Blur (10 page)

“Oh,” I breathed when he removed his mouth and began a hot trail down my neck with his tongue. My entire body was trembling with desire. “Oh, God.”

He chuckled softly against my skin. “Not quite.” 

Someone shouted my name, startling me back to my senses and I tensed up underneath him.

Duncan!

Ethan raised his head and I could see the rage burning in his eyes. “Fuck,” he growled.

Duncan crashed through the bushes right as Ethan took off and I was left staring up at the stars in confusion.

“Are you okay?” asked Duncan, now at my side, looking down at me.

“I think so,” I replied, as he helped me up.

“What in the hell just happened!” hollered Nathan, stumbling through the woods, out of breath.

My lips began to tremble. “I wish I knew.”

Nathan and Duncan were full of questions as we walked back to the house. I was still in a state of confusion and had a difficult time answering them.

“Who was it?” asked Duncan.

“Where’d they go?” added Nathan.

I shook my head. “I…I just can’t remember.”

It wasn’t exactly true, but my thoughts were so muddled because of my overwhelming attraction towards Ethan. Part of me understood that it wasn’t natural; it was some power he was using to control me. Another part of me didn’t care; I just wanted him to have his way with me, whatever it was.

Nathan scratched his head. “Did you see who it was, Duncan?”

He shook his head. “I was thrown backwards and then she was gone in a flash. It was crazy.”

Nathan scowled. “I don’t even know how to call this one in to nine-one-one. Attempted kidnapping by the invisible man?”

I cleared my throat. “Um, don’t worry about it, Nathan. I’m fine.”

His face darkened. “No, we have to call the police. You could have been murdered or raped.”

It certainly wouldn’t have been rape
, I thought. Although, if he was using mind control to make me desire him so much, then it was as bad as a date rape drug.

“I didn’t see anything. I don’t even know who it was,” I protested. “The cops are going to think we’re all crazy.”

Nathan stared at me for a minute. “Okay, I’d better ask – was it human?”

“To be honest, I don’t know,” I muttered.

Duncan grabbed my hand and squeezed it. “I’m calling my dad to let him know I’m staying over tonight. I’m not letting you out of my sight again.”

Nathan looked at both of us, a funny smile playing on his lips. “Wait a second, did I miss something?”

I could feel my cheeks turn pink.

“I guess you could say that I’m kind of falling for your sister,” said Duncan with a sheepish grin. “I hope you’re okay with it.”

Nathan snorted. “I’m fine with it. Now I won’t be the only guy who has to suffer her P.M.S.”

I slugged him in the shoulder. “Very funny, booger.”

“See,” he said, moving away from my fist, which was cocked again. “You have to be very careful around her. She has a mean right hook.”

“Heads-up, your mom’s home,” said Duncan, as we stepped out of the woods.

She was just getting out of the sheriff’s car and he was helping her up the stairs.

“Sheriff, what’s wrong with her?” asked Nathan, looking worried.

Caleb smiled. “She enjoyed one too many glasses of wine again. I brought her home so she could sleep.”

Mom gave us a lopsided grin. “Hi, my babies…”

I groaned.

She was totally hammered and stumbled towards me. “Nikki, I love you.”

Nathan and I put our arms around her and held her up. “Wow, mom,” I grunted, trying to hold her up. “I think it’s time you start laying off the vino.”

Her smile fell. “I didn’t have anything to drink.”

“Sure you did,” interrupted the sheriff. “Don’t you remember the Cabernet you picked out yourself from the wine cellar? We had it with dinner.”

Mom looked confused but then when her eyes met Caleb’s, she smiled wickedly and licked her lips. “All, I remember is dessert.”

“Okay, T.M.I.,” I replied as Nathan and I swung her away from Caleb and into the house. The idea of her and Caleb getting it on was enough to make me want to be celibate for life.

“I’ll call you tomorrow night!” called Caleb from the porch.

“Nikki, can you take care of mom? I’m going to talk to the sheriff,” said Nathan.

I nodded and then proceeded to help her upstairs, which wasn’t an easy task. When we finally made it to her bedroom, she passed out the moment her head hit the pillow. I removed her shoes and covered her up with a sheet as she began to snore.

