Cursed (31 page)

I could see the truth in his eyes, he needed me.
I felt the same.

“I need you too. I had to run away from Dorian,
he…well, he was mean to me.”

I didn’t want to tell him about Dorian
assaulting me in the elevator, that was a fight he would never
win.

His face stormed over into a dark and sinister
expression, “Who the hell is this Dorian? Did he try to hurt
you?”

I gulped, “Oh sorry I thought Blake told you the
whole story. He's a demon, which I know sounds crazy but he is. You
just have to believe me. Well he just tried to scare me I think. It
worked and I ran away.”

His face looked a bit scary as he spoke softly,
“Blake told me what you believed happened. He seems pretty sure
it’s a brain tumor?”

I shook my head, “Blake is crazy, brain tumor.
No Dorian made me swap blood with him, it was gross. It healed me,
I went from deathbed to fully healed in like half an hour. He said
I would change and be dangerous to you and my dad and everyone.
Nothings really happened since though. I’ve had some really bad
stomach aches but that’s about it.”

Shane looked confused, “You honestly believe
this?

I shook my head, ‘I don’t know what I believe. I
don’t want to hurt you though.”

He smiled but something about his eyes worried
me, “Get out of this shower, meet me in the guest room.”

He bent kissing me softly almost tracing his
lips over mine and left the shower.

I quickly washed the things I hadn’t been able
to and jumped out as he left the bathroom thankfully as I was
certain toweling off in front of him was going to happen either. I
wrapped myself in a towel and made my way slinking through the
basement into the guest room.

Blake was apparently not home yet, no doubt
keeping my sister occupied and convincing her not to come to his
house.

Shane was putting his clothes on when I got to
the room wrapped in a towel, “You’re leaving?”

He nodded, “Yeah I’m pretty sure we can hang at
my place Aims. This feels weird.”

I laughed, “Okay. Meet you there when I’m done
cleaning up?”

He nodded and walked to me in his jeans without
a shirt. He rubbed his hands up my arms, “I love you Aimee James. I
love you so much. Please don’t leave me again.”

He bent and kissed me softly.

I lay on the bed in my towel waiting to change
until he was gone.

“Be fast.” He kissed my forehead and walked from
the room. My face was on fire thinking about we had done and I
rolled myself in the blankets like a cocoon.

As I lay there the room started to spin. My
stomach ache which I hadn’t noticed since Shane had come over was
finding it way up into my chest.

I slipped out of the sheets trying desperately
to ignore the pain in my chest to start the laundry. I would need
to clean the sheets if I was going to leave and stay with
Shane.

“Uh why are you washing the guest room sheets?”
Blake’s voice made me jump.

I turned to look at him blushing and smirked,
“I’m heading to Shane’s house.”

He laughed looking at my red face and raised an
eyebrow inquisitively, “Wanna tell me something Aimes? Did Shane
come over?”

I frowned, “No. What?” My tone raised an
octave.

He cocked his head, “Why are you blushing like
that? You look super guilty, did you break something?”

He looked panicked making me laugh.

I shook my head and closed the washing machine
on my sheets and walked out of the laundry room.

“Your sister is getting really suspicious as to
why I can’t have her over right now while my parents are away and
you’re washing the sheets to the guest room you haven’t even slept
in.”

He closed the laundry room door and slumped onto
the couch with one leg up on the back of it. He was sprawled out
looking up at the ceiling. “I want her to come over, there is
something I really want to do Aimes and it’s not going to happen if
I don’t get the house to myself.”

I laughed sitting on the couch across from him,
“You want me to take off tonight so you can have some quality time
with my sister?”

He smirked still looking at the ceiling, “Yeah
after you tell me who you had sex with in my guest room.”

I frowned at him, “I never had any sex, I was
seriously just cleaning the sheets cause I want them fresh you
know. I like the smell of fresh sheets.”

