Shiver

  Shiver

  Amber Garza

  PUBLISHED BY:

  Amber Garza

  Shiver

  Copyright © 2012 by Amber Garza

  This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

  Shiver

  “Kenzie,” the voice hissed, causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end. It sounded evil, animal-like.

  Terrified, I spun around in the darkened room and tried to locate the source.

  “Kenzie,” it spoke again out of nowhere. Its loud rumble reverberated through my body like rolling thunder.

  An icy chill brushed my body. Shivering, I swiveled my head from side to side, but saw nothing. The room was dark, but my eyes were adjusting to the light and I could make out shapes in the room. There were a couple of chairs and a couch. Nothing stirred. Cold air circled me.

  “Kenzie, Kenzie, come out and play.”

  I sucked in a breath. The voice was so close it tickled my ear. Who was speaking and why did the voice sound oddly familiar? Something wet and slick touched my cheek. Squeezing my eyes shut, I screamed.

  When I opened them again it was no longer dark. Light illuminated the room. My heart hammered in my ears and sweat soaked my back. I was lying down. Was it just a dream? Only where was I? I took in my unfamiliar surroundings. Getting up off the couch, my gaze swept the large, messy family room. My head swam and my knees softened. Reaching down, I steadied myself on the armrest. Everything felt foggy. My head pounded and my eyes burned. That’s when everything came flooding back. Memories of the party the night before filled my mind. I cringed, remembering.

  Morning sunshine filtered in through the vast picture window. Clearly I had passed out, but where was everyone else? I thought of Caleb, and it caused my heart to skip a beat. The events of the night before were fuzzy at best, but the memory of Caleb was crystal clear. I hoped I hadn’t done anything stupid. The last thing I wanted to do was screw things up between us. I’d been waiting for him to ask me out for months.

  Glancing over at the clock, my stomach tightened. Mom was going to kill me, if she even noticed I was gone. I was hoping that she went out, too, and was now sleeping off a hangover. That was exactly what I planned to do when I got home. Taking a nap sounded incredible. I could barely focus my head hurt so badly. After finding my shoes, I slipped them on and raced out into the cool morning air. I swallowed hard, trying to lubricate my dry, scratchy throat. The sun pierced my sensitive eyes. Shielding them with my hand, I ran toward my run-down car that was parked on the curb.

  As I drove home my mind drifted back to my nightmare. It had seemed so real. Not that it was the first time I had dreamt of the strange voice. It had haunted my dreams since I was a little girl. You would think that by the age of seventeen it would have gone away. Only the dreams seemed to worsen lately. They were coming more often and were much more intense. It left me feeling anxious and worried. A sense of foreboding followed me like a black cloud.

  Not wishing to think of it anymore, I forced my thoughts to something more important - my big date with Caleb Friday night. Daydreaming about Caleb’s dark hair and eyes, I pulled up to my house. My stomach twisted into knots as I made my way to the front door.

  When I entered our small rental home, Mom was seated at the makeshift kitchen table, surrounded by loose pages of the newspaper, eating a bowl of cereal. She wore a t-shirt and sweats, and her hair was covered in hot-rollers. Her head popped up the minute I opened the door.

  “Where have you been?” Her eyes were glassy and wild, ringed with mascara residue.

  “Just out.”I shrugged, and made my way to the coffee maker. I had to kill this headache somehow.

  Mom pushed her chair back and stood. It scraped on the floor making a loud squeaking noise. “I’ve been worried sick.”

  “Well, that’s a first.” I scoured the cabinets for a clean coffee mug. I finally found one with minimal lipstick stains. If only my mom didn’t wear so much make-up or we had a dishwasher that actually worked. As I poured hot coffee into the mug, I made the mistake of leaning against the counter. When I pulled back, my sleeve stayed. I yanked harder until it came free. Glancing down, I surmised it was probably maple syrup.

  “Don’t turn your back on me, young lady. I expect an explanation.”

