|
|
Chapter 1
Lights flashed like lightening and then they were gone. The sound of a baby crying, screaming could be heard over the pounding of something unknown. Then there was a deathly silence. A guilt wrenching one that made you wonder about your own safety. Another baby cried, or maybe it was the same one. It was hard to say. The darkness that enveloped was thick and dirty. It wasn't darkness felt inside a room both comforting and warm. This darkness shook you to the core and scared you to your grave. An ear-piercing scream was heard. It wasn't human, but what was it? In the dark you could tremble and listen. Listen for your doom to find you and yet, you find yourself praying for it to hurry. The darkness only prolongs the feeling of waiting. The sound of a baby's cry gets louder and then the unmistakable sound of its life being cut short could be heard with echoing chills. And then you know you're next. You can feel it in you, feel it coming. You can almost feel 'them' breathing on your neck.
Suddenly a wet tongue attacked my neck. I opened my eyes to see my hairy dog, Bruno, siting at my bedside with a paw on my hand. He barked once, knowing I had one of my…well I'm not sure what you would call them, I just say they're nightmares. Others say they're visions. If I am receiving 'visions' then this world is in a great deal of trouble.
I sighed and looked over at the clock. It was going on two thirty in the morning. Knowing that would be the extent of my sleeping I got out of bed and went to the bathroom to take a shower. Hoping to get the dirty feeling off me, though it never seems to work.
I looked at myself in the mirror before turning on the water. My wavy, auburn hair was a mess. My gray eyes still showed apparent sleepiness. And my fair skin showed from my tank top and matching short pajamas. The scene wasn't too great. But I couldn't close my eyes because the scene there was worse. I pealed off my clothes and stepped into the tub. After letting the water wash away some of the grim of a sleepless night I decided to head to the all night bakery.
I put on a pair of baggy sweat pants and a warm sweater shirt to keep out the cold. I grabbed my wallet and put the leash on the excited Bruno. We climbed down the stairs of my shoebox like apartment building and walked the block and a half to the bakery.
"Up again, Hun?" The old man behind the counter was plump and grayed. He whipped his hands of batter as he did every time I came in for a while.
"Story of my life." I sat down and let go of Bruno as the old man came around the counter. Bruno lay on his back at the man's feet, wanting his belly scratched. "Some guard dog," I mused.
The old man laughed and after scratching the golden retriever on the floor for a moment he got a tray and placed fresh coffee, a news paper, and my favorite kind of donut on it and brought it over. "If I may, maybe you should see someone about those dreams."
"I see you, who needs a shrink." I smiled a winning smile and the man threw back his head with laughter. He patted my shoulder, as a loving father would a daughter, and shook his head. "You put a lot of faith in this old man, but I'll try to keep up. But you know my motto is…"
"Ignorance is bliss," I finished knowingly. I looked down at my paper and unfolded it, signaling that my conversation was done.
Unhurt, the old man went back to work behind his counter, folding and kneading dough for the next batch of whatever.
Bruno circled in front of the small heater before settling down for a nap. He let out one final yawn and looked about, 'securing the perimeter', before closing his eyes.
The bakery was relatively quite for fifteen minutes and then the small chime of a bell above the door signaled a person entering.
I didn't look up, not caring whom it was, as I turned the page in my paper and sipped my coffee.
"Hi, I'd like 2 dozen French rolls." The man's voice was so soft, sweet and with a touch of a southern accent that I couldn't help but look up. I was sitting at the only table in the small bakery and the man looked over at me after he noticed he wasn't the only customer. He smiled and when the owner started talking looked back at him.
The man was talking about prices and how long it would take to bake that when he noticed him looking at me. The old man leaned over the counter and lowered his voice. "She's bad news. Mark my words and stay away from her."
I smiled and looked down at my paper. Leave it to him to keep people from bothering me.
"Really, why?" The young man stole a look at me before looking back at the owner.
"It's two forty-five in the morning, what kind of person comes to a bakery then," He asked as if it were obvious.
"Me," The young man said with a smile.
