Death (6 page)

I touch the side of her face. She turns sharply. I lock her gaze with
mine and hold her arm. Her grey eyes stare blankly at me.

"The compulsion Giselle put on you to remember everything when Ari
pushes is gone. You won't remember this moment either."

My magic burns from my fingers. It creeps into her arm. I can feel it
leaving me like a vine growing out of my fingertips and flowing into her. Her
eyes flutter for a moment. I don’t know for certain if it will work on her. It
worked on Oliver once. I drop my hand and wait. Ari eyes me up nervously.

Her eyes stop and she looks around the room. "So you, uhm,
what?"

I smile. "You need to get back to Maine you said."

She nods weakly. "That was weird." Her eyes settle on Giselle.
"How is she?"

Ari shakes her head. "Bad. She tried to eat one of the girls we
rescued. She just can't seem to quench the thirst."

Aimee's eyes lower. "I better get back."

Ari looks like she is about to cry. "See you in a bit. I'll get
Phillip to bring me back in like an hour. I need to see if I can help Lydia
with all the girls." Her voice breaks a couple times. Aimee looks at her.
Their eyes meet, it's as if they both know it's the last time they will ever
see each other.

Aimee is gone just as Ari's eyes fill with tears.

Ari doesn’t cry. I've noticed it before. Her tears feel like razors
cutting into my heart. I walk to Giselle and do the same thing I did to Aimee.
Just as I finish, Phillip opens the door.

"What are you two doing in here?" I glance back at him.

"Just making sure she is okay. Wanna give us a lift somewhere?"

His eyes narrow skeptically. "Sure. But why do you look like
that?"

I shake my head. "I just can't take how this is all turning
out."

He doesn’t look convinced but Ari's tears seem to bother him enough. He
puts a hand out. I grab it. Ari pulls her phone out of pocket and shows him the
picture. The air moves and we are standing on a windy dock. The ocean is choppy
and grey. It's freezing.

He shivers. "You guys okay here?"

Ari nods and pulls her hood up. "Yeah. We just need to check on some
shit. Thanks."

I take his hand. "Don't say anything okay. I don’t want Oliver to
know I'm out and about."

He rolls his eyes. "Dad's a bit intense lately. See ya
bitches."

He's gone and we are standing on the cold wooden wharf.

Ari points. "It's this way." We walk through the quaint town
and I just can't see Aimee like one of these people. She is too classy and city
to be a bumpkin like me.

Ari doesn’t talk. I know she is devastated. She cries two more times on
the walk. She dries her face when we reach the front door of a house with big
windows in the front.

She takes a deep breath and rolls her shoulders. She climbs the stairs
and closes her eyes as she knocks.

A sweet looking man, with a haunted look on his face, answers. He sounds
stuffy, "Hello?"

She smiles through her glassy eyes. "Hello Mr. James. My name is
Ari."

His eyes light up. "Aimee's Ari?"

She nods. "Yeah. I was in town and thought I would stop in and say
hello."

He grabs her hand and pulls her inside. "Come in. Both of you.
Please. Blake just arrived. He said some of Aimee's friends were coming
over."

I hate the frightened feeling in my guts as I climb the stairs. I can't
help but look around the quiet neighborhood as I close the door and lock it.

Aimee

My head still feels funny. I kick a rock and circle the log house once
more.

"Aimee?" I look up hearing Aleks's voice in a panicked tone I
have never heard before.

He is running toward me panicked. He looks sick. My stomach is a tight
ball. "What?"

He flashes and scoops me up. He grips me to his chest.

"I'll find you again. I swear I will."

He presses his face into mine.

I pull back. "What is your deal?"

He swallows. "Ari. She just sent me this." He pulls out his
cell and shows me the message. My eyes widen. "My dad."

I wink but the world stops. Aleks's arms become sparkles in the air,
gripping me. Everything moves slowly. His lips move in slow motion and the
sounds are lost.

I spin, trying desperately to grip onto him. His body passes through
mine.

I spin faster.

O and Ari made me come to them so Ari could say goodbye. I thought the
look in her eyes was sorrow for Sam. But I see now it was for me.

I close my eyes and let the spinning take me. I don’t know where I will
wake up when it stops. I don’t know what the world will look like.

His voice breaks through the spinning world.

