Bloody Mary
And there's a blue moon on the rise
“You okay?” Gary asks me, breaking me from my trance, “it’s like you’ve been running on autopilot all morning.”
“I’m fine,” I say with a forced smile, earning a look from Gary. “I’m fine, Gary. I promise you this.”
“Does this have anything to do with not being able to remember anything from last night?” Gary asks, knowing me all too well. “So you had one too many drinks. It’s perfectly fine to lose control once in awhile, Caity. Stop being so serious.”
“I didn’t have too much to drink last night,” I defend myself. “Something happened. Maybe I was drugged or something.”
“You think someone roofied you?” The tone in Gary’s voice tells me he doesn’t believe something like that could even happen.
“We were in a club last night,” I remind him. “It’s not a far off notion. It could have happened. I just wish I knew what happened after I blacked out, you know?”
“Who do you remember talking to last?” He asks. “Maybe we can find out your missing night from them.”
“I remember talking to you then I left the Bloody Mary to go outside,” I tell him, piecing part of my night together. “Then I remember following someone to the little shed on the edge of the property. I can’t remember the face but I know it was a guy.”
Before Gary could say anything, Rosary cuts him off. “Are you guys coming to not? We still have a way to go before we get to the Inn. We’re wasting precious daylight.”
“We’re coming.” I call out to her before turning to Gary. “Let’s not bring up last night again, okay? Let’s wait til we get to the Inn then we can talk about it. I do not want to get stuck in the woods at night. These woods are notorious for their werewolf legends.”
“But they’re just legends, Cait.” Gary laughs as we start jogging towards Rosary. “Werewolves don’t exist.”
“You say that now,” Rosary laughs turning back to us, giving Gary a a convincing sinister smile. “Legends come from somewhere, remember that North.” I notice Gary shudder a little bit. I’m not sure if he’s turned on by Rosary’s mystery side or scared.
**
“Hey Caity!” Gabriel says as we walk into the bar. “Abel and I were just talking about you.” He motions to his less than thrilled best friend. “Apparently this casanova here saved you from a guy last night. He completely drugged you and took out out back. Lucky for you, Abel is a hopeless romantic and has a white knight complex. He saved you from that creep.”
“See?” Gary asks, putting an arm around my shoulders. “Talking to someone can help piece together your night.”
I can’t help but not believe that story. I just look at Abel who is looking right back at him. A shiver dances up my spine as a bad feeling makes its home in the pit of my stomach. “Is that so, Abel?” I finally manage to ask. “You saved me?”
“Don’t act so surprised,” Abel scoffs. “I couldn’t let the granddaughter of someone I care about get raped by an Edward Cullen wannabe. He wasn’t much of a fight anyway. I managed to get him off of you and then I brought you back to Adele’s house. It was nothing.”
“Well thank you,” I spit out even though I believe his story has more plot holes than my own. “It means a lot.”
“Don’t mention it.” He quickly says before putting down the Collins glass he’s been cleaning this whole time. “What can I get you to drink?”
“Just water for the both of us,” Gary answers for me. “I’m sure Caity doesn’t want another glass of red wine for awhile, huh?”
“Yea, I guess.” I reply forcing yet another smile on my lips. “I’d like lemon in my water, please.”
“Your wish is my command, mistress.” A twisted smile appears on Abel’s lips before he goes off to fill our order. My body convulses with a shudder as the bad feeling in my stomach starts to grow.
Something is off with Abel and I’m going to find out what it is and why I can’t shake this bad feeling.
**
“Hey you coming into the kitchen for dinner?” Gary asks. “One of your aunts made an authentic Romanian dish and I’m terrified to try it without you. I’m sure they won’t poison their niece but I’m sure as shit they’ll poison the outsider.”
“I’ll be there in a minute,” I tell him, barely removing my eyes from the screen of my laptop.
“What are you doing?” He asks before looking at my screen. I was on Google and I hear Gary sigh when he sees who’s name is in the search line. “Are you really looking into Abel? The man saved your life.”
“Something isn’t right about him,” I defend myself as I push my best friend away. “I think his story has a few plot holes in them. Nothing about his story or last night adds up.”
Gary sighs before sitting down next to me on the bed. He closes my laptop to make sure he has my complete attention. “I get that you’re stressing out about that funky ass hickie and the fact you can’t remember anything, but let it go! You’re leaving tomorrow to go back to the big city. Once again you can be lost in a crowd of people and not stuck in a town you grew up in and hated. You’ll be far away from the Bloody Mary and Abel.”
“But I’ll never be able to shake the feeling that something important happened last night.” I counter.
“Then go see Madame Gray or whoever reads your cards.” Gary suggests. “Doesn’t she also a hypnotist? I’m sure she can recover something from last night from your subconscious.”
“I thought you didn’t believe in that sort of stuff?” I ask.
“I don’t, but you do.” He replies. “I know you won’t stop til you find out what happens. I’m sure what you’re looking for Madame Gray and help you find.”
“Thanks, Gary.” I smile pulling him into a one armed hug. “Thanks for everything, especially coming up here with me.”
“What are best friend’s for.” He chuckles. “Now let’s get to the kitchen before our food walk off. I’m starving.”
“Two to one, we’ll end up ordering pizza,” I warn him. “Vaduva family isn’t known for their cooking.”
