Shadows (Book 2)

1: Back Home

It's the first day of winter break.
So far school has been subpar.
Lately I've been feeling numb.
Yesterday I threw a party to celebrate the beginning of the winter vacation and invited everyone at school.
Winters in NewYork are always crowded but they still manage to feel lonely.
This year is no different.
Senior year at Jefferson High School.
I've been trying to be on my best behavior.
I wake up in my penthouse apartment paid for by my parents.
In theory it'd be a family home if not for the fact that I haven't seen my parents in months and whenever I do see them it's for no more than a day or two.
Besides that I'm usually here alone.
Usually.
I wake up to a woman's hand on my chest.
She uses her finger to lightly trace the tattoo on my chest.
I keep my eyes closed.
The hand slowly drifts towards my neck.
She caresses the back if my head and pulls me closer.
My lips pressed against hers.
I open my eyes and see that it's my girlfriend, Nicole.
I push her blonde hair from her face and smile.
"Good morning" she says.
The first voice I hear in the morning like a melody of birds.
She leans in again for her plump red lips to touch mine one more time before pulling away.
"Get up. I have a surprise."she says.
She jumps out of bed and rushes out of the room.
I roll over and pause then hurry and grab my pants and put them on.
I reach the hall and find Michael Landon, one of the partygoers, still asleep from the night before.
I pause to check if he's okay.
"Marc!" she calls from the living room.
She's getting impatient.
After stepping over Mike I get out to the living room.
The shades are all closed and the lights are off.
I step into the darkened room.
"Nicki?" I call out.
I don't see her.
I keep going until I reach the center of the room.
A small fire ignites near the dining area.
The light from flame illuminates just enough for me to see the lower half of her face.
*"Happy Birthday to you"*
   *"Happy Birthday to you"*
Nicole starts to sing to me.
The flame is from a candle on top of a small stack of pancakes.
My birthday isn't until tomorrow but she won't be here. Her parents get back to town tomorrow morning.
She continues to sing as she walks towards me.
She gets closer.
"Make a wish." she says.
"It's not my birthday yet." I respond.
She pokes out her lip in a playful pout.
"Ok fine" I say
I close my eyes and blow out the candle and we share a kiss in the nearly dark room.
She turns on the light and tells me how this is only the first surprise.
Just as she's telling me her phone rings and she has to go it's her dad.
He had been out of town for the past 3 days.
After a short conversation says goodbye and that she'll call me later to tell me the plans. She says to be dressed by 6pm.
It's noon.
I spent the next couple hours cleaning and wiping down my house.
I wake up Mike and offer him a bottle of gatorade.
He's still drunk from the night before.
He chugs the entire bottle and I help him up and to the couch.
He falls back asleep while I keep cleaning.
Suddenly I hear a sound at my door.
A subtle scratch.
I open the door and there's a puppy.
Small and tan with blue eyes and a white patch of fur on it's back
There's no tags.
It runs and jumps into my arms. It's like it knows me.
It must be one if the surprises Nicki was talking about.
I pick him up and bring him inside.
I ordered him a delivery of dog food.
A couple hours pass and I get the text from Nicki saying she's downstairs.
I buzz her up and start to get ready.
I open my drawer and notice the amethyst dagger sitting on top of my shirts.
I pause before moving past it and grab my clothes.
I hurry to get dressed.
We're going out to celebrate.
All bars and clubs in the city are 21+.
I can pass for 21, especially with a fake ID and enough money.
By 7:30pm we meet everyone at the club.
The rest of the night is a blur.
I end up passed out in bed at my apartment.
I wake up at midnight to the sound of my new unnamed puppy barking.
All of a sudden,
*Boom. Boom. Boom*
Someone's at my door.
I hurry out of bed.
I pass the guest room. Mike is in there asleep, fully passed out and barely coherent.
He spends more time here with me than at his own home. I don't mind him. I know he'll get in trouble if he goes home drunk.
Besides, him being here makes the place a little less lonely.
I reach the living room when they knock again.
*Boom. Boom. Boom*
I grab a stoker from next to the fireplace and slowly approach the door.
At the door, I look on the door camera monitor.
Nobody is there.
Just as I begin to walk away, there's another knock.
*Boom. Boom.*
Before they can knock a third time I snatch the door open.
I look both ways.
The hall is empty.
Laying across from my door is a big cardboard box.