"So Suze," Paul said smugly, grinning at me.
I stared at him, gob-smacked. I was completely shocked. I mean, it was like I was paralyzed or something. I couldn't even move my hands. Hands which- let me tell you-were itching to wring his neck.
"How've you been?" Paul asked, as if we were just starting a friendly conversation. He had this HUGE smirk on his face and it was starting to grate on my nerves.
"How've I been?" I repeated, my voice a deadly whisper in the silence that had enveloped me and Paul , "How've I been?"
Paul opened his mouth to interrupt me but I cut him off.
"I'LL TELL YOU HOW I'VE BLOODY BEEN!" I shrieked, loud enough so I had to scrunch my face up and ball my fists-like a ghost I'd exorcised had done before.
I could not believe it. I seriously couldn't. I mean, Paul enrolling my school, I can handle. Paul actually talking to me when he'd tried to kill me, I can handle also. But when a guy takes you book to the actual place where he'd tried to kill you-for no apparent reason- I can't. Handle, I mean. The place being Shadowland-the spookiest place I've ever been to- didn't help calm me down either.
That's when I snapped. Literally.
"WHI THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?"I roared, taking a step closer to Paul so we were practically nose-to- nose. Well, nearly, seeing as he was quite a bit taller than me.
"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?" I continued, "JUST WALTZING BACK INTO MY LIFE, WHEN YOU'D TRIED TO FLIPPIN' KILL ME BY LEAVING ME STRANDED HERE WITHOUT ANY DAMN WAY TO GET BACK TO EARTH!"
Only I didn't say flipping. Under the circumstances though, I deem this to be appropriate.
Paul actually had the nerve to look surprised at being yelled at. Like he didn't deserve it or something.
"I never tried to kill you," Paul said, sounding kinda hurt by the accusation.
I blinked.
"You DIDN'T try to kill me?" I laughed, "How the HELL did you work that one out?" I asked, genuinely interested. I mean, I would've woke up dead if it hadn't been for Paul's little brother Jack who'd come up into Shadowland- when I'd only had a couple of minutes left to get back to Earth-with a rope tied around him, and showed me and Jesse the way out. Jesse: being the sizzling hot ghost who just happened to share my bedroom as he was killed in it. Jesse-in my opinion-is THE most handsome guy ever, but I doubt he knows it.
"I'd never try to kill you," Paul said, yanking me out of my pleasant thoughts and back to the present.
"Oh yeah?" I scoffed, "the what do you call..."
I broke off abruptly on account of the very large-and might I add strong- hand Paul had clapped on my mouth. So you see, I couldn't really finish off my sentence if I wanted to.
"I didn't try to kill you," Paul hissed, glaring at me wit those same icy- clue eyes that had haunted me in my nightmares these last few weeks, "got that?"
I couldn't exactly reply-due to the hand on my mouth- so I shot him this very dirty look. Paul didn't even seem fazed by the fact that I hated him so much. I mean; you'd expect some sort of reaction, wouldn't you? I WAS giving-what I like to call- my death look. He didn't even do so much as twitch. I guess Paul's used to being hated. I mean, Jesse hates his guts. I sometimes wander whether Jesse hates Paul more than me- something I didn't think was possible.
"Now," Paul said, removing his hand from my mouth, "back to business."
Business? What the heck did he mean by that?
I regarded him suspiciously. I for one certainly did not want to be involved in any kind of business with Paul. Who knew what business he was talking about?
Paul laughed then, as if sensing my thoughts. That as well as Paul's actual laugh sent a chill down my spine. I mean, it would be very...weird, if he could, you know, read my mind. That-I was convinced-could never happen. Turns out I was wrong.
"I can, you know," Paul murmured, caressing my cheek gently.
Paul-in addition to being a wanna-be murderer- is entirely cold-blooded.
"You can what?" I asked. My voice came out as a croak. I cleared my throat and asked again.
"I can read your mind," Paul replied calmly, "it's very easy, actually."
That's just plain idiotic, right? I mean, there's no way people can just read other people's mind like that, right?
"No, they can't," Paul said. I breathed a sigh of relief-too dense to realise he'd just answered a question that I hadn't asked aloud.
