13

I've never been comfortable in any place I lived.

I listened to the silence of the old house and thought about turning on my music. It was now about five in the evening, and my aunt wouldn't be home for another hour, so I was all by my lonesome.

But unlike most days, I wasn't thinking so much about being alone. Instead, my mind was preoccupied with the day's events. For the first time in years, I felt like I might actually have a friend. It was enough to give me a little bit of hope.

But with that hope also came fear. Namely, the fear of what had been stalking me.

Silence had never been my friend. It was usually during silence that I could hear it as it moved about. Maybe it even wanted me to hear it. That way I always knew that it was there.

Ever since I could remember, there had been a black shadow stalking my life. Sometimes, I would wake up in the middle of the night to find it standing at the end of my bed. It was so black that it stood out even in the darkness of the night.

But sometimes, I could see eyes too. They were very blue eyes, and varied from friendly to frightening. They would stare at me until I ended up falling asleep, which usually came on from exhaustion. I was so scared to look away from it that I'd watch it for as long as I could.

However, for all of the fear I felt when I saw those eyes, I also had this weird sense that I knew them from somewhere. It felt like that was tied into why I feared them so much. I just wished that I could place where I would've seen them before.

I sat back and stretched once again. I thought about lying down since my back was aching slightly, but refused to do it. I didn't sleep much for that vision of darkness, along with the strange dreams that I'd always had. I pulled out my sketchbook from my nearby drawer, opening it to work on the picture I'd been trying to perfect for the last few years. It was a picture of a handsome man that haunted my dreams, along with the horrors that typically accompanied them.

I let out a long breath as I looked at this picture. Like the dark shadow, it felt like I should have known him from somewhere, though I could never place him.

However, I did know the terror that accompanied the dreams I had of him.

I believe that everyone has nightmares that get to them at least once in their life. Yet, my nightmares had been the same ever since I could remember. As weird as it sounds, I swore that it was like I was living another life through them, although it remained fragmented within my dreams.

One of the more frequent dreams I'd have were of a horrible man who would beat me, and that no one believed me when I said that he did it. They always thought I was crazy and doing it to myself. These dreams always left me crying when I woke up, the hopelessness eating at me for hours afterwards.

The other dream that was the most frequent was different. I was in a hospital room, and the man that I'd been trying to draw would be in there with me. It was always dark, and I knew that he was speaking to me, but I could never hear what he was saying. I only felt this longing inside of me when I'd wake up, like I was desperate to see him again.

The odd thing was that every time I woke up from those dreams of him, it felt like my left eye was burning. I knew the eye was strange anyway, and I'd always check it afterwards only to find that it looked the same.

My left eye had been hazed over ever since I was born. There were fears for a while that I might have a cataract developing over it, but the doctors could never find one, and my vision in it was perfect. It was yet another mystery connected to me, and another thing that the other kids always pointed out and made fun of.

But Noah didn't make fun of it, I thought. That brought a smile to my face.

I came back to reality as I heard noises downstairs. I sat up and listened. It sounded like the front door had opened and closed. Aunt Farah must have come home.

I got up to head down there and talk to her. I was curious to see if she'd say anything about the firm being bought today. Maybe she'd even tell me more about Noah's family if I mentioned meeting him.

I was greeted by the familiar darkness of the hallway as I left my room. I went to the landing and saw that the downstairs lights were also still off. It was dark enough now where I was sure my aunt would've turned them on to see.

"Aunt Farah?" I called cautiously.

There was no response. I felt the chill creep up my spine as I stood there. Did it trick me again?

This wasn't the first time that I'd been lured into a false sense of security, but I was also determined not to let it get to me. Showing fear always made it worse.

I steadied myself, then headed downstairs through the den and to the kitchen. Everything was off, which proved that my aunt wasn't home yet. I turned on the lights and decided to fix myself something to eat. I was getting hungry and I was tired of waiting, so I pulled out some leftovers from the night before and fixed myself a plate to put in the microwave.

I was thinking about Noah Renaldi as I heated my food. Would he still speak to me tomorrow like he had today? I really hoped so. It felt so good to be able to talk to somebody at school, even if just a little, and he seemed so nice.

The microwave finally beeped, and I checked on my food. It was warm enough, so I'd take it and eat upstairs. My room felt much safer than being down there alone.

