The Thousand Year Curse (The Curse Books) Read online

  "What the hell!" He yells pulling the covers over his face. This is going to be worse than I thought.

  I grab his shoulder but when I pull on him we both fly back, landing on the other side of the room with a loud thud. I hit my head on the wall and my vision flashes back. My arms tremble and my legs feel like jello as I lean against the wall.

  "What the hell was that Ryder?" Junior asks me, his eyes wide with his jaw set in a grim line.

  "You tell me. That was crazy." I act stupid, pretending that I have no idea what that was. I know if you're lying then you don't make eye contact so I make sure to maintain it. I feel like crap doing this but I'm not ready to tell him. I don't even understand what's happening myself.

  "You have to get ready. We have a visitor." I tell him his interest switching gears.

  He grumbles and groans some more but gets his ass up off the floor. He's got dark bags under his eyes and his body looks like he hasn't eaten in days.

  "What do you mean a visitor?" He asks as he trots into the bathroom. Totally unnecessary for me to talk to him as he relieves himself but he does anyway. Luckily my eyes are shielded from the disturbing sight. My ears—not so much.

  "Did you forget you told someone you would play with them today?" I question, trying to help him get understand my point.

  "Oh no. Ollie?" He kicks it into high gear as he gets cleaned up. I take the comforter and place it back on the bed. Junior must have dragged it with him when we flew.

  I'm extra careful as I clean up the room. I don't want to break anything. I make my way purposely not touching anything downstairs to entertain our guest.

  "He's coming." I tell Ollie when I see him sitting on my couch. It's weird having him here, on my turf. He kind of fits.

  Our eyes meet and the tingly warmth works its way around my body. I practically giggle from joy. "So how was the rest of the party?" I ask him, taking a seat on the love seat next to the couch.

  "Pretty uneventful. Nobody else fainted on me." He jokes, grinning in my direction. A blush creeps up my cheeks and I tried to hide the color. "I love how you blush." He confesses walking over to my seat. He sits on the arm and brushes a finger across my cheek bone. His comment only makes me more embarrassed so the nice pink turns into full hot tamale blush.

  "Hey, sorry dude." Junior says as he rushes down the stairs making an earthquake with his heavy steps. I flinch away from Ollie's touch, pretending nothing happened. Junior walks over to Ollie, missing our whole interaction, and they do the whole man clap thing.

  "Let's roll." Ollie rises from his seat reaching down to help me up. He sends a nod Junior's way and leads the way.

  Ollie smiles down at me as we hop in my car. He even goes as far as opening my door for me. Ollie calls shot gun and sits in the front while Junior jumps in the back seat. I wait, like usual for all the seats to be buckled and then I start driving.

  "Dude, you're lucky you didn't puke on me. I would have kicked your ass." Ollie says turning in his seat to talk to Junior. His hand rests on the center console and all I want to do is pick it up and entwine my fingers with his. It's so damn inviting.

  "I puked last night?" Junior asks, dead serious. He taps me on the shoulder and I peer back in my rear view mirror.

  "Junior blacks out every time he drinks. He doesn't remember anything, ever." I say trying to give Ollie some insight. I'm well versed in Junior's life.

  "Seriously?" Ollie asks gazing back and forth between us. "That sucks. Well I guess I should tell you something you did…" Ollie looks over me sending me a sly wink when Junior isn't looking.

  "Great. Tell me, bro." Junior says as he pulls himself in between the front two seats. He's basically sitting in the middle of us. I can tell he really thinks Ollie is divulging some secret information.

  "Well, I don't know if I should… Ryder might freak a little." Ollie and Junior both snap their heads in my direction.

  "Tell him." I say in a mean tone playing into the joke.

  "Tell me!" Junior shouts causing Ollie to flinch.

  "Dude, you had sex with Becca." Ollie says and I swear, I actually snort. I had no idea Ollie was going to go that far.

  "No. No way! Fuck, dude. No, I didn't." Junior rattles off sinking into the back seat. I peek back and see Junior with his head between his knees. I feel bad but he deserves a good pranking. Ollie looks over to me with the cutest conspirator smile on his face.

