Shine: The Knowing Ones (3 page)

“There’s nothing we can do,” Sam said. “No one can help me with this. That’s why we can’t go to the hospital, and you can’t tell my parents. No one can know about this.”

“Sam, are you serious?” Anna asked. “We have to do
something.
What if that...guy
was
real and he comes back?”

“What am I supposed to do, Anna?” Sam asked. “Call the local witch doctor? No one listens. No one listened when I was a kid and no one is going to listen now.” She dropped her head back into her hands.

Anna sat quiet for a moment. “I’m calling Vig,” she said.

Sam lifted her head, staring through the glass. “What’s Vig gonna do?”

“I don’t know, but at least we won’t be alone.”

“Okay, so we’re all just gonna pile in my bed together?”

Anna glanced up, eyes dark. “Do
not
say that in front of him—
please.”

Sam couldn’t help but crack a smile as Anna dialed the number. She put her phone to her ear and grabbed Sam’s hand. “We’ll figure this out,” she said. “There’s gotta be something we can do.”

He rolled the thick gold chain between his thumb and forefinger...back and forth...back and forth. Something had happened—the environment was thick with it.

Fluorescent blue light filled his eyes—flooding his irises beneath thick dark lashes. A glimmer of crimson light glinted from underneath a small gold plate connecting the chain on his wrist, illuminating the skin where it hung.

A large figure manifested behind him, placing a hand on his broad shoulder. His masculine jaw tightened as he continued rolling the links, back and forth...back and forth. He stood, his muscled arms pushing the chair away and together they headed for the door.

CHAPTER THREE

A
nna pulled into the dorm parking lot taking a spot next to a young man straddling a parked motorcycle. His soft brown hair hung shaggy in his eyes, muscular shoulders hunched forward as his thumbs moved across the screen of his cell phone.

Anna killed the engine and climbed out. She rounded the car to help Sam as she opened her door.

“I’m fine,” Sam said. “Really, I am.” She stood up and shut the door.

The young man continued texting as Anna placed a hand on his broad back, leaned in and kissed his cheek. “Hey,” she said.

He hit send and lifted his head. “Hey.” His gentle brown eyes lit with a smile as he reached a hand to the back of her neck and pulled her in for a kiss.

“Thanks for coming,” she said.

He narrowed his eyes, slipping his phone into his back pocket. “Of course,” he said. “What loser says ‘no’ to a three-way?”

“Viggo Heskin!” Anna said, shoving him in the shoulder.

“What?” He raised his hands, looking baffled. Anna started for the front door while Sam leaned in for a hug. “Really, thank you,” she said.

He wrapped a muscled arm around her tiny frame and kissed the top of her head. “No problem. I know you’ve waited a long time for her to give in.”

“You idiot,” Sam laughed, shoving him aside. “Get inside.”

A large grin spread across his masculine face as he lifted his leg over the bike, dropped the kick stand and followed Sam down the walkway.

Vig entered the dorm and closed the door behind him. Anna flipped on the lights revealing the sterile environment of their barely lived in apartment. Sam kicked off her shoes, scooting them to the edge of the cream colored carpet and headed for the couch in the sitting area positioned in front of a large bay window.

Anna opened the fridge in the adjacent kitchenette for a bottle of water.

Vig turned. “So what’s goin’ on?” he asked. He crossed the room looking from Anna to Sam, then froze—his dark eyes glinting at the bruises on her neck. Anna and Sam exchanged glances. Vig didn’t speak for a moment, then he moved to the couch putting a hand under her chin. He turned to Anna.
“What is this?”

Anna paused. “Some...maniac...”

“Why didn’t you tell me on the phone?” Vig asked in alarm. He turned to Sam before Anna could respond. “Who did this to you?”

“I don’t know, but it’s okay. I’m fine.”

Vig drew back, stunned.
“You’re fine?”
He turned to Anna. “Have you called the police? Did you call her mom?”

Sam jumped in. “I’m fine, Vig. Please, just trust me,” she said. “No one can know about this.”

Vig stood, pushing a hand through his dark hair. “What the hell are you saying, Sam? You can’t just ignore this. What happened?”

