stepped into a dangerous game, Emma Shay. Welcome to the cult. ”
9: Night
“Yeah. Well. I have something to do, if you’ll excuse me.”
William held me in place, sending another frosty shock through my arm.
“Do you have a bag of ice in your pocket? Because your hands are extremely cold.” I flipped the lock and opened the side door.
“Wait, Emma.”
A tingle went up my spine at the sound of my name on his lips. “Yes?”
“I can see you don’t want to believe me, but if you’ll just do me a favor and try to stay away from those guys.” William let out a sigh. “And get rid of that coin, okay?”
“ Okay, ” I replied with sarcastic emphasis. “Is that it?”
Running a hand through his tousled hair, he said, “Yes, I suppose it’ll have to be.”
I lingered at the door, one foot already out on the hot pavement. He was really going for it, playing every emotion. It was still working on me, pulling me in. Our eyes met again, his blue, burning like a neon light.
“Can I ask you a question?” I asked, still lingering.
“Go ahead.”
“Why did you do it? Didn’t you think it would hurt me? Didn’t you care ?”
I thought about the night under the gazebo and felt embarrassment, remembering the things I’d said.
His voice was strained. “You’re the last person on earth I would hurt. You can believe that.”
I raised my chin. “I’m leaving, you know. Maybe in a few days. So, you don’t have to worry about me anymore.”
“I’m glad you’re leaving.”
“You are?”
“Yes,” William replied, coming closer, pushing me out the door as he stepped down onto the street. “You’ll be safe.”
“Safe?” I turned then. “Nothing’s ever safe. Life isn’t like that.”
“How right you are.”
I heard a song start up across the street and thought of Jesse. If he asked me to leave with him again, I’d say yes.
“Well, I have to go.”
“Emma.”
I allowed my eyes to meet his again. “Yes?”
“If you leave, I want you to go remembering one thing.”
“And that is?”
“That you have a gift. This whole summer I felt it radiating from you—the special deepness of intuition. How I missed you being able to see me, I’ll never know. You have something special. After being stuck in this town for twenty years with nothing better to do than watch people, I’ve seen a lot of evil, mundane cruelty. But you, you’re truly beautiful.”
“Please, just stop already. Just leave me alone.” I felt the tears forming. Damn. Damn. Damn. I tried to jerk away when he grabbed my arm again, but it was too late. The shock ran through my skin and pulsed in a series of currents. Just like the coin.
“Yes, you see I’m not normal. Things like that wouldn’t happen if I was.”
“I don’t know what you mean,” I whispered, and bit down hard on my lip.
William wasn’t making any sense, as usual, and I didn’t like the strange things that were happening to me, that were entering my brain.
His voice was full of a reticent sadness. “You do understand, don’t you? I can see that you do. It’s been so long. You don’t know how many times I’ve wished for it to happen, that someone could set me free from this oblivion.”
“No.”
“To have skin that could be touched. To be heard, seen.”
“Stop,” I breathed, eyes shut tight. “I don’t believe any of this.”
“It’s true, Emma. I’ve been like this for many years; longer than you’ve been alive. I’m angry with myself because I was selfish and dreamed that it would be you who found me. Why the hell did it have to be you?”
There was nothing I could say. Our faces were bathed in shadows, the sun almost completely gone. His skin began to turn translucent.
“It’s happening again.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“The sun goes down and I become sucked into night. Someday, I’ll be gone for good.” William looked frightened.
I blinked hard, unable to clear up the blurring line that had begun
9: Night
“Yeah. Well. I have something to do, if you’ll excuse me.”
William held me in place, sending another frosty shock through my arm.
“Do you have a bag of ice in your pocket? Because your hands are extremely cold.” I flipped the lock and opened the side door.
“Wait, Emma.”
A tingle went up my spine at the sound of my name on his lips. “Yes?”
“I can see you don’t want to believe me, but if you’ll just do me a favor and try to stay away from those guys.” William let out a sigh. “And get rid of that coin, okay?”
“ Okay, ” I replied with sarcastic emphasis. “Is that it?”
Running a hand through his tousled hair, he said, “Yes, I suppose it’ll have to be.”
I lingered at the door, one foot already out on the hot pavement. He was really going for it, playing every emotion. It was still working on me, pulling me in. Our eyes met again, his blue, burning like a neon light.
“Can I ask you a question?” I asked, still lingering.
“Go ahead.”
“Why did you do it? Didn’t you think it would hurt me? Didn’t you care ?”
I thought about the night under the gazebo and felt embarrassment, remembering the things I’d said.
His voice was strained. “You’re the last person on earth I would hurt. You can believe that.”
I raised my chin. “I’m leaving, you know. Maybe in a few days. So, you don’t have to worry about me anymore.”
“I’m glad you’re leaving.”
“You are?”
“Yes,” William replied, coming closer, pushing me out the door as he stepped down onto the street. “You’ll be safe.”
“Safe?” I turned then. “Nothing’s ever safe. Life isn’t like that.”
“How right you are.”
I heard a song start up across the street and thought of Jesse. If he asked me to leave with him again, I’d say yes.
“Well, I have to go.”
“Emma.”
I allowed my eyes to meet his again. “Yes?”
“If you leave, I want you to go remembering one thing.”
“And that is?”
“That you have a gift. This whole summer I felt it radiating from you—the special deepness of intuition. How I missed you being able to see me, I’ll never know. You have something special. After being stuck in this town for twenty years with nothing better to do than watch people, I’ve seen a lot of evil, mundane cruelty. But you, you’re truly beautiful.”
“Please, just stop already. Just leave me alone.” I felt the tears forming. Damn. Damn. Damn. I tried to jerk away when he grabbed my arm again, but it was too late. The shock ran through my skin and pulsed in a series of currents. Just like the coin.
“Yes, you see I’m not normal. Things like that wouldn’t happen if I was.”
“I don’t know what you mean,” I whispered, and bit down hard on my lip.
William wasn’t making any sense, as usual, and I didn’t like the strange things that were happening to me, that were entering my brain.
His voice was full of a reticent sadness. “You do understand, don’t you? I can see that you do. It’s been so long. You don’t know how many times I’ve wished for it to happen, that someone could set me free from this oblivion.”
“No.”
“To have skin that could be touched. To be heard, seen.”
“Stop,” I breathed, eyes shut tight. “I don’t believe any of this.”
“It’s true, Emma. I’ve been like this for many years; longer than you’ve been alive. I’m angry with myself because I was selfish and dreamed that it would be you who found me. Why the hell did it have to be you?”
There was nothing I could say. Our faces were bathed in shadows, the sun almost completely gone. His skin began to turn translucent.
“It’s happening again.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“The sun goes down and I become sucked into night. Someday, I’ll be gone for good.” William looked frightened.
I blinked hard, unable to clear up the blurring line that had begun
Similar Books
