Shadowed Strength: Shadowed Series Book One (4 page)

BOOK: Shadowed Strength: Shadowed Series Book One
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"His
eyes are sad," she whispered to herself right before it all became too
much and she fainted.

Chapter 3

"Melanie?
Mel, wake up. Look at me."

As
she regained consciousness, Melanie was being held in a pair of strong arms and
couldn't move. Everything came rushing back to her and she realized that he had
her again. He was going to...to... She started screaming and fighting, trying
to claw her way out of his arms. She had to get away. She had to run. The
harder she fought, the harder the arms held tight.

"Melanie
stop! It's me. You're safe. Stop." The words broke through her panic and
she stilled. She slowly raised her eyes to his face and saw caring, dark eyes
staring back at her. She instantly relaxed.

"Jeremy,"
she breathed. "How. Did...” she tried asking through a sob that wrenched
its way out of her throat.

"Shhh,
don't try to talk. It's okay. I’ve got you. You're safe."

Melanie
let him hold her there in the dark, trying to control the sobs wracking her
frame. He didn’t ask questions. He didn't press for answers. He didn't say
anything at all. He just held her tight and let her cry it out.

After
several minutes she heard sirens in the distance, getting louder and louder.
Someone had called the cops. She pulled slightly away from Jeremy, who had
somehow gotten her into his lap, and realized several things at once. People
were starting to crowd around them. It was lighter now, as several houses had
turned on porch lights and driveway flood lights. Police cars were roaring down
the street and would be there within seconds.

And,
to her mortification, her ripped shirt was hanging wide open. Jeremy had tried
to shield her from the looky-loos, but her bra and the expanse of bare skin
below it to her navel were showing. She actually didn't mind him seeing her bra
as much as the flabby roll of her stomach. Her face burned as she tried to
extricate herself from his lap and cover her body at the same time.

His
eyes stayed focused on her face and did not once drop below her chin, not even
briefly. She loved him for that and some of her embarrassment faded. After a full
minute of squirming, she finally stopped trying to get off his lap when she
realized he wasn't letting her go. She didn't really want to leave the comfort
of his arms and warm chest anyway.

"Where's
the dog?" she asked instead.

"What
dog?"

"The
dog that saved me. I was being...attacked...and this huge dog ran up and
knocked him off of me. You really didn't see the dog?"

"No.
No dog, Melanie."

He
wouldn't meet her eyes now.
Oh, God
, she thought,
he thinks I'm
crazy.
Am I crazy? Did I imagine it? No. There was a dog.

She
knew there was. That dog had saved her from...she didn't want to think about
what.

"How
did you find me? How did you know
to
find me?" she asked.

He
started to answer, but at that moment sirens wailed toward them as a police car
and an ambulance sailed around the corner and skidded to a halt on the opposite
side of the hedge. He was still holding her when the yard lit up with
spotlights and started swarming with police and EMT's.

The
police questioned Melanie for what seemed like hours, but she didn't have much
to tell. She never got a look at his face, despite having pulled off the mask.
And she decided not to tell them that his voice had sounded familiar. She
wasn’t sure why she refrained, but something told her not to tell. She didn’t think
they would believe her, anyway.

I don’t actually know someone that could attack and rape a
teenage girl, do I? I had to have imagined the familiarity. That had to be it.

And
then there was the dog. No one saw a dog in the area. Not Jeremy, not any of
the residents that heard the ruckus, no one but Melanie. And the man.

After
all the questioning, the paramedics made her ride in the ambulance to the
hospital. Apparently it was protocol to have her checked out by a doctor, even
though her would-be rapist did not succeed. The paramedics wouldn't let Jeremy
ride in it with her, even though he'd been by her side through all of the
questions.

She
had felt the tension in him grow more and more as she retold the events.
Melanie had wondered if he was mad at her for being so stupid and walking home
alone. He said nothing, just ground his teeth together so hard she could hear
it.

