CHAPTER TEN
I stared at the shabby little house, afraid that if I blinked it would disappear and I would wake up from this wonderful dream.
I took one hesitant step forward, barely recognizing the ravished structure.
Felix leaned back against the SUV. “Go ahead. I’ll give you a few minutes.”
I swallowed down the lump in my throat and carefully climbed the slanted staircase leading to the half-sunken porch. I had expected to find blackened walls and torched furniture inside, but surprisingly it was more weathered than burnt.
Pictures still hung on the walls, crooked and dirty. The furniture was flipped onto its side and tossed to the corner of the room. The windows were all busted and every surface was coated in dust. Clearly, no one had been back here since the fire.
I crossed what I assumed was the living room and found the dining area, a bare room with absolutely nothing in it. Next, I wandered into the kitchen. Broken dishes lay in the sink and appliances sat on the countertop, still plugged in. I came to the staircase leading to the second floor. The railing was missing and the floorboards were badly cracked and broken in some areas.
You’ve come this far, don’t chicken out now!
I slid my hand along the wall as I carefully stepped over the broken boards. I reached the second floor where I could see two bedrooms and a bathroom. The doors to the bedrooms were closed, but I remembered the heart-shaped brass door handle on the one furthest from me.
If that one was my room, than the one next to me was my parents.
My hand hovered over the door knob as my heart raced. This part of my life was always such a mystery to me, and I had always wanted to know more; but now I feared that knowing more would mean feeling more.
I grasped the handle and opened the door. It was dark inside the room and smelled strangely like moss. There was a queen-sized bed covered with a dingy white sheet next to a window, covered by thick purple drapes.
I pulled back the curtains and the sunlight poured into the room, illuminating the specks of dust stirring in the air. A light stretched across the room and onto an old wooden vanity. I crossed the room and sat down on the little stool in front of it. Using my sleeve, I wiped clean a circular portion of the mirror.
I gazed at my reflection and for a brief moment I thought I saw my mother looking back at me, but the image faded and then it was just me again.
I traced my finger along the items on the vanity: a metal brush, a gold and teal bracelet, and a perfume bottle. I picked up the perfume bottle and sprayed a small amount into the air. It smelled wonderful. I looked at the rest of the room. Nothing seemed to jog any memories.
I walked to the opposite side of the hallway and turned the heart-shaped doorknob. I stepped inside and I collapsed to my knees as a flood of emotions swept through me at the sight. The walls were blackened, the furniture so badly burnt that I couldn’t tell what it once was. The floors were charred beyond anything I had ever seen before. Everything was burnt and destroyed, everything except a perfectly small circle in the center of the room.
The tears ran down my cheek like raindrops. My body shook and I felt both numb and sick. I leaned forward, cupping my face in my hands, and let out a loud shriek.
I heard something behind me, but I couldn’t feel enough to care.
Felix crouched down beside me with his hand on my back. “It was only a matter of time before you found this room.”
I looked up and my tear-filled eyes meet his. “I guess there’s no need to ask where the fire originated from, is there?”
He sighed. “I guess not.”
“And what about this,” I said, gesturing at the untouched circle I currently sat in the middle of.
He shook his head. “No one was able to tell me how that happened. The firemen couldn’t make sense of it.”
“Do you think…?”I felt a lump form in my throat, catching my words. I swallowed hard and tried again. “Do you think they died because of me?”
“No, of course not. What happened here was an accident.”
I glanced over the room once again. “Look at it though. Everything is burnt. Kids do that, you know. They start fires.”
He shook his head. “You didn’t start this.”
“Then who did?” I cried, cupping my hands over my mouth at the unfamiliar sound of my voice.
What was that? Rage?
Silence filled the room as we both avoided eye contact. Being in this house was unsettling, like the scent of death was still heavy in the air.
I felt his hand touch mine and I looked up at him.
“C’mon. Let’s go home.”
I nodded and let his guide me out of the room and back to the car.
I sat in the passenger seat with my forehead leaning against the cool glass window, watching the house disappear through the side mirror as we drove back to town. Felix didn’t say anything and I was glad. The last thing I wanted to do was to discuss an emotion I hadn’t yet come to terms with.
He pulled into the driveway and stopped the car. He put the car in park, but made no attempt at turning the engine off.
“You’re not staying?” I asked, sounding as abandoned as I felt. “I might not be in the chattiest of moods, but that doesn’t mean I want to be left alone. I don’t want to be alone.”
