The Watchers Trilogy
AWAKENING
KARICE BOLTON
Copyright © 2011 Karice Bolton
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any printed or electronic form without permission from the author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, and events either are the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Smashwords Edition
Cover design: PhatpuppyArt.com
DEDICATION
To all of the people in my life who always tell me to go for it!
Love you my dude! Jon, you are the best husband a girl could ask for…
Mom, thank you for always giving me encouragement and to my dad who is watching down over us all!
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I want to say a simple thank you to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and all of the other avenues available for the indie publishing world. It allows the art of storytelling to continue to flourish in unexpected ways!
Also to my wonderful and very patient editor – you know who you are.
NEXT IN THE TRILOGY:
LEGIONS
BOOK 2 OF THE WATCHERS TRILOGY
BY
KARICE BOLTON
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KARICEBOLTON
CHAPTER 1
The screams shot me out of bed. My heart was pounding seventy miles an hour. I felt for my fleece blanket to throw off, since I seemed to be stuck to my sheets with a million gallons of sweat. I looked around my blackened room, with only the red glow of the alarm clock displaying 3:00 am to comfort me. My heart sank as I lost the battle for another night’s sleep. I heard the gentle snore of my bulldog, Matilda, rattling through the air. She was used to my screams by now. I promised myself with a little whisper that I was safe. It was only a nightmare – another nightmare. That is all it was. It couldn’t possibly be real, that kind of terror. The dreams were coming closer together now, and worse yet, they seemed to lead to nowhere but sleep deprivation.
I commanded myself to take deep, steady breaths to calm myself. Still breathless and shaky from the last images that had blasted into my brain, I tried to rid myself of the most awful scene replaying over and over - that of my demise. The mere thought of the attacks made me want to hide in my closet from the world. The black, swirling creatures were coming at me and through me from every direction. Their mouths open, displaying several sets of teeth, blood dripping from their lips waiting for me to make a mistake. This was not a world I recognized. How my mind could even create such deadly monsters I didn’t know. The elements of realism spooked me beyond belief. I grabbed a tissue from my nightstand and wiped the dampness from my forehead, unsure of how much longer I could keep this up. Every night and every dream seemed to be different. They all had similar storylines, to a degree. Sometimes the unfamiliar characters reappeared to haunt me over and over again. It just depended on the night. Part of me felt as if I should know these people or maybe at least the events that kept taking place. Why else would they keep reappearing? However, the events were so fantastical, the thought that I should recognize them made me feel even crazier for thinking it.
Fully awake now and completely disappointed in the prospect of another long and drawn out day without sleep, I trudged to the window and opened my heavy, red velvet curtains to expose the calmness of an outside world in an attempt to calm my own mind down. The snow was slowly floating down from the sky leaving a beautiful pattern on the sidewalk, illuminated only by the streetlight. The sight brought a shiver to my bones. Even though only a minute ago, I had to wipe away the wet heat of fear off of my body. I couldn’t keep chasing and being chased like this. I couldn’t constantly go on thinking my life was in danger whenever I closed my eyes. I needed rest. I needed sleep. Lack of sleep was only making it worse. I was sure of it.
“What is all of this telling me? I don’t even know the people in my dreams!” I whined to Matilda.
She responded with her usual snorts and snores, sprawling out even more on my mattress now that I had left a larger area for her enjoyment. I flipped on my nightstand light that cast its familiar glow, attempting to move back into bed without displacing Matilda. A sigh escaped as I grabbed my latest book to read, which was ready and waiting for another night like all of the others.
I opened the book to the third chapter as my mind attempted to identify who the people in my dream were this time. Seeing crumpled remnants of humans discarded all over was never something that I could get used to regardless of it being a nightmare or not. I was getting used to seeing the swirls appear to attack me, but I was also intrigued at the thought of trying to figure out who the random strangers were who appeared time and time again. Sometimes they were the same people. Other times, a completely new set would make an entrance. I always avoided looking into their eyes because, during one of my very first nightmares, all I saw was the dull glow of death staring right back at me. I couldn’t stomach it twice, and somehow my subconscious knew to never look them in the eyes, whoever they were.
Thankfully, the latest batch of characters seemed kind. As if I knew them from somewhere, although that wasn’t possible. I’m sure they must have made an appearance in my other dreams. I just don’t remember them. One stood out in particular. He was trying to save me, but it was too late. The black, soulless swirls got me. My nightmares never had gotten to that point before. Never did I know the conclusion to these nightmarish adventures before tonight.
This time, I saw how it ended. I didn’t make it. It wasn’t a painful process. I didn’t feel tortured. It seemed like I should have felt the attack. I didn’t. What I was left with was the most awful feelings of despair and loneliness wrapping their way through every aspect of my life. My soul felt like an empty cavern as I saw myself being blown away into the wind. I remember looking back at the strangers on the ground. They were looking up towards the sky at me as I left to wherever bodiless souls go. The one guy who was so memorable was staring back at me, tears streaming down his face. He was the one who tried to save me. He risked his own life against the monsters to save me. He was only a minute too late. My heart now longed for him, this figment of my imagination. I didn’t know why.
I couldn’t shake the images this time. They were too haunting, too real. And now I was going crazy believing that these things had some sort of significance. Lack of sleep was finally catching up with my fragile state of mind.
