From Gods (8 page)

What the hell? Am I dreaming?
She wasn’t sure, but the way her heart painfully pounded out of her chest brought her back to reality. Not only that, her bare feet impacting on the cement sent searing pain through her legs. She was sure she would have blisters on the bottoms of her feet tonight. Thank God it was night, but she wondered if the neighbors could hear them. Mason was much faster than her; he practically dragged her. As she ran as fast as her feet would allow, she looked over her shoulder to see them closing in.

“Faster,” she yelled, but it came out inaudibly since she was out of breath. Wanting to lose them, they turned right, jumped over low bushes, darted through someone’s backyard, crossed the street, and then hid behind tall bushes.

“We can hide here for now,” he said, releasing his grip, catching his breath.

Skylar’s legs were extremely sore and her lungs were about to explode. She had never run so fast in her entire life. With her hands on her knees, slumped over,
air frantically rushed in and out of her body. Something wet on the bottoms of her feet caught her attention, and she realized she was standing on wet grass. The coolness from the contact eased the burning sensation on the soles of her feet.

Still panting, she snuck a peek through the bushes and dabbed the trickling drops of sweat with her hand before they could fall. Parched and needing water, she smacked her lips and tongue. Finally, when her heart rate was steady, she spoke. “Did…umm…did you see what I saw?”

Mason arched his brows in an “as if” fashion. “Yeesss. It was the reason why we were running.”

Having him confirm what she saw validated that she was not going out of her mind, but she didn’t like his mocking tone. She turned to him and stuck her finger into his chest. Yup…it was firm alright. Then she dropped her hand. She hadn’t meant to touch him. “What were those things? And who are you?”

Mason raised a brow, giving her an incredulous look, then placed his finger over his lips. “Shhh….not so loud. Is this the first time you’ve ever seen them?”

“Is that the first time?” Suddenly, Skylar’s anger went up a notch. “I’ve never seen what I just saw ever in my entire life. In fact, right now, I’m not even sure if I’m dreaming or if this is real. Things like that don’t exist. It’s nothing near normal.”

“What a minute. They were in your house. They’re after you, so who the hell are you?” he whispered sharply.

Skylar scoffed, irritated by his apparent accusation that she was to blame for them showing up. “Are you kidding? I was perfectly fine until you showed up. I would’ve gone home, straight to bed, and that would have been the end of my night, but noooo…you came along, and now these creatures are following you. So, let me ask you again. Who are you?”

Skylar thought about what she’d said. The monsters were in Kayla’s house. Logically speaking, they were after her or Kayla, or even perhaps her aunt, but not him.

Mason placed his hands on her shoulders, as if his touch could pacify her. “Keep it down. You really don’t know who you are, do you?” His tone was softer than a second ago.

Skylar peered up to him in mystification. “I know who I am,” she stated, giving him an attitude, but she couldn’t help but notice how close they were. She wanted to melt into him.
Focus…focus…not on him, but on why I’m here.

“Then tell me why I couldn’t make you forget I was the cop?”

Because you were so darn cute
. “What do you mean? How the hell do I know? So you were the cop that pulled me over? Why did you try to make me believe it wasn’t you? I don’t understand.” Skylar placed both palms of her hands on her face, hoping this mess would go away, and just be a nightmare she could wake up from.

Why was this situation so complicated? Meet a cute guy. He likes you and you like him back. Fall in love and go on dates. Why? Why couldn’t that happen, instead of meet a cute guy and monsters chase after you. And you have no idea why all the craziness is happening, making you feel like you’re insane.

Mason was thoroughly sweeping the street with his eyes. Since there was no sign of the monsters, he turned to Skylar. “Look…I’m sorry, but now is not the time to explain. I only dressed up like a cop for that day because I was told those ugly creatures we call vultures were in town. I thought they were in your trunk. I got a strange vibe from your car, so I had to check.”

“What? In my trunk?” Skylar finally understood why he’d wanted her to pop the trunk. She thought it was an odd request, but she’d done it anyway. “So…I was right. You’re my Doug…I mean…you were Doug, right?”

