The Secret Trinity Unearth (10 page)

The cement sent a wave under my feet and I struggled to keep my balance. Panic swept over me and I pushed back harder into the wall trying to steady myself. What was happening? We didn’t have earthquakes in Wisconsin. Then, seconds later, as quickly as it began the earthquake stopped. I was breathing heavily. I thought I was hyperventilating.

“Wha...what was that?” My voice was shaking and my whole body shook.

“I can do more then throw rocks Ari. Don’t make me deal with any more of your demented boyfriends.”

I swore there was a hint of jealousy in his voice, which only frightened me more. He really is stalking me, thinking he had some sort of claim over me. I felt a breeze pass by me as he vanished down the stairs.

“Wait!” I screamed, and my voice echoed through the cavernous stairwell. Every particle in my being wanted this person as far away as possible, but now I had to know.

“Who am I? What am I!” I saw his shadow halt briefly on the stairs and he snorted at my question. He slowly turned, and I felt his eyes on me again. I shivered.

“Just go on living as your pretty little human self without a care in the world, and stay away from idiots,” he huffed sarcastically, as if it was a joke that I could possibly be human.

I heard the sound of his footsteps fade down the stairs and my heart twisted in my chest. I clutched my ribs and bent over from the pain that his words had just clamped onto my heart. The longer he was gone, the easier it became to breathe again.

When I felt strong enough, I straightened upright and let out a shaky breath. I leaned against the wall and slowly slid down until I hit the ground beneath my feet. I hugged my knees to my chest and began rocking back and forth. My thoughts were flying a hundred miles a minute.

He saw me use my psychic ability tonight, and he knows I have other special abilities that are beyond, well, human. I have never uttered a word about my gifts to anyone. I did not understand them myself. He mentioned them so casually as if supernatural powers are simply a part of his world. Then I realized, first the flying rock with perfect precision, and now a mini earthquake in the stairwell. My night stalker had his own dangerous abilities. I was shaking. I could not wrap my brain around all of this. What did he want from me?

He said Liam might want to hurt me, but why should I trust this crazy supernatural stalker? I had finally been face to face with the man I feared most, and our encounter had only left me with more questions about who I really was and what was happening to my life.

I had never felt so confused or scared. I didn’t know what to do, or who to trust. I put my face in my hands and allowed the fear of the unknown wash over me. It felt like I cried forever in that pitch black stairwell.

Chapter 14: Catatonic

A few weeks had passed, a month, maybe more, since that night in the stairwell. I was not really sure anymore. Every day fused together like a colorless blur. I felt like a zombie, that someone had taken over my body of which I had no control. I had retreated internally, desperately trying to protect my mind from the fear, fear of the untamed hair that dances like flames of black fire behind my eyes every moment of every day.

Kayla and Morgan knew something was wrong but gave up on pushing me to confide in them. They could see in my eyes not to push anymore. They looked at me like I was a mental patient about to snap. I didn’t blame them though, because that was exactly how I felt.

I had been avoiding Liam since that night too. I even had asked the teacher to switch my assigned seat and she granted my request. He thought I was pushing him away because I was afraid to get close to him. He was right, I was. But more than emotionally afraid, I felt physically afraid all the time. I didn’t know what to believe anymore or what to think of my life. It all felt like a lie.

I was walking back to the dorm after Music Appreciation class when my cell phone rang. I stopped and retrieved it out of my backpack. It was my Mom on the caller I.D.

“Hello,” I said trying to fake enthusiasm. She had been calling more than usual. I think she could tell that something was off.

“Hi, darling, how are you?” Her tone was thick with concern. I bit my lip, “Your precious gem is just fine. I promise. What’s up Mom?”

She sighed at my lack of details, “Well I forgot to mention it, but you never said anything about that text I sent you a while back. You know, about the Nutcracker. Did you ever get it?”

I slapped my hand to my forehead. I forgot all about that in my zombie haze. I had been trying to forget about that evening altogether.

“Yeah I got it. Sorry I forgot to reply, but I think you’re right. I’m not going to have time to take a trip to Minneapolis this year.” I said.

