Ravenswood Ch. 05

Here's the fifth chapter of this series, one that continues to put a different, more Sci-Fi spin on the age-old vampire myth.

Because it's science fiction there are aliens, good ones and bad ones, and yes, the good ones are here to stand against those who would suppress the more fragile human race. Maura, the lead character, is thrown for a loop between Jason's car and the village of Ravenswood, not to forget Jason's grandmother. Actually, this story is rather PG when it comes to sex, offering more the suggestion than a play-by-play, there is, however, a lot of action to keep you occupied.

This chapter could be rated PG-13 for action, but I still like to caution my readers. I hope you enjoy it, leave a comment once you've read it. Good feedback is the lifeblood of any writer...dreamweaver594.

5- Lurking Shadows

The late afternoon sun elongated the slender shadows of two figures as they slipped along the roof of a building adjacent to a dark alleyway where Maura walked. They leaped across the gap between two buildings, always keeping in the shadows. Maura sensed their presence more she than saw them.

It had been a week since she spoke with Jason late that night in his workshop; he hardly said a word to her in class the following Monday. She couldn't help but feel that their friendship was strained. She couldn't help it; it was who she was. She was still unsure of how much he saw or knew about her.

A shadow moved above her and she pulled the velvet bag that held her weapon, off her shoulder. She untied the fastenings that held the blade inside as she scanned the rooftops of the buildings that surrounded her. The sun flared in her eyes and she couldn't see anything clearly. But it felt like she was being watched. Marauders probably, but who could they be? Were they from Terrus? That was the only thing that made sense. No one else beyond Jason knew she was here and he told her a week ago that he wouldn't say anything to anyone.

The way they moved, mirroring her movements below, felt like they were here for her. Somehow they must have found a way through the barrier, but how? Did they find the portal? She hoped that wasn't the case.

She moved quickly down the street. Above, the shadows followed her, moving silently from building to building; always hiding in the darkness, their forms illusive.

Up ahead a familiar sign beckoned, 'Morey's - a local hangout'. People...she needed lots of people...and time to think.

In an instant the two shadows became men. Their long sandy-colored cloaks looked familiar, another reminder of Terrus. They leaped down at her but she dodged them and ran up the alley in a blur to Morey's front door.

She ducked into the bar and found a seat near the back of a room filled with noisy college students. She looked around as she retied her weapon and its sheath to her backpack. What could she do? There was no one in the bar she recognized from school or from work. She was trapped. She pulled out her cellphone and stared at the screen. Should she call Jason? He was the only friend she could think of; Natasha was out of town visiting girlfriends. Besides, how would she explain this to her? She started to punch in his number. For that matter, how was she going to explain this to Jason? Suddenly, he walked through the front door. This was too much of a coincidence, was he following her?

He sauntered towards her with a wry smile. "Hey Maura, what's up?"

It didn't matter, he was here and she needed his help. "Jason, please, I need help." Maura whispered. "There are people outside trying to take me away." She moved closer to him and he hugged her tight. His arms around her made her feel safe.

He whispered in her ear as he held her close. "I looked around before I entered, I couldn't see anyone distinctly but it felt like someone was watching the place."

She nodded. "There are two of them, both wearing sand colored cloaks. They tried to stop me from coming in here. They must have disappeared into the shadows when I ran through the door. There wasn't anywhere else safe to go."

"Let me handle it, just follow my lead." He paused and that sweet cockeyed smile returned to his face. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes," she whispered. She didn't know why, but all of a sudden she felt an overwhelming sense of calm in his presence. She felt she could trust him with her life.

He glanced around; then took her hand and led her out the front door of the bar. "Follow my lead," he whispered. And he suddenly swung her into his arms, bending her backwards into a passionate kiss.

His lips were soft yet firm against hers, she wrapped her arms around his neck and felt like melting into a puddle on the sidewalk.

"Come on sweetheart," he said loudly, "let's find someplace quiet for the night."

Her heart was racing, so much so that she couldn't think straight. She leaned up towards his lips; she wanted to feel the touch of them again.

Jason grinned broadly and brought her back to her feet. Then he put his arm around her shoulders and led her to a car parked up ahead. Two college kids loitered near the car.

