Page 4 of Visions & Shadows

Climbing out of bed, I yawn again as I walk to the bathroom. While I’m busy with my morning routine, my thoughts turn to the dream I had for the eleventh day in a row.

It always starts with the same beautiful waterfall. There are lights flickering beneath the blue-green water, and old trees hug the pool where a man is wading through the water toward the curtain.

The man.

I stop brushing my teeth as I get lost in my thoughts.

In every dream, I only see him from behind. He’s dressed in leatherpants that span tightly around his muscled thighs and a matching shirt that clings to his broad shoulders.

I never see his face, but if he looks that hot from behind, the front can’t be all that bad.

It’s weird, though. Why do I keep having the same dream, over and over?

Yeah, I love spending time at Fish Creek Falls, but it can’t be the reason for the weird dream.

I finish brushing my teeth then rinse out my mouth before walking back to my bedroom.

Opening the closet, I wonder what I should wear. Most of my clothes are hand-me-downs from my adoptive sister, Molly. I don’t mind, seeing as nine out of ten times, the clothes still have their tags on because she got a size too small.

Molly has an unhealthy addiction to buying clothes, but at least the girl has great taste.

I pick a pair of faded black jeans, a blue sweater, and a gray jacket. After pairing the outfit with my favorite boots, I quickly grab my bag and cell phone.

When I walk into the foyer of the mansion, there’s no sign of Molly.

Molly and Patrick are Mayor and Mrs. Calder’s biological children.

I’m the same age as Molly. Seventeen. When I was found at a waterfall nearly five years ago, they had to guess my age because I couldn’t remember anything about my past.

How I ended up at the waterfall remains a mystery because the police couldn’t find out anything about me.

They started calling me Jane, as in ‘Jane Doe,’ and the name stuck when Mayor Calder was kind enough to take me in.

Of course, his act of kindness was to boost his status in the small town of Steamboat Springs. At least I benefited from it and appreciate everything the Calders have done for me.

The house is quiet and I wonder if Molly is even awake. Patrick always leaves early for work and only returns late so we hardly see him.

I head to the kitchen and quickly make a cup of coffee. While I drink the much-needed caffeine, I scroll through my social mediaaccounts.

Every other post is something Molly shared about the football team or cheerleaders. Letting out a sigh, I drink the last of my coffee while putting my phone away.

I’m socially awkward and haven’t been able to make any friends at school. Honestly, the loneliness is really starting to get to me, especially when I see other students having fun together.

I have Molly, though. I wouldn’t say we’re friends, but more like acquaintances because we don’t have a lot in common. We’re complete opposites.

After I rinse my cup, I head back to the foyer, and when there’s still no sign of Molly, I yell, “We’re going to be late for school.”

With Mayor and Mrs. Calder away for the next two weeks, Molly’s probably going to oversleep every day. They finally decided to take the trip to Greece they’ve been planning for over three years, and I love the photos they send us every day.

“I’m coming,” Molly shouts, but the second she appears at the top of the stairs, she turns around. “Crap, I forgot my lipstick.”

She’s the last girl on the planet who needs more lipstick. All the boys trail behind her like lap dogs, and I doubt it’s because of her intense makeup regimen.

“Well, don’t just stand there. Let’s go.” Molly rushes by me and is out the door in a blur, leaving behind a whiff of perfume that’s going to have me sneezing all the way to school.

Great. By the time we get to school, I’ll look like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

Not even seconds after I climb into the car, I start to sneeze.

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