9.3

Chapter Nine

Part Three

"GAVIN," Nana and I both gasped at the same time.

I had been so focused on our conversation that I hadn't heard him come up on us.

Walking down towards us, he was sneaker than a cat slinking around trees. He had a stupid grin on his face.

"What? Did I scare you guys or something?"

"Scare," Nana breathed with a cackle, "I almost tinkled myself! Could you let a lady know you're behind them? We about had a heart attack!"

Holding the bucket and the washcloths, he had the nerve to look perplexed.

"You knew I was coming, right," he asked a bit flippant.

"Well of course WE knew," I said angrily and then passing Nana a curious look.

I bit my lip anxiously watching for any reaction to what Gavin blurted.

"Oh no," Gavin cried, fainting embarrassment, "Did I hear something I wasn't supposed to?"

Clenching my jaw, my nose faired in anger.

My Lord! How did I keep from killing him?

"Now Gavin," Nana scolded, rescuing me from becoming a murder, "It's not that you weren't supposed to hear, but your sister and I were in a private conversation. You knew we were having a one-on-one conversation. It ain't right you snooping in the woods trying to listen."

Gavin's eyes dramatically grew larger, "So it was something I wasn't supposed to hear."

"That's not what I was saying," she corrected.

"I wasn't snooping. I already knew what she was going to tell you," he claimed walking toe to toe with us.

I huffed an angry breath, "Can you please let me speak to Nana alone."

"Whatever you have to say I ALREADY know. Right…sis."

His brown eyes crackled with anger again. They locked on to me just as intensely as mine did him.

I wanted to choak him so bad, but I could feel the heat of Nana's blue eyes. They regarded me with suspicion.

"So," Nana asked carefully, her voice colored with curiosity, "you're telling me… he's aware of your…well what should I call it…fanciful story?"

I blinked. My eyes snapping to her like a rubber band.

"So, you heard him?"

"Well how could I not? He was a yelling like the whole forest was on fire. I'm pretty sure they could hear him all the way down Quail Hallow."

I clenched my eyes shut ready to breath fire.

He'd just royally screwed everything up…again.

I mean, I was well aware of how foolish everything sounded, but I thought if I explained it to her, she'd understand. With bozo the clown on board I wasn't sure if anything would work anymore.

Gavin shrugged, "What does it matter who hears me? No one is going to believe her anyway, but it does make for a very interesting story."

I grated between my teeth, "It ain't no story."

"Well how am I to know it isn't," he craftily shot back.

My eyes sprang open.

"Glare at me all you want Circe, but I can't say that I do in fact know he's a Vampire," Gavin declared, a little too happy for my linking.

"I mean I've only met the guy…what once," he said.

Well, it was more than that. My brother couldn't remember, and I wasn't going to say.

"Was he creepy…yes…was he a Vampire," my brother shifted on his feet, dancing as if he were going back and forth on the issue, "I can't say. What I can say is…"

Nana's hands shot to her face as worry clouded over her.

"Oh, my Lord," she shrieked, realizing with horror, "that's right! You saw him too! Oh, my dear Lord! Circe!"

Gavin glanced at me confused over our Grandmother's reaction.

Dubious we both spoke at the same time saying, "What?"

Nana slapped my shoulder exciting a yelp out of me.

Scolding me she cried, "You! You allowed that…that…"

"Creature," offered Gavin.

"Creature," she seized the word, her voice rising in volume, "to come face to face with your BROTHER? How could you allow that! Now that…that…"

"Creature," Gavin said again.

"Creature knows what your brother looks like! What if he expects something from him too!"

Twitching with each slap on my shoulder, I flinched. I moved away missing the last one.

"What was I supposed to do," I shrieked defensively, rubbing my shoulder, "I didn't know he was coming to check on me!"

"Sorry," Gavin murmured, "guess I shouldn't have cared."

"Kids," Nana called, throwing up her hands, yelling, "SILENCE! Please! I just want to get one thing clear!"

Both of us looked at her.

"Now," she said, her gaze falling onto my brother with expectation, "I want you to be as clear as glass. Got it?"

My brother began to look nervous.

"I'm not the one keeping secrets."

"Hush it! Please!"

Gavin's shoulders drooped and he darted his eyes nervously.

"You saw the…guy," Nana said awkwardly.

"Yea. I saw him."

"Did he ask anything of you?"

Gavin licked his lips.

"Sort of."

Nana jumped.

