Falling Grace

Chapter Three

                The next morning, Kora woke with a start, panting heavily. After everything that had happened yesterday, she had to have a nightmare about Avalon of all things. At first, she was dreaming that she was in a room with only windows. She never spotted as much as a nanometer of wall or even a door. The sun was about to rise. And suddenly, that same man as before was there behind her, smiling, breathing deeply. “Tasty,” she remembered him murmuring. He launched for her, but at that moment, as she shrieked and pulled away, he was gone; disappeared into nothing. As she opened her eyes, slowly returning to stand properly, she heard a crash behind her and turned, but Avalon took her down at that moment and she shrieked, sitting up in bed.

                “You okay?” her mother asked, peeking into the room. “I heard you scream.”

                “I’m fine,” Kora said a little breathlessly. Get over yourself, she thought, annoyed. It was only a dream.

                She got ready like any other morning, as if it were a school day, but she didn’t have to grab her bag and go out the door. She found herself lost on what she should do. “Find a job,” her mom suggested on her way out. “Sounds like a good idea to me.”

                Kora rolled her eyes. “Yeah right,” she muttered.

                An hour later she was on the couch with a soda and a pencil, filling out college applications. The phone rang and she reached past her paperwork and grabbed it. “Hello?”

                “Hey,” her boyfriend greeted.

                “Hey,” she replied excitedly. “What’s up?”

                “I didn’t see you at the party last night.” He sounded disappointed.

                “Oh…There’s a good explanation.” Even though she said that, she knew she couldn’t tell him what really happened. She felt stuck.

                “It’s cool.” He saved her the trouble of thinking of an excuse. “Let’s just go out today.”

                “Okay, just let me…” she trailed off as static cut in. “Hey, can you hear me?”

                “You’re...up…” his voice cut in and out. Then he hung up and her ear was greeted by the annoying sound of the dial tone.

                “What the hell…” She pulled the phone away and looked at it. Shrugging, she hung up and pulled out her cell phone and tried to call him back. No answer. She put her phone back and pushed her work aside.

                “Hey, sis,” her brother walked in the front door, taking a bite of an apple he had.

                “What are you doing home?” She rested her hands on her hips and looked at him. “You’re supposed to be at your summer job.”

                “I felt sick.” He smirked and walked past her to his room.

                “Jonathan,” she called for him. “The phone is acting weird.”

                “Not my problem,” he called back.

                Kora snorted softly and grabbed her shoes, slipping them on and walking out the door. Thank God for summer. She decided to drive down to her boyfriend’s house. Michael, you better be okay, she couldn’t help but think. Last night’s events were taking their toll on her as she thought about Sally’s disappearance and her own near-death experience. Kora gripped the wheel as the possibilities rolled into her imagination, one after another. Tortured, eaten, blood getting sucked. No, they have to be alive. Michael is fine, Sally is fine.