  "You tell him the good news." Ollie whispers over to me. Junior's still moaning in the back, probably regretting his night.

  "Junior." I say and his head darts up.

  "Ryder. I'm sorry. You know I hate that bitch. I don't know…"

  "Junior." I cut him off wanting him to listen to me. "We're just kidding." I smile at him through the mirror and his face contorts. He starts pissed but then a huge smile spreads over his face.

  "I hate you guys!" He lunges into the front of the car punching us both on the arm. I groan but he didn't even punch me hard. He messes with Ollie a little giving him a noogie and shoving him around.

  By the time I pull into Ollie's driveway, tears are running down my face as I can't stop laughing at Ollie and Junior fighting each other.

  Junior is laying down against the back seat. Ollie is half in the back, half in the front, laying on him, pinning him to the seat. They're hilarious. I haven't had this much fun in, God, I don't even know how long.

  After I park, I separate the boys before jumping out of the car. My mouth drops open when I see his house completely trashed. The lawn is littered with cans and cups and other foreign objects. I'm pretty sure I saw a boy passed out near the mail box.

  Instead of bringing us towards the house, Ollie leads us the back way, around the side of the house past the back yard. A huge pool is back here with a patio filled with furniture. The pool is not in prime condition after the party last night but it's still beautiful.

  Ollie leads us to a narrow path in the back woods. This place is the setting for Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Deep in the woods, so many trees surround us that the path seems darkened. We stick to the path—although, I would hardly call the dirt line a path. It would be quite easy to store a body deep in here.

  We walk for about fifteen minutes and come to a clearing. A wood cabin sits in the middle of it like something straight from a picture book. This is literally like the log cabin I imagine Abraham Lincoln lived in.

  The cabin seems small from where we stand. The whole thing is actually quite charming. Flower pots are filled in the windows next to the door with gorgeous pink blooms. A small rock path acts as a walk way with wildflowers littering the edges leading to the front door.

  Every direction around the cabin is filled with trees and only trees—private and secluded. After I'm done admiring this beautiful place I focus back to Ollie wondering who could be lucky enough to live here? I gaze up at him waiting for an explanation.

  "Ready to go in?" He asks us, his eyebrows quirking up in question. I see right through him, the glint in his eyes giving it away. Junior starts walking towards the door not really giving a crap what's going on.

  "We're going in?" I ask Ollie as I hang back behind. It doesn't quite add up to me. This is a perfect place for someone like me, not Ollie.

  "Of course. Come on." He starts walking towards the cabin. I think about turning and running but then the sun starts to fade away. This whole scene feels a little too Red Riding Hood to me. The sky turns dark and ominous clouds appear to the left and right. I don't want to get stuck out here in the rain so I run after the two boys.

  Ollie pulls out a ring of keys from his pocket unlocking the front door. I'm not sure why the door is locked, nobody could find this place if they tried. He waits for me to join him up front and then pushes the door open. Junior barges in but I hang back admiring the place slowly.

  Immediately the smell of a fire assaults my nose. It's definitely one of my favorite scents. It reminds me of mixture of winter, camping and something else familiar. He lets me step in
first. Inside is one enormous room—a great room.

  To my left is a kitchen nook. It's small but able to do the job, I'm sure. Usual kitchen appliances are in here—a stove, refrigerator and a sink. It is missing a dishwasher which is pretty barbaric in this day and age. A coffee maker and toaster are on the counter top but the rest of the surface is empty. The kitchen has tiled floor with a white rug in front of the sink. An island with stools separates the kitchen from the dining area.

  A small four person wooden table and chairs are what make up the dining area. It's small but it fits in perfectly with the rest of the cabin. I can picture myself playing cards at the table.

  To my right is a door, probably where the coats and shoes are kept. In front of me is a leather couch and fireplace. Another leather couch, yay! I can actually sit on it today which is a definite plus.

