Atlantis Academy: The First Element

CHAPTER SEVEN

Mateo's gone when I start thinking about what happened during the brawl. The way time seemed to slow down... then him pulling me from the fray. I shake my head. Time moves so strangely for me sometimes. I gotta make sure to thank him for the rescue tomorrow.

A light, freezing wind lifts strands of my hair, flinging the loose curls across my face, and I shiver. I walk faster, suddenly wanting to be home in front of my fireplace. It's dark out here, despite the streetlamps and the full moon. A gentle fog is beginning to roll in, obscuring the sidewalk ahead.

I'm so awake right now. Could be the freezing air, but it's mostly because I took my medication so late. The pills are stimulants, so even when the initial effects fade, I'm usually left with a nervous, jittery sort of energy long after. It's worse than coffee, and I had quite a lot of that too. I'll be lucky to fall asleep before dawn.

I pick up my pace, half-jogging until I reach the corner where the 101 curves to follow alongside the ocean. The stoplight here seems to be perpetually stuck on red, and there are no cars in sight as I turn left.

I can't see the ocean—it's across the street at the bottom of the cliff—but I can hear the roaring of the waves. The wind picks up, bringing more fog with it. A dreamlike halo of fine mist collects around the streetlamps, making them glow.

Dread lodges itself in the pit of my stomach, and the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. I glance behind me, then pick up the pace.

Stop being so silly.

I take a deep, shaky breath of the salty air.

There's no one following me. I'm alone out here.

It's just me. Me, the fog, streetlamps, the moon, and the crashing of the waves.

Just me and the inky black darkness. Me and fog so thick I can't see three feet in any direction.

I break into a jog. In ten minutes, I'll be safe in my house, a warm fire roaring in my fireplace.

But I'll still be alone.

Nights are sometimes the worst, especially when I can't sleep.

ADHD meds plus insomnia equals paranoia.

Which has apparently already started.

I'm so out of shape, I'm forced to walk again.

I glance across the street, squinting to try and see better through the fog. There's nothing but swirling gray, and the crash of ocean waves cancels out every other sound.

But I can sense where I am.

I don't have to see it to know it's nearby.

Ashford Rock.

Is Jason down on that beach right now?

I come to a standstill and let out a sigh. I'd been doing such a good job forgetting him! But now, in my mind's eye, I can see his handsome face. I'm picturing us huddled in front of a warm bonfire... getting to know each other better.

What's so great about going home? It's cold and spooky there, and all I'm gonna do is huddle in front of my fireplace while my mom's ashes mock me from the urn on the mantel. I never did figure out what to do with her.

I could spend the night with Jason, instead.

Longing shoots through me as I stare through the thickening fog, listening to the roar of the ocean.

It has to be a trick, though.

Jason liking me?

It's too good to be true.

Never go down to that beach at night.

A shudder travels up my spine and down my arms and legs, and I zip my jacket all the way up to my chin.

My mom's words start to loop in my head again, warning me, and I can't shut her up this time.

"Do not go near that ocean! They're old things, I'm tellin' ya. Angry things from ancient times. They were here long before us. The Indians knew to stay away. The people in this town know to stay away. My granddaddy warned me. Your daddy knew it too. But did he listen? No! You better listen and not be a fool like him."

My daddy was addicted to heroin and got himself drowned in the sea. I wasn't even born when he died. The only "angry thing" that killed him was mixing drugs with night swimming. Still, I'd heeded my mother's warning. I'd never gone down to the beach at night, because, well... if I'm being honest, no one had ever invited me.

"Stupid superstitions," I whisper.

Evil spirits in our house. Angry things in the ocean. Heat courses through me, and I ball my hands into fists.

I am not my mother, and I'm not gonna let her irrational, alcohol-fueled fantasies affect me and my life.

Amanda was right... I have always been quiet. When I was little and my first and only friend, Liam, moved away, I never even tried that hard to make more friends. And in high school, I definitely never even tried to get a boyfriend.

Jason was leaving tomorrow, so this was my last chance... to see what could be.

And anyway... what's the worst that could happen?

They could laugh at me. That'd be nothing new. Or maybe they invited me knowing there's no party, just to be mean. In which case, no one will be there to see me fall for it. I can deal with that.

But what if it isn't a trick?

I swallow hard as I stare into the fog across the street.

I need to take more risks.

Now's the time, when the stakes are low. If I embarrass myself, so what? They'll all be gone tomorrow. It's not like I'll have to see them around town every day.

I shouldn't be asking myself what could go wrong. I should be asking myself... What could go right?

Absolutely everything.

I'm just gonna take one quick peek, to see if this bonfire party is for real.