When
they loaded her into the back of the ambulance, he had to walk back to Karen's
house to get his truck. Apparently, he had gone looking for her on foot.
Melanie had told him he could just go home. Her mother was meeting her at the
hospital, so she wouldn’t be alone. He refused and entered the emergency room
shortly after Melanie did.

She
was examined by the doctor with her mother hovering nearby, sniffling. She
tried to tell her mom that she was okay, but Elaine Johnson wouldn't relax
until the doctors confirmed that her only injuries were a few bruises on her
wrists and shoulders. The knife hadn't even left a nick where he'd held it to
her throat.

They
decided to keep her overnight, though, for observation. In other words, in case
she started suffering panic attacks or some other symptom of post-traumatic
stress disorder. She had seen enough movies to know what PTSD was.

"You're
never going out again," her mom managed to choke out. As soon as the
doctor announced that Melanie was okay and left the room, her mom broke down
into gut-wrenching sobs.

"Mom,
stop it. Really. I'm fine."

"Fine?
Fine!? You were
attacked,
Melanie. You could have been...been..."

"Mom,
please, calm down. I know this is all my fault."

"Melanie,
no. This is not your fault. I am not blaming you and you shouldn't blame
yourself. You didn't do this. This was done
to
you."

At
those words, Melanie lost her control. She had held a tight grip on her
emotions since she had awakened in Jeremy's arms. She started crying
uncontrollably. Her mom held her through the sobs, but didn't say anything.
Melanie finally cried herself out and fell asleep in her mother's arms.

She was running down a dark street. The street didn't seem
to have an end, but she kept running. She kept running because someone, or
something was chasing her. Suddenly, she stumbled. She hit the ground with a
thud, but didn't feel any pain.

Melanie lay stunned for a moment, then felt a warm breath
on the back of her neck. She rolled over onto her back and saw big, black eyes
glowing with their own inner light. She saw big teeth, dripping with saliva.
She heard a low, sinister growl. She started to scream and thrash, and the
beast started to speak. "Melanie. Mel. Melaaaaanniieeee."

She
awoke suddenly, and sat straight up. It was morning, and Jeremy was there in
the room with her. He had his hands on her shoulders and a strange look on his
face.

"Wha...what-t-t
are you doing?" she managed to stutter out.

Snatching
his hands away quickly he said, "Sorry, sorry. You were dreaming, I guess.
You started breathing hard and thrashing around, then moaning in your sleep. I
was just trying to wake you up."

"Oh,
um, thanks." She looked around the room. "Where's my mom?"

"She
said to tell you she was heading to the cafeteria for some coffee. She also
said she'd bring you a doughnut and some chocolate milk."

"Oh,"
she replied.

"Do
you want to talk about it?" he asked.

"Talk
about what?"

"The
dream."

"Oh.
No, I don't remember it."

Melanie
looked at her lap so he wouldn’t see she was lying. She would never, not on a million
years, forget those black eyes and sharp teeth. But she didn't want him to
think she was crazier than she already seemed.

Jeremy
was looking at her with doubt in his eyes. He knew she was lying, but he didn't
push. He just sat down in the chair next to her bed and tentatively reached for
her hand. He entwined his fingers with hers and they sat in silence. Normally
she would have been bursting with excitement, but she was still exhausted and
sore from her ordeal. Jeremy's sweet concern and physical contact brought her
the comfort she needed.

A
few minutes later, her mom walked in carrying a tray with coffee, doughnuts and
milk. Melanie snatched her hand from Jeremy's before her mom could see. She
didn't know why she was embarrassed, but she was. She didn't want her mom
jumping to conclusions or asking questions, when Melanie herself had no idea
what to make of it. She started speaking rapidly, full of nervous energy.

"Mom,
did anyone ever find the dog?”

"What
dog, honey?"

"The
dog. The one that saved me. I told the police about it." She glanced over
at Jeremy. "I told you about it, remember?"

"I
remember," he answered. "But I told you, Mel, I didn't see any
dog." He stood up and offered Elaine his chair.

