Set Me Free

Chapter Fifteen

Juno wasn’t sure how long she sat on the front stoop of her house crying. Her eyes felt puffy and raw. Plugging her keys into the door she numbly shuffled inside. The house was dark and silent. Feeling around for the light switch, she moved to her left, throttling her leg into something hard.

“Ouch! Damn it! Where the hell is that damn switch.”  Finally her graceless fingers found the switch and flicked it with no change. The house remained plunged in darkness. “Great...probably burnt a fuse. Shit.”

She has one of those long stemmed candle lighters in the kitchen. If she found a flashlight that would be even better. She can’t even remember the last time she had to use a flashlight, nor where to even begin looking for it. Her knee it’s the edge of the living room door.

“Let’s hope I don’t kill myself on the way there.” She shuffled along, feeling the wall, using it as a guide, but then an idea hit. “Oh!” She exclaimed loudly, her voice carrying down the hall. 

Pulling her phone out she turned the flashlight app on, lighting up the atrium. The bright light did wonders for the first four feet in front of her. Using one hand to guide herself along the wall she made it to the kitchen. Sweeping the light around in the dark gave the kitchen a different vibe. The shadows of the hanging pots, dark midnight blue barely coming through the windows from the night's moon glow. 

A cold draft swept through the building making her shiver. Goosebumps broke out across her skin, the hairs on the back of her neck prickled. A sense of unease settled over her like a dark smudge cloud.

“Why am I suddenly afraid of the damn dark! Shit...really wish I wasn’t alone. Maybe I should call Emra or Callie. I should call them anyways and let them know that we probably aren't going to the festival in town. 

She looks down at her phone and quickly calls both of her sisters in a three-way call. There’s so much going on right now, her head felt ready to combust. Between learning about Nix and his past, the accusations, and the invasion of her personal and private belongings, which she hasn’t forgotten, she put to the side for the time being.

Placing the phone on speaker she continued to rummage around the kitchen while still being able to use the light.

“A’llo?” Emra answers cheerily.

“ Juno? What’s going on, Nix just called and said that we weren’t going to the festival. I was just about to call you.” Suspicion coated her tone.

“Fair, Callie, you mean fair.” Juno can imagine Callie rolling her eyes. Hearing their voices soothed her nerves.

“Ya, about that. Ummm, so I kind of learned...a thing…” Making her way to the sink counter along the wall, she pulls the first drawer open.

“You are  going to elaborate right? You can’t just leave us hanging like that.” Callie says impatiatiently.

“Mmmhmmm.” Emra hummingly confers.

“Ok, ok...so Kevin called this morning and wanted to meet up.” Juno finally says, her eyes squinting into the drawer with no lighter in sight.

Callie interjected before I could say more. I found zilch in the drawer so she moved to the next one, hoping it’ll be the lucky drawer.

“You didn’t, did you?” Callie asks worriedly.

“Callie, she’s allowed to see him...platonically of course. Even though she shouldn’t, not even as that.” Juno loves her sisters but sometimes she just wants to shake them. 

“Of course I wouldn’t. I mean, I did see him, but only for a coffee and I had no intention of spending too much time there. Anyways, he informed me of something. He had News clippings and photographs of a murder. Nix Steele killed his own brother, and then there was a claim as well about some sort of domestic assault.” 

“Are you alone right now?” Callie sounded worried.

“Oh my god! It says here that he murdered his own brother in cold blood! They found him standing over the body all bloodied, he even fought the police too.” Of course Emra would be the first one to google everything she could. Something that probably could have benefited Juno. Shaking her head against the thought because it would feel too much like stalking or going behind the others back, it just felt wrong. Especially if she was interested in being with the Nix romantically.

“Ya, Callie. I sent Nix packing and called you because my powers were out. Looking currently for a lighter or flashlight. Though, as it’s going I'm going to have black and blue knee caps. I’ve hit walked into enough junk on the way to the kitchen I’m surprised my legs still listen to me.” Juno snickers.

“Well damn. I’ve got one in my room. Just don’t know where, and not sure searching for the stairs is the best option.”

“I could always wait until my eyes become that of a racoon. I’ll be able to find my way good enough hopefully without falling down the stairs.” 

