Contaminated (Cursed Night)

N'T B

p at his brother's farewell party, sin

won't b

ied through the front door of the Crist house and speed-

I spied the butler rounding t

shouted after me.

, I

en looking for you

iately stopped, turning around

I eyed him with

nnoyed. "Well, she sen

ned over the bannister, planti

im. "You can get back to y

rs, hearing the soft music coming

and the matriarch of Thunder Bay, our small East Coast commu

!" he called after me as I

ed down the dimly lit hallway, grumbli

nd at nineteen, I could definitely pick out my own clothes. Not that h

thought of me, and it was nice of her

down to grip the ends of my loose jean shorts, inventorying exac

lready late

hen I stayed the night-I spotted a sexy, white cocktail d

ade my skin look darker than it was. Mrs. Crist had awesome taste, and it was probably a good thing that she'd gotten

kly brushed out my long, blonde hair and applied a little lip gloss. I scurried back into the bedroom,

hours

yer and toward the back of the house. This time tomorrow I'd

on and agony when I did. Nope. I'd be able to hold out my arms and spin in a circle and not touch a single p

ll behind. At least

e side of the large house. Opening the double doors, I stepped into the mive, ceramic-tiled garden room, the walls and ceiling made entire

e windows overhead. I inhaled the sweet smell of the palms, orchids, lilies, violets, and hibiscus, remindi

leading to the terrace and slipped int

ve h

ng it over my shoulder to cover the left side of my neck. Unlike his brother

said as he steppe

highball gles that I knew wa

Mrs. Crist's favorite, so they ins

many other guests, but I stayed rooted,

lding remnants of the day's heat, and I surveyed the crowd,

ect. So

The crystal-blue pool adorned with floating candles. The glitteri

and designer clothes, I often saw a coat of paint that you apply when you're trying to cover up rotting wood. Th

the string quartet, and I wondered if I should find Mrs. Crist and let her

ulse quickening as I tried to resist the urge to do w

ok fo

be here. He probab

ght b

d, against my own will, my eyes started to drift.

l

y in Thunder Bay. In the pictures his mother kept around this house

ght b

ik

head to the left, hear

he scalp, his dark blue eyes looking impatient, and his stride de

But then I forced a smile as he stepped

ve h

y neck-never the left side-and rubbed his th

shifting uncomfo

up tonight," he cut in. "Throw rocks at your window, se

e a ne

l car." He fi

was just to dis my brand new Tesla. Apparently electric cars weren't real cars, but hey, I cou

other our entire lives, and were always thrown together by our parents as

, attending Brown together-or actually, I applie

ded it

n't want to give it more time. It was my fault I decided

nd to transfer, as well, and finally attend Annapoli

fault I ne

forcing my muscles t

me back into the solarium. He pulled me behind the gl, holding me

iving us a few inches of s

most anyone putty in his hands. He also dressed like Mr. Crist, looking polished in his midnight-bl

me. "You won't have anyone there, Rika. At least I was at Brown with you,

. Cl

, Trevor, my friend, James-to pick me up when I fell. Even when I went off to college and gave up the comfort of having my mother and the Crists

rain, find something that made my heart pump again, and I wa

ned my mouth, I couldn't find the right words. Out l

family name, the support of others having my back, or Trevor's constant hovering. If I went to a new city,

though the decision to move on was hard and disap

ho yo

revor's brother's words. I could

it?" he asked, an accusing tone in his voice. "Ale

et down my drink. "With a population of over two

you look

ding Trevor's eyes and refusing to l

t more intimidating. They were almost nothing alike, and they hated each o

NBA almost immediately afterward. He played for the Meridian City Storm, on

, and when he spoke to me his tone was no better than if he were

d my lesson a

ome, so I could visit my mother more often, but it was also the one place Tre

in, sliding a hand around the back of my neck again. "I just love

?

I was on a damn roller coaster. He wasn't in my dreams, an

n't ha

flash to my neck. He quickly averted his eyes as if he d

ine and gripping my waist. "I'm good to you, a

d, trying to twis

he scent of his cologne burning my nost

is chest, pushing at him

growled lo

t, his voice turning angry as he dived int

ressed against his body, finally pushing him off

backed away, m

me, but I steeled my sp

to school then. Make new friends and leave everything here behind all y

laring at me as he straightened his ti

t. What the hell did that mean? There was nothing holding me

to disappoint Mrs. Crist by sneaking out on her son's party, but I no

o leave, but then I looke

pped, and I co

h

l the way at the back of the solarium, his

sn't nice. The one th

couldn't move. I just stared, paralyzed. Had he be

f the trees overhead. One hand rested on a basketball that sat on top of his thigh, and

pound so hard it hur

atching me, and I dropped my eyes for a s

ole episode with

looked like cider with flecks of spice. They seemed darker than they actually were, hidden in the shadows, but they pierced me under straight brows t

and his white shirt was open at the collar. No

w he appeared. How he looked. I didn't think his par

d drop the basketball into the seat, k

scular, and he made me feel small. In many ways. He looked like he was walking stra

didn'

d by, and I turned my head, my chest aching as

een my teeth, fightin

liked it. And just when the fire was starting to kindle, ready to flare and burst apa

oyer, and out the front door, anger and frustration ch

nored me most of my life, and when

r. I hoped I wouldn't see him in Meridian City. I hoped

t didn't matter, though. Even in the same house,

ated down the long driveway, pushing the clicker to open the gate. I sped out onto the ro

o calm down. Twelve hours. Tomo

posts of my home appeared, lighting the night. Veering left, I clicked another button on my visor and inched my Tesla through the

hurried to my front door, just wanting

double-take at seeing a candl

h

ertainly hadn't left a candle burning. It was ivory

door, I unlocked it

I cal

g to bed, but it wasn't unusual for her to

resh flowers she kept in the house, and I looked around the lar

he flights into the three stories of eeri

econd floor and turned left, my footsteps going silent as the

except for the bathroom light she always left on. Walking over to her bed, I

illow, and I reached out my hand

nd I glanced to her nightstand, seeing the half-dozen p

k down at he

ce my father's death, nothing had worked. My mother j

se. Not only was Mr. Crist the trustee for my father's estate, handing everythin

over the years, but now... I was ready to take over

nd quietly closed the door, headi

tely spotted the candl

quickly glanced around the room

e. Our housekeeper was off duty to

d then my gaze fell, seeing a thin wooden crate s

Had Trevor le

my mother or Mrs. C

ng away the straw and catching the sight

e, knowing what I was going to find. I curled my fingers around

ow

grip with a bronze crossguard, and I tightened my hand around

ell had thi

a gentleman were not only timeless but necessary. Chess would teach me strategy, fencing would teach me huma

hand. It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen, and I reached up, runn

left i

of paper with black writing. Licking my lips, I read

f, pinching my eyebrows

id tha

ping as I dropped the blad

my heart trying to br

ouse, side by side, staring

hed out, trying to figur

his a

and I felt a chill spread up my

re they

I stared into the black void of their eyes, I clen

black hoodies

. It couldn't be th

late-gray metallic-looking mask with claw

h his white-and-black mask with a red stripe running down

with his black hoodie, so that you couldn't tell exactly wher

I dashed for my phone. Pressing 1 on the landline, I waited for th

ra?" a man

hing back over to my windows. "It's

g that the driveway was n

h

ht up to the table and leaning over to see if the

y sign of anyone around the house,

Ferguson called. "A

g, "I...I thought I saw some

nding a c

I hung up the phone, sti

ldn't

y were the only ones

e? After three years, w