But as I pulled it out and shut the door, I almost dropped the plate. There was the reflection of a man in the glass. But when I spun around, no one was there. I forced myself to look back at the glass, but it was gone. I walked over to the table and set the plate down, forcing myself to calm down. It would be okay. I could handle this.

This was not the first time that I'd seen that reflection either. This man had appeared off and on since I was little. He had a slightly smaller build then the man in my dreams, and looked a bit younger. He was always standing back and watching me whenever I happened to catch a glimpse of him, but I always felt threatened by his presence. There was something very wrong about him. Not to mention that he had the same blue eyes as that dark figure.

I went ahead and ate quickly, throwing the plate into the sink when I was done. But as I headed upstairs, I jumped as I heard the loud sound of glass shattering. I didn't even bother looking to see what it was. I just ran upstairs and slammed my door shut, bowing my head as I clasped my hands together and prayed. It was all I could do now. There was no other way to feel any kind of protection from this thing that menaced my life.

It was another hour before Aunt Farah finally got home. I peeked out of my door as I heard her downstairs, and could see the lights coming on as she called for me. I breathed a sigh of relief. It really was her. I wasn't alone anymore.

Aunt Farah was taking her coat off near the front door as I came down there.

"There you are. I was beginning to think that you'd started ignoring me." she greeted me with a smile.

She always did this, but I knew what was hidden under that smile. She feared me too. She knew what had happened to my mother, and she knew that there was something in this house with us. She just feared taking any steps now for meeting the same fate as Mom.

"No. I was just listening to some music and didn't hear you." I lied. I'd really just wanted to be sure that it was her.

"I see. Well, I have some news for you. It looks like our business has new owners as of today." Aunt Farah continued.

"I'd heard the rumor. Who are they?" I asked as I followed her to the kitchen. Thankfully, we weren't going into the den yet. No telling what might be broken in there this time.

"A man named Raziel Renaldi. Apparently, he's got a son that's your age, though you sure wouldn't tell it just by looking at him. He looks so much younger than that. Guess time is good to some people, especially when they have money." Aunt Farah sighed, fixing herself a drink.

I nodded, leaning on the counter, "Yeah, his name's Noah. I met him this afternoon in two of my classes." I admitted.

"I bet that's one good looking boy after seeing his father. At least, if he's anything like him." Aunt Farah commented.

I smiled, "He is, and he's really nice. We got to talk a little bit before class and he was cool."

"Good. You really should have some more friends Mari. You're far too much of a loner. You won't even go out and do things with the other kids." Aunt Farah complained.

I just let her talk. Far be it for me to argue the point that I wasn't like them, or tell her that most of them considered me a real life witch.

But as the two of us walked out to the den room, Aunt Farah suddenly stopped. I stopped behind her and followed her gaze to see what had crashed earlier. It turned out to be the metal cross that she had hung on the far wall.

This was not the first time that it had crashed to the floor. In fact, it never fell straight down. Ever since she'd put it up just a few years before, the cross, which was about eight inches tall, had a habit of flying across the room. This time it had smashed into a few pictures on one of the end tables. This table was literally across the room from where the cross usually hung, and I could see that the nail in the wall where it normally was remained intact.

Aunt Farah took a deep breath to compose herself before she walked over to pick it up.

"Oh dear. How is it that no matter how secure I make this thing, those trucks always manage to knock it off whenever they roar by?" she complained, though it came out meek.

It was the same excuse she always used when this happened. Our house sat about ten feet from the main road where some of the big trucks would pass by from time to time. They were loud, but they certainly never shook the house, not even remotely. It was just a convenient explanation my aunt used for this unnerving reoccurring event.

I was staring at the cross as she hung it up in its original place. Although I prayed, I wasn't that sure that I really had any faith in my life. I even wondered at times why things were like this. Why were my family and I so tormented by this dark entity? What had we done that was so wrong?

My night passed uneventfully after all of this, and as dawn came the next morning, I was up and getting ready for school. I'd always tended to get up really early because I liked getting away from the house whenever I could. It seemed like that shadow thing was around less when I did.

I felt a tingle of anticipation as I walked out to my car. Would I get to hang out with Noah today? I hoped that he didn't push me away. I really did hope now that he'd be my friend.

