The next morning I awoke to Matilda already alert and waiting for me. It brought me back to the reality that everyone was probably still here. Unfortunately, my streak of good luck had ended the night before with a restless sleep. I had woken up twice frightened by what my nightmares had left me with. Of course, the black creatures, mouths wide open, were attacking again, but this time it was not me who was attacked. Athen was their target. My stomach was nauseous at the thought of the few gruesome images that I could remember. I just wanted these thoughts to vanish as quickly as they came. I couldn’t really remember what the sequence was about this time, but the feelings that were left behind were more than enough to make me frightened. The most terrorizing image that I couldn’t shake, was seeing Athen facedown in a pasture of some sort with the evil creatures taunting him, pulling and tearing at him from every direction, while he lay lifeless. Barely able only to allow a guttural sound to escape, I saw him look at me before his eyes closed. I knew what I saw was impossible, had to be. I tried valiantly to shake the images but seeing the blood drip, drop by drop, from the evil creature’s shark-like teeth made me search Athen’s flesh for any sign of entrance wounds, which I didn’t come across. I don’t think he made it, but I forced myself to wake up before I found out the answer, nightmare or not. I certainly couldn’t share anything like this with them either. I had grown accustomed to not sharing my misery with others. This was no different. Hoping that since I still had guests, I would be able to shake the memories of the night before.
Cyril and Arie slept in the guest bedroom. Athen crashed on the couch. That was a hard one to take. Why such a gentleman? I tried not to read too much into it, but needless to say, I was a tad disappointed. I hopped into the shower, letting the hot droplets bring my senses back one at a time - optimism replacing fear.
The thought of Athen in the next room as I was in the shower was almost unbearable. I tried to hurry as fast as I could on the off chance they would take off before I got out. The very idea made me hurry a little more.
Once I got dried off and was as presentable as I could get compared to this family, I smelled the wonderful aroma of coffee drifting down the hall. The thought of getting my caffeine drip going got me down the hall even faster with Matilda right on my heels.
“Hey, sweetie,” Athen whispered, as he swooped me up from around the corner, “I got the coffee going for you.”
“I know! I could smell it in my bedroom. That’s so sweet of you. Where’s Arie and Cyril?” I asked, kind of hoping it might be just us two.
“Oh, they took off to run a few errands.”
My heart started beating a little faster as he spoke those magical words. I was hoping I could keep a handle on things alone with him. He let go of me and handed me a mug full of coffee with a splash of non-fat milk. Exactly how I liked it. Before I knew it, he grabbed Matilda’s leash, which got her completely excited for the day’s adventures.
“You don’t have to do that!”
“Well, come with me then.” He led the way so I followed right behind him with Matilda wagging her stubby little tail and tagging along. I didn’t want to let him out of my sight for the day. I wasn’t ready for that yet. We waited for the elevator, and Matilda paced a little so she must have had something on her mind for sure. When the elevator arrived we stepped in, and the people who were already on the elevator made room for us and Matilda, who, of course, stole the show.
“What’s her name?” The older woman asked.
Athen replied very smoothly, “Tabby.”
I looked at him quickly out of the corner of my eye, baffled beyond all belief why he would have given them the wrong name. I was certain he knew her name was Matilda. It had to have been on purpose.
“What a perfect name for such a perfect little girl,” the woman exclaimed.
“Yeah, she’s a sweetheart.” I gave my two cents hoping Athen would appreciate my feeble efforts in this most confusing of facades.
The elevator opened up sprinkling us out into the lobby, followed by the couple charging out right behind us. They looked as if they were in an awful hurry all of a sudden, when it hit me - the man in the elevator was the same man who was at the pub the night before. How could I have missed it? Something this important, I let slip. I have got to get a handle on myself around Athen. My ability to be observant around him seemed to go out the window. We kept walking toward the side entrance where we could take Matilda for a walk as Athen grabbed my hand. We didn’t say anything the rest of the time in the lobby. That changed the moment we got outside, however. The words came flooding.
“Wow, Athen. I’m so sorry. I didn’t even recognize that guy until we were in the lobby. Is that why you said what you did? I can’t believe I missed that.”
