Beautiful Sins: Leigha Lowery Read online

  "Take deep breaths, sweetheart," he suggested. I took his advice as I walked up to the front door. I lost my nerve before I could ring the doorbell. My knees gave out and before I hit the hard pavement, two strong arms wrapped swiftly around my waist, pulling me back onto my feet.

  "I can't… I just can't do it," I sobbed into Randy's chest. Randy wrapped his arm around the back of my knees, pulling me up so that I was cradled into his arms. He whispered soothing words that calmed me as he carried me back to the SUV.

  "Shh, sweetheart. Everything will be better soon," he promised. I wrapped my arms around his cool neck, pulling myself closer to him.

  "Sleep, sweetheart. You'll be home before you know it." I'm not sure how he did it, but with his words, I drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

  My eyes fluttered open to a rounded white ceiling. Where was I? Cool fingers draped across my clammy forehead, and I sat up quickly in defense. To my left, my mother was resting peacefully in a leather seat, with a warm quilt draped across her body. Beside me, Randy sat holding out a glass of water.

  "I'm glad you decided to wake before we arrived. You were giving your mother a panic attack," Randy smiled with his bright, perfect teeth that were slightly off. They were too perfect, almost canine. I took the water reluctantly and took a sip.

  "Wow, I didn't say goodbye to anyone," I whispered. Randy chuckled.

  "Don't worry. I sent something out for you," he said smugly. The flight attendant walked over to us and handed him a small stack of papers.

  "All sent out as you requested, sir."

  I stared at him blankly. He smiled and handed them to me. As I shuffled through them, I realized they were copies of letters to all my friends and family. The strangest part was that it was in my own handwriting.

  "I-don't-understand," I said, scratching my forehead. "I don't remember writing these."

  Randy chuckled. "Yes, you weren't yourself at the time."

  I would have remembered writing these letters. Writing is what I do best. Randy reached toward me and tucked my long wavy auburn hair behind my ear. His bright blue eyes were hypnotizing. I wondered if he had that effect on everyone. I shook my head and passed the papers back to him. I couldn't even remember what I was thinking about a few moments ago.

  "We've left already?" I asked, looking towards the oval shaped window beside me. I lifted up the shade and it was nightfall.

  "Yes, you've been out for four hours. We're almost in Portland," Randy said as he handed the papers and my glass to the flight attendant.

  "Four hours!" I said, horrified. "But…But I didn't even get to say goodbye!"

  "Leigha, dear, please calm down. You'll see them again one day," Randy promised. I hoped he was right.

  I groaned and leaned back on the comfortable leather sofa.

  "Where are we going exactly?"

  "I have a house in Banks, Oregon. It's actually a great town, small and quiet. It will be easier for you and your mother to adjust to your new lifestyles." I just stared at him blankly.

  "What do you mean by 'adjusting' to our new lifestyles?"

  Randy sighed, "Your mother didn’t tell you? You're wealthy, Leigha. Plus, I have close ties with the Royal Family, so you'll have to get used to being around the court."

  Okay, this time I believe my mouth fell open. How many times had I dreamed of being around King Royce?

  "Really?" was my stupid response.

  Randy laughed, "Yes, Leigha, if that's okay with you, of course."

  I rolled my eyes. "Of course, it is!"

  "Shh," Randy quickly responded. I knew what he meant. Now was not a good time to be waking my mother. We both took a fearful glance at my mother as she shifted in her seat. We sighed in unison.

  "My bad," I whispered.

  Randy laughed and shook his head. "I'm going to go see if we have anything on board for you to eat."

  I stared out the window into the darkness. I wondered what state we were floating across. I thought about Amy and Granddad; I was going to miss them.

  "Goodbye," I sighed and pulled down the window shade.

  * * * * *

  To the Coast

  It wasn't long before we entered the Dark Coast. We were forced to land in Vegas—a checkpoint for Royce's soldiers to validate residency. Randy assisted us off the small white luxury jet and escorted us into the terminal. Two large men hurried to our sides. I stared, perturbed by their strange behavior. Randy met my gaze briefly, giving me a wink of encouragement.

