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Chapter 21
Ru sat on her sofa, her legs extended down the length of it, her laptop open in front of her, with Piper curled up at her feet. Spotify was blaring The Clash from her favorite punk playlist. Most people would be shocked to hear that she listened to this type of music, but it had gotten her through some dark times.
Her keyboard had a very thick, plastic protector on top of it, and the rest of her laptop was not only in the thickest case she could find, she never set it directly on her lap, always putting a blanket or pillow between herself and the electronic device. So far, she’d only blown up one computer, and that had been years before. Replacing a hairdryer was one thing, but buying a new MacBook Air was another story.
She’d been home for three hours, and most of that time had been spent researching special powers on the Internet. So far, she hadn’t found much reliable information. Other than some guy in Poughkeepsie
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Reaper's Hollow Chapter 22
Ru was standing outside, an impenetrable, misty fog encircling her, rising up from the ground in thick tendrils, wrapping around her and preventing her from seeing more than a foot or two in front of her face.The air was cool, and a layer of gooseflesh rose up on her bare arms. She was dressed all in black; her clothes seemed foreign. Everything about herself seemed altered, as if she didn’t know who she was or what she was doing.She took a step and found the ground to be marshy, as it often was off in the hollows around the outskirts of town. A few more steps revealed she was standing in thick woods. The trees here were twisted, their branches extended in long, scraggly fingers. Another few steps and movement in front of her caught her attention. She stopped in her tracks, wondering who or what it might be. Peering through the dense fog, she made out an outline of a tall figure.
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 23
Ru sat straight up, sucking in air as if she’d actually been running through the woods. At first, she wasn’t sure where she was. A loud noise caught her attention, and she turned her head to see the television was on. Not exactly sure how that had happened, she fumbled for the remote on the coffee table. Piper was gone, likely frightened by the TV. The ceiling fan was also on, whirring around on high speed, and every light in the house, as far as Ru could see, was on, too. A noise was coming from the kitchen, another electric droning, and steadying herself, Ru rose to investigate. The blender was on, and the toaster had also been activated. Ru put on an oven mitt and turned them both off, along with the light switch.“It was just a dream,” she told herself as she methodically walked through the house, using the kitchen mitt to turn off the rest of the lights and the fan. She left the light on in her bedroom, knowing she’d be
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 24
“Wear the halter top,” Candice insisted. “It looks good on you.”“No,” Ru replied, tossing the black shirt onto the bed. “I never wear that. I don’t even know why I have it.”“Because it looks good on you,” Candice repeated. “If you’re self-conscious about showing that much skin, put a jacket on over the top. You have a black leather jacket, don’t you?”“I’m going to dinner, not a rock concert,” Ru reminded her friend who’d come over to help her get ready for her not-a-date with Cutter. “What about the red?” she asked, holding up a red dress in front of herself in the full length mirror.“It looks nice,” Candice agreed. “But I think it’s a little too fancy for a not-a-date. If you want Cutter to see who you really are outside of work, wear the black halt
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 25
She heard his footsteps on the porch and stood, grabbing her clutch and phone off of the table by the door just as he knocked. With a deep breath, Ru approached the door. Pulling it open, she forced a smile onto her face, even though her nerves were starting to get the better of her. She’d dated several guys, some of them even very attractive, but she’d never gone out with anyone like Cutter before.He was wearing a blue shirt that closely matched the color of his eyes, and for a moment, looking into them, Ru was transported back into her dream and a different set of electric orbs. She pushed the thought aside and concentrated on the handsome man in front of her. “Hi,” she said, “how are you?”“I’m great,” Cutter replied, smiling at her as he straightened his tie. “We match pretty well.”Ru realized not only was his tie black, he was wearing black slacks
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 26
The ambiance of the restaurant was festive, with bright red, blue, and green décor. A lovely young lady with long, dark hair took them to a booth, and shortly thereafter, a young man presented them with menus and chips and salsa. Cutter ordered iced tea while Ru decided it would be a good night for a margarita considering Cutter said he had a lot to tell her.They studied the menu in silence, though Ru did occasionally glance over top of hers to see what he was doing. Cutter appeared to be deep in thought, his strong jaw set, and she assumed it had nothing to do with the chimichangas.Once Manuel, the waiter, brought them their drinks and they’d both ordered, Ru looked at Cutter expectantly. He smiled at her, folded his hands, and said, “Ru, tell me about your childhood.”His tone sounded almost like a psychologist or a counselor, and she wasn’t quite sure how to take the request. She tri
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 27
Ru stared into Cutter’s eyes dumbfounded. She yanked her hand away from his, folding hers in her lap. “What do you mean?” she asked. “What do you mean that’s not my name? Of course it is. I’ve seen my own birth certificate.”Cutter glanced around, as if checking to see if other patrons were looking in their direction, her voice was so loud. No one seemed to be paying them any mind by Ru’s account, but she honestly didn’t care if they did. “Listen, Ru, I can explain everything. And I will. But I’m not sure this is the place to do it.”“Well, you picked it,” she reminded him, tossing her napkin down on the table next to her only half-eaten entrée.“No, I know,” he replied. “That’s not what I meant. I don’t think any restaurant, any public place, is the right one for this discussion.”
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 28
Despite the circumstances, Ru did not have a feeling in her gut that she needed to flee the area immediately, which she took as a good sign. Intuitively, she felt like she could trust Cutter not to hurt her or put her in harm’s way, despite the fact that he was talking like a crazy person. While she was tempted to ask him more questions about the Reapers and how that all fit in with the legend—in his disturbed mind—she decided to just wait. Perhaps it really would all be revealed to her once they got to the Van Tassel House. Of course, she was also thinking there was a distinct possibility she might pull up outside of a dilapidated old dwelling the likes of the house in It’s A Wonderful Life where George and Mary make wishes breaking the windows.“Cutter,” she said quietly as they began to drive deeper into the woods, “do you think it’s possible that the stress of the first few weeks of school is g
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 29
Nat liked the dark. Even though this lair was fully equipped with every modern technological feature available, he didn’t turn any of them on. He preferred candlelight, and this evening he sat in a plush velvet chair, sipping red wine by the light of one solitary candle.He’d missed his opportunity, and he knew it. She’d been so close, only a hand’s breadth away. Why hadn’t she trusted him? There was no reason for her to think he would harm her, none at all.He set his goblet aside and rested his head back, wondering if it was even worth it to try again that same night. By now, the Keepers likely had her and were initiating their brainwashing techniques, resolute on turning her against him. If only he’d been successful when he’d had his opportunity.A sound at the door caught his attention, and he turned to see Raven slinking in. “What is it?” he asked, turning away
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