Whisper (8 page)

SIXTEEN

Date Night

The weekend came too quickly. Livia and Bethanne helped me get ready for my dinner date with Xavier. Going on a date with him feels strange. I have been on dates before, but nothing compared to how I pictured it would be with Luken.

I started down the stairs. The sound of wailing captures my attention on the second floor. I wanted to interrogate the sound. Instead I ignore it finding myself face to face with Luken. He leans against a pillar hidden half in shadow. His muscular arms crossed over his chest.

“I do not approve.” I roll my eyes. “I have to go we’ll talk later.”

He blew out a puff of air smirking, his bangs hanging over his eyes. “Be careful darling.” I stop without looking over my shoulder. “I know my life is in danger.” Luken came around to stand in front of me. For a second I thought he might be stalling or blocking my way until he said, “I won’t be able to protect you tonight.” I nod. “I will be fine.” He leaned over kissed me on the forehead. Luken steps back shaking his head. I head down the stairs. His eyes burned into my back it took much of my strength not to turn and run back to him.

Xavier showed up outside the mansion while the sun shined brightly in the sky. This is the first time I have seen the skies here purely blue. I knew he showed up extra early, from being spooked the other night. 

I didn’t make it to the foyer fast enough. My Uncle James greeted him. I hadn’t known he is back. They are talking and discussing a negotiation on when I am allowed to return to the mansion. My uncle clearly is not willing to bend on my being back by ten sharp.

“Hey you look, wow.”

Xavier wore denim jeans hanging against his hips with a nice button down dress shirt. His hair is cut and freshly trimmed. I stared at a model, wondering if his abs were as chiseled as his good looks. Throwing the thought from my mind I look to my uncle for some guidance.

“Xavier is a good negotiator, but ten o’ clock okay Avaya.”

“Okay.”

“That is a nice shirt.” I smile walking past him.

At the restaurant Xavier helped pull my seat back for me. Out of the only times I have seen him and this is the first I have watched him act like a gentleman. I am surprised he changed who he is for the night. This place is not my scene it is fancy and mingled with the past.

We ordered our food. I ordered a small salad with a gourmet grilled cheese sandwich and soup. Xavier ordered our sodas and got a burger meal with soup. The first thing he says when I ordered is, “I knew you were going to get a salad. Every girl I take out always gets a salad.”

“Well good for them. I don’t usually order salads, but the cranberry apple walnut salad looks irresistible I had to get it.”

I took a small bite. “How is your soup, what is it Chrissi calls you, Mr. Suave?”

Xavier laughs, “don’t remind me. Can we talk about something else?” He clearly doesn’t want to talk about Chrissi or Nicolette. Xavier cringed at the mention of her name. “Did you and Chrissi ever date?”

“Don’t make me sick please. Chrissi, no not even close, she and I have always been like brother and sister other times best friends. When Nicolette moved here, before you can ask she fit so well with us, we adopted her into our twosome group.”

“That makes more sense. I am curious when we came here we took a different route to get here, we did not stay on the highway.”

“Yeah well you know me all about the strange and mysterious wonders of the world. I do not like that side of the highway at night. People have seen strange lights late at night driving down it. If you want when we leave I can show you.”

Chatter and clinking of silverware touching ceramic plates fills the restaurant as they become busy. The kitchen off in the distance is bustling with life and chaos. A man proposed to a woman at the table next to ours. At a fancy booth a girl celebrated her thirteenth birthday. A few tables over this one couple caught my eye. They stood out from the rest, gazing at each other.

“Earth to Avaya you listening?” I heard Xavier while we waved his hand in front of my eyes. The couple shifted their gazes toward me. Smiling they faded away. “I’m sorry what?” I say looking at him. I chalked the disappearing act of people up to my imagination.

“Do you want me to drive down the haunted highway, we can check out the strange lights on the way back?”

“Oh,” I barely smile, “that would be fun.”

Our waitress came to take our plates. She has blond hair with light pink highlights interwoven. She kept stealing glances at Xavier. Her name tag read Jenn. They gleamingly smile at each other, but Xavier kept his eyes on me.

When she walks away with her tail between her legs, I know there is more to Jenn being another waitress at a restaurant. “What is the story with Jenn?”

Xavier sits back, “nothing to tell. I met Jenn at a party a couple months ago took her out on a couple dates. It didn’t work out. What else can I say?”

“She seems to think there is still something between the two of you. She keeps staring at you.”

Xavier glances behind me. I look over my shoulder, Jenn is wallowing her eyes full of let down and pain. She forcefully wrote down our orders when we first arrived. We barely saw her until he left the restaurant. Jenn smiles enthusiastically as she says “have a nice evening.”

