Awakening

Sophie tried to ignore the awkwardness of class the next day as she doodled flowers all over her notebook. Lilli sat on her left, chin resting on her hand, and eyelids drooped low. Aidan sat on her right, snoring softly with his head tilted back against the chair.

She wished she could fall asleep, but figured that having visions and jolting awake would make people nervous. Instead, a flower garden cropped up on her paper. The sound of Ruth’s voice droned on and on, and Sophie began to resent the fact that she was nothing like the gun-toting woman from the other night.

Her thoughts turned to Tristan. Nothing could erase the way he looked when the guys had rescued them. That strength and fierceness was extremely attractive to her.

Ruth moved slowly at the whiteboard, her straw hat tumbling to the floor. Every time it hit the ground, the class groaned.

Sophie thought she played her part well. Ruth definitely didn’t remind Sophie of a demon-hunting assassin.

The darkness tickled the back of Sophie’s neck. It started slowly and then became more urgent. More demanding. Chills snaked up her spine and down her arms. Her stomach twisted.

Something was wrong.

She went to shake Lilli, and the door to the classroom swung open.

The darkness flowed in, thick and heavy, and surrounded Sophie. The door smacked the wall behind it. Aidan and Lilli jumped in their seats.

Dean West beelined for Ruth. The class started to come alive again.

“What is it, Sophie? You’re pale.” Aidan leaned over. “Is something wrong?”

Sophie nodded. She watched the dean whisper in Ruth’s ear. She couldn’t force herself to speak.

Ruth’s face never changed. The silence stretched out while Ruth waited for the dean to leave. She faced the class and pushed her glasses up her nose.

“I’m sorry to inform you that there is a mandatory meeting in the auditorium. Another student has been kidnapped.” Her eyes settled on Sophie, Aidan, and Lilli before moving to the others.

The classroom erupted into whispers.

Sophie’s stomach clenched.

Lilli gripped her arm. Her face lost all color, and she shut her eyes. As if she could block out the truth.

Aidan grabbed her other hand and squeezed. His remorse snaked up her arm.

“Class, calm down. You are to go straight to the auditorium. Dean West will explain more.”

Sophie met Lilli’s gaze. What she saw in those green eyes mirrored her own.

Guilt.

They stood mechanically, grabbed their stuff, and followed the rest of the class out. Tristan and Jackson caught up to them when they exited the building.

Tristan put his arm around Sophie’s shoulders and looked down at her. “You okay?”

“You seem to be asking me that a lot lately.”

He nodded and pulled her closer. His warmth chased some of her fear away. She wanted to focus on being held by him for the first time, but she worried about who was kidnapped.

“It’s not our fault,” Jackson said to himself. Sophie noticed that his mental blocks were stronger than ever. He shielded Lilli from the jostling bodies of their classmates.

Students spilled out of every building and herded into the auditorium. The crush of bodies was stifling, and the whispers rose to a dull roar the nearer they got.

Morgan brushed by, following her friends. After they passed, she glanced back, fear clear on her face.

Aidan winked at her, and the fear melted into annoyance.

It seemed their destiny was no longer asking for them. It drafted them.

The dean stood on stage, microphone attached to the lapel of her jacket. Sophie and the others pushed to seats near the middle. The lights were dim, giving the situation a more dire feel. It took only minutes for the entire campus to fill the auditorium.

The dean cleared her throat, and a hush settled over the student body. “As I’m sure most of you know by now, Katie Moore has officially been reported missing. The authorities are doing everything they can to help locate her and the three other students who have disappeared. I know that all of you are scared, but we must remain calm.” She gestured to a line of security officers behind her. Sophie recognized Demetri’s stature. Beside him, the other officers looked like rookie recruits. “These gentlemen are doing everything they can to assure your safety. In any case, the campus rules are as follows: No one is allowed to go anywhere alone. A group of three is the minimum.” Half the students groaned, and the dean held up her hand for silence. “If you can’t find a group, these gentlemen will be happy to escort you. There is also a curfew of ten o’clock.”

“Katie?” Lilli whispered. Tears sprang to her eyes and leaked over. Jackson pulled her closer and whispered in her ear.

Sophie cried quietly in the darkness of the auditorium. Katie’s red hair and cheery face filled her mind.

A warm hand enveloped hers.

Tristan’s essence encircled her. She looked up into his face.

He rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb. “Did you know her?”

Sophie nodded since she didn’t trust her vocal cords to immediately work. “She was our waitress at Jack’s.”