  As Randy explained the situation to the Border Patrol, I gazed out the large open window of the terminal. It was if the world had been split in half; a world of complete darkness and a world of light. I looked to the west, gazing at the dark grey, hazy clouds. Towards the east, the sun beamed down on what was left of Nevada. I realized that this would possibly be the last time I’d ever see it again. I kept my gaze on the large, bright sun, appreciating the light once more before it left me, possibly forever.

  "Let's get married now! I don't want to wait a moment more!" My mother exclaimed to Randy. My mother was so happy, I couldn't help but smile each time they caressed, kissed, gazed into each other's eyes. That was exactly the love I had always wanted for her. I walked a few paces behind them as we walked back to the jet.

  The flight to Portland wasn't as long as I assumed it would be, but it felt like we had been flying all day. As the plane landed at Portland International Airport, I noticed that the constant cloud cover couldn't destroy the beauty of Mount Hood, the largest and most beautiful mountain in the state. It was mid-afternoon, but felt like twilight. I remembered my grandfather telling me that it got dark early here. The white snow covered the top of the mountain, and its beauty captured my gaze. Maybe it wasn’t so bad to be here. I had imagined that it would always be dark here, but there was light; a hazy, gloomy grey light. No sun; I would miss that.

  Randy led the way through the airport as a skycap carried our bags to a long black limousine. As we rode down the highway and into town, I thought about the past that we left behind. Patricia, my mother, had made it very clear throughout my life to never get attached to anything. We had moved so much, all over Detroit, and with that we lost a lot of things. I had never truly held onto even one good friend, and it didn’t look like I’d hold onto Amy this time either.

  Reality finally began to set in when we arrived at our new house in the small town of Banks. “House” was an understatement. It was a mansion. I had to hold my mouth shut to keep it from flopping open. Maybe my eyes were out-of-focus, I don't know. But this house had to have been five stories high. My mind was already contemplating the acres behind the mansion. Indoor/outdoor pool? Oh God… My mother and I dreamed of places like this.

  The yard was covered in snow, typical for January. I would be attending school here. I looked up into the sky as the night fell right before our eyes. The most beautiful thing happened. My body froze as I watched nature perform the most beautiful act. The clouds suddenly faded, opening up to clear skies. The moon was full and almost as bright as the sun. The stars glowed overhead like a night light. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

  "Wow," was all I could manage. Randy's hands did not startle me this time as he placed them gently on my shoulders. "But I thought the clouds never faded?" I wondered aloud.

  Randy chuckled. "You have a lot to learn about the Coast, Leigha. No one said the clouds never faded. We clearly stated that the sun never shines here.”

  "Oh," I responded stupidly. My mother quickly grabbed me by the arm and rushed me up the porch steps to the front door.

  "Can you believe this, Leigha? This house is amazing!" She sang.

  "Just wait until you see the inside," Randy countered, startling us both. How did he get behind us so fast? The last time I checked, he was still by the limousine just a few yards away. Randy winked at me and pulled a small key from his coat pocket. He handed it to me.

  "Will you do the honors, Leigha?" he offered. I looked at my mother,
who was still too hysterical for any more excitement. I sighed and quickly turned the key, unlocking the door. I allowed Randy to carry my mother inside first before following behind them.

  The house was absolutely amazing. I felt like I was on a tour of MTV Cribs. It was too good to be true. Randy carried my mother through the long hallway and into the large living room. The room was filled with beautiful European furniture surrounding a huge fireplace. He set my mother down on her feet and let her adjust to the scenery. Patricia examined the room quietly for a long moment.I stood beside Randy waiting for her to speak. She trailed her fingers along the huge fluffy cream sofa and turned to admire the beautiful piano that sat by the window. Her eyes were still damp from the previous tears of joy she had shared with us outside.

  Randy gazed at me for a moment and then raised one eyebrow. "Your mother was right about you," he chuckled.