CHAPTER 2
The Grizzly Bear lodge was packed as usual for this time of night. I glanced around the restaurant as everyone was trickling in, partially undressing from their long day of romancing the powder. The pub was ideally situated at the base of Whistler Mountain, capitalizing on location rather than menu selection, but I enjoyed working here. It felt like home or at least as close to that as I could feel. I tried to shake off my long disastrous night of sleep while preparing for my shift. The images of my demise kept creeping into my thoughts. What was worse was that those images were virtually impossible. Yet, they plagued me tremendously, creating a pit in my stomach. I tried shaking the feelings of despair that kept trying to interfere with my ability to get back to my routine.
Outside the snow was gently falling, and the night barely beginning. It was early in the season, and only the upper half of the mountain was open, but it was enough to kick off the ski season in Whistler. There were the usual suspects scattered around the pub; the guys in their twenties, who had been taking nips from their flasks all day on the mountain in between runs, attempting to quickly get their server’s attention for more beer. Then there were the tables with the wives and girlfriends done up all cute, eagerly awaiting their other half. Their actions only highlighted the fact that they had spent the day at the spa not the slopes. And, of course, there were the locals chatting up the bartender and grabbing the latest news on the hockey game.
This was the best part of my job, the people watching. Unfortunately, at times, it could be the worst part of my job. There were those days, and not all that few and far between, when it emphasized how alone I really was. As I puzzled over this fact, I quickly grabbed the next round of drinks from the bar and went to the corner table to deliver their long awaited goods. I was taking over the table from Karen who had to leave the pub rather quickly. It was unusual for her, and I hoped everything was ok. I made a mental note to give her a call when I got home.
I scooted between the wooden chairs that were now being shuffled around the tables to make room for everyone coming into the pub. The restaurant was getting packed early tonight. The sound of the chairs scraping and clunking on the well-worn wood floors gave me warning that tonight was going to be a busy night. Exactly what I needed to keep my mind occupied.
The antique snowshoes that were balancing so delicately on the wall snagged my ponytail as I tried to make my way through the tables, and thankfully, no one saw as I fought with the decorations. Once I became unsnarled from the thoughtfully placed décor, I made my way to the table waiting for me and more importantly, their drinks.
“Harmless,” I whispered, as I approached the table Karen had left. I saw a man with dark golden hair gently nuzzling a woman’s neck with his nose. She was thoroughly enjoying his affection. It was as if they were literally one unit. It made me chuckle. I’m not sure exactly why - maybe it was because it was a bit like my bulldog’s reaction to me when I got home from work. Or maybe it was my standard reaction that would always appear when I longed for something I couldn’t have, or more appropriately, never have had - except in my dreams.
Regardless, when I appeared with the drinks, they both looked up at me with the most staggering eyes. I was immediately jolted out of my doldrums. Their eyes were the most brilliant green that I’d ever seen, like an emerald. Their green eyes were filled with dark black centers, outlined with striking jets of yellow. It made my blood freeze. These two strangers were so familiar feeling. I almost gasped aloud but caught myself. My arms became weak, but I somehow managed to keep the tray steady. I stared in silence not sure what came over me as I tried to gain my composure. Instead, all that happened was that I couldn’t concentrate. I felt faint. I looked at both of them again and realized they both had the same look in their eyes, almost the same eyes. The shape was different, hers more of an almond shape. His deeper set, but nonetheless, the expression and color were the same. My heart started beating too fast for its own good, and I suddenly was alive, a feeling I hadn’t felt for a long time – if ever. I placed my hand over the rat’s nest in my hair that the snowshoe fiasco created, trying to smooth it down. Attempting anything to try to look at least somewhat presentable around these unusually perfect creatures.
My fingertips were zinging with electricity as I grabbed the coasters and placed them in front of the couple. I tried to hide the smile that was coming across my face as I placed the napkins on the table. I caught at that moment that they, too, were taking me in. Strangely, they didn’t seem the least bit unnerved by my reaction to them. Maybe, I was doing a better job of hiding my emotions than I thought. I doubted that though.
I was preparing to place the woman’s mulled cider in front of her when I noticed I had three drinks for the table, but only two people anxiously awaiting them. I nervously looked at the woman as I tried so very hard to speak, but nothing would come out. I grabbed the mug of hot, steaming mulled cider and tried to place it in front of her as carefully as possible without spilling. My hands were shaking, and I couldn’t fathom what was taking place. I looked at this woman who was the most ethereal, enchanting person I had ever seen, that is, besides the person sitting next to her. She was otherworldly. That wasn’t possible though. I was losing my mind. These nightmares finally caught up to me; lack of sleep now threatening my sanity. However, I couldn’t shrug off their familiarity, knowing I had never seen them here in Whistler before only left one option that didn’t seem plausible.
Wonderful feelings were drifting over me, wrapping every part of my body in an almost loving embrace. I didn’t want to look away. I didn’t want to lose these feelings. Their stares were too mesmerizing to look away. I had to control myself. I didn’t want them to see my reaction any longer. This was way too bizarre. It had to be because of my lack of sleep.
An eternity seemed to go by as I was drinking everything in about this couple, but in actuality, it was only a mere second. My life stood still. After I glided the Blue Sapphire martini to the man without a drop spilt, I quickly spun around and headed back to the safety of the bar register. Glancing quickly at them, I noticed they, too, were staring directly at me, smiling as if they knew something was about to take place. I couldn’t look at them anymore. I had to come back to reality. I cursed my dull brown hair as it kept falling in my face, blocking my view of them. I shoved my hair behind my ear so I could at least get one last peek of them.