  A TV seems to be missing which makes this place even more quaint. A small set of stairs lead to the second floor.

  The walls in here are plain white. They fit though—anything else would be overkill. The fireplace is stone which gives the room a rustic atmosphere. The floor is all wood with various area rugs. Where the couch is, a brown rug that matches perfectly lays there. Under the dining room table is a brown and white checkered one. The cabin screams Vermont ski house to me.

  I continue to explore, completely ignoring Ollie and Junior when I glance back, Ollie is simply standing at the door, examining my every move. I smile over at him but continue up the stairs and am greeted with a large open area. The loft like room overlooks the entire down stairs. I peak over the railing and it's so cool. I always wanted something like this when I was a kid.

  Next to the loft is a room. The door is shut but I peek in anyway. A bedroom is behind the door with another room adjoined to it. I don't want to snoop so I go back down the stairs to meet up with Ollie and Junior.

  Ollie meets my gaze and question marks fill his eyes. I'm honestly speechless. I can tell by his stare, he's trying to gauge my reaction.

  "I love it." I murmur, words unable to describe how amazing this place is. This is everything I would ever want in a house. My own getaway to be alone and read.

  "Where's the band stuff?" Junior cuts in as he leans against a crisp white wall.

  "Basement." Ollie answers his intense gaze never leaving mine.

  "Who's house is this?" I ask in amazement.

  "It's mine. It's part of the reason I moved here." He answers proudly. His eyes wander away from me which is a tell tale sign of a liar. It takes me a little off guard. I'm not sure what he's lying about—or even if he is. I think I've become too paranoid.

  "It's yours?" I ask back trying to clarify.

  "Yes." He pauses, the intenseness not scaring me anymore. "Are you going to watch us play?" He asks me as he reaches for the knob in the hall.

  "Do you want me to?" I question back, giving my eye brows a flirty little wiggle.

  "I do." He answers, his face completely serious.

  "Okay." He takes my hand the second I speak and he leads me down the basement stairs.

  The basement is carpeted which is perfect because the air is toasty warm down here. Tons of instruments are scattered all around the room. Right off the bat, a guitar, bass and a keyboard lay in open cases on the floor. A set of drums are assembled against the wall, too.

  Some couches are to the right of the stairs and a small coffee table. There's a bar too. The basement is surprisingly large. I'd venture to say it's bigger than all the upstairs put together.

  This is the ultimate band hangout zone. Ollie must bring his band mates down here to play a lot. I wonder who he will play with since he doesn't know anyone here. He'll probably recruit Junior.

  On the other side of the stairs is a microphone and a sound box. I'm not completely sure what all of the stuff is. It is all extremely professional. I imagine a recording artist building something similar in their house. I certainly do not want to touch anything. I would instantly break whatever it is.

  I can tell Ollie must spend most of his time here. Just the appreciation on his face beams with pride and joy. I definitely prefer the upstairs atmosphere but I can tell Ollie loves the basement. I smile at him trying to convey how much I like it.

  Ollie leads me over to the couches and I take a seat unsure of what he's going to play but I can't wait. I've never been serenaded before. If that's even what's going on—I'm not sure.

  Junior has set himself up on the drum set. He's only playing around but he's always fun to watch. He plays for fun, being amazing is an added perk for him. I love watching the passion roll off him.

  I examine Ollie as he tunes his guitar, his foot propped up on the stool. He is so focused, he won't notice me staring at him.

  He has a guitar pick between his teeth as he plucks the strings and adjusts. His face is relaxed and his light hair curls around his ears in the cutest way. You can tell he needs a haircut, but I like his locks overgrown. I fight the urge to stand up and run my fingers through the strands, twisting them in my fingers. Creepy, I know. I bite my lip as a distraction.

  "What do you want me to play for you?" He asks me after he finishes.

  "Something good." I respond quickly trying to sound all seductive and mysterious but I come off rude and short. I blush a little at my failed attempt to be cool. He gives me a seductive nod and the gesture makes me redden more.

  "You know I like when you do that." He tells me peeking out over his long lashes. His voice all deep, manly like.