“I just have a few important things to get off my desk. I’ll be back before you know it.”
“Right,” I said, throwing the passenger door open. I slammed the door hard and stormed up the walkway to the house. I didn’t bother to check behind me to see if he was gone. I no longer cared.
I went to my room with a plan already in mind. I quickly changed into a pair of light blue jeans and a white long-sleeve shirt. I pulled my hair into a loose ponytail and hurried out the door for school. Usually, I would be thrilled to have the day off from school, but not today. Besides, I had already missed all day yesterday after my untimely jog, and I didn’t want to fall behind.
It didn’t take me long to reach the school yard, or maybe it had and my mind was too busy running through the events of this morning to realize it. Truthfully, I didn’t even remember the walk, but here I was anyway.
The yard was quiet, which made complete sense considering how late I was. I glanced down at my cellphone and realized it was already half way through third period.
I quickened my pace up the pathway to the main entrance, running head-on into a dark figure.
Yury.
He smiled down at me, making no attempt to step back. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
I stepped away and picked up my book bag from where it lay on the ground. “You didn’t.”
He smiled, his dark eyes looking more sinister than ever.
“I have to go,” I said, hurrying up the concrete staircase.
He turned and watched me reach the big wooden doors. “Annabelle…”
I looked over my shoulder.
“I was just wondering if you could show me to Jane’s locker?”
“Why?”
“Well, I’d rather that remain a surprise.”
I narrowed my gaze on him, hoping to see something behind the blackness of his eyes. There was no depth, just emptiness.
“It’s the locker near room 105. I don’t know the number, but you can’t miss it. It’s the one with pink hearts colored all over it.”
He stared at my blankly. Finally, he blinked and the awkward pause was over. “Thank you,” he said, his eerie gaze not leaving me.
I threw open the door and glanced over my shoulder as it feel shut. There was something off about him.
The heavy wooden door closed behind me and I felt relief washed over me. Now there was not only space between Yury and me, but also a big sturdy door, too.
“Annabelle, what a pleasant surprise,” said Miss April as I entered the office. “Your uncle called to let us know you wouldn’t be here today.”
“Yeah, well I’m feeling better now and I would really like to just
get back to class.”
She smiled and little creases formed at the corner of her eyes. “Well, Mrs. Crawford will be delighted to hear that.”
“Well, maybe you can put in a good word for me.”
She winked. “Will do! As soon as she gets back from her meeting.”
I furrowed my brow. “I never heard of an out-of-school meeting before.”
“You know, neither have I, until Mrs. Crawford that is. She takes all of her meetings out of school.” Miss April shrugged. “I guess everyone has their way of doing things.”
I took the late slip she offered me and headed for class, taking a slight detour passed Jane’s locker. The locker seemed untouched and Yury was nowhere in sight.
With that, I quietly slipped into history class and took a seat in the back row beside Alec. He was slouched over his desk with his head resting on a green binder. His hood was pulled over his eyes and I could hear a slight wheezing sound.
I extended my leg and gave his foot a little kick. “Alec,” I whispered.
He jolted up. “17!”
Mr. Bellamy stopped and turned to him. “Did you have something to add Mr. Saxon?”
Alec rubbed his eyes and yawned. “The answer is 17.”
The class roared with laughter.
“That’s very nice, but can you tell me what that has to do with the onset of the Civil War?”
Alec groaned and flopped back down onto his desk. Mr. Bellamy shook his head and continued on with his lecture, and I didn’t bother trying to wake Alec again.
The bell rang and I hurried to meet Jane outside her locker. I got there before her and was forced to wait. I leaned up against the hard metal locker and impatiently tapped my foot until I caught sight of her.
“Hey, I was beginning to think your uncle moved you guys again after that whole incident in the woods.”
I pursed my lips. “That is something he would do, but luckily he didn’t.”
“Thank God. I know it’s only been a couple of days since you got here, but this place just wouldn’t be the same if you left.”
I smiled. That was exactly what I needed to hear after a day like this.
Jane opened her locker and fought back against the heap of mess attempting its escape through the half-opened door. She kicked and pushed against the clutter as she shoved in one textbook in exchange for another. Suddenly, she stopped fighting and her eyes fixated on something on the top shelf.
“What the hell,” she said, using her free hand to pull out a boutique of flowers before shoving her weight against the door and locking it shut.
“Wow,” I said, looking at the beautiful boutique of white and purple flowers in her hand.