The old man stood there, shocked, then shook his head and threw his hands in the air. "Fine, but I warned you." He turned and went to work on the new order.
The young man had paid no heed to the older one's words and sat across from me. "So why are you so bad?"
"Do you always talk to strange girls at," I paused as I checked my watch and then looked back down at the paper, "two forty-seven in the morning in New York?"
"No, but I was intrigued."
I glanced up at him. "Intrigued, is that a complement?"
He looked as if he had taken a back. "Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you."
"No, Mr. Littrell I'm sure you didn't."
He frowned, "How do you know me?"
"Everyone knows you. You're with the boy band."
He nodded, but didn't respond.
I didn't give way to his little game and sipped my coffee.
"So are you going to tell me your name?"
"No."
"How come, it only seems fair that you tell me yours since you know mine."
"So quite your 'fifteen minutes of fame', become infamous and we'll be even." I looked back down at my paper.
"You're grouchy."
"No, this is the way I always am. You're just annoying."
"Annoying, I'm just making conversation."
"Who said I wanted a conversation?"
"Well, you can at least be some what nice. I'm sure it wouldn't hurt."
I glanced up. "You're a pansy too, aren't you?" I looked back down at the paper. "Among your many other faults."
"What, what are you talking about? I'm not a pansy and what other faults did 'you're royal know-it-all' come up for me?"
I set down my paper and my coffee and looked up at him. "You're right, I do know it all. At least I know more than you do. You see I won't tell you my name, not that I really need an excuse, is because all of those who know my name fear me. Do you know my real name?"
"No, I don't even know your fake one," He said with a smirk.
I wasn't amused. "I don't have one. Do you know why people fear me?"
"Do tell," He leaned against the back of his chair, hanging his arm over the back of it.
"I know more about the future of this planet than people care to know. I'm shot at twice a day, if not more. People fear me, because I'm smarter. Or maybe I'm more stupid. Anyone who would say yes to this kind of deal would have to be stupid." I stood aggregated.
I snapped my fingers and my retriever came and sat my feet. I bent down and grabbed his leash and then tossed a couple bucks on the table.
Looking down at Bruno I talked to the man still sitting in the chair. "Never ask my name, unless you're prepared to leave the bliss that is ignorance. Ask Mac, back there, he lives by ignorance." With that I turned and left.
Brian
I watched as the strange girl left. I was so interested in this secret that she held dear and I could figure out why. She was very beautiful, even in baggy clothes. I turned to look over at the baker who was placing my order in the oven.
"So, Mac, how come she's got so many secrets?"
"Because she was a secretive child." He said blandly as he wiped his hands and began to work on his previous doing.
"Can you tell me her name, something about her?"
He seemed to speculate me for a moment, as if to be sure I was 'OK' and not the enemy. The man nodded and went back to his work. "All I know is that she sees things, future things. They're not good from the looks of her. She'll come in shaking and distraught. I tell her to see a counselor, but what counselor would listen to her with out either being scared or thinking she's a nut case? And I only know her first name."
"What is it?"
"Cameron."
~*~
I came in the next day to find Mac kneading his dough. "Morning Mac."
The old man looked up and shook his head, laughing. "I didn't know my rolls were that good." He whipped his hands and began preparing the order.
"Well I wouldn't know." I laughed, "Poor Carie, she really taking this pregnancy hard."
I looked over when I heard the sound of someone spitting liquid. I grinned, it was Cameron and she was spitting out her coffee. "Morning Cameron."
"You have a pregnant girlfriend and you were hitting on me?" She tood and walked over to me, anger burning apparently.
"Woah, down killer." I laughed again, "My friend is in her 2 trimester and her cravings are kinda weird. Her boyfriend skipped out when he found out she was pregnant, so I'm filling in for a while."
She arched an eyebrow. "So she's not your girlfriend."
"Not even close." I turned and took the bag from Mac. "Thanks Mac, good day Cameron." I turned and left with a smile on my face.
- Cameron -
I was furious. I had just made a complete fool out of myself. I held my hand up in Mac's direction as he began to speak. "Don't."
This just made Mac grin. "Go after him. Maybe if you yell at him you'll feel better."
