratification. I am thinking this is the last thing you expected to happen.”

Thinking of Luken, I thought maybe he would back track to find me. Once he realizes I am gone. Possibly he’ll come in the woods to search for me like I did for him. At the same time, I don’t want Luken to come find me. He has been through too much.

Jefferson charges at me.

A horrid scream escapes my lungs. I shot up in bed terrified. A cold sweat moistens my skin. Tears stream down my cheeks, Luken rushes to my side. He slams through the wall. My body starts to lightly convulse I couldn’t wrap my mind around what occurred.

“Avaya what’s wrong?” Luken disappears from view before I can answer him.

Becca comes into my room, her eye brimming with worry. “What is wrong?” She heard my ear piercing scream, it had echoed down to the second floor.

“I don’t know,” I say. Becca wraps her arms around me embracing me.

“Oh my, you are shaking. Did you see something?”

Shaking my head, I scan my room. All I want is privacy with Luken. My Uncle James comes rushing into my room. He is wearing his shirt and sweatpants. “Avaya did something happen?”

“No, I don’t know.” I wasn’t fully awake. My mind is still reeling.

My uncle relaxes leaving my room. He returns a half hour later with Livia. She has a tray with her steam comes out of a tea kettle. “Here drink this Avaya.” She hands me a fine china cup. “It will calm you, help you sleep.”

I don’t want to return to sleep. Jefferson’s red glowing eyes burned in my mind. It felt so real. Luken and I had watched the sunset, I must have fallen asleep. I remember walking with Luken and then being pulled away from him. It leaves me unsure of what happened. It had been a nightmare so profoundly real I cannot explain it.

My uncle and Becca leave me alone with Livia. Talking would not help this time. I can hear his hissing voice echoing my name. His natural wide eyes glowered in amazement. Jefferson’s smirk showed his parted lips with white teeth. It sends a shock wave of terror to my mind.

I rock back and forth slightly, trying to get the image to leave. Livia’s tea starts to take effect. Slowly my body lessens in shaking and relaxes. Livia willingly leaves me alone with my thoughts.

Luken finally emerges by my side. “Tell me what has happened Avaya. I heard you scream, I thought…it does not matter what I thought darling. Talk to me.”

My lip quivers, “I saw him.”

“Saw who?” Luken furrows his brow.

I scoot closer to him clenching the sheets with my fists. “Jefferson…I saw your Uncle Jefferson.”

Luken shook his head both his hands grasped my cheeks. Luken kisses my mouth. He leans his head against my forehead. “He is gone. I made sure he will not bring any harm to either of us again. Do not worry.”

Stray tears fall from my eyes. Luken shifted when I sat up. Wrapping my arms around his neck, he pulls me close to him. I did not know what to think now. We sat embraced for a bit.

I don’t want to close my eyes and see his face. Luken crawls onto the bed. He wrapped his arms snug around me touching my forehead with his lips. I gaze up into his eye, the clear blue lit up his irises. Burying my face into his chest, he says, “Avaya do not worry darling. When you wake up, I will still be here, even if you can’t see me.”

In the morning I wake up too early, startled. Luken is adding wood to the fireplace using the poker to push the wood. “Forgive me, I did not mean to wake you.”

I admire Luken. Imaging how life would have been for us to be together in his time. Thinking about my dream I wonder what his was like, dreaming about a girl who wouldn’t exist for centuries. I thought about our dance in the parlor room, next time I hoped for instrumental music.

“You stayed.” I say to him. I meant he kept his promise.

Luken places the poker in its holder, he returned to sit on the edge of my bed. We wrapped our hands together entangling our fingers. “I am concerned Avaya,” he frowns, “about whether your nightmare is more than a simple nightmare.”

“Luken I don’t want to talk about it.”

He nods understanding and respecting my wishes. Luken doesn’t push the matter, “what else shall we discuss?” I sigh, he did it on purpose.

“Fine I will talk.”

Luken grazed his lips against my fingers, “if we had been in the same era together, I would be more inclined to let other topics occupy our time.”

So I talked. I spilled my heart until there is no more left to say.

THIRTY-FIVE

Choice

“You really believe he is not actually gone?”

“Luken he told us he’ll return.”

Luken stood walking over to the balcony glancing out the closest window. He peers out into the early morning hour. It is still dark out, the light of day not ready to be shown. Luken let the curtain fall back in place, not seeing out of the ordinary mysteries outside he turns to stare at me.

