The Beast Within (The Elite Series) - By Jonathan Yanez Page 0,25
have some questions … about Dad”
The line was quiet for a second. “You got it. I can answer whatever you need to know to the best of my ability.”
Connor felt a wave of relief, “Thanks, Mom.”
“No problem. See you soon. I love you, Connor.”
“Love you, too.”
He hung up the phone and immediately felt better. It was funny how parents could have such an effect on their child. A weight had been lifted from his shoulders. In a few hours he would get some answers and, with any luck, be able to chalk this whole thing up to paranoia; or to a beautiful girl taking him out of his comfort zone and causing him to have delusions of grandeur.
After a few minutes’ ride in his truck, he pulled up to Mrs. Hayes’ house. The tan two-story home seemed a little slanted, but that could just be his imagination. Connor parked out front, opened the wooden gate, and walked towards her front door. People could say what they wanted about her sanity, but she was one hell of a gardener. Her vegetables were perfect and her flowers were so flawless they looked fake.
Connor walked up the two small steps to her creaky wooden porch and knocked on her screen door. There was no response. Opening the screen, Connor rapped a little louder on the wooden door.
“I hear you, young Connor, go ahead come on in—door’s open.”
Connor tried the door and sure enough, it was unlocked., He swung it open and stepped inside. Although he had known her for years, made countless deliveries to her and had plenty of conversations with the woman, he had never actually been in her house.
No sooner had he placed a foot inside than his ears were met with the patter of multiple running paws. Rounding the corner were the biggest bulldog and bloodhound Connor had ever seen. He knew he should probably be scared, but Connor had always loved dogs, and this pair, despite their size, didn’t seem threatening.
The two dogs rushed to meet him, panting their hellos. The bulldog was white and light brown, his comrade the same shade of brown, but black instead of white. They greeted him like old friends with sloppy licks and happy nudges.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Mrs. Hayes called from the other room. “Boys, go to your rooms and leave our poor friend alone.”
The two dogs reluctantly but obediently left Connor’s side.
“I didn’t know you had dogs,” Connor shouted to the empty air, still unable to see her.
“Oh yes, they’re just usually out at work.”
Recovering from the onslaught of welcomes, and choosing to ignore Mrs. Hayes last comment about her dogs, Connor looked around and gathered his bearings. To his left, the kitchen opened with glass cupboards that covered all available space. These cupboards held everything from pots and pans to mixers, deep fryers, toasters and other contraptions. Tearing his eyes away from the controlled disaster, he passed a hallway on his left, stairs on his right, and then entered the main room.
Much like the kitchen, the room was clean and even smelled like lavender. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves lined all the walls except one. The bookshelves were crammed full of every type of book one could imagine. These books looked anywhere from brand new to ancient. Perhaps Columbus used them to journal about his trip to the New World. The only wall that was unadorned displayed a huge window. In the middle of the room was a large rug, a small table, and two black, high-backed leather chairs. Mrs. Hayes sat in one of these chairs, smiling at Connor.
“Please, come, sit. We have so much to talk about.”
Void of a hat today, her gray and white hair shot in every direction but up. She wore a faded purple top, white pants that seemed as though they would fit someone twice her size, and black slippers.
Connor took a seat next to her. “My mother said you had a problem with the last delivery?”
Mrs. Hayes looked at him as though he was an alien, her light brown eyes full of reproof. Taking a commanding tone she began. “I thought you said you were ready? You try so hard to ignore the truth, the same truth that’s right in front of you.”
CHAPTER 7
CONNOR’S HEAD SWAM. HE KNEW he had recognized the voice in his dream, it was Mrs. Hayes! But it was crazy to think she had power over his dreams.