Once I came back to earth as best as possible, I noticed that I had left the tray and the third drink on the table. Rather than go back to the table, I sprinted to the bathroom. Not knowing what was happening to me, I needed a moment to get myself back together. I swung open the bathroom door only to have the wooden sleigh crash against the door with a loud thud, yet another piece of décor out to get me. Everything in the Grizzly was placed with such great intention, which usually comforted me, but now it all seemed to get in my way. I needed to get to the sink and figure things out. I hoped I wasn’t getting the flu. Maybe I had caught whatever it was that made Karen go home for the night. Any sort of bug compounded with the lack of sleep that I had been getting was a recipe for a disastrous event such as this one.
As I splashed water feverishly over my face, I couldn’t stop thinking about the two people I encountered. What was it about them that made me feel this way and yearn for them? It was a euphoric sense that flooded over me. As I stood and looked in the mirror, I saw my reflection. I wished I hadn’t splashed all my makeup off, especially since I would be serving them for the rest of the night, the golden gods. Compared to the woman sitting at the table, I looked like a disheveled rat to match my hair. My store bought brown hair looked especially lousy at a time like this. It made me wish I kept my natural auburn color.
I stared at my eyes reflecting in the mirror hoping to repair the mascara that dribbled down my cheek. Realizing there was no hope, I wiped it off completely. I looked at myself again, wondering if the dark brown eyes staring back at me would ever have light in them instead of the blank stare that usually surfaced. Not remembering much of my childhood, except for the memories that were told to me, always made me feel so alone, no siblings, no parents – only newspaper clippings. That is what I always blamed my lackluster expression on. Not feeling life became my comfort. When too much interaction began, that was my cue to exit the situation or leave the people behind, that’s how I came to Whistler.
I heard laughing behind me and turned to see two bubbly ski bunnies bundled in cashmere coming through the door, obviously enjoying the evening. I tried not roll my eyes and just flashed them a smile. I grabbed the paper towel dangling for me, did one last wipe of my cheeks and left the restroom.
The pub was really hustling now. I could hear the clanking of beer mugs and the chatter an octave higher. Buckets of beer, the nightly special, were parading from one table to the next like a revolving door. The lighting went down a shade, and the stone fireplace began roaring in the far corner right on time. I saw the newest group sitting in my section and quickly went over to take their drink order. As I heard the drink orders rattled off, I cautiously glanced at the couple I had left so feverishly and noticed Jen, another server on for the night, had graciously removed the tray and placed the third drink on a coaster in front of the empty chair. There was still no one sitting there. I was secretly relieved. I didn’t need another perfect human adding to the complexity of the emotions running through me. I somehow knew I wasn’t coming down with the flu. There was something about these people that lured me in.
“Miss,” I heard pointedly, “Can we add a starter of poutine to our order?”
“Of course! I’ll put that right in.” My smile returning to my face, I took a deep breath and continued on with my busy night. I was so thankful I had a full section tonight. I was certainly a creature of habit.
I was entering the poutine into the computer, when a wave of ice-cold, electrifying air penetrated me right through to my core. It was as if my bones would shatter with the slightest movement. I looked over at the front entrance expecting it to be open, but it wasn’t. I quickly looked around to gauge anyone else’s reaction, knowing I couldn’t trust my own with my sleep deprivation. Then, right before me, I saw the third person sitting at my favorite table. He had arrived. It was from him that I was feeling the electricity. They were looking at me again, all except the newcomer. It was as if they were evaluating me, my reaction. Silly as it seemed, that’s what they had to be doing. But for what reason?
From behind, I could tell that he was really well-dressed. He was very firm, very upright, very oddly upright. He sat so still, almost like a statue. It struck me kind of funny, but in a good way. He, too, had golden brown hair. His looked a little less perfect, a little more disheveled, than his friends or relatives or whoever was with him at the table. I liked it. There was a bedraggled, rugged look about him - perfectly so. If he looked half as good as he did from the back, I couldn’t wait to see him from the front. If only I could compose myself. Not that I had a shot, but at least, I could admire.
Promising myself that I wouldn’t again lose my cool, I let the excitement ripple through me at the thought of getting to meet him. I knew what I was feeling was in my head. There was no way other people could make you feel this way. The lack of sleep was not doing me any favors. I spun around and quickly marched to the bar. As I waited for the next order to come up, I excitedly embraced this new feeling of energy and exhilaration that was finally beginning to creep up on me.
“Hey, Ana,” the bartender spoke, interrupting my thoughts, “Order’s up.”
“Thanks, Ben.” I quickly grabbed the gravy and cheese covered fries, otherwise known as poutine, and trudged over to the table to drop it off so I could get over to the newcomer.
“Is there anything else you need or are you all set?” I asked, unable to hide my grin. They nodded their heads and were all set.
Finally, I was about to arrive at the table of life. The euphoria was beginning to set in as I saw a glow radiating from the table. Prismatic colors were dancing off the walls around them. Recognizing another side effect of my sleep deprivation, hallucinations, I just moved towards them. I had to meet the newcomer. It was like a magnet was pulling me over to him. I was certain that the others at his table noticed, but I didn’t even care now. I went to the bar, grabbed some silverware as an excuse, and walked to the table of the night.
