Read Online Enchanter by Kristy Centeno - Free Book Online Page A

I happened upon anyone looking to
either mug or kidnap me, or worse.
    And tonight happens to feel as if I’m going to need it.
    With my only weapon concealed in between my hand and my left
thigh, I continued my normal trek home while dreading that Saturday was just a
few hours away and my appointment with Brandon was to take place soon. My
concerns over how that would go seemed to grow as each minute ticked by. Being
alone with Brandon at the foot of the campus’s staircase was one thing, but
sharing a space with him while there were no witnesses nearby was another,
entirely different scenario.
    True, Brandon had never physically hurt anyone that I knew
of. Not even when he outgrew his bullies. There was only one time that I could
recall him turning his hands into fists and staring at Mitch, Donald, and Eli
as if wishing he could fight back, but even then he decided to be the bigger
man and walked away instead. That had been the closest thing to rage I ever saw
in his eyes. And although most accused him of being a coward, fear was not what
I detected in him. Brandon had not been scared, but he had held himself back.
    Maybe the thought of being outnumbered three to one caused
him to hesitate. Perhaps he did not want to get in trouble. Or perhaps he just is
not the fighting type.
    Realizing that my thoughts were traveling to Brandon more
and more each hour, I shook my head and focused on my walk.
    Just a few more blocks and I’ll be home.
    As I passed by a small, Victorian house on my right side,
Mrs. Schultz, who was a woman of about sixty-five, was sitting on the front
porch with her dog, Puffy. For the past three years since I had started working
at the restaurant, seeing Mrs. Schultz sitting on her wooden rocking chair
during the summer months was routine for me. And every night as I walked home
from work she greeted me and we engaged in a very brief conversation before I
continued on.
    Over the years, I had been invited into her home a few times,
but tonight if she extended the invitation, I would definitely have to decline.
I was too tired to be openly friendly and there was a very big possibility that
I would end up falling asleep if she related another of her when-I-was-young
tales.
    As soon as Mrs. Schultz saw me, she smiled and waved.
    “How’s it going, Leah?” she asked from her rocking chair.
    “Good.” I kept walking.
    “Busy night?”
    “Yep, the restaurant was packed tonight.”
    She bobbed her head up and down a few times before replying,
“All right, dear, I’ll see you in a couple of days.”
    I smiled and nodded.
    Just beyond Mrs. Shultz’s was another house. This one had
been abandoned for years, so its yard resembled jungles more than. Beyond that
jungle was the all famous alleyway, which served as a divider between a local
bar/grill and the abandoned house some thirty or so feet away.
    As I continued forward, aware that in order to get home I
would have to pass right by the alley’s entrance, I could not help the chills
that ran up my spine. The odd sensation that struck me as soon as I got off work
traveled its way up to my brain again. It literally felt as if the night itself
was trying to warn me about something, but I thought that to be extremely
ridiculous. There was nothing for me to be afraid of, yet the fear was still there.
    Gripping the bottle of pepper spray securely in my hand, I
continued on, picking up my pace as the dark hole between the forest and the
bar came into full view. Unnerved to the point of wanting to take off running,
I refused to look at it as I approached.
    What’s wrong with you, Leah? You’ve been walking through
here for years and nothing ever happened.
    Yeah, but there’s always a first time for everything!
    Trying to shake myself out of my unwarranted paranoia, I
conjured up some happy memories to keep my mind from drifting toward the
alleyway and why it was making me feel as uncomfortable as it was today.
    It took a few seconds for me to finally reach the