“Big help Callie. Wasn’t there one...no wait. There were birthday candles in a drawer next to the fridge, there might be something in there.” Offers.

Closing another unrewarding drawer and carefully made her way to the drawer Emra mentioned. Her shoes tap across the tiled floor. Her eyes moved about the room feeling as if the shadows would come to life and take her.

“Strange that the powers out. Anyways, you need to tell us what happened...In person!” Juno laughs at her. Once again reminded how different her life has become and she wouldn’t change it for the world. Well, maybe the part about Nix.

“I love you two, you know that?” She says with all the love she could muster.

“What’s not to love? Except maybe Callie, she’s actually pretty hormonal lately.” Emra teases.

“Shut it, you! I won’t make your favorite muffins anymore!” Callie threatens.

“Which ones?” Emra loves muffins and Callie knows how to bake the most delicious muffins this town has ever seen. If Callie wasn’t an real estate agent she’d probably be running a very successful bakery.

“All of them! Except Juno. I’ll make her some.” Emra gasps over the line, her voice echoed in the dark void of the kitchen.

“Ok I’ll be leaving you two because I do not want to get dragged into this muffin war.” Juno hastily seeks an exit from the growing battle ground, the prize and casualty, muffins.

“Juno, come over and I’ll order some pizza!” Callie changes the topic.

“I’ll grab the, Al-co-hol!” Emra sings into the phone. Making the girls combust into a fit of laughter. 

The window above the sink was completely frosted over. Juno couldn’t see outside, but that didn’t stop her from drawing a heart in the window. “On that note.”

“Great and now the puns. See you soon, Juno. I’ll get that pizza hopping it’s way over, and be careful. The snow’s been coming down rather steadily. Roads are almost covered now. Finally the snow has arrived. So, be careful.

“Haha, ok, love you guys, Bye!” Hanging up the phone tossed Juno into silent despair. With the absence of her sisters, she’s reminded how alone and how dark and quiet it is. Her heart started pacing, her rapid, beating heart audible in the silence.

“Just the dark. No biggie. Except this place is huge and...it’s dark.” Her phone beeped at her, alerting her of the darkening screen. A tiny red bar in the corner was flashing with it’s impending demise. “s**t, my phone!”

No no no no.” Juno chanted, frantically pulling drawers shuffling the components inside. Moving to the next drawer she shoved her hand inside the drawer as the light on her phone turned off, her phone moving to emergency power. Her fingers nudged against something familiar. 

“Yes!” She exclaimed victoriously. Throwing the flashlight into the air like, King Arthur's mighty excalibur. Juno turned the power button on. Just as quickly as her heart soared, it plummeted back to the ground with a splat. The flashlight was dead to her dismay.

“Of course I’d find a flashlight when I need it most and it needs batteries...great.” Her sarcastic tone wasn’t lost on herself or the shadows surrounding her. Tomorrow she’ll buy a new flash light for every room and stock up on batteries. No more of blindly ambling about in the dark. 

With one last wail, her phone dies, driving her into total darkness. From somewhere in the house Juno faintly heard a scraping sound. Shrugging her shoulders she chalked up to a branch or something brushing against the exterior. Juno put her hand back in the drawer hoping that maybe there are some batteries hiding away in there.

“Juno…” A scratchy whisper in the air came out from the shadows from nowhere and everywhere all at once.

“Ahhh!!” With her heart in her throat, Juno jumped back in terror, smashing into something in her panic. Juno fell, pain radiated through her skull as her head hit something sharp on the way down. She hit the floor with a jarring thud, her teeth rattling in her mouth.

Fire spread throughout her head, a throbbing pain that lanced through the haze. Reaching up to her head she felt around the floor blindly for the flashlight that she dropped. It was the only thing she had as a weapon.

“Who’s there!?” Juno hissed through the agony. Scared and filled with dread inducing anxiety, Juno crawled across the floor on her rump. Using her feet and a hand to scoot backwards.  Tears broke free, streaming quietly down her cheeks, the pain that started in her head as a throb grew, encapsulating her entirely in agony. Her stomach wretched as another nauseating wave passed through her.

“You’re Mine!” The voice screeched monstrously.