“It’s not my name. I borrowed a friend’s uniform. Obviously, his name is Doug.”

“Isn’t that illegal?”

“It is, but apparently I got away with it.”

“Whatever. Is Mason even your real name?”

“No. I mean…yes. Mason is my name.” 

“Explain to me why you would think one would be inside my trunk. There’s no way that…that thing could fit in my trunk.”

“It’s complicated. They can be in human form. You saw them earlier. A human body can fit in a trunk. And they’re not the only kind of vultures. They come in different forms and sizes. I…”

“Wait a minute. If they can take on human form, do they live among us?”

“No, they don’t. Al least I don’t think they do.”

“Who told you these vultures were in town? How do you know?”

“I can sense their presence, and they smell worse than anything you’ve ever smelled before. I’ll explain later.”

“You’ve got a lot of explaining to do, but my cousin and my aunt are most likely home already. I’m not going to tell them what happened. They’ll think I’m crazy.”

“Okay…let’s wait five minutes, then we can head back.”

“Okay,” Skylar muttered, looking up at the full illuminating moon; casting the brightest yellow beams, it almost looked like the sun…not quite, but it brightened the dark sky. Now, that was reality. She would hold on to that. It was mesmerizing and peaceful in contrast to how she was really feeling—deathly terrified.

Chapter 10

Three police cars were parked in front of the house. Red lights were flashing and neighbors peered out through their doors with curiosity. Skylar saw her aunt standing by the wide-open front door with the cops. When she saw Skylar, she pulled her into a tight hold, turning her back on the officers. “Thank God, you’re okay.” Her tone was urgent. “Why didn’t you answer your cell phone? Kayla and I were worried about you. We thought you were kidnapped. I was just about to call your mom.” Her eyes went to Mason, then to the shoes Skylar was holding in her hand.

“I’m sorry. I left my phone in the car. We were taking a walk.” She didn’t know what to say, but she knew she couldn’t tell her the truth. Her aunt looked at her with scolding eyes, most likely not approving of her late night walk with a guy she’d neither met, nor given her approval of.

“At this time of night? You need to be back before I get home. That is the rule here.”

“I’m really sorry I worried you. It won’t ever happen again.” Skylar dropped her eyes, feeling terrible for making her aunt worry. She could only imagine what had gone through her mind.

“I’m just glad you’re safe. Please don’t ever do that to me again. I’ll be telling your mom about the robbery, but I won’t tell her you were out late. I don’t know what she’ll decide to do. She may want you to go home. I’ll do my best to convince her to let you stay.”

“Thank you,” Skylar said softly. She turned her attention to Mason. “This is Mason. He’s a friend.”

Mason extended his hand to her with a warm smile.

“It’s nice to meet you, Mason. Next time make sure to bring her back before midnight, even if you’re just a friend.”

“Yes. I’m so sorry. I lost track of time. It won’t happen again.”

“Skylar!” Kayla ran toward her, almost knocking her down, holding her tightly. “Thank God, you’re okay.” She turned her attention to Mason, releasing her hold. “Oh…hi, Mason. I’m glad you were together…at least.” Kayla gave Skylar a questioning look.

Interrupted by Kayla, she was glad to be out of her aunt’s attention. Not meaning to ignore Kayla, her eyes were fixated on the living room, which was the first place one spotted upon entering the house. The furniture was turned over, and pictures frames were shattered. It was shocking to see the mess. It wasn’t even her house, but it didn’t matter. It was Kayla’s house, and though she didn’t cause this, somehow she felt responsible. Her eyes pooled with tears. “I’m so sorry,” she muttered to Kayla.

Kayla was trying to hold it together, but lost it when she saw Skylar’s tears stream down her cheeks. Kelly was still talking to the policemen by the porch. Her arms were crossed and she looked tense.

Mason gazed around too, but he mostly stood by the door. “Did they take anything?” he asked.

