Imager: The Awakening

Chapter Five

CJ------

Corey shuffles into the room as soon as my dad is out the door the next morning. It took some convincing but I let him know I did not want to press charges. It may cost us more money in the long run. I told him that maintenance did fix the leak previously but warned me it may leak again.

He says he'll leave it alone for now but he will be calling the office once we've discussed the incident a little more in detail. It was even hard to convince him that I was okay and he could return to Florida for work. I knew he had used all his paid time off to come see me so he had to go back.

Now I have to deal with Corey and what really happened in the bathroom that day. I know that she wants an explanation but I honestly do not have one. I can't even explain to myself what happened but I decide to speak before she can make a fuss.

"You want to know what happened, right?" I ask.

She only nods in response.

"I don't know. One-minute I am looking in the mirror and the next I am waking up in a hospital room three days later."

Her lips tighten in a straight line. The way her brow crinkles I can already tell where this conversation is going. "Why did you lie to your dad like that? You know we don't have a leaky sink. I feel like that only made things worse, CJ."

"I don't know Corey. It was the first thing that came to mind. I couldn't tell him that I'm so stressed that I'm passing out on the floor. He would truly have a heart attack then."

"You know I got your back but I know your dad would understand if you just told him the truth." She adds. "On the other hand though, if he knew you were stressing this hard he would want you to move back home in a heartbeat." She laughs.

"You know him all too well." I smile.

"I think that you are working too hard, CJ."

"The pot calling the kettle black, huh?" I joke with her.

"Okay, fine. You might be onto something. We both work too hard; we need to have some fun." The color must have drained from my face because she quickly adds. "I don't mean going out to a club. I'm thinking a day of shopping and eating. How does that sound?"

A thin smile spreads across my face. "Okay, we can have a girl's day but the food was the deal breaker. You know that eating is my favorite past time."

An overly excited Corey hugs me so tight that I can barely breathe. She hurries to her room to primp for the day.

We settle on a meal at our favorite diner. It is about forty minutes away from where we live but so worth the drive. The prices are reasonable and the food is amazing!

"Okay, so we did a little shopping and now lunch so I say we head home for a couple of movies." Corey is using her fingers as a checklist, touching each one as she names an activity. "I think I picked the movies last time so it's your turn tonight,"

"That's cool. Maybe I'll get something scary. I appreciate a good scare every now and then." I smile.

She waves me off. "Yeah right! Some of those movies scare you so bad that you can't even sleep!"

"Fair enough...but I still like them." I laugh. "I want to go to the bookstore though. I have a few items on my reading list that I want to pick up."

"How many books do you need CJ? You have an entire wall in your room covered in books! An entire wall! I'm not even sure that poor bookcase can hold anything else."

I laugh because it's true but those books are my life. I've always been drawn to reading ever since I was young. I have always had more books than anyone knew what to do with so my dad built me a giant bookcase.

I continue to smile. "Why won't you let me be great? Let me live my life how I want." I joke. "Plus, you know I love my bookcase no matter how old and beat up it is. My dad built it for me."

"But those books won't keep you warm at night." She says through a mischievous smile.

"Just because you don't see me with anyone, doesn't mean I'm not seeing someone."

"You can't fool me, honey! We may not see each other every day but I never see any man candy roaming around the apartment."

I smile. "That's because he is too busy to stop by."

"Who?" Her curiosity peaks.

"Don't play Corey. You know that my husband Cedar Ryans is too busy filming his new movie.

"That's impossible CJ! You know that Cedar Ryans is taken."

"By who?"

She snaps her fingers at me. "Me, duh!"

We burst into laughter. I have always loved how easy it is to joke with her. Corey has been my best friend for five years but I consider her a sister.

"Okay, we will stop at the bookstore but you can't read any of them until we watch at least one movie."

I nod in agreement. "Fair enough."

I feel at home as soon as I step foot in the bookstore. Everything about the place calms me. It always has.