It wasn't a long drive to school, although I was nervous as I pulled into the parking lot. Noah had stood up to Jenna the day before and defended me. That very well could mean that she had it out for me today.

Thankfully, I didn't see her car there yet. But as I thought of getting out and heading into the building, I saw another car pulling up beside me. It was a really nice, new black Camero. The windows were tinted, so I couldn't see the driver.

I waited as it parked and the engine was turned off, curious as to who was driving such a nice car. The driver's side door open, and I realized that it was Noah.

Great, I thought. He sure does like to stand out, doesn't he?

"I thought you were the type to get here early." he commented as I got out to greet him.

"You were hoping to run into me?" I guessed.

Noah smiled, "Maybe."

I looked into one of the tinted windows of the car, "Does your dad let you borrow his car?" I asked.

"No. This is mine." Noah answered.

"Your parents seriously got you this car?"

"You could say that me and Dad have the same tastes in cars, and we like switching off sometimes too. Anyway, this one's really nice. You should let me take you for a ride in it sometime."

I felt my insides knot as he said that. For as nice as that offer was, it felt too much like inviting trouble.

"Maybe some time, but not right now. I don't even know you that well yet." I told him.

"True, but I think we're getting to know each other well enough now." Noah responded.

"Anyway," I changed the subject a little, "let's get inside before a bunch of other people come. This parking lot can get crowded."

Noah agreed and went into the school with me. After stopping by my locker, I joined him at one of the lunch tables.

"So, Aunt Farah told me last night that your dad bought Edgewood Realtors." I told him.

"Yeah, he mentioned it to me last night. I figured he'd push the deal through now that we're here. He's not the type that likes to wait around, but I guess that Pop's never been either. They're always saying that business is business." Noah responded.

"Oh, you mean your grandfather."

"Yeah. I grew up around him, but he's living in DC right now."

"I see." I nodded, "Aunt Farah said that your dad's name is Raziel. That's a really different name."

"Yeah. I guess that we're all a little different, and it is an angel name. That's kind of a theme in our family." Noah admitted.

"I didn't know that Raziel was an angel name." I said.

"It is, but it's not one that's really well known. We're pretty close too. I like hanging out with him, and we work on different projects together like cars and renovations that him and Mom get into. The whole thing with real estate is more of Mom's thing, although Dad does help her with flipping houses and all. She's made a pretty good living doing that now." Noah explained.

"That's cool. What's your mom's name?" I inquired.

"Anna." Noah answered. He moved a little closer to me, and I tensed up as he touched my forehead to take a closer look at my eyes, "I've been meaning to ask you something too. I noticed that your left eye looks hazy. Did something happen to it?"

It didn't surprise me that he'd ask about this, although he was pretty bold in how he'd brought it up.

"No, it's been like this since the day I was born. No one knows why." I answered.

I started to make him move his hand away when I realized that the eye felt warm again. That was weird. The only time it did that before was when I woke up from those dreams.

"Interesting." Noah muttered. He sat back a little, looking like he was thinking about something.

I looked towards the lockers, unable to face him. Even though I was nervous, I still wanted to take a chance and talk to him a little more about all of this.

"Hey Noah, can I ask you something?" I requested softly.

"Sure."

I steadied myself before speaking, "Have you ever wondered if maybe there was something wrong with you from the day that you were born?"

Noah thought about his answer, "I've often wondered why I'm here, but I'm not really sure of what you mean."

"Never mind."

I stood up, feeling embarrassed. I shouldn't have asked him something like that. It sounded too weird.

He got up and held my arm before I could walk away, "Hold on. I think I get what you're trying to say. Does it really bother you that much?" he asked.

"Huh?"

My eyes widened as I stared back at him. Was it possible that he could've known what was going on just by how I was talking?

Noah pulled me with him to the nearby secluded hallway, where he held onto me as we stood with his back to the wall, hiding in the shadows. I was about to ask him what was going on when the familiar feeling of darkness suddenly returned. It only lasted about two or three minutes before it disappeared again.

Noah let out a relieved breath, "You've got a lot of trouble following you, don't you?" he guessed.

"How did you...?" I started.

"You can call it a talent for now, but I get why even you would call yourself a witch, even if it isn't your fault. You have something really dark following you, and by the way you've been talking, it's been doing it since you were born." He went on.

