She couldn't find him.
Barbara Green felt the slow brewing of panic begin in the pit of her stomach when she lost sight of her target in the early morning rush of the Christmas week at the Flea market. Her half frozen fingers clung to her oversized waist coat as her widen dark eyes searched feverishly over the covered heads of the people of Arizona.
Do they always have to stand so close to each other? Barbara thought irritably though she understood the need to move in closer packs for warmth from the cruel, biting cold of winter. Honestly she would rather stay in her isolated home, snuggling with her many fur babies than be here but...duty calls.
At that moment, a head of pure white hair popped in the sea of multicoloured hats and Barbara sighed in relief.
There he was, her ever evasive principal. Evander Nightlark.
And as always, a vicious stab of pain stabbed her heart at the starved look of the young boy's face. He was unnaturally handsome with perfect full lips, a square jawline with the most startling blue eyes framed with unusually dark lashes.
He had really grown into his God-given features well at only fifteen but she ached to see that bright gleam of curiosity and joy in his eyes of his childhood replaced by the grim and hardened version.
She watched standing by the sidewalk as he rode his old rusty bike passing off his steamy deliveries of Nona's infamous breakfast burritos to the street vendors of the market. He wore his best-selling mask of charming smiles and warm glances as he navigated through the crowds and all who passed him couldn't help but smile back at him, especially the excited gaggle of girls from his school and shamefully, their mothers.
Though this seemed to fly over the boy's head as he continued his deliveries. He got on his bike one last time and rode it down the street away from the flea market, probably towards Nona's home. At one point before he turned out of sight, he caught her piercing dark gaze then turned away quickly.
Barbara, sensing his discomfort, smiled at his retreating back; after all it wasn't the first time they've crossed paths. Pulling her hood over her exposed face, she shivered and picked up her bag of cat food and made the walk back to her blissfully warm home.
On the way, she spotted one of her fur babies following her from a morning walk.
"Duchess, dear!" she called at the white and black short hair feline and she dutifully trotted over for her pats. Barbara knelt and pulled out a can of sardines from her bag. She opened it and placed it at the cat's feet and stroked her silky fur as she ate.
"Duchess, dear? I'm going to need you to be the boy's shadow for me for the next few days. Can you do that?"
Duchess looked up with an insulted look and Barbara laughed.
"Silly me! Of course you can!" she gave her an affectionate scratch, "I'll be out of town for a while and I need a guardian such as yourself to protect him and the girl."
The cat gave a look and she could see the question in her keen brown eyes.
"Nothing to worry over...yet. It's just that I can sense something gathering Outside and I must check if the defences are...up to standard."
Duchess tilted her head, "Meow?"
"Yes, well. You've noticed the odd deaths cropping up out of town, I'm sure. I'm almost certain it's nothing but...best be sure, am I right?"
"Meow," Duchess agreed.
"Well, then," Barbara said, "Be off as soon as you can." Duchess simply finished her meal in silence then with a proud swish of her tail, trotted off back the way they came.
Barbara nodded in satisfaction and turned to walk back.
But she couldn't help but worry over the signs she noticed over the weeks. Darkness was brewing, that she was sure but this close to home was disturbing. She had hoped that the children would have more time but unfortunately in this wretched world even the simplest forms of peace never lasted forever...
Evan pedalled fast on his bike, making tight turns as he made his way to Mrs Daiz' home. He could still feel the piercing gaze of the whacko cat lady. Why she kept following him whenever he went out was beyond him but ever since his twelve birthday when he got himself a job, she had chosen to make a point to watch him ride all around town every term break.
Though he hadn't noticed at first because she always seemed to be doing what normal people did like buying groceries or getting books from the library or taking a stroll through the park but each time, they would cross paths and she'd give him this look like...well, just looked.
. It was creepy and made more by the fact that they have never actually talked to each other. You would think that after almost four years, they would at least know each other's names but no. Evan refused to go anywhere near her and it was not just her odd tendency to stalk people but there was a sort of "knowing" in her gaze that he did not like.
Like she knew something he didn't.
People who looked at you like that often turned out to know some deep, dark secret you never wanted anyone to know or your long lost cousin twice removed or some rubbish.