He laughed, “I found this though and I’m pretty
sure it isn’t mine or my dads.” He pulled a white under shirt out
of the couch cushions. I frowned at him puzzled as to how it got in
the couch. It was Shane’s under shirt. I wanted to grab it and
smell it but I resisted knowing my eyes had already revealed more
than enough with my surprised look.

“I stashed it when I heard you in the laundry
room. I saw the bed all rumpled and ripped apart. Now spill the
beans or I’m phoning Shane and asking why you couldn’t just do it
at his house.” He joked but I knew he was enough of a pest he would
actually do it.

I dropped my face into my hands ashamed, “I lost
my virginity in your guest bed, I’m so sorry.”

He grimaced, “Throw the sheets out Aimee damn we
aren’t hard up for sheets around here. My mom has a whole closet
with just sheets in it. Where is Shane anyway?”

I felt even worse as I groaned still in my
hands, “The sheets are fine, I’m washing them to be polite. Shane
went home.”

He sat up, “Is he okay?”

I shivered, “Yeah he’s fine? Why?”

“What about the guardian angel and the death
prophecy?” He seemed more sarcastic than usual but of course Blake
didn’t believe Aleksander was real. He was part of my drug induced
brain tumor.

I looked up meeting his worried face, “The
magical guardian angel and I are done.”

His eyes flashed with recognition as he recalled
that part of the story, “But the demon with molasses blood did say
you were a danger to other people?”

I nodded.

He grimaced again, “Why did Shane leave, is he
hurt?”

I threw the couch cushion at him, “He was
weirded out by what happened in your guest room Hamtard.”

Blake shook his head disgusted with me, “I’m not
going to say I don’t blame him, really could have happened at his
house dude.”

Sheepishly I nodded, “I know man I’m so
sorry.”

“Hope you don’t mind that I told him what you
told me or that you were here?”

I shook my head putting all my clothes in my
bag.

“I think you need medical help Aimee. I am
sickened Shane actually had sex with you. He agrees with me that
you need a shrink or something.”

My eyes shot up at him, “What?” That had come up
out of no where.

“We just think that there is seriously something
wrong with you, medically and this brain tumor or whatever is wrong
with you needs to be checked out. You’re delusional. One-minute
you’re soooo in love with some guardian angel and then the next
it’s Shane but then suddenly some demon makes you drink his black
blood and you’re all better. Come on Aimee. Listen to yourself for
one minute.”

I was lost, he was my best friend in the entire
world and he wanted to lock me up.

Shane had agreed with him.

I was alone.

Blake’s face hardened, I had never seen his face
grow so cold.

He sighed rubbing his hands over his face,
“Aimee I think you need to leave. I’m sorry but I can’t help you
anymore. I’ll keep your secret but that’s it. If you’re sick I cant
have you here hiding out. I can’t keep this from your dad and Alise
anymore. I’m apart of the family now.”

I was in agony as I pressed my lips together and
stood from his couch. I picked my fleece off of the back of the
computer chair and walked up the stairs to sneak out of his house
the way I had come in. I was ashamed of everyone I knew and
disgusted with my best friend.

I had been abandoned.

Yes I had soiled his bed and yes I was
absolutely humiliated by it, but how could he have been so cruel to
me?

How could Shane agree with him?

How could Shane think that I needed to be
committed and still have sex with me?

When I got out of the garage door I ran, I ran
as fast as I could until I reached the old highway where our secret
beach was. I ran down the old road to the trail. When I crossed the
road into the thick forest I savored the cool feeling I got when I
entered the trees. I didn’t feel afraid of the forest, which I
wished had been from feeling invincible, but unfortunately was from
a lack of care. If I died in the next five minutes I wouldn't feel
sad for myself or anyone except my dad.

I ran along the trail barely seeing the greenery
and trees as I made my way to the ocean. I could smell the salt and
seaweed as I approached where the forest cleared and the trail
ended. I ran down to the beach still feeling so angry with Blake
and Shane but my head felt a little better from the run.