"AIMEEEEEEEEE!" He screams.

And then it's black and still and I am not sure if I'm gone. But I can't
open my eyes. The darkness takes me.

Before

Port Mackenzie 2010

Aimee

My eyes fuzz out. I blink and try to focus on what I'm doing.

"Aimes you going tonight? Hello?"

I look at my mom and smile. "Yeah. I think so. Blake wants to
go." Everything feels weird for a minute. I inhale through my nose and
notice it right away. I can smell my mom. The mix of old perfume and laundry
soap and her clothes makes my heart tug. I don’t know why.

I get up from the computer and wrap my arms around her. I take a deep
breath. The air around her makes me hungry.

"Honey, are you okay?"

I nod into her neck.

"I think I had a bad dream last night," I mutter. Starvation
almost cripples me. I clutch my stomach. "I need something to eat." I
walk away from her embrace and stumble down the stairs to the kitchen. I pour a
heaping glass of chocolate soymilk, but then finish the carton off.

I lower it and burp. The hunger is burning my belly.

"Gross. Jesus." I glance at Alise and grin.

I pick up the glass and down it in fast chugs.

I place it on the counter and rub my belly. Alise is almost gagging but
the doorbell rings. She leaves to answer it and I open the fridge. I grab a
block of cheese and pull off a hunk. I take a bite but it isn’t what I want. I
toss the hunk of cheese I broke off and put the rest back in the fridge.

I can't seem to quench my hunger.

"Aimes, we're leaving now." I look at my reflection in the
glass on the wall mount stove and nod. "Coming." Something is
different. I just can't put a finger on it.

I shake my head and leave the kitchen.

Mom is standing at the bottom of the stairs, smiling. She touches my
cheek. "You sure you want to do this?"

I nod. "It's the last party of the year. I leave for Harvard in a
few months. It's cool." Alise kisses our mom and walks out of the house.

I shake my head at her strappy silver wedges and tiny silver shirt/dress.
"Besides, someone has to make sure the hot mess comes home."

Mom laughs. "Oh you know what she's like."

I look at my mom and smirk. "Aunt Karen."

Mom rolls her eyes. "Let's just pray she doesn’t end up in Vegas
dancing like Aunt Karen."

I shiver. "Responsible parents would have crushed her wickedness
years ago. I blame you both."

She hugs me tightly to her and laughs her crazy giggle. "One day
Aimes, you're going to see that the crazy spirit inside of her means
well."

I shake my head and walk out. "I'll text if she gets out of
control." I look back. "Tell dad to be on the ready."

She laughs her musical giggle. "Honey, he's in Portland for the
night. He won't be home until tomorrow. I will come and get you if I have
to."

I shake my head. "We'll be fine." I don’t know what the reason
is but I don’t want her leaving the house. I have a terrible feeling in my
stomach."

"Aimee, haul ass." Alise shouts from her car.

Mom waves and blows kisses and closes the door.

I climb in and buckle up. "I want you to pick up Blake first."

Her face glows. "Whatever. You two dorks better not do anything
dorky tonight."

"We made a deal, Alise. You have to be nice to me and Blake and do
my laundry according to washing instructions for a month."

Watching our house as we drive away, I can't shake the déjà vu that's
hitting me hard.

She drives like a maniac, picking up everyone. She pulls up to Giselle's
last.

I shoot a look at Alise. "Dude, this car is full. We're picking her
up too?"

Alise waves a hand dismissingly at me. "She wasn’t feeling well so
she didn’t go earlier. Stop annoying me."

"She's sick and you're letting her come in the car with us all
packed in here? We're all going to get sick."

Alise shoots me a glare. "Shut it."

I groan as Giselle opens my door and raises her eyebrows, "You're in
my seat."

I roll my eyes and sigh.

"Aimes, it's a proven fact the people in the backseat have better
survival odds." I smirk at Blake and climb out of the beater. I squish
into the back seat. My face is on fire when I realize I'm sitting on Blake's
and Tommy's knees.

"You look good for a nerd."

I look over at my sister's friend Tommy and glare. "You look good
considering you only just learned to walk upright."

His eyes narrow. "Easy nerd girl. I was just trying to pay you a
compliment. You clean up nice." I look down at the t-shirt I'm wearing and
shake my head. "Gee, thanks."

