Good Luck Charm

Chapter III

      The book I snatched from the old house was full of useless pictures. Pictures of Joseph and his family, a collection of portraits. Nothing in it was helpful. I threw the book onto my bed. A small picture fell out and landed on the floor. On the front was a woman wearing a long dress standing next to the church, and of course, around her neck was the charm that everyone seemed to be connected to. On the backside it read: Georgiana Withers, November 26, 1900. It was taken the day before her son had passed two years earlier. 

        Nothing could be more baffling. There were no more clues that I could find and there were no answers to the ones that I had. I tried to forget about the situation that consumed my mind all day, everyday, and let my mind wonder. Of course, it didn't wander too far. I could see Devon's face appear on a black canvas. The picture started to shift. His face went black and all that was visible was those horrifying bright yellow eyes, then everything was gone.

   Somehow I was in the hallway. An eery fog lingered around my ankles disabling me from seeing my own feet. The moonlight came through the balcony door at the end of the hall. I walked towards it. The creaking of the floor behind made me turn. A dark silhouette was creeping toward me. I started to run but the hallway kept going forever. The door disappeared into the darkness and nothing more was visible at the end. The figure kept coming and my feet kept moving until the fog consumed me. The only sound around me was my own heart, feeling as if it was about to pound a hole right through my chest.

  The fog dissipated and I was alone again. A mirror appeared in front of me and what I saw was most disturbing. It was my eyes that glowed the lurid yellow, the silhouette standing behind me.

    Screaming I jumped right out of my bed. Clamping my hand over my mouth to stifle the sound, realization hit me. It was just a dream. My clothes and sheets were drenched in sweat.

 When I could breathe again I stripped my bed and put the sheets in the wash. Now my turn to wash, I let the cold water of the shower soothe me.

    With a towel wrapped around me I walked down the hall to my room. Even though it was a dream I still somehow felt a slight pang of fear. I kept checking over my shoulder as if someone would appear. A creak in the floor made me jump. I turned around to find no one but my shadow following me. Turning back around I bumped into someone. I screamed as loud as I have ever screamed before, not even having time see who or what was in front of me.

   "Aurora! Aurora, it's me. It's Devon!"  He gripped my shoulders and shook me slightly. Instead of relaxing me Devon just made it worse. Tears streamed steadily down my cheeks and I collapsed against the wall.

   "What is wrong Aurora?" Devon asked in a worried voice. I couldn't answer even if I wanted to. My sobs drowned out his voice. All I was capable of doing was lean into him and soak his shirt with my tears. He held me in silence and let me get it all out. My energy was drained. Devon carried me back to my room and layed me on the bed. He sat beside me and waited for me to speak. After a while I did.

     "I'm sorry," I started. "It's just been a long night and..." Devon interrupted me.

"You don't have to explain yourself. It's alright."He rested his head on the pillow next to me. We stared into each others eyes for what seemed like an eternity. I couldn't help myself but lean into him and place my lips against his. He kissed me back slowly at first. The moment intensified and he moved his lips with mine in unison. Nothing felt more meant to be. 

     Our mouths separated and we lay there in silence trying to catch our breath, then I remembered I was still in a towel. I jumped up from the bed and pulled the towel tighter. "I should probably get dressed."

  Devon looked me up and down before he spoke. "It's perfectly fine with me if you don't." I laughed and went to my closet. I let the towel drop not caring if he saw, which was the idea. I could almost hear his jaw drop with a quick intake of air. I smiled, satisfied with his reaction. I dressed in a strapless dress and did a little turn to get Devon's opinion. "Beautiful. As always." 

  "Why thank you." He took my hand and we joined Aunt Mara in the kitchen. 

She looked down at our affixed hands. "I didn't realize you two were dating," she said with a smile.

"Umm.." I was at a loss of words.

   "Yeah. It's like that now," Devon spoke in my absence of voice. I glanced over at him and smiled at our status. It turns out that I liked him more than I thought ever possible. A few weeks ago all I wanted to do was stay away from him. Now all I wanted to do was be with him.

     We spent almost every waking day together. Going out to eat, walking on the beach, swimming at the beach, lying on the beach. There was nothing we didn't do at the beach. All of my fears in the past of Devon withered away. In fact, I haven't even seen, or dreamt for that matter, anything scary since that dream in the hallway. Everything was perfect.

   Summer was almost over and school is starting soon. I'm taking classes at the Delgado Community College. i asked Devon to join me in the classes but he refused. "I did my time of required school I'm not going on my own time," was his reply.

   "Do you know what you want to major in yet?" he asked on one of our days at the beach.

"Definitely not anything with food or business." I guess my expression must have given away my thoughts.

   "I'm guessing that's what your parents did?"

"Yeah. I just wonder sometimes what it would have been like if I was closer to them, how different my life would be right now. If we were close like a family should be," my voice got caught in my throat. I took a deep breath and continued. "Maybe I would have been in that car with them. Maybe they wouldn't have tried to escape from their reality every chance they got. I would be dead just as they are."

  Devon grasped me in his arms tightly. I leaned into him and let a few tears escape.

    "Aurora," Devon started in an odd tone, "There are some things I think we should talk about."