Wow, I thought. How'd he know that?

I looked down, "Yes. That's all true." I confessed.

Noah looked around again, "This might not be the best place for us to talk. Come on." he said, leading me out.

"Where are we going?" I asked as we headed back to the table.

"How do you feel about skipping for a day?"

In all honesty, that didn't bother me one bit. I hated school anyway for all of the torment I'd endured there, though I still had to question his motives in this.

"Why?" I asked as I gathered my things.

"Let's just say that this isn't the best place to talk. Just go back out to your car and follow me." Noah instructed.

I didn't know why, but I trusted him on this. Moving quickly, I followed him as we went out to our cars, turning on my Neon and following his Camero out. To my surprise, Noah led us right back to my house. After I parked in the driveway, I got out to see him rolling down his window.

"Get in." he told me.

I wasn't that comfortable about climbing into that Camaro, but I wasn't about to not do it either. Noah knew far too much for this to be a coincidence, and it was like he could sense that thing there in the school when we were talking. But how? In sixteen years, no one else had been able to except for those that it went after. What was so different about Noah?

We ended up riding to a secluded area near the wooded trails to talk.

"Sorry about this, but it's the best way to make sure that nothing happens. There are limits on what can be done right now, and I know which ones that he can't cross." Noah apologized.

"Okay. How do you know about that thing that's been following me? How did you know that it was there?" I asked, turning to face him.

"I sensed it when I saw your eye. Sorry about that. I kind of accidently called its attention." Noah answered.

I was even more confused now, "What do you mean?"

Noah sighed, tapping the stirring wheel, "How do I explain this without getting myself into trouble? I don't think I can. But it bothers me too much. You're only sixteen. You shouldn't have that, and it's been around for so long. What is all of this?" he muttered.

"Noah." I spoke up, reminding him that I was right there.

He looked back at me, "All right. I guess the best way is to start with this. Have you ever taken a good look at your left eye?" he asked.

"Yeah, but I never see anything." I answered.

"Maybe you just can't yet. But when I touched it, did it feel different?" Noah prodded.

I debated telling the truth, but relented, "Yes. It was warm."

"That's what I thought." Noah nodded, "It only reacts to certain stimuli, and my power must be the yin to his yang."

"What do you mean? What's wrong with my eye?" I demanded.

"I'm not that sure that you'll believe me, but I'll tell you the truth. Your left eye has a contract in it." Noah answered.

"A contract?"

That sounded way too scary, especially if it was in the same context that I was thinking.

"I'm sure you get what I'm saying. It's a demon's contract. I couldn't really read it, but I know the basics about them. What's puzzling me is that you obviously haven't made any deals, and it's been following you since you were born. You wouldn't have such a reputation at the school either if he wasn't doing things to you and those around you." Noah continued.

He was right about that. This had been happening ever since I could remember, and I certainly had never spoken with a demon, although apparently, I was being tormented by one. I looked down, playing with my keys, which I was still holding tightly.

"Ever since I was born, it's felt like I was cursed, and no one ever seemed to know why. Dad died, then Mom. It torments me, it scares my aunt, and now you're saying that its contract has been in my eye the whole time?"

Noah was quiet as he thought things over before finally speaking again, "I don't really know a lot about demon contracts, but I know that this one is unusual. If what you're saying is true, then it's been with you since birth. I'm not sure of how that's possible, but there's someone that I know that might understand it. I'll need some time to talk to him first, then maybe we can figure this out."

"You'd really want to help me?" I asked him.

"Of course I do. It's not your fault that you were born with it. Besides, it would go against who I am if I didn't. Despite what you might think, you're not a worthless person, and I really do want to help you." Noah responded.

I blushed as he said that, though I was still puzzled. How did Noah know all of this? He'd said that he'd sensed that thing following me, and that he'd somehow made the contract appear in my eye when he touched me. He'd said that he had a talent for some of this, but this also had to have taken more than that, and what about this person that he needed to talk to? Were they the same way?

I had to ask him about this as we pulled back up to my house, "Hey Noah, how do you know all of this? Are you different in some way too?"

He hesitated before answering, "I can't say right now. I'm not sure if I'm allowed. But I can tell you that I can protect you. Like I said, just give me a little time, then we'll know why this is happening." he told me.

"Thanks Noah. I appreciate all of this." I relented.