Evan didn't want anything to do with her though he sometimes wondered if it was because he was afraid of her but he crashed that thought immediately. He wasn't afraid, just...cautious. Besides she was clearly a few fries short of a Happy meal and well, you simply didn't hang with that sort of people, did you?
Evan turned into Meadow Lane, a neat suburban neighbourhood with identical state houses. He rode down the deserted street crowded with cars, trash bins and abandoned toys and bikes. Every elm tree laid bare of its leaves, most of them forming the autumn blanket over the cars and street. He rode past the houses to the last home of Meadow Lane, number 25.
He climbed off his bike and walked by the driveway to the door and knocked. The door opened to reveal a pint sized Mexican girl of five dressed in a Mirabel costume.
Her brown eyes widened in recognition and she gave him a toothy grin, "Hi, Evan!"
"Hi, Elena. Is your mother still home?"
"Elena! Who's at the door?" called a woman's voice followed by Senora Nona Diaz, a kind-faced middle aged Latina that barely reached his midriff most of the time.
Crinkled smile lines around her warm eyes appeared as she grinned, "Evandro! You're early! Come, come. I was just packing your pay and food for you."
Evan frowned, "Food?"
Nona arched a brow, "For you to take home, of course. Look at you! All skin and bone! Come!" She made a grab for his arm before he could escape and pulled him inside.
Their home was exactly what you'd expect of an hispanic home: wonderfully clattered and cosy with an overflowing rack of shoes and coats behind the door and a wall dedicated to framed photos of the big family of seven. Grinning faces of Nona's five children, two of which were currently in college staring at him as they headed down the hall to the kitchen. A doorway to the left led to the living room with big squishy sofas and armchairs facing the fireplace from which the flat screen TV hung above the mantle.
Two of Nona's sons, Samuel and Gabriel, sat before the TV transfixed as they played a round of Fortnite.
Nona gave them a disgusted look that had his lips twitching, "Samuel! Gabriel! You didn't greet?!"
The boys turned in alarm and glanced at him with a nod, "Sup, Evan!" they said together and he smiled, "Hey, Sam. Gab"
With that they turned back to the TV.
Nona kissed her teeth in annoyance, "These boys! Like they've never seen the TV. I can't wait till they go back to school."She turned to lead them farther down the hall.
Evan could smell the spiced air and was ashamed at the way his stomach growled in anticipation.
"Here now, let me finish packing."
"No, no, seriously, Mrs Daiz. There's no need to-"
"-Rubbish, boy! There is no difference between you and a skeleton right now!" She turned to the counter where three bags were already stuffed full of her mouth-watering taco, burritos and such like. "Those Nuns! What are they feeding you children at that place? I swear, you look like the undead..."
Evan watched as she folded the last of the packs in the bags and placed his check in one of them and dropped them in his hands. She eyed him sternly with her hands on her hips, "Evandro. You will take that food to the rest of the children and you will eat! You understand me, young man?"
Evan gave her a wry smile, "Yes, ma'am."
Her stern expression melted as she gave him a bear hug, "Ai, mijo! You be good? Yeah?Now go before it gets colder."
Evan smiled at her motherly nature he had known for most of his life and turned to go. At the door, Elena came from the living room with her hand outstretched. Evan, knowing what she wanted, looked around for Nona then quickly grabbed a burrito from his bags and gave it to her, "Don't let her see, 'kay kid?'
Elena nodded then scurried off with her prize.
Evan stepped out into the cold and closed the door behind. He carried his heavy bags to his old bike and began to strap them to the basket in the back then paused.
There, laying all comfy in the basket, was a white and black cat staring lazily up at him.
"Oh. You again, Cat." Cat was a stray he had met some four years ago who always showed up at his term breaks. He didn't know why but she always followed him home after he finished his deliveries. He had tried getting rid of her but she always came back, sometime appearing at the foot of his bed in the morning so he soon gave up
"If you're going to come, you better move over. These bags are cutting off my circulation," he said as he laid them in his basket and climbed onto his bike .
An odd feeling of dread came over him as he rode down the street. There was something about the cat's appearance that felt different somehow. Something keen to a purpose though he had no idea what.
Whatever the reason, he would enjoy her company while it lasted.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZcLB2Eqglc