Fear and anxiety swelled in the auditorium, and Sophie fought hard to keep the emotions from overwhelming her. Everyone worried that they might be the next to disappear.

“Classes are dismissed for the day. I want all of you to return to your rooms and above all…be careful.”

Tristan didn’t let go of her hand when they stood and followed the herd of students out.

Aidan stuck close to her other side, radiating unease as he glanced around to find Morgan.

Having them on either side of her helped to keep most of the emotions from the students at bay. It was nice not having to rely on herself for once.

Jackson and Lilli threaded through the crowd ahead of them. Sophie noticed that Jackson’s face hardened as he defended Lilli against the sway of people.

The quietness was unusual and eerie. The crowd passed the courtyard and then split off as students returned to their dorms.

Sophie’s group caught up with Jackson and Lilli, the guys escorting them to the door. Aidan stopped a few feet away to give them some privacy. He leaned against the wall, acting as a lookout. His awkwardness reached out to Sophie from where he stood.

“Are you sure you don’t want us to stay?” Jackson asked as he ran a hand down Lilli’s arm.

“No.” Lilli smiled weakly up at him. “I’m exhausted. I think I’m going to study for my biology exam and then go to bed.”

Sophie unlocked the door. Tristan watched her pocket the keys and she sighed. She knew she was pale and maybe a little disheveled, so she wished he’d look somewhere else.

It was almost too much. She felt him close and wanted nothing more than to throw herself in his arms and be comforted, but her stomach pitched around from all the emotions of the scared students and faculty.

“Take my number, Lilli. I want to know that if you need me, you can reach me,” Jackson urged.

Lilli nodded and put it into her phone.

“We should all switch numbers. Just in case,” Aidan mumbled. He pushed off from the wall and joined them. “I’d hate for you girls to be caught alone again.”

Sophie hurriedly entered the guys’ numbers into her phone. It was only a matter of minutes before her breakfast made its reappearance, and she’d prefer to be in the bathroom than out there in the hall.

She murmured her goodbyes and rushed into the room.

Sophie barely made it to the bathroom before all the excitement got the better of her and she vomited. The horror of the past week finally surfaced.

The creature, attacking them in the library.

The visions of the woman, evil and dark.

Katie, missing.

Faintly, she heard her phone ringing. The images flitted through her mind again, but she forced them down. Her body ached. She stood and went to the sink and brushed her teeth.

“It’s your mom. Do you want me to tell her to call you back?”

Sophie looked over at Lilli, who stood in the doorway with concern in her eyes. “No, I’ll talk to her now.”

Lilli nodded and passed her the phone. “I’m going to the room to study.”

Sophie wondered how her friend could focus. Lilli looked shell-shocked and tired. “Hey, Mom.”

“Sophie, darling, are you okay? Your dad and I saw the news.”

Sophie shut her eyes at the comforting sound of her mom’s voice. She sunk onto the couch. “There’s been another kidnapping.” She gripped the phone. “I knew her.”

“Oh, sweetie. I don’t think it’s safe for you there. I want you to come home.”

“I can’t leave,” Sophie spoke quickly. “Lilli’s here.”

“Lilli can come with you.”

Sophie knew, deep down, that leaving would be the worst thing to do. The group needed to stick together. “Mom, I’m staying here. There’s more security now, and we have a curfew. We can’t walk anywhere unless it’s in groups of three.”

Her mother exhaled loudly, then changed the subject. “Well, you’re coming home for Thanksgiving.”

“Of course, Mom. You know it’s like committing murder to miss a family dinner.” Sophie did smile at the thought of the commotion it would cause.

Her mother’s soft chuckle took some of the edge off her panic. “Todd’s here. Do you want to talk to him?”

“Sure.” Sophie could tell her mom was worried and didn’t want to give up the phone, but wanted her and Todd to talk. Her mom may not share the psychic gift, but she had her maternal instinct. She knew Sophie would have an easier time talking to Todd.

A few seconds later, Todd’s voice came on the line. “Hey, sis. Did another student go missing?”

“Yes.” Sophie fought tears again. “It was someone I knew.”

“The police haven’t done anything with your letters?”

Sophie wanted to hit a wall. “It’s like they don’t care. I don’t think they’ve even glanced at the letters.”

“I’m sure they’re trying.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. They would’ve done something about it.” Sophie realized how sharp her voice was and made an effort to soften it. She couldn’t treat Todd like that. “Look, I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”

“Meet any guys?”