Skylar sniffed and wiped her tears. “I don’t know. I’m afraid to look upstairs.” She turned to Kayla, who was also wiping her tears away. “Did they take anything?”

“Nothing down here that I can see, but I didn’t go upstairs yet. I’m afraid.”

“I’ll go with you.” Skylar looped her arms around Kayla’s shoulder as they headed for the stairs.

“I’ll escort you both…just in case.” Mason followed behind them.

“Skylar, why are you holding your shoes?” Kayla questioned.

“Oh…my feet were sore from wearing these heels.” Skylar felt bad for lying, but it was partially the truth.

“Oh.” Kayla continued to climb.

Skylar took several steps up the stairs, then stopped. Her legs wanted to give out. The bottoms of her feet were still achingly sore. Holding onto the rails, she ascended forward, limping again. “How did you get home?” she asked Kayla.

“Nick dropped me off, but he got worried, especially since my car was parked in the drive way and you two were nowhere to be found. He went looking for you guys, since there was no text back from Mason and he couldn’t reach him by phone. I should text him to let him know you’re both okay.” She pulled out her phone. Skylar watched Kayla’s speedy fingers as they entered her room.

Mason took his cell phone out from his back pocket. “Yup…I have several missed calls and texts from him. Tell him I had my phone on silent.”

Skylar didn’t hear a word Mason said. With a look of horror, she started to tear up again. Her heart had been ripped apart, and a feeling of being violated rushed through. Her clothes were scattered everywhere. Drawers were pulled out. Clothes that were neatly hung were yanked off, and even her mattress was flipped over.

“What the hell?” Kayla exclaimed. Her eyes swept the chaotic room. “I’ll be right back.” Kayla ran to her room.

Skylar was stunned and speechless. She couldn’t get her body to move. Why would they do this? What were they after? Her thoughts were broken when Mason rested his hand on her back. “Are you okay?”

“They can’t be real. Monsters don’t exist,” she stated numbly. Her eyes were glassy, looking straight ahead, out the window, too overwhelmed with everything that had happened. “I think I’m going out of my mind.”

Mason spun Skylar toward him. “Skylar.” Skylar snapped out of her trance. “They are real. They were looking for something.”

“But I have nothing. I don’t own anything expensive.”

“Think. It could be an object.”

Ignoring Mason, she spoke. “Thank you for taking me home. I think I want to be alone. I’m….” Her tone was soft and hardly audible, sounding more like an echo in her head. Suddenly, the room started to spin. She took a step forward, trying not to fall. Looking at Mason with uncertainty, wondering why this was happening, she saw three of him. Bewildered, she shook her head as white spots appeared in her vision, looking like fireflies dancing in her room. Her unsteady legs gave out and her body went limp. Just before she fell, she felt the weight of strong arms across her chest as she slipped into darkness.

***

Skylar opened her eyes and saw Mason sitting beside her bed. Startled to see him still there, she blinked her eyes and jolted upright. Strangely, there was no sign of him. Odd! It had to be a dream, or her eyes were playing tricks on her.

Recalling last night’s incident, she thought about the mess she had to deal with, but when she looked around, to her surprise, the room was spotless. There was no evidence of robbery. How could this be? She couldn’t remember falling asleep or even saying good-bye to Mason. Did it even happen? As these thoughts circulated through her mind, there was a soft knock on the door. “Come in.”

The door cracked open and Kayla stepped in. She stood by the foot of the bed. Still in her nightgown, she looked like she had been through hell. “Are you okay?”

“Did what I think happened last night really happen?” Skylar asked, hoping Kayla would give her the answer she was hoping for, that it was just a dream.

“Yup…it’s real.” Kayla plunked her body on the bed and tossed her hair to the side. “You know you fainted last night...right?”

“I did?” Trying to pull it out of her memory, she paused to think.

Kayla giggled. “You fainted into Mason’s arms. He carried you to your bed. Actually, he fixed your bed first, then like a prince, he carried his princess to bed. He even placed the blanket over you.”