"This
is the first I've heard of a dog," she said as she sat down. "I
normally don't like fleabags, but if we find this one, he can come home with
us. He can sleep in your bed, for all I care. I am just so grateful he came
along when he did."

"I'm
sorry, Melanie, I have to go."

She
looked up and saw Jeremy edging toward the door. His face looked a little
flushed.

"Are
you okay?" she asked him.

"Yeah,
fine. I just remembered I have something to do. I'll call you later,
okay?"

"Yeah,
okay. Bye," she looked down at her lap, then her head snapped her back up.

"Jeremy,"
she called just as he started to slip through the door. He stopped, but had a
strange, almost uncomfortable look on his face.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks
for everything."

He
seemed to relax and smiled a genuine, breathtaking smile. He gave her a slight nod
and disappeared through the door.

Chapter 4

"That
took forever."

Melanie
was in the car with her mom, finally on her way home from the hospital. Shortly
after Jeremy left, the doctor had come to check her over and declared her fit
enough to go home. Her mom filled out the paperwork, then they had to wait for
a nurse to bring a wheelchair.  It was hospital procedure that all
patients left via a wheelchair. Once they got you out the door, you were on
your own.

"I
know, hon, but it's over now and we're almost home." Her mom's voice
cracked on the last word.

"Mom,
what's wrong?"

She
sniffled. "I'm sorry Melanie. I am trying really hard to keep it together,
but when I think about what might have happened to you, what almost
did
happen,
I just..."

"Mom,
it's okay. I'm okay. I just want to go home and forget it ever happened."

They
stopped talking after that. The silence was only broken by the occasional
sniffling sound from her mom. Neither turned on the radio. They both got lost
in their thoughts. Melanie wondered if she'd ever have the guts to leave the
house after dark again, or if her mom would even let her.

It
was surreal, really, thinking about the whole ordeal and grasping the fact that
it had actually happened to her. Not some nameless stranger in another town.
She wasn't sure when she would stop being scared.

Elaine
pulled the car into the driveway and parked next to Tara's Mustang. Tara was
sitting on the front steps, waiting for them. She jumped up and ran towards the
car as Elaine shifted into park. Melanie barely had time to get out before she
was in her best friend's arms.

Tara
had red, puffy eyes that had obviously shed more than a few tears. When Melanie
noticed them, she started to cry. They stood there hugging in the driveway,
sobbing like maniacs. Melanie's mom went inside and left them alone.

"Oh
my God, Mel, I am so sorry. So, so sorry," Tara said when they calmed down
and the tears stopped.

"Why
are you sorry? You didn't do anything. It's not your fault."

"Yes,
it is. It is my fault. I dragged you to that party. I let you walk. By
yourself. At night." Her face broke and she started sobbing again.

"Tara,
stop it," Melanie said as she put her arm around Tara's shoulders. "I
was determined to go and you wouldn't have been able to stop me. I would have
made you stay with Chris no matter what argument you gave me." Melanie
groaned. "I really want to take a break from this mess and think about
something else for a while. If I don't, I'll lose it. Tell me how the rest of
the party was."

"Mel,
you can't be serious."

"Please,
Tara. Please, let's change the subject, just for a little while. I'll give you
the details later, I promise. I just want to forget it for a few minutes.
Please. Tell me about the rest of the night."

Tara
sighed as they sat down on the front steps. "Okay. You got it. There's
really not a lot to tell though. After you left, I looked for Chris and
couldn't find him anywhere. I got a text from him about half an hour later,
apologizing.”

"He
just left? Without a word? That sucks the big one."

"Yeah,
well, I was livid at first. But he called me later on to say that he got a
really bad stomachache. He said he looked for me but we must’ve kept missing
each other. He ended up heading home and throwing up all night. It’s a good
thing he left when he did. How can I be mad at that?"

"Yeah,
I guess you're right. Okay, but this is his one-time pass. If he disappoints
you again, heads are gonna roll."

They
grinned at each other. That was an old saying they picked up from Tara's dad.
He'd always say "heads are gonna roll" when something made him mad.
It usually involved Tara staying out past curfew.