  My head was really throbbing now. Squinting, I turned to face Mom.

  “Have you been drinking?” She narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips.

  Anger bubbled inside of me. “Oh please. Don’t act all high and mighty. Where were you last night? At the bar?”

  Mom’s face reddened. “That’s it!” She threw her arms up in exasperation. “I can’t do this anymore. I’m sending you to your grandma’s for the summer.”

  I almost laughed at the absurdity of her threat. “Grandmas? As in your mother who you haven’t spoken to in years? Yeah, right.” Grabbing my mug off the counter, I pushed past Mom and walked toward my room.

  “I’m serious, Mackenzie!” Mom called after me.

  See, she’s trying to get rid of you. She doesn’t want you. You’re worthless.

  An icy breeze blew over me. The familiar words ran through my mind like a mantra. As if guided by unseen hands, I ended up in the bathroom. There was only one thing that would make me feel better.

  Do it.

  As if in obedience to the voice in my head, I slammed the bathroom door and reached into the medicine cabinet for my remedy.

  *****

  On Monday, my best friend Haley and I walked together into the cafeteria with a swarm of students pushing past. The scent of sweat, tennis shoes and fried food permeated my senses. Loud laughing and chatting swirled around us.

  “Do you really think she’ll send you away for the summer?” Haley raised a brow while tossing a long strand of auburn hair over her shoulder.

  “I don’t know. Normally I wouldn’t believe her, but I do think she wants to get rid of me. With me gone, she can spend all her time with her new boy-toy.” We arrived at our table and sat down on the bench.

  “She has a new boyfriend? Hopefully he’s not a loser like the last one.” Haley scrunched up her freckled nose.

  “Who has a boyfriend?” Chelsea squeezed in next to us, choking me with the scent of too much perfume. Her over made-up lips smiled at me, and she batted her long lashes under the fringe of her platinum blonde hair.

  “No one.” I shook my head and threw Haley a severe look that told her to keep her mouth shut. We’d been best friends since seventh grade, so we didn’t always need words to communicate. Haley immediately closed her mouth and lowered her gaze.

  Chelsea was nice enough, but I didn’t really trust her. Haley and I moved up to the popular table a few weeks ago when Caleb and I started talking. Before that, Chelsea and her friends wouldn’t give us the time of day.

  “Are you and Caleb finally a couple? I wondered when he’d make it official.” Chelsea snapped on her pink bubble gum, emitting a fruity smell into the air. I never saw Chelsea eat, only chew gum. I guess that’s how she stayed so thin. “Oooh, were you guys at Scarlet’s party this weekend? I was so bummed I had to miss it.”

  I frowned. Haley’s face paled. Neither of us wanted to share the outcome of that party.

  “Who’s talking about a party?” Caleb slid in next to me, his thigh touching mine. His proximity sent my pulse racing. “If you mean the one this weekend, it was awesome.” He winked at me, and my heart leapt in my chest. So apparently I didn’t make a total idiot of myself. Good to know.

  Caleb’s arm came around my shoulders.

  “Hey guys.” Derek plopped down across from us, and Haley’s chee
ks turned pink. Even though they’d been dating for awhile, Haley still seemed flustered in his presence. Not that I blamed her. He was pretty good looking. I mean, nothing compared to Caleb, but still cute.

  There was only one boy who was hotter than Caleb at our school.

  As if on cue, Tanner joined us. He looked like he was posing for a magazine spread with his muscular tanned body, blond hair and icy blue eyes. As he and Caleb struck up a conversation, my palms clammed up and I wiped them on my jeans. I’d had a crush on Tanner for as long as I could remember. Of course, he only had eyes for Scarlet. They’d been a couple all through high school.

  Glancing to my left, I saw Scarlet chatting with Chelsea. When she caught me staring, she narrowed her eyes at me. I turned away. A shadow cast over my shoulder, and a breeze blew over my neck causing me to shudder. I sensed I was being watched.

  I whipped around, but no one was there.