"He asked him to leave me alone," I barked before her imagination could run away with itself, "Gavin was being very forceful and rude towards me, and he didn't like that."

Gavin rolled his eyes, "I was not."

"Is that correct," Nana pushed, stressing the last word.

Gavin huffed, "You could look at it that way."

"We'll then do you think your sister is right about…you know…"

Questionably, my brother proposed slowly, "About the dude being a Vampire?"

Wincing Nana reluctantly bobbed her head.

"Yes…that."

Honestly, I stood in surprise. She didn't just toss the idea out the window. I was impressed she was entertaining the idea at all. This wasn't what I had expected.

"Just tell her the truth," I said, urging Gavin, "She said to be clear with her. What did you think?"

"Who's… to… say," he answered with a question at the end.

I could have smacked him.

"Oh, come on," I said, "Gavin!"

Nana interrupted me, unhappily with, "Who's to say? That's all you've got for me?"

I started to speak again but Nana hushed me.

"No," she waved her hand, "this is for your brother Circe. I'll get to you."

My brother gallantly shrugged a second time, then a third time. The motion became larger and more animated the longer we stared at him.

"I mean... I did meet him down by the creek," he struggled, "but that's it."

"So," Nana pressed, "That's all you've got for me? That's it?"

"So," he sang, "I don't know! I mean I'm not the person to ask. I've only met the guy once. What do I really know? Whereas Circe here…"

He indicated me with the rag still in his hand.

"Well," he said waving it at me, "I don't know how many times they've locked lips. I don't know how many times they've seen each other. Ask Circe. She'd be the expert."

"I'm asking you," Nana said exasperated.

"TWICE," I barked, unexpectedly surprising everyone including myself, "I only kissed the guy twice! You guys are acting like I'm in some twisted relationship with the guy and I don't really know him!"

They stood ogling me like I had just licked the red off their candy.

My eyes shot wide.

"You don't…believe me?"

Pointing at herself, Nana backed herself out the landmine.

"I didn't say anything."

"But your eyes did! Both of you," I said horror struck.

"I don't know what to believe," Gavin whispered, "I mean imagine my shock when I saw them swapping spit at the creek."

My brother said that, and even had the nerve to shudder.

"It was only two times! ONLY TWO TIMES," I cried defensively.

My brother squeaked, "That you know of."

"Oh my gosh," I shrieked, "What do you guys take me for?"

He threw the towel in the bucket with a shrug. He acted like what he was saying, was no skin off his back.

"I'm not alluding to anything. I'm just saying you didn't look like you didn't like the kiss."

"Oh, my lord!"

I slapped my hands over my face wanting to scream.

"Do you know everything he's capable of," Gavin hedged, "because I don't. How do you know that he's not voodooed you into thinking it was only two times?"

I sputtered, "Voodoo?"

Nana shook her head, "Now it's Voodoo?"

"I don't know maybe it was but I've only met the guy once," he replied like he was the voice of reason, "All I can say is that, he was weird."

Nana's face screwed up.

"Weird," she asked, "In what way was he weird because you keep throwing around words and not explaining."

Gavin nodded. While walking around us he was in deep thought.

"Straight up a loony tunes," he replied, "The guy had strength like.. a freakin bear, and he had these weird eyes."

"Weird…eyes?"

Pausing he turned facing us.

Nodding towards Nana he snapped his fingers.

"Yea! Like weird eyes that looked alive. Like…."

"Lava," I added absently.

"Yea," Gavin shouted, "But the weirdest thing! The weirdest thing, was that I was so scared of him that I couldn't move."

Nana stared, she stuttered, "Wh…wh…what?"

"Gavin," I started to say when Nana gripped my arm.

Her unexpected movement caused me to look at her.

What I saw sent chills all over me. She'd gone pale, like pasty white. As if all the blood had drained from her body. Her eyes were wide with terror. She looked to be trembling all over. I could feel it in her hand that gripped me.

"W…what? Could…could you repeat what you'd just said," she begged, her voice sounding funny.

My brother looked at me, confused.

"TELL ME," Nana shouted and then swallowed her words into a whisper, "tell me again what you said."

"Nana," he asked quickly, looking worried, "Are you ok?"

"I'm ok," she said quickly, urging him to answer her, "Just…just tell me."

Nana's behavior was creeping me out.

"He…um," Gavin swallowed, bouncing his eyes up at me and then back to Nana, "Um…I just…"

"He…froze you," she answered flatly for him.

