I bite my lip and stand, going to my suitcase to pull out some clothes for the day. When I turn around and find that Gabriel hasn’t moved even an inch, I consider asking him to turn around, but in light of everything we did last night and everything he’s already seen, it certainly can’t hurt to let him watch.
I pull my shirt off over my head and bend to push my underwear down my legs. And then I watch Gabriel’s eyes sweep over me from head to toe. He’s all shimmery now, his black smoke flooding out of him in waves, covering half the room in darkness. It’s like he’s exploding.
I have to look away from him so that I can concentrate enough to get dressed, and when I’m done, I say, “I’ll see you later, okay? I won’t be gone long.”
His shadow is taking up the entire room. It’s so dark that I feel like I need to turn on a light or something. The knowledge that it’s out of his own excitement sends a shiver through me.
Take your time, he says into my head.
There aretwo bookstores in Lewistown, Montana, but only one of them has books on ghosts and the occult. I get goosebumps walking through the section because I was raised by parents who taught me toneverunder any circumstancesmess with things like Ouija boards and tarot cards. It always seemed like sage advice, and it’s not like I’ve ever really been into those things anyway.
At least, not until I found a Shadow Person in my cabin rental. I pull out every book they have on this sort of thing, sitting down on the floor and flipping through them to see if I can find something on how to get Gabriel unstuck from the cabin. I’m not even really sure where to begin.
“Shadow People, huh?”
My head snaps up. Hovering over me is a woman about my mother’s age, her eyes glued to the pile of books around me. The one that’s open in my lap is currently displaying several very creepy (and inaccurate) photos of Shadow People. I don’t thinkany of them are real photos, which tells me this book isn’t going to do me much good.
I give a nervous laugh, shutting the book. “Yeah. Someone told me about them recently, and I guess I just thought they were interesting.”
The woman tosses her long, blonde hair over her shoulder and reaches down for one of the books I chose. I can see the streaks of gray in her hair that match the lines around her eyes. “Shadow People are quite dangerous, from what I’ve heard.”
I try not to let anything show on my face. “Oh, I don’t know about that. They seem to be fairly harmless.” I realize how that must sound and roll my eyes playfully, trying to throw this woman off the scent. “It doesn’t really matter. I don’t believe in all this stuff. I’m just working on a book.” Ah, there. A nugget of truth. That’s helpful.
The woman regards me, her eyes scanning me up and down. “Well, you can not believe in it all you want, but it’s all real, the ghosts and the ghouls. And these particular ghouls will drag you into Hell.”
I think about Gabriel, the way he can’t hide his pleasure and the way he came last night just from touching me and being called a good boy. Am I really supposed to believe that he wants to drag me into Hell?
I smile politely. “Thanks for the input.”
I’m hoping that’s enough to get this woman to leave me alone, but all she does is step closer to me. My eyes fall to the brown leather of her shoes. “I don’t mean to be nosy,” she says, in that way that people warn you just before they’re about to say something awful, “but are you staying in that cabin at the top of the hill?”
Something uncomfortable twists in my stomach. How the hell does she know where I’m staying? I look up at her slowly,glad now that I wasn’t open with her about the truth. I clearly need to be cautious.
I’m not sure how to respond, but she doesn’t wait for me to. “You know, several people have claimed that place is haunted. It’s sort of local lore, actually. More than one person has mentioned a demonic presence.”
Anger rises up inside of me. “He’s not–” I don’t cut myself off in time. Jesus, my caution lasted all of ten seconds. I clamp my lips together and meet the smug expression the woman is wearing with a fierce one of my own. “I don’t mean to be rude,” I say, throwing her own words back at her, “but what goes on in that cabin while I’m there is really none of your business.” I stand, reaching down for the books and then piling them onto a table at the end of the aisle. I’ll find somewhere else to get answers.
I turn for the front of the bookstore, but the woman rushes out in front of me, stopping me in my tracks. “Please.” She puts her hands up, as if to show her innocence. “I’m just trying to help you.”
“Please, move out of my way.”
People are starting to turn in our direction, but the woman doesn’t pay them any attention. “You were looking into Shadow People. Is that what’s in the cabin with you? They’ll convince you to have intercourse with them, and that’s how they bind themselves to people forever. You’re not safe!”
As much as I hate to admit it, I full-on shove the woman out of the way at that point. I’m so mad and so desperate to just get the hell out of here that I don’t even care when she stumbles back into a table of books, knocking down the display that was masterfully perched there. Several people gasp, and I make a run for it before someone calls the cops on me.
Chapter 6
Some of the adrenaline has worn off by the time I get back to the cabin, but my hands are still shaking. What the hell was up with that woman?
I’ve been running her words through my mind over and over, trying to figure out if there’s even a chance that any of it could be true. Because if it is…
As soon as I climb out of my SUV, Gabriel is there, bringing with him that gust of wind that he always does. I shut my door and lean against it. I think he can tell immediately that things didn’t go great. A crease forms between his solid black eyes.
What happened? he asks, and I feel bad that I didn’t offer him a warmer greeting. I’m sure it’s miserable for him, waiting around for me to get back.
“Gabriel, I need to ask you a question.”
He just nods, his shadows moving around him in restless ripples.
