This Time Read online

  “O… kay…?” I lowered my brows in confusion.

  “Gracie, I’m so happy you’re alright! God, we’ve been so worried about you. It was terrible, you looked dead!” Her face fell as her eyes met mine and her hand flew up to grip her chest. “What’s wrong?”

  My stomach swirled as I watched her mouth move, she sucked in some air, obviously preparing to barrel on with her chatter.

  What’s happening?

  I felt dizzy and hot all at once.

  “Please, just stop,” I begged, scooting back.

  I braced my hands on the mattress and adjusted. Dizziness rolled through my head and I closed my eyes and tried to slowly breathe away the nausea. I could feel the woman’s heat, she was too close. I shifted to put some distance between us. She was a wreck, and as sweet as her concern was, I really just wanted her to go away.

  I looked at the room through squinted eyes. Silent faces gazed. Alarm gripped me. Silver-colored eyes shone in the light of the room. Sparkling, bronze orbs glinted through dark lashes. Yellow hair, impossibly long, flowed from the head of a man so breathtakingly beautiful, I wanted to weep. I gripped the sheet in my fists as panic chilled my blood to ice. More faces, too unreal to be called human, crowded the room.

  I scrambled off the bed, instantly the floor began to dance under my feet.

  “What are you people?” I gasped and clung desperately onto the bedpost.

  “What the hell did you do, Lucian?” a small blonde woman shouted, and I flinched and took a small step backward.

  “Grace, please tell us you jest.”

  My stomach spun into knots at the sound of that name. I knew they were addressing me, but I didn’t know that name.

  Fear squeezed my lungs as the room burst into chaos. I stepped back. Eyes followed me as if I were some damaged child they all feared for. I gazed at their faces.

  Fear.

  Concern.

  Guilt!

  It was all there.

  Something was seriously wrong. Where the fuck was I? I looked at my trembling hands. They were slender and whiter than the gown I wore. I glanced up again, frowning as everyone spoke at once.

  My eyes moved to the corner of the room.

  One man stood apart. His face was different. He didn’t show alarm, or concern, or any shards of guilt. His lips smiled. A small smile. One of amusement not fear. As if my confusion and distress were entertaining and of no real concern. But his eyes, they told another story, and I found myself stepping away as I glimpsed the intent in his gaze.

  As golden and light as his perfection shone, I sensed an unfathomable darkness in him.

  “Stay away.” I held out my hand and took another small step back. I was trapped.

  Run. They’ll stop you. Lock you up.

  I spun, my stomach lurching as his voice rang in my head. The crowd slowly closed in. I was being flanked. They neared me in slow, almost unperceivable steps. They muttered to each other as if I was deaf.

  I was losing my mind. Nothing made sense as my sanity warred with my reason.

  There’s no time. You have to get away. Run!

  Sharp pain sliced through my skull and I reached up, fisting my hands in my hair. My fingers tangled around a rough cloth and I yanked it off, wincing as it dragged across my scalp.

  They were monsters.

  Yes, they want to hurt you. They did this to you. You must go!

  A chill raced across my skin. Fear begged them to stop. I had to get out of here, now! As soon as the thought formed, their movements stopped. They were frozen where they stood. I straightened, stunned.

  Oh, God! I stumbled backward, reaching blindly for the door as the macabre scene in front of me stood frozen in time. I held my breath, fear and shock stuck in my throat, blocking the scream that wanted to escape. What the fuck had happened?

  Get me out of here!

  TWO

  The cold sliced through my skin, sticking its icy blades deep into my bones. The gown I wore was so thin, I might as well have been naked. I stood, trembling, by the fast-moving river. I was lost. Panic sought to take over, but I forced my mind to calm. I needed to think. I had no idea who or where I was.

  I looked around.

  How the hell did I get here?

  I stared at the river, trying in vain to remember something, anything, about myself. Nothing was coming to me.

  A voice spun me around. A man was there, his face was covered with a thick, filthy beard. He shivered as he snuggled his dog closer to his chest. He struggled to pull the thin jacket he wore further across the scrawny animal’s body.

