The Thirteenth (25 page)

“In a minute, Fran. Just talking to my mate Val,” Jason replied.

Mate! Did he just call me, mate?’ Val could feel the anger in her heart as a super model came from behind the door.

“Val, I have heard so many nice things about you, I’m Francesca,” she said offering Val her hand.

“I have never heard anything about you,” Val retorted. Fran uncomfortably pulled her hand back. Val watched aghast as this girl, with her perfect auburn hair and amazing good looks, sat down on the bed next to Jason. For a split second, Val imagined setting her on fire and then blowing her up.

“Val, this is my girlfriend, Francesca. She is here on holiday.”

Val just looked at them.

“She arrived as a surprise today,” Jason explained.

Who was he trying to convince that he didn’t know she was coming? Val thought.

“Well, I will leave you two love birds to it then.” Val turned to walk out of the room.

“I thought you wanted to talk to me?” Jason called after her.

“It can wait,” Val replied despondently. As she reached the door, the tears were already welling in her eyes.

“Bye Val. I hope we meet again soon,” Francesca called. Val carried on without responding. She knew it would have shown in her voice that she was crying.

Delta was waiting at reception with Shane. Val could see straight away that Delta had been informed of ‘
its
‘ arrival.

Val composed herself and said to Delta, “I think I would like to go home now.”

Delta nodded.

“Will I see you tomorrow, Val?” Shane asked.

“Yes, we need to do some translating. I found some information I think will help and I need you to pass on a message to Sam for me,” Val said in a more businesslike tone.

“See you in the morning then.” Shane went back towards his son’s room.

As Val left the hospital, she thought it ironic that she had arrived with a healthy heart yet was leaving with a broken one.

Delta grabbed Val’s hand and squeezed it hard as they left the building. They only released each other as they reached the car. The journey home was in silence as Val stared out of the car window watching the world pass her by.

“Here we are Val. I’m so sorry about what happened. If it’s any consolation, I think you are way cooler than whoever she is.” Delta leaned over and looked up at Val as she exited the car silently.

“It’s OK, Delta. He never said he liked me and he never said he didn’t have a girlfriend. It’s just my luck.” Val turned away, shutting the car door before Delta could make any more attempts at making her feel better. “Hi Mum!” Val shouted up the hall.

“Hi honey. How are you feeling?” Susan called back from the kitchen.

“Great. Where’s Dad?”

“He has had to work late. This new client of his wants his house building double time. Your father reckons it’s a bit odd, but he has paid cash so who would say no?” Susan had made her way to greet Val at the front door. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, just my face is a bit sore.” Val looked at her mum as the tears slowly started to roll down her cheeks.

“Come on, let’s get some hot chocolate.” Susan put her arm around Val’s shoulder and led her into the kitchen. Five minutes later Val was served a piping hot chocolate with whipped cream, marshmallows and chocolate sprinkles, while her mum told her all the church gossip.

It was nice just to listen to the inane goings on of the local women. It distracted Val from the pain in her heart for a while.

“Well, your dad is obviously going to be very late, so I’m going to retire,” Susan said. Val nodded in agreement and they said their goodnights as they walked upstairs.

“Val was relieved to be in her own familiar environment. Taking off her clothes, she slipped on her pyjamas. Had she really been that close to making a total fool of herself, of letting someone who called her ‘mate’ break her heart? “Stupid idiot,” Val hissed at herself as she climbed into bed. As she pushed the button to set her alarm, she wasn’t sure what her sleep would bring, but she had a tight hold on her sword. If she was getting beaten up in her dreams, maybe she could try and take her weapon with her. Val closed her eyes and after a long day, she was fast asleep within seconds.

She woke with the bleating tones of the alarm and, for a change, she felt completely rested. It was a glorious morning and even though the previous day’s events were pretty hideous, she was prepared to let it go and get on with her weird and wonderful life as ‘Val the defender of something’.

She was pleasantly surprised at how quickly her face was healing. As she headed out of the house and made her way to the bus stop, her mobile started to ring. It was Delta. Val didn’t feel like talking just yet, so she let it go to answer machine.

As she arrived at the shop, her eyes were met by a sight she really could have done without today: Wendy.

