Shadow's Dangers (3 page)

“This is a class exemption for today.”

“It isn’t worth it,” I said, embarrassed by her thoughtfulness, as well as the attention that all this would generate around me. “I can easily go back to class.”

“I’d rather you go home.”

By tonight you could be sure all the town would be talking about my high school desertion.
As if I needed that, too...

“Mary, I assure you, I’m fine. I can—”

“Not a word,” she said firmly, cutting short any further discussion. “You go home and that’s that.”

I suppressed a sigh. It was useless to convince her otherwise.

“Okay,” I abdicated.

Her features softened a little at my surrender.

“You want me to walk you home or would you prefer I call Annabelle?”

The idea of my sister coming to pick me up seemed highly unlikely. And, anyway, there was no way I’d let her call my sister. I could go home on my own and a walk would do me good. It would help to rid myself of all these horrible images in my mind. And with luck, fatigue and cold would numb my brain and my overactive imagination would take a vacation.

“I’ll manage.”

She looked shocked. “You don’t think that I’m going to let you go home alone when you live so far and only a few minutes ago you felt badly?”

“I’m okay. I’ll just go home and have a rest.”

She looked thoughtful.

“You want me to have a word with Hayden so she can walk you home?”

Hayden would probably have been happy, not being a devout worshiper of the school, but a light, nay, a big obstacle prevented me from saying yes.

“I doubt her mother would appreciate it,” I said to the nurse, knowing Ms. Mayer enough to tell that about her.

“Okay, but you go straight home,” she continued, her face showing how it was difficult to let it go. “Don’t hang out on the road and call me as soon as you arrive. And I warn you, if I don’t hear from you by, say, half an hour, I’m coming after you.”

I smiled. She can be reassured, I was determined to call her once I arrived so she didn’t worry. Also, I couldn’t wait to be away from all these looks of compassion and pity everyone gave me. And most importantly, away from those strange, green eyes that made me see things that frightened me and made me say things that sounded as if I were going crazy...

After a quick detour by the secretary to drop off my exemption, I came to the hallway where the history room was located. I waited for Hayden to tell her that I was going home, but ensured that I avoided the green-eyed boy. Even if he wasn’t to blame, he made me see things that I didn’t believe. Things that were best buried in my mind. But I had recognized the beast of my nightmare in all of these images, so it could only be the fruit of my tormented soul. I saw it, standing before me, ready to shred me, only this time there was something different. I recalled it in another way...the place of my dreams changed, but the animal was always the same. It made no sense and since I created I had begun to manifest these anxiety attacks and pain, I now began to fear someone I knew nothing about; it was time to worry about my sanity.

I was so absorbed in thoughts that would lead me straight to a psychiatrist or even to an asylum if someone knew about them, I realized belatedly that the bell had rung. I brought my attention to the people coming out of the classroom and noticed one of the newcomers, the brother I had time to observe. He turned his head towards me and gave me a look...a cold look. A second later, he walked away down the corridor, as if nothing happened. As if he hadn’t shot daggers at me with his eyes when we didn’t even know each other and I had done nothing to him. I was sure I gaped at him with amazement. First his brother and now him. There was no denying it, I didn’t get along with those boys. And I didn’t know why, but with all that had happened, I suddenly had a bad feeling about them. These two brothers meant trouble...for me, anyway. I would avoid them as much as possible. I had enough on my plate, thank you very much.

I held a bitter laugh. Who was I kidding? It wasn’t as if they would want to get to know me.  I was the girl with the mysterious and bizarre family after all, and they would soon find out all about it. So I didn’t have to bother worrying about them. They wouldn’t approach me, just as the majority of students here hadn’t.

“Hi! It’s Deliah, right?” exclaimed such a sweet voice in my ear that it was impossible to doubt to whom it belonged.

I turned around.
So much for my confidence that the newcomers would flee from me like the plague...
I stared at her, my thoughts moving between wonder and incomprehension. The proximity and splendor of this girl troubled me, as if it would have been more logical to see her somewhere like a Californian beach rather than here in front of me.

“I-I... It’s me,” I stammered, piteously.