  His eyes met mine. Overwhelming sadness struck me so hard that I staggered back. I froze in confusion. It was impossible, I felt his emotions. I shivered and took another step back. How was this happening?

  My vision blurred as my eyes filled with tears. I looked around at the narrow shoreline. The water pulled at glassy shards of ice, sliding them off of thin twigs as it flowed past us to bubble over large rocks. Trash and weeds swept by, pulled away from the bank by the current. The water looked deep, no doubt fueled by the melting ice. The thin line of trees did nothing to hide the bustling streets around us.

  Great, I thought, this river flows smack dab in the middle of a busy city.

  I looked back at the homeless man. He was fluffing newspapers, trying to make a bed for his poor dog. I jerked, suddenly angry. Surviving on a frozen riverbank was no way for a human to exist.

  My fingers were going numb from the cold, and I blew into my cupped hands. Leaning against a thick tree, I closed my eyes and tried to sort out what was stumbling blindly around in my head. I blew out another breath and tried to center myself.

  I had so many questions and no answers. Who was I? What was happening? I felt like I was walking in some kind of disjointed dream. I shivered again, my mind drifted as I fought the cold.

  I blinked my eyes as they watered and gazed back at the man. He was lying too close to the flowing water, as if rolling into the turbulent river was of no more concern than living his days on the shore.

  I watched him for a long time and then something strange happened. My eyes felt tired and my vision blurred. As I focused, I somehow saw him in another life. He was once a successful business owner. Construction. It fell on hard times and closed. He lost everything including his young wife. She wasn’t a good person. No children. No family. His friends were never real. His house was taken, his car a short time after. No one would hire him.

  If only…

  Emotions and confusion overwhelmed me. So many people had deserted him, left him to die alone in the cold.

  My breathing hitched up and I was suddenly angry. But it was more than that. It was like I felt responsible for his future because he was so punished in the past. I clenched my fists. What the hell could I do?

  The wind kicked up, I felt my hair lift and dance in the breeze. It flipped into the air in wild tangles and I spun, wrapping my hands around my head in an effort to calm my wild tresses.

  A loud cry roared out and I froze.

  The man was standing up. He wore different clothes. His beard was gone. His dog barked at me, pulling on the leather leash now gripped in the man’s hand.

  My jaw went slack with shock. I took a deep breath as the man reached into his pocket. Howling, he pulled out a leather wallet and shrieked, “It’s back!”

  I jumped. Gripping my gown I stumbled backward as the man and his dog took off at a run. Dodging the trees, they slowly fled from my sight.

  What just happened?

  A frozen tear ran along my cheek and I wiped it away and sniffed. I scanned the area again, but there were no signs of him. I moved away in a daze. Something supernatural had just happened to him and I was terrified that I had done it. I had no idea how.

  My feet made heavy, crunching sounds as the thick soles of my boots champed into the ice. The air was crisp and I pulled it in through my nose, letting it chill my throat and numb my mind. My hands snuggled deeper into my poc
kets as I moved further from the river, closer to the busy streets.

  Grace?

  I jerked and skittered to the side of the road. What the hell? I closed my eyes and tried to calm my nerves.

  Where are you, Grace?

  I covered my mouth, my body trembling.

  “Who are you?” I whispered as my limbs stiffened. I didn’t know this voice. I moved close to one of the storefronts, out of the way of the passers-by. The windows caught the last of the fading light, illuminating my reflection. My head swam with what I had seen, what I had done.

  “Please?” I mumbled, looking around in horror. Then my reflection registered, and I knew something was horribly wrong. Warm clothing covered me from head to toe and I hadn’t even noticed. I was losing my mind. I threw my hands up to cover my mouth, afraid to scream and draw attention.

  Grace. Please?

  What do you want? I let the thought escape and sucked in my breath.

  Grace! The voice screamed into my head. You must listen, please! Come back to us. Lower your shields, we can’t find you!

