Sleep Keeper (10 page)

The guilt washed away and was replaced by a deep yearning. I tried to bury it back inside and focus on the exquisite view. We watched the sunset side-by-side, hand in hand.

The sky grew darker and time slowly ticked away. Soon the sun made its final departure, leaving a bright moon above that lit up the sky and shimmered off the water like a sea of dancing candles. I knew my time was almost up and wondered how long Mitchell would let me sleep.

I shifted my body toward Orion and he followed without hesitation. His skin was radiant as it reflected the moon’s glow. He brushed my hair over my shoulder as he studied my face. My heart raced at his touch. My mouth slightly parted as I focused on his lips and wondered how sweet they’d taste.

I gazed into his eyes, which were fixed precisely on mine. I wondered if he noticed I was staring at his lips or if he could sense how badly I wanted him. I knew it was wrong, but the urge was too strong to resist. He brushed his hand against my cheek and cupped the side of my face. I leaned into his touch.

The bright sun stung my eyes. I snapped them closed again and rolled over to my side with a groan. I slowly cracked open my eyelids and saw Mitchell a dozen feet away studying something on the ground. I sat up, blinking several times, trying to focus on the bright light of my world.

Wow, that was intense.

A new wave of guilt mixed with disappointment hit me as I thought about what I almost did.

What’s wrong with me? I can’t believe on my anniversary I’m fantasizing about another man.
I’m a selfish awful person!

As I scolded myself, Mitchell strolled by and joined me on the blanket. He leaned in and kissed me. I couldn’t make my lips move against his. I don’t think he noticed.

“Do you want to head back out on the water?” he asked.

“Yes!” I answered, probably a little too eagerly.

We packed up our things and headed back onto the lake. After an hour of paddling and floating on the water, we made our way to the shore where we started. I helped Mitchell pack the SUV and tie the kayaks to the rack. While driving home, I turned on the radio, turned up the volume, and sang along to the tunes, attempting to drown out my cynical thoughts. It worked fairly well and my not-so-hot singing amused Mitchell.

Back at home I jumped in the shower while Mitchell hung the kayaks in the rafters of the garage. The shower gave me a much-needed second wind. Mitchell walked into the bathroom just as I turned off the water. He handed me a towel, delaying a little too long for his own sake. He slapped me on the butt when I passed by and gave me a wink. I giggled at his winking attempt, which looked more like he had something caught in his eye. He stripped off his clothes for his turn at the shower. I watched him undress. I couldn’t help but compare his average figure to Orion’s muscular build.

Stop it!

I quickly turned and walked out of the bathroom, catching Mitchell’s smirk as he noticed me watching him. Thank God he couldn’t read my mind. I walked into the bedroom and picked out a lilac dress. It was slim-fitted with square low-cut top and slender straps. I sat the dress on the bed while I finished getting ready. I straightened my hair and applied my makeup. When I was finished, I slipped on the dress… it fit good, hanging mid-thigh.

Mitchell walked into the room and paused. “Wow, you look gorgeous,” he admired, with eyes that looked like he meant it.

“Thank you, sir,” I responded and twirled around to show off my new dress.

He was entertained by my display. “I’ll be ready shortly,” he said and disappeared into the bathroom.

I put on my high heels that didn’t get much use and transferred my essentials to a fancier purse. Shortly after, Mitchell emerged from the bathroom looking sharp. He strode over toward me, put his arms around my waist and kissed me firmly. He smelled good… familiar… and I kissed him back this time.

“I love you, baby,” he smiled.

“Love you too Mich,” I replied.

“You ready to go?” he asked, with a wide grin.

I tried to duplicate his excitement and followed him toward the garage. Mitchell held the door open for me as I climbed into the car.

His first surprise was a horse and carriage ride through the fabulous 40s of East Sacramento’s charming neighborhood. The ride ended at an elegant restaurant in the heart of downtown. Great food and music by candlelight brought back fond memories from our high school days. I was reminded of the carefree fun and excitement we used to have together, before my dad died and life somehow became complicated. I wondered if we could go back to those times. It sounded simple in theory, but in reality I would wake up tomorrow with the same stress and problems as I did this morning. For now, I enjoyed the evening and was glad I was there.

We drove home later that night to the soothing sounds of smooth jazz. Mitchell pulled the car into the garage and came around to open my door. I stumbled trying to get out and he caught my arm, preventing the fall.