“Nikki, the sheriff wants to talk to you,” said Duncan, as I closed mom’s bedroom door.

I nodded and took his hand while he led me back downstairs. Both Nathan and Caleb were sitting on the couch.

“So, I heard there was a little excitement here earlier?” asked Caleb.

I sighed. “I guess you could say that. It was really… bizarre.”

He nodded and took out a notepad. “Could you tell me in your words what happened?”

I gave him my version but left off the part of knowing who the person was that carried me off.

Caleb’s eyes narrowed. “So, you didn’t get a good look at the person at all? Didn’t notice what he was wearing or what he even smelled like?”

Come to think of it, Ethan had smelled like butterscotch. It was very odd, but I didn’t share the information with him.

I rubbed my arm. “To tell you the truth, I was so scared that I didn’t notice much of anything. I do know that he was as fast as the wind.”

Duncan nodded. “He was quick. He shoved me to the ground, twice, and I didn’t see him either; just a blur of movement. It was freaky.”

Sheriff Caleb put away the notes he was taking and smiled wryly. “You realize how this sounds, don’t you?”

Nathan nodded. “Crazy, I know.”

“Why don’t you show him the video,” said Duncan.

“Oh, yeah,” replied Nathan, grabbing the tape from the fireplace mantel. “We taped this yesterday after someone destroyed all the video surveillance equipment. They apparently missed this one.”

We all watched the video in silence, and when it was over, Caleb let out a long sigh.

Nathan folded his arms across his chest. “Even crazier, huh?” 

He nodded. “I don’t really know what to say about it, actually. It doesn’t really make a lot of sense.”

I cleared my throat. “What should we do?”

Caleb ran a hand over his face. “Let me take this tape and I’ll show some friends who specialize in paranormal research.”

Nathan’s jaw dropped. “So you think it might be a poltergeist, too?”

He shrugged. “Even I have to admit; it’s
some
kind of strange phenomenon. I just have no experience with this type of thing.”

“Okay, yeah take it. Let us know what you find out,” said Nathan, giving him the tape.

Caleb stood up and started walking towards the door.

“What about Nikki?” asked Duncan. “How are we supposed to protect her against whatever this thing is?”

Caleb turned back around, his expression grave. “Don’t go anywhere alone, keep your doors locked, and whatever you do, don’t invite any strangers in.”

Nathan and Duncan slept on my bedroom floor that night, just in case the “specter” came back to harass me. When I woke up, it was just after nine the next morning and I was alone. I went down to the kitchen.

“Where’s Duncan?” I asked.

As usual, Nathan was stuffing his face with food. “He had to work. He’s going to pick you up after your shift again tonight. I’ll get mom’s keys and drop you off at four.”

“Did you guys ever figure out what’s wrong with the Mustang?”

He nodded. “It’s the battery. I’m picking up a new one today.”

I yawned. “Where’s mom? Still sleeping?”

He nodded. “Yeah, she’s been doing a lot of that lately. I think she should quit drinking, she just can’t handle it.”

“I agree.”

Plus, she was our mom and really not making a good impression by getting so drunk that she could barely walk.

Two hours later, mom was still sleeping so I decided to check up on her.

“Mom?” I called, knocking softly on her door.

“Yeah,” she mumbled. “Come in.”

She had the blinds pulled shut so I turned on the light.

“You, okay?” I asked her.

She smiled, lazily. “Yeah, just tired.”

I sat down next to her on the bed. “You know, you really need to cool it on the wine, mom. The sheriff is going to think you’re some kind of lush. You never usually drink like this.”

“I didn’t drink anything last night. At least, I don’t remember,” she said with a confused look.

“Oh, come on… mom, you were trashed. I had to help you to bed last night. You
had
to have been drinking.”

She rubbed a hand over her forehead. “I don’t even remember.”

I sighed and changed the subject. “So, did his daughter make dinner for you?”

“I… think so.”

My eyes widened. “You don’t sound so sure.”

She rubbed her forehead. “To tell you the truth, last night was a bit of a blur.”

“I know the feeling,” I said, staring towards her bedroom window. Last night almost felt like a dream. I couldn’t explain my reaction to Ethan or the way he’d whisked me through the darkness the way he did. It didn’t make a whole lot of sense.