“Trust me, I know this Caity.” He laughs, earning a push off the bed from me. I help him onto his feet as I get up off the bed. “You’re lucky I love you Caity, or I’d probably have to kill you…”
“I’m fine,” I say with a forced smile, earning a look from Gary. “I’m fine, Gary. I promise you this.”
“Does this have anything to do with not being able to remember anything from last night?” Gary asks, knowing me all too well. “So you had one too many drinks. It’s perfectly fine to lose control once in awhile, Caity. Stop being so serious.”
“I didn’t have too much to drink last night,” I defend myself. “Something happened. Maybe I was drugged or something.”
“You think someone roofied you?” The tone in Gary’s voice tells me he doesn’t believe something like that could even happen.
“We were in a club last night,” I remind him. “It’s not a far off notion. It could have happened. I just wish I knew what happened after I blacked out, you know?”
“Who do you remember talking to last?” He asks. “Maybe we can find out your missing night from them.”
“I remember talking to you then I left the Bloody Mary to go outside,” I tell him, piecing part of my night together. “Then I remember following someone to the little shed on the edge of the property. I can’t remember the face but I know it was a guy.”
Before Gary could say anything, Rosary cuts him off. “Are you guys coming to not? We still have a way to go before we get to the Inn. We’re wasting precious daylight.”
“We’re coming.” I call out to her before turning to Gary. “Let’s not bring up last night again, okay? Let’s wait til we get to the Inn then we can talk about it. I do not want to get stuck in the woods at night. These woods are notorious for their werewolf legends.”
“But they’re just legends, Cait.” Gary laughs as we start jogging towards Rosary. “Werewolves don’t exist.”
“You say that now,” Rosary laughs turning back to us, giving Gary a a convincing sinister smile. “Legends come from somewhere, remember that North.” I notice Gary shudder a little bit. I’m not sure if he’s turned on by Rosary’s mystery side or scared.
**
“Hey Caity!” Gabriel says as we walk into the bar. “Abel and I were just talking about you.” He motions to his less than thrilled best friend. “Apparently this casanova here saved you from a guy last night. He completely drugged you and took out out back. Lucky for you, Abel is a hopeless romantic and has a white knight complex. He saved you from that creep.”
“See?” Gary asks, putting an arm around my shoulders. “Talking to someone can help piece together your night.”
I can’t help but not believe that story. I just look at Abel who is looking right back at him. A shiver dances up my spine as a bad feeling makes its home in the pit of my stomach. “Is that so, Abel?” I finally manage to ask. “You saved me?”
“Don’t act so surprised,” Abel scoffs. “I couldn’t let the granddaughter of someone I care about get raped by an Edward Cullen wannabe. He wasn’t much of a fight anyway. I managed to get him off of you and then I brought you back to Adele’s house. It was nothing.”
“Well thank you,” I spit out even though I believe his story has more plot holes than my own. “It means a lot.”
“Don’t mention it.” He quickly says before putting down the Collins glass he’s been cleaning this whole time. “What can I get you to drink?”
“Just water for the both of us,” Gary answers for me. “I’m sure Caity doesn’t want another glass of red wine for awhile, huh?”
“Yea, I guess.” I reply forcing yet another smile on my lips. “I’d like lemon in my water, please.”
“Your wish is my command, mistress.” A twisted smile appears on Abel’s lips before he goes off to fill our order. My body convulses with a shudder as the bad feeling in my stomach starts to grow.
Something is off with Abel and I’m going to find out what it is and why I can’t shake this bad feeling.
**
“Hey you coming into the kitchen for dinner?” Gary asks. “One of your aunts made an authentic Romanian dish and I’m terrified to try it without you. I’m sure they won’t poison their niece but I’m sure as shit they’ll poison the outsider.”
“I’ll be there in a minute,” I tell him, barely removing my eyes from the screen of my laptop.
“What are you doing?” He asks before looking at my screen. I was on Google and I hear Gary sigh when he sees who’s name is in the search line. “Are you really looking into Abel? The man saved your life.”
“Something isn’t right about him,” I defend myself as I push my best friend away. “I think his story has a few plot holes in them. Nothing about his story or last night adds up.”
Gary sighs before sitting down next to me on the bed. He closes my laptop to make sure he has my complete attention. “I get that you’re stressing out about that funky ass hickie and the fact you can’t remember anything, but let it go! You’re leaving tomorrow to go back to the big city. Once again you can be lost in a crowd of people and not stuck in a town you grew up in and hated. You’ll be far away from the Bloody Mary and Abel.”
“But I’ll never be able to shake the feeling that something important happened last night.” I counter.
“Then go see Madame Gray or whoever reads your cards.” Gary suggests. “Doesn’t she also a hypnotist? I’m sure she can recover something from last night from your subconscious.”
“I thought you didn’t believe in that sort of stuff?” I ask.
“I don’t, but you do.” He replies. “I know you won’t stop til you find out what happens. I’m sure what you’re looking for Madame Gray and help you find.”
“Thanks, Gary.” I smile pulling him into a one armed hug. “Thanks for everything, especially coming up here with me.”
“What are best friend’s for.” He chuckles. “Now let’s get to the kitchen before our food walk off. I’m starving.”
“Two to one, we’ll end up ordering pizza,” I warn him. “Vaduva family isn’t known for their cooking.”
“Trust me, I know this Caity.” He laughs, earning a push off the bed from me. I help him onto his feet as I get up off the bed. “You’re lucky I love you Caity, or I’d probably have to kill you…”