As Jason and Maura walked up one of the boys, tall and lanky with bit too many pimples, he looked up with a grin. "Hey man, is this your car?"

Jason nodded.

"Very cool. See Henry, I's a '32 duce model B and a custom job." He looked at his buddy and pointed. "See, no rumble seat, all the '32 coupes had them, that's what I thought, until I saw this one."

Jason smiled as he held the door open while Maura got in. Then with a wink he closed the door and moved quickly to the driver's side. "I needed the room for extra stuff," he said as he slipped in behind the wheel. The pimple faced kid was green with envy as he elbowed his friend Henry.

Maura's head was still spinning from the sudden turn of events as he pressed a button on the dash. The car started with a roar and, tires spinning, she was pressed against the seat back as they tore off down the street. Somehow, she missed the comment he made about needing room for 'extra stuff.'

The buildings around them were tall making it difficult to see if they were being followed. Maura turned to Jason. "Where are we going?"

He concentrated ahead as his car roared down the road. "Well, eventually to meet my grandmother, but first I need to get you away from here." He turned a corner and raced down the street away from the bar and her potential captors. "We need to go back to my apartment and pick up a few things for a little trip." He turned towards her with a grin. "Each step will bring you closer to safety. Trust me?"

She nodded as she settled into the seat. "I do, but how did you know I'd be in Morey's?"

"Lucky guess, I suppose." Jason turned his attention back to the road as the car accelerated rapidly. He turned another corner and there was a loud pop. They were suddenly airborne, high above the city.

"What the...? What just happened?" Maura shouted over the roar of the wind. Outside his car was climbing higher, city buildings were getting smaller and she was beginning to feel a little vertigo.

Jason grinned broadly. "Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride, kiddo. We're heading to my place first."

"But this car!" Maura tugged at her seatbelt, rushing to fasten it. "How does...?"

"You wanted me to take you to a safe place didn't you? Well, that's what I'm doing."

"But this car!"

"I know, right? It's crazy. Hold on tight, we'll be landing in a few seconds and I'm never all that sure of how soft..." The car came to a surprising halt with a bang and a jolt. "A landing I'll make." He turned to her and grinned sheepishly. "I need to practice that a bit more, sorry."

Maura got out and stared at the car. It didn't look any different from the rest of the vehicles she'd seen since coming to this planet. The back didn't look any different, nor the passenger side, even for a two-seater. She walked around the car to open the hood but Jason grabbed her arm.

"Come on, Maura, we don't have a lot of time." He turned and dashed up the three flights of stairs and into his apartment with Maura right behind him.

He raced towards a closet in his bedroom and threw several things into a couple of large bags. "Don't know how long we'll be gone so I need to bring a change of clothes." More items flew into the two bags left open on his bed. "We'll stop along the way and get you a few things too. It's not safe to go where you've been sleeping. My guess is they're probably waiting there for you now. Once they figure out you aren't coming back they'll probably head over here next."

"Jason, do you know who you're dealing with?"

"Yep, Terrians." He paused a moment and winked at her. His eyes twinkled with mischief. "My guess is they're a nasty bunch too. Here grab this." Jason tossed a bag at her. "Let's go."

Maura's mouth dropped open as she caught Jason's bag. He flew past her and grabbed a sack on his way out the door. "But, how? You know about...? How...who are you?" She turned towards the door. "Then, you know about me?"

Jason paused a moment at the door and looked back at Maura with a big grin, "Yep, since you got here. Now come on, those creeps aren't fools! They'll be here in a couple of minutes and we need to be long gone before they arrive."

Maura, her mind still reeling from what Jason had just said, sat down in the passenger seat of his car. Her mind staggered from the revelation that he knew about her and about the thugs who tried to abduct her. Did that mean he knew who she was in Math class? Was the whole tutor thing a set up? As she clicked her seatbelt shut. Jason gunned the motor and his car took off rapidly down the street.

She folded her arms, set her jaw and turned to him. "Was that tutor business a set up?"

He smiled as he turned the corner and sped up. The car popped again and then they were surrounded by clear blue sky. "What do you mean?"