"Only shifters or mediators can."
Now I was seriously freaked out. Can you blame me? I'd just found out that Paul could read my mind...and maybe I could too.
Paul waved his hand in the air, dismissing the subject like it wasn't important.
"But that's not the reason I transported you here."
Hold on, transported?
"Transported," Paul said, smiling a little.
"You transported me here?" I asked, a look of disbelief painted on my face, "no way, no freakin' way."
Now Paul just looked annoyed. He gave me a firm shake that sent my hair flying into my face.
"Yes, transported," Paul said, "but that's not why you're here either."
"Well, why then?" I demanded, "Because I do have, you know, places to go, people to see."
Paul grinned.
"What I've got to say will only take a second."
I opened my mouth to tell him to get on with it when I saw somebody out of the corner of my eye: a very familiar somebody.
Paul moved in front of me, blocking my view.
I looked up at him, disgruntled.
"Well?" I spat, tapping my foot impatiently.
Paul fastened his gaze onto mine.
"I want you," he stated.
I snorted then burst out laughing. You would too if you'd have heard him. I mean, he just sounded so...so...dumb. There I was, ready for some death threat or something and he came out with that!
"I am perfectly serious," Paul said levelly, "and I always get what I want."
"Really?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.
I was getting kinda confident now. I wasn't even scared of Paul anymore.
"Yes, really," Paul said, "and if you don't do what I want, well, let's just say you'll change your mind real quick."
My heart suddenly sped up. I started shaking and my breath came out in short gasps. I couldn't speak.
What did he mean?
"You'll find out soon enough," whispered Paul. He bent down and kissed me on my icy lips, the disappeared.
"Paul," I called out hesitantly into the darkness in front of me. There was no reply.
How was I supposed to get back now?
It turns out that was the least of my worries.
"Susannah," a voice croaked. It sounded weak and laced with pain; a lot of pain. I recognized it.
"Susannah," it said again, the voice was stronger this time, but not by much.
I turned my head slowly in the direction of the voice fearfully. What is saw made my heart stop. I gasped.
"Jesse..."
I stared at him, gob-smacked. I was completely shocked. I mean, it was like I was paralyzed or something. I couldn't even move my hands. Hands which- let me tell you-were itching to wring his neck.
"How've you been?" Paul asked, as if we were just starting a friendly conversation. He had this HUGE smirk on his face and it was starting to grate on my nerves.
"How've I been?" I repeated, my voice a deadly whisper in the silence that had enveloped me and Paul , "How've I been?"
Paul opened his mouth to interrupt me but I cut him off.
"I'LL TELL YOU HOW I'VE BLOODY BEEN!" I shrieked, loud enough so I had to scrunch my face up and ball my fists-like a ghost I'd exorcised had done before.
I could not believe it. I seriously couldn't. I mean, Paul enrolling my school, I can handle. Paul actually talking to me when he'd tried to kill me, I can handle also. But when a guy takes you book to the actual place where he'd tried to kill you-for no apparent reason- I can't. Handle, I mean. The place being Shadowland-the spookiest place I've ever been to- didn't help calm me down either.
That's when I snapped. Literally.
"WHI THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?"I roared, taking a step closer to Paul so we were practically nose-to- nose. Well, nearly, seeing as he was quite a bit taller than me.
"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?" I continued, "JUST WALTZING BACK INTO MY LIFE, WHEN YOU'D TRIED TO FLIPPIN' KILL ME BY LEAVING ME STRANDED HERE WITHOUT ANY DAMN WAY TO GET BACK TO EARTH!"
Only I didn't say flipping. Under the circumstances though, I deem this to be appropriate.
Paul actually had the nerve to look surprised at being yelled at. Like he didn't deserve it or something.
"I never tried to kill you," Paul said, sounding kinda hurt by the accusation.
I blinked.
"You DIDN'T try to kill me?" I laughed, "How the HELL did you work that one out?" I asked, genuinely interested. I mean, I would've woke up dead if it hadn't been for Paul's little brother Jack who'd come up into Shadowland- when I'd only had a couple of minutes left to get back to Earth-with a rope tied around him, and showed me and Jesse the way out. Jesse: being the sizzling hot ghost who just happened to share my bedroom as he was killed in it. Jesse-in my opinion-is THE most handsome guy ever, but I doubt he knows it.