  I raised one eyebrow in return. She was always talking about me and I hated when she did that. "What do you mean?" I asked, a bit horrified about his impression of me.

  "She says there's nothing in the world that excites you. You're wealthy now, and there's no fear of bills or wanting for anything. But it still doesn't surprise you at all. I was kind of hoping to at least see you jump on the sofa with your mother," he laughed.

  I let my eyebrow drop and then began to realize what he was talking about. My mother was jumping on the sofa. I sighed and rolled my eyes.

  "I think my mother selfishly held in all the enthusiasm when she got pregnant with me," I answered, placing my hands over my hips.

  Randy laughed.

  "Well, why don't you explore the house? Go pick out a bedroom."

  I grabbed my bag and traipsed up the steps to choose a room. There were so many, ten to be exact. Who would need a house with so many rooms? It was just Randy, my mother, and I, after all. But I picked one, preferably at a distance from everyone else. I was so anti-social. I threw myself on the beautiful white bed. It was so soft and fluffy, not at all like the hard beds I had been sleeping restlessly on my entire life. The room was so plain and empty. I rolled over to my side and stared at the vanity. I had never had a vanity before, what was the point? The mirror in the bathroom did me more than enough justice. I didn't wear makeup, I never felt the need to, and my thick and wavy, long auburn locks had a mind of their own. I was very tired from the long flight, so I curled up into a ball and drifted off to sleep.

  I awoke the next morning, not even believing that the morning had come, until I saw the clock sitting on the table beside my bed. The clouds were thick and a very dark shade of grey, almost black. I was still in my winter coat and felt very sweaty beneath it. I sat up to stretch my stiff muscles, then stood up and walked over to the previously unnoticed, but huge, double doors. I wasn't aware that my room had a balcony.

  The darkness was almost alarming. I glanced over at the clock again.It was nearly ten in the morning. That had to be wrong. The light was coming in, but just barely, almost as if the sun were setting. It had been lighter than this when we first arrived at the airport. I sighed and quickly closed the curtains over the doors.

  I wasn’t surprised to find that my room had its own bathroom with a sink, a separate shower and Jacuzzi-like bathtub, and a very modern toilet that seemed to have automatic flushing. I rolled my eyes and proceeded to freshen myself up. After my shower, I quickly ran the blow dryer through my thick hair. It was irritating me, so I pulled it into a bun. I threw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and then hurried down the steps to greet my mother. I wondered how well she slept her first night. I had never slept so peacefully a day in my life.

  It took me a minute to find the kitchen; the house was so big. It was almost intimidating. I followed the scent of my mother's famous veggie omelets. It led me into the large, vibrant kitchen. If there was any trace of excitement in me, my mouth would have dropped in awe. It was the kitchen Patricia dreamed of. We used to go through home decorating magazines all the time when we were grocery shopping, daydreaming of my mother's ideal kitchen. She had spent her life making a living as a low-profile professional chef, but always dreamed of starting her own catering business. This was the kitchen that would make her dreams come true. She placed an omelet on a place setting and I pulled up a seat at the bar.

  "How did you sleep, honey?" Patricia asked, her face glowing.

  "It was good, Mom. But I think you had a better night than I did," I chuckled, biting into my omelet.

  Randy walked into the kitchen, dressed and ready to head to the hospital. He pulled Patricia into a passionate kiss as she handed him his coffee mug.

  "I wish I could stay a little longer with you guys. I feel really bad about leaving you both here all alone," he sighed and then quickly pulled a black credit card out of his pocket. “Why don't you go into town and get some shopping done? Leigha could use some new school clothes and supplies, and you'll both need to get cars of your own. This should keep you busy until I get back."

  He walked over to me and kissed the top of my head. "Enjoy yourself, Leigha," he said and then left for work.

