Free Everlasting by L.K. Kuhl Page B

into bed, I opened up my drawer and brought out the CD. I held it to my chest, running my finger along the side, imagining that Tate’s fingers might have done the same once.
    I put it back in the drawer and tucked it under my clothes again. I’d show it to Mandy in the morning.
    I pulled out my journal. It had been forever since my last entry.
    June Twelfth,
    My vacation is turning into some sort of a conundrum. I did find Symphony, at least, but we got chased by a bizarre, cloaked creature that seems to be after Mandy, Matt, and I for some reason. I heard strange music coming from Mandy’s parents’ old room, coupled with that, a weird, yet sensual feeling. And to top it all off, I found a CD in the old dresser with Tate’s name on it. I have no idea what all this means and don’t know if I ever will. Now, to only find Tate.
    Sophia Bandell
    That night I dreamed of Tate. I was walking along the beach, and the first thing I smelled was the scent of his shaving cream, faint at first, then getting stronger. He came riding up on a personal watercraft. But just as his eyes hooked me, he turned, speeding away, leaving only the sound of the waves splashing in his wake. I held my arms out to him, calling, begging him to come to me. When he turned his head back over his shoulder to look at me, it was one of the cloaked men—evil and dark, wailing a sinister, malevolent laugh.
    I shot up, startled, the waves still crashing against the shoreline outside. Cold had my hands and feet feeling like polar ice caps. Shivering, my throat scratchy, I got up to shut the windows. The wind blew, stirring up cool, damp air. Before I got back into bed, I glanced down at Symphony sleeping on hers. I sighed, tucking my knees to my chest and pinching the blankets up under my chin. At least one of us was able to release Tate and sleep.
----
    M y eyes flitted open to a dim gloominess, and I wasn’t even sure it was morning. The storm from yesterday clung to the sky, leaving it overcast and gray. I shook, still cold from last night. A glance at my phone told me it was eleven. The dream I had last night drained me of all energy, leaving me worn and unrested. Symphony stretched on her blanket, head resting on her paws, giving me a wag when I got up.
    “Did you sleep well?” I bent down and tousled her ears. She yawned, then got up and shook, ridding her body of sleep. “We are going to find Tate today.”
    But, first, I needed to show Mandy the CD. I pulled open the drawer and grabbed up a handful of underwear.
    A gasp seized in my throat. It wasn’t there. I scrounged, frantic, digging deep, tossing my underwear out over the edge, littering the floor. The CD wasn’t anywhere. My chest heaved. I dug faster, slinging my other drawers wide. Maybe I had put it in one of those. What happened? No one but me knew it was in here. Ransacked by my own doing, my room looked like a battlefield as I scattered the clothes I took off last night and looked in the nightstand table by my bed.
    My mind flew to Mandy. Did she have something to do with this? Asking her would have to wait. I couldn’t bring up something I couldn’t show her.
    When I went downstairs, I found her and Matt standing by the sink, wrapped in each other’s arms. They were both giggling and giving each other small kisses. I turned around, my face warming, traipsing back to the living room before they saw me.
    But Mandy spoke, swatting at Matt’s groping hand. “Morning, Soph. Bout time you got up. Where’re you going?”
    I glanced at the counter across the room, seeing the full soda glass still sitting there from last night. Mandy hadn’t taken one sip. “Oh, uh…uh-hum…I didn’t want to disturb you.” I turned back around to look at them.
    “That’s okay. I needed a way to get this leech off me.” Annoyance crowded her face as she pushed Matt away.
    Matt grabbed at her ribs, tickling. “Don’t let her fool ya. She loves it.”
    She squinted her eyes. “Yeah, right.