Page 86 of Secrets That Bind Us
Savannah preferred the colder weather. It reminded her of home. She didn’t much like Texas. Her only saving grace lately felt like a boy by the name of River Hicks, to whom she found ridiculous most of the time. Although, he did seem to have redeeming qualities. Such as: he never let others be mean to her, and he was quiet while in the library. He also seemed to pick up the same authors she did.
She took pictures of the tendrils of mist hovering at her feet, like wisps of souls lapping at her ankles. She understood her way of thinking could be considered gloomy– which is why she didn’t like to talk much. She liked towatch. Toobserve. Tolistento the world around her. She did not mind being underestimated, nor considered what some would call a ‘freak.’ While the word was cold and cruel, she was fine with it. Besides, nothing really ever intimidated her.
Except sometimes the way River watched her.
Savannah also never minded dark and cold spaces. But lately, they seemed to be darker,colder. Shadows now seemed to shift in her periphery. Dancing. Forming. Which is why, the second she entered the barn, with her expensive camera slung over her shoulder, now resting on her hip, she immediately shut her eyes, as little puffs of fog escaped her parted lips.
Ever so slowly, Savannah let her lashes flutter as she stared at the large, black, horned mass before her. Dark, brown eyes stared back. But it only stared. It did not move. And yet, it felt as though it wasbeckoningher.
Totouchthe goat.
“Here…”It said. “Come closer…”
Hands at her sides, Savannah took one step back, eyes on the enormous black goat that seemed to take all of the air in the barn. And then another.
“Here…”It said.
She shivered.
Little wisps of souls lapped at her feet, dancing…
Dancing…
Dancing…
“Come closer…”
She did not. In her fear, Savannah ran the quarter mile back to the house, straight into her father’s arms.
And felt safe.
“Hey, sunshine, hey, it’s okay. What happened? Are you okay?” Her father asks, rubbing his hands down her back, pulling away when he feels her shivering to look over at her mother.
Yet that grumbly voice still rang in her ears. Black, horizontally elongated, rectangular pupils burned into the back of her retinas. She shivered uncontrollably, as though that entity had stolen her warmth.
Losing my mind. I’m losing my mind,she thought, more fearful of that than anything.
But suddenly, It whispered back. “No… you’re not.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Noah
Present Day
Noah’s hair stood on end, but made sure to keep his head down, looking anywhere but at the man he knew as his father, who was now seated beside him while he built a new obstacle course for his Hot Wheels. His mother had let him choose the new police cruisers, no bigger than the palm of his hand. His plan was to see who was faster– the regular car, or the police one. Sarah thought it was a good idea.
Shehad no problem staring at the man beside him with daggers in her light gray eyes.
“I don’t think you’re supposed to be here.” Noah whispered into the room.
“No?”
Noah shook his head, not daring to look at Micah’s face again. It wasn’t like Sarah’s, that could shape and shift into her younger and older self. Micah’s face stayed the same all the time. And he made the room colder. So cold that Noah shivered as he looked down at the building blocks on his favorite rug that had a whole city on it.
“Why not?” His dead father rasped.
Fear licked at Noah, fear so palpable it made his body lock up. “I think you should really go this time.”
