CHAPTER ONE
“Dad, slow down!” I scream at him with tears of frustration falling freely down my cheeks. My father is driving my convertible like a bat out of hell. The infuriating part is that I have no idea where we’re headed or why he’s in such a rush. Salty air blows in my face as we wind down a road that snakes through the lush rain forest. The scenery passes by us in a green blur.
My dad just glances over at me through his peripheral vision without uttering a word. I’ve never seen my dad so livid. This is how he’s been since Tristan and I got home earlier this afternoon.
Tristan is the caretaker’s son. My father and I are currently living in a home in Kauai, Hawaii owned by the Kealoha’s; a wealthy couple that hired my father to do a documentary on some very real evil spirits called the Night Marchers. Our home comes with its own caretaker, Alani. Alani and her son Tristan live in a small home next to ours. Tristan and I have a bit of history; he was the first person to help me get settled in Hawaii after my father moved us here during my senior year of high school. Tristan and I have some unresolved feelings for each other that I’m not ready to delve into yet. After all, right now I have much larger issues to worry about.
“Dad, are you going to talk to me? At least tell me where we are going, please!” Suddenly, I realize that my voice has turned into a childlike whine and I can tell it’s not helping the situation. I can see that his mouth twitches slightly but his lips remain sealed. My tears are rendered useless so I brush them aside with the back of my hand. There used to be a time when my crying was all it would have taken to slice through my father’s anger, not anymore.
I guess I can’t really blame my dad for his fury. Tristan and I were missing for twenty-four hours and, where we were, there was no cell service to allow us to call in and let our parents know that we were okay. For all my dad knew, I had up and disappeared, once again.
Yes, this isn’t the first time I’ve gone missing. It seems like forever ago, but only a few days back Tristan found me in the forest unconscious and sporting a broken arm. I had been running from an evil Night Marcher who was after my soul.
My dad makes a sharp turn breaking me from my thoughts. The wind starts whipping hair around my face now that we are angled in a different direction. I hastily try to push it behind my ears only to have it fly back into my face a second later. I didn’t even have time to get a stupid hair band before my dad was dragging me out of the house to the car a few minutes ago...
When Tristan and I arrived home, both Alani and my dad were at the door waiting for us. I could tell from their haggard appearance that they hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before. Alani took Tristan into her arms immediately with an exasperated hug. She started talking rapidly to Tristan in Pidgin. I had never heard her speak in a different language other than English before. From the nods that Tristan was giving his mom, it was apparent that he must have understood what she was saying, which stunned me.
Guilt hit me hard when I looked away from them to my dad who was raking his fingers through his hair causing it to stick out in all the wrong directions. I’m not sure if my mind was playing tricks on me but his hair seemed to have a lot more salt than pepper in it today. Looking in his eyes, I could see the exhaustion; I doubt he got much sleep last night. I don’t recall having ever seen my dad look so worn-down.
I was standing still just staring at my dad. I had expected him to embrace me in a hug or yell at me or do something. So I was surprised when the only words from his lips were, “Emma, go take a shower.”
I looked down at myself and sighed. I hadn’t realized how ragged I looked. My clothes were covered in mud and grass stains. Threads were hanging down from the right knee of my jeans where there was a hole stained with blood. I knew by now that if I inspected my knee where I had fallen yesterday, all I would find is a fading scar, no proof of where the staining blood would have come from. I’ve been healing at rapid speeds lately.
Questioningly, I looked back up and into my dad’s eyes. He kept his gaze firm and steady then gestured with his head towards the hallway that lead to my room. “Fine!” I spat out of irritation then stomped off to my bedroom to take a shower.
It took me a while to find something to wear after my shower. My closet seemed devoid of clean clothing. I guess it was laundry day or something. I settled with a plain white tee and a fresh pair of jeans. After running the brush through my knotted hair I stood for a few seconds looking at my reflection. I hadn’t bothered drying my hair and when it was this wet, it looked more black than brown. Mostly though I was taken aback by how much more grown up I looked. It might be psychological but my face looked more mature, less juvenile. Stress and lack of appetite had thinned my cheeks. My brown eyes looked tired and haunted. I’d seen too much and lost what I’m not sure that I will ever get back. I wonder if some day I will again resemble the innocent seventeen year old that I was only a week ago.
“Emma!” I heard my dad hollering to me from down the hall. I threw on my flip-flops and ran out to meet him. He was at the entryway with my car keys in his hand. I had thought that perhaps he was going to take my car away from me, which I certainly would not have blamed him for. I set my jaw and held my head up high ready to take my just punishment. Instead of grounding me, my dad just told me to get in. Confused I followed him and got into the passenger side of the car, which is where I sit now.
I look over to my dad again to see if he’s softened any, but his jaw is still set on edge. Succumbing to the fact that I will just have to wait and see, I gaze out into the rainforests that line the road. The thick luscious vegetation displayed in numerous shades of green sends shivers down my spine along with unpleasant memories. I’m thankful when we head into a more developed part of the island and I’m able to look at houses and businesses with hotels and tourist shops dotted in between.