“What?” she asked.

I turned back to her and smiled. “Nothing.”

She stood up. “I’ve got so much to do today. I start work on Monday and have more errands than I have hours to complete them.”

“
Ahem
, thanks for asking… my first day went pretty good, by the way.”

“I’m sorry, honey,” she replied, grabbing a robe from the closet. “I totally forgot. So, your first day at the diner went pretty smooth?”

“Yeah. I’m working again tonight. In fact, Nathan has to use your car to drop me off at the diner around four. His Mustang needs a new battery.”

She groaned and then nodded reluctantly. “Okay. I’ll just have to take care of some things tomorrow, I guess.”

I motioned towards her neck. “So, how’s your skin?” I asked.

She touched it and winced. “Still tender.”

I got off the bed and walked over to her. “Did you put anything on it?”

“No. I probably should. How does it look?”

I examined her skin and frowned. It looked much worse. “You should really see a doctor.”

She waved her hand and shook her head. “No, you know me. I’m just allergic to mosquito bites. It usually takes a while for them to heal.”

“At least put something on it, so it doesn’t get infected.”

“Fine, Nurse Nikki,” she said with a wry smile.

I walked over to the window and opened the blinds. “It’s a beautiful day, mom, you could use some vitamin D on that lily-white skin of yours.”

“Oh, hey… close the blinds,” she gasped holding her hand up to shield her face. “The sun hurts my eyes!”

I quickly closed them. “Wow, you seriously need to lay off the alcohol, mom. Hangovers are a bitch.”

She grabbed her sunglasses from the nightstand and put them on. “Actually, I think I have an eye infection or something,” she said. “They’ve been bothering me the last couple of days.”

I smirked. “Maybe you’re allergic to Caleb. Ever since you’ve been seeing him, you’ve been acting weird.”

She smiled. “It’s definitely not him. He is such a wonderful man. I’m so happy we met. It’s only been a few hours since we we’ve been together, but… I have to admit, I miss him already.”

It sounded like she really was falling pretty hard for the sheriff. “So, when’s the wedding?” I asked.

‘Oh, God, it’s too early for that but I’ll be honest, every time he looks at me,” she sighed and her eyes looked wistful, “I just want to jump his bones.”

I shuddered. “Okay, that’s something I didn’t need to hear. That’s just twisted, mom.”

She laughed. “Oh, just you wait, my dear. You’ll meet someone who makes your toes curl and then you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.”

I’d already met two guys who made my toes curl but I wasn’t about to tell her that. “Whatever,” I said.

She walked over to me and touched my cheek. “What about Duncan? Any sparks?”

My cheeks grew pink. “Well… I don’t know. I mean, we’re just friends, you know?”

She smiled, knowingly. “Friends, huh? Just make sure you use protection if he gets
too
friendly.”

My jaw dropped. “Mom!”

“You are still a virgin, right?”

I couldn’t believe we were actually having this conversation.

“Oh, my God,
yes!”
I replied, staring at her in horror.

“Although, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. Just be safe.”

“Enough! I’m still a virgin and I plan on staying one for a while.”

Her eyes softened. “That’s what a mother wants to hear. But when things get confusing or too much, you can always come to me with any questions.”

“I’m going to take a shower,” I said. “I feel dirty after talking about it with you.”

She laughed. “You’re such a smartass.”

I left her and went back to my room. Instead of taking a shower, however, I lay down on my bed and thought about everything that had happened the night before. It now seemed so unbelievable, that I wondered if it had been just a dream.