She let out a disappointed sigh through the phone, “I figured you would be too busy with school, but I just wanted to check. We can try to revive the tradition next year.” She sounded hopeful.

“Okay Mom, sounds great, I have to go. I will talk to you later…love you.” I tried to sound upbeat but my pitch wasn’t right.

“Love you,” she said in a deflated tone.

I clicked the phone shut as someone behind me cleared his throat to get my attention. I spun around as my hand flew up to my chest. I was on a sidewalk full of pedestrians, but I had been on edge to the point of downright paranoia. That’s what happens when you know someone is always watching you. Liam was in front of me and he rocked back on his heels, startled by my dramatic reaction.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to give you a fright,” he said scanning my eyes. “So…what’s in Minneapolis that you’re missing?” he smiled. I guess he caught the tail end of my conversation.

“What? Oh nothing. My Mom and I usually go see
The Nutcracker Ballet
every year, but I am too busy to make the trip this year.” I paused. “Is there something you needed?” His shoulders drooped at my question.

“I thought we were going to at least be friends. You agreed to a date and now I’ve gotten the cold shoulder for weeks. I need to understand what I did.” He looked sad and frustrated.

“It is nothing you did Liam. We are still friends. I just have a lot going on that I cannot explain to you right now, okay?”

He rolled his eyes, “If this is about that stupid pact, forget the date. We can at least hang out as buds until I leave.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and gave me his pouty look.

It made me smile, “I don’t know if I trust myself.” And I don’t trust you, I thought.

“Ari,” he breathed out my name and took a step toward me. The sound of my name on his lips was so sweet in my ears. I turned on my heels and started walking.

“I’m sorry, I can’t stay and talk. I really have to get going.” I couldn’t look back. I just kept walking as tears stung my eyes.

Chapter 15: Halloween

The Fall weather had turned cool, and the maple trees of orange and red had lost most of their leaves. The bare branches twisted like angry, brittle fingers, reaching for me as I pass. I was still avoiding Liam, and the pained look he gave me whenever I entered our class had carved a guilty pit the size of a meteor in my stomach.

I was trying my best to be my upbeat self again. I was even the one to tell Kayla and Morgan about the costume party. I had not been to a house party since the fiasco with Doug, but we all agreed to stick to water this time.

As we approached the house, I felt relaxed and more confident than I had in a long time. Maybe it was my pointy eyed mask adorned with rhinestones, or just the idea of pretending to be someone else for a night that brought back my confidence.

I looked over at Kayla and Morgan before walking into the party. Kayla was dressed as a sexy referee, and Morgan was a skydiver with a homemade parachute attached to her back and her lab goggles propped up on her head. I smiled, and it felt strange on my face. Had it really been that long since I had smiled?

I walked through the door and they followed behind me. I recognized some of the people from my modern dance class and they waved. It looked like sparse attendance so far, but I felt music vibrating under my feet.

“Hey, you came!” The voice came from another room and I turned. It was a girl from my class who was hosting this party, Andrea. She threw her arms around me. We were not that close so I could tell she had had a few drinks.

“Hey, thanks for having us,” I said gesturing to Kayla and Morgan. She turned to see who I had brought with me.

“Hi, I’m Andrea, great costumes,” she said. “Everyone is in the basement; just go down those steps.” She pointed out the way but remained upstairs to entertain the guests on the main level.

I had been wrong about the size of the party; the basement was brimming with people. We made our way through the sea of feather boas, masks and face paint to the coolers of ice which were full of drinks. There was beer, wine coolers and soda. We all grabbed a soda, sticking to our stay-out-of-trouble plan.

“Wow, this is bigger than I thought it would be,” Kayla said happily. “I see a bunch of people from my classes, including the cute guy I sit next to in Math. He’s dressed as a fireman. Hot!” she smiled eyeing him over. I looked at Morgan who leaned into Kayla, her dimples pressed into a feisty smile.

“Why don’t you go say hello and ask him about his hose.” I almost spit out my soda as I laughed. I was glad that I still had the ability to laugh at a joke. “Don’t mind if I do,” Kayla said dryly as she made her way toward him.