Then it hits me! I know where we are going…the airport! “Dad, what’s going on?” He still doesn’t speak, and his face is set with even more determination the closer we get. I’m instantly set at unease. This can only mean one of two things. One, Kaylee, my best friend, is arriving here a week earlier than expected. Or two, my dad and I are leaving. I pray that it’s the former thought that takes the prize; I can’t leave right now. Anyhow, Kaylee is set to come in next Friday night. The Kealoha’s paid for her ticket to visit me knowing that I would need support after what happened.
Tristan isn’t the only one who knows about my run in with the Night Marchers. Mrs. Kealoha confronted me about it two days ago. She had earnestly asked me if I had seen her son among the Night Marchers; he had disappeared a few months earlier. From what her son’s friend stated, she believes that her son is now one of them, a Night Marcher. Night Marchers are ancient wandering spirits of soldiers who are believed to wander from their graves to places of battles past. Not all Night Marchers are ancient soldiers though. There are those who choose to turn in order to become immortal, those who became unfortunate slaves due to a curse and most recently one who chose to sacrifice his life for another. Hawaiians believe that looking a Night Marcher in the eyes can strike a curse, which would end in either death or eternal servitude. I not only believe this legend, my experience has proved it true. Mrs. Kealoha's son had locked eyes with a Night Marcher just like I had done. Only he was not so fortunate. He most likely is among their ranks now. For me, someone else took my place…Kai. A knot the size of Texas swells in my chest at the thought of Kai, with his stormy grey eyes. He’s still out there and I have to help him. I push my thoughts of Kai down deep as the airport comes into view up ahead.
I start shifting nervously in my seat when my dad passes the arrivals exit. Anxiety sets in and nausea fills my stomach as my dad pulls into the departures parking lot and takes the key out of the ignition. “Dad…” I say at a tone barely above a whisper.
He doesn’t respond, he just presses the trunk release button and exits the car. With my heart beating a hundred miles per hour I can do nothing but follow suit. My dad p
ulls out a suitcase, slams the trunk and says his first words since we left home. “Let’s go Emma.” I instantly wish to have the silence back again. Hearing him finally speak to me in a tone so full of pain and anguish cuts through my heart. Tears well in my eyes as I follow him up to the airport doors.
I stay standing near the door as my dad continues on towards the ticket counter. The last time I was here in the departure wing I was seeing Tristan off for his two-week training in the Army reserves. It was a time filled with hope: hope for our relationship and hope for our future. Heat hits my cheeks as I think of the kiss we shared before he left. That was when everything seemed so simple.
I don’t believe I will ever look at this place the same again, through eyes of hope. I’m filled with despair at the thought of leaving Kauai. A month ago I would never have believed it when I moved here from Texas. I thought I would hate it here. I don’t though. I have found a new life in such a short time and I can’t leave now, especially not with everything that’s going on. I can’t leave Kai! He needs me! He sacrificed himself to save me! I need to help him!
My dad comes back with a ticket in his hand. “Emma, please don’t cry.” He says compassionately, all hostility now gone.
Instinctively I wipe the tears from my eyes. I hadn’t even realized I was crying. I look to my dad and then down at the ticket in his hand. Ticket as in singular... “Where’s your ticket?” I ask already resigned to the fact that I am obviously the one who that ticket is destined for.
“Emma, I love you. I can’t even explain how I felt…I mean, when you didn’t come home…. again.” His voice is shaky which is truly hard for me to take, especially coming from a man of my dad’s stature and poise. “I think it was a mistake, my taking you here with me. It’s just too dangerous. I should have agreed with you and allowed you to stay back in Texas. You are not safe here and I don’t know if you understand how hard it is for me to admit that I can’t keep you safe here. The only thing I can do to protect you is to send you home.” His eyes are pleading earnestly to mine.
“I am home dad!” I yell loud enough to make a few people turn and stare. “This is my home now.” I say a little quieter, embarrassed for having caused a scene.
“Emma, you are better off in Texas. I’ve arranged for you to stay with Kaylee and her mom. They will be waiting for you when you land.”
“No.” I whisper. My spirit deflated.
My dad grabs my shoulders in earnestness. Looking straight into my eyes he says, “You must go Emma. You are all I have left. I love you too much. I cannot loose you too…” He barely chokes out the last words as tears rim his eyes.
He’s talking about my mom. We lost her when I was three. She disappeared and was never found again. My hand goes to my jeans pocket reflexively. Thankfully I transferred my mother’s picture into it. I carry it with me everywhere; it’s my only reminder of my mom, a picture of us at the park on my third birthday.
“I love you.” My dad says and pulls me into a hug more powerful than any we have shared in a long time. I quietly sob in his arms. My heart aches. We stay locked together, my dad just holding me close into him, smoothing his hand over my head again and again in a comforting gesture. It takes me several minutes to stop crying and to pull back.
I brush the tears away from my eyes and say, “I love you too dad.” We just stare at each other for another minute allowing our souls to speak what words cannot express. Then I gently pluck my ticket from his hand, take the handle for my carry on suitcase and walk towards the security line.