“Darling I do not see him out there.” I nod.

Luken flew at me, it is like slow motion. “Avaya…No…” he called out. My consciousness wavered. I felt the feather light touch of Luken’s arms wrap around me. The pain hit sharp and quick.

“Avaya…no don’t.” My mother yells. I came around the corner to find out what was taking my parents so long. “Run sweetheart…go get out of here.” My father persisted. I couldn’t see what was so frantic. A gray fog hid behind their blurred figures. I hadn’t known where we were. The images change quickly. I am coming out of a dirt area filled with hills and roads into a clearing with medical help. It all faded to darkness.

“Luken,” I shouted. Opening my eyes he stood there and I have no idea what I called out his name for, he gazes at me uncertain of my own sanity. He breathed in deeply out of habit.

The sun started to rise. I barely noticed when the sky filled up with golden light. Luken had left my room. I had told him how badly I want my parents to be alive again. How much I want to return home. Luken did not take it too well. I had entered into a trance sharing with him what I have kept to myself since I arrived. It doesn’t matter that my former home no longer exists. I tried to picture someone else living there, but the thoughts of the letter I received recently flooded my mind. My parents left me a home I am not even able to occupy yet.

* * *

A few days pass. It is like things went back to normal. I could almost imagine the life threatening danger had all been a nightmare. The bruising around my neck reminds me it happened. Luken started to play at night again. Musical notes floating through the air. He started to watch the sunset again, I watched him gaze across the pond wondering what he is thinking.

Luken avoided me at night. During dinner he sat with Celia. After they roamed the halls of the mansion…whispering to each other. Luken didn’t come and talk with me. I barely heard him moving around in the hallway. Probably off with Celia most of the time. Last night he opened and closed the door down his hallway with a bit of force.

As the sun set I lean against the statuesque railing on the balcony. Luken stood on the rock with his hands in his pockets gazing outward. The bitter cold from the coming fall started to seep in to the area.

Miss Brantshire felt since I am not accustomed to having a ladies maid, I would survive without Bethanne. She and Livia are helping with preparations for a banquet in the ballroom. Becca used to have a formal party bash before her accident last year. She begged my Uncle James to let her have one this year after a few weeks of recovery.

Glancing in Luken’s direction I see him coming toward the mansion. For a brief second our gazes lock freezing. I try to wave at him with a waned smile. Luken shakes his head fading from view. The space between us grew broader. Sick silence absorbs the emptiness I feel inside.

I made up my mind on the spot. Staying here is where I belong. I felt like I turned my back on Luken with the thought of going home. I knew I would have to go eventually. Right now, Luken needs me or maybe I need him. It couldn’t wait
talking to Luken. Celia’s presence stopped me in my tracks I will wait until he is alone.

THIRTY-SIX

No Turning Back

The hallway is isolated. As I approach Luken’s door, I notice blue light coming from under the doorway. His anger fumes, remembering the last time I disturbed him. I proceed cautiously knocking on the door…I turn the handle.

“Luken,” I ask stepping inside trembling. I pulled my sleeves over my hands.

Bright blue floods the room. Luken sits at a desk with an old fashioned pen and paper. He doesn’t look up or acknowledge me at first.

“Yes Avaya, what is it?” Luken is sitting at a desk with paper writing. “Do mind my coming in?” He stops giving me a side glance. Luken gazes at me with narrowed blue slits. He smirks, mildly shaking his head before turning back to his writing. “Have you not already welcomed yourself?”

“I apologize,” wrapping my arms across his chest. I leaned my head against his shoulder. “I decided something.” Luken pauses I do not know who the letter is intended to be for or even if he wrote a letter. I sat down on the only chair in the room without a cloth cover.

When he finished, he asks me to sit with him on the bed. “What is this decision Avaya?” He says bored.

Laying my head on his shoulder I think for a moment before I gaze up. “I am choosing to stay here with you. Eventually I have to go to my house and face things, but this is my home now. Staying here with you is where I need to be. I want to search for your body. Now that we know how you disappeared.”

Attempting to touch his hand I pick it up entwining our fingers. Luken is agitated, “That is wonderful to hear. I can’t let you search for my body on your own.”

His smile radiates. Luken moves backwards, it hit me. He is dressed like he is blending in with modern times. A Henley t-shirt is against his abs and jeans cling to his hips. “I am not sure where to begin though.”