“Is there anything else I can get right now for you guys or are you doing ok?”
When the newcomer looked up at me for the first time, my heart began racing. He had the same hypnotizing eyes as the others. Only that was merely the beginning. His skin was an exquisite shade of ivory, showing slightly that he had missed a day of shaving. His features were so striking that they almost matched his startling eyes, which were outlined with such thick lashes that it made his green eyes stand out even more than the other two at the table. He was looking at me with such kindness and had the familiarity about him that I couldn’t place. Secretly wondering if he could have been in one of my dreams, I did my best to keep the foolishness at bay that kept creeping in at such a preposterous notion. I wanted to clear the room and sit in front of him and do nothing but literally stare at the exquisite being in front of me.
I glanced at the couple to get my mind elsewhere only that didn’t work out so well. I still felt the charge. However, this time I was certain it was coming directly from him. He continued to gaze at me when suddenly I realized that he was talking. His lips were moving, but I had no idea what he was saying. His voice was the most soothing and comforting sound, like a song. I had to get control of myself.
“I’m so sorry,” I spoke from an unknown strength from within, “I need you to repeat what you said.”
I could feel myself start to blush and went with it. I obviously couldn’t be in control of myself around these people and gave up. It’s not like I would see them again. Plus, I wasn’t known for being the most eloquent anyway.
“Hey, no sweat. We were hoping for a pitcher of Whistler Ale and three glasses.” He smiled at me as if he were half relieved, almost as if he were in on a secret I wasn’t privy to. I did my best, with lack of sleep, to try to place him from either one of my dreams or possibly around Whistler but fell flat. I was also mostly certain that I recognized a bit of excitement in his voice, but that didn’t make any sense either. Beer wasn’t that exciting, and I surely wasn’t either. It must have to do with whatever they were speaking about before I arrived at their table, just an interrupted conversation I wandered into.
“Sounds good. I’ll bring those right out.” I spun around and went to the bar, excited by this new communication and secretly hoping that they would be at the restaurant all night.
CHAPTER 3
I got home later than usual, but decided I should still call Karen to make sure everything was ok with her. It was quite unusual for her to leave a shift like she did. When I got the familiar beep of her voicemail, I left a message.
“Hey, Karen, hope you are doing ok. I’m worried about you. Give me a call when you get this. Time doesn’t matter. Talk to you soon.”
I hung up and reluctantly went into my bathroom and turned on the shower. I was tempted to skip the shower and crawl into bed. I could hear the soft hum of Matilda, my English bulldog, snoring in the living room. If I had to place a bet, I was sure she was in her second favorite place right between the piano and the fireplace, also known as the chaise; her number one spot being on the bed with a freshly-fluffed goose down comforter.
I kept my portable phone near me in case Karen called while I was in the shower. Steam was rolling out of the bathroom pretty heavily as I was in my bedroom daydreaming about the family I met earlier in the evening. I was able to scrape together that the girl was the sister of the latecomer, and the other guy was her fiancé, but besides that, I didn’t get any further. I hoped they would be back in the pub before they left to wherever it was they permanently lived. I took all of my perfectly placed red velvet bed pillows off my bed and piled them onto the chest.
I pulled my flannel pajamas out of the drawer and carried them into the bathroom and put them on the counter. As I grabbed a fresh, red towel to hang over the shower door, the phone rang. It completely startled me, even though I was expecting a call from Karen.
“Hi, Karen.” I spoke into the phone louder than usual, since I could only hear the shower running.
“Uh, hey… This isn’t Karen.” A guy’s voice started. It was vaguely familiar to me, and I couldn’t figure out why. “I, um, I apologize for calling so late. I figured I would take the chance you were still up, since you barely got off work. Plus, I really couldn’t wait until morning.”
As the voice continued rattling off excuses, it dawned on me that it was the same wonderful melody that haunted me all night at the pub. The excitement was building into a full-blown explosion. “I hope I didn’t assume wrong.”
The tingling sensation in all of my extremities hit me again. How could a phone call do this to me too? I turned off the shower and walked back into my bedroom, completely stunned.
“No, not at all. I was about to hop in the shower.” Wait a second, why was I telling a complete stranger this? My heart started to beat quickly again, but now I wasn’t totally tongue-tied because I had the distance of the phone between us. I congratulated myself on this little feat, because I figured out that I might be able to actually handle myself. As long as I didn’t have to look into his eyes I’d be fine.
“How did you get my number? I know I didn’t give it to you.”
“I had to bribe one of the bus boys, and it wasn’t easy.”
“Easy enough, I see, if you are calling me.” I gave my best shot at sounding stern.
“Well, you can’t exactly blame him. The price offered was pretty tempting.”
I couldn’t believe he went to this much trouble to reach me. On one hand I was concerned, on the other, completely flattered.
“Why didn’t you ask me for my number when I was serving you?” I asked, trying to sound incensed but failing miserably.
“You weren’t exactly what I would call coherent during our time together earlier, if you remember. I really didn’t want to see what would happen if I did,” he laughed, his voice as soothing as I could ever hope for. “I thought the distance of the phone might work in my favor.”
