Introducing Nicholas Wicker

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"𝙱𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚟𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚕𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚜𝚎𝚎."

It was strange, the way the air of the school felt different with each step Anna took into it. The day had passed by in a series of dull moments that made her look forward to going home. Though, she only had her room and the stillness of her thoughts as her father gave her the same punishment he had given to Grace.

Three weeks of no cell phones, no after school or weekend plans and no friends.

To Anna, that last condition was something she wasn't too sure she had to worry about. Friends seemed like a concept she didn't recognize at the moment and it was a possibility that she no longer had after Reese's unfortunate party. 

"So, is it true they cut off her fingers and fed them to her," Eric McAdams blurted, startling Anna as he threw his arm around her shoulder. 

She frowned at the gesture as they neared the cafeteria for the lunch hour. Eric was the class clown who only said and did things to gain reactions out of people. Usually, his tactics worked, but today Anna wasn't willing to deal with his shit. 

Peeling his heavy arm off of her, she pushed him away as they strolled along the hallway. He chuckled at her annoyance and she rolled her eyes, realizing that although she didn't answer his sick question, he had already gotten to her just by asking it.

"Come on Anna," he cooed, straightening his flannel. The red color almost matched his strawberry blonde hair, "Everyone knows your pops has the dirty details on what actually went down that night. That case is the talk of the town."

It was true.

Though most of the