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I stare dumbly at the space Dana was occupying. Still sitting on my ass. Confused as fuck.
What in the actual fuck is wrong with me? I am a selfish fucking moron. She should have hit me again.
She left this planet to get away from the pain I caused. How many people can say they were hurt so bad they left this planet, the world? This universe.
There's a joke in there somewhere.
I jump up and start throwing my things into my bag. I clean the dishes quickly and dry them. I put them away in a flurry. I fold up all the blankets and straighten up the meager furniture in here. I make my way outside and throw my bag in the cab of my truck and start the engine to warm it up. I gather up the jacket, scarf and beanie I threw to the floor and hang them up on the hooks behind the door. I sweep the floor, opening the door and sweeping the dirt right back outside. I place the broom back in the tiny closet behind the door. I pull the curtains and lock the windows. I hurry back to my truck after I lock the door.
It’s snowing but it's not sticking and it’s just drifting down. I slowly make my way down the mountain, making sure I get to Dana’s house in one piece. The urgency to get to her though is overwhelming. I can’t die now though, because I have an awful lot of groveling to do.
I spent the last week in this hunting cabin. Doing nothing but being pathetic and hating myself. Half of me wanted to run back to Dana and the other half was mad and jealous that I was not the only one.
I make it down the mountain without getting stuck in the mud holes or falling off into the ravine. This was not my brightest idea to come down at night but I need to get to her. I don’t know how I’m getting to her but I have to try. I have to be ready. I need to talk to my parents. I need to pack my clothes and whatever else I may need. I take the side roads to the highway. The snow has dried up this far down the mountain but the roads are splotched with wet spots from rain earlier. It’s not cold enough for ice though. When I make it to the highway I feel a bit of stress leave my body. I grip my wheel, a plan coming to mind.
It’s late when I make it to my dirt road. I pull up to the front of my parents house. I see their bedroom light turn on as I turn off the engine and step out of the truck. I walk up to the porch and my mother is waiting for me already at the door. I walk up to her and give her a hug.
“What’s wrong baby?”
“We need to talk, mama.” I step away from my mom and see my father standing behind her.
“Hey son. Come in, get warm. Do you want something to drink? Are you okay?” I shake my head and step inside after mama. We head into our living room and sit around in the chairs and couches.
“There’s a lot I need to tell you guys. I can tell you right now I am not crazy. Please do not put me in a nuthouse.” Mama gets a real concerned look to her face and Dad is just as confused.
“Shit–”
“Noah turner!” My mom scolds me.
“Sorry Mama. I just don't know how to start this whole insane story.” I look at both of them and my father nods his head with raised brows as if to say ‘hurry up, it’s too early’. “Dana is not human, her mother and father aren't either…obviously.” I shake my head at myself. “I did something terrible and she left…” I wince at the words. “To another world.”
“What did you do Noah–”
“Charlotte let the boy talk.” I look between my parents and they haven't even batted an eye yet.
“I made a mistake that I need to atone for. She is my soulmate and I left her. I left her with men she didn’t know. They claimed to be her mates. Well, Kreed says tether and Aavin says soul bond. I was jealous and hurt because–” I stare at my parents some more, other than my mother looking like she may strangle me with no qualms, there's no other emotion. “Why aren’t you guys laughing me back to my house or calling a psych ward?” I look between them at a rapid pace.
“You know my granddad and my grandma always had wild stories.” My dad starts, “They always said this town was haunted but it wasn’t just ghosts that passed through or stayed, shadows as he called them did too. He said he had seen these shadow men, his dad before him said the same.” My dad trails off. “Son, this farm has been here before this town was even a town. This was the second farm here. The first one is no longer around, went under years and years ago. This family has a history of housing the shadow men and women. The journals your pappy left are chalk full of stories about who was housed and when.” I shake my head in disbelief. They are yankin my leg. They have to be.
“If that’s true how come you have never told me about this? Or showed me this journal?”
Dad leaves the room and I’m left with Mama.
“Baby, we didn’t lie to you. They just haven't been around in decades. We figured they were never coming back. There was nothing to tell.” She sighs. “Maybe we should have told you just for the fun of it.” She throws her hands up and then slaps them down into her lap. “The journals are quite convincing honestly. I thought your father was trying to pull a fast one on me. You know how gullible I am. My name is right there in the dictionary next to ‘Gullible’.” She smiles at her joke, “Not a whole lot surprises us after many years of seeing ufos out there. You have even seen things that are not explainable. Reading that journal, I believe a lot more than you would think. I also like to think we aren't the only ones in the universe. If we were, that would be depressin’. It’s too lonely. Now, tell me what is going to happen. Tell me how you plan to grovel at Dana’s feet because I tell you son if she is hurt because of your stupidity I will bring hell down on your head.”
I nod, understanding. I will bring hell down on my own head.
“I have to go to her house and go through the books we found in her basement. Try to find how to get to her or maybe she will show up again like tonight.”
“What?” My dad asks, walking back into the room.
“How? If she’s not here?” My mom asks at the same time.
“I think her abilities are changing.”
“What do you mean? How?” Concern coats their faces. They have always been accepting of her ability. Never wary and they always ask her about it or let her vent her frustrations about it. My mother and Dana have a game of trying to figure out who some of the ghosts used to be. They have had many nights staying up late coming up with stories about the dead. I think it was my mothers way of soothing Dana, showing her that they are indeed just ghosts. Though, lately, I am not so sure.
“I was at the hunting cabin, the one out in the middle of literal nowhere,” I look up to my dad and he nods. That’s his thinking spot as well, “and she was just standing there in the cabin in a long shirt when I walked back in from getting wood. She looked like she just crawled out of bed and looked just as confused as I’m sure I did. Dana said she went to bed and then she was standing there in the cabin, not knowing how she got there. She was there for only a short time but she greeted me with a mean right hook. Two of them actually.” I run my fingers over my eye feeling the tenderness.
