Page 52 of Mind Pucked

Jackson,

I got a call from a friend who needs my help. I left early, hope that’s okay. I had a great time with you last night. Let’s do it again sometime. See you soon.

Amelia.

In no time, I’m home. I walked, which in the dark wasn’t the best idea, but I had to get there. Once I spill into the house, I head straight for the shower to scrub off the lingering feel of Jackson and the fact that I feel dirty for what I’ve done.

Once I get out of the shower, I dress and fall into bed. I’m exhausted and feel sleep tugging at me right away.

Jackson walks toward me. Heat grows between us as our lips meet. I think about the fact that I don’t need to be doing this, but I want to. Oh, how I want to.

I wrap my legs around him and he throws me onto the bed. His actions are passionate and kind at first, but as the heat pools inside me, he becomes rough.

“Jackson, stop!” I yell at him as he leans down and bites my lower lip hard.

“I won’t stop until you’re dead too,” he says as he forces my hands above my head and pinches the inside of my thigh…hard.

“Get off me,” I say, but a sob of fear racks me. “My parents have already lost one child—they don’t need to lose a second.”

Jackson looks at me, and then pushes my head to the side so I’m looking at a video playing on the wall. His hands hold my head still so I can’t look away.

A car crashes.

A beautiful woman is bent at odd angles, but then there’s my brother. He’s alive, screaming for the woman to respond to him, but then a hand reaches in and grabs him.

He’s bleeding bad.

A thudding sound occurs off camera and then the film cuts to the side where Jackson is dragging my brother’s dead body through the woods.

I shoot up in bed. It was just a dream…more like a nightmare.

I realize it isn’t the dream that has woken me up so much as it is my phone notifying me of an incoming video call. I pick up my phone, half expecting it to be Jackson who has noticed I’m gone.

I don’t know if I can talk to him right now, especially with the tremors that are still running through my body. When I look at the screen, I’m only slightly relieved to see it’s my parents.

I sit up in bed and hit the answer button.

“Hey, guys,” I say as both their faces come into view.

I hope they can’t tell I just woke up in fear.

“Amelia,” my father says, but he sounds annoyed.

“What’s up, Daddy?” I ask him, trying not to look visibly shaken, or hungover, which I am most definitely.

“Your father thinks it’s time you come home,” my mom says, but I can tell she’s answering because my father seems to be annoyed.

“Mom, I—” I begin, but my father cuts me off.

“Amelia, we let you run off to Europe, and even chase this wild dream that you can solve your brother’s disappearance?—”

“Death,” I correct him before he can continue.

“Disappearance,” he corrects me in return. “You are what? A nanny now? You need to pack your things and get home so you can get on with real life…in the real world. Not in some delusional fairy tale where you find your brother’s killer.”

“I’ll come home soon,” I say, trying to soothe his mood.

“No! Now!” he bellows.

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