“Yeah, that was him. I guess it will be sooner rather than later to have our chat. I was hoping to hold off a little longer, but by the looks of things, we need to get everyone involved. Since he now knows what floor you’re on.”
“What are you talking about? Are you saying that he is after me for some reason? I don’t have anything he could possibly want. And he is not the guy from my nightmares.” I couldn’t believe it slipped out.
“What do you mean from your nightmares? How long have those been going on? What have they been about?” His voice was full of worry, and I thought it was odd for someone to react to someone else’s nightmares like this.
“Uh, well, I have been having them almost nightly for several months. Before that they were far more sporadic. Truthfully, once you guys showed up they seem to have subsided a bit - until last night. It’s nothing at all. I don’t know why I said anything.”
“Have you recognized people from them?” he asked blankly.
“Well, yeah, actually… The guy from the lounge and then the next morning at the crepe place when he appeared again. He has appeared a few times. It hasn’t been pleasant with any of his appearances.”
“Have you recognized anyone else?”
I detected a hint of hopefulness, but for what in particular, I wasn’t certain.
“No, not that I can remember.” Hoping my ability to lie had gotten better than normal.
“Oh, ok.” His voice was full of disappointment. There was a quiet pause.
“Well, I don’t know how to bring this up, but the authorities found the gear from all six hikers, including their clothes. It doesn’t look good, whatever it was.”
“Are you telling me those people on the elevator are involved?” I was getting nauseous and lightheaded again. I had no idea what he was getting at. Why it would involve me or the hikers in the same thought didn’t make sense. The image of the female hiker suddenly appeared. I squashed it instantly to avoid the slippery slope of insanity.
Matilda continued walking on to her favorite patch of grass that was now covered by snow, but I was so entranced with what Athen was talking about I wasn’t even sure how I got to where Matilda was sniffing around.
“This is pretty big isn’t it, Athen? Is this why you are here, because of him?” I was almost worried to hear the answer. What if Athen wasn’t interested in me, but was only here to protect me for some odd reason. Not that I could think of any reason why anyone would want anything to do with me. I shuddered at the thought of having all of these feelings being introduced only to have them ripped away making me more ill by the second.
Athen held me close to his chest. His fingers pushed aside some the strands of hair that were stuck to my face from the mist in the air. He sensed my disappointment, and with that alone, a glimpse of hope began to emerge that maybe he was here for me too. I looked up at him as he began speaking in the softest voice that had ever left his lips.
“Ana, I’m here because I love you. I have been in love with you for a very long time. There is much you wouldn’t understand and would only make me sound crazy. We’ll work hard to get you up to speed because it is far too dangerous to keep you in t
he dark. You are going to have to fill us in on these nightmares too.” His eyes were searching me for something.
“I honestly don’t understand.”
“Yeah, I know. I don’t expect you to, which is why we have to start the process sooner rather than later. I had no idea you were having dreams. This isn’t exactly going as we had planned. Promise me one thing. You’ll try to keep a watchful eye and not go out alone at night, especially.”
“You are worrying me.”
“Things are beginning to unravel in this perfect little village of yours, and I want you to understand the big picture so you can protect yourself. We just can’t explain everything right now. You are going to have to give in a little, learn to trust.”
“How do you know what happened to the hikers, Athen? What are you getting at? I haven’t seen anything in the papers. You are really scaring me.”
“I don’t mean to, Ana. This has been coming for a long time. I don’t want anything to come between us again. I promise it will all make sense soon. You’ll have to trust me a little bit, and by the way, it’s in this morning’s paper.”
“Oh my word… Those poor people. I wonder what happened?”
“You might actually hold the key to that one, sweetie.”
I looked up at him, knowing instantly that I trusted him beyond anything or anyone in this world. I even wondered if somehow he saw some of the gruesome images that had flashed through me of one of the missing female hikers. I had no idea how he could but was certain he did. I was so lost in their world. I didn’t think that I could even begin to figure out what he was talking about, what world he belonged in or possibly what world I belonged in. I had to let it go until the time was right. I had to trust him.
