Tempting the Fates

Chapter 4

I shot upright in bed, panting. My skin was covered in a sheen of sweat, and some of my hair was stuck to my forehead. I wiped it out of my eyes and looked around. I was in my apartment, in my bed. The sun was shining through my window, signaling a new day. It was Saturday, and normally I liked to spend the day relaxing. Instead, I began it by panicking.

What happened last night? How did I end up back here?

The last thing I remembered was hitting my head on the pavement, but strangely enough I didn't even have so much as a headache. I was even still wearing the clothes I'd had on last night when I'd been attacked. I shuddered as the memories flashed in my mind.

Everything my dad had warned me about had almost happened. If that guy hadn't come along, who knows what may have happened... I couldn't remember getting home, but I hoped I'd at least thanked him for saving my life.

As for the disaster that awaited me with my dad, I'd decided I was going to apologize to him for my behavior, but I would not speak of the events of the night before. He'd never let me out of the house by myself again if he knew what had almost happened.

I slipped into my bathroom to check out the damage from the fight. When I undressed, I was surprised to find no bruises, no cuts, no injuries at all. I was sure that after the way that guy had handled me, I'd have at least a few shiners to show off, but my skin looked just as it always did. I snaked my fingers through my hair and ran them along my scalp. I found no injuries or dried blood. I wasn't even sore.

Peculiar...

After a thorough shower, I dressed and reluctantly went out to the kitchen, where my dad was eating his usual bowl of cereal and reading the paper. He looked almost identical to the way he had been the day before. His sweet, innocent face crinkled as he strained to read the tiny print. I stood in the doorway, my heart pounding.

Better get this over with...

I walked in and sat down on the stool next to him.

"Morning, dad."

"Morning, sweetie." He said cheerfully, smiling at me between mouthfuls of corn flakes.

"Umm..." I wasn't sure what to say. He didn't look angry. He didn't even look annoyed. "Listen, I want to apologize for last night."

"Last night?" he asked, looking at me funny. "What about it?"

"I'm sorry. I should have come home sooner. You warned me about staying out late, and I did it anyway." My head dropped as the guilt set in deep.

"What are you talking about, Cal? You were home by 7:00. We had a late dinner together, and then we watched a couple hours of that British game show you like before we both went to bed at 10."

"What?" I gaped. "No... I was at the library really late. I fell asleep and woke up at almost 3:00..."

He paused, tilting his head. He set down his spoon and turned to me. "Callie, are you okay? Are you sure you didn't dream this?"

"I..." No, I'm not sure...

It seemed so real, but things just weren't adding up. And after what I thought I'd saw last night- zombies, spirits, visions of the undead rising from the ground- the idea of it being a dream was becoming more and more convincing. Overwhelming stress was also known to cause people to hallucinate, and I was far more willing to believe that than admit a stranger had summoned ghosts and healed me.

"I don't know." I shrugged. I leaned forward and placed my forehead on the counter. It was cold against my skin, but I relished the feeling. I heard my dad chuckle and he patted me twice on the back.

"Good luck with that, honey. I'm gonna run a few errands, but I'll be back by lunch. Maybe you should find a place on the couch and get familiar with it while I'm out." I lifted my head, rubbing my red forehead.

"Okay. See ya." I went back to my room to see if I could find any evidence of what happened the night before.

My backpack was sitting perfectly on my desk chair, with all the contents still inside. I also found my phone in there, the battery mysteriously charged. I checked everywhere, but all the frantic texts from my dad were missing.

What if I really am going crazy? I would have sworn on my life that last night happened, but now I'm starting to doubt everything...

I sat on the edge of my bed and put my face in my hands. I'd always taken pride in my ability to be calm, collected, and logical, but I was feeling less than that. I was feeling... unstable.

"You aren't crazy, Callie."

I screamed, flopping backward over my bed. I scrambled back onto my hands and knees, my heart racing. I raised my head slightly to look over my mattress, and my jaw dropped.

It was the woman from my dream, and she was standing in my bedroom.