Page 54 of Tempest

“Ardyn, I don’t—I don’t understand what you’re pointing at. The window? Outside?”

“Don’t you see it?” I whisper.

“See what?” Clover slides out of bed, pressing a hand to her chest. “You’re scaring the Jesus out of me.”

“Someone was here.”

“In our room?” Clover stands, her delicate hands clenching into fists. “Where? Did he sneak under the bed? Come out, pervert!” She roundhouse kicks her bedframe.

It’d be hilarious if I weren’t so beside myself with terror. “No. Outside. They’re outside.”

Clover rises from her quick crouch to check under her bed. “What?”

“The—the hand—” Is long gone by the time Clover glances over. “There was a handprint. Someone was looking through the window. At us.”

Clover gives me a wary stare but gamely steps to our singular window and peers out. “We’re on the third floor. I don’t know how someone could scale the flat exterior unless you saw Spider-Man.”

She doesn’t mean it the way it sounds, yet her statement sends a flare into my chest, that sick, poisonous spread feeling of not being believed.

“They must’ve climbed up a tree.” My explanation comes out sharper than I intended.

Clover doesn’t flinch, nor does she turn away from the window. “No … I don’t think so. There aren’t any branches close enough to bear a person’s weight. This part of TFU is pretty well manicured, too. Ardyn…” She turns.

I shift until I give her my profile, unable to take being fully under her anxious scope.

She asks gently, “Was it a nightmare, do you think?”

I shake my head. “I was wide awake. There was a bang at our window, and I looked over and saw a handprint! It was big, like a man’s. Four fingers, one thumb, and a palm.”

God, it’s like I’m trying to prove it’s a human instead of something supernatural. I press my lips shut, refusing to further make a fool out of myself.

“Actually, you’re not the first to see something like that.” Clover moves from the window to my bed, perching next to me and rubbing my thigh.

“You don’t have to humor me. Maybe it was a bad dream.” It sure as hell was not, but I’ve long since learned not to press an issue that no one else believes. Especially when they’re wearing scrubs.

“Do I look like the type of girl to humor people?” Clover arches an ebony brow, resembling her brother to such an extent that I force myself to control my inhale. “It’s been happening for decades, students reporting seeing unexplained handprints. On windows, doors, walls, sometimes in blood, other times in water. They say it’s one of the Anderton witches’ spirits marking you for death.”

It’s enough to get me to raise my head. “Is this meant to make me feel better?”

She laughs, squeezing my thigh. “Yes. No. Probably. None of those people who claimed to see those prints died.”

“How do you know for sure?”

She pats my leg. “I’m more in the know of TFU’s dark history than you are, so take my word for it. It’s superstition, and something assholes like me enjoy using to terrify unsuspecting students.”

I slide my gaze to the window, gnawing on my lower lip. The ghostly shape is long gone, replaced by more splats of broken raindrops.

“Tell you what, come with me into town after our classes today. There’s a new age shop I’d like to explore and we’ll collect ourselves a few crystals to purify and protect our room.”

I screw my face up. “I don’t believe in that stuff.”

“I didn’t think so, either, but you were sure taking my Anderton curse to heart a few seconds ago. What’ll be the harm? Maybe it’ll even help you sleep better.”

“I know what I—” I stop myself. This is the mantra of my life. I know what I saw. It’s a lonely statement, one I’ve learned not to employ unless desperate, and with Clover, I’m not.

“If you believe you can help me with voodoo, who am I to stop you?”

She smacks me lightly on the outer thigh. “Healing crystals are not voodoo. Look.” Clover pulls at a chain on her neck until a glittering, pink crystal bar encased in a circle of small diamonds emerges from under her t-shirt. “Rose quartz. I have this on me at all times. It’s meant to promote love, healing, and sucks out any negative feelings that weigh you down.”

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