Page 5 of The Book Reader
I hug him tighter to me. Something in his voice scares me, making me feel like I’m taking a huge step into a future I’m not ready for—a future I’m craving like my next breath.
I look into his blue eyes, glowing like they have blue flames in them. I smile, and his answering grin highlights the dimples I love so much. “When will I see you again?”
He chuckles darkly and leans forward, brushing his lips over mine. “In your dreams, my Rose. Always.” And with that, he is gone.
Blinking, I open my mouth to call out his name, but I realize I don’t even know it. I’ve tried to ask so many times, but eachtime he makes me forget using his mouth and some other very talented parts of his body.
Pulling in a breath, I climb out of the bed, looking down to see myself in a deep red dress. It flows all the way to the ground, and as I turn it, it fans out around my legs like red water flowing on a calm breeze. I would love to wear something like this in my real life, but it wouldn’t work… in my dreams—it’s perfect.
A tingle runs down my body, almost like someone is reminding me I shouldn’t be here. It makes me jump. “I’m coming. Hold on.” My voice is impatient as I spin around, wanting to watch my dress again, I keep spinning, twirling faster until I feel the air shift. Light turns to darkness, making me stop. My eyes take a moment to adjust. I glance around, recognizing the park, and my body breaks out in goosebumps from the feeling that something is coming. I need to be fast.
A bolt of lightning crashes into the ground in front of me. I blink against the stark and sudden brightness, taking a few steps back. The sudden sheets of rain that begin pouring down make it almost impossible to see, soaking me in ice cold water. I edge slowly forward, wary as the lightning strikes again, hitting the broken ground ahead of me. It’s then that I see her—a woman with blonde hair lying in the rubble, shivering.
“You,” I whisper, trying to step forward as another bolt of lightning lands, striking me hard and making me cry out, ripping me from my dream.
Chapter 3
ARIANNA
Pulling my thick black coat into my body, I zip it up, watching as Mekhi gives a cute guy with red hair his phone number. He has these adorable little cards printed out that he calls ‘treat vouchers.’ I swear that man is a force all on his own.
Mekhi struts toward me and winks. “Hottie got some pretty eyes, getting me some of that fine beast later.” He links arms with me and pulls me out of the club before I can make a comment.
Tonight was meant to be about just us, two best friends, drinking and dancing.
What it turned into was me yawning most of the night from lack of sleep, and Mekhi being hit on by every other guy who saw him. My best friend is good-looking with his deep chocolate eyes and pouty lips. They ate him up.
Most nights, my sleep is restless. Even more so lately, always filled with dreams of a man with the most intense blue eyes and a perfect smile; hands that feel so real half the time, I wonder if I am dreaming.
I wake up most mornings with an ache in my body that has me reaching for my vibrator, but it’s never enough.
Since I’ve been dreaming about him, nothing is ever enough.
“Want to talk about it?” Mekhi asks me as he bumps my shoulder, the concern in his voice making me laugh lightly. He won’t like what I am about to say.
“No? Yes? I don’t know.” How do I tell my overly cautious best friend, who is scared to death of all supernaturals, that I feel like something bad is coming; that every time I close my eyes, when I’m not dreaming abouthim, I’m thrust into another darker world, one that leaves me feeling broken and worried. “The dreams have gotten worse,” I say quietly, not sure what else I can say that won’t freak him out. My eyes connect with his, and I can see that he has been more worried about me than he is letting on.
“You tried to get out the house again last night Hitch. That bell worked but fuck me, you were a feisty lady.” He laughs, and I know he is trying to lighten the mood. “What are you going to do about the dreams? Therapy?”
Fighting the urge to roll my eyes, I purse my lips thoughtfully. Whatever is going on, talking to someone about my feelings isn’t going to help much.
When they ask me what’s wrong, my answer is just going to be that I’m feeling horny and scared. What help is there for that?
“It will be fine. I’m sure it’s just stress.” I give him a watery smile.
A loud crack of lightning startles us, followed by a rumble of thunder that vibrates under my feet. Mekhi huddles closer to me and picks up his pace, dragging me with him as we speed towards our house. “Let’s hurry, Hitch, that sounds like a nightmare heading right for us. I’m not interested in becoming someone’s snack. I’m too pretty to die.” He’s joking, but I can hear the slight wobble of fear in his voice.
We head down the empty street, the houses on either side of the road all in darkness, their occupants already in their beds asleep, unaware of the storm that is brewing in the distance.
A tingle picks along my skin as the houses give way to open green space, my steps slowing as I pull my hand from Mekhi’s arm and turn towards the park.
My mind races with the feeling that I’ve forgotten something, as if some important details have slipped my mind. “Hitch?” I hear Mekhi call. I try to answer him, but the words get stuck in my throat when lightning blasts across the sky, casting a bright light into the park.
The shadows of the playground equipment growing and darkness—consuming any light by its eerie appearance. The wet grass on the ground looks like it's decorated with due covered spider webs, and for a moment everything feels as if it’s coming alive—haunting me.
A light mist raises up into the air like steam from a hot coffee mug, making the park look like a terrifying scene in a horror movie, just before a killer stalk out from the shadows and kills everyone. The light fades, blanketing the area in darkness once more. My eyes searching in the darkness, squinting trying follow the bumps and dip in the earth until they land on the only light in the darkness, a shape of something curled in a ball. Unmoving.
“Did you see that?”