Luken lies back on the bed, I follow staring at him with our hands still clutched together. “Avaya we’ll figure it out.” He kisses the top of my forehead. “It could be dangerous. Promise you will not go searching without me?” I nod, “I will try not to, but that is all I can promise.”

Luken and I share a deep breath at the same time. It is awkward between us.

“Avaya,” he says hesitantly.

“What is it?” I ask uncertain.

“Never mind darling, it will have to be a surprise.” He lays back a genuine satisfied grin displayed.

We stare up at the ceiling. I started to think about Palm and wondered how strange it’ll be to go back. Walking into the empty house and seeing all the memories on the walls. I sat up walking over to the window. Luken comes up behind my slinking his arms around me.

“What are you thinking about?” He presses his chest against my back.

“I have to go to my hometown eventually. Packing up some of my things and being in the house without my parents will be hard. Will you come with me?” Luken shakes his head, “that will be something you need to do on your own when the time comes.”

I face him, “so my going temporarily doesn’t bother you?” He smiles pulling me closer to him, “no, you’ll be back.”

“Do you think you’ll be making an appearance at Becca’s banquet bash?”

Luken untangles us turning away from me. “Possibly, Nate will most likely be there. It is important to Becca.” I laugh, “You are Nate.” His face turns serious with a devious smirk.

At the mention of Becca jealous seeped inside me, thinking about her having all those years with Luken. The question rose from my mouth with bile. “Does Becca know you are Nate or does she think you are two different people?” I don’t know if
the partial grin is him thinking my unnecessary jealousy is adorable or if he is not going to answer. That is until he says, “I guess you will have to find out darling.”

Luken sneaks a peck on my lips. “My heart remains true solely to you. It is humorous, you are jealous of her and she is jealous of you.”

“I think she might like Xavier,” Luken rolls his blue eye. “Being a gentleman, I shall not interfere with the quarrel of two young ladies.”

It makes me laugh. Luken tries to mix his speech to accommodate his era with modern times. I imagine how he would be had he existed in today’s society. How different he would be. No matter how I try to picture it, I saw the same young man.

Walking out of Luken’s room pulling the door closed behind me, letting water barely spill out my eyes before I swallowed them. I headed back to my room. Curling up in a ball on my bed, I let silent tears fall finally grieving my parents until my eyes couldn’t remain open anymore.

I open my eyes to my phone ringing. Without looking at the display screen to see who called, I reached over and answered the phone. “Hello?” I say groggily. My body still clings to the weight of sleep.

“Avaya run…” I hear the breaking up sound of my mother’s voice. “Mom,” I ask sitting up in bed. “Do not come here,” she says her voice going in and out.

I get out of bed. “Mom, the phone is breaking up.”

Silence hits the other end of the phone. “Avaya…Avaya, stay away baby.” I touch the couch to support me. “Dad I am safe where are you?”

“Get out of there now…get out.” He shouts the phone cutting out. “Dad…!” My scream echoes through the phone.

“Avaya you are not safe…get out now…get out of there!” Mom is back on the phone. I don’t know where they are that the phone signal is so weak. “I don’t understand.”

The same female eerie female voice is whispering my name in the hall. Crawling back into bed, I hold my phone close to my ear. The covers are my source of hiding. I hear the gently rasp sound of a voice, “Avaya…come out come out
wherever you are. I will find you.” She calls in the air. “I warned you to leave.” Her voice fades down the hall.

“Avaya your life is in danger…you are not safe…leave, you have to leave.” My mom’s distorted voice wavers. “We love you,” they say in unison. “I love you both too,” I say the tear strayed down my cheek. “Avaya…Run!” My dad shouts hysterically and the phone dies.

“No...!” I am breathing raggedly. “What is it?” Luken is grabbing my face staring into my haunted eyes. “My parents…”I say through each breath “told me to leave, where did they go?” Luken pulls me close. “It was a bad dream darling.”

“They sounded so real, she sounded so real.” Luken tenses in my arms. “Who did?” He asks alarmed. “The girl, she was in the hallway looking for me.”

“Nobody is in the hall.” Under his breath I thought I heard him say… “I won’t let her hurt you Avaya.”

Then he glances at me, “maybe you should go back to your house…it is safer there.” He whispers to me.

“I won’t leave you,” I mouthed to myself.