I opened the front door and gasped at the illuminating glow of what looked like a hundred candles stretched throughout the condo.

“Mitchell, how did you do this?” I asked in amazement. I was thoroughly impressed.

He cocked his head, “I didn’t do this. You didn’t?”

“Very funny,” I smirked, and continued to walk down the hall.

Mitchell grabbed my arm hard and yanked me back behind him. “I swear Alexis, I didn’t do this.” His wide eyes darted around the room as he reached for the light switch on the wall.

Click… click… click.

Nothing happened. We stared at each other in confusion. Something wasn’t right. A surge of adrenaline shot through my veins.

“You really didn’t do this?” my voice wavered as I whispered.

I knew the answer but prayed I was wrong.

“No!” he whispered harshly. 

I suddenly felt confined in the narrow hall; the romantic setting transformed to creepy. Simultaneously, we scanned our surroundings for our intruder.

“Stay here,” Mitchell ordered as he bolted toward the living room.

“Mitchell, no! Don’t go in there!” I pleaded and grabbed for his arm.

He pushed me back, placed his finger across his lips with a stern face, and then disappeared quietly down the hall. Reluctantly, I obeyed and remained standing in the hall… alone and frightened… watching the shadows shifting in the flickering candlelight.

The floorboards creaked and I jumped in fright. I flipped around, my heart was pounding out of my chest, but there was nothing there. My body was pumped on full alert. I remained in the hall flipping my head left to right…. back to forward. I felt vulnerable and exposed just standing there. It was eerily quiet and I couldn’t hear Mitchell in the other room. It reminded me of standing behind that rock, waiting for Draco’s attack. I grew more worried with each passing second in the silence until the building panic was cut off - a sharp pain hit my throat.

My body was pulled back against his chest as something violently dug deeper into my neck, cutting off my air supply. I tried to gasp but couldn’t catch a breath. Instinctively, I threw my hands against my throat and clawed frantically at the object. It felt like a thick type of wire. It was pressed so tightly against my flesh that my digging fingers only tore at the surrounding skin. My head throbbed and my eyesight blurred as I desperately tried to free my neck. His body pushed tighter against mine, dragging me around the room as I tried to get a grip with my feet. One of my heels snapped and I slipped, spreading the pain from my head through my entire body. Another charge of adrenaline burst through. I felt renewed energy as I fought for my life.

Diverting my attempt to free my throat, I reached back and clawed at the face of my attacker. I felt his flesh and the warm blood under my nails as I sliced open his face. He let out a grimacing yelp and lost his grip.

I took a deep breath and instantly started to choke. My windpipe was angry from the assault. I sucked in several small breaths before my head flooded with pain once again as the wire dug back into my neck. I reached for my throat again, but quickly changed my strategy. I curled up my left hand and dodged to the right, using all my force to ram my fist into my intruder. Luckily, my aim was spot-on as he grunted and buckled over, releasing his hold entirely.

I took another deep breath and gagged. My burning throat was rebelling against me. I used all the strength I had to try to flee. Still bent over, I staggered forward and managed to take a few short steps until he twisted his hand in my hair and yanked me to the ground.

Before I could scream, I saw Mitchell fly over me in a blur and tackle the intruder to the ground. Still gasping for air, I climbed to my knees and watched as Mitchell wailed profusely on him. I tried to scream but my throat was on fire and nothing came out.

I force my body upright and rushed over to Mitchell, grabbing the Maglight from my nightstand drawer for a weapon. I leaped behind Mitchell whose hands were wrapped around the intruder’s neck. Mitchell’s face was twisted in a rage that I have never seen before and somewhat frightened me. My eyes meet the intruders and I froze.

“Stop Mitchell, don’t kill him!” I choked out, as I recognized Jeremy frantically grasping at Mitchell’s arms.

“Stop Mitchell, stop!” I demanded and tried to pull him off of Jeremy.

Mitchell’s grip loosened and Jeremy slid away, trying to escape. Mitchell pounced back on him and continued to punch him until Jeremy’s arms fell limp to the ground.

“That’s enough, Mitchell. He’s out,” I said firmly and yanked on his shoulder.

Mitchell ceased his attack but did not retreat - waiting to make sure Jeremy was really unconscious. He remained on top of him. He was breathing so heavily I could hear him huffing. His hands were trembling and the blood shimmered off his knuckles from the candlelight. A few moments later, Mitchell snapped out of the trance. He jumped to his feet surprisingly fast and wrapped his arms around me, lifting up my entire body. He squeezed me tightly causing me to gasp for air. He sat me back down and examined me for injury.