She sniffed the boutique and scrunched up her nose. “Who put these in there?”
“Yury,” I said. “I saw him outside the school when I arrived late this morning. He had asked me where your locker was.”
She gazed down at the lovely arrangement and smiled. Her eyes twinkled as she drew in another strong breathe of air as though his giving them to her changed their odor.
“They’re gorgeous.”
She was right. The flowers were absolutely spectacular. There were white and purple daisies and baby’s breath scattered throughout. A few random pinkish purple roses were placed in the center and most magnificent of all was a purple flower, very similar in shape to a Calla Lily, except with a long yellow steam protruding from the center.
“I’ve never seen this one before.”
I reach across and gently felt the texture of it. Suddenly, my fingertips felt hot, so hot they felt like they were burning. I yanked my hand back.
“What happened?”
I held my burning fingers in my hand and winced through the pain. “It burned me.”
Jane carefully touched the flower just as I did and looked back at me.
“Nothing’s happening.”
“What?” I said, looking from the flower to my bright red fingers.
“What’s going on?” said Carter, approaching from behind me.
“She must be having some kind of allergic reaction,” said Jane.
He took my hand in his and examined my blistering red fingertips. “How did this happen?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “I touched the flower with the long stem and this happened.”
Carter looked at the boutique, his eye automatically focus in on the strange purple flower.
His gaze darted from the boutique to Jane. “Where did you get these?”
“Yury sent them.” She turned down the hall and practically skipped way.
“There’s a first-aid kit in the sick room.”
I nodded. “I’ll go get this wrapped up and meet you guys in the courtyard.
“Are you kidding me? Leave you alone for a second and who knows what else you will burn yourself with.”
I looked down at my shoes. Any other day I would’ve laughed, but not so soon after the morning I’d had.
“Did I say something wrong?”
I shook my head. “No. You didn’t say anything wrong.”
He led me through the crowd by my good hand. We stopped at the end of the hallway where a set of double-decker doors led to the gym. Beside that was a single grey door. He opened the door and I followed him inside to a small, greyish room. There was a small cot in the far corner of the room and beside it a wooden cabinet.
He gestured at the bed. “Take a seat. It’s kind of dusty in here, but it will have to do.”
He searched through the cabinet and took out a tin of ointment and some bandages, and then sat down beside me. He laid my hand palm-up on his thigh and carefully applied the ointment.
“I never seen an allergic reaction cause a burn before,” I said.
He shook his head. “I’m not so sure they can.”
I arched a brow. “So it’s not an allergic reaction?”
“No, it’s not.”
I waited for him to continue, but he didn’t.
“So, what do you think it is?” I probed.
He stared down at my swollen fingertips. “I don’t know.”
“Then how do you know it’s not an allergy?”
He finished bandaging my fingers and stood up. “I don’t know. Maybe it is an allergy. Can we just drop it?”
I furrowed my brow. “Did I say something to offend you?”
“Of course not. I just… I’m just hungry.” He shoved his hands into his jacket pocket and leaned against the wall. “Want to take an early lunch?”
I frowned. “I’ve already missed a whole day of classes.”
Carter rolled his eyes. “You’re too good of an influence on me. But one more day won’t hurt. In fact, it may do you some good.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Think about it. Had you taken the day off this would’ve never happened,” he said, looking down on my hand. “If you leave now you may be saving yourself from whatever disaster is waiting around the corner.
Mindlessly, I leaned forward to look around the corner of the open door.
He smiled and held out his hand.
He was so handsome with the sunlight etching out his strong facial features like an immortal God. Even the sapphire rings of his eyes looked impossibly golden.
I reached out and took his hand.
We left the school through one of the side exits so we wouldn’t have to pass the office. The school was so big that it wasn’t hard to sneak away unnoticed.
“So where are we going?” I asked as he slid into the driver’s seat of the car.
“I haven’t really figured that out yet.”
“I’d love to give you some input, but I’m kind of new here.”
“I guess it’s all on me then.”
I smiled and leaned back in my chair with my hands folded under my head. “That’s right. Let’s see what you can conjure up on such short notice.”
“Well, just remember this is Burnwood, not Vegas.”
I sat up in my ch
air and looked around. “I have an idea. Turn right.”
He looked confused, but he complied anyway.
“Stop here,” I said as we came to the hardware store near the corner of the square.
He pulled the car to a stop and killed the engine. “You gonna fill me in on what we’re doing?”
