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Twenty: Meet Gregory Raven
He promised to tell her everything, but the one thing he wasn't ready for, was for Charlie to meet his father. The demon he kept hidden inside him, the source of his pain, the pathetic excuse of a man whom he feared all his life to be his mirror. His deepest fear was to end up like his father one day, he even believed that he might, until he met Charlie. He swore he would do whatever it takes to never be like him, not if he wants to keep Charlie in his life.
"I can't take you with me, Charlie, not today ... please ..." his hands trembled when she held them.
"It's okay, Tommy, you've told me how he is, I can handle it," she assured him.
He shook his head, "No ... I can't, not today, baby, please ..." he sounded like a wounded boy, pleading for help.
"I don't care how terrible he is, I know you're not like him ... you're not him, Tommy, I'm coming with you," she insisted. He took a deep breath, fi
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Shiver Twenty One: Happy Birthday Tommy
August was almost over, Tommy's birthday was on the 30th. A date that she had to dig through his friends because he wouldn't tell her. He doesn't really celebrate his birthday, Charlene decided to organize a surprise party at the cabin for his 20th birthday before he leaves for Goldstone in September.Tommy was meeting her near her house to go to the cabin together, while his friends were secretly gathering at the cabin. She was about to leave through the back door when her mom stopped her. "Where are you off to, young lady?" her voice stern and demanding. She turned around, knowing she had been gone almost every day since summer began. "You're seeing him again? Don't you think you've been seeing him too often? You've been gone every day, I almost never see you at home anymore?" her mom sighed."It's his birthday today, mom, we're having a surprise party for him," she told her. Her mom nodded softly and sat on the chair by the kitchen table.
Shiver Twenty Two: Summer Is Over
She ran out the front door as soon as she finished breakfast, her mom had to run after her and shouted on the lawn, "Charlene! Be back before lunch! Your dad is coming home today!" She waved at her mom, acknowledging her request, she kept running. It was the day that Tommy was leaving for Goldstone, the last day of summer holiday. She ran without stopping when people who knew her called out her name along the way to the cabin. She had to see him before he goes away.She jumped on his back when she saw him loading up his truck with his stuff. She nibbled his ear and kissed the side of his face. "God ... you smell good," he said as she climbed down his back, and then he turned around to pick her up from the front."Can't you stay a bit longer?" she was hoping."I have to be there before 3 P.M., work starts at 4, I can't be late ... it's my first day."She pouted her lips, followed by a faint smile, "Ju
Shiver Twenty Three: The Thing About The Phone
His gas was running low. Goldstone was still a couple of hours away when he stopped in the middle of nowhere to fill up his tank. He'd been driving through a dirt road for an hour, the same route he'd always taken whenever he had deliveries to Goldstone. He looked at his watch, it was a quarter after twelve noon, he was going to be early.All he could think of was how sweet she smelled that morning, her sweat on his skin as they pressed against each other, her soft lips touching his, the taste of her tongue. He was going out of his mind having to leave her for two months. He felt a bit at peace knowing she was going to be busy with school, an image he can live with while he's away. Having so many things going on in his head, he was oblivious when a piece of paper fell out of his pocket. He left the gas station not knowing that one small piece of paper held the fate of his relationship with Charlie for the next few months.When he arrived at
Shiver Twenty Four: The First One Breaks The Hardest
The call never came. She waited for days. Days turned into weeks. She found herself grief-stricken, couldn't find it in her head what could've caused him not to call. She kept going over it in her mind, all the scenarios that lead to other possibilities and another and another, none of them resolved her anxiety, because the call just didn't come.The simplest explanation would be that he had lost her number, but it wasn't what she chose to believe. If she was important enough to him, he wouldn't have lost her number, not on the first day he arrived in Goldstone. If she was important enough for him, he would've guard that number with his life. She believed that. So she concluded that she wasn't important enough to him. It wasn't the first time he had disappeared on her, he used to do that when they knew each other. But this time, it was plain cruel. Her grief turned to bitter resentment towards Tommy.She was a mess, she cried, stared at the
Shiver Twenty Five: Halloween Night
Halloween in Bluebridge is a big thing, it's bigger than Christmas. People decorated the trees along the pathways, front lawns were turned into creepy pumpkin fields. All the street lights were turned off, the only lights were coming from candles, torches, and the stars. People turned on minimum lights in their houses so the essence of Halloween can be captured throughout the whole town. It was a tradition that's been passed on from generation to generation. Bluebridge turned into a murderous ghost town for one night, and Charlene loved it so much.People of all ages walked down the pathways, those who were too scared usually stayed home and slept the night away with all the lights off. It's their way of passively participating, it was an unspoken commitment amongst the townspeople. Those who roamed the streets were all wearing costumes and Halloween make-up. The Town Hall was open for a gloomy party, no music, no lights, just scary illustration sounds, black li
Shiver Twenty Six: The Man-Whore
He looked at his reflection in the mirror, after a whole month of training at the gym, some of his features had changed. He gained weight, muscles, his waist slimmed. Bradley just told him that he was going to advance to the choreography training. It's been grueling, especially because he had to work nights as a bouncer at The Silver Tongue and spent the entire morning until the afternoon at the gym.The real work hadn't even started, he'd only watched the shows from the sidelines and learned what it was all about. He was not one who shied away from being in the nude, he doesn't mind to be completely naked and being displayed on a stage. The only thing that worries him was what Charlie might think about his new profession. People were not allowed to touch him, but some of them would want to. People were notallowed to offer him money to have a private session with him, but they tried."You'll be offered money ... more money than you've
Shiver Twenty Seven: Christmas
Landon had been calling her every weekend since Halloween. He asked her how she was doing, what she's been doing, but mostly he talked about school and how much he had to study. He spent Thanksgiving with his family, a weekend away at their other vacation home near the mountains, doing all sorts of posh activities that he enjoyed so much. He said he wanted to go skiing for the Christmas holiday and asked Charlene if she would join him. She politely declined. Even after he had been nice to her, she didn't feel like Landon is someone she can be close to."Oh come on ... you'll love it, I'll teach you how to ski, you'll meet all my friends and family, we'll stay out at a villa in the mountains, drink eggnogs and other Christmas-y things," he tried to persuade her."I don't know, Landon, I feel like spending Christmas here with my family ... spend more time with Charlotte before I leave next year," she said."Fair enough ...
Shiver Twenty Eight: New Year's Eve
Everyone was excited for the show on New Year's Eve. Bill Ludlow had funded a full-blown Bluebridge entertainment at the Town Hall and the fireworks at the bridge. It was part of his campaign strategy. Being the richest member of the community, he wanted to sway the people with his money. The Mayor delivered the year-end recap before the show, a small town delight for everyone to see.Landon made his presence known. He never left Charlene's side the whole night they were at the Town Hall. He knew how small-town people talk, he wanted to make sure everyone saw him with Charlene. He sat among her school friends and befriended them, especially Mandy and Kayla. Tommy's friends watched from a distance, Landon was not the kind of guy who can blend in with their lot.They speculate who Landon was. Charlene always says 'My friend from Gastonburry' but even a blind man can see he wasn't there to be her friend. Charlene seemed to be out of reach now t
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