It was like he was reading my mind. How very unnerved I must have appeared. A tiny bit of hope began swelling in the pit of my stomach, but it was quickly squashed knowing how out of my league he was. He truly was the most gorgeous guy I had ever laid my eyes on.
“You noticed?” I said jokingly. “Pretty astute of you.”
I flipped the nightstand light on and bounced on my bed, feeling my goose down comforter invite me in for the night. His smile was coming through the phone - that same smile that stopped me dead in my tracks earlier.
“So, was there something I could help you with?” I was secretly hoping for something I knew wouldn’t happen, not with him. I glanced at the clock, which read 11:15 pm, wondering why I hadn’t heard from Karen.
“This is probably a stretch, and I know it’s late, but I was wondering if maybe I could see you,” his voice rang over the phone and then paused for a split second, “tonight.”
My stomach flip-flopped. I couldn’t understand what was going on. So many things were telling me not to. It was late at night, not much was open in the village, yet I was compelled to tell him yes. The thought of seeing him one more time almost made me lift off the ground. What if this would be the last time I saw him? I could literally feel my legs begin the Jell-O-like process again. It was dangerous, somehow, and so unlike anything that I would usually do. In fact, it was the exact opposite of anything I would do. Maybe that is why I was so intrigued.
I was about to tell him that it wouldn’t be a good idea, when a light flashed into my bedroom. It was a radiant light, almost like a prism dancing on my walls. I was certain it was similar to the same lights I noticed at the pub. This time it was reflecting against my wall and looked as if it was coming from the direction of the window. It made no sense since it was completely dark outside. I was really getting tired of these sleep-deprived hallucinations. I was six-stories up, nothing should be reflecting. I shuffled to my window, looking down into the village where I saw him on his cell phone looking up at me with those almost glowing green eyes. Maybe it was a light from the cell phone to get my attention. Looking at him made my heart flop to my toes. I knew the only cure was to see him one more time.
“I’ll be right down. I have to call my friend.” I couldn’t believe what was coming out of my mouth, and I hung up on him. This was meant to be.
I dialed Karen’s number again, and this time she picked up. “Karen,” I spoke quickly, “is everything ok?”
“Oh hey, Ana. I apologize that I haven’t called. I just woke up. I’m so sorry to have left you guys in a lurch at the pub tonight. I couldn’t continue. I needed to lay down. Something came over me. It was odd. It was like an immediate flu. I started serving that table with the couple...”
I interrupted, “The Gods of the village?”
“Yeah, that table. And it was almost like this weird spell came over me. It made me really sick. There is something wrong with those people. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but the closer I got to them the worse it got. I had to leave. I’m so sorry. I’m feeling better now, and I’m sure it must have been the flu or something. I probably sound crazy.”
“Don’t worry about it at all, Karen,” I spoke into the phone, trying to sound calm and nonchalant but secretly wanting to hang up on her. “Well, another one joined that table you are talking about, and he was even more impressive than the others.”
“I can’t imagine that, but I’ll take your word for it. I don’t want to run into them again. Like I said, something wasn’t quite right. Sorry with leaving you with them. Did the evening go ok?”
“Yes, actually it went amazingly well. I… um, never mind, I should let you get some rest.”
“Ana, what aren’t you telling me?”
“OK, don’t get mad or worried, but I’m about to go out with the guy who came to the table late. He asked me out.”
There was a few seconds of silence before she began into me. I knew I wouldn’t get off easily.
“Wait a second, Ana, I don’t like this one bit. You don’t even know these people. I don’t feel good about them. What’s his name? Where is he staying? This is so unlike you, Ana. What is going on? You of all people are going to go out with a guy who nobody knows and happens to be in town on vacation? Come on, they’ve never found those hikers from October. I know no one in the village wants to mention this, but I think we all know that having six people coming into a mishap at once is a little suspicious. They wouldn’t all just walk off a cliff. It would kind of make sense it would take more than one person to harm the hikers, maybe a crazed family?”
“First of all, Karen, you shouldn’t assume that the hikers are dead. You know from the papers that one of the theories is that they all faked their disappearance to avoid the financial issues back home.” I found myself getting snotty with her, which was completely unlike me.
“I know it sounds over the top, Ana. I’m sorry. Like I said something didn’t sit right with me, and I know it sounds crazy, but I just think you should be cautious. That’s all I’m saying.”
The more she spoke, the more I knew she was exactly right. This was careless and irresponsible. Nothing like I would ever do. Yet, I was going to do it tonight. I also, to my embarrassment, didn’t even know his name.
“Karen, I’m glad you’re feeling better, but you need to rest. I’ll call you in the morning to check on you, and yes, I’m going out with him tonight. These guys aren’t dangerous.” I quickly hung up so she couldn’t talk me out of it, grabbed my coat, and headed to my front door. I glanced at Matilda who was still snoring soundly by the fire. I was sure she wouldn’t miss me for another hour or so. She had made one of her famous nests out of the chenille throw that fell off of the chair and obviously had no plans to move.
This was going to be a great night. I could feel it.
CHAPTER 4
I impatiently waited for the elevator and almost jumped out of my skin when the doors opened only to have Athen staring back at me with his sparkling green eyes.
“Ok, how did you know what floor I was on and which elevator to take? That is a bit creepy.” I lied. Nothing he did could possibly be creepy.