“Are you okay?” he asked in distress.

“I think so,” I replied as I rubbed my damaged neck. “Thank you for saving me,” I blurted out and began to cry hysterically.

I tried to control the sobs, but the overwhelming emotions flooded out at once. Between Draco and Jeremy, I completely lost it. My legs went numb and I fell to the ground. Mitchell dropped to his knees, trying to comfort me.

“It’s okay, honey. You’re safe. Don’t worry, he won’t hurt you again,” he promised, kneeling on the ground with his arms draped around me.

He continuously glanced back to make sure Jeremy was still unconscious. I was even more aware now that I wanted him to stay that way.

“Call the police,” I managed to call out.

“Come on, get up,” he insisted, as he pulled me to my feet and led me outside.

By the time the police were done questioning us, Jeremy regained consciousness and was being escorted to the police car.

“Alexis please, I swear, I didn’t mean to! You gotta believe me, I would never hurt you!” he pleaded with shameful eyes, as they dragged him across the parking lot and shoved him into the police cruiser. I quickly broke eye contact and turned away.

“Alexis!” he shrieked, as they shut the door.

Mitchell held me tighter and I buried my face into his chest.

I couldn’t sleep. Whenever I started to drift away, I felt the tight wire suffocating my throat again. I jumped up in bed gasping for air, which inevitably woke up Mitchell. He’d bolt to his feet, still in combat mode, but then quickly fall back asleep once he determined that I was just losing my mind. This pattern repeated twice already this past hour and I was determined not to have a third. I crawled out of bed and headed to the kitchen for some herbal tea. Maybe that would help calm my nerves.

As I waited for the tea to steep in the hot water, I thought back to my childhood with Jeremy, trying to make sense of what happened. My memory took me back to my freshman year of high school. Josh White was the hottest boy in the junior class. All the girls in school had a huge crush on him. I thought he was cute, but didn’t see what all the fuss was about. He wore his short blonde hair in spikes and dressed in designer clothes that complimented his green eyes. My girlfriends would sit during lunch period lasciviously watching him across the cafeteria and dreaming about what it would be like to kiss him.

It was November and raining heavily on the night of our Sadie Hawkins dance. Since many of my friends were still too shy to ask any boys to the dance, and it felt weird then to ask Mitchell, we all decided to go stag. I was a terrible dancer so I mostly stood around listening to my friends’ gossip about who was wearing what dress and who was dancing with whom. When the last song played and my night was coming to an end, Josh strode over to our group.

“Hi Alexis,” he spoke confidently with his hands in his pockets.

If he hadn’t said my name, I would have thought he had me confused with someone else. I didn’t know he knew who I was.

“Hi.” I replied. My voice was unnaturally high.

“Did you have a good time at the dance?” he asked, taking a few steps closer.

“It was alright. Did you?” I asked, trying to play cool.

“It would have been better if I came with you,” he smiled.

“Maybe next time then,” I said with a crooked smile.

Even though I didn’t swoon over him like the rest, my stomach still turned. He certainly looked cute enough to be my first kiss.

Maybe…” he smiled. “Do you have a ride home?”

Jeremy had recently obtained his license and was tasked with picking me up from the dance soon, however I couldn’t let an opportunity like this one pass by.

“Not yet,” I lied.

“I can give you a ride if you want,” he offered.

“Sure,” I blurted out, sounding too eager.

“It’s pouring outside. I’ll go pull the car around for you,” he suggested and disappeared outside.

My girlfriends nearly jumped up and down, partially in excitement, but mostly in jealousy. Mitchell must have disappeared somewhere with the other guys. My friend Beth was staying after to help take down the decorations, so I asked her to tell Jeremy I got a ride from a friend. I hurried over to the entrance and waited. Beads of sweat formed under my arms and I prayed that he didn’t notice. It seemed like I waited an eternity. He finally pulled up to the curb and I hopped in. He reached over to move the heater vents toward me.

“Here you go. It should warm up soon,” he promised as he turned up the heat.

I rubbed my wet hands together in front of the vents. “Thank you” I said, while staring at my shaking hands. I was still too nervous to look directly at him.

He put the car in gear and headed out of the parking lot.

“I live off of Montgomery Street and Goldview,” I said, pointing in the general direction.