Blake laughs.

"McGinnis, dude you're huge. Way too big for the backseat. What are
you six-one?"

Blake scowls. "Six-three."

"You should tryout for the basketball team when you go to
college." Tommy grins at him.

Blake gives me a desperate look.

"He isn’t very coordinated."

Tommy shrugs. "Too bad."

Blake rolls his eyes and I can't wait to get out of the car.

"What are you wearing by the way?" He whispers. I look down at
the stupid shirt and jeans Alise attacked me with. I nod toward the front seat.
"Attacked me. Makeup and all."

He grimaced. "Must have been savage."

I nod and smirk. "Completely."

Alise pulls into the long driveway and my stomach dances at the thought
of seeing Shane. He was finally single and possibly over the fact his dad had
left with a twenty-five year old cashier.

"God it's hot in here." Giselle fans herself.

I notice the sweat on her temple. She has never sweat before, I'm
certain. I feel hot too.

"I hope there is food here. I'm starving," I mutter at Blake as
we all file out of the car. People start screaming and laughing. Tommy throws a
girl on his shoulders. Blake and I stand back and watch the chaos. The house is
booming. I didn’t want to come, but Shane had asked me himself when I was
tutoring him in English. The fact I had loved him forever, secretly, made the
decision easy. I even let Alise dress me and do my makeup. Of course she thought
I was going to ask Blake out. I glance at him and shiver at the idea of us
kissing.

"Wanna go in?" I ask quietly.

He nods, nervously. I notice he isn’t wearing his glasses. He looks
massive without anything in his hands. He's almost always fidgeting with
something.

The front door opens and Shane steps out. I smile, it's involuntary.

He grins at me and shakes his head. "Didn’t think you'd make
it." My sister walks past him giving me the evil eye. He smiles at her too.
"Hey Alise, Giselle, Tommy. Refreshments are in the back. I made
Lemonade."

Giselle doesn’t go in with Alise. She stands outside alone. She doesn’t
look well. I can't help but notice the way she keeps glancing at me.

Shane walks in between her and I, taking my gaze with him. I beam up into
his blue eyes.

"I'm glad you came." He smiles at Blake who couldn’t look more
uncomfortable. "Hey Blake."

Blake nods and looks back at me. "Guess I'll go get some
lemonade." He slouches a bit.

"Straight." I say. His back straightens. He looks back and arches
his eyebrow at me. He slouches in his computer too much. It drives me insane.

I look back at Shane and grin like the Chestshire cat. "Looks rowdy
in there."

He looks back and puts his hands in his back pockets. "Yeah. Wanna
come in?" He asks. I furrow my brow and laugh. "Yeah."

He shakes his head at himself and looks like he doesn’t know what his
next move is. He jerks and turns away from me. I walk up beside him and nudge
him. "You okay?"

He nods, "Yeah."

"Can you say anything beyond yeah?"

He looks down on me and grins, his face is flushed. "Yeah." He
opens the door that’s been closed and holds it for me. "I can say you look
nice."

I bite my lip, trying desperately not to blush. "Thanks. Alise. You
know what she's like."

He laughs. "I do. Any guy would do anything for that girl." His
face turns crimson. "Except me. Of course."

I swallow and can't help but wonder where the conversation is going.
"Of course."

"She still dating that Luke guy from Handley?"

I shake my head. "No. They only ever last a couple months. She is,
uhm, well, fickle."

He laughs. "Fickle. That’s not the word I would use."

I laugh and close the door. I notice Giselle in the yard still.

I look back. "I'll be back in a minute." I open the door again
and run out to where she is.

"You okay?" I ask.

She looks at me and shakes her head. "I think I'm sick. Like the flu
or something."

"Want me to drive you home?"

She laughs. "Uh no. I just need a minute Aimes." She turns and
walks away and I can't help but frown. She used my nickname. She has never
called me Aimes in my life. She rounds the back of the house. I turn and walk
back inside.

Shane is holding a drink for me. I take it and sniff. He rolls his eyes.
"I didn’t put booze in it. I know you don’t drink."

I frown. "You do?"

He laughs. "I've known you for a long time Aimes." His voice
turns throaty at the end of the sentence.

I sip my lemonade and try not to shake. I cringe at the taste.