I walked along the small part of the sandy beach
enjoying the feel of the sand under my sneakers. Slowly it turned
to rocks, the usual west coast beach, and as the rocks got bigger
it became more difficult to walk along. The slimy rocks were each
like little condos for the crabs and other beach life. I remembered
fondly being a small girl and lifting each of the rocks in an area
to see the insects and crabs scurrying away from the light and
whatever monster had hunted them down.

I smiled looking at a huge rock and remembering
my sister helping lift the rocks that were much too large for one
small child. We poked at the crabs with sticks gently until they
clamped a pincher on a stick. Then we would run around with the
stick and the crab. I couldn’t help but shake my head remembering
the terrified crabs as we each ran up and down the beach. No amount
of running would make them let go, they hung on until their little
crab feet touched ground again.

I wished I had that ability to hang onto
something with all of the force and strength I had. I wished I were
able to stay on my stick no matter the amount of turmoil I was put
through. Instead I sat on some driftwood far down the beach and
looked out at the grey choppy waters. I had nowhere else to go. I
wasn’t completely cold and I wasn’t comfortable. I missed Blake’s
house already. I contemplated if the shoe were on the other foot if
I would have tolerated this sort of madness from him and knew the
answer. He had made the right choice. I thought about Shane and
imagined him walking up the beach with open arms ready to believe
my crazy story knowing we loved each other.

I imagined Aleks walking beside him with his
head down needing my forgiveness and unconditional love even though
his selfish behavior had cost me everything in my life. In a
coldhearted moment I understood why the medicine man had cursed him
as well.

Chapter Fifteen - CABIN
FEVER WITHOUT THE CABIN IS CALLED INSANITY

I didn’t sleep and out of desperation I made a
small campfire on the beach the old fashioned way. Rubbing dry
sticks together actually did produce a fire. It was lucky my
muscles never really cramped anymore because it took me forever
with the slightly damp wood.

I didn’t know what to expect with the changes
but I definitely expected more than the odd stomachache or random
sweat. I started to wonder if I was ever going to change, or if
this was it. I was stronger, faster, required very little to
survive and didn’t need a lot of sleep. I was like a super being
but without anything cool, my college years would be very cost
effective at this rate. One meal a week and with no sleep required
my grades would never take that initial dip everyone
experienced.

I decided that if in three days nothing was
different I would go home. I would tell my dad that I was cured and
finish my school year on time.

Three days and counting was a tough way to think
about life, I really had nothing to do in my spare time but think.
I walked the beach in both directions, found neat tidal pools that
contained all sorts of sea life, swam in the ocean, made fires and
even built a small log cabin. That had taken most of the first day
but I wasn’t a patient person anymore, I seemed restless now.

I thought about Shane, I thought about him
non-stop. My body deceived my heart and ignored the fact he had
betrayed me.

I thought about him nonstop regardless.

A couple with a small child, more than likely
from Port Handley as I didn’t recognize them, walked the beach the
morning of day two. They greeted me cautiously, I noticed I could
almost smell them and something about them made me want to touch
them. I stayed on my side of the beach to be careful. I wasn’t sure
of anything about myself but I didn’t want to hurt anyone.

I watched them walk away from me but I couldn’t
help fantasize about touching their arms, holding them close to me.
I frightened myself with my quirky thoughts. I thought about Aleks
and the conversation we need to have to distract myself but every
thought turned to Shane, which in turn twisted into a thought about
having S.E.X. with Shane.

I was going stir crazy thinking about him
touching me. I wanted him, I wanted to touch him but mostly I
wanted to do it again. I was having feelings I couldn’t
explain.

At first I thought they had been ordinary sex
thoughts that a person would have after doing it for the first time
but then I realized I was obsessing. I felt more like a teenage boy
than a prudish girl.

I felt the warm wind off the fire and tricked
myself into believing Aleks was back but it had been a breeze off
the sea.

I had driven myself nutty long enough and
decided to bail on my plan of three days. I started to extinguish
the fire by spreading out the logs of wood breaking it apart with
my shoe. I used a large seashell I had found and grabbed water from
one of the tidal pools and started to pour water on the fire when I
saw movement behind me.