He nodded and cruised down the road. It was awkwardly quiet for a moment.

“So Alexis, do you have a boyfriend?” he casually asked.

“No,” I responded, again too eagerly.

Pause before answering next time.

“Have you ever had a boyfriend?” he asked.

Pause.

“A few,” I answered, acting nonchalant.

Another lie. I had never had a boyfriend, but didn’t want him to think I was a loser.

“Huh,” he replied, as if he knew I was lying.

He reached over and turned on the radio. He looked extremely calm as he drove. I tried to loosen my arms to match his relaxed disposition. He glanced my way, catching my stare, and smiled. I shot a quick smile back and looked away bashfully. I glanced at the window, realizing we were almost to my house. Unfortunately, I lived close to school. I recited my address and he pulled over a few houses past. I had no intention of correcting him though. He turned off the engine but left the music on. I recalled the smooth tune of Keith Sweat’s
Nobody
with immature anticipation of a kiss to follow.

He shifted toward me and grazed my thigh with the back of his hand. I impulsively yanked my leg back.

What are you doing?! He’s going to think you’re inexperienced… or maybe he’ll think you’re playing hard to get, which isn’t as bad…

He either didn’t notice or didn’t care because he leaned in closer. I froze, holding my breath… unsure what to do. My heart was racing and my head went completely blank. He paused for a moment, and then gently pushed his lips against mine.

It took me a few seconds to respond and attempt to kiss him back. His kiss became firmer and he pushed himself against me. My back pressed firmly against the seat. His quick advance made me uncomfortable. I pulled my face back, but his mouth continued to follow until my head was pinned against the seat, joining the rest of my body.

His kissing grew deeper and stronger. I wasn’t sure if I liked it or not. His hand moved farther up my leg. I gently pushed my hand against his to stop his progress but he pressed on stronger. I turned my head to the side to break free of his kiss.

“Whoa, Josh. Slow down,” I suggested.

He stopped moving his hand but didn’t remove it nor did he pull his body off of mine. He moved his lips to my neck and softly kissed below my ear. Rousing tingles spread down my body. I closed my eyes and tried to relax. He moved his lips back onto mine and slid his hand up my thigh again. This time I placed both hands on his chest and pushed him away.

“Stop…” I stuttered, which came out more like a question.

Being the typical teenage boy, he wasn’t going to give up that easily, and part of me didn’t want him too either.

“Come on, Alexis. What’s the big deal? We’re just having fun. Don’t you like me?” he asked.

“Sure I guess, I mean, you’re cute…”

“Then what’s the deal? You aren’t in junior high anymore, you know.”

“I know… I just… am not ready for all of this. I barely know you.”

“Okay, we don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do… Can I kiss you again?” he asked innocently.

“I’d like that,” I whispered.

He leaned in again, placing his hand on my hip and kissed me, this time slow and gentle. This I liked. We kissed for a while then he started moving his hand farther up my torso. I gently pushed it back down but he resisted and kept going. I tried to push him off of me but he used his body weight to withstand my defense. I pulled my mouth away.

“Josh, stop,” I directed.

This time my tone matched my agitation.

Suddenly he flew out of the car. I sat up and caught a glimpse of Jeremy’s back. I opened the car door and sprinted to the other side. Jeremy was on top of Josh punching him repeatedly.

“Stop!” I screamed and tried to pull Jeremy off of him.

He whipped around and slammed me against the car. I lost my balance in my heels and fell on the wet concrete, scraping my knee. I jumped to my feet and stood in front of Jeremy, screaming at him to stop. By then, Josh was lying in the street, too dazed to fighting back. My parents heard the commotion and ran outside just as Jeremy stopped. I was left completely in shock at the extent of Jeremy’s assault.

Josh was taken to the hospital with a concussion, broken nose, and two broken ribs. Not surprisingly, he never talked to me after that. I was too embarrassed to approach him at school. And I was furious with Jeremy. I didn’t speak to him for nearly a month, although he didn’t care. I wasn’t sure if Jeremy thought he was protecting me or was just looking for another excuse to fight. That seemed to be his nature, but either way, the extent of his behavior was far beyond big brotherly.

