Sleep Stalker (Ghosts Beyond the Grove Book 1) (11 page)

     So I started calling her every night around ten.  Our calls started out as ten or twenty minutes of casual conversation.  “How was I feeling?”  “How are things in Liberty?”  But night by night, they increased in length until we weren’t hanging up even a fraction of a second before midnight.  Ruby filled me in on how the search for information about her mom was going.  I told her how many hours I managed to stay awake for the day.   She raved about how much she liked her job and Addie, her boss.  I gave her every detail about the kickass meal Mom fed me that night.  Ruby talked about how her writing was going.  I told her more about my trip to California.  I spent every minute of those phone calls with a smile on my face and she did too—I could hear it in her voice.

     Our conversations were more normal than they had been in weeks, yet still, I was hesitant to return.  What if the mind games started again?  What if she continued that weird teasing ritual of hers?  I had no idea why she started doing that with me.  It was cruel and not like the Ruby I knew at all.  The worst part was she denied that she was even doing it.  It’s like she was driving me as crazy as she possibly could and doing it on purpose.

     But after an entire month away from her, I couldn’t take it anymore.  I missed her face so much that I started asking her for daily selfies but it wasn’t enough.  There was no good reason for me not to go back and one beautiful reason why I wanted to.

     Physically, I felt almost normal again.  Sleep came in the form of eight hours at night with only a two hour afternoon nap.  I was ready to go back.  She knew that I dropped the semester and she supported my decision.  As soon as I returned, I was going to start reading through the few textbooks I had so that I could get a jump on the spring semester.  Things were falling into place again finally.  I was ready to face whatever came next.  I was ready to be with Ruby again.  Or at least I thought I was.

20.  Down in the Dumps

     Without Zach around, I started to get lonely after only a few measly days.  Sure, we’d spent time apart before but I always had other people around to help me keep my mind occupied.  Rachel and I still texted but she was busy with school, a part-time job, and Boone.  Shelly and Dad checked in on me regularly, too, but it wasn’t the same as having someone to hang out with on a daily basis. 

     It didn’t seem fair for me to constantly pull Clay away from Sophie and their son so that I didn’t have to be alone.  And I soon found out that after my initial two week training period, I wouldn’t always be working with Addie which added to my feelings of isolation.  But even so, I wasn’t absolutely sure I wanted Zach to return.

     My hopes of hearing back from Roxanne dwindled each time I checked my inbox and found nothing.  My weird dreams about Tucson reappeared every few nights but I never made it past the pet shop doorway.  So far, my time in Liberty was a miserable bust.  It wasn’t until three weeks after Zach’s departure, that life started to take an upswing.

     That Friday afternoon while working with Addie, I got the email I’d been waiting for.  It didn’t contain the type of information I was expecting but it was definitely more than I had before.  I was so excited that I read it out loud to her to get her opinion.

     “Dearest Ruby, I was deeply saddened to hear of the loss of your mother.  She and I met while studying ballet at the Philadelphia Academy of the Arts and were close friends for many years.  I am currently on an extended vacation and have limited access to the internet.  When I return to Tucson next week, I will go through my things and see what photos I still have of her.  I’m not sure exactly what you want to know about Camille.  Perhaps it would be easier if you sent me a list of questions and let me answer what I can for you.  Sincerely, Roxanne.”

     “I have about a million questions to ask, how many do you think is an appropriate amount to send her?  And how do I narrow it down to just those few?  I don’t want to send her an entire novel when she’s probably only expecting a paragraph.”

     “I would think on it for a few days.  Jot down questions as they come to ya.  Once ya have a decent sized list, I would pare it down to maybe five.”

     “Five?  That’s it, five?”  My mental list was going to require some hardcore editing to narrow it down to a paltry five questions.

     “To start with, yes.  Then once she replies, ya can dig a little deeper into her responses.  If ya ask for too much too soon, she may actually send ya less.  Don’t overwhelm her.  When business slows down a bit, I’ll read your leaves again for ya.  Maybe that will help ya figure things out a bit.”

     That’s when I realized that I hadn’t told Addie about the amateur reading I gave myself while in Charlotte’s Grove so I launched into the story.  She was fascinated but not surprised by it.

     “That doesn’t happen often, but it
does
happen sometimes.  It only happens to people with strong energies though.  I know ya can see ghosts, do ya have any other odd talents you’re hidin’ from me?”

     I thought about it for a moment before replying.  Zach and I definitely shared an odd energy bond but it felt weaker now than ever before.  But my connection to my dreams was gaining strength.  Addie was weird enough herself to understand
my
weirdness so I shared it all with her.

     “There’s somethin’ mystical about ya.  I wish ya could meet Granny someday.  I think y’all would hit it off like two peas in a pod.  She appreciates the stranger things in life.”

     “I do, too—but it isn’t as much fun when you’re the one strange things are happening
to
.”  Nope, no fun whatsoever. 

     Toward the end of her shift, Addie pulled out the clay pots and had me choose one again.  Less skeptical than I was the first time around, I took more time making my selection.  In the end, I picked the one with a purple pyramid on its lid.

     “Cinnamon spice,” she declared as she dipped into the jar.  “This is one of my absolute favorites!”

