I'll Be Damned (Anna Wolfe Series) (20 page)

His expression quickly displays annoyance. "Anna, this isn't a joke," he snaps.

“No, you’re right, it's not a joke... it's ridiculous," I retort, standing up. "All of this is the most absurd thing I've ever heard,” I yell, flailing my arms and pointing my finger. “I might have been able to entertain your story, but now you're really reaching. I'm not a witch or whatever. Did you actually think I would believe all of this supernatural bullshit?" I slap my hand to my forehead in frustration. "I'm so stupid. Here I am wasting time listening to you go on and on about higher whatever’s and demons, while Janie is missing!"

A painful hurt flashes across his face, replaced by an emotionless glower that rocks me to the core. “Anna, I know about your secret physical discomforts,” he states. "I know you've seen demons, felt them. I have been here, watching them taunt you. Your safety is my job; that is why you remain unharmed," he states. "I know you never felt like you belonged anywhere and that you believe me. You can't reject the idea that you are a part of something bigger than this world," he concludes.

He's right. I can't deny my odd physical responses or the unexplained things I've seen and felt. My anger quickly deflates, replaced with shock. Maybe this
is
real. For the first time in my life, this feels right... it feels like me.

"More demons will come, Anna... stronger ones. So whether you believe me is not the issue."

“Valen, I don’t know what to think right now. How can you expect me to believe this?"

“I'm afraid you have no choice. I'm here to protect you, with or without your consent,” he stresses. "I'm your guardian."

“You're my guardian?" I repeat.

I have the overwhelming need to get out of my house, away from him. As quickly as I can, I dash through the kitchen, flinging the back door wide open. I storm through the damp grass, unsure of where I'm going, but my feet continue to stomp towards the woods. I don't care where I end up as long as it's away from him.

“Anna, wait,” Valen says, catching up to me with lightning speed. He grasps my arm, twisting me around to face him.

“I'm tired of these stories," I shout, pressing my finger into his solid chest. "I don’t believe you and I refuse to stop my life because of some make-believe, ancient folklore; and I certainly don't need your protection!" My voice yells, cracking under the stress. 

“Clearly, you do,” he replies mockingly, pointing to the tree line. In slow motion, I glance in the direction and gasp harshly. Standing there is the enormous bat creature from the previous night. Chills pass up and down my spine like a conveyor belt. It extends its wings outward, sliding its claws from their leather sheaths. The terror is suffocating, refusing to let me think as my mind screams for me to run.

“Holy shit,” I say, inching backwards. I turn, running full speed towards my house, listening to its horrid shrill echoing through the darkness. Adrenaline enters my legs, laboring my breathing within seconds. My heart bangs against my chest as if it's going to explode. A sharp gust of wind whizzes by me, nearly knocking me off my feet. Valen hoists me in his arms and sprints forward to safety. Dropping me inside the door, he commands me to lock it before slamming it on his way out. I want to stop him, but my distress is holding my voice captive. I peer through the window in a panic as the night greedily consumes him. I reach for my cell phone, dialing Janie and Nick’s numbers again. Their voicemails reconfirm my fears. Feeling anxious, I sit on the couch. I reach for my cell phone, trembling as I dial Kristy's number. I need to hear a familiar voice before I lose my mind.

“Hello?”

“Kristy!” I sigh with relief.

“Oh my gosh! Anna, did you find Janie?” she asks nervously.

“No, and the police won't help. They won’t allow me to file a missing person report for forty-eight hours. I might have to let my parents know she's missing.” This is the last thing I want to do. My mom would die from worry and Jack would avenge Janie’s disappearance like Clint Eastwood.

“I'm so sorry, Anna. We'll find her; don't worry,” Kristy replies, hoping to reassure me. "I'll work tomorrow too. Take the day off and focus all your energy on finding Janie.”

I sigh. The urge to tell her everything nudges me, but I can't risk involving her or facing her judgment. “I wish it were that easy. Thanks, Kristy. I'll call you tomorrow.”

