“Great. Shannon turned the light off. See. It’s her fault,” I grumbled to myself. I fussed about it in my head until I reached my parking space. I always left the light on because I lived in the middle of nowhere, ten miles outside of civilization. It was really dark without city lights.
The house had sprouted up in the middle of seven acres surrounded by huge trees. It was a mystery when the house was built. No one claimed to have known about its construction. It was a small town, which made the entire scenario that much stranger. People still questioned the events surrounding the mysterious way it just appeared. One day it was empty land; the next day, a house sat in the middle. The owner of the property was so disturbed by it that he practically gave it to my parents. Imagine your house being the highlight of all the ghost stories growing up.
The trees concealed the already pitch-black sky, casting an even darker ambiance around the house. I fumbled out of my car, and headed for the front door. In my peripheral vision, I noticed a figure scurry past trees deeper into the woods. I instantly froze. My senses turned on high alert. The only part of my body I could move were my eyes. I looked to the left and then the right. I heard wispy shuffling in the woods. The noise didn’t belong in the forest. I knew the sounds of the night; that wasn’t one of them. It wasn’t footsteps but more like frolicking. My head heated; blood pumped faster. A tingle of fear ripped through my body. I tried to not make a sound, but a slight screech managed to escape. Slowly sliding open my phone, I pressed and held down the number two on the keypad. I really hoped my sister was still up or at least could hear the phone ringing.
“Who is calling at this hour?” Shannon protested under her breath as she picked up the receiver.
“Hey, it’s me. Turn on the living room light, and then come to the door to let me in. There’s someone in the woods. Turn on the porch light. Hurry… hurry,” I wailed in a whisper.
A few seconds later a light came on from inside the house. Then the porch light came on.
“Vessi, hurry, get in here.” She motioned with her hand.
I ran into the house. Surely, whoever was out there wouldn’t make a move with my sister as a witness.
“Oh, man, we need to call the police. I heard someone out there.” I didn’t make an attempt to hide my anxiety. I rummaged through my bag to find the card the cop gave me. I rushed to the phone.
“It’s just Jake,” she said calmly.
“Jake?” I asked as my heart slowed slightly. “Why didn’t he say something? Why is he out there so late anyway?”
“He likes to exercise outside. He’s doing his kickboxing or something,” she said, rolling her eyes. “He’s in his zone.”
Well, that explains the shuffling noise. My heart calmed to a normal pace. I hadn’t realized my nerves were shot so much that a little noise in the woods would freak me out so badly.
“Oh…” I took a deep breath. “Well, if that’s all it was, then I’m going to bed. I’ve had a crazy few days. You wouldn’t believe what’s been going on,” I said dawdling, too exhausted to hurry or fake much enthusiasm.
“What’s been happening?” Shannon asked.
“I don’t even wanna get into it. I really just want to go to bed and forget this entire day ever happened.” I slowly made my way upstairs and got ready for bed.
What a day, I thought. I was more than prepared to pass out in my oversized, ultra-plush bed. If I spent too much money on anything, it would have to be my bed. I shopped for bed accessories like other girls shopped for shoes or clothes.
I plopped down on my cloud of softness and closed my eyes to the warm smell of my favorite flower, Queen of the Night, which was a very rare orchid. It only bloomed once in its lifespan, during the darkest part of night. Aww, the most beautiful smell in the world, I thought. My sister must have refilled the plugged-in air freshener at the foot of my bed. It was sweet of her, was my last thought.
Six
I woke up to see the clock staring at me, which was glowing “04:35.” I slapped my hand to my forehead in frustration. “Ugh.”
“I didn’t mean to disturb you.” The familiar voice said.
“Oh, you didn’t,” I replied. “What are you doing all the way over there?” My tone was soft and welcoming as if I had been waiting for him.
“I was watching you sleep.” He pushed his foot off the wall and walked to the bed.
“Real exciting,” I giggled. I stretched my body like a cat.
“I think so.” His barely-there smile held a hint of orneriness, which broke his earnest front.
“Thanks for the flowers. Queen of the Night are my favorite,” I said, as I noticed them on my nightstand. I must have been too exhausted not to have seen them earlier. I took in a deep breath, enjoying the aroma that filled my room. Such was their rarity; I had only seen them in dreams and books. I could smell their sweet essence just by looking at the picture. It was like the flower was embedded in my soul.
“Of course.” His eyes softened from black to cool amber.
“What are you doing here?”
He sat next to me, and I placed my head on his chest. “Dreaming that this could be true,” he whispered gently.
I was too