My brother paused, considering her words.

"I guess you could say that."

"You were so scared that you couldn't move? Is that what you said?"

He nodded gradually.

"Yea. It was weird. I've never felt like that before. I was…terrified," he said speaking more confidant, "and I don't know why. I just couldn't move."

"He froze you."

I looked between the two. Wondering what was going on with her. It seemed like she was trying to figure out something, but I wasn't sure what.

Why did it matter if Gavin had been frozen from fear, or from Kyung? What was she hung up on?

"I'm not sure really," he replied, "I just couldn't move a muscle."

The more I stared at Nana the more my gaze narrowed. Did she know something?

"You didn't say he could freeze you," Nana replied almost angry and rushed.

She didn't even give me time to respond before she admonished, "Was that it? Is that why you think he's a Vampire? There wasn't anything else was there?"

"I don't know," I said thinking of the other Vampires, "they were strong, and I guess it was like you said Gavin."

I had felt frozen with a Vampire before. I remembered at the restaurant it had happened to me. I had been trapped in Kyung's stare when he'd first kissed me. I'd seen it done to Willy's nephew. He had been frozen in place, unable to move when they killed him. So… Nana's assessment wasn't wrong. Gavin hadn't been frozen in fear, it was because of Kyung.

"I wanted to move," Gavin declared, rationalizing Nana was right, "I just couldn't…I felt trapped. So yes! He did freeze me."

Nana was on the verge of tears. Something was bothering her deeply.

"Nana," I said carefully, "What's wrong? Does it upset you?"

Nana swallowed; her mouth not willing to open.

"Well of course it would upset her," my brother said flippant, "the Dude froze me! He could have eaten me and I couldn't do anything about it!"

Gavin had spoken without a care until he looked down at Nana.

His face changed.

He looked worried as his voice dwindled.

"Well," he asked while his voice slowly disappeared, "shouldn't we be worried…about…that?"

Questionably I tiled my head. Nana looked as if she were about to have a heart attack about something, but I had absolutely no idea why. What had triggered her?

He paused using his free hand, to wiggle his pinky in his ear.

"Maybe we should stop talking about it and go home."

Glancing down at Nana again I couldn't pause the nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"Nana, you don't look ok. Can you tell me what's wrong?"

"Well maybe she's worried you know…about you," Gavin said looking for some reaction from her.

"You know because apparently he's only interested in appearing for you, Circe. Shouldn't we worry about that?"

Nana's eyes shot to me. Terror bubbled up to the surface as she wavered on her feet. She snatched my arms, her little fingers digging into me.

"He's interested in you! Why?"

"I don't know," I said only to correct quickly, "WE don't know exactly."

Gavin closed his mouth.

I knew what she was thinking. She was dreading the reason behind his interest and frankly I was too.

"Why are you the only one who's seeing him? Why is he still seeing you? How many times has he met you Circe," Nana paused remembering what we had spoken about earlier.

"You can't remember," she breathed, answering herself, "You…can't…remember."

I swallowed. I had already told her that I thought he had erased my memory. Now I was slightly regretting letting her know.

Nana gasped, "Vampires aren't real! They aren't real though!"

"Vampires exist," I said with assurance.

"But of course, we won't know that," Gavin alleged, turning away from me.

His head drooped as he looked at the ground.

"You could share why you think he's a Vampire," he huffed, "Hell you could even call him over and prove to us he's a Vampire, but you won't.

"No," Nana shouted, "No absolutely not! You will not call him over!"

"I meant that she could," my brother corrected quickly in a panic.

"We are not having anything to do with the Guardian until I say so," Nana said sharply, "Ok!"

"Until she tells us everything she shouldn't be allowed out of the house. She needs to tell us everything."

"I can't."

"Gavin," Nana said sharply, "I don't want anyone talking of this! Ok. Nothing. We…we don't know for sure if he's a Vampire."

"Nana," I said, "Just believe me."

"No," Gavin corrected walking away from me with slumped shoulders, "we can't because you just won't tell us everything."

"Gavin," I said sharply moving to walk towards him.

Nana stopped me. Her hand squeezed my arm tighter as if she wouldn't allow me to go.

I faced her; her other hand reached for me.

We stood there, her hands in mine just looking at one another.

"Nana," I whispered, "What's going on? You're acting very strange."