  *****

  It was late. Mom was still at work. She said she had clients at the salon all evening. I was sure any minute she’d come waltzing in smelling like bleach and hairspray. I sat on the couch flipping through the channels. There was nothing but mindless reality shows on, and I felt myself zoning out. A creaking sound perked my ears. I froze. When I heard it again, I turned toward the window. It was pitch black outside with only a smattering of stars against the inky sky. My reflection stared back at me in the smudged glass.

  I let out a startled gasp when the silhouette of a man appeared on the front lawn. The air in the room shifted and goose bumps arose on my flesh.

  “Kenzie,” the evil voice from my dreams spoke into the silent room.

  My breath caught in my throat and a chill shivered down my spine. With shaky fingers, I reached for the phone that sat on the end table. Just as my fingers grazed it, the lights went out. Darkness swallowed me.

  “Kenzie,” the voice spoke again.

  Paralyzed with fear, I stayed still. I barely breathed. My heart beat so erratically in my chest that I thought I would have a heart attack. So badly I wanted to get up and run for help, but I literally couldn’t move.

  “Kenzie?”

  My head snapped up. It was Mom’s voice. I blinked.

  “Kenzie? Are you okay?” Mom stood over me, a worried look on her face.

  I glanced around the room. The lights were on. The TV blared in the background. I held the remote in my hand. Had I fallen asleep? Was it just another dream?

  “Yeah, I’m fine.”

  Only I wasn’t. Not at all.

  *****

  “Is your mom still threatening to send you to your grandma’s this summer?” Haley stretched her legs out over my bed. Light streamed inside painting stripes on her pale, freckled legs. It was Friday afternoon, and Haley had come over to help me get ready for my big date with Caleb.

  I perused my closet for something to wear. “Yeah, but it’s just a threat. We all know my mom isn’t one to follow through.”

  Haley chuckled. “Yeah, I know. Like the time she grounded you to your room for two weeks and it only lasted two hours?”

  “Or when she restricted me from using the phone, but then she called from the salon and I didn’t answer. That wasn’t the best plan.” I pulled out a short black skirt and assessed it.

  “You’re so lucky. Your mom is way cooler than my parents.”

  I nodded. “Yeah, but at least your parents are around. My mom’s never home.”

  “They’re around, but they’re always breathing down my neck. Trust me, you’re the lucky one.”

  I thought of Haley’s big house and warm family, and jealousy snaked around my heart. I wouldn’t mind being smothered if it meant I would have a mom and dad who loved me. And I would give anything to live in a beautiful clean house with new furniture, instead of in a stinky, run-down rental decorated with mismatched thrift store finds.

  “I hope she doesn’t really send you. That will totally suck. Then I’ll be alone all summer.”

  “You won’t be alone. You’ll have Derek.”

  “Still.”

  “Anyway, it will be worse for me. I’ll be the one stuck living with some religious nut I’ve only met like once in my life.”

  “I know. What’s up with that? Why would your mom even want to send you to live with someone she can’t stand?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. All I know is that I’m not leaving now that Caleb and I are finally going out. No way.” I held up a sparkly top. “What about this?”

  She smiled. “Perfect. It will look so good with your blue eyes.”

  Haley helped me straighten my thick blonde hair with a flat iron, and then she headed home. The minute I finished my make-up I heard a knock. I slipped on a pair of black flats and flew down the hallway. When I opened the door, my heart sunk.

  Caleb wore a pair of jeans and t-shirt. I squirmed. Clearly, I was overdressed.

  “Wow. You look gorgeous.” A broad smile swept his face.

  My cheeks warmed. Okay, maybe it was alright.

  “Where are we going?” I asked after getting in Caleb’s car.

  “You’ll see.” He winked.

  I settled into the seat, pulling my skirt down as it rode up my legs. A dark shadow played at the edge of my vision, and a funny feeling nagged at the pit of my stomach. I turned my head but saw nothing. Scolding back the paranoid thoughts I faced forward. Why was I so jumpy lately? It had to have been because of the nightmares. I had no idea why they were increasing, but I wished they’d just stop.

