I waved at him to wait and moved toward the garage. Three trails of footprints led away from the front door. Two veered toward the garage and the other toward the sidewalk.
With a ride, there was enough time for some snow removal. I grabbed our cheap shovel and quickly cleaned the inch of snow from the path leading from the sidewalk to the front door. Gran would appreciate the effort when she returned laden with a chicken for dinner. Leaving the rest for later, I went to put away the shovel stomping the snow from my feet at the garage door.
Behind me, I heard the crunch of snow as someone approached. I hurried to the back of the garage to put the shovel away before turning with a smile on my face.
“Morning,” I called walking toward him.
He paused mid-stepped, but quickly recovered and continued through the door his expression neutral.
Clavin looked like hell. Dark circles haloed his blood shot eyes. The cast made his limp more pronounced. He didn’t look like he was recovering, but getting worse instead. His pale blue tee shirt peeked out through his unzipped jacket. The fly of his jeans gaped open. The laces of his single shoe flopped around as he walked leaving odd trails in the snow. And his bare toes stuck out of his cast. They had to be freezing. The extremely slicked look of his hair in contrast to the rest of him, gave off an ‘I’m crazy’ vibe.
Before I could comment on Morik’s poor choice – Clavin obviously needed more sleep – he interrupted me.
“I tried staying away,” he whined.
Immediately I heard my mistake and stopped. It wasn’t Morik, it was Clavin.
“The last five days have been hell. I can’t sleep. I tried. I even took pills. Every time I close my eyes, I see him. His horns, his eyes. They won’t leave me alone!”
He shuffled closer to me, and I backed a step further into the dark recess of the garage.
“The only time they leave me alone is when I’m with you. I did what you said. I forgave myself. It doesn’t matter. They won’t forgive me.” He held out his hand. “Come with me. Please. I just want it to stop.”
I didn’t want to touch him fearing what I’d see. Stalling, hoping Morik would appear any moment, I asked, “Where would we go, Clavin?”
He must have taken my words as my consent because his face lit with anticipation and he moved closer. “It doesn’t matter as long as we’re together.”
I stood my ground. The light from the bay door didn’t reach further back into the garage. No one would see us. “Clavin, I don’t want to go anywhere with you.” He stopped moving forward. “You’re scaring me. You need help.” Hurt and something else replaced the anticipation on his face. “Have you talked to your parents or Brian about this?”
“Talk? What good is talking going to do? I’m waking up finding notes I’ve written while sleeping saying things I wouldn’t write. Do you know what would happen if I told someone I was being haunted by horned demons!”
“Yes, you’d get the help you need,” I answered calmly.
“You are the help I need,” he said emphatically.
With only feet separating us, he lunged for me trying to grab my arm. My pity for Clavin no longer outweighed my fear of him. I shrank backward, but before Clavin touched me, Morik appeared, a barrier dressed in denim, and a leather jacket. My nose hovered an inch from his back.
I put my hands out, bracing myself on the soft leather of his jacket, dizzy from his abrupt arrival. On contact, I felt Morik’s tensed muscles and quickly glanced around him. His odd eyes remained focused on Clavin who stood before him with a gapping mouth. He felt me move and gently nudged me back behind him. Given Clavin’s scary instability, I willingly hid.
“You’re real,” Clavin whispered. “Tessa, you see him right?”
An idea formed in my head. From behind Morik, I said, “Yeah, I see him. He’s holding me prisoner Clavin.” I felt Morik twitch under my fingertips and quickly smoothed my hand over the spot trying to tell him to wait. When he stayed where he was, I continued. “You have to go to the police and tell them. But be careful, Clavin. He’s not like us. You see his horns and eyes, right? Look at his nails… his teeth. Make sure you tell them everything so they know how dangerous he is.”
“Are you going to be okay?” Clavin asked with a quaver in his voice. I truly felt bad for him. Sure, he’d been an ass, but he didn’t deserve what he was going through now.
I peeked around Morik again. Morik reached out protectively so I didn’t get too far. “I’ll be fine Clavin. He treats me well.”
Clavin nodded before turning and rushing to his car, his hop-step-gimp comical if not for the seriousness of the situation. Morik stayed positioned in front of me until Clavin peeled away from the curb.