After several minutes, I took the tea bag out of the mug. I drank down the warm liquid quickly, and then headed into the living room. I flipped on the television and sprawled out on the couch. A half-hour later, the herbal tea did its trick and my mind drifted in and out of consciousness. I turned off the TV and closed my drowsy eyes, listening to the creaking house settle around me. I pushed aside the creeping anxiety and focused on the rhythmic ticking of the wall clock. Soon after, I drifted off to dreamland.

Everything was out of focus… jumbled. Images flashed by; too confusing to sort out. Then one of them came into focus. It was like watching a movie on a screen with poor reception. The image was a small room, fairly empty, with a bed and dresser. Horns blared outside. A girl jumped from what looked like the dead of sleep. Suddenly, it was clear. But not only could I see her, I felt her thoughts - like I was inside her head thinking them myself. Momentarily stunned, she sat perfectly still before the meaning behind the warning sound sunk in. She yanked on her boots and slipped her fur jacket over her flannel nightgown, running through the empty house. From the kitchen window, she could see her father and brother near the shed. She rushed out the front door and into the early morning light. The wind howled fiercely against the mountainside. She pulled up the jacket’s headpiece and shielded her eyes against the stinging snow. Through the dark haze that permanently replaced the sky, all she could see was a desolate forest.

“They’re coming!” Draco bellowed; his gaze fixed toward a mountain in the distance.

Draco?

Her two cousins came running from behind the house, waiting anxiously for Ciro’s instructions.

              “Selena, take the children ‘round back and head toward the fallen caverns! Andrew, you and Julius head up that hill to the North! Draco and I will protect the perimeter! Let’s see if we can fend them off long enough for the others to get to safety!” Ciro hollered through the wind.

Draco and Selena? This must be a “real” dream.

              Julius’ wide eyes shifted toward Selena. His chest moved rapidly with each quivering breath. Even through the storm, she could tell her cousin’s shaking was not from the chilled air.

              “But father, I want to fight! Let Julius take the children instead,” Selena pleaded.

Julius’ eyes flashed with hope for an instant before filling with shame. He shook his head in protest. I could tell that as scared as he was, he would never pass down his imminent death sentence to her.

              “Absolutely not! You’re only fourteen! Besides, you’re barely strong enough to
lift
a saber, let alone swing one!” Ciro scolded.

              “They’re crossing the valley! There must be hundreds…God help us…” Draco’s words trailed off.

              I could feel his thoughts in my head too. His mind was innocent and scared. He was not the same Draco I encountered in the cave. Although much younger, Draco’s brawny physique overshadowed his father. Strands of fine black hair were swept across his worried brow. He pushed his braid over his shoulder, landing down the middle of his back. He was not prepared for a battle. In fact, he had never seen or been in a physical altercation of any type. Other than Erebus, violence was a rarity in his world. He took a deep breath and buried the fear deeper inside, focusing on protecting his family.

              Julius gasped when he saw the swarm of men charging forward in the distance. He stumbled as he pulled the sword out its scabbard and took a few steps back to steady his stance.

              “Boys, take your positions! Selena, go help your aunt with the children, now!” Ciro ordered.

              Her father and older brother ran toward the front of the property. Selena hesitated as she watched her two cousins race up the hill toward the attack. In the distance a cloud of snow billowed against the horizon as the army marched closer with their malevolent master leading. Unlike the others, Selena didn’t cower in fear.

              She glanced toward the back of the property where her aunt was gathering the others to flee in a passageway hidden deep in the nearby caverns. Thunder rumbled overhead and she glared at the sky in a scowl. She couldn’t remember the last time the sun had broken through the storms. Not since Erebus took control of the land. She no longer felt the life of the forest. The only thing flowing through her veins since her mother’s death was bitterness. She was in no mood to run and hid from anyone.

              The wind blew her hat across the ground. She kneeled down to grab it when she spotted Marcus standing a hundred yards out. I felt warmth melt into her chest as she saw him.

“Marcus! Marcus!” she called out.

This time I felt something different - something cold and foreign in his mind. He heard his name as an echo but was unable to respond. I felt a wave of adrenaline crash through him with a fevered intensity that made his head spin and a fire burn inside my chest. Possessed by a raw hatred unlike anything I had experienced before. I could see what he was seeing. Images flash across the snow in his mind. Pictures of his mother dying… visions of suffering that sent his heart racing in a perverse excitement. The images flashed faster and faster like flipping through a deck of cards. His breathing increased to panting. Beads of sweat rolled down his face and into his eyes. He squeezed them tight but the images kept coming; horrid images… yet pleasure swam inside of him.