  “You okay?” Caleb reached over and squeezed my hand.

  I bit my lip and nodded. I had been waiting for this night for so long. No way was I messing it up.

  “We’re gonna have so much fun tonight.” Caleb smiled, revealing his gleaming white teeth. For some reason his calm demeanor did nothing to settle my nerves. The further we drove, the more uncomfortable I became. Where was Caleb taking me? I took a deep breath and shifted in my seat.

  When he parked in front of our destination I knew exactly what Caleb had planned. In fact, I had no idea why I was deluding myself with fantasies of a romantic date. I should have known this was what he would have in mind.

  *****

  The dark figure stood in the shadows watching as the two teenagers emerged from the car. A tingly feeling spread through his limbs. He’d been observing the girl her entire life. He knew everything about her. Lately he’d been taking more chances. He’d been following more closely, and becoming bolder.

  He was ready to make his move. Pretty soon he would strike and the girl would be his.

  The moment he’d been anticipating for years was finally here.

  It was time.

  Thank you for reading! If you have enjoyed this bonus short story for the Prowl Trilogy, I would really appreciate it if you could do a couple of things for me. First, it would be awesome if you could review the story on Amazon, Goodreads, your blog and anywhere else you want! Spread the word! Second, continue reading Kenzie’s story to find out what happened with Caleb and who the mysterious figure is. You can read the first two chapters by simply turning the page. All three books in the Prowl trilogy are now available in both paperback and e-book. Thanks again for taking the time to read this teaser. I appreciate my fans more than words can express!

  Amber Garza

  http://www.ambergarza.wordpress.com

  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Amber-Garza-author

  1 Peter 5:8 - Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

  Chapter One

  “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m actually glad my mom’s sending me away for the summer. I can’t wait to get outta here.”

  My best friend Haley sat next to me on the couch with her feet propped up on the coffee table as she painted her toenails bright pink. Haley wouldn’t dare do that if her mom were home. Haley’s mom was a total neat freak and she’d never let us do our nails in her house. I glanced around at t
he spotless family room with its shiny furniture, which smelled like lemon, and the cream colored carpet striped with even vacuum lines. It was such a contrast to my own home. Haley didn’t realize how lucky she had it.

  “Weren’t you totally freaking out about leaving yesterday?”

  “Yeah.” I leaned back, blew my bangs off my forehead. “That was before I found out what a jerk Caleb was.”

  “Cause he wanted to sleep with you?”

  “Yeah, you should’ve seen him last night. He was all over me.”

  Haley peered up at me, her curly red hair falling like a curtain over her eyes. “I don’t get it. That’s never bothered you before.” She put down the nail polish and wiggled her glossy toes.

  “I guess I just thought Caleb was different. I thought he wanted more than just my body.”

  She dropped her feet to the carpet, but I could see the outline of her footprints on the coffee table. “I’m sorry.”

  I waved away her sympathy. Now, I felt silly. After all, I had a reputation to uphold. “It doesn’t matter. I’ll spend the whole summer at my grandma’s house in California and meet tons of guys.”

  “Cute, tan California boys.” Haley frowned. “Man, I am so jealous. You’re going to hang out on the beach while I’m stuck here in boring Washington.”

  “My grandma doesn’t live anywhere near the beach.”

  Haley raised her brows in a question. “I thought she lived in California.”

  “There’s not a beach everywhere in California. She lives in Folsom, it’s close to Sacramento.”

  “That makes me feel a little bit better. If I don’t get to hang out at the beach all summer you shouldn’t either.”

  “Thanks. That’s very selfless of you,” I teased. “Besides, there’s no way you’d survive all summer on the beach. Your pale skin would burn so bad.” I, on the other hand, was born to be a California girl with my blonde hair and blue eyes. A thought struck me. “Hey, there is a lake near my grandma’s house though.”