Eve of Samhain Read Online Free Page B

all.” I giggled silently to myself. My sarcasm had me on a fast track straight to Hades.
    “Where are you?” she asked. “We need to talk. I’m not so sure about our new roomie.”
    Sick of tiny, cramped dorm rooms with no privacy, and completely uninterested in rushing sororities, Jessica and I had pooled our resources and opted to rent an apartment. Our place was roomy, private, and conveniently close to campus and my work, which saved on the golden fluid flowing into my tank. They should throw diamonds into that shit for what they charge!
    Jessica’s mom, Karen, covered all of her expenses, insisting school should be her main focus until graduation.
    A product of the foster care system after losing my parents at the early age of two, I had no one to cover my expenses and had learned early on how to take care of myself. I’d worked since I was fifteen and managed to put a decent chunk of money into a savings account over the years, and even earned enough to buy a car. “I’m sitting in the quad. What’s the matter?”
    “I’ll tell you when I get there. I’ll see you in a minute or two.” She hung up before I could get another word out.
    I sat lost in thought for a moment, wondering what she wanted to talk about, when an icy chill shot up my spine. My lungs went on strike, struggling to pull in air, and I felt an overwhelming sense that someone or some thing monumentally evil lurked just out of sight, waiting to pounce. Swallowing hard, I turned, half expecting to see some crazed mental ward escapee jumping out at me, but, as before, saw nothing out of the ordinary. I let out the breath I hadn’t known I was holding. What the hell was going on?
    My phone buzzed again. I didn’t bother to look at the screen, assuming it was Jessica. “Hey. What did you forget?” I asked as I continued to scan the area. Something wasn’t right. The tiny hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, leaving me with a sick, nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach. I wasn’t expecting the voice that carried over the phone.
    “Hey, Ryann.” It was Stan, the new manager from the club. His high-pitched, nasally voice irritated every one of my senses and threatened to make my ears bleed. Despite his horribly annoying articulation, he was a friendly, albeit somewhat geeky, guy.
    My paranoia eased up a bit, and I relaxed into the bench. “Oh,” I said, slightly surprised. “Hey, Stan. What’s up? Do you need me to come in tonight?” I couldn’t think of another reason for his call. I liked Stan. He was a decent boss who always treated me with respect. If he needed me to work more hours, I was all for it. College tuition didn’t come cheap.
    He shouted through the tiny speaker on my cell. “Yeah, actually I do. There’s also a big shipment coming in this afternoon. Think you can come in early and help me with it?”
    His request took me by surprise. Servers didn’t normally help with the shipments, but hey, hours were hours. “Yeah. Sure. No problem.”
    There was an awkward pause. Stan’s heavy breathing sounded through the line. If I hadn’t known who was on the other end, I might have been creeped out. With Stan, I was more worried he’d maybe dropped his inhaler. “Stan, you okay? You sound…out of breath.”
    “Yeah, sorry. I’m fine. I’ll see you at five.” I heard the line click and go dead.
    What was up with the heavy breathing? I clamped my eyes shut and shook my head. On second thought, I didn’t want to know.
    “Who were you talking to?”
    I jumped in my seat with a loud yelp. I looked up to see a smiling Jessica staring down at me with a curious look on her face.
    I clutched my chest with my hand. “Wha—Oh, for…Crap. You scared me. That was Stan, the new manager from the club. He needs me to pick up an extra shift tonight.” I paused while she sat down next to me. I angled my body so I faced her. “About this morning. I’m sorry I woke you. You have my permission to kick my ass if I do it