“Morning, Val. I said I’d be here at nine and here I am.” Even her chirpiness made Val feel nauseous.

“Hi Wendy. I was sure you wouldn’t skip town,” Val smiled wryly.

“Well, I just want to pay for my book.” Wendy looked down at her as she climbed the steps and for a second Val sensed something odd or different about Wendy today. She couldn’t pinpoint it, but she had changed.

“Come on in.” Val opened the door and moved to switch off the alarm.

“You are so lucky to have a job here. I don’t think I would be able to get my head out of the books.” Wendy passed Val and headed down the main aisle.

“Well, I try to stay focused.” Val dropped her bag behind the counter and looked for her pricing book. “What was the title of the book you took yesterday Wendy so I can work out the price?” Val called out but there was no answer.

“Wendy, I need the book’s title?” Val came around the counter and started to walk down the aisle after Wendy. When she reached the end there was still no sign of her, so Val turned and walked back to the counter. “Wendy?” Val called out again. There was no response. The doorbell rang and when Val looked around, the person who walked in nearly made her faint. It was Wendy.

“Morning Val. Sorry I’m a little late, but the bus got stuck behind an accident on the main road. Did you see it on your way into work?” Wendy looked at Val, slightly concerned with the fact that Val was now making her way towards her shaking her head like a deranged goat.

“Everything OK, Val?” Wendy asked, eyeing Val up and down.

“You just arrived?” Val stood so close to Wendy that she could smell the coffee that Wendy had had with her breakfast.

“Are you OK? Do you want me to come back later?” Wendy started to move backwards towards the door.

“No. Just pay for your book. Which one did you take?” Val started to move back around the counter never taking her eyes off Wendy.

“I took a signed first edition. Kate West’s ‘Dedication for the Solitary Witch’,” Wendy said in a hushed tone. It was different when you just paid for a book. Vocalising it made it sound odd.

“Yes, Kate West. Just a second.” Val bent her knees, not letting her gaze leave Wendy for a second and grabbed the special book of prices. She flicked from page to page looking at Wendy between turns.

“That’s forty-six pounds please.” Val forced a grin at Wendy as she got her money out to pay.

“I know I have strange tastes, but I’m harmless,” Wendy said passing the money over and starting to make her way out of the shop.

“Wendy, can I ask you something?” Wendy turned to look at Val.

“What?” Wendy responded.

“Do you know anything about dreams?”

“Only what I read in books, Val. If you go down the middle aisle there is a very good section on dream interpretation.” She paused. “Is that it?”

“Yes, thanks.” Val waved feebly at Wendy and she was gone.

“Oh my God! What just happened?” Val walked down the centre aisle, looking for the dream interpretation section. Val knew she had seen Wendy come in with her and then disappear, and come back again. Maybe she was trying to make her go insane. Wendy was buying every book the shop had on witchcraft and Val knew now, from her own personal experience, that everything we see isn’t always what it seems.

“Could Wendy have cast some spell on me so that I would see her more than once?” Val wondered. “Well, it will take a lot more than that to freak me out when I can teleport from one place to another.” As Val started scanning the books, she spotted one called ‘Astral projection for beginners’. She had heard of this before on the TV, something her mum had been watching. Val took the book back to the counter.

She needed to find out how this aggressor was attacking her during her sleep and if she could protect herself. If he could cause effects in the real world, then maybe she could attack him in the dream world. It had to be worth a try. Val also wanted to know how Wendy the witch had just pulled off that little stunt. However, Wendy didn’t pose any physical threat to Val, so she was going to study the more dangerous of the two first.

Val was reading behind the counter with a cup of coffee when she heard the peeping of Delta’s horn outside.

Val made her way out of the shop to greet her.

“So, you ready to go?” Delta shouted out of the car window.

“Where?” Val responded with a blank expression on her face.

“To town. I left you a message this morning about going into town during your lunch break, and, if you didn’t reply, I would take it that we were on and I would pick you up at twelve.” Delta was starting to look annoyed and as Val was feeling a slight hunger pang in her stomach, she decided that a lunch out couldn’t hurt.