“I figured by the time you pushed the button, I could be on the same elevator. I get bored easily.” His eyes caught mine and did not let go. My cheeks began burning up again. I hoped he didn’t notice. I couldn’t bear to let go of his gaze.
“So, where are we off to in the village that sleeps by midnight? Unless we are clubbing it?” I giggled, stepping into the elevator, realizing that his presence was, once again, overwhelming. I wished I had the phone between us. There was no way he was going to find this endearing.
“I’m not actually into the whole clubbing thing. Hope you aren’t disappointed,” His words were music to my ears, “I thought we could go to the Mallard Lounge at the Fairmont. Do you know it?”
“Yah, that’s a great spot.” I wanted to tell him I knew it well and almost bought a residence at the Fairmont, but that would probably open up too much conversation since I’m a waitress and shouldn’t be able to afford such a place. My residence at the Westin was hard enough to explain.
As the elevator opened to the lobby level, he wrapped his arms around my shoulders and guided me out. Right before me stood his sister and her fiancé. I tried to stop myself from freezing in place. A family affair, that’s better for safety. Things were looking up. The red flags started to diminish, unless Karen was right about the hikers needing to be taken down by a group. Looking at these people, I knew that was an absurd thought and followed his lead.
“Man, Athen! I can’t believe you were able to find her. That really sucks.” I looked up at the man I could now call Athen, and he saw the confusion in my eyes.
“Finding you doesn’t suck, losing the bet he placed with me sucks. He owes me $100 cuz he said I wouldn’t be able to jump on the right elevator to find you. Obviously, he was wrong,” He hugged and kissed me on top of my head as if I had been declared his long ago, “You are my good luck charm already.”
We walked towards the lobby exit, and I gazed at the many couples coming in to retreat up to their rooms, and for the first time ever, I wasn’t looking at them with envy. Even if this was a fleeting moment, at least I was experiencing it for once, and I was going to eat it up as much as I could, every morsel of it. As the doors opened, the cold air blasted my face, and I reached for my hood, secretly hoping that my movement wouldn’t make him drop his hold on me. Instead he squeezed even tighter. I was in heaven.
While walking next to Athen, I saw how happy his sister and her fiancé were. Holding each other tight, only letting go to grab the occasional fistful of snow and throw it at each other. I wondered what on earth had made me so jittery earlier. They all seem like such a sweet and fun loving unit - something that I had yearned for as long as I could remember. It made me feel a little silly for how I behaved earlier. As if Athen could sense my feelings, he wrapped his other arm around me.
“You look cold.” He pulled me even closer. I looked up at him, noticing how much taller he was than I. The top of my head came only to his chin. My hood fell off, and I didn’t care. I was secretly hoping for another kiss on the top of my head.
“So, I gathered that she is your sister, and he is her fiancé, but I don’t know their names, and I only know yours because your future brother-in-law called you by it.” I took a deep breath in and kept going, “I want to set the record straight and tell you that this is unlike anything I have ever done before. That being said, you better fill me in on a few facts before I start to listen to the red flags I see waving in my head right now and decide to go lock myself in my room.” I started to slow my pace as the words left me, wishing a little that I could take them back.
We were almost to the middle of the village, about fifteen minutes away from the Fairmont. He stopped immediately as did his sister, turning to look at me. He grabbed my face gently with both of his hands. I looked up at him, melting a little and wishing I hadn’t attempted to lay down the law because I knew in my heart everything would be fine. For some reason, it already was. His eyes were piercing, full of concern, looking at me with an otherworldly sense, reminding me briefly of my dreams. He almost looked sheepish for a split second.
“Ana, you are so right. Someday my behavior will make complete sense. I keep jumping ahead of myself. I was so worried you wouldn’t come out tonight, and I completely got caught up in everything. My sister’s name is Aurelia, but we all call her Arie. Her fiancé is Cyril.”
“Ok, that’s a good start. So where are you guys from, and how long will you be here?”
Arie piped in next, “Well, our main residence is a tad outside of Seattle in Kingston. However, we recently purchased a residence at the Fairmont, which we are super excited about. So it’s safe to say that we’ll be here for a very long time. Now let’s keep walking so we don’t all become ice blocks.” She looked at me with her calming, almond-shaped green eyes as Athen grabbed my hand. For now, that was all the explanation I needed. I belonged with this family for the evening, and I was going to enjoy it even if I had to let them go tomorrow and wake up from my wonderful dream.
We arrived at the Mallard Lounge, and I realized it was still pretty active. Apparently, because I went home to sleep every night, it didn’t mean everyone else in the village did too. I followed the group to a table in the back corner that looked especially cozy. I hoped I wouldn’t let anyone down with my lack of conversational skills. I always loved this place, with the wooden walls and dark lighting. The room was so inviting. As we were getting all settled, I noticed a look between Arie and Athen that sent shivers down my spine, not because I was scared, but because I almost could sense what they were thinking, and it was about me.
“Well, Ana, how long have you lived in Whistler?” Cyril began the questioning that I felt might last a very long time.
“I have lived here a couple of years. I moved here right out of high school and I’ve been a server at the restaurant since. It’s a pretty consistent job, and I can leave it once my shift is over. Carl, the owner, is very kind and has been very flexible.”
“Have you lived in your condo long?” Arie asked.