She didn't respond. She was thinking hard about something. I could see it in her eyes and whatever it was, held her in place. Her unresponsiveness started to wear on me. Her whole body had completely frozen from it. Her eyes were blinking but she had an awfully faraway look in her eye.

I shook her slightly trying to get her attention.

"Nana?"

She didn't respond.

Sternly I repeated her name and it snapped her back to reality.

"Nana," I said worried, "What's going on with you? Are you having a vision?"

I had grown up for years with Nana seeing things, dreaming things, or just plain knowing things. However never had I seen her this pale and scared.

Her hand weakly squeezed me.

"I was just…thinking about some things," she said with an air of mystery, "You know about what you said."

"What exactly did I say that you're thinking about," I hedged.

Her voice didn't match the look in her eye. Something unknown was hovering just under the surface. I assumed it was fear but the more I looked at her the more I wasn't sure.

"Was it Kyung? The Guardian?"

Her weird energy was a thousand and one percent suspicious. She couldn't even look me in the eye.

"Well, what was it," I asked trying to not sound as anxious as I felt.

"Nothing important," she lied, "No worries. It's nothing to worry about."

Nothing to worry about? She had to of been kidding me, because whatever she was thinking about had frozen her in place! She'd been like a marble frozen freakin statue!

"Nana! You can't be serious? You looked scared."

Patting my arm, she smiled at me. Her eyes darted all over the place.

"It's nothing important."

My gut told me it was important. Nana just didn't want me to know what it was.

"You sure you don't have anything to tell me," I hedged, "anything at all?"

She shook her white head, but I didn't buy it.

"Nothing to even ask me about?"

"No, honey," she smiled, "It's nothing. Let's head back."

We trudged down the hill. Making quick time back to the house. It felt as if Nana wanted to rush home.

The house came into view far quicker than I would have liked. I really wanted to know what had caused her to pale like that, but she didn't want to give me the chance. Every time I began to ask she'd start talking about something completely different.

"Well, that was quicker than I thought," Gavin remarked from the back porch.

For a moment I wished we weren't fighting. I wanted to tell him that Nana was making me nervous. My stomach was churning, and my anxiety was on high alert. The more I thought about it, the more worried I became, and it was making me dizzy.

Nana had a secret! I knew that she did, but I had no idea why was she hiding it?

I looked at my brother wanting desperately to pull him to a stop, to yell that something was going on, but I couldn't.

As we entered the home, a heavy mixture of feelings hung in the air.

Gavin was like some deflated balloon, depressed. If it was about our parents, or the fact that the Guardian had come to me, I really didn't know. I had hoped the fight we had about it had died in those woods. He was so lost in his own feelings that he'd become numbed to the obvious one of another. Nana!

Nana was like a shaken can of soda. Something had shaken her to the point that she was about to burst from it. It was as if she couldn't get into the house fast enough, and if my brother had half a brain, he would have picked up on it! Regrettably, he was too distracted. Shuffling his feet, staring at the ground, he acted like a kid.

My eyes bore holes into the back of his head begging for him to look up. He didn't.

So, he didn't notice Nana marching into on his heels, pulling me along with her. Her vision had become tunneled. She was so focused on whatever secret that she had she'd almost walked clear into one of the dining chairs!

I jerked her back into me, startled.

"Nana," I cried alarmed.

Her hand flew to her heart. She looked at me as if she too was alarmed.

"Oh," she gasped, "I just about plowed into that chair!"

"Yea," I replied pointedly, "What's gotten you in such a hurry?"

She twitched.

"I'm not in a hurry," she laughed skittishly.

Nana wasn't good at hiding lies.

"You know it always seems quicker when you're heading down the mountain," she joked, "you know rather than up. Maybe it's because it's so steep."

She was rattling again, exactly like she'd done the rest of the way home.

I looked towards my doofus of a brother. He was still completely unaware. Gavin was bent over in the fridge.

Loudly I asked, "You going someplace Nana?"

I was trying to direct his attention to something far more important, but he was too focused on the freezer.

Awkwardly Nana quickly pipped.

"Oh well that's a great idea! I think I just might do that."

Gavin's brown eyes flashed in surprise at Nana, "What about dinner?"

Over her head I mouthed angrily, "Forget dinner!"

I kept dropping my eyes down at Nana willing him to notice how weird she was being.

His face screwed at me and he mouthed, "What?"

I rolled my eyes over her head.

Nana hurried off, wiggling herself out of my grip.