After The Crossing | Book 2

CHAPTER 3: Damn, it's been a while.

"Oh, Zayn, I wish you were here." I sigh and retie my ponytail for the millionth time.

After the whole diner fiasco, Brad avoides me like the plague. Everyone wants to know what happened, but I just answer vaguely and later on they dropped it.

Cade walks on eggshells around me and I honestly hate it.

Adam.

Well, Adam, refuses to take my calls and texts and after a few days of constant texts and unanswered calls, I stopped. It is now two weeks since that incident and I feel drained.

Without Adam's presence, the dark powers manifested more and the nights are becoming more and more unbearable. Like now I am officially sleepless for four nights and counting.

Cade and my parents think it's because of the Adam drama, so it is actually good so.

I readjust my bag strap and climb up the last few stairs.

I am at my aunt Shelby's abandoned house. She was never found by the police and to be honest, I couldn't care less. But, I am at her house to find a guide or letters or some notes or anything relating to dark powers.

"Seriously?" I mutter as I step into a spider web.

I find a box of books and comb through it. Shakespeare Volumes 1-12.

Really?

Programming for dummies.

Okay...

I shift through probably 50 books, when I find a promising one.

"Symbolic Figures in Dark Arts." I read and trace the spine of the thick black book.

After searching for another hour, I found another book about absorbing dark magic. A few handscribbled notes and a thinner book about magic talismans, not knowing if it'll be much help .

I run down the stairs in the dark house, not bothering with a flash and as I reach the last one, I collide with something and fall backwards.

I expect the crash, but feel arms encircle me.

What the actual shit, who the hell is here?

And with that thought I start to scream, but a hand covers my mouth. I look up and see unfamiliar brown eyes.

"Shhh, it's okay, I'm not a serial killer."

I frantically pull myself out of this guys arms and back up a few steps

"Who are you and why are you in this house?" I ask holding up the books as a weapon, which on my side , is a stupid decision.

"I could ask you the same question, considering that we just bought this house." He says and I curse in my head.

After Shelby disappeared, all her assets went to Granny Rose. Granny obviously wanted to sell the house and be done with it

"This may look bad, but this house belonged to my aunt and there's just a few books I needed in the attic." I say, dropping the offensive book stance.

"Oh, no problem, then, I guess. I am West." He says with a smooth voice and I extend my hand.

"Claire." I say and he shakes it.

"So, Claire, what's with the creepy books? I figured you'd come back for family albums or something." He asks and I bite my bottom lip

"Uh, just early preparations for Halloween." I say and he narrows his eyes, but laughs and I smile

"When are you moving in?" I ask gesturing to the empty house.

"My parents are still coming with the rest of our furniture and my little sister, but I came earlier to be here for the arrival of the newer stuff." He says and I nod.

"And you're okay staying alone in a strange neighborhood in a town where you don't know anyone?" I ask chuckling

"What are you offering to stay the night?" He asks and wiggles his eyebrows and I can't help but laugh at his weird attempt of flirting.

"Just kidding and I'm not alone, my cousin lives in a town nearby and offered to stay with me." He says and before I can inquire more, his cousin comes in from the front door.

"West, I got the burgers and-" His very much familiar cousin says, but stops mid sentence when he sees me.

"Claire?" He asks baffled and West narrows his eyes.

"Adam." I say softly and feel my heart rate pick up and butterflies partying in my stomach.

"You guys know each other?" West asks looking between us.

"Used to know each other." Adam says icily and I swallow past the lump in my throat and send a smile to West.

"It was great meeting you, West and thanks for letting me take the books." I say and walk out as fast as my legs can carry me.

I get into my car and drive off, ignoring the sting of Adam's coldness which is much worse than the darkness killing me.

|||

According to this book, the dark powers will consume a person and if transferred it'll try to overcome it's new host, me, in order to go back to it's original bearer which is my brother.

The only way for the dark powers to fully die out, is for its current host, me, to die.

According to the one book. But obviously it is all hypothetical since I don't think that there's actual scientific studies on this.

I sigh and get up from my desk and sit at my window when my sixth sense picks up

Damn, it's been a while.

"Help?" A voice echos in my room

"It's okay, you can show yourself." I say and slowly a figure appears before me.

It's a woman appears in front of me dressed in a business suit.

I smile at her in a reassuring way and talk her through the process of crossing over. After spending an hour with her and ensuring her that it won't hurt, she finally crossed over at ease with her life.

It's been a while since I've been able to help someone. For some reason I receive less ghost visits and it's sad because that is what I loved to do and now it basically disappeared from my life.

I get up from the window sill and when I stand straight, a frighteningly huge pain envelopes my stomach.

Not again.

I try to fight the darkness, but I feel myself losing the battle. I suppress a scream and try to channel my light power, but it feels dimmed like someone blowing the light on a candle but not letting it blow out fully.

The pain moves up to my heart and I feel my air constricting and the last thing I hear is a malicious chuckle before I collapse on my carpeted floor.