Devils Roses 01 - Cursed

just healed and got strong. Maybe I would be fine and could just go on with my regular life. I wondered if God just felt sorry for me for all the shitty things that had happened and he was giving me a mulligan.
    I sat down on the back steps of his deck and pondered life and choices. I looked back at the grass and vaguely remembered how it had felt to lay with Shane under the stars, and the way he had looked at me. I loved him still. No matter what had ever happened with Aleks, I couldn’t get him out of my mind or heart. The distance from Aleks seemed to allow me the clarity of realizing the lust I felt, as opposed to the love. He seemed to have that effect on all women.
    I heard a vehicle pull in as men’s voices started to speak and car doors closed and opened.
    I paused listening.
    “ Okay, well thank you, Shane. I’m sure she’s fine. Like I said, the doctor seemed to be convinced she needed to go there.”
    My dad's voice filled the yard. I stopped breathing, realizing I had nowhere I could run, except the stalker woods, but they scared the life out of me. I sat very still, hoping I would have a few seconds at least to hide.
    “ I know Mr. James, I’m really bummed about it. I just can’t believe I never got to say goodbye.” Shane’s voice was full of emotion, he sounded crushed.
    “ She knows you love her, kiddo. Good luck on your test, son and if I hear from her, I will call you right away.” My dad used my nickname on him. It warmed and broke my heart simultaneously.
    “ Thanks, sir. Have a good sleep,” Shane called out. I heard his front door close and I jumped up and ran around the side of the house where the garage was. I froze, hearing him inside the house and then opening the back deck door.
    “ Hello, are you there?” he asked.
    I looked back, not moving, not breathing. How did he know I was there?
    “ Oh okay, yeah. My cell does that too,” he laughed. I breathed a sigh of relief, still not moving as he talked on the phone.
    “ Yeah, I need to know where in California is the clinic that does celebrity liver treatments. A friend of mine is there and I just want to know the name of it. Thanks. Yeah, just call this number and leave a message, if I’m not here. Thanks man. I need to find her.”
    He was one corner of the house away from me. I crept along the side to the front of the house and stood in front of the garage breathing heavily.
    Dorian hadn’t been prepared for how much Shane loved me. Shane wouldn’t stop until he found me. My heart broke. What had I done?
    I wondered about just revealing myself to Shane and letting the cards fall where they may. The only problem was, I wasn’t sure what I would become and I didn’t want him getting hurt.
    A small part of me wondered if he would still want me or love me, if he knew I was changing in a supernatural way. I wondered if he would just end things between us. I didn’t want to push the envelope. I decided to leave his yard and find somewhere else to haunt.
    I walked for a long time. I kept my head down, as cars drove past me. I walked, thinking about the way things had played out.
    I stopped for a moment at the fork in a road and thought about which way to turn, I was homeless.
    I knew which way I wanted to go.
    I turned, walking carefully as I approached his driveway. I rounded the corner of the house and opened the door to the garage with the lock code. I slipped through the garage into the hallway. I walked, not making any noise, until I reached the stairs to the basement. Then I crept down them very slowly.
    I could see the faint glow of the computer screen flashing from the far corner, where I knew he sat playing World of Warcraft. I snuck along, not wanting to scare him or wake his parents, if they were even home. Blake’s parents were lucky he was a calm kid. With the amount of free time he had, he could have been doing all kinds of unsavory things, without any hindrances.
    He sat hunched over the game, with headphones on, chatting. I couldn’t hear what he was saying. I plopped myself down on his leather couch and watched him for a minute.
    He must have gotten the eerie feeling someone was watching him. He sat very still for a second and then turned his face slowly. Seeing me sitting on his couch he smiled. “Hey.” He went back to his game instantly, not registering that I shouldn’t be in his house.
    Stopping again after a second, he froze, he looked scared to move as if I might be a ghost coming to say my