Jinn & Curses

Chapter 14- Ugly Truth: Part One

This chapter has also been moved forward. After this, it should be plain sailing. I've also split this longggggggggg chapter into two parts to stomach it better. Enjoy! 

Chapter 14-Ugly Truth

Sami cringed when she saw me the next day at college. The bruise on my forehead was coming out nicely and Alex was right, I did need stitches. Three of them. Luckily the cut was mainly in the hairline but the bruising was very noticeable. I pasted a smile on my face in response to all the curious gazes fixed on my head, praying it would become old news very quickly.

Zak picked Sami up after. The muscles around his eyes tensed and his lips went into a tight line when he saw me. He said he was ‘surprised to see me at school in my condition’. I made a half-hearted response.

When they saw the damage to my hood they demanded to know what had happened. I mumbled in short, choppy sentences that I'd nearly hit a buck and then after saying a hurried goodbye I hustled to my car. I knew Zak was watching me, no doubt with a puzzled look on his face. I just wanted to forget it ever happened and get my life back to normal.

*

I called my brother Logan several times, just needing to hear his voice. I didn't know if he knew my falling over excuse was a lie but he never said otherwise. I hated lying to my brother.

On the 28th of February, his birthday, I called him again. I missed him so much and was so angry with myself that I wasn’t able to be there to celebrate it with him. It was a Monday but he was at home. He thanked me for the gift –an iPod paid with money I’d kept aside from a summer waitress job, the year before- and the card; handmade of course. I couldn’t draw for peanuts but I’d always been good at crafts, especially card making. I had a steady hand with the scissors.

“So, how you feeling?” he asked after we were done with the birthday talk. I knew where this was headed.

“I can’t explain what happened. I don’t want you to think I’m crazy.” I was shocked I’d just blurted it out like that.

“I won’t ever think you’re crazy.” His voice was low, completely sincere. “You know that.” I did. He trusted me, heart and soul and I, him.

I took a minute, choosing my words carefully. “I didn’t fall. Something…attacked me.”

I heard him breathe in sharply. “Shit, what like an animal or something?”

“No… something…else.” A demon. A monster. A hallucination?

“Care to elaborate?”

“I can’t. I’m not really sure what it was.” That was true in some ways. I didn't know much about it, but I had an idea.

“Why didn’t you tell mom?”

I laughed without humor. “Come on, Lo. You know how she’d have reacted. Seriously, it wasn’t a big deal. I’m fine and that’s all that matters.”

“Hmmm.” He knew I wasn't fine. Sometimes I wished he didn’t know me so well. He was training to be a cop, he had to tell when someone was lying or, in my case, not being completely honest. “Just promise me you’ll talk to me. Don’t lock it up. It won't do you no good.”

“I promise. I miss you.”

“You too.”

“Come here soon, okay?”