I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

~~~

“Nikki, come to me,” whispered the smooth, masculine voice in my ear.

I opened my eyes to find that I was in a forest wearing a billowy, white nightgown. I stood up and began walking in my bare feet. As I looked down, I noticed sharp pieces of broken glass cutting into my skin, which was now bleeding.

“Hurry,” prodded the voice. It was strong and demanding; it pushed me forward, one foot after another.

“Nikki!” yelled Duncan.

“Duncan?” I whispered, turning around.

“Wait, Nikki!” he cried, running towards me. I watched in amazement as he kept moving without making any progress.

There was a rush of movement and my heart began to race; I knew who it was. He’d come back for me. “Ethan?”

Someone grabbed my shoulders and started digging their sharp nails into my skin. I was shoved roughly to the ground and the shadow jumped on top of me. “Amy?” I whispered in horror.

Amy’s eyes were filled with hate. “He’s mine,” she growled, her slit wrists bleeding onto my white dress. She opened her mouth and her pointy fangs closed in on my neck. 

I opened my eyes and let out a shaky breath. Just a dream.

Someone rapped on my door.

“Hey, twerp!”

“Yeah, come in,” I mumbled, sitting up.

“Get ready,” said Nathan. “I have to drop you off early at the diner. Mom needs the car as soon as I get back from purchasing a battery.”

I looked at my alarm clock. It was already after two o’clock. “Okay,” I said.

His eyes narrowed. “Are you doing okay?”

“Just a little tired.”

He pointed at me. “Don’t leave the diner after dark unless Duncan is with you.”

“Yeah, okay.”

He stared at me for a minute and then nodded. “I’ll be outside waiting for you. You have a half hour to get ready.”

“Okay, I’ll hurry.”

I took a quick shower, put my uniform on, and spent a little extra time with my makeup. Then I pinned my damp hair up and stared into the mirror. I had to admit, I was definitely beginning to look more like my mother every day. I decided it was a good thing and smiled.

Nathan laid on the horn outside and I rushed out to meet him in mom’s car.

“Makeup, huh? Trying to get more tips?” smirked Nathan.

I shrugged. “I could certainly use the money.”

“I hear you. So, what do you think about last night? Pretty crazy, huh?”

“It was freaky, that’s for sure. I still don’t know what happened, exactly.”

“I’m starting to think we really do have ghosts lurking around the cabin. That could be the real reason why mom’s renting it so cheap.”

“Makes sense.”

We drove the rest of the way in silence and he dropped me off in front of the diner, warning me to stay put when my shift was over.

“You worry too much,” I said. “I’m not going anywhere. I’ll wait for Duncan.”

“Here’s Duncan’s cell phone number,” he said, handing me a slip of paper. “If there’s a problem, call me or him.”

“Okay, thanks.”

When he finally drove off, I went into the diner and ran into Rosie in the back room.

“How’s it going, Nikki?”

I smiled. “Pretty good. We were really swamped yesterday so Susan didn’t get a chance to show me too much.”

“Yeah, I heard. Since you’re early, I’ll go over some things with you, myself.”

“Thanks.”

Rosie went over the menus and showed me how to write up meal tickets. Then she gave me some pointers on how to juggle multiple tables and get them in and out as quickly as possible. When we were done, my head was spinning, but I felt like I was starting to get a little handle on things.

“Don’t worry. It’s going to take a while, but you’ll get used to it. And, honey, don’t be afraid to tell the customers you’re new. They’ll have more patience and might even tip you better.”

“Oh, I’m all for that. Thanks.”

“You’ll do just fine here,” she said, patting me on the shoulder. “Just do your best, and eventually things will fall together.”

I smiled in pleasure. “Thanks, Rosie.”

When Susan showed up, I shadowed her for half the day, and then I was given a couple of my own tables.

“You’re doing great,” said Rosie, after I served a large platter of food to one of my tables. “Keep it up.”

“Thanks.”

The time flew by quickly and by the time my shift was over, I’d made almost thirty dollars in tips. I was so giddy that I texted Nathan, who was happy for me.

“Listen, is there any way you can work a little later tonight?” asked Rosie, as I was about to punch out. “We could really use you until eleven o’clock. Darlene called in sick and I need all the help I can get. Since it’s Friday night, we’re going to get slammed soon.”

“Okay. Let me call my ride and let him know. I’m sure it will be fine.”

I grabbed my phone and called Duncan.

“Okay,” he said, after I explained why they needed my help. “I’ll be there promptly at eleven, though I’ll expect a tip.”

I giggled. “I think I can manage that.”

We had a rush of customers around nine o’clock, and I was running ragged, trying to keep my orders right and not piss anyone off. By the time it was ten-thirty, I heaved a sigh of relief; the diner was finally clearing out.

“We usually get another big rush after the bars close,” said Susan. “Just be thankful you’re not working those customers. When they’re not trying to pick you up, they’re puking in the corner. It’s really disgusting.”