Corey breaks away to the café for some ice coffee and I start the search for my next adventure.

"Hi CJ!" Eddie chimes excitedly. His blue eyes alight with excitement.

Eddie helps me every time I come into the bookstore. He keeps me up to date on the newest books to hit the shelves.

I return the same bright smile. "Hey Eddie. How is it going today?"

"Great. It has been a bit of a slow day but other than that it's been great. He pauses for a second to grab a pen and notepad from the counter. "Looking for any specific reads for today?"

"Not really...just wanted to see what new releases you have in stock."

Eddie makes his way from behind the register to guide me down the fiction aisle when his walkie talkie goes off.

"I have to go. Emergency in the men's bathrooms." He says while scrunching up his face. "I'll send someone over to help you."

"Okay, I'll be browsing for a little so no rush."

He hurries towards the back of the store and I walk down a few aisles before stopping at the fiction section.

"Looking for anything in particular?"

I glance up to see a tall female with blonde hair looking at me intently. Her name tag reads Beth. I'm a regular and I've never seen her working. Maybe she's a new hire?

"Uh, any new releases in fiction. I like romance and supernatural reads."

"Yes, we have a few that arrived today. Follow me...Thalia."

The same fear from a few months ago returns. The hair on my neck is standing on end. I look up to see the girl staring at me with glowing white eyes.

"Who the hell are you?" I ask while slowly backing away. I do not want to make any sudden movements, not before I'm out of her reach.

"You will be mine, Thalia." The voice coming from the girl is not her own. Its deep, distorted, like a voice trying to come through on a bad radio signal.

I run through the aisles, pushing past people as I barrel for the door. My heart is slamming against my chest as I run outside into the cool air. The sun has set and the darkness has settled in.

I frantically search for my keys only to remember that I didn't drive, Corey did. I pull out my phone to call her.

"Hello." She says in between slurps.

I am rambling off sentences before she can get one-word in.

"Corey please come outside. I am ready to go home. I need to get home."

"Okay CJ, what's wrong?"

"Please just hurry."

I press the end button and wait for her. When she shows up I'm sitting on the ground next to the car. My eyes are red from crying and my hands are shaking.

She kneels next to me. "CJ, what happened?"

I can't speak. I can only shake my head as fresh tears spring from my eyes.

"Please tell me what happened. If someone hurt you, they will pay for it."

"I feel like I'm losing it Corey. Something is happening to me and I...I...I just don't know what to do."

She sits down next to me. She doesn't respond but instead waits for me to tell her about the problem. Only thing is I don't know where to start. Weird things are happening with no explanation. I'm being stalked by freaky white eyed dead people. Or living people. I can't tell which. They are looking for a girl named Thalia but I'm not her. I know that I can't tell Corey. She won't believe me. I resort to another lie.

"Some man tried to grab me in the store."

"Who? Where is he? I have pepper spray and if need be my switchblade is in my bag."

I smile a little. Only Corey would threaten to cut an imaginary man on my behalf, even if she doesn't know that he's not real.

"No, there's no need. He took off running out the store when I yanked away from him."

"How did this guy get his hands on you without anyone seeing?"

"This store has books in hidden corners and he used that as his opportunity when I was browsing in that section."

"We should go to the police. What if that weirdo gets his hands on someone else. At least you can stop someone else from getting hurt."

"I didn't see his face. He had a hood on and kept his head down."

She fumbles around in her purse before pulling out a pink bedazzled bottle with a tiny red cap. She gently places it in my hand.

"Well, if you don't want to go to the police, at least take this. You can have my pepper spray. If that ever happens again, you spray his eyes out!"

I am laughing now because the irony isn't lost on me. She wants me to protect myself from an imaginary man. I'm trying to protect myself from something that may not even be real. It could be all in my head.

"What so funny?"

"You made me feel a lot better."

"What do you think I'm here for girl? I will always have your back."

