Eliza's Shadow (18 page)

The intrigue I’d created with my tone and
introduction was adequately potent because Bryn turned her gaze to mine. Her
eyes open wide and vacuous ready to absorb every bit of information I would
provide. I seized the critical moment and began the ritual I’d only conducted
once before but felt oddly certain would work.

I softened my gaze enough to entice Bryn to decode
the message behind them. As she studied me eagerly waiting, I fervently
concentrated on her pupils and the message I wanted her to hear.

Forget…forget… forget. Forget… forget… forget.

The message was luckily simple because I knew exactly
what she was thinking. She would be recounting the vision of my hideously
bruised wrists and her conclusion that Ren was to blame for my injuries. All I
needed to do was dissolve the memory and the feelings associated with it would
follow.

My heart pounded in my chest and my breath
quickened to match its pace. Bryn’s pupils rapidly expanded, a physical sign of
enchantment. The buzz in my ears grew deafening as if an entire hive of bees
swarmed around us. The bustling lunchroom scene in my periphery vision faded to
black leaving only a tunnel with Bryn’s face at the end. I heard the words in
my head as if I spoke them. The repetitive chant grew faster and louder taking
on a life of its own. A swell of heat and emotion rose from the pit of my
stomach, and swirled around us like a roiling current. I was as much a hostage
of the procedure as Bryn. I didn’t know how to stop.

Just as panic began to take root, the cyclone
lifted. I gripped the edge of the table to stabilize my position. My hands
floated to my hair and face smoothing them. Once I managed to regain full
consciousness of my surroundings, I dared evaluate Bryn’s state.

At first glance, her appearance was a frightening
shock. Her face was pale and flaccid. Her mouth hung open and her eyes fixed
wide, the pupils unnaturally large for the amount of light present in the room.
She appeared frozen wearing a trance-induced mask. The panic I’d experienced
earlier returned in force as I helplessly observed Bryn’s state. Too shocked to
conceive of a remedy or take action I sat rigidly staring at her.

Caught in a daze, I heard a commanding voice close
to my ear but was unable to discern the message. Then the voice was suddenly
sharp and clear.

“Call her name, Eliza. You must say it. Call Bryn
now!” The urgency of the command propelled me into action.

My voice sounded detached as it emerged from my
body, like a butterfly lighting off a flower to land upon another.

“Bryn, come back now. Bryn.”

Within the blink of an eye, Bryn’s pupils shrank
and behind them a vibrant recognition returned. She smiled easily and reached
to my tray snatching a potato chip. Her demeanor was that of someone actively
involved in a running conversation.

Shaken by the experience, I sat dumbly silent.
Bryn seemed cheerful and unperturbed as she smiled and continued to snack on
carrots and dip off of her tray. I was so bewildered that I almost fell out of
my seat when Pete returned to the table boasting loudly.

“Ok, here it is, I finally found it.” He said
breathlessly, as he jovially handed over a non-descript CD to Ren.

“It was crammed under the seat of my car. Hope it
still works. If not, I can burn another copy for you.” He said.

“Thanks man. I’ve been hoping to get my hands on a
copy of that show. I’ll check it out tonight.” Ren responded smoothly with
absolutely no trace of concern.

My hands fluttered against each other anxiously
reflecting my flustered mental state. Ren’s hand landed softly on my shoulder.
His fingers pressed into the muscle, a small sign of support and assurance that
the storm was over. Pete observed Ren’s gesture then averted his eyes. It was
evident in Pete’s expression that he was aware something was amiss. Bryn spoke.

“Ahem.” She said confidently. “I’m Bryn and you
are?”

Quick as lightening Ren, Pete and I all turned
abruptly toward her. She smiled curiously at all of us surprised by our
reaction before venturing further. Her gaze flitted to Ren’s hand on my
shoulder, one eyebrow raised.

“I’m Eliza’s friend, Bryn. Who are you?” She asked
dramatically.

Silence fell over the group as we all stared
incredulously at her. Finally, Ren cleared his throat and responded delicately.

“Um, my name is Ren Alden.” He offered an
outstretched hand, acting as if he was playing along with a game.