“Good, I thought I would never have you alone.” Morgan said this with relief as she watched Kayla walk away. I raised my eyebrow, “What do you mean?” and Morgan turned to face me.

“I wanted to talk to you tonight while you were in a decent mood. School has been so crazy I haven’t seen you much, but I’m worried about you Ari. You have been so out of it lately, ever since the night of that party when Liam carried me home. I may have been buzzed but I saw how you looked at him. If the reason you have been so miserable has to do with Liam, and our no dating pact, I say screw it.” My mouth fell open.

“Wow, you are telling me to go for a guy? That is so…unlike you.”

She shrugged, “I’m not saying I like him or anything. I’m just saying do what you need to do. I have never seen you like this, and I don’t want you moping around like the ghost of your former self anymore.”

I felt moisture in my eyes and Morgan rolled hers at my show of emotion. She was always so sarcastic and guarded. It was rare to hear her talk like that.

“Don’t get all mushy on me. I just want you to be happy again. Okay, now let’s go find Kayla.” She pulled me along to where Kayla was talking to the cute fireman and his friends.

We introduced ourselves and I tried to follow along with the conversation, but my focus was drifting. Now I even had Morgan’s blessing, but the earthquake man’s black flames danced across my mind. A fresh heed to his warnings came to the forefront of my thoughts.

I didn’t know what to do. I cared about Liam. He was charming and funny, not to mention strikingly good-looking. Something about him sent a response through me. It was a reaction that I hadn’t felt before, conjuring the supernatural. How could that be wrong? My entire life I wanted to feel that part of me but was afraid of it, and now I’m afraid of my stalker, and what he might do to me or Liam if I rebuffed his jealous warnings. Recalling his breath in my ear made me shiver.

“Hey Liam; over here!” I heard the cute fireman shout and I snapped my head up, instantly pulled back to reality. The girls and I looked at each other simultaneously. Morgan, who was standing next to me, nudged my side and gave a nod to her right indicating where she had spotted him.

I looked in that direction and sure enough, it was him. Liam parted through the crowd, my sandy haired Irishman. It was as if he knew I was thinking about him, like he sensed a crack in the protective barriers I had put up.

He sidled up next to the fireman in our circle of friends. They exchanged a knuckle bump but his eyes never left mine. Something sparkled in his smile as he looked me over. I felt heat rise in my cheeks at his inspection of me and a fluster, more butterflies in my stomach.

The fireman saw our intense looks and smiled, “Liam, have you met Aria?” He said this as he pushed Liam from behind until he was standing a foot in front of me.

“No, I don’t believe we have met. I used to have a friend named Ari, but it’s hard to tell with your mask. Let us check,” he said bringing his hand to my face and lifting the mask from my eyes to rest on my head. I did not even try to step back when his hand lingered on my cheek.

“Hi Tinkerbell, I’m Liam. Nice to meet you.” He took his hand from my cheek and stuck it in front of me to shake. It reminded me of our first breakfast together. I gently took his hand.

“You still have a friend named Ari, but I am afraid you are mistaken, I am a bird, not a fairy.” I explained and his smile gleamed. He started to laugh.

“Yes, of course you are! Nice wings, can you fly?” He asked. The question caught me off guard, and I paused too long before I answered.

“Why…yes I can. Maybe if you ask me nicely I will fly you back to Ireland, and you can save yourself an expensive ticket.”

He smirked at that and leaned into me, “Maybe if you are nice, I will fly you to Ireland.” His smile was teasing but his eyes were dead serious.

I looked down and realized that we had been slowly shaking hands during the entire exchange. I quickly pulled away and the buzzing started to fade, escaping through my fingertips. I looked over and saw that Kayla and Morgan were staring at us. As soon as I met their gaze they snapped out of it and averted their eyes; pretending they had not been watching every moment.

My throat felt dry, “I’m going to grab a soda. I’ll be right back,” I said as I pivoted to walk toward the coolers.

“Me too,” I heard Liam say from behind, and I could feel his eyes on my back as I walked. I grabbed a soda and he took it from my hand.

“Allow me,” he said as he popped the top and handed it back. “Thanks,” I took a sip and gulped hard.