Page 30 of Smoke the Enemy

Blue Rose, Alabama

Taylor

I arrive back in Blue Rose after lunch. I decided to go ahead and spend the night at home instead of driving through the night, and left bright and early this morning. Mom slept in my room with me. She came in there to chat, and ended up falling asleep holding me. I didn’t have the heart to wake her. Plus, I think she needed it. She’s been more affectionate since the campus murders. And I heard her sniffles and hiccups as I climbed into my car this morning.

Kali hasn’t returned to Alabama, so I have the place to myself. By the time I unpack, I’m starving, and of course, there’s no food in the house since nobody’s been living here the past couple of weeks. I’m too exhausted and tired of driving, so I place an online order for delivery.

My soul practically sings when I hear the doorbell. Except when I open it there’s the delivery guy with my food…and Soren. How did he know I was home? Does he live in a tree outside my house year-round?

The delivery guy tells me the total, but before I can pay Soren tosses him a fifty and takes the bag from him. Instead of accepting his change, he pushes his way into the house and then slams the door in the guy’s face.

“That was rude,” I tell him.

“Most people say you’re welcome.”

I cross my arms. “Thank you for getting my food, but you didn’t have to treat him that way. It was rude.”

Soren stalks toward me. “He received a thirty-dollar tip. I think he’ll forgive me.”

“You’re an asshole, you know that.”

“I’m a miserable piece of shit, but maybe if I spend some time with you…” He trails a finger along my neck “that sweetness will rub off on me. At the very least, rub me.” He winks and I can’t stop myself from rolling my eyes. I snatch my bag of food from him and take it to the kitchen.

“If you came to get laid, the answer is no. I’m physically and emotionally exhausted.” I’m too drained to even question him about the weirdness going on back home, and him now showing up on my doorstep.

His scoff follows me into the kitchen. “That makes two of us. Let’s eat. I’m starving.”

I guess I should offer him something to eat, even though I didn’t ask for him to pay for it, so technically, I don’t owe him anything. But my good nature gets the better of me, so I offer him some of my food.

After we eat, Soren and I go sit on the couch together and watch television. My eyes are so heavy, and he’s so warm next to me. Combined with the restless sleep from the night before, the drive, the stress, and now I’m warm with a full belly, it’s no surprise that my eyes become too heavy for me to keep them open.

When I wake up, I’m under a blanket in bed. Soren is gone. There’s actually no trace he was ever here. For a moment, I have to wonder if it was all another vivid dream, like in church back home. Either way it was nice to sit and just be there. Just be us.

It felt almost normal.

But nothing about any of this is normal.

I call Lois and let her know I’m back in town. She immediately asked if I could help at the library, and I can’t turn her down. I already feel bad for the poor woman. She’s lost so many of her friends from the nursing home. I still haven’t told her that the love of her life, Walter Dupree, has a long-lost grandson, and while she spent years pining for him, he went out and started some legacy.Instead, I’ll keep my mouth shut and just be there for her.

The campus is covered in a fine layer of snow on my walk to the library. It never gets truly cold down here in Alabama, but once in a blue moon we get snow. My eyes wander over the landscape. Everything is so peaceful and quiet right now. In direct contrast to the chaos that just lurks around every corner.

My feet crunch against the icy grass, as I make my way across the quad. I could have taken the sidewalks, but less time in the shadow of the building is probably best. Since Kali isn’t back, no one besides Lois knows I was coming in to work today.Unless Soren is still creeping around.

I walk faster, trying to keep my heart under control. I have to remember that there’s still a killer on the loose. The police believe the killer is now focusing on areas outside of our university and the town of Blue Rose, but I still feel on edge. I’m terrified the events from the beginning of the year will always haunt me. I probably need therapy, but I’m too stubborn to go because I’m not ready to face all my baggage. The therapist would probably argue that I shouldn’t return to campus, and my twin lovers are a toxic relationship, and she won’t even comment on Alex. Any therapist would probably lock me up, and some thoughts are just better kept to myself anyway.Like my Illicit Brotherhood orgy dream.

I hear a soft crunch behind me, and I twirl around, ready to confront whoever it is, but no one is there. The hair on the back of my neck tingles. Someone is watching me, I know it, but I don’t see them. My eyes scan over the trees and between the buildings. There are plenty of shadows, but no evidence that a person is lurking in them.

“It’s all in your head,” I chant under my breath, to myself and walk a little faster to the library. I’m not sticking around to be snuck up on, and like hell will I become the dumb character in a movie who goes to investigate.

The library is surprisingly warm when I get inside. Lois has been in here over the winter break, and she wrote in an email that she left me a few carts with old books that still need to be reshelved, and two new carts of books that need to be added to the computers. Lois figured it would take me all day, but I seriously think I only need a few hours. I flip on the lights and take my time wiping down the tables and counters. A light film of dust has gathered on the tops. I frown at how quiet it’s gotten. I mean, I know it’s a library, but something feels off. Unease settles in my chest. I glance around the library, that tingling sensation is back.

“Hello?” I ask the empty space and listen to my voice echo. Nothing moves. The heater kicks on and I jump where I’m standing, my hand laying over my heart. “Get a grip, Tay.”

Laughing to myself, I grab the cart of old books and head to the elevator, preparing to go to the basement. Of course, this cart goes in the basement. I could shake Lois for this. The steel doors close around me, and the elevator moves. As the doors open, the basement is dark, which is unusual because there are automatic lights down here. Much to my dismay, coupled with the darkness, there is a decaying smell wafting in.

Using one hand to cover my nose, the other reaches on the wall looking for the light switch. “Shit,” I mutter to myself, my fingers unable to reach it. I take a hesitant step farther into the darkness and stop when my shoe taps against something solid on the ground.

I hold my breath and reach into my pocket, grabbing my cell phone. I hit the light button and aim it at the floor. “Seriously?” I chuckle lightly and bend down to retrieve the book. One must have fallen off the cart. I stack the book on the pile and find the light switch. After a few rapid blinks and a humming noise, the lights kick on, illuminating the rows of books. I drag the cart behind me, down the aisles. No matter where I go, though, I can’t escape the smell. It’s worse than musty. I type out a quick email to Lois asking if she noticed it before continuing down the aisles with the book cart.

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