I lay my head on her shoulder. Minutes pass before Corey speaks.

"CJ?"

"Yeah."

"Can we go home now? The ground is getting uncomfortable. Not to mention the people that are staring at us as they walk pass."

A cold feeling passes over me causing me to shudder. "They aren't the ones I'm worried about."

By the time we get home its late and I realize that I forgot to call my dad to see how his flight went.

"Corey, will you put the movie on and get the popcorn ready? I have to call my dad."

"Yeah, I got it. You go ahead. Oh, and tell Mr. Daniel I said hi!"

I am dialing his number before I can make down the hallway to my room.

"Hey Cassaundra." Dad voice booms. His voice is deep and commanding. I try to put on the sweetest voice possible.

"Hi Daddy and before you ask I'm fine today just as much as I was yesterday. I'm actually headed back to work tomorrow."

"I'm glad to hear it. You know I didn't want to leave you alone until I was certain that you were okay."

"Daddy I'm fine and I'm not alone. You know Corey is here with me."

"Yet you still managed to slip in that puddle. When are we going to discuss the next steps with the corporate office? I know you were just telling me we would talk later so I wouldn't miss my flight."

"I promise you I will pursue this." I lie. It seems to be an ongoing theme for me. "I'm going to call the office before work tomorrow morning." I roll my eyes, grateful that he couldn't see me. It sucks to lie to him but what other choice do I have?

"Let me give you the number of a lawyer I know here in Florida that can help."

"Are you talking about Mr. Dobs?" I ask. He was the lawyer who assisted my dad with my mom's will when she passed away.

"Yes its Mr. Dobs. You know he is good at what he does and he can help with this case."

I pull up the keypad in my phone to take down the number as he recites it out loud.

"Make sure to call him as soon as you speak with the corporate office." I'm quiet on the other end. "Did you hear me Cassaundra?"

He is the only person who calls me by my actual name, usually when he is fussing about something. "Yes, daddy I will."

"You know I promised your mother that I would look after you."

I smile because that's something my mom would do, have both of us promise the same thing.

"Dad, she made me promise the same thing about you."

It doesn't take long for him to laugh. "Yeah, that was your mother. You know that she loved you. Just because you didn't have her DNA, didn't make you anything less than her daughter."

Tears threaten to spill from my eyes. Memories of her come flooding back hitting me like a tsunami. My mother, Sheree, died of liver failure a few days after my 19th birthday. It was one of the most heartbreaking moments in my life. Sometimes I resent my mom for choosing the bottle over her family but not tonight. Tonight, I miss her more than ever.

"Well call me after you get off work baby girl. I love you CJ." Dad's voice bellows in my ears, pulling me from my thoughts.

I am hesitant. I want to talk to him about what's been happening to me but I'm not sure he could even begin to understand. Plus, it might send him running right back up here and I can't mess up his livelihood. I let the conversation end.

"I love you too Daddy, goodnight."

After the movie, I find myself staring at the ceiling, sleep nowhere to be found. I decide to read a little. I search for a book in my night stand but the room is starting to spin as if my bed has been placed on a merry-go-round. I close my eyes to help control the vomit that may spew out of my mouth at any moment. That awful headache is back and I'm 100% sure that I'll hurl chunks everywhere when an image appears.

This time I can see every detail of the mystery man and he is gorgeous. His black hair is in a low cut that that makes his curly hair seem wavy. His eyes are a beautiful shade of brown that compliments his dark brown skin. He looks to be tall but I can't be sure since he is slumped over clutching a limp woman. Within seconds the mystery man is gone.

I just want to rip my own hair out in frustration. It's either that or curl up into a ball and cry. I choose the latter. I don't know what to do anymore, hell, I don't even know what's happening to me.

Now I really miss my mom and wish I could hear from her one more time. I miss her voice which only spawns me into missing my biological mom. Nothing could ever make me forget her, especially the very last time I saw her.