He looked at me with such intensity. The feeling of electricity was running between our two bodies allowing me to dismiss the images that much easier and begin to trust him. Matilda finished up her business and began to get antsy so we took her cue and headed back up to my condo.
As we waited for the elevator, it seemed like an eternity was going by. I couldn’t wait to get into my condo with the security of all four walls and my own personal space. I had no idea what was going on, but for the first time, I realized that I could be in danger. I wasn’t sure if it was because of the new arrivals, or if they were actually here to help me. I hoped I would find my answers soon.
I heard Athen’s sigh from the guest room, and it made my heart fall a little bit, and then his words met me down the hallway, “So this morning hasn’t gone exactly as planned.”
“Really? There was a plan?” I asked, a little more relaxed than when I was outside minutes earlier, thinking the world was out to get me.
“Well, for starters, I was going to make you breakfast. Then I thought we could chill like a normal couple. Take it slow, maybe watch a movie, or talk about plans for the weekend. I don’t know. I wasn’t expecting this. I can’t shake that you have been having nightmares haunting you.” Athen’s voice had a hint of worry to it still, which began to make me feel uncomfortable yet again.
“I still don’t know what this is, and I’m trusting you to fill me in, so why don’t we go with your first plan and try to start the morning over?” I walked over to him. His eyes were full of worry and very distracted. I didn’t have the strength to go over my nightmares on a generic level and certainly not a blow by blow. I attempted to switch gears as best I could.
I noticed that he had already changed the sheets from his sister’s stay the night before. “Wow, you didn’t have to do that. You never cease to amaze me,” I said laughing, and before I knew it he had latched onto me and taken me down to the bed with him. My heart began fluttering as I was filled with excitement for what the morning might have in store for me after all.
Athen’s firm hands were gently running up my arm as he brought his lips close to mine. I put everything out of my mind, focusing only on Athen’s gentle touch and his soft lips as they met mine. Nothing mattered except to be here in Athen’s arms. All I wanted was to experience him as close to me as possible. I looked deep into his normally calm, green eyes, seeing a ravaging brilliance look back at me as he was taking me in.
He began gently kissing my neck, yet all I could feel was the heaviness of the moment. Thoughts began flooding my mind. I hoped beyond anything that this was the real thing - that Athen was meant to be mine and that we would live together forever. His breath slipped over my cheek as I began kissing him as intensely as humanly possible. His eyes were filled with desire to rival mine – the worry gone. I certainly did not want to disappoint. The feelings that were building inside me seemed to lead the way in this unchartered territory. I was enjoying every minute of it. I never wanted his lips to leave mine. I was devouring every inch of him but still wasn’t getting enough. I began unbuttoning his shirt as his hand gently maneuvered me away from the buttons. I tried again, which made him roll over me and place my hands over my head.
“Not now, not yet,” he whispered, as he continued to gently sting me with the nettle feeling from his lips.
“Why not?” I whined. I couldn’t believe I was so at his mercy.
“You’ll see, soon. Be in the moment, enjoy now,” he began kissing me again, and I didn’t think I could handle anymore. Then the phone rang.
“See, timing is everything,” he said laughing.
I rolled over and saw the caller id, which read AAC.
“AAC. I don’t know who or what that is.”
“Oh!” Athen exclaimed, and jumped up, “Go ahead and pick up. It’s our home number. We don’t really use it much.”
I grabbed the phone before it started its last ring before voicemail.
“Hello?” I tried to catch my breath as I answered.
“Hey, Ana, I’m so sorry to bother you. I tried your cell and Athen’s first, but didn’t get any answer. Is Athen still there?” Arie’s voice had a sense of urgency. I knew, once again, it must have to do with the strangers who seemed to be lurking and possibly tied to my nightmares, tied to me.
“Sure, he’s right here.” I handed him the phone and begrudgingly rolled off the bed to go visit Matilda. This was starting to get very wearing, especially not knowing what the heck was going on around me or possibly about me. I knew by staying in the bedroom and listening I wouldn’t be able to decipher what was going on anyhow. Athen and Arie were far too cryptic in their messages when they didn’t want to give anything away. Somehow, they still managed to communicate the necessities to each other. I hoped I got to that point sometime soon.
