I jerk away from the guy’s arms and lower my feet to the ground. “Oh my God,” I stutter with my eyes locked on the monster.
His brows knit. “What’s wrong?”
Before I can respond, the monster unhitches its jaw and opens its mouth. My scream echoes through the room as its ice-cold breath suffocates both of us and we fall to the floor—
The lyrics of “Closer” by Nine Inch Nails fill my head. I rub my eyes and blink the tiredness away as I hit the off button on the alarm. The cold and the heat still linger in my body, just like they do every damn morning because I can’t shake that dream. I wrap my blanket around myself with the prickle gnawing at the back of my neck, pumping fear through my body that I can’t shake. My emotions are still so new and I have a hard time controlling them; especially, when my dreams get me so riled up. I have no idea how to cope.
Ever since the crying incident a few of months ago, my life has altered in more ways than one. Everyday there’s a new experience, whether it’s as simple as finding something amusing or crying for hours over the loss of my childhood and adolescence—the regret of endless lonely days.
It is early in the morning and the pink afterglow of the sunrise paints the mountains. I climb out of bed, get dressed in a pair of black jeans and a red tee, and fasten my long brown hair into a ponytail. I take a good look in the mirror at my violet eyes, pale skin, and long legs. Whenever I look at my reflection, I can spot something hidden in my eyes; like a secret, but it could just be the alarming shade of violet just throwing me off.
After I lace up my black boots, I grab my keys and head for the front door. I have to pick up a few things from my grandparent’s house. I moved in with them when I was one, after my parents died in a car accident. After I graduated, I moved out without saying a word. I’m not even sure why I did it, only that at the time it seemed like it was something I was supposed to do.
I’ve barely spoke to them over the last few years, but yesterday they called me up threatening to throw some of my things away, so I figure I’ll head over and get them before my classes start. Besides, the sooner I get it done, the sooner I’ll never have to talk to my grandparents again, which will make us all happy.
***
It’s ridiculously cold in Laramie. The roads are frozen with salt sprinkled across them and icicles hang from the trees. There are snowmen decorating the yards, ice glazing the rain gutters and branches, and the roofs of the houses are piled with snow.
When I arrive at my grandparents’ two-story, redbrick house my insides wind into knots as every memory attached to the place surfaces. My grandparents are the coldest people I know and have always been dead-set on ignoring me as much as possible. It didn’t really bother me when I was younger, since I couldn’t experience things like pain and anguish, but now, I fucking despise them. It’s an overpowering feeling, which is why I hate coming here. The feeling owns me, makes me say things I normally wouldn’t, and turns me into a different person—a bitter person.
I climb out of the car, zipping my coat up as I walk toward the side door. Right as I reach the bottom of the porch, the door swings open and a guy steps out. He is tall, solidly built and has his hood pulled over his head with the front of his jacket zipped up to his chin. He also wears sunglasses, so he’s nearly covered up. At first, I think robber, but he seems too serene and confident. He stares at me for a moment with his feet planted on the top step. He seems stunned that I’m here—at my own house─ when it should be the other way around.
“Hi,” I say with a small wave as I step up onto the bottom stair. “Can I help you?”
He shakes his head, and with one swift spring of his toes, he grabs onto the railing and launches himself over it. He lands gracefully on the ice and then hikes down the driveway, kicking up snow from the ground.
I scratch at the back of my neck as the prickle starts to manifest, but it wilts before an emotion can develop. I glance at my hands as a tingling sensation fizzles across my skin and then my gaze lifts back to the guy who is rounding the fence line. As he nears the end of the yard he turns his head and looks at me. A magnetic current courses through me and I almost run to him. As soon as the feeling hits me, he looks away and vanishes around the corner. The sensation dissolves and I’m left both confused and kind of empty.
Shaking my head, I tug open the door and step into the kitchen. Sophia, my grandmother, is standing over the stove tending to the hissing pans as the smell of bacon fills the air. My grandfather, Marco, is reading a newspaper at the table. They both seem uncomfortable, fidgety, but that’s nothing new. They’ve been that way for as long as I can remember.
Marco peers over the newspaper at me and his black, oval glasses slide down the brim of his slightly crooked nose. He is a reserved man who likes to avoid confrontation at all cost. “Good morning, Gemma,” he mumbles with a subtle nod.
It’s the same conversation we’ve had since I was eight: a polite hello and an eager good-bye; as if we were nothing more than acquaintances. It takes a lot, but I manage to strain a smile. “Good morning, Marco.” I point over my shoulder. “Who was that person that just walked out of here?”
“No one,” Sophia replies and at the same time Marco responds, “The paper boy.”
I skim back and forth between them as I question their honesty. “The paper boy? Wasn’t he about my age?”
“Your stuff’s boxed up in the room upstairs,” Sophia says, ignoring me. The bacon sizzles as she taps her high heels on the tile floor. She is wearing a floral dress with a white apron tied over it and her auburn hair is twisted in a bun. She is a very proper person; always neatly dressed and the house is always clean.
“Okay.” Shaking my head, I walk across the kitchen toward the doorway. “I guess I’ll go get it and be out of your hair then.”