January Dreams by Carrigan Richards (read people like a book .txt) 📗

He only wants the Jewel. He’s only using you as leverage.”

A gunshot sounds and the man releases me. I lose my balance. My heart jumps to my throat as I fall. I grasp the edge of the cliff and small rocks break and fall past me. They always say don’t look down, so I look straight up into the indigo starry night, holding on so tight.

“Megan.” Casper calls and grabs my wrists. His beautiful face takes the place of the stars and he hoists me up until I am safely in his arms. Holding me close, he kisses me fervently. “I can’t lose you. This is getting too close. We have to keep going. There could be others.”

The man on the ground groans and I stiffen. We get to our feet and I cautiously walk toward the man, but Casper holds me back. I can’t see the man’s face.

“You think you’ve won,” he says through a thick garbled voice. He coughs and I see a pool of liquid spreading around him under the bright moonlight. “The night of the eclipse, the war will start.”

Casper takes my hand and pulls me through the thick forest, picking up his pace the further we get. It is hard though, running in such a long dress.

“He will find you, Megan,” I hear the man bellow behind us. I gasp and look back. I lose my footing and crash to the ground.

“Megan.” Casper helps me to my feet.

Is the man right? Is Casper only using me? He wants me to go back home. He wants me to forget about him. But why is he grasping my wrist, holding me against him as we run away from my home?

I open my eyes to my room and realize I was dreaming, again. The dreams are increasingly scary. And more confusing. I try to make sense out of it as I ready for school, but nothing comes to mind. My nerves are a little on edge since I keep picturing the creepy, dark figure trying to kill me. His large body stalking toward me with a gun in his hand. I could never see his face. I always feel so incredibly safe with Casper in my dreams, but now, I feel like there isn’t anything keeping me safe. I try to shake the ridiculous impending doom sensation, but I can’t.

The dark morning mirrors my mood with its dreary rain. It’s one of those days where I want to curl up in my blankets with my dogs and read.

“Good morning.” Cherry smiles but it fades. “Geez, you look hungover or something. What did you do last night?”

I trade my backpack for my history book and notebook. “I dreamed that someone tried to kill me.”

“Whoa. Damn, Megan. Again? Are you okay?”

I shake my head. “Not really. It scared me.”

I can’t help but look around at everyone like they’re going to appear from the shadows with a gun pointed at me. Cherry purses her lips to the side, and I see the concern in her blue eyes. She places a hand on my shoulder, and I jump. She removes it. “Whoa, it’s me. It was only a dream. It isn’t real. Keep telling yourself that. I’ve had pretty scary dreams and that’s what I gotta do to calm myself.”

I close my locker and we walk to history class.

“Was…he in it?” she asks.

I nod. Speaking of Casper… “How can I figure out if he wrote that note? I don’t want to go up and ask him.”

“He probably wouldn’t tell you the truth anyway. Maybe ask Vincent to get a writing sample.”

I did tell myself I would speak to Vincent. Maybe this is a good excuse. I ponder it all through class, and when the bell rings, I finally decide to do it.

Once I reach the office, I catch him as he’s packing up his books. When he sees me, he smiles and blushes.

“Just the girl I wanted to see.”

“Me?”

He chuckles. “What’s up?”

“Um, I was wondering if you could help me before you leave.”

“Yeah, sure. I can walk you to class.”

“Well, actually…” I hold up the note and realize that I don’t want him or anyone to read such a personal note. “Is there any way you could show me a sample of Casper Truitt’s handwriting?”

He crumples his face before replying. “Sure. He’s always checking in late, so I’m sure you can check his signature on the sign out pad here.”

“He would check in late. How does he get away with that? Does his daddy invest in the school or something?”

Vincent smirks as I check the sign out pad. I find Casper’s signature and I mirror the note against the writing. It’s a match. So now, it’s obvious that Casper is playing a trick on me. Fantastic. Here I am dreaming about some douchebag and I can’t get him out of my head while he decides to mess with me. Again.

“Is something wrong?” he asks, probably because of the scowl on my face.

“Vincent, why can’t they all be nice like you?”

Blood flushes his cheek. We walk together down the hall. “I was wondering if I could call you sometime,” he says.

My heart jumps and I smile. “Sure. Except I’m grounded right now, so no one can call.”

Vincent nods and frowns. “I see.” He starts to turn away.

“Well, don’t you want my number?”

He glances at me. “Sorry. I guess I thought—”

“I wasn’t making that up. Really. Give me your phone.” He hands it to me, and I enter my number into his phone. “My parents are ridiculously strict. They ground me for looking at them wrong,” I joke.

Vincent smiles, his eyes gazing into mine. “That sucks.”

I shrug. “You start expecting it after a while.”

“Don’t you have a cell phone?”

“I do but they