"I'd never try to kill you," Paul said, yanking me out of my pleasant thoughts and back to the present.
"Oh yeah?" I scoffed, "the what do you call..."
I broke off abruptly on account of the very large-and might I add strong- hand Paul had clapped on my mouth. So you see, I couldn't really finish off my sentence if I wanted to.
"I didn't try to kill you," Paul hissed, glaring at me wit those same icy- clue eyes that had haunted me in my nightmares these last few weeks, "got that?"
I couldn't exactly reply-due to the hand on my mouth- so I shot him this very dirty look. Paul didn't even seem fazed by the fact that I hated him so much. I mean; you'd expect some sort of reaction, wouldn't you? I WAS giving-what I like to call- my death look. He didn't even do so much as twitch. I guess Paul's used to being hated. I mean, Jesse hates his guts. I sometimes wander whether Jesse hates Paul more than me- something I didn't think was possible.
"Now," Paul said, removing his hand from my mouth, "back to business."
Business? What the heck did he mean by that?
I regarded him suspiciously. I for one certainly did not want to be involved in any kind of business with Paul. Who knew what business he was talking about?
Paul laughed then, as if sensing my thoughts. That as well as Paul's actual laugh sent a chill down my spine. I mean, it would be very...weird, if he could, you know, read my mind. That-I was convinced-could never happen. Turns out I was wrong.
"I can, you know," Paul murmured, caressing my cheek gently.
Paul-in addition to being a wanna-be murderer- is entirely cold-blooded.
"You can what?" I asked. My voice came out as a croak. I cleared my throat and asked again.
"I can read your mind," Paul replied calmly, "it's very easy, actually."
That's just plain idiotic, right? I mean, there's no way people can just read other people's mind like that, right?
"No, they can't," Paul said. I breathed a sigh of relief-too dense to realise he'd just answered a question that I hadn't asked aloud.
"Only shifters or mediators can."
Now I was seriously freaked out. Can you blame me? I'd just found out that Paul could read my mind...and maybe I could too.
Paul waved his hand in the air, dismissing the subject like it wasn't important.
"But that's not the reason I transported you here."
Hold on, transported?
"Transported," Paul said, smiling a little.
"You transported me here?" I asked, a look of disbelief painted on my face, "no way, no freakin' way."
Now Paul just looked annoyed. He gave me a firm shake that sent my hair flying into my face.
"Yes, transported," Paul said, "but that's not why you're here either."
"Well, why then?" I demanded, "Because I do have, you know, places to go, people to see."
Paul grinned.
"What I've got to say will only take a second."
I opened my mouth to tell him to get on with it when I saw somebody out of the corner of my eye: a very familiar somebody.
Paul moved in front of me, blocking my view.
I looked up at him, disgruntled.
"Well?" I spat, tapping my foot impatiently.
Paul fastened his gaze onto mine.
"I want you," he stated.
I snorted then burst out laughing. You would too if you'd have heard him. I mean, he just sounded so...so...dumb. There I was, ready for some death threat or something and he came out with that!
"I am perfectly serious," Paul said levelly, "and I always get what I want."
"Really?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.
I was getting kinda confident now. I wasn't even scared of Paul anymore.
"Yes, really," Paul said, "and if you don't do what I want, well, let's just say you'll change your mind real quick."
My heart suddenly sped up. I started shaking and my breath came out in short gasps. I couldn't speak.
What did he mean?
"You'll find out soon enough," whispered Paul. He bent down and kissed me on my icy lips, the disappeared.
"Paul," I called out hesitantly into the darkness in front of me. There was no reply.
How was I supposed to get back now?
It turns out that was the least of my worries.
"Susannah," a voice croaked. It sounded weak and laced with pain; a lot of pain. I recognized it.
"Susannah," it said again, the voice was stronger this time, but not by much.
I turned my head slowly in the direction of the voice fearfully. What is saw made my heart stop. I gasped.
"Jesse..."