"Oh!
How could I forget?! I have to tell you what happened with Jeremy."

"When?"

"Right
after you left the party."

"What
happened?"

"Well,
I went out to the back patio looking for Chris, and I heard angry voices coming
from behind the fountain."

"Jeremy?"

"Yes.
And Sissy. Arguing. So, I snuck over and totally listened. Oh my God, Mel, you
should've heard it! He was letting her have it for being so horrible to
you."

Mel's
face brightened up. "What did he say?"

"He
yelled at her! He kept saying 'What the hell's the matter with you?' and then
he threatened her!"

"What?
No!"

Melanie
couldn't believe it. She knew he'd left the party looking for her, but with
everything that had happened, she never even spared a thought for Sissy.

"Yes!
He told her, in no uncertain terms, to never come near him again. Never speak
to him. Never even look at him. And that she better leave you alone, too. Or
else."

"Or
else?"

"She
asked the same thing, and he said 'try me'." Tara lowered her voice a
couple of octaves and puffed out her chest with that last bit.

Melanie
giggled. She couldn't believe she could giggle with the hell she was going
through, but Tara always had that effect on her. She leaned forward and hugged
her friend again.

"Okay,"
she said, "I'm ready to tell you about it."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Oh
my God." That was about the twelfth time Tara had said that since Melanie
had started her story. "Oh my God, Mel. I am so sorry. This really is all
my fault."

"No.
Don't start that again." Tara had started crying again and Melanie
couldn't stand it. "This is not your fault Tara. I don't blame you and you
shouldn't blame yourself. I was stupid enough to walk home alone, at night. I
was stupid enough to go down an unlit street. This is my fault, and I know
it."

"Melanie,
no!"

This
came from the front door, which her mom had silently opened behind them. She
rushed out as the girls stood up and grabbed Melanie by the shoulders.

"You
cannot blame yourself, honey," she said, looking straight into Melanie's
eyes. "The only person to blame is the monster that attacked you. Please,
please,
do not weigh yourself down with guilt. This is not your fault."

Elaine
hugged her tight as Melanie tried hard not to start crying again. Her mom held
her at arm’s length, looked at her hard, and released her. Then she went
solemnly back into the house.

"She's
right, you know," Tara said after the front door closed softly. "The
real person to blame is that creep who tried to rape you."

"I
know. But it's hard to
not
blame myself when I had so many reservations
about going down that street in the first place."

They
sat back down on the step and stared at the sky, both deep in thought. After
several minutes, Tara broke the silence.

"Well,
thank God for that dog. I wonder if we can find its owner and send them a thank
you gift of some sort."

"I
don't know, Tara. I'm starting to believe I imagined him. No one else saw him,
and the police asked around and not one person on that street owns a dog like
that."

"Well,
maybe it was a stray. I don't think you imagined it, though. I mean, if it
wasn't real, who or what got that beast off of you? I can't imagine him just
deciding to stop and leave, know what I mean?"

"Yeah,
I agree. It had to be real. It
had
to be, right?"

"Yes,
definitely."

They
sat in silence for several heartbeats, until Tara's stomach growled loudly.
They both burst into laughter and decided to get up and go inside for some
lunch.

Tara
stayed all afternoon and had dinner with them, too. It was a good day, and no
one brought up the attack again. They all just relaxed and enjoyed each other’s
company.

After
Tara went home, Melanie took a long, hot shower.  The water felt like hot
needles poking her all over, and she scrubbed until her skin was red and
blotchy. She stayed under the spray until the water cooled and forced her out.
Her body still felt dirty. She didn't know if she would ever feel clean again.

She
went to bed early, feeling exhausted, and fell asleep almost instantly. When
she dreamed, she was back on that dark street.

Her steps were slow, her ears listening for a rattling in
the bushes or the snap of a twig. Suddenly Melanie heard a pattering of feet
behind her. She turned quickly and saw something running towards her. It was
the dog, big and black and unimaginably fast. Before she could make the
decision to run, it stopped and sat on its haunches about five feet in front of
her. Its big pink tongue lolled out of its mouth in a pant, and it tilted its
head to the side inquisitively.