Yes, that’s brilliant,
I thought, but despite my ridiculous statement, she didn’t seem to laugh at me. Instead, she seemed more excited than anything else.

“I’m pleased to meet you,” she said happily, her hand outstretched as an invitation to get to know each other.

I looked foolishly at her hand, sure she was trying to making fun of me. I analyzed her eyes. There was only a frank curiosity as she regarded me, mixed with extreme kindness. I shook her hand, still confused by her interest in me.

“Likewise.”

“What a fool I am!” she said, equally exasperated with herself. “I didn’t even introduce myself. I’m Leighton Wates.”

I stood motionless, not knowing what to say or do. Uncomfortable and wanting to escape from this conversation, I threw glances around me to locate Hayden. And incidentally, to watch if her other brother was here and avoid him if that were the case.

“Are you okay?” she asked, following my gaze.

“What?”

At this point, she surely saw me as someone completely insane, given my current behavior.

“Don’t worry, Garreth won’t come.”

What or who was she talking about?

“What?”

Now, she probably added “stupid” to the “crazy” adjective to describe me.

Well, she had at least the merit of having focused all my attention on her. She smiled, put her hands on my shoulders. Her serenity seemed contagious. Her blue, almost transparent eyes, plunged into mine. I was trapped in their specificity, with no possibility of escape.

“Garreth, my brother,” she told me gently, still smiling. “He made you, how can I phrase it... ill-at-ease? Stop worrying about him. You don’t risk crossing his path again, today.”

I was so dazed by her hypnotic look that I couldn’t think straight. She had noticed our exchange? How? How did she know I was afraid of meeting him again?

“What... are you talking about?”

Suddenly, there was nothing in my mind. I stared at her, looking for the subject of our conversation. I couldn’t remember what she or I had said. I was beyond confused. Her smile broadened. I felt clueless. Why did she smile that way?

“It was a pleasure to meet you, Deliah. Oh and don’t worry, I will convey the message to Hayden.”

I smiled too, literally contaminated by her good humor, although the discomfort caused by my sudden lapse of memory was still present. This girl was the friendliest person I had ever met. Nothing like her brothers. Even if they haven’t done any harm to me, in the end. I had imagined things for a fancy of my mind and an insignificant little look.

“Thank you,” I told her before she went away, even though I didn’t remember asking her for this favor.

She gave me a wink and disappeared in a few seconds at the other end of the corridor.

My mind was less burdened all the way home. I didn’t really know why, but I was happy to have met Leighton. My encounter with her had pushed the memories of my nightmare far into the maelstrom of my concerns. Surprising when I thought I wasn’t able to stop myself from rehashing these pictures all morning. Now, it was as if I was unable to remember them. The images were blurred, as if these dreams escaped me gradually.

I could have stayed much longer in this peace of mind if I had not heard a dog barking. Surprised, I turned to search for the animal, but saw nothing. I frowned. I walked the long dirt road surrounded by forest on either side, at the end of which was my home and I knew that the people living nearby had no dog. I must have had an auditory hallucination. Shaking my head, I kept walking. A new bark sounded. Again, I saw nothing around me. The sound, however, seemed closer and the bark seemed like that of a big dog that wasn’t in a good mood. Slowly, but surely, fear dawned on me.

“Is there anybody here?” I asked, having the horrible impression of being in a bad horror movie.

The barking resumed and I started to walk faster, eager to get back home. There was less than a ten-minute walk to get there. I could do it without any incidents occurring.

My hopes came undone when a huge black dog appeared in front of me in a blink of the eye. I stopped in time to avoid a collision with it. My heart began to beat faster when I realized that the animal was closer to a wolf than a dog. The image of my dream came back to me suddenly. If it wasn’t for its yellow eyes glowing so differently, I would have thought that the beast of my nightmares had materialized right before me. God, I had never seen such eyes on an animal! He began to growl and a cold chill went up my spine. They say you have to stay calm, still, and conceal fear in front of a predator.
Easier said than done,
I said to myself while my instinct screamed at me to run away at full speed.