“Guys, let’s not interrogate her,” Athen piped up, “I’m sure she has as many questions too but is being polite.” He looked at me and winked. All of a sudden, I didn’t care if all I did tonight was answer questions. I didn’t want this night to be over. I looked around the table and felt at home. Something I had never experienced when hanging out with other people, at least that I could remember. Even my friend Karen, who was as close to a friend as I could get, didn’t give me this comfort level.
Our drinks came one after the other, and the words came spilling out. I couldn’t tell if it was the two greyhounds I had, or if there was a real connection. I was leaning back watching these people. They seemed so out of my reach. They were so put together. I couldn’t understand what I was doing here. I was definitely the black sheep.
They were intrigued with everything I had to say. It seemed truly genuine, unexplainable, but genuine. At times, though, there seemed to be a suggestion that they knew what my answers were going to be before I did. I also knew that was impossible, but that was the sense of it. We covered everything imaginable in conversation. I was filled in on Athen’s college stint, Aries’ favorite hobby, which is pottery. Actually, shopping was her favorite hobby, but pottery was a close second. They also covered their favorite places in Seattle to hang out. I tried to keep up with the pace adding in what I could about my life but certainly dancing around certain other aspects, like the lack of family and friends, or my ability to afford the condo I live in.
“I hate to mention this, but I should probably start to walk Ana home. It is pretty late, and I want her to be ready for our day tomorrow.” Athen placed his hand on my knee, which sent a shot through my leg. I looked up at him thinking that maybe this was all a wonderful dream to replace all of the many nightmares until Arie interrupted my thoughts.
“That sounds like a good idea. I’m pretty tired from my day on the slopes anyway. Do you really want to walk her back? She could stay in our extra bedroom.” Arie sounded so excited, but I then detected a slight edge of worry in her voice. I didn’t want to offend her, but the thought completely terrified me - plus I had Matilda to get back to. Thankfully, Athen must have picked up on it.
“I don’t mind walking her home. It will give us time to talk about things more privately.” Once his words reached me, I was enthralled and invigorated for a whole new set of conversations. He smiled and grabbed my hand to help me up from our comfortable seats. As I sprung to my feet, I noticed Arie gazing at a guy two tables away who almost seemed to be glaring at me, though I knew that was ridiculous and brushed it off.
“Not to worry, man. We’ll get the check.” Cyrus ribbed Athen once more bringing me back to reality.
“Thanks. See ya in the morning. I’m sure you two will be sound asleep by the time I get in.”
I could only hope, I thought to myself. I saw Athen nod his head at Cyril towards the direction of the glaring man, but I shrugged it off. I said my goodbyes to my new friends as Athen and I walked out of the lounge. My heart started beating a little faster again. The thought of being alone with him filled me with happiness. I looked over at him, and he was adjusting his grey knit cap. He looked sensational with his black wool coat on, worn blue jeans, and the shiniest black shoes that seemed to work on him.
As we were headed to the door, I caught the evil stare of the man lurking a few feet away from me, and it hit me. He had made an appearance in one of my dreams. It wasn’t a good one either. I was avoiding his eyes, afraid of what I might see. I could feel myself begin to get clammy and hoped that I wasn’t starting down the slippery slope of paranoia, especially at a time like this. I tried to bring myself back to reality, turning my attention to Athen, hoping for something to pop into my head to start a conversation. As Athen’s eyes caught mine, I saw a look of concern. I was sure it had to do with the stranger. I noticed him give the creep one last glance before he took hold of my hand, letting a calming sense of security wash through my body. I wasn’t going to ruin tonight. I was going to stay in the moment, which when looking into Athen’s eyes was not a hard thing to do. The butterflies returned, and I was eternally grateful. I was safe in his presence.
I couldn’t believe that, for whatever reason, I was the lucky one to spend time with him tonight. He looked over at me with his dazzling, green eyes and half-smirk, shaking his head while opening the door that led out to the village. It really seemed like he was reading my mind when he did that. The blast of cold air reminded me to move as I floated through the door out to the village pathway. We walked at a nice pace. I tried to stop as many times as I could justify, adjusting my shoes or whatever else I could think of to make the night go on for that much longer. I was hoping he hadn’t caught on. I’m sure he did, which would be one more reason why he would never call me again, too desperate. The snow had pretty much stopped by the time we got back to my condo. I hoped it would start again for the ski season’s sake. We approached the automatic doors in the lobby leaving my heart to sink as I realized that this was the end to the night.
Athen grabbed my hand as I tried to dodge out of the sensors way that kept opening and closing the door to the lobby. He pulled me towards him swiftly making me fall right into his arms. A wave of embarrassment began to hit, realizing he probably never meant for that to happen. But as I tried to release myself, his arms wrapped around me tighter. It was such a firm embrace, and he didn’t let go. I looked up at him, as he moved his lips closer to my ear, which sent shivers through me.
“Make sure you get a good amount of sleep,” Athen murmured, “We’ll meet in the center of the village at 9:00 am.” His breath gently grazed my hair as he backed away and turned quietly towards his walk home. I stood staring at him for as long as I could justify. Taking a deep breath in and mustering the strength to head in, I spun on my heels and glided through the doors daydreaming about his fingers touching mine and his lips so near my own. This would be a hard night.