Bryn grinned coyly accepting the handshake.

“It’s nice to meet you.” Then she shot me a sassy
wink, oblivious to my morbid expression.

My eyes darted in Pete’s direction. He was sitting
down finishing the last remnants of his lunch. Mercifully, the bell rang.

Pete stuffed the last bite of a sandwich in his
mouth and grabbed his bag. He shook his head and rolled his eyes as he mumbled
a quick, ‘See you later’ to all of us. I was relieved to see he was chalking up
Bryn’s bizarre comment to her general goofiness when it came to guys.

Bryn packed up her things before offering a
cheerful ‘goodbye’ to Ren and me and whispering ‘we’ll talk about him later’ in
my ear. Slumped in my seat, I watched her jaunt across the cafeteria and out
the door. The sound of screeching chairs and pounding feet filled the air
adding to the headache building behind my eyes.

“Well you were certainly thorough.” Ren mused. He
turned his head from side to side, stretching his neck muscles then raked his
fingers through his thick hair.

“Yeah… I hope you’re the only one missing in her
mind.” I muttered glumly, my face falling in my hands.

Ren laid a hand soothingly on my back.

“Don’t worry, Eliza. Bryn’s memory of me must’ve
just been so tangled up with recent events that it all broke free along with
the important details.”

Bryn hadn’t known Ren very long, so it did make
sense that her thoughts of him could be pulled like a shallow weed. Regardless,
the fact that I had removed more than intended was a firm lesson that my
instructions needed to be more specific the next time around.

“Eliza, there is something we
do
need to worry about.” He said
gravely.

I wrenched my face from my hands to look at him.
The cafeteria had largely emptied with the exception of a few lazy stragglers.
From the look of the students left languishing in their chairs it was debatable
whether they were planning to finish the school day. The noisy scrabble of the
crowd was now gone and it was silent save the distant banging of pots from the
kitchen.

“I’d say there is more than just one thing on my
list of worries, Ren.” I said quietly.

Ignoring my tone, he cocked his head and
continued.

“It’s Tuesday, Eliza. My prediction that you are
safe from the Shadow is about to expire. I wish I could say with confidence that
we have more time but really, I have no idea when it could attack again.”

I groaned. “What should we do now?” I asked.

“Can you come by my house tonight? I think Nan’s
found a spell to protect you. Maybe you could join us for dinner?” He asked.

It could have been my imagination but Ren’s cheeks
appeared to flush as he waited for my answer. My stomach tightened at the idea
of plunging ever further into this strange world of magic and at meeting Nan.
Considering the task of making a pleasant first impression over polite dinner
conversation, I felt my head sway in response.

“No… no thank you to dinner, Ren. It’s just that,
I don’t think I’d be very good at small talk today. I hope you understand.” I
stammered.

The expectant look in his eyes evaporated.

“Oh, sure that’s… understandable. Well, uh, can I
pick you up later then, say 8 o’clock or so?” He asked guarding his
disappointment.

“Sure, er, how about I just meet you at your
house? I should probably spend some time down at Viva tonight. I’ll catch a ride
over there. Ok?” I bluffed. The day was crowded and I needed time to process it
all, alone. I knew I was letting Ren down but I was overwhelmed. There was only
so much I could deal with in a day.

“Alright then.” Ren added. Without delay he pushed
back in his seat and gathered his things.

As he reached across the table for the CD Pete had
given him, I recalled his flawless act.

“What is that?” I asked.

“Oh, just a Wicked Rabbits CD. I had a feeling Pete
would have a copy in his car.” He said offhandedly.

“That band only plays around here. How’d you even
know about them?” I asked surprised.

“Quick learner, I suppose.” He smiled wryly.

“Guess we should get going or we’ll be late for
class.” I mumbled and wondered neurotically if he suspected I was lying about
catching a ride.

Ren smiled coolly and waited for me to gather my
things. As we walked silently across campus toward class, I vacillated over
whether or not I should ask him to pick me up after all but before I came to a
decision we reached the point of parting.

“Eight o’clock then.” I said.