Sam put a hand to her forehead. “Look, I know this sounds crazy—”

“You sound
insane,
Sam. You’re not thinking clearly.”

Sam glanced at Anna for help, who rubbed her face and crossed the room.

“Vig, okay...this isn’t exactly what it looks like,” she said. “I really can’t explain it and you wouldn’t believe me anyway. Just please trust me. This...guy isn’t loose on campus. It’s going to be okay.”

Vig stared at her in disbelief, unable to speak for a moment. “What the hell is wrong with you two?” he finally said. “What’s going on?”

Anna threw a glance at Sam who stared back, then exhaled, leaning into the couch.

Anna walked over to Vig, took his hand and gestured for him to sit. He shook his head and sat down on the couch next to Sam.

Anna sat next to him. “You know how I’ve said in the past that Sam can do stuff...like psychic stuff?”

Vig stared—expression blank. “Yeah...”

Anna inclined her head and gestured toward Sam’s bruised neck. “This has something to do with that.”

Vig squinted. “What the hell does that mean?”

Anna threw up her hands. “This is why I don’t tell you.”

“No, really,” Vig said, grabbing her hand. “You’re not making any sense.” He turned to Sam. “The bruises just appeared?”

Anna’s head dropped back. “My God, Vig.”

“Anna, you haven’t told me
anything.”

Sam leaned forward. “I don’t think the guy who attacked me was...physically real,” she said.

Vig stared at Sam fighting a smile, then shook his head. “Okay,” he said, putting his hands up. “You two are messin’ with me, right?”

Anna leaned back, rolling her eyes. She looked at Sam. “I tried.”

Sam turned to Vig. “Look,” she said. “I’m fine. No one is out there. Something happened tonight but I can’t explain how—you’re just going to have to trust me,” she said. “I’ll be fine.”

Anna jumped in changing the subject. “So are you guys ready for tomorrow night?”

Vig stared through a stunned expression. “Yeah,” he said. “We’ll run through the set one more time tomorrow and sound check around four o’clock. Look,” he said, eyes on Sam. “I don’t know why you won’t tell your parents or the police like a normal person, but you can’t just brush this off like it never happened. Do you guys wanna come stay at our house until they catch this freak? The guys won’t mind.”

Sam glanced at the floor. “We’ll let you know.”

“I’m happy to stay here with you guys, but there are four of us at my place, ya know, and maybe we can cover you in garlic or make you a voodoo doll or something.”

Sam broke into laughter as Anna rolled her eyes, shaking her head.

He lifted Sam’s chin again, muttering curses as he studied the bruising on her neck.

“I’m excited to see you guys play tomorrow,” Sam said. He ignored her.

Anna stood, moving to the entertainment center to search for a good movie. “So if we’re at the club by eight thirty is that good?”

“Not if you want a good table,” he said, still inspecting Sam’s throat.

“You can’t save us a table?”

Vig dropped his hand from Sam’s face, glancing over his shoulder at her. “If someone comes in to see us play I’m not gonna tell them they can’t sit down.”

Sam laughed, pulling her legs up underneath her. “We’ll be there by eight.”

“You
might be.”

Anna scowled at Vig as Sam said, “I will make sure she is on time.”

Vig flashed a wary glance in Anna’s direction. “I’ll believe that when I see it.”

Anna rolled her eyes as Vig opened his arms. “Come here,” he said.

She shook her head, moved to the chair and sat in his lap. He wrapped his arms around her and looked at Sam. “From now on, if your rehearsals go this late, you call me and I will meet you, okay?”

Sam sighed. “Thanks, Viggie.”

Vig nodded. “No problem.” He drew in a deep breath and let it out, then glanced from Sam to Anna. “So, who wants me first?”

Anna rolled her eyes and pushed him back, silencing him with a venomous glare. She turned to Sam. “Let’s set up a movie in your room,” she said. “When you get tired Vig and I will move into my room.”

Sam nodded, letting out a breath. A vacant look of anxiety clouded her eyes.