“Call me if you need me,” she says, signing off.

I tap the
End
button on my phone, debating if I should break the news to my parents. Torn, I decide to wait it out. I’m too drained to explain everything, and I need to have a clear head. I slump into the couch, closing my eyes, eager to rest my ravaged brain.

The darkness envelops me, disorienting me, and scaring me into questioning the foundation of my reality. Extending my arms out in front of me, I am afraid to touch something or nothing, both at the same time. A dim spotlight pierces the abyss, illuminating a small area only twenty yards away. A woman with auburn hair stands up slowly, making every effort to stay quiet. Her shirt clings to her sweat-soaked body. The heat is heavy and oppressive, greedily sucking the moisture out of every orifice. The malleable cobblestone blocks under my feet wrinkle, crumpling under my weight. I glance at the woman now standing in the narrow beam of light.
Janie!
What is she doing here?
Janie!
I yell, hoping she'll turn around. Where are we? Confused, I walk towards her.
Janie!
Her hands are stretched out in front of her like a precaution. A wall looms ahead, but no way out. Janie lightly grazes the slick, gray bricks with her fingertips. Feverishly, she inches along sideways, slapping the wall, and hoping to find an exit.

I cup my hands around my mouth and scream her name again.
Janie!
I try jogging, but after a few strides, I slow down to a walk. The heat will smother me if I continue to push myself. Without warning, my face slams into a barricade, and I have to check my nose for blood. I raise my arms, gradually extending my fingers in front of me. A hard surface prevents them from moving any further. It must be glass. I pound my fists against it, but it just vibrates through my bones. It’s a sad attempt to grab Janie's attention, but it’s all I have. The echo of her voice reverberates in the shadows, bouncing off the invisible wall. Frantically, I kick and punch it with all my strength. Nothing happens, not even a tiny crack. During my hysterical, adult tantrum, I hear Janie calling my name.

"Anna?"

Janie, I'm here!
I scream in a muffled tone. How can I hear her through my glass imprisonment? My heart pounds with helplessness.

"I'm so scared," she says in a shaky voice, and that's the last thing I hear before falling.

***

Opening one eye, I check to see if I died. Nope, I'm still in my nightmare. Searing, damp stones press into my cheek, squishing my other eye closed. I sit up, wiping the nasty grime off my face. The slickness of it makes me wince. God knows what it is. I try to take a deep breath, but fail. Breathing is a chore in the dense, blistering air. It feels like I'm inhaling globs of boiling water. I stand, allowing my limbs time to regain their balance. Suddenly, I'm running down a passageway without any light to guide me. Where’s Janie? Thousands of butterflies take flight in my stomach as a current of air swiftly engulfs me. I'm falling at a high rate of speed, like the dip in a roller coaster, minus the excitement and safety harnesses. I try to scream, but panic hijacks my voice. I hit the bottom hard, miraculously unscathed. I stand, wiping a sticky substance off my jeans. I try not to dwell on it. Lifting my arms, I extend them in front of me, searching for a doorway. My hands grope over the hundreds of clammy bricks surrounding me like the bottom of a well. In the loud silence, I hear my name, but Janie isn’t calling me. This voice is lower than a whisper, almost inaudible. Am I losing my mind? Confinement in closed quarters and pitch-black darkness have been known to do that. Again, I hear my name...
Anna
... It echoes off the tightly enclosed walls, and smacks my ears. It grows louder before abruptly stopping. A velvet voice soothes my sore ears, but makes me jump backwards. The back of my head rams the wall, forcing me to slink onto the ground. My muscles tense and my entire body begins to throb. I prop myself against the bricks, hoping it will cease. I attempt to fold my legs into my chest, but they rebel in pain. I focus my thoughts on survival, rather than the creepy insects I know must be blanketing the ground. 