CHAPTER 5
I woke up from what seemed like the best dream ever. A wave of sadness crept over me at the thought of it being over. For once, in a very long time, I slept through the entire night with no nightmares gnawing at my every thought. As I rolled over to pet Matilda, my alarm clock went off. That’s weird for a Saturday, I thought to myself. Then bolted upright as all the memories from the night before came flooding in. It wasn’t a dream last night. I truly had gone out with Athen and his family and was expected to meet him in the center of the village this morning. I shot out of the bed and straightened out my goose-down comforter around Matilda and slapped the alarm clock off on my way to the bathroom to brush my teeth. As I got Matilda all set for the day, I did my best to remain calm and not get too excited for my meeting with Athen and his family. I was sure I was reading far too much into our encounter, but I couldn’t wait to see him again. His image was blazed across everything I looked at. I saw his presence everywhere, and that feeling helped to calm my nerves.
“The thing a good night’s sleep does for a person is incredible,” I announced to Matilda.
Matilda gobbled down her kibbles, and I decided I had better call Karen as I had promised, even though she wouldn’t be approving of my day’s plans. I reached for the phone as it started to vibrate and began to flash Athen’s number. A charge ran right through me, and I picked it up as fast as I could.
“Hey, Athen. Have the plans changed?” I asked, wishing I hadn’t. It was as if any minute I expected this whole situation to implode.
“No, did you want them to?”
“No, not at all,” I started to stammer, “I was only checking.”
“Ana, I’m kidding. I wanted to see if you wanted to meet me for breakfast before we met up with my sister and Cyril?”
“Oh, sure. That sounds great. I need a few minutes to let Matilda out and finish getting dressed.” My heart started beating a little faster, and as if on cue, he chuckled.
“What’s so funny, Mister?”
“Well, if you want you can swing open your front door, and I’ll take her downstairs.”
“Of course, I should’ve known. I’ll be right there.”
I put the leash on Matilda, and she excitedly pulled me to the front door. When I opened the door, there he stood - jaw dropping as ever. Unfortunately, it only highlighted the fact that I hadn’t even run a brush through my hair yet, let alone had a shower for the day.
“Wow, you look amazing.” The kindness radiated in his voice, catching me off guard.
“Thanks, but I’m still in my flannels. It can’t be that impressive.” I smiled at him. His return smile melted me where I stood. Thankfully, Matilda had other things on her mind to distract me.
“I appreciate you taking her out, but you don’t have to do this.”
“I don’t mind at all. We’ll be back soon so you better be ready.”
I closed the door as he waited for the elevator but not without noticing how well dressed he was in his dark jeans and green sweater. I took one more peek through the peephole, ran to the bathroom, and turned on the shower. I picked out a similar outfit to his and attempted to contain my building excitement. I was about ready to step in the shower when my phone rang. I instantly remembered that I had forgotten to call Karen after all. I decided to let it go to voicemail, hopping in to the shower.
We were at one of my favorite places in the village eating crepes when I saw Karen walk in with her boyfriend. What are the odds? I thought to myself. That is one thing about the village – everything and everyone is connected. The places are all so small; it’s hard to be missed. Athen sensed something and immediately followed my eyes to the door.
“What’s up?” he asked, rather confused sounding, “You look like you saw a ghost.”
“No, it’s my friend, who I forgot to call back this morning.”
“Okay. Well, I doubt she’ll be that upset. Why are you acting like it’s that big of a deal?”
“Well, she wasn’t thrilled that I was going out with you last night. It’s so unlike me. Plus, we made a pact not to date tourists because it never leads to anything good.”
“Oh, is that all? Well, maybe we should flag her over and let her know the good news.” He pretended to wave his hand in the air.
“What is that?”
“That I’m a resident, not a tourist.” He smiled and laughed so loudly that Karen and her boyfriend looked over, and I gave her a sheepish smile as our eyes locked.
“Nice one, Athen,” I said under my breath.
Karen started walking over, and I kicked Athen under the table to thank him. He looked at me with a smile wider than the Cheshire cat.
“Hey, Ana,” Karen chided, “You didn’t call me back. I was worried.” She looked Athen up and down like he was an alien. “But I can see that you’re alright.”
“I think she’s more than alright,” Athen said beaming, and grabbed my hand across the table. I blushed and looked up at Karen, whose eyes were as big as saucers.
“It is not like that, Karen. I’m so sorry for not calling. I meant to. Then Athen picked me up early this morning, and I hurried out the door. I’m so sorry. I appreciate you worrying though. It looks like you’re feeling better at least.”
Karen’s boyfriend came up behind her as I was rambling my apology when it hit me that I hadn’t introduced anybody.
“Sorry for not introducing everyone. Athen, this is my friend Karen and her boyfriend Justin.”
“Hey, man, nice to meet you.” Athen stuck out his hand to Justin’s, for the typical guy handshake. Karen looked over and mouthed something to me. Like usual, I couldn’t understand what she tried to say so I mouthed back, “What?”
At the same time, Athen turned back to me. I then caught what she was saying in the same moment as her boyfriend.
“Well, I guess you’re hot, Athen,” Justin laughed as he squeezed Karen. I couldn’t help but smile, laughing as Karen’s cheeks turned more scarlet than mine ever did.
The hostess came over to seat Karen and Justin at their table, and we said our goodbyes. I looked over at Athen. He was staring at me intently. I couldn’t figure out why, so I looked down to make sure I didn’t have crepe in my hair or syrup stuck to my sweater. It all looked clear.
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