The wind blows angrily. We drove down the highway until we came to an alcove in the road where no cars followed and stopped. “Just wait,” Xavier glances in different directions.

We sat in the car, darkness flooded the road. Trees shadows are cast by the dim glowing of moonlight. He gazes at me. A dopy gaze in his eyes carefully he leans
closer to me. His eyes close. Before he could touch my lips I pull away from him. “I’m sorry.” This isn’t right when my heart belongs to Luken.

“Maybe it was too soon to make a move.” Xavier shrugs.

Placing my hand on his leg, I apologize with my eyes. In this short time, the trees grew darker, if possible. Casting strange shadows in all directions, the moon is scarce poking through stray branches and clouds in the sky.

“It isn’t that Xavier…it’s something else entirely.” 

He grimaces a wound opening, he cannot control. “Is there someone else on your mind?” I nod, trying to figure out the best way to tell him we won’t be more than friends. I thought about what kissing Xavier would be like, but every time Luken takes his place.

“You like the dead guy, right?” I laugh at his use of “dead guy” with jealousy and sarcasm thrown into an underlying message.

“Haven’t you ever heard of girls who were in love with Shakespeare or even those who claim he is their boyfriend? Like that only instead it is Luken Vandersen.”

Xavier sighs leaning his arm on the steering wheel. “I really don’t want to talk about Luken. Sorry I brought it up.”

“So where is this strange light? I don’t see anything.”

“You spoke too soon.” He points in a direction.

A blue luminous light travels around the car. Bright and iridescent it travels through the trees. A person suddenly approaches poking around the tree. Covered in a shroud of blue he is old enough to by my grandpa. The man wearing slacks, a tailored coat with a tail down the back. Similar to the one I have seen Luken wear.

Xavier tries to reach for me, but I am already out of the car halfway between this man and the car. His eyes are a milky blue glass. Graying hair here and there is highlighted by the blue light. Moving closer to him, he steps out from behind the tree, hanging on to his anchor.

“Hello.” My voice trembles. Had this been any other place I would be terrified running for my life. I imagined the dark gothic structure of the Vandersen Manor being within in walking distance.

Furrowing his brow, confusion crosses in front of his eyes. I am not sure this man understands, until he steps back closer to the tree. I look over my shoulder, Xavier is watching like a hawk from inside the safety of his car, his eyes become saucers.

This man had moved, standing only a couple feet away. Anger creates an imposing shadow in his wake. His walk glides effortless barely touching the ground below his black leather shoes.

“Who are you, what are you doing on my property?” He asks his voice raspy.

“This is not anyone’s property.” I try to reason with him.

His anger deepens. “This is my property,” repeats, “you are trespassing on my land.”

His gaze lowered. Something familiar about it pounded at the back of my mind. “I apologize, I will leave respectfully.”

“No, wait.” He reaches out with his hands begging me not to leave.

“Have you seen my boy?” He shows me an old photo. “I have been searching for him a while.”

“No. You do know this is the twenty first century you have been dead for a very long time. Maybe your son is waiting for you somewhere else.”

Xavier must have seen something I am blind to, I hear him call out to me. “Avaya,” concern in his voice, “back away slowly and run!” I realize the impending anger growing in the spirits expression, a shadow clouding him.

My fear collapsed on all sides. This man is screaming in my face to leave this place. I back away carefully and run toward the open car door. Staring behind me this spirit is charging after me. When I get in the car, I see the spirit leaning against a tree weeping before he fades away.

“Wow do you know how to piss off a ghost or what?”

“It isn’t funny he could have hurt me Xavier. If you hadn’t…I don’t know…”

“Don’t think about that Avaya. Now you know Luken is not the only haunt in Woodenbury. There are five up in Cedar Park a semi ghost town. A couple houses existed there. A fire destroyed them. Since then people always hear strange things up there…” I cut him off.

“How do you know there are five?”

“People can hear them talking. They like to play pranks on the tourists. Even I have heard the distinct voices of different people talking. The humorous part, these ghosts don’t bother the locals.”

We pulled up to the front of the mansion. I gave Xavier a kiss on the cheek. Out of the car I felt a familiar presence. Luken stared down from a window at me. He smirked in the dark kind of way, Celia stood next to him. His arm slung around her.
I almost believe he is trying to make me jealous.

SEVENTEEN

Hidden

Standing in front of the enclosed garden, I search along the wall until I find the lose rock. I pull it away to find it empty. “Looking for this?” A mischievous darkness radiates from him. Luken holds the skeleton key in his hands.

He steps up so close to me I can barely breathe. I back up slowly. Luken reaches his arm out brushing against my side. I felt the door open against my back. “After you,” he says.

