Blue on Blue

Chapter Thirteen

Eli climbs the steps, past the marigolds and mums, dried and shriveled in their pots. Their brilliant oranges and reds have faded to a dusty brown. Briggs is waiting at the door, jumping up and down, his tail wagging ferociously underneath his scruffy fur. "Hey boy. It's good to see you too." 

Briggs lets out a yip, his round brown eyes fixed on Eli's face, expectant. He looks up at his leash hanging from the coat rack and yips again. 

"You have to go out, boy?" 

Briggs's entire body shakes from head to tail, an explosion of wags and jumps. 

"Okay. Okay. I get it." Eli laughs, pulling the leash from its hook and latching it to Briggs's collar. He follows Briggs out the door, to the patch of grass at the side of the house where the scruffy dog does his business. 

White puffs of air escape Eli's lips. The temperature must've dropped another ten degrees since  the football game ended. He blows warm air into his fist and shifts back and forth on his feet.  

The floral scent of Maggie's shampoo is still on his fingers. The taste of her watermelon bubble gum is still on his lips. As much as he wanted to stay, holding her close against him, they had to return to the stadium. If they were out of sight for too long, Connie and Cay would be on the look out, wondering where they both had gone. 

Over the sea, dark clouds roll in from the north. Cloud lightning flashes in the distance above the lighthouse catching Eli's eye. His jaw tenses. "They're at it again," he whispers. 

Fire swords swing against the hollow wail of talons and wings. Horned beasts circle the lighthouse and land along the catwalk railing. The largest beast of the group lands on top of the tower, his crown of horns prominent. His yellow eyes glow in the night. Dread. 

Eli exhales a sigh of relief. "If he's here, he isn't hunting Maggie." 

A lamp clicks on in the lower level of the lighthouse, filling a porthole window with dim light. Eli has seen the dim light's glow before, late at night when all else on the property is quiet. It is always Dr. Banes who eventually emerges at the lighthouse door, sometimes not until sunrise.

Last week, when Eli was taking Briggs for an early morning walk, he crossed Dr. Banes's path as he was pacing along his usual route from the lighthouse. When Eli asked him what he was doing all night, Dr. Banes walked past and said nothing, as if Eli was a ghost. Later that day, when Eli asked Cay why her father spent so much time in the lighthouse room, she just shrugged and said, "Working. What else would he be doing in his home office?" Working on what? Eli thought. 

The next day, before Cay and Dr. Banes got home from their daily routines, Eli walked over to the lighthouse to see for himself. He peered through the porthole windows. The glass was cloudy with years of exposure to sunlight and sea air. It was impossible to see anything more than blurred colors and shapes. He made his way inside, underneath a brick archway to a steel door lined with pegs. He turned the door knob. Nothing. He pushed against the steel. Impossible. Whatever is behind that door is under lock and key. Secured. A Secret. 

Eli tugs on Briggs's leash and paces toward the lighthouse. "Come on, boy. Let's go see what's behind that steel door." 

The cold wind bites at Eli's nose. His skin turns plump and red. Just a few more steps and he'll be there. The icy doorknob stings his hand. He pushes into the entry way. 

Briggs sniffs the air and stiffens. He lets out a whimper. "What is it, boy?" 

Eli peers up the spiral staircase. Yellow eyes peer back at him in the night. Dread.