A light breaks through the darkness, uncovering a slender opening before carving its way through the middle of a wall. I can absolutely squeeze through that. Ignoring my body's protests, I stand up and shimmy through it like a contortionist. First, I slide my left arm through the opening, followed by my left leg. I exhale deeply, before sucking in my stomach while compacting my ribs and continuing. The exposed brick lacerates me and I feel a warm liquid sliding underneath my shirt. I wince from the unbearable pain, while forcing myself to push out more air so I can thin out even more. After thrusting myself through, I run down the passageway towards the light. I have to push harder and faster. I'm so close. Just when I think I'm evading whatever is here, the light gets snuffed out. I freeze in terror, waiting to be attacked. Closing my eyes, I concentrate on regulating my breathing before I cramp up again.

A vibrant red light flashes quickly, illuminating the narrow tunnel in an eerie shade of crimson. I'm in a real haunted house.
This is a dream, Anna. Nothing can hurt you.
The light returns, outlining a black figure. As soon as my eyes rest on it, the light disappears again, relegating me to the dark.
Breathe, Anna, this is just a dream
. The red light appears again. I wait, knowing it's a trick. This must be a visual version of Chinese water torture. The light remains and I cautiously put one foot in front of the other until I’m walking at a rapid pace. I end at an outcrop that sharply cascades. I tiptoe to the edge and peer into a valley. I've been here before. The deep red landscape and accompanying emotion of dread are hauntingly familiar. This is the place I’ve seen in my dreams for years. I was confused by some of the differences, but soon realize my nightmares were only bits and pieces of a much larger puzzle. Enormous rivers, in vast shades crimson, flow before me, swallowing the landscape as they meander through boulders taller than houses. Terracotta Mountains with serrated edges loom from the black abyss that replicates a night sky. Bones are strewn haphazardly throughout the dirt, advertising that this is a place of death. There isn't a speck of vegetation, which isn't surprising. In fact, if I saw the slightest sign of life, I would feel more uncomfortable.

Motivated by a powerful urge to study the foreign land, I spot a well-worn trail off to my right, which provides an easy descent towards the river. I hike down the pathway, noticing objects in the dirt. I swipe my foot, dislodging the top layer. Tiny bones jumble over one another like tumbling blocks. I withdraw my foot and continue, trying to ignore the dirt's red color. The temperature increases the closer I get to the flowing rivers. Heat is steaming off the surface, stroking my cheeks like a long lost lover. I bend over to examine the rubber on my shoes, expecting to see small, black puddles under my feet. My hand is within three feet of the surface before I jerk it back, fearing my skin will slide off. 

“Ouch,” I cry, shaking the heat off my hands. My protests of pain are swallowed in this alien world. I inspect the land, searching for a way out when a large object catches my eye. I turn my head, resting my gaze on a colossal ship, slithering down the river in my direction. My first instinct is to run, but my legs refuse to move. The vessel rapidly approaches, exposing its horrifying design. The wood is black as night with tattered red sails attached to the ship’s black mast. Thick chains hang from bow to stern, a disturbing garland with spiked orbs hanging from them like sinister ornaments. On the ledge are hounds that resemble gargoyles, only much more wicked-looking. It’s a masterpiece of horror. The ship drifts past me, capturing my gaze. A woman dressed in a long, black shroud leans over the railing. Slowly, she raises her hands towards her head, removing part of the shroud that hides her face. I choke on my breath.

“Janie! Janie!” I scream, violently waving my hands above my head. “Janie! Over here! Janie!” I continue yelling her name, but my voice falls upon deaf ears. She doesn't even look in my direction. Her stare is broken, like a refugee’s. I take off and sprint towards her, but stop after a few steps. The heat is so oppressive, it burns my lungs.

“Janie! Please!” I shriek, prepared to snap my vocal cords. I'm jumping up and down hysterically, confident I can get her attention. That's when the ground disappears beneath my feet. I'm falling rapidly, and my body twists and turns in every direction like a wet rag being wrung out. My eyes won’t close, as though they suddenly forget how to. I scream in horror as wind fills my lungs, choking the life out of me.