  Oh my God, I was insane! I felt the back of my head, it was still slightly tender and I huddled into myself. I had suffered some sort of an injury, but what else was wrong with me? I had to get off of the street.

  I looked at the people passing by. They had no interest in me. I was just another face in the crowd. I needed a place to stay. I had to sleep.

  The sun had almost completely set as I walked down the crowded sidewalk. A large tour bus pulled up beside one of the casinos and I ran to catch up. I had to get a room and blending in with a large crowd of people seemed my best bet. Men and women began to pile out of the bus. They were mostly seniors, all wearing matching ball caps. I watched them closely as they collected their belongings and milled around chatting. Once their luggage was unloaded, they slowly began to move into the casino’s hotel lobby. I held my breath and watched as the last few tourists entered.

  I stepped in with the last few stragglers, which gave me a chance to read the print on their hats. “Oldies and Goodies Senior Singles Tour.” Wow, I felt a little better. Striking up a conversation with one of these guys should be easy enough. They had to be in town to have a good time and meet a few ladies. I was young enough to be a granddaughter, but I doubted any of them would refuse a little company. At least that was what I hoped.

  I spotted a handsome, silver-haired man holding a tiny dog. The dog was yipping and wiggling like mad. I fluffed my hair and straightened my dress.

  Oh, God.

  What the hell? I was really wearing a dress. The blood drained from my face and the floor danced up under my strappy, high heels. I swayed and felt my vision blur.

  “Whoa, hang on there, little lady.” Warm hands steadied my shoulders as my vision cleared. “Let’s get you some water.” The person attached to the voice led me to a chair and I quickly sat.

  The dress I wore was light and breezy. The heels were very thin and taller than I needed. I leaned forward and placed my face in my hands.

  Who are you?

  Who am I?

  What am I?

  What’s happening?

  How the hell did I get inside?

  Where did your damn, yippy dog go?

  Thoughts bumped into each other as I tried to comprehend what was happening to me. I was in different clothes again. Shivering, I felt my head spin. It was some kind of magic and I was terrified. Had anyone noticed the change? Had I changed? Were the warm clothes and the white gown from earlier all an illusion?

  I shivered again, my teeth clicked together as I shuddered. Fear and cold overtook me.

  “Well no wonder you’re so cold. Were you outside in that little number? You’re likely to catch your death,” the man scolded as he shoved a glass into my hands. “Now sip this and I’ll get a boy to take you to your room. What’s your name, little lady? Do you have your key?”

  I felt the blood slowly return to my face as I sipped the water. It was cold, but managed to do the trick.

  “Are you booked here, darlin’? Is your key in your bag?” he repeated, concern further wrinkling his already wrinkled brow.

  I looked at the man and smiled. He was one of the seniors. His blue hat was folded at the bill and stuffed into his pocket. It stuck out as he knelt before me. He had a kind face.

  I cleared my throat and smiled. “Um, I’m sorry. Um, my name…” I pretended to cough as I scrambled to think of a name. I didn’t want to use Grace. Not until I knew what was going on. “Um, my name is…uh, Alice.”

  Yes, my name is Alice, you wouldn’t happen to be the white rabbit? I thought as he flashed me an uncertain smile.

  “Um,” I put my hand on my forehead. “I can’t remember if I put my key in my bag or not.” I tried to find something to say that sounded reasonable. My hands trembled as I opened the tiny purse that sat inexplicably at my side. Sucking in a slow breath, I looked into the bag. Inside was a thin wallet. I closed my eyes and fought the urge to manically scream my head off. The leather was cool as I opened it. Cards were lined up inside in neat little pockets.

  I looked down at the tiny plastic window. Alice White glared out at me. Oh, God, what in hell was happening? It was my ID? I sighed and began pulling out several other cards. The man’s eyes widened as I pulled out an American Express Black. I felt a little faint. I continued to shuffle through the credit cards and then my hand closed on the card that would open one of the rooms. My eyes glazed over and I felt faint again. The man latched onto my arms and yelled for a bellman.

  I watched as if from miles away as he placed all of the cards, but my room key, into my bag and zipped it firmly closed. He looked at me with a sad expression as he handed the card to the bellman.

