Amaranth - By Rachael Wade Page 0,60
of yours? Haven’t seen him around here lately.”
“He’s fine.”
“No trouble on the romance front, then?”
“Everything’s peachy.” I waited for her to get the hint.
She stared at me for a second with those curious old-hen eyes, waiting for me to elaborate, no doubt. I waited, glanced around. “Good to know dear, good to know,” she finally said, “Well, I best stop dilly-dallying,” she adjusted her glasses and left me alone. Without wasting a second more, I hurried off.
After rummaging through a few shelves, I dashed out the door as soon as Carol was out of sight and jumped into my Jeep, making sure Joel was nowhere in sight. I’d told him to meet me at nine when my shift ended to follow me home, so as far as he knew, I wasn’t getting off for at least a few more hours. But vampires were stubborn. And sly. For all I knew, he was hanging out around the bookstore to make sure Andrew didn’t show up. Or to make sure I didn’t do something stupid.
I struggled to find my way to the bayou and watched the sun sink down to the earth, the loyal crescent moon becoming more and more visible as the sky went black. Joel knew the cycle, knew tonight was the last crescent we’d have until next month, so I was really pressing my luck. Still, I figured he’d never assume I’d do something this senseless. My tires jumped as I made my way off road, down a path I vaguely remembered from the night Gavin drove me there. I took advantage of the last few seconds of daylight, hoped that seeing my surroundings in the light would help jog my memory and lead the way.
Getting frustrated, I slowed down, leaned over the steering wheel to look out into the dead clearing in front of me. The sky now a dark void; my headlights only illuminated the ground and the trees directly in front of the car. I grabbed my flashlight and jumped out into the darkness, shined it on the trees in front of me, searched for any sign of the bizarre oak tree. I staggered forward, squinted as I approached a slope in the ground that led to a part of the bayou’s shoreline. I spun around and frantically searched the trees again, sure that the clearing looked familiar, but uncertain I’d driven far enough along the bank to reach the right spot.
My back to the water, I turned my head to the right, remembered the location of the tree in relation to the water. Moving the flashlight in front of me, I breathed a sigh when I saw the rebellious branch I was looking for, staring me in the face, daring me. Thrilled that my directional instincts had been right, I glared up at the taunting moon and adrenaline rushed through me. The sounds of the night coalesced with my heartbeat. It was time.
I dashed back to the Jeep and dumped my work shirt and shoes into the backseat, replaced them with an old t-shirt and durable riding boots that would hopefully be useful in my surroundings. I pulled the boots on over my jeans and slammed the car door shut, took a deep breath as I patted my pockets for anything I didn’t need. Vampire repellant would be helpful to take with me. A shame it wasn’t on the market just yet. I tossed my hair into a loose ponytail and stalked toward the tree, then ruthlessly grabbed hold of the branch to accept the challenge. Wrapping both arms around it, I pushed down forcefully, felt it crack as it gave way. I could already the feel the elements change, as they had the night my friends left me.
Immediately, I began shivering and watched the water roar to life, wondered when I should enter. Creeping toward the bayou’s edge, I couldn’t help but think of drowning. The anxious, uncomfortable feeling of holding your breath for too long, lungs signaling it was time to get air, and fast. What would happen once I surrendered to the water’s pull? Once my feet were in the swirling water—or worse, once my head went under the water—would something terrible happen to me?
I stared down into the magnetic water, amazed at the violet color it emanated, then shut my eyes and stepped forward. The swishing current’s powerful tug thrashed around my knees, and I opened my eyes and waded in farther, kept my hands up near my waist.
“Oh, this is