I had wanted to come here to be alone. Because seeing Celia with Luken does make jealous. I have no idea who she really is or if she is actually deceased. The inside of the garden is neglected with weeds sprouting where beautiful flowers once grew.

My head started to spin. “Luken,” I call out shakily. His hand slid behind my head right before I felt the coolness of the ground beneath my body. Still conscious I shook and convulsed, Luken’s icicle fingers grazing my cheek.

“Avaya don’t…” the last word rippled in my mind. It is still hard to identify the voices. The murky images are a blur of color and movement. “Open your eyes, I am here.” Luken’s voice started to break through the surface. The pain subsided as I return to my surroundings.

“They’re getting worse.” Luken says calmly.

A woman stood next Luken. Her dark hair cascaded over her shoulders. The white gown she is wearing is more like a casual summer dress. “Who are you?” I ask her. She stares at me with sorrowful eyes. “I am Dana. My husband is so sad. He has been visiting me in the wrong place.”

Uncle James. “I’m Avaya, my uncle owns this place.”

She stepped back holding her hand to thin lips. “No…where are your parents.” Luken squeezes my hand, “gone.”

“My Becca have you seen here?” I wasn’t sure what she wanted to know. “She is in the mansion. Has she woken yet?” I shake my head. The girl I have seen wandering the mansion. A creepy tingle ran down my spine. My cousin is in a coma in the mansion? It doesn’t bring me peace.

“She is still in a coma.” My aunt Dana turned away. She paced back and forth where I had seen her before. I watched her move between a walk way of old flower beds before she disappeared.

“Come on.” Luken helped me up walking with me until we reached a clear piece of green grass. He sat down, coaxing me to lay my head in his lap. I felt weak and complied with his wishes.

“What is with you and Celia?” I stare up at him as he strokes my hairline.

“Do not worry about her. I was going insane at the sight of you so I spent time with her. My intention was not to make you jealous, clearly it worked. I heard you cry yourself to sleep that night.”

“I didn’t cry, okay maybe I shed a few tears. She was all over you and it didn’t seem to bother you at all.” He partially smiles. “Wasn’t he all over you?”

“No he wasn’t. There was a split second where he almost kissed me, but he isn’t you Luken, I couldn’t do that. I told him my heart is taken.” He lifted me up for second before lying next to me with his arm around me. “I saw the cheek kiss.”

“We will only ever be friends he and I.” Luken relaxed in my arms. It didn’t last. I felt his muscles tense against me.

“Now to figure out how to protect you from the danger you are in.” I gaze at him. “I still don’t know what the danger is,” Luken kisses the top of my head. “For now it is better you don’t know.”

I woke up to the sound of a chirping bird. My body felt frozen. Luken had his arm tightly around me a protective clutch. We had fallen asleep in the garden. The tree holding the swing looks different in the daylight. I gaze around trying to picture how this gloomy place once appeared.

“Luken wake up.” He bolted up. The echoing distant call of my name altered me. He placed his fingers to his lips helping me up. “Do not let anyone else know of this place. It is safer this way.” I nod. “Go,” he says.

I started toward the sound of Bethanne’s shrill voice breaking closer in the woods. When I saw her she held a light out toward the edge of the woods. Luken’s presence faded and I didn’t turn to check on him. Off in the distance movement caught my attention. A slinking figure in shadow carefully slithered and strode toward me. I ran.

Bumping into Bethanne, she searches my horrified eyes. I gazed toward the woods to see a figure watching me. A blanket had been wrapped around me. A gust of wind blew past us whipping Bethanne’s dress up. “Miss, come on we have to get inside. This is strange weather we have here.”

“I’m sorry I was out with…by myself in the woods and I fell asleep.” Her honey eyes widen, “it is dangerous to be in these woods alone at night.”

Bethanne took me through the maid’s hallway sneaking me up into my room. Only Miss Brantshire stood there face me as we entered. Her hair is pulled up twisted inside itself. The dress she is wearing has white ruffles at the neck and the hem of her sleeves. “Where were you?”

She asks. “Ma’am we were…”

Miss Brantshire held up her hand not even noticing Bethanne’s presence. “You may go,” Bethanne silently sulks away.

“I wasn’t anywhere.” Miss Brantshire shut my door closing us in my room. Within a few seconds my room started to turn ice cold. I could feel my lips turning blue. She stood watching me until I am so frozen my body starts to shake. Breathing calmly warmth seeps through my nerves until the numbness in my toes and fingers is gone.

“Where were you, do not make me ask again? If your uncle had been here this would be a very unfortunate day for you. “I fell asleep in the library Bethanne found me and brought me back to my room.” Crossing my fingers I wait and see if she buys the lie.

“Mm, very well, remember I have eyes everywhere.”