Suddenly, Melanie realized she wasn't scared anymore. She
held her hand out, palm up, and took a tentative step forward. The dog's tongue
disappeared back into its mouth and it tilted its head to the other side.
Melanie took another step forward, and still it didn't move. Four more
painfully slow steps brought her within reach of its mouth. She held perfectly
still, hand outstretched, and waited for the dog to make the first move.

The dog slowly stretched its neck forward and sniffed her
fingertips. Then it tilted its head and rubbed its forehead and ear into her
palm, as if begging for a scratch. Melanie felt instantly at ease. She pet the
dog on its head and face, then gave it a scratch behind the ears. It suddenly
stood up, and she backed up with a start. It was huge! The dog's head reached
above her belly button. It stared at her now, with those dark solemn eyes, and
a feeling of calm settled over her once again. She saw something in those eyes,
something trustworthy. Something...

Melanie
shot straight up in bed as her alarm clock screamed from its perch on her
nightstand. "Why the hell is my alarm on," she mumbled grumpily as
reached out and slammed her hand down on the snooze button. She slumped back
down onto her pillow. "It's Sunday."

Then
she sat back up again. It wasn't Sunday. It was Monday. She had school today.

Oh God, I don't know if I can do this,
she thought, knowing her mom would let her stay
home if she asked.

Melanie
lay there and thought about it for a while- exactly nine minutes- until the
alarm went off again. She turned it off this time, flung off the covers and sat
up with her legs dangling off the edge of the bed.

"You
have to do this," she said aloud to herself. "Get up, get dressed,
and go to school. Get back to normal."

Maybe
if things got back to normal, she could forget Saturday night ever happened.
Maybe. Probably not, but she knew she had to at least try.

Twenty
minutes later, Melanie shuffled into the kitchen to find her mom, whose mouth
dropped open. "Melanie, what are you doing?"

"Um,
getting breakfast? Don't you always tell me to eat something before school?
Feeding the brain and all that?"

"You
are
not
going to school today, honey. You need to stay home and rest.
It's too soon."

"Mom,
please let me go to school." Wow, she never thought she'd utter those
words! "I need to get back to normal to move on with my life. Sitting
around here all day dwelling on what happened is not going to help me."

"I
don't know. I don't think it's a good idea to push yourself too far, too
fast."

"I'm
not, I promise! Please, mom. I swear if I start to feel bad or anxious or
anything I'll check out and come home."

"Are
you sure? You don't want to just take a couple days off and relax?"

"I'm
sure. I need to fill my head with something else besides
that...that...man."

“I
called the police station this morning. The detective said that they are still
working on it, but don’t have any real leads yet.”

“Oh.
Okay,” Melanie said dejectedly.

Her
mom walked over and hugged her tight. The embrace lasted for so long, Melanie
thought she would never let go.

"Okay,
okay. You win. You can go to school." Elaine pulled away and rested her
hands on Melanie's shoulders. "But if you start to have any anxiety at
all, come home immediately."

Melanie
grinned and gave her mom a salute. "Aye, aye captain."

Her
mom hugged her again and left the kitchen to go get dressed for work. She was a
nurse at a local retirement home and needed to be in by eight that morning.

Melanie
glanced at the clock. It read 7:25. She pulled out her phone and texted Tara.

"
R
U picking me up this morn or am I hitchhiking?"

"U R going today???"
was the reply she got three seconds later.

"
Yes.
R U on ur way?"

"Be there in 5."

Melanie
grabbed a banana from the counter and a cherry cola from the fridge and headed
outside to wait for Tara. The spring air was still a bit crisp this early in
the morning, so she grabbed a sweater. Juggling her banana, her drink and her
backpack, she tried to pull the sweater on. She heard a familiar engine roaring
down her street as her head popped through. Tara was pulling into her driveway.

BOOK: Shadowed Strength: Shadowed Series Book One
6.6Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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