I considered the option for a few seconds. As if reading my mind, the beast grabbed the bottom of my jeans with his teeth to prevent me from fleeing. Alarmed, I tried to free myself from his grip.

“Get off me!”

My dreams were becoming reality and the horrible truth was taking shape before my eyes.

“Dammit! Let me go!” I exclaimed.

Desperate, I tried to put a blow to the animal with the leg he had in his maw. I succeeded, but lost my balance and I fell. My head hit the ground painfully and I let out a cry of complaint. Recovering quickly from the shock, I was about to fight him again when I realized that the animal had freed me. I would have sighed in relief if he had not stood there, still growling fiercely and ready to attack at any moment.

I stood up to run, but something stopped me. Looking at the animal, it finally occurred to me. I wasn’t the target, the one to whom these grunts were intended. It was something behind me.

Scared to death, I turned slowly to see a huge mass not far from me — another wolf. The first animal was tiny compared to this one. His coat was just as black, but unlike the other, its eyes were the same color as his coat. Threatening as ever, he had fangs upturned and a trickle of drool flowed from his mouth.

Oh my Gosh!
I thought, horrified. It was him. It was the wolf from my nightmare, who terrorized my nights, made me wake up gasping and haunted me all day long. It was he who, in all my dreams, headed straight to kill me.

My legs began to tremble. My body shook with spasms. The fears I had thought unfounded finally had a reason to be. The monster of my dreams did exist. And I was dying. Today. Right now.

Too quickly for my eyes, the nightmarish beast jumped on me. I collapsed under its weight. A cry escaped my lips when my head hit the ground hard again. The sound of the grunts seemed to amplify and the two animals began to fight near me. I longed to get to my feet, but without knowing why, I was unable to do so. I tried again several times. In vain. I still fell to the ground miserably. One of the wolves suffered many injuries, given the moans that I perceived. I hoped it wasn’t the first to suffer. In quite a selfish hope, I thought if the yellow-eyed dog remained alive, I would be safe.

Maybe the dog who tried to save me was going to die. Maybe when this monster had finished with his opponent, I would even find myself torn by his enormous and foaming maw. Thinking of that, disgust overcame me, though my mind became increasingly hazy. Squeals became more numerous. I was surprised to feel tears rise to my eyes. My stupidity led this animal to suffer this terrible fate and sentenced me to the same. And making matters worse, my damned eyelids wanted to close! I fought against this growing need, although the desire of letting go was here. But my efforts were useless.

I finally discovered the reason for my overwhelming weakness when I felt liquid dripping down my face. Hot and sticky, it was a smell that wasn’t foreign to me. It was blood. My blood. I was hurt. And seriously, considering the state in which I was in.

A few seconds or perhaps a few minutes passed, my mind too lost to grasp everything. The tumult ceased suddenly and I didn’t know if it was due to my condition, or the two animals, because their fight was over. A dark veil took place in front of my eyes and I sank into unconsciousness.

3

Visions

Images flashed before my eyes. Fast and elusive. Together they formed a nebulous and strange film where joy, pain and a multitude of bright and dark colors were mixed. All paraded at breakneck speed, elusive memories, like water slipping through my fingers. The whirlwind of scenes that led to the black beast coming to life during my nightmares were still not clear. The animal was only rage, bloody fangs and drool dripping from its mouth. And without warning, everything went dark and nameless suffering overwhelmed me.

I woke up alert, with a horrible headache. I threw inquisitive glances around me and realized I was in my room, safe. Whatever had happened had been only a nightmare. A scary dream, judging by my shortness of breath, my pounding heart and the sheen of sweat that covered my forehead. I winced when I felt a sudden and intense pain in my head. Since when did I have headaches in the morning? Was it because of my dream? It seemed unlikely, but with me, you never knew. I searched in my memory to find a small segment of my nightmare. Nothing. Usually, I remembered at least one element, however small it may be. And lately, I was still awake with a vivid memory of my nightmares.

But this time was different.
Today may be quieter than yesterday,
I told myself with hope while extricating myself from my sheets. I jumped to my feet. Too suddenly, because dizziness took me by surprise.