"Don't worry about it, and don't be too scared. He'll feed off of that. Just keep going on like you usually do until we figure it out."

Getting out of that car though, I felt the apprehension in me as I looked at that house. That thing was probably waiting for me in there, and it knew about Noah, with however he'd understood all of this. Still, I was determined now that I'd somehow survive, and Noah was going to help me figure out how to make all of this stop.

After saying goodbye to Noah, I went inside and decided to play sick. I headed up to my room, changed into more comfortable clothes and went to bed. I shivered slightly as I thought about what Noah had told me, but did my best to push the fear down. I would keep Noah's words in my mind. I wouldn't let this get to me anymore. He couldn't scare me anymore.

I managed to fall asleep, but ended up dreaming again. However, this dream was very different than the ones I'd had before.

I was now in a train station. I could see the bright afternoon sunlight pouring in from the skylights in the ceiling, and I was standing near the tracks. I looked to my left and saw the same man from my previous dreams standing a few feet away. He was staring helplessly at me, and it looked like he couldn't move.

My eyes widened as I stared back at him, and my lips moved to form a name.

"Jade."

But as I uttered the name, it felt like someone put an arm around me from behind, and all at once, I was being hurled onto the train tracks. I screamed as the train came barreling towards me. But also, I heard someone else speak very clearly as it hit me.

"I'll never let you have her."

I woke up in a cold sweat. The dream had been so real, and for a moment, I'd been sure that I was being crushed under that train. But looking around, I realized that I was still in my room, lying in my bed. I took some deep breaths to calm myself, then looked at my hands. It was strange, but I could remember that dream almost perfectly, and in it, I had seen my arms and hands. Even some of what I was wearing.

Thinking about this, I remembered that I was wearing a ring on my left ring finger. Yet, there was no ring there now. I pushed my hair back and let out a long breath. That was right. I was wearing a cocktail ring, and I'd had on a pink dress that looked like it was maybe from the thirties or forties.

But the thing that had caught me most about this was that I was sure I'd heard a name, and I was certain that it was me as that woman saying it.

I'd said Jade.

At first, I wondered if that was supposed to be my name. But that didn't feel right. It felt like Jade was the name of the man that I'd been seeing, and that other voice that I'd heard when I was falling...

Was that the voice of the one who was tormenting me?

I forced myself to get up and wash my face. I needed to calm myself down so that I could think straight. Maybe then I could try to make heads or tails out of all of that.

But as I looked up from the sink, I froze. There was a different person reflected in the mirror. It was a woman who looked like she was in her mid-twenties. She had pretty blue eyes and blonde hair that was almost like my own, although it was tied back, and she wore the same pink dress that I'd been wearing in my dream.

I blinked, and she was gone. For a moment, I wondered if I was losing it. Maybe now I was even dreaming while I was awake.

The sound of the doorbell downstairs brought me back to reality. I cautiously walked out of the bathroom and stood at the top of the stairs to see out of the high window over the front door. There was someone standing there. Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I decided to see what they wanted.

I opened the door with the chain still on. A man standing out there. He didn't look that old, maybe mid twenties, and he was very handsome, with dark hair and pretty light blue eyes.

"Well, there is someone home after all." he said as he smiled at me.

"Can I help you?" I managed.

Yeah, he was pretty stunning, but I certainly didn't know who he was. I'd never seen him before.

"I'm sorry. My name is Saffron Mullikin. I just moved in the house next door, and my phone's not working. Do you mind if I use yours to call the company?" he asked politely.

I felt myself tense up a little at that name. Saffron Mullikin. Where did I feel like I knew that name?

I somehow managed to nod, "Okay. Hold on a minute." I said, moving back to get the phone. I wasn't about to let him in. Instead, I handed him the phone through the doorway.

Saffron didn't seem to mind. He made his call, and I heard him speaking to the local phone company. After about ten minutes, he hung up.

"Sorry about the trouble. I appreciate the help, Ms...." he started.

"Mari. Mari Hanes." I told him.

"Mari Faith. What a pretty name. Well, I hope that I get to see you again, beings that we're going to be neighbors. Thanks again."

I watched as he walked away, then closed the door. That had been weird.

But as I began going back upstairs, something suddenly dawned on me.

When did I tell him that my middle name was Faith?