"Watch Bruno." I said as I walked out of the bakery. I looked in both directions and a chill ran up me as the New York wind cut though my jeans and sweatshirt. I spotted him and ran after him. "Look, I don't know what you're thinking, but I was just thinking about her."
He just grinned. "Of course, what did you think I was thinking?"
I could feel myself fuming as we walked along. I took a couple deep breaths. "Don't get upset, don't get upset."
"Why not? People get upset all the time." He smirked.
"Yes, but if I get set up, I'll pass out and then you'll freak out and don't say you won't. You'll take me to the hospital, like any…guy and then when I wake up, if I wake up, I'd have to kill you."
Brian was laughing.
"What's so funny?"
"So you don't like hospitals?"
"I don't like people." I glared as a man bumped into me.
"I can see that." He stopped in front of an apartment and unlocked the door holding it open for me.
"I'm not going…"
"You're freezing." He sighed when I still wouldn't move. "I won't rape you I promise."
I rolled my eyes and walked in. "In your dreams choir boy."
I could hear his soft chuckle as we walked up the stairs. I rolled my eyes. "So what's this girl's name again?"
"Carie."
"How'd you meet her?" I stepped to the side so he could lead the way to the apartment.
"I met her at one of my concerts. Her boyfriend had beat her up." Her had sadness in his eyes as he stopped in front of the door. He obviously wanted to explain this before we went in. "We, the guys, me and her all thought this guy was different. That he'd be good for her." He sighed and looked at the door. "We were wrong. He didn't beat her, but…" He paused as he looked up at me. "…He may as well have. He left her at her most vulnerable time, just like a guy who beats his girl." He turned and unlocked the door and held it open for me.
I looked around the small apartment and thought it seemed like a place to start. "Nice." I said softly, thinking I should contribute something to this silence only because it was some stranger's home.
"Thanks." I looked up and over at a girl. Her pregnancy was apparent on her think frame. She sighed as she looked around. "It's not much, but it's all I've got."
I nodded, not knowing what else to do.
"Here Carie. Just want the doctor ordered." Brian waved the warm bag of barky goods under Carie's nose and she giggled with glee and snatched it from him.
"You're a god." She inhaled the aroma of the fresh goods and pecked his cheek.
After she ran off to her room, I waited until I was sure the door was closed before I commented. "Funny, I thought only disillusioned teenagers called choir boys gods." I looked at the pictured on the walls and was glad he couldn't see my smirk when he chuckled.
I frowned when a wave of dizziness came over me. "Not now." I whispered to myself.
"What's that?" Brian walked over to me. "No need to keep secrets." He chuckled. "You have too many as it is." He stopped joking when he saw I wasn't listening to him and was frowning. "Cameron, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, I…I need to sit down." I turned and looked for a corner. I moved the rocking chair and sat in it, bringing my knees to my chest.
"We have a couch."
I shook my head. "Don't let her see me." I put my head down and waited. The waves came faster and faster until I could feel it come hit me like a ton of bricks.
- Brian -
My heart stopped when her head went back and hit the wall with so much force that I'll probably find a crack. Her eyes were only slightly opened, but I could only see the white's because her eyes were rolled back. Her hands stopped holding her knees and gripped the wall and she started shaking. I was about to call the police when I remembered what she said.
"You'll take me to the hospital, like any…guy and then when I wake up, if I wake up, I'd have to kill you."
I didn't know what to do, until I heard Carie's door open and the sound of her running in the living room direction. I ran to stop her.
"What's going on?" She questioned with the tone of a worried mother.
"It's nothing." But at that moment the sound of a thud could be heard from the living room. Cameron was convulsing.
"Brian, get away." She had a surprising force and pushed me away. She ran into the living room and gasped at the sight. She ran over to the phone and I just barely took it from her before she hit the last digit in 911. "What are you doing?"
"She said not to." I looked over at Cameron. She was just laying on the floor now, limp and pail. Her body was slightly shaking.
"What's happening to her?" Carie whispered in a worried tone as she stroked her belly.
"I don't know."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~