  “Take Miss Alice to her room,” he commanded in a firm voice.

  The bellman took my hand, steadying me as I stood. I felt a little more secure leaning on the young man beside me and I gave him a smile of gratitude. He was a very pleasant-looking man in his early twenties, and had a confidence about him that exuded absolute safety. I took a deep breath and looked around. The hotel lobby was beautiful, filled with light that sparkled like tiny stars off of the polished surfaces.

  I turned and smiled at the elder man who came to my rescue. “Thank you so much for your help. One more second and I would have done a face plant in the middle of the lobby. You saved me, how can I ever thank you?”

  He chuckled. “Well, the name’s Ronald and it was my pleasure. I’m sure happy I could be of service. You go on now and get some rest.

  “Okay,” I nodded and turned, the bellman still anchored firmly by the arm, and we entered the elevators.

  “Are you feeling better, Mrs. White?” the bellman asked politely.

  “What?” Shocked, I locked eyes with him.

  “You’re feeling better? I was told you almost fainted in the lobby. The Hotel Manager himself alerted your husband.”

  “My husband?” The cool metal of the support railing chilled my palm as panic curdled in my belly. How could I have woken up in a strange place filled with sci-fi monsters, then suddenly appear half naked and lost on the banks of a river, only to stumble into the very hotel that I am sharing with my husband?

  “Husband?” I whispered, utterly bewildered. “What’s your name?” My voice shook. I felt close to tears.

  He frowned, his eyes widened. “Peter, Mrs. White. I’ve been assisting you and Mr. White for a few weeks now.”

  I swayed and he gripped my arm. “Are you gonna be alright?” His voice rose with concern.

  “Of course, Peter. I’m just a little ill.”

  What could I do? Make a run for it? What the hell would that accomplish? I was tired, hungry and apparently bug-fuck crazy.

  “Are we almost there? I’m feeling faint again.” I needed to sit.

  “Yes, Ma’am,” he said. “Next stop is the penthouse.”

  Penthouse?

  Of course.

  The elevator came to a halt and I felt my
stomach plummet to the bottom floor. A cold sweat broke out along my entire body as I stepped from the elevator. Peter, still glued to my side, managed the door for me and helped me inside.

  “Would you like me to assist you to the couch?” he asked.

  I stood frozen, and completely aghast. The room was enormous.

  “Mrs. White?” he repeated and I snapped my mouth shut.

  “No. Thank you, I can manage.” I reached into my bag and where there hadn’t been before, was a wad of cash. Closing my eyes, I reached in and grabbed it. I tried to smile as I shoved it towards Peter.

  His brows rose high. “Thank you.”

  He bowed slightly and without another word he spun and was out the door.

  Seconds ticked by as I examined the room. A large sitting area took up the middle of the space. To my left, was a sectioned-off area that housed a long, dining table and chairs. It sat on a huge span of sparkling, marble floor. Deeper inside the room stood a rich, wooden bar and situated under a massive window that looked out onto the city was a shining baby grand piano.

  I braced myself against the wall and slipped the killer high heels off of my sore feet. I stepped into the room, my feet sinking into the plush carpeting. I moved toward the window just as the sounds of running water met my ears. A chill raced along my flesh.

  Grace, please. Where are you?

  Pressing my palms against the glass, I leaned my head on the window.

  Who are you? What do you want from me?

  I closed my eyes. Confusion was my constant companion. Reality a stranger. I was living in a dream and a nightmare.

  “I drew you a bath, my darling. Would you like some help with your dress?”

  His voice was one I knew all too well. He’d been speaking to me for as far as my memory could take me. His turn of phrase and the timbre of his voice. I turned and choked on my breath.

  “You?”

  He frowned. “Yes, of course it’s me. Who, pray, were you expecting if not me?” he asked quietly. “Are you alright, Alice?” He stepped close. “You look pale. When you went for your walk, I was sure it would do you well, although next time please, don’t rush out. I wanted to accompany you.”