Anna paused. “We can all stay in your room if you want.” She felt the grin spreading across Vig’s face behind her and pounded a fist to his chest. He wheezed as she waited for Sam’s reply.

Sam bit her bottom lip suppressing a laugh. “Thank you,” she said.

CHAPTER FOUR

T
he scene before her was chaos. Hundreds of people yelling, pushing, all packed in tight. But what should have been crazy loud was silence—all but a steady heartbeat keeping time, thrumming evenly; rhythmically.

Sam took in the faces, like a ghost in a sea of people, moving through the mayhem as the scene around her carried out in slow motion, an urgent sense of anticipation nagged at her, pulling, beckoning her forward, and she obeyed.

Colored lights flashed, pulsed, distorting her perception, tripping up her equilibrium as she struggled to identify her location. Bodies pushed in all around her, hot, breathy, moving in unison, crushing her. Something fl ashed in a distant corner, a faint light in her periphery, only for a second, then a yank forward. The elusive pull increased, dragging her forward, insistent...insistent.

A staircase appeared; black, metal industrial-looking stairs and the pull lurched forward as if initiating the climb to the top of a roller-coaster drawing ever nearer to the source.

She ascended the stairs, one guided step at a time, chaotic silence persisting. The heartbeat thrummed.

Reaching the top, the force yanked with impatience.

Through the mass of people, the propelling trance hit its peak as she reached the corner of the room. The crowd parted, separating out, one person at a time moving out of her way.

Sam gazed into the newly cleared corner and gasped. Brilliant golden blue light fleshed out the space with an exquisite quality,
nearing that of some celestial event, laden with intelligence—alive, and infused with a fierce, protective element. She succumbed to its radiance—divine light begging her near—indescribable euphoria.

Sam flew forward, grasping at her chest. She sat in bed heaving. She glanced around the room—darkened silence. Nothing out of place, no light. She looked to her bed. Anna sprawled the mattress in the center, sound asleep. Vig lay next to her—squished, half on and half off of the bed, most of his covers stolen by Anna. Sam drew in a deep breath and placed a hand to her forehead, torn between the baffling dream experience and the urge to laugh.

She turned to her alarm clock.

Three minutes past nine.

She squinted.
That’s not right.
She sat up for a closer look, rubbing her eyes and peering at the screen.

Twelve thirty-four a.m.

Sam stared. As delirious as she was, she
knew
the clock had read three minutes after nine. She sighed. She couldn’t do it anymore. Not tonight. She lay back down, closing her eyes.

As she drifted into a fitful night’s sleep, the time three minutes after nine drifted through her mind like an ominous phantom.

CHAPTER FIVE

S
am woke to bright sunlight filtering through shuttered windows. She lay in bed, the events of the past night and the ominous dream still heavy in her mind. She lifted a hand to her neck, checking for pain, but felt none. With a furrowed brow she turned her head from right to left, then reached for her compact mirror in her purse by her bed. She pulled the small black lid open and lifted her chin angling the mirror so she could see. The bruising was gone. Every bit of it as if nothing had happened. She lay against her pillow, baffled.

After some contemplation she pushed the covers back and climbed out of bed, setting the mirror aside and placing her feet on the floor. She stood, crossed the room and pulled the blinds open bathing the room in brightness.

Anna writhed, grabbing a pillow. “Ugh.” She pulled the pillow over her head and rolled to the right, sending Vig from his precarious position on the edge of the mattress to the floor.

Thunk!
Sam jumped, throwing her hands over her mouth as Vig jolted into the wall releasing a string of profanities. Sam erupted with laughter, reaching down to him. “Vig,” she said between guffaws, “are you okay?”

Anna, still oblivious said, “It’s like five a.m. Does your room always get this much sun?”

Sam doubled over in laughter as Vig pushed himself from the carpet. “Anna,” she gasped, “You just slammed Vig into the wall.” She dropped to the bed laughing as Anna pulled the pillow from her face and looked over. Vig had righted himself, now leaning shirtless against
the wall glaring in her direction, dark eyes glinting under thick mess of disheveled brown hair. Anna exploded laughing. Sam fell forward in hysterics both girls beside themselves.