Tristan’s face bloomed in her mind. She blushed. “No.”

“You hesitated. There is a guy, isn’t there? Bring him home so I can meet him.”

Sophie desperately wanted to tell him everything. About Tristan’s gifts, the others, how she and Lilli weren’t as alone as she thought they were. But she couldn’t. It wasn’t her gift to share. “Todd, there isn’t a guy!”

“I’ll come visit since you’re too embarrassed to bring him home.”

Sudden panic engulfed her. He couldn’t come anywhere near the creatures and the kidnappings. If anything happened to him…she couldn’t even think about it. “Guys aren’t interested in your little sister. I didn’t get your looks or easygoing personality. I got a gift that ruins relationships.”

“Are you still upset over Roman?”

“It was bound to happen. It was my fault, anyway.” Sophie ignored the ache in her heart.

“Shut up, Sophie.”

Sophie’s mouth snapped shut at the tone in his voice.

“Roman’s a boy who tried to look good in front of his friends. He isn’t worthy of you.”

“That’s sweet, but you’re my brother. You’re supposed to say stuff like that.”

Todd grunted. “Most brothers aren’t as nice as I am.”

Sophie laughed, and it surprised her. “That’s true. I’m beat, brother of mine, so I’m going to bed. If I happen to meet a boy, I promise to call.”

“You better.”

It was dark. Sophie looked up and saw several stars sprinkling the sky like run away freckles. She was in a dream again, but this one felt different. Calm and peaceful. Trusting.

Her head turned, and she studied the forest surrounding her. Giant willow trees reached their branches down to caress the tall blades of grass. The moss that blanketed the branches and trunks glowed softly, coating it in an ethereal light.

There was a soft “whoo,” and she glanced up. A snow-white owl wound its way through the trees. A moment later, it landed in front of her and cocked its head to the side.

Large black eyes watched her silently. Then, in a show of majestic beauty, the owl lifted into the air. The underside of the wings glowed silver in the pale pink moonlight. It hooted a few times more as it circled around her.

Sophie gazed at it before realizing that it wanted her to follow. The grass tickled her bare feet and her nightgown swished against her ankles as she walked. This felt right.

Sophie gaped at the beauty of the grassy plain and crystal blue lake as she exited the forest. Deer and fawn loped across, having no fear.

Darkness teased the back of her neck and fingertips. Her eyes darted back and forth.

There, on the other side of the lake, sat an abandoned farmhouse. The darkness reached around it and it seemed to call to Sophie, to want her.

The owl hooted again. She jumped, startled. Her every nerve ending was electrified.

She followed the owl around the lake and into the stretched claws of darkness. There the moonlight was sinister and morose.

The farmhouse looked as if it barely stood on its foundations. Shingles hung from the roof, and the windows fogged. Small handprints seemed frozen on the panes of glass. Sophie shivered and wrapped her arms around herself.

The barn stood out starkly, its aura the birth of the darkness. The tremor moved through her body, and she tried desperately to stop it.

The owl circled the building before it landed on Sophie’s shoulder. When she didn’t move toward the barn, it pierced her with its talons.

“Ouch!” Sophie cried out at the sharp pain in her arm. Her body leaped forward. The closer she came to the barn, the more it felt as if the darkness swallowed her.

The doors opened, and the uneven light of torches bounced off the walls and across the hay-covered ground.

The owl flew to the top of the barn and watched her enter.

“Coward,” Sophie whispered, even though she trembled with fear. She walked farther and farther inside. The dark aura swallowed her.

Intense pressure squeezed her body like a vise, and more than once she thought about running.

Through the torchlight, she saw the main beam of the barn. A dark figure huddled against it. Still and silent.

Sophie’s breath ripped through her lungs. The darkness clutched her.

The figure shuddered and moaned.

Sophie stifled a scream. Whispers rose out of the darkness and swirled around her.

Normally she wouldn’t approach this dark, huddled figure, but something about it haunted her. Pulled at her.

She stepped closer.

The form shuddered again and chains rattled.

Sophie was close enough to touch it now. Her heartbeat thumped in her ears.

The figure shot forward, shrieking.

Sophie cried out and fell backward. She scrambled away on her elbows until she hit a bale of hay.

“Help me!” Katie’s voice erupted from the prisoner. Her face was cut and torn, the flesh hanging in small slices. Bloodshot eyes locked on Sophie. “She’s going to kill me!”