All I've Ever Wanted - Adrianne Byrd [1]
The engine roared as the bus pulled away from the curb and off. The night’s cool breeze picked up velocity and the trees lining the walkway rustled in protest.
Kennedy glanced around the deserted street, accustomed to its eerie feel. Zipping up her faded denim jacket, she hoped that she wouldn’t turn into a Popsicle by the time she made it home.
She noted a pack of stray dogs patrolling the area and watched in amazement as they actually waited until the traffic light changed before crossing. Kennedy shook her head and picked up her pace. With each step, her feet throbbed harder, but she’d promised Eve that she’d make it home no later than a quarter after. The last thing she needed was to lose another babysitter.
From the corner of her eye, she spotted a small break in a row of bushes and remembered a shortcut through the woods. That way, she would make it home with a few minutes to spare. Impulsively, she took the shortcut.
A bed of leaves crinkled beneath her feet as she marched onward. The lights from the road disappeared as she moved through a thicket of trees. Strange noises surrounded her and fear slowed her footsteps.
With only a sliver of moonlight to guide her, and an accelerated heartbeat distracting her, she paused, suddenly unsure that she was headed in the right direction. Kennedy squinted at the worn trail. Yes, she was going the right way.
Harsh sounds disturbed her and raised the tiny hairs on the back of her neck. She stopped again and tried to listen. It was hard at first, but then it became clear that what she was hearing wasn’t animals or birds, but voices—angry voices.
She thought about turning around, but only briefly. Her curiosity, which had often been her undoing, rose and urged her onward, like a red flag in front of a bull’s nose. It wouldn’t hurt to go and check it out. She’d often heard that the local teenagers sneaked out here to do God knows what, with God knows whom. Wanda, her best friend, suspected that her thirteen-year-old son came out here to drink with the older teenagers.
“He better not be,” Kennedy mumbled under her breath as she turned toward the voices.
Chapter 2
St. Jameses’ Residence
12:20 a.m.
Four-year-old Thomas St. James’s eyes flew open. Disoriented, he stared into the black void that enveloped him. Why had he insisted that he didn’t need his night-light? Big boys don’t use nightlights, he reminded himself. Of course he didn’t know whether he really believed that. But since his best friend, Jimmy, said it, then it must be true.
Tommy swallowed his fear and threw back the covers. If he ran to the door, then maybe the monster under the bed wouldn’t catch him. He shook his head. Mommy said there were no such things as monsters. He frowned, he wasn’t too sure that he believed that, either.
He climbed out of bed and, the minute his feet touched the floor, sprinted across the room. When he pulled the door open, lights flickering from the television sprayed funny pictures across the walls of the hallway. He knew immediately that his mother hadn’t made it home.
Disappointment creased his brows and his shoulders slumped. Slowly, he headed toward the living room to see if Eve was still awake. She had only been babysitting him for a week, but he’d already made up his mind that he liked her. He’d never met a girl before who loved baseball and chocolate pudding as much as he did.
“Eve?” he called when he didn’t immediately see her.
Almost instantly he saw her head pop up above the back of the sofa as she sat up and turned around to face him. “Tommy,” she said, rubbing her eyes. She glanced at her watch. “What are you doing up? Is something wrong?” She jumped to her feet and rushed toward him.
He blushed when she gathered him close and kissed his brow.
“Did you have a bad dream?”
He shook his head. “Where’s Mommy?”
Eve frowned as she looked at her watch. “I don’t know, but I’m sure she’ll be home soon. Do you want me to read you another bedtime story?”
He considered it for a moment, and then shook his head. “Can I wait up for her with you?