"You don’t like lemonade?"

I shake my head. "I do but it just tastes funny." My belly
rumbles. I glance out the backdoor to the deck. Giselle is standing there
leaning against the railing with a guy. His back is turned to me. Something
about it is bugging me.

"You want to go sit?" Shane asks. I look up and nod. He grabs
my hand and electricity jolts up my arm.

"Ouch." He pulls away.

"Sorry. I think I shocked you."

He laughs. "Quite the charge you have there." I rub my
fingertips together and swear I can feel sparks.

I follow him to the quiet room at the back of the house, the sunroom. He
sits on an old couch next to the woodstove. I sit beside him and try to ignore
the sparks in my fingertips and rumbling in my belly.

"You okay?" He asks.

I nod. "Where is Blake?"

We both look around but he isn’t in the kitchen or the sunroom or back
deck.

"Maybe he's in the living room."

"Maybe."

He grins. "So you excited about the year being over?"

I smile. "Yeah. I'm excited. I'm all ready to go."

His face drops. "All the way to Harvard?"

"Yeah. Far but awesome. You planning on Seattle still?"

He shrugs. "Not sure. I don’t have a right fit yet."

My stomach clenches. I almost double over. "Oh my god," I
whisper.

"Aimes what is it?"

I shake my head. "I don’t know. I don’t feel so good. I think I got
the flu." I stand and run for the back deck, "Just need some air. Be
right back." I shout back at him. I am terrified to shit my pants at his
house.

I run down the stairs and put my hands on my hips. They are burning me
through my shirt and pants. Holding them out in the fading light, I can't see
anything different. My stomach drops again. I buckle and drop to the grass. It
hurts more than I can take. Sweat crosses my brow.

A screaming girl interrupts my plans of running through the woods to my
house, where I can die in the privacy of my own bathroom. I struggle to my feet
and stumble down the back lawn, to the woods.

"Oh my god. Mr. Mac. Please Mr. Mac. Wake up." Giselle is
pushing on the lifeless body of my favorite teacher, who is lying on his back
in a bush.

"Giselle, what happened?"

She shakes, her hands tremble. Blood coats them. "He tried to kiss
me and I said no and then he shoved me down on the grass." She sobs. I can
see her torn shirt and skirt.

"He kept saying he needed to teach me a lesson." She gasps and
sobs.

I drop to my knees and struggle with the stabbing pain and fire in my
belly. I reach for his pulse. Warm wetness coats my fingertips. "What
happened? He has no pulse."

I wipe my hands on his back.

She shakes. "I don’t know? I don’t know? He shoved my face in the
dirt. Then everything got really hot and I reached back grabbed him. I just
felt so strong and crazy. Aimes, I put my face up to his and sucked him out I
think." She put her hands over her eyes. "I don’t know why. I just
did."

I have no response. I nod and wrap my arms around her. "It's self
defense. You didn’t mean to kill him." I feel sick. Mr. Mac tried to hurt
her, my favorite teacher, tried to hurt her.

"No, I sucked him out."

I pet her head. "It's okay. You're just not feeling well. You didn’t
mean it."

She lifts her face and in the muted light, I can see the dark red blood
coating her face where her hands have touched it, after touching his bloody
dead body.

"There's blood on your face and hands."

She wipes at it like she has gone mad.

"It's okay. I got it. Let me get it."

I wipe and she cries, "I did this. I meant to. I wanted it. I wanted
to kiss him and suck. Aimes, shit is wrong."

I grimace. "Okay ewww. No. Stop. We need to call the police."
My hands tremble.

She collapses into me. My guts stab me again. My fingers buzz and hum
with the current running through them, but I hug her. Desperate to hang on.

She shivers into me. "I don’t know why. I don’t know Aimee. I don’t
know. They'll think I did it on purpose."

I hold her tight and shout, "HELP! HELP US PLEASE!"

Shane comes running down the darkening lawn. "Aimee?" He
shouts. I can hear panic in his vice. Tears are streaming down my cheeks. I
never noticed them before. "Here," I cry.

He is on me, touching me, holding me. He kisses the top of my head.
"Someone call nine one one," he yells back at the house.

I close my eyes and grip tightly to the sobbing mess Giselle is.
Something about holding her feels right. Like my soul knows it's right.