“He did not,” Skylar said, blushing, thinking it did explain why she was still wearing the clothes she had worn last night.

“Oh, yes, he did. I saw the whole thing. You know me…I was spying. It was easy since your bedroom door was open. But what I don’t understand is how your room got cleaned up so fast. Hmmm…that, I don’t understand. Anyway, are you missing anything?”

“Nope, are you?” Skylar asked, looking around, though she couldn’t remember. She didn’t bring anything of value with her. In fact, she didn’t possess any expensive items that were worth taking.

“Nope.”

“I’m sorry this happened to you.” Skylar pulled Kayla in for a squeeze and let go.

“It’s okay.  The police said the robbers are going from house to house and doing the same thing—breaking in and escaping without taking a thing. There has been a break in every single day for the past week. They all report that nothing is missing. The funny thing is…it started the day you arrived in town.” Kayla laughed out loud, teasing.

Not liking her remark, Skylar’s brows angled into a hard line while her lips pursed crookedly.

“I don’t get it,” Kayla continued. “Why go through all that trouble, knowing there’s a possibility that you could get caught, and not steal a thing? I mean…they could’ve taken my computer, the television, or the camera that was on my desk. I even had a twenty inside my desk, and they didn’t take that. What kind of thieves are they?”

Skylar shrugged her shoulders and shook her head. The only clear picture that came to mind was the image of the hideous monsters as they came after her. She thought it was best not to mention them to Kayla for now until she investigated further. The only person who could clarify anything was Mason. She needed to talk to him. “How’s your mom?”

“She’s fine. She already spoke to your mom about it. I’m sure you’ll hear from her. From what I’ve been told, your mom gave the green light for you to stay. My mom said we were lucky we weren’t home when this happened. Material things can be replaced, but we can’t…which, I totally agree. You know me and my smart mouth; I told her you and I needed to go out more often then.”

Skylar pushed Kayla playfully. “Do keep your mouth closed.”

“Sure…I can do that, but I’ll keep my lips ready for Nick,” Kayla giggled.

“I’m sure you will.” Skylar nudged Kayla and stood up. “We have work today…right?”

“Ugh…don’t remind me. Okay…I’ll go get ready.”

“I better call my mom. She’ll want to hear my voice and hear my side of the story.”

After Kayla walked out of her room, Skylar carefully, achingly got out of bed. Her leg muscles were sore and the blisters on the bottoms of her feet looked unattractive. Moving toward the closet, she stopped when she saw the same shadow figure in the window next door, just like the last time. But this time she noted the length of his hair to the shoulders. Dirty blond guy? When she approached closer to the window, the figure disappeared. Was she hallucinating? “What the…?” This had happened twice. She kept forgetting to ask her cousin about it. Making a mental note to ask Kayla, she headed for the shower.

***

“Good morning!” Jack sprang cheerfully from the kitchen. The diner was empty as usual since the morning rush had just ended.

“Good morning? You mean good afternoon,” Kayla said, throwing herself on the stool. Skylar did the same.

“Did you just wake up?” Jack asked.

“Yes,” Kayla replied, feeling embarrassed that he knew.

“Then, it’s good morning.”

“Oh, stop pestering the young ones,” Mona said, walking out from the storage room. “Sorry about last night, girls. Your mom filled me in. That’s just awful. Some people are crazy. You just never know.”

“Thanks,” Kayla said softly. “We were in shock, but I’m not going to let those assholes ruin my week.”

“Hey, watch that mouth of yours,” Jack reprimanded. “Pretty young girls don’t talk like that.”

“Sorry, Jack.” Kayla shrugged sheepishly.

“Did they take anything?”

“Nothing…nada…zip.” Kayla rested her head on the table.

“How about you, Skylar?” Mona asked.

“Nothing from me either. I didn’t have anything worth much. Just my clothes.”

“Good thing you girls are safe,” Jack said. “Or else I’d personally hunt them down.”

“What are you going to fight them with, your wrinkles?” Mona teased.