     I didn’t actually have a favorite tea but this one was infinitely better than the Rooibos we drank the last time.  I was anxious to see what patterns the leaves would form and it was tasty enough that I didn’t have to force it down—much.  When I got to the bottom of my cup, I gave it a few swirls while concentrating on my current dilemmas.

     After turning my cup upside down, I passed it to Addie who gingerly removed it from the saucer.  She took one look inside and laughed.  I didn’t have to ask her what was so funny.  I already knew.

     “Let me guess, there’s a feather and a foot in there, right?”

     “Yes, Ruby, there is.  The symbols are even in the same position they were the first time.  Do ya have any thoughts on what the universe is trying to tell ya?”

     “Somewhat.  I’m pretty sure that the feather has to do with my boyfriend, Zach.  Things haven’t been so great for us since we moved to Liberty.” 

     Without spilling all of Zach’s insanity beans, I told her that his demeanor had completely changed after his return from California.  She went through the normal list of possible reasons for his change in behavior—all of the same options Clay and I thought of and dismissed.  But when she heard that he had mono, she agreed that it was the most likely cause.

     “Everyone seems convinced that it’s all because he doesn’t feel good but I’m not satisfied with that conclusion.”  Then I finally vocalized the words that were terrible for me to even think.  “Some days, I want to break up with him.  But every time I seriously consider it, a feather appears.  I’m positive that the universe is trying to make me stay exactly where I am for some reason.”

     After hearing about the African lovebird feather materializing out of thin air, she laughed. 

     “Girl, you have some seriously weird juju goin’ on in your life right now!  I
really
wish ya could meet Granny.  She would sit ya down proper and talk your ear off!”

     “Sit me down proper?  And I would appreciate keeping both of my ears intact, thank you very much!  You and your Southern phrases make me laugh!  And I’m in desperate need of laughs most days.  It truly sucks that we don’t always work together anymore.”

     “I know it does.  We need to hang out some night—read some tea leaves and talk each other’s ears off.”

     I left work that day feeling so much better than I did when I got there.  I had someone else in town to hang out with now.  I had a terrific opportunity to find out more about my mom.  And as I sat thinking of questions to ask Roxanne, Zach called.  It was the first actual conversation we’d had since the day he left.  Our texting had become more frequent but still wasn’t in its normal pattern.  I answered the phone nervously, not sure what to anticipate from him.

     My anxiety was unwarranted.  He sounded more like his usual self.  Our conversation only lasted about fifteen minutes but was entirely positive.  Each night after that, he called me around the same time and each night our time spent talking grew longer. 

     And that wasn’t the only thing that grew—my dreams about Tucson increased in length as well.  The more I talked to Zach, the further past that pet store I got.  I still didn’t know where I was going or what I was doing there, but I was headed in the right direction.  I knew from experience that it was more than a random coincidence.  Those dreams were leading me back to Zach in some way.

     So when the night came that he said he wanted to return to Liberty, I agreed that he should.  I was ready to be with Zach again.  Or at least I thought I was.

21.  Winds of Change

     The upswing in my life took an immediate downward spiral the minute I walked back into our apartment.  Ruby met me at the door with a genuine smile.  She was happy to have me back—that much was clear.  And it was obvious that she had dressed up for the occasion.  I knew her well enough to know that she didn’t sit around in a nice dress every day of the week.  But it just wasn’t right. 
She
wasn’t right.  She smelled nice but not how I wanted her to smell.  Her pink dress was pretty but it wasn’t the dress I
wanted
to see her in.

     Feeling terrible for the thoughts I was having, I gave her a kiss anyway.  The last time we kissed was at the Pittsburgh airport before my first flight.  I missed kissing her but I should be missing it more than I was.  Mid-kiss it began to feel awkward and forced.  Her lips didn’t taste the way I wanted them to. They didn’t taste the way they would have in my dreams.  If I could ever seem to make it to first base with my dream Ruby, that is.

     I snapped my head back and stepped away from her.  Swiftly, I threw out an explanation for my behavior.  “We probably shouldn’t kiss.  I might still be contagious.”

     It was an excuse, an outright lie.  A plausible lie but a lie nonetheless.  I should have known that she was too observant to believe me.  Her smile faded and she avoided direct eye contact with me for the rest of the night.  Things didn’t just feel wrong between us—something
was
wrong.  Terribly wrong.

     Conversation after that rotten attempt at a kiss was stiff and uncomfortable.  We’d talked on the phone for hours at a time lately and with definite ease.  Why did things feel so drastically different now that we were face to face?  The hours dragged by as we struggled to find enough things to talk about.  When it got to the point where we were talking about the same things over and over again just to fill the silence, I decided enough was enough. 

     “Well, I’m still not feeling like myself yet.  This mono is really kicking my ass hard.  I’m going to call it a night now.”  We should have been to the point where we wanted to go to bed together.  But we weren’t.  Something definitely wasn’t right but I couldn’t figure out what it was.

     “Okay,” Ruby replied quietly.  “I’m not really all that tired yet.  I think I’m going to stay up a little longer so I can work on deciding what questions I want to send to Roxanne.”