"Damn it, I'll never get used to that!" She shouted over the rush of wind outside. "If you've known about me since I got here, did you get Professor Wilson to set me up as your tutor to keep an eye on me?

Jason swerved around a flock of birds and turned to her briefly. "No, I hate to admit it but I really am that dumb in math. Honest, Wilson doesn't know a thing. I might have suggested that I knew you were good at that math stuff but I never..." He returned his attention to driving in time to slip through a narrow mountain pass. He turned to Maura with a look of concern and shrugged.

She frowned as clouds obscured the ground below. "Who are you?"

Clouds continued to obscure their view a moment until he steered the car above them. "It's a long story but the gist of it is, I was asked to keep an eye on you and help you out if you needed anything."

Maura's face felt warm. "That's all?"

"Honest. I wasn't supposed to interfere unless your life was threatened."

"Who request this?"

Jason grimaced. "The Council at Ravenswood, that's where we're headed. They oversee the security of this world, keeping out marauders like the two who were attempting to abduct you."

She nodded her head slowly, letting his words sink in. She settled back into the seat and the ride was quiet except for the constant rush of wind. So they, who ever 'they' are, know about me. But if I'm not supposed to be here why did they let me stay? And just who is this council anyway?

"By the way, I've decided that when we get back you're moving in with me."

"WHAT?" She turned abruptly in her seat, the seatbelt pulled across her lap.

Jason continued with an innocent expression. "I've got a spare room so that's easy and I could use the company." Then his expression turned more serious. "No more sleeping in abandoned cars and vacant buildings, it's not safe."

"How do you know that? Oh." He'd been watching her, of course he knew. Now I'm moving in with him? "Wait a minute! I can't move in with you! I hardly know you!" Her face felt warm again as she shouted over the rush of air outside. This was all coming at her way too fast.

"I have a spare bed and everything. It's not like we'll be sleeping together. We'll be roommates." Jason eyes twinkled as he shouted over the roar of the wind outside. "Besides, until all this abduction crap is resolved you'll need a place that's more secure." He grinned as he leaned towards her. "Or would you rather hang out on a park bench and wait for that group of uglies to drop by?"

Maura sulked for a moment. He was right, of course, she was too vulnerable. "I thought you slept at Trenton?"

"Nah, it just seems like that because I'm always there, but I can't be too available you know." A flock of birds flew by, squawking at the car's intrusion. "Oh, and next week my sister's coming to town so you'll have to deal with that too...sorry."

Her head was spinning again. His sister? The ground beneath them was whisking by at incredible speed and she was feeling a bit of vertigo return. She wondered what his sister was like; was this sort of like the Earth version of meeting his family? What did that mean here? She suddenly felt like her idea of this world was spinning out of control.

And this car was totally insane!

Jason swerved to avoid a large mountaintop and guided the car through a high pass. He shouted over the rush of wind. "Her name is Lisa...my sister. She's a handful but once you get to know her you'll love her as much as I do. At times she gets a bit over-protective which can be tedious but I know she means well. Just don't let her steam roll you, okay?"

Maura wasn't sure she knew what steam roll meant but with everything else that seemed to be coming at her at lightning speed it was the least of her worries. The ground was fast approaching and she braced for another bad bump.

The car slowed down, flared at the last moment, and it eased gracefully onto a narrow country lane with a tiny bump. The landing was much better this time.

Jason turned to her. "See I knew I just needed a little practice!"

They followed the road around a grove of ancient looking trees towards what appeared to be a small country store stuck out in the middle of nowhere. There were a couple of beat up old pickup trucks parked outside, and the store looked like it could use a fresh coat of paint. An old sign hung from the arch above the front steps and read: Ravenswood General Store.

They climbed out of his car and walked to the front steps. Maura continued to glance over her shoulder, half expecting his magical car to vanish into thin air.

As they climbed the creaky wooden steps they stepped onto a broad wooden porch lined with an odd assortment of old wooden chairs and wicker tables. The paint on the chairs was worn and checked in places, and several seats were covered in knitted pads.