“Sure. Enjoy your walk.” Ren responded crisply and
without waiting for a response dashed off toward his next class.

I grimaced. I’d hurt his feelings. Even though I
knew I had a right to want my space, the more I knew about Ren, the more sure I
was that he’d never blow me off like that. He was thoughtful and kind, way more
than any other guy I’d ever met. Besides, I wanted to be closer to him. I’d
apologize… later once he’d cooled off. Then I sped off to class to finish the
day.

13

I plodded listlessly down
the steps then shoved the heavy doors of my apartment building open, venturing
out to the chilly street. Before setting out, I stared down Main Street
searching for the courage I needed to continue. The sunlight had dissipated
leaving a lingering purple glow methodically interrupted by yellow funnels cast
by the street lamps. I calculated the amount of funnels I would need to pass
through before making the turn up the hill toward Ren’s house. Four, that’s
all, then a hill, turn, another hill and that should put me about there. I
coached myself.

It had been a long day, my thoughts divided
between various categories of worry. As the cold and dark encroached, my
worries of Benjamin and the dark water of the well in my future presided over
my immediate thoughts. I wondered if time passed at the same rate in the world
that lived within my primer or if it crept along slowly waiting for me to return.
At any rate, I did know that time indeed marched on and there was a danger that
something could happened to Benjamin if I waited too long to return.

Envisioning little Benjamin crouched in a corner
of the stinking cell, a sense of urgency to solve the riddle and dominate that
horrible place surged through me. But there was the matter of the Shadow that
hunted me. At least one of my problems was bound in a leather cover.

Foot traffic along the road seemed lighter than
usual on Main. A month ago I would have enjoyed the relative privacy but
because of the newfound danger in my life, it made me edgy and suspicious. I
quickened my pace to Ren’s house.

Turning off Main, I scrambled up a steep side
street before turning off onto an even steeper, narrow, residential road.
Puffing up the hill, beads of sweat formed on my brow despite the cool air. I
squinted into the dark looking for the end of the street and the entrance to
Nan’s private drive.

“Hello.” The voice came from behind my ear, so
close I nearly jumped out of my skin.

“Geez, you snuck up on me!” I yelped sharply.

A look of surprise crossed Ren’s face.

“Sorry. I didn’t think I could sneak up on you.”
He laughed, pleased with himself.

Now aware of his presence, I recognized the
familiar and soothing hum of Ren’s existence.

“I guess I was preoccupied.” I stammered. The fact
that Ren had slipped by my radar troubled me. It was one of the only things
about being a witch I’d come to enjoy.

A solitary streetlight partially blocked by an ancient
fir tree cast a greenish glow across the asphalt. Ren’s face looked alien, his
profile illuminated but eyes shadowed in their caverns.

“Ren, I’m sorry for brushing you off today… I’m
just kind of stressed, you know?” I said reticently.

Ren tucked his head and kicked a pebble across the
street.

“Don’t worry about it.” He replied softly then
added. “I can’t imagine what you’re going through, Eliza. Come on, I’ll take
you in the back way.” He said and tugged my shirtsleeve gently leading me
toward a thicket of trees between two houses.

The homes along the street were old. Victorian,
Tudors and stately brick mansions, erected tastefully and congenially over the
years. All of the houses were immaculately maintained allowing them both the
glory of their era and antiquity. Despite the well-kept nature of the street,
the windows of the homes were dark, giving the street a sleepy, somewhat
deserted appearance.

“Where are all your neighbors? It’s pretty dark on
this street, don’t you think?” I asked Ren, my eyes scanning each house as we
trotted across lawns.

“Yes. It’s quiet up here most of the time.” He
said with an indifferent shrug, gazing at the row of dark curtained windows.

“Our address is on this street but really, the
house is set back into the hillside. It’s been here much longer than the
street.” He said before turning and lengthening his stride.

I quickened my pace to match his. As we approached
the trees, I noticed the narrow path. Ren ducked beneath a low hanging branch
and disappeared into the darkness. Still grasping his hand, I quickly stooped
beneath the branch to join him.