Ok with this Chapter I wanted to try something a little different it may seem dark to you but I felt this chapter is necessary for the plot of this story.
ENJOY Thank you for reading and following along :)
Chapter 7: Heartbeat
I hear intense thumping. A man's voice welcoming and soothing speaks to me. "Julia…Wake up." I could hear the sadness in his tone as he is trying to persuade my conscious to come out of hiding. I see a bright light. Everything in the room is blurry. The thumping increases and soon that is all I could hear. As my vision becomes clearer I realize I am not in my bedroom anymore. Where am I? I think to myself as I could see the forest trees surrounding me. My body is cold I could feel the chill coming from the rocks surrounding me. I'm in a cave?
I could recognize the voice now. It's Mr. Johnson's. I jump up quickly as I get a sense of where I am. I stand there looking down on the man who just had me curled in his arms. My heart aches and feels as though a sharp knife is stabbing into it. I drop to my knees and clutch my chest. I feel as though I am going through a heart attack, but I know from past experiences it is just the stress pressuring my heart.
"What…Are…You…Doing here?" I ask as the pain slowly begins to lighten up.
"You don't seem to be happy…" he says as he begins to stand up so we are eye to eye.
"Why would I be? You followed me here…" I say holding back my fear.
"Juliana Cortez are you accusing your favorite teacher of being a stalker?" he asks his accent almost gone and his tone of voice somewhat psychotic.
I step back a little noticing the exit is only inches away. My first thoughts are how to escape without him catching me. He watches me carefully. A smile forms on his face as if he were hoping I was going to make a run for it. My body tenses up. What do I do?
"Juliana… Do you remember me?" He asks breaking the silence.
I shake my head trying to pretend I didn't recognize him from the ice cream truck that day. "Am I supposed to know you from somewhere?"
He chuckles. "Of course not…You will remember soon enough." He responds as he walks toward the exit. "You don't feel safe do you?"
My heart rate increases. I begin to panic realizing I am now officially trapped. "Carmina… What should we do?" I ask my inner mind.
"Ask questions…" she responds with an eyebrow raised slightly.
Mr. Johnson stands there. Pleasure seems to form on his face as he sees me lost in thought. He stands there blocking the exit. "Do you want to leave?" he asks with a smirk on his face.
I nod. "Please."
His index finger is up now rocking from side to side motioning no. "Not until you give me something worth letting you go." His teeth begin to show as if he was looking at his new prey. He takes in a deep breath and smiles. "Boy don't you smell delicious."
My body stiffens even more than it already was. Suddenly flashes of the websites I was just looking at flash in my head. "Cold one…" I whisper. His eyes widen at the words.
"What are you saying over there?"
I shake my head instantly not trying to give away my conclusion. How did he get me? My memory instantly kicks in. Where is Chase? I step back a little and take a better look around. Chase is nowhere to be found. I wonder where he went or what happened to him. Did Mr. Johnson eat him?
"Where is my friend?" I ask him with a lot of authority in my tone of voice.
"The boy in your bedroom?" He asks as if he were confused. "You mean Chase right?" he says licking his lips.
The rain begins to fall and there is a flash of lightning. The scenery begins to fit the creepiness of this situation. My heartbeat begins to become unbearably fast and unsteady. I could hear howling from wolves in the distance. How does he know Chase? My world begins to blur again. The sounds in the background become louder. The sound of the howling made it seem as if the wolves were in the cave with us. I try to make clear what is surrounding me. Don't go black now…He could kill you… We have to save chase. I say to myself hoping to stop from fading out. As the blur becomes a little clearer I see a giant animal standing behind Mr. Johnson. I could hear its growling and heavy breathing from my distance of it. The mysterious create causes my body to give up and I suddenly pass out again.
"Jules" I hear a familiar voice speak to me as my darkness becomes bright.
"Dad?" I ask confused as to how I got here.
"Are you hungry?" He asks. "You've been sleeping since you got home. I know you must be starving." He responds without allowing me the chance to answer his question.
I rub my head realizing I have a slight head ache from the lack of nutrients. I look around my room noticing it is how I left it, even my laptop which is resting on my legs. I quickly pick it up and move it to the other side of my bed. Was it all a dream? I shake my head clearing my thoughts. I know that this is not the time to think of all of this nonsense, especially not with dad being here.
"Dad what did you make?" I say with a big smile on my face.
"Pork chops, broccoli, and mac and cheese." He says a little depressed by such a simple meal.
I jump up with joy I haven't had that in a while. "FOR REAL!" I yell as I begin running to the kitchen. He just smiles and shakes his head. Then slowly follows me.
The eating area in the house is fairly small. Because the kitchen was so large he put his table in that area and used the dining room as his living room, and the living room as a giant study. I don't mind it. There is a table big enough to support a family of four but small enough to leave room in the kitchen for us to move around happily. I wonder if he has his girlfriend's eat here by candle light. Does he even have a girl friend? I look around to see how organized the house is. It's hard to tell what goes on with my dad since he was always so organized and on top of things. My mom however was the exact opposite. When something was wrong or missing there was a tornado in the house and when she was on a date with someone one the house was completely spotless. I was always cleaning seeing as her dating life was very limited. I guess I get my organization skills from my dad and of course his cleanliness.