Two old men, dressed in funny jeans Jason called bib-overalls, played a game requiring one to jump over his opponent with a round wooden piece called a checker. They nodded to Jason as they passed by. He smiled and waved back then pushed open the front door. A little bell on a spring tinkled to announce their arrival.

"The place is a combination of dry goods store, post office, meeting hall, and green grocer. There were all sorts of clothes, tools, and just about anything else you might need, stuck in all sorts of nooks and crannies throughout the creaky old building," he added flipping through a rack of men's pants.

The floor moaned and groaned in protest with every step they took. The place smelled old; ancient perhaps, and it was mixed with a scent of cinnamon and flowers. She'd seen pictures of places like this in picture books at the library. It was all incredibly fascinating.

Maura walked over to a clothing rack and thumbed through a variety of blouses and skirts. There were so many to choose from, all kinds of colors and textures. Then she spotted a display of ladies underwear. She grabbed several pair that looked her size. She glanced around the store and then walked over to a nearby rack. There were numbers on the tags of each of the garments. She assumed the numbers corresponded to size but they didn't mean a thing to her. She would have to try them on. She gathered up several items of different sizes and looked for some privacy.

"There's a fitting room in the back if you need it, dearie." An older looking woman smiled at Maura and gestured towards the back of the store.

Maura nodded. "Thank you, I do."

All the people seemed odd in a way and somehow different from what she was accustomed to in the city; or even her own world for that matter. She couldn't put her finger on it exactly, but they all seemed...happy. There was a sense of peacefulness about the place.

"Get whatever you need, Maura," he shouted from across the store. "We'll be staying with my grandmother for the night, if you need anything else, now's the time as I've got credit!" He announced with glee, holding up a plastic card.

She laughed at his antics; he seemed so much more carefree here than in the city.

An hour later Jason and Maura were back in his magical car, thankfully on the ground this time. They whizzed down a narrow country lane. She had no idea how far they had traveled from the city and the thugs who tried to abduct her; but it had to be hundreds of miles. They drove a little further and came to a gentle bend in the road. As the car rounded the curve a beautiful valley opened up to her. "It looks like a painting! Where are we?"

"Home," he said with a sigh. "But you won't find it on a map, we flew through a barrier before we landed. It keeps away prying eyes."

As the car drew nearer to the village, they passed a simple carved sign that read 'Ravenswood'.

Not far ahead she could see quaint little homes nestled among hills dotted with tall trees each filled with tiny needles.

She rolled down her window and pointed. "What sort of trees are those?"

"Pine, they stay green all year long." The forest scent filled the car. He filled his lungs. "And they smell like home."

It was dusk by the time Jason and Maura walked up a narrow path that led to a quaint little cottage under the shelter of several ancient trees. The sun was about to drop behind a low rim of mountains in the western sky. The cottage they were approaching looked like something she saw in a picture book her mother read to her when she was young. The roof was thatched and the walls were made with an amber colored stone. The fence that surrounded the cottage was made of woven sticks combined with ivy and privet hedge. And the footpath that led to the front door was a sort of broken flat stone with moss peeking around all the edges.

Maura marveled at his grandmother's home. "What a charming cottage, it's absolutely beautiful!"

"My grandmother would love to hear that from you, she works hard to make this place appear so unassuming." Jason stopped at the gate abruptly. He turned to Maura and placed his hands on her shoulders.

Even though she felt completely safe in his arms, his sudden move caught her off guard. "Huh?"

"Maura, listen, before we go in I want you to understand something very clearly." Jason looked deeply into her eyes. "I know who you are and I trust you. Okay? I will never willingly bring you to any harm. Do you understand that?"

"Yes." Maura nodded, perplexed. "Why?"

"Never mind," Jason said, releasing her gently, "just always trust me." He opened the gate and led her through to the cottage.

Inside, across the room, a fire was burning in an old stone hearth. The furniture was sturdy but rustic and simple. Woven rugs covered the stone floor and dried herbs were strung from heavy wooden beams that stretched overhead. A large table with benches dominated the area in front of the hearth. Adjacent to that were cupboards and bookshelves filled with an odd collection of books and dishes. In the kitchen a large pot sat on a stove with the most wonderful smells teasing Maura's nose.