     I wasn’t the only liar in that apartment tonight.  And she wasn’t the only one who could
spot
a lie, either.  She had been yawning so much for the last half hour that I could see tears forming in her eyes.  When Ruby was extremely tired, she would cry with every yawn.  Exhaustion was the cause of those tears.  Or at least I tried to convince myself of that.

     As was the case lately, I was dead asleep before I knew what hit me and smack in the middle of a dream.  It was the same as always—Ruby teasing me and wanting to play her usual games. 

     “Close your eyes, count to ten, and then come find me!”

     Her tone of voice was seductive, like magic itself was entering my brain with every syllable she uttered.  Before I got to five, I felt something soft land on my feet followed by the sound of splashing water.  I couldn’t wait much longer.  When I got to nine, I opened my eyes.

     Draped across the top of my shoes was her white satin scarf.  Once I saw that, my eyes shot upward in search of her.  Wherever she was, I was going to find her.  I was willing to do anything to get her to stop playing these games with me.  She knew what I wanted.  She needed to stop playing hard to get.  Now.

     The crescent moon hung in a thick veil of clouds, mere slivers of light filtering down to me.  I could only see a few feet in front of me—everything else was shrouded in darkness.  Our wooded paradise lay silent except for the occasional splashing sounds coming from somewhere nearby.  Hurriedly, I yanked off my clothes and shoes and tossed them onto the lakeshore.  I was going out to find her.

     I swam out into the water following the sounds.  Stroke after stroke, I could tell that I was getting closer.  First, I heard the faint sounds of her laughter growing louder.  Then, the sweet scent of cinnamon began to fill my nostrils.  I paddled forward faster, knowing that she would soon be in my sights.

     Then, a break in the clouds exposed her to me.  She had her back toward me, bobbing up and down a few feet from where I was.  Tired and nearly out of breath, I called out to her quietly.

     “Found you!”  My arms and legs ached from how hard I’d been swimming yet the sight of her renewed my strength.  With a sudden burst of energy, I shot forward in the water, anxious to clear that short distance that stood between us.

     But with all the speed and grace of a mermaid, she dove beneath the surface and disappeared from my sight.  The water barely rippled in her wake as she deftly cut her way through the lake.  Exhausted, I floated in place for a moment trying to catch my breath.  She wasn’t going to get away from me that easily.  I located her once.  I could—I
would
—do it again.

     Once I found enough energy to go after her for the second time, I followed the faint trail she’d left in the water.  She hadn’t come up for air yet but I could see from the rippled surface that she was still on the move.  She’d always led me to believe that she couldn’t swim, that she was terrified by the mere thought of it.  Obviously, she lied about that.  Ruby was plunging through that lake with all the skill of a gold medal Olympian.  What other lies had she been telling me?

     When I heard the dulcet tones of yet another one of her giggles, I knew that she was ready for me to come find her again.  Struggling just to cut my way slowly through the water, I was breathless by the time I got to her.  My arms, legs, and lungs were all aching terribly.  She should have been just as tired as I was but she showed no signs of fatigue.  Instead, she burst back into the water like she did the first time and shot forward.

     It took several minutes for me to recover.  Slowly, I followed her again as she led me back to dry land.  I watched as she climbed out of the water, recovered her scarf, and trailed off into the forest.  When I got to the water’s edge, I crawled onto the shore and collapsed.  I lay there panting, listening to her laughter echoing through the trees.  Obsessed with the thought of having her now, I stood up but instantly fell to my knees. 

     It was like the muscles in my legs weren’t my own anymore.  I wanted to run after her—I
willed
myself to find the strength to do it.  But I went nowhere.  Instead, I lay there tortured by the scent of her that still lingered in the air. 

     When I woke up, she was all I could think about.  The vision of her naked in the moonlight was still fresh in my mind.  In the dream, she had superhuman strength in the water.  In reality, I knew that I could outswim or at
least
keep up with her.  I rolled over to find her sleeping peacefully beside me.  Gently, I nudged her until she awoke.

     “Let’s go swimming.  You look so beautiful in the moonlight,” I said, stroking her arm lightly as I whispered the words into her ear.  Ruby had always said that I was charismatic and all women found me irresistible—that I could win over a woman without even trying.  True or not, I still made sure to speak those words with all the charm of Casanova.  Romance was something Ruby had a hard time saying no to.  She was going to be flattered by my
words, by my approach.  She was going to stop playing games with me when she saw how desperately I wanted to please her.

     “ZACH!  Let go of me
now
!” she shouted forcefully, pushing away from me and leaping out of bed.

     What could I possibly have done wrong
this
time?  She was unpleasable.  Without another word, she stormed out of the bedroom and slammed the door shut behind her.  She probably wanted me to run after her, to coddle her and apologize for who knows what.  I refused to give in to her childishness, her selfishness.  Instead, I was going to let her know who was boss.  It was high time for a change in this relationship. 

     I picked up the closest thing within reach—an empty mug on the nightstand beside the bed—and flung it hard against the wooden door.  The deafening smash of the glass as it shattered in the otherwise silent apartment was still ringing in my ears as I fell solidly back to sleep.