"So how is school?" he asks as we sit across from one another enjoying his delicious meal.
"Great. My group members have all shown up the past couple of days." I stab into my broccoli thinking of how strange my group is. "But of course when that happens she separates us into little groups in order to get to know each other."
"Hmm… That is odd. Wouldn't she do that on their first day of school? We're in mid-October right?" He looks over to see his calendar which shows the month of October on it.
I glance over and my mouth drops as I realize. Has it only been a few weeks that I attended school at WWHS and now I am in Forks…? I think of the time and remember how we started school a week earlier this year. I hate starting school in August… I remember talking to my cousin from Boston and she starts in September I would love to enjoy the extra weeks of the summer. And of course we get out earlier than she does so maybe it isn't too bad.
"Yeah I would think so. Maybe she is doing it again. I never really asked."
"Who is your partner?" he asks extremely interested in the topic. That's one thing I loved about my dad. He really enjoyed hearing about what is going on in my life.
"I have two partners… Who are polar opposites… Giovanni Black and Chase Cullen…"
My dad drops his fork. "Doctor Cullen's boy?" I stare at him a little confused. "And the boy from the reservation."
I nod my head a little concerned. "Is that bad?" I raise an eye brow at him.
"Yes. I don't want those boys with my little girl. I know what boys like that want." He begins eating again.
"Dad… It's just a group project and don't worry, they are not my type… Giovanni is too childish at times and Chase is very mysterious." I try to avoid their looks because both are extremely beautiful.
"I bet it is… I know what kind of group project they want." He says with a little frustration on his face.
My jaw drops instantly at his reference to a threesome. "DAD!"
"Sorry honey I'm just saying a beautiful girl like you is always on the minds of guys. And they are two good looking young men, you must be thinking of them as well.
I shake my head. "Not my type. I like a guy with a lot of knowledge and courtesy. Someone who is extremely mature. I am not about looks like most people are."
He looks at me and returns the eyebrow. "You're not?"
"Dad, are you trying to call me a follower?" I reply.
"If the shoe fits." He replies putting some mac and cheese in his mouth. "And you leave this house dressed like you are expecting to get someone's attention."
I instantly grab a piece of broccoli. "I just like dressing nice." I say playfully tossing it at him.
"Looking nice for Chaaassee" he extends his name for emphasis.
I turn red and focus my attention to my food again. Why did he single out Chase? I could feel his sense of victory like rays of sunshine in the summer time. He begins to finish his food as well with the smile still on his face.
"What's for dessert?" I respond as I finish my plate.
"Strawberry Chase cake." He says trying to make a joke of the situation.
"Dad! Stop that was so corny!" I shake my head at him.
He laughs happily. "Well you're the one who is denying your undying love for the boy."
"I don't love him!"
"Well you were calling his name in your sleep." He gins at me. "Could you elaborate on that one?"
My mouth drops was I really calling him? Maybe I am in love. Dad goes to the refrigerator and brings me a slice of cheese cake. We eat it in silence. I could not think of anything to discuss, my mind was focused on my dream, and dad was too into how it came out to say anything buy mmm this is good.
It is almost time to present what we've found out about our partners and I still have not talked to either of them together. I have not spoken with Giovanni in three days and Chase has been extremely distant of me. I met up with him Tuesday night and we discussed the questions. I did not speak of my dreams, my thoughts, anything that involved him I just really wanted this project to be over with. We have been working on this for two weeks technically. And we are expected to present them on Halloween. She has also offered extra credit points if we come in with pictures of us celebrating the holiday the following school day.
I haven't gone trick-or-treating in almost 3 years. I don't think I will start that again anytime soon. Plus I'm sure they won't do it willingly. I just wish there was some way of talking to the both of them without having to do so physically, seeing as they won't face each other outside of school. Suddenly a light bulb goes off in my head. "GROUP TEXT!"
Hey guys I decided since you both are two immature to face each other outside of school and we need to communicate with each other to pass this class, I came to the conclusion that if we have a group texting session we could discuss more of our project without physically seeing each other. So what do you guys want to do for HALLOWEEN?
I click send and I feel extremely proud of myself. I hope this works out better than the project itself is.
I will be a vampire Giovanni responds
Ware wolf :) Chase says shockingly
My mouth drops. They are willing to do it. I jump with joy proud of my first grand idea involving this group. Maybe they enjoy Halloween more than they hate being in each other's presence. I think of what I want to wear. The memories of previous costumes dance around my head. A bumble bee, a pumpkin, a goddess, and the one that stands out most the witch.
I guess I will be a witch then.
This is one big step for the both of them. Wow I am so proud of my sons. I chuckle as I realize they are so immature and this holiday fits them so perfectly. Flashes of various costumes appear in my head. Should I go based off scary or sexy? I look at the calendar. I take out my sharpie and make the Saturday before Halloween COSTUME DAY that way I would not forget to buy one. I have to really start saving up. This Halloween is going to be the best, especially since I get to spend it with two gorgeous guys.