After giving Matilda the well-deserved scratching, I began tidying up the coffee table and hoped that Athen would return off the phone soon. Like clockwork, he appeared within seconds. He seemed pretty relaxed, especially compared to earlier this morning.
“So, I have a little surprise planned for you. Arie was confirming the details for me. She figured I might be a little too busy to finish up the details this morning.” His laugh echoing through the air.
“Pretty perceptive of her. Did you fill her in on the mystery man this morning as well?” I asked innocently, hoping I could latch onto something more than the boogeyman.
“Yeah, I mentioned it,” he replied coolly.
“And?” I began to get a little impatient.
“Well, not much. It’s already been taken care of,” he said, trying not to make any waves.
“Earlier you were rattling off how I would be told what was going on. Now, it’s like none of that ever happened.” I could feel my temper begin to rise, and I didn’t care. I wanted answers.
“Fair enough.” Athen sat down on the couch, and I followed his lead.
“Tell me what you think is going on,” he asked flatly.
“I honestly don’t know. Maybe you guys are into something bad, and I’m an innocent bystander, or maybe somebody is after me, and you work for the government, and this is all a ruse. I hone
stly don’t know. Maybe, I’ve read too many spy novels. I know I had a very boring existence before I met you, not that I would trade for it back, but I’m less in control than I ever felt in my life, and I don’t enjoy being in the dark.”
“Alright, what I’ll tell you is not going to make much sense, but this is the first piece, and the other pieces will come out in time. But for now you are, in part, correct. There is someone after you. No, we don’t work for the government or anyone for that matter. We kind of belong to this subset of society. Because of that, there are certain situations that come to us that don’t usually involve most people.”
“Are you criminals? Is that the subset? Is that why you don’t work?” I asked, my heart pounding fast, knowing deep in my heart that these people could do no wrong.
“No, you can rest assured, it’s nothing mundane like that,” Athen said laughing a little, trying to lighten the mood. He began to get that overly confident, almost cocky air about him. In all honesty, that was one of the qualities that seemed too hard for me to resist, and it was starting again.
“Well, I’m at a loss, and you aren’t explaining it very well,” I told him, once again beginning to get a little impatient.
“I know. It is going to take showing you more so than telling you. We have gifts that aren’t typical. It tends to bring a little more baggage. You do too, believe it or not.” He grabbed my hand, and I pulled away from him for the first time ever. I didn’t like where this was going. Either I was crazy for believing this, or he was crazy for telling me this. Either way, it wasn’t a good outcome.
“The dreams, for instance... “ He paused, “Listen, Ana, imagine if there was a possibility that life as you know it was only one part of the world. That there was more than the human world, maybe more of a good and evil underlying that was directing life from behind the scenes. God, I’m not making sense!”
Athen was truly upset. The angst was building in him over how bizarre he was sounding, which made me realize how hard this was for him. In my heart, I knew whatever I was going to find out was something big. The feelings that would come over me by merely being in his presence seemed very abnormal. I was sure of that but accepting that didn’t mean I could pin my reaction on anything tangible though. Rather than making this more difficult on both of us, I decided to end the discussion for the moment. Much to my amazement, I was pretty sure that I could only handle little snippets at this point.
“Ok, I’ll wait to be shown as you put it. Until then, please assure me that this is the real thing.” I closed my eyes, inhaling and feeling his lips on mine. This time I could feel myself falling into the possibility of a world that I had never imagined. I was okay with the unknown as long as it involved Athen and his family. He loosened his embrace. I opened my eyes to see him looking back at me, eyes glistening with dampness.
“About that surprise?” I asked, trying to break the seriousness of the moment.
“Have you ever ziplined before?” Athen laughed.
“Oh God,” I sighed, “I do hope I live to hear about everything with all the surprises you seem to have set up for me.”
“Well, it isn’t for a few days out, so you should have plenty of time to get your nerve up. Think of it as learning something about us with a set of training wheels.” His eyes twinkled mischievously, which made me wish the phone hadn’t interrupted us earlier.
CHAPTER 8