  It was just us, Patricia and I all alone in this huge house. Randy had demanded that we buy clothes and cars as if it were a grocery errand. I didn't know how to respond to that. It was very weird and unnatural for us. While my mother quickly got ready, I surfed the net for a few stores and used car lots. I had my driver's license, but I had never really had a car of my own. I would insist that I get something used. I couldn’t stand to embarrass myself crashing a brand new car.

  We found our way into town by taxi. We stopped at an ATM to get some cash and parted ways shortly after. Patricia knew me all too well. While I searched for a decent bookstore, she went shopping for my school clothes. I didn't mind whatever she bought me because we shared similar interests in clothing.

  The day seemed to only last a few hours with the sun always hidden by the clouds. I eventually came across a nice bookstore downtown called Powell's City of Books. I stayed there for a while, wandering through the young adult section. It was when I sat down in the café section with my novels of choice that I realized the night really had fallen.

  The way the townspeople suddenly cleared the streets made me move from my seat and gaze out the large front store window. The sales associate stared at me curiously as I walked out of the store to gaze up at the open sky. So bright and beautiful, the huge full moon nearly astounded me. I found myself lost in its beauty, frozen on the street. I had never seen the stars so bright in a city.

  "I know. It's beautiful isn't it?" a voice whispered behind me.

  "Oh!" I gasped. It startled me and I turned quickly with my hand over my heart. It was the sales associate.

  "Sorry," she apologized, moving to my side.

  I stared at the sudden chaos of traffic and fleeing pedestrians.

  "What's going on?" I asked as I watched a woman quickly pick up her daughter and hurry to her car.

  "It's a full moon tonight. It's fairly easy to point out the more superstitious residents of our town," she chuckled.

  I didn't know what she meant. They were fleeing like there was some wild storm coming or a predetermined meteor coming down from out of the sky.

  "What are they running from?"

  She laughed at that. "You must be new in town," she observed.

  I nodded.

  "I'm sure you've heard the rumors… Well, it's not what you think, though. They aren't as bad as everyone makes them out to be. They're actually very friendly."

  She pursed her lips, trying to decipher my expressions. "The undead," she murmured.

  I laughed out loud, and her expression became wary.

  "You must be joking," I laughed again. I hadn’t laughed this hard in quite a while.

  "Everyone thinks that at first. Until you meet them." Her voice was reassuring.

  I choked up my laughter when I noticed her serious expression.

  She extended her hand to greet me. "My name is Maria Lawton."

  I p
roceeded to shake her hand. "Leigha Lowery."

  Maria seemed very young and vibrant. Her features were flawless, but she seemed a little weary. That was most likely because she had been working all day. Her eyes were a beautiful baby blue, and they seemed to glow in the night. I was slightly taller than her, and her figure was slender. She had blonde hair, but I could tell from the roots that she was a bleach blonde.

  "So you can tell I'm new in town?" I asked, making conversation and pretending my tourist-like gaze didn't really give me away.

  She chuckled, moved to sit by the bench just outside the store, and lit a cigarette.

  I quickly bundled up my jacket and moved to sit beside her.

  "You're not running. Yet," she sighed, blowing out smoke.

  A small black Ford Escape pulled up in front of us. I was relieved when the window rolled down and I saw that it was my mother.

  "That's my mom. I'd better get going. It was nice meeting you," I said, getting up from the bench.

  She handed me a heavy, white plastic bag.

  "Don't forget your books," she smiled.

  "Thanks." I gazed at her for a moment before getting into the car. "Wow, Mom. You took him seriously."

  My mom seemed worried as she drove into the traffic jam. "What's all this about? Did we miss something?" she wondered aloud, trying to get through the gridlock.

  The drivers were anxious, yelling and screaming at each other from their windows. I looked away from the pandemonium and up at the beautiful moon, wondering what Maria meant by “the undead”. I had heard so many rumors about this place. But, of course, logic kicked in. The stories I’d heard just couldn’t be true...

  * * * * *

  Banks High

  The weekend ended sooner than I wanted it to. This was to be my first day at my new high school. I was glad to be a sophomore; entering as a junior or senior would be more difficult for me to blend in with the other students.