“Let me just lock up and I’ll be with you.” Val turned and ran back into the shop. Within a short space of time, Val and Delta were on their way to the shops and Val was telling Delta about Wendy’s visits.

Delta seemed uninterested in what Val had to say and, as they arrived in the car park, she sprang from the car shouting, “Let’s shop” as she danced into the shopping centre.

“You’re happy today,” Val said sarcastically.

“Well today I’m going to fulfil my dreams.” Delta was still spinning when they reached the coffee shop they both loved. Val made a straight line to the counter almost falling over ballerina Delta.

“Latte?” Val shouted over to Delta.

“Uh huh, skinny please.” Delta came to a standstill leaning on one of the shopping centre pillars, posing like a model ready to be photographed.

“Your friend seems happy,” someone behind her said. It took her a moment to recognise the girl standing there, then she realised it was Francesca.

“Hello.” Val forced a parting of lips that possibly resembled a smile.

“How are you? I just decided to come and do some shopping. Jason is in Boots getting some pain killers.” Francesca pushed past Val to the counter.

“Oy!” Val protested.

“Jason has told me all about your little problem and I think you should be locked away and studied, but who am I to say what freaks get to walk this planet?” Francesca turned her back on Val who was standing with her mouth hanging open with the shock.

“Excuse me! Who the hell do you think you are?” Val grabbed Francesca’s arm and pulled her around.

“I’m your worst nightmare.” Francesca turned and grabbed Val by the throat, lifting her several feet off the ground. Val could feel the breath being squeezed out of her body and she was unable to fight.

“People like you make me sick. Did you really think I wouldn’t be able to tell that you fancied Jason, that you had been trying to keep him all to yourself?” Francesca was now moving across the open cafe towards the middle of the shopping centre. Val was floating a foot of the floor hanging on the end of Francesca’s hand. She could see Delta, but she was still busy doing Swan Lake and didn’t seem to have noticed the goings on. There was no chance of her screaming; she couldn’t even breathe. Just then she spotted Jason running towards them. “At last,” Val thought to herself.

“Let her go, Francesca,” Jason called out.

“Never, you will never love her the way you love me,” Francesca spat back.

Jason was by their side in seconds and the first blow was enough. His fist struck Francesca square in the back and she dropped Val, who fell to the floor gasping for air.

“I’ll kill her, she’s mine,” Francesca hissed as started to run away.

“Are you OK, Val?” Jason gave Val his hand to help her up.

“I think I’ll survive,” Val said brushing herself down.

“Why did she do that?” Val looked to Jason for an answer.

“Because I told her last night that there was never going to be a
me and her
.” Jason moved in closer to Val putting his hands gently around her waist.

“Sorry?” Val spluttered.

“Don’t you get it? I never told you about her because I didn’t want her to come here. I thought it would just be me and you.” Jason brought his face closer to Val’s.

“Well, that’s not nice.” Val was trying to feel sorry for Francesca, but it was hard.

“I want you, Val,” Jason whispered in her ear. What happened next was so fast Val didn’t have time to stop it. Jason had his lips on hers and her whole body was shaking, and shaking and shaking. What was going on?

“Val, come on honey. You slept through the alarm, wake up.” Susan was rocking Val’s body into consciousness. “You will be late for work.” Susan stood up and walked out of the room, leaving Val pondering on the only revenge she would ever get on the girl who had stolen her man.

Val was unenthusiastic about getting out of bed, but she was already late so she couldn’t delay for long. She sat up taking a gulp of the tea her mum had left and swivelled her legs out of bed. Once she got going, she moved swiftly and was ready to leave in time to catch her bus.

“See you later, honey.” Susan kissed Val on the cheek and passed her lunch.

As Val made her way to the bus, Delta rang her. “Morning,” Val answered.

“Hi, would you like to meet me for lunch?” Delta said chirpily.

“OK, same time as usual,” Val answered.

“Cool.” Delta hung up.

When Val arrived at the shop her jaw nearly hit the ground. There was Wendy waiting in the doorway, in exactly the same stance and clothes as in her dream. As a matter of fact, the phone call from Delta had been at the same time in my dream Val realised, although, in the dream, she hadn’t answered it.”