I stepped out of the car. “We’re going for a walk.”
I started for the trail at the edge of the woods.
“Wait, isn’t this where you…”
“I know,” I interrupted. “That’s exactly why I need to go in there.”
I stared at the seemingly normal path cutting through the woods. I could still feel the coldness of that morning and an eerie feeling came over me. I closed my eyes and saw his pale white face and lifeless eyes.
Carter moved beside me. “You know you don’t have anything to prove.”
I sighed and turned to him. “It’s not just facing what happened yesterday. It’s about facing what happened this morning.”
He eyed me. “Is that the reason you were late this morning?”
I nodded and pulled out my cell phone. I opened my map app and selected my last location.
With my sense of direction, this app was a life saver.
“Okay, lead the way,” he said.
It was odd that Burnwood could be so small yet so vast at the same time. The forest made the miles seem endless, at least to me. Carter walked them like he had been doing it his whole life, which he probably had.
“It’s a nice walk, isn’t it?” he asked, hopping over a fallen tree.
“Yeah, it’s peaceful.”
“You know, you can reach anywhere in Burnwood with these paths.”
“Yeah?”
He nodded. “The paths are often quicker than the roads, if you know which ones to take.”
I stopped and took my phone from my pocket. The map pinpointed my location and my destination, but it couldn’t tell me what path would get me there quicker.
“If I tell you where we’re going, will you be able to get us there faster?” I asked, dangling my phone before him.
He swiped it from my hand so fast I barely had time to react.
“Hey,” I said, grappling for my phone as he held it above his head.
“Not so fast.” He took a glance at the screen. “What’s here anyway?”
“Do you know how to get us there or not?”
“Maybe,” he said. “Tell me what’s there.”
I stepped back and placed my hand on my protruding hip. “If you want to know you’re going to have to get us there.”
He glanced at the map again. “Fine. It’s this way.”
He handed me the phone and walked down the path to our right.
He didn’t probe me for answers along the way, but his eyes glanced questioningly over me on several occasions. I pretended not to notice.
Finally, the forest began to thin and I could see the little blue and white house coming into view.
I stopped. I wasn’t sure why I stopped, but my body was as frozen as my mind. Carter ran into the back of me, his chin colliding against the back of my head.
“I’m sorry,” I said, rubbing my head.
He looked around, probably expecting to see some kind of roadblock. “Why did you stop?”
“Maybe we should go back.”
I couldn’t believe the words that spilled from my mouth. Had the fear taken over me completely?
He looked me over and I looked away. My eyes focused on the house in the distance and he followed my gaze.
“What is that?” he asked, slowly moving forward.
I took a deep breath. “I will show you.”
I took his hand and we emerged from the woods with the house directly in front of us. It looked just as it had hours ago when I had first encountered it, abandoned and lifeless.
Carter shook his head and looked back the way we came. He surveyed the area once again, looking more and more puzzled. “I’ve never seen this place before.”
“That’s because no one has lived here for 13 years.”
He looked at me. “How do you know that?”
It felt good knowing at least one thing about Burnwood that he didn’t.
“Because, Carter, this is the house I grew up in.”
“The house your parents died in.”
He didn’t phrase it as a question, but I nodded anyway.
His gaze shifted from me to the house. “So, all this time you’ve been one of us.”
A tingling sensation pulsed through me at the words “one of us.” It was a strange feeling. One I had never encountered, so it took me a minute to place it. It was a sense of belonging and it felt amazing. The moment couldn’t have been more perfect, except for the look on his face as he said the words.
“You’re from Burnwood.”
I stepped back to gauge his expression. “That’s a good thing, isn’t it?”
He ran his hand through his hair and paced.
“Are you okay?” I asked, noticing the reddening of his skin.
He turned his back to me and stood silently.
I reached for his hand, but he jerked it away.
“Carter, what’s going on with you?”
I took a few steps toward him, but he matched them and kept his distance, never once looking back at me.
“Carter!”
Still, he remained silent. I took one quick step forward and grabbed his arm before he could counter it. He tried to shake me loose, but I held tight.
“Annabelle, step back!”
“Just tell me what’s wrong,” I pleaded.
“Just let go.”
“Carter…”
“Let go!” he shouted turning to push my hands from his arm.
I let loose and stumbled back as his eyes gleamed like a ring of fire where his irises once showed a warm hazel color. He turned away, but it was too late. I had seen…
What had I seen?