I hear the thumping. My heart is speaking to me. I open my eyes to see only trees thousands and thousands of branches leaning over me like children who spotted an ant at the park. A chill runs down my spine. "How did I get here?" I say to myself as I slowly lift my body off the ground. I am fully dressed in a witch costume. I was wearing a black sequenced shirt with my shoulders fully exposed to the world. My skirt purple and black plaid short enough to show my sexy side but long enough to cover the areas need. By knee high socks black with two purple stripes on the top are torn midway. "Where are my shoes?" I look around to see my hat and shoes resting on a rock. They are purple and glittery and the hat all black with grey hair hanging from it.
I make my way to the rock only a few feet away. The wet ground so cold and moist it feels so gross and unbearable. The wind blows quietly chilling every part of my body. I groan. "This is unbelievable!" I wonder how I possibly made my way to the forest and how long I had been laying there. My hair is tussled and there are leaves tangled in it. As I reach the rock I notice something odd about the design of the hat. Looking down I see a snake wrapped tightly on it. "EEK!" I scream and quickly and suddenly stumble back. Landing on my ass I look around to see if anyone had seen me. No one was around me.
I take a deep breath. "I can do this" I say as I get up off the ground. The snake rears its head up staring directly at me. It hisses fiercely warning me not to get any closer. I stare into its eyes challenging it. 'I need to at least get the shoes' I think to myself. The snake slowly extends its body showing off its outstanding length. I back away as it comes closer. Now, only a foot apart and a yard or so from the hat I am paralyzed with fear. The snake moves its head side to side as if trying to put me into a trance. Its tongue makes its way in and out of the mouth intimidating me and causing my heart beat to increase.
"Carmina!" it hisses at me. The way the name rolls off its tongue sounds amazing.
My eyes widen. 'Did this snake just TALK'? "No…I'm Juliana…." I say shaking my head as I say no.
The snake seems to yawn and its marvelous fangs show. "Juliana?" It says a little confused.
"Yes…Juliana… How can you talk Mr. Snake?" I respond wanting to get some answers.
"You are in a dream." He replies his eyes suddenly turning into a spiral of red and blue swirls.
"I'm asleep?" I ask raising an eyebrow. "What is the purpose of this dream?"
The snake shakes its head. "Carmina… Don't play coy with me… You know what this dream means… You know what must be done… Or else it will happen again… You are doomed…" He hisses a short monologue and slowly fades away.
"I am NOT Carmina!" I yell hoping he could hear me in some way.
I walk to my items and put them on. I have to clean up somehow. I could hear the flow of water in the distance. There must be a river close by. I allow my senses to map my route listening to the sound of the rushing water and smelling the scent of the flowers that grow along its bed. Exiting a clearing in to woods I see a cliff. "Ocean..." I say knowing that I had ended up at the point where the river flows into the ocean. The crashing of the waves against the rocks below frightens me.
"Jump" A familiar voice calls.
I turn away from the cliff and look toward the forest. Before me stands Chase he stares at me with a cold stare.
"Chase!" I say running toward him.
As I wrap my arms around his slim body I could feel nothing but coldness. I slowly let go and back away. "Chase…Are you a vampire?" I ask hoping to get a 'no.'
He stares at me not making a comment. In his eyes a lot of pain and sorrow. "Jump" he finally responds and points to the cliff.
My heart beat increases again as the boy I am madly in love with offers me suicide on a platter. "Jump? Why?" I respond with fear in my tone of voice.
"You killed him… You killed Giovanni… YOU KILLED HIM…YOU KILLED GIOVANNI…" he screams suddenly lunging himself toward me.
I scream as we begin wrestling near the edge of the cliff. "NO! NO! NO! I did not kill him…" I respond. He finally pins me down looking down on me. Tears are in his eyes his face so hurt and filled with sorrow. I shake my head at him showing him I was being sincere. "Chase…. I would never…" I respond.
Suddenly a flash of the event in which Giovanni was killed pops in my head. Giovanni is pinned against my side paneling stunned with fear. The man chuckles as I woman suddenly walks to him taking the gun out of his hands. She pulls the trigger and there is a loud bang. She turns around her curly hair blowing it the wind and with a smile on her face…It was me.
Chase lifts me off the ground holding me over the cliff. "You are going to die." He says as cold as possible. I kick my feet as if I would magically be able to save myself.
"Chase I am so sorry…" A sudden question pops up in my head. "Why do you care though?"
"I love him" he says as he drops me from the cliff. Suddenly false memories of our friendship flash through my head: various times of us as children playing in the park, running through the field laughing with our cap and gowns on, lying in the woods with a fire lit. More and more memories flash by as I fall to my death. Suddenly everything goes black.
I scream as I jump up from bed. "It was only a dream I respond as I realize I am still in my room. "This means something." I say as I remember the last thing the snake says. "Do I kill Giovanni…? Was that man Mr. Johnson? And is Giovanni Chase's best friend?" I look around as the thoughts of their strange relationship flashes in my head. "Or are they secret lovers?"
Now Juliana is wondering and ideas are flowing through her head. Let me know what you think. Next chapter will we up soon :) Thank you for reading