  "Zip it, mister." I tell him trying to hide behind my hair. I sink back in the seat and wait for him to start the song. I figure his choice in song should give me some insight into who he is.

  "I'm going to try something original, okay?" He says but his eyes stay focused down, never leaving his guitar. Junior and Ollie converse for a second then focus back on their respected instruments.

  Junior starts in first with a steady beat.

  Boom. Boom. Boom.

  It's hypnotizing. Ollie comes in after sixteen counts, strumming his guitar immediately sweeping me away with the rhythmic tones.

  I keep expecting him to sing but he doesn't. The song doesn't need his voice to lead it as the music sings to me. The beats might as well be speaking directly to me. The solid bass line makes the song almost like a spell.

  Faintly inside my head, I hear his voice calling to me. I get dizzy but don't let it take over me. I focus on only Ollie's voice—everything else vanishes. I close my eyes to truly listen to what he's playing. I want to listen to the words in his notes. I've missed the beginning of the song but I pick up a couple lines.

  Love has led me here,

  Love,

  a god all powerful with us who dwell on the earth,

  and, if old traditions say true,

  not less so here.

  I implore you by these abodes full of terror,

  these realms of silence and uncreated things,

  unite again the thread of Eurydice's life.

  Then the singing stops abruptly no longer whispering to me as if the song is at a standstill. The beats go strong but silence is all I'm hearing. I try to listen for the words again but nothing comes to me.

  Maybe I imagined the words. They couldn't be Ollie's lyrics. They sounded too old, the words like dwell and implore don't fit.

  My name was definitely thrown in the lyrics at the end. My real name. Of course I must be hearing things. Ollie doesn't even know my real name. Nobody knows my real name.

  What just happened? I know I heard a voice.

  I open my eyes and Ollie is sitting in the identical spot, his eyes closed still strumming his guitar. I notice Junior and he has a blank face as his hands move hitting the pads. They both are almost entranced, fully engaged in the song.

  They play the same song over and over. I don't know when they will stop but I don't want them to end it. The song sounds sad, ringing of despair and longing.

  What could make Ollie play this? He said this was an or
iginal. I want to know more about him—I need to. I want to find out more about the story behind the song.

  I am scared to move because I don't want Ollie or Junior to stop so I lean back in the sofa and let the music take me away. Before I realize it, I am being torn into a new place, my vision blurring and my mind becoming fuzzy. The world goes black and I fall.

  When the light returns I jump. I awake on the floor of someone's bedroom. I get up looking around the unrecognizable room. The walls are stone and the floor is as well. Luckily I am laying on a rug so my back isn't completely destroyed although it aches. I stand up twirling around looking in every direction.

  The bed in the middle of the room is enormous. It seems regal, due to the canopy draped around it. The gold stripes on the canopy scream money. This is nothing like the cave in my last dream last.

  Nobody is in the room with me. The loneliness worries me. I decide to search the place for someone. Before I leave the room, I check the window. What a surprise I get—I am at least five stories high. In every direction I see green pastures. At the edges of my vision are woods but they are far off in the distance. Acres upon acres of land belong to this place.

  I am definitely not on the East coast anymore, let alone America. This place feels and smells ancient, smelling like moth balls and dirt. I don't think anyone has entered this room in thousands of years by the dust layering the windowsill.

  My body starts reacting the new area. I feel nauseous and my heart rate spikes. I try to push away the panic but I can't help myself. The craziest shit is happening to me and I have no idea why. These dreams are scary. I'm completely alone here.

  I try to focus on my breathing. In and out, in and out. Finally my nerves cool and I decide to keep moving before another attack comes along.

  I open the bedroom door and find a long stone hallway. I follow the hallway until I get to a set of stairs. Quickly, I run down the stairs wanting to get to the bottom as fast as possible.

  I run straight into some sort of meeting. I hide behind a door peeking through a crack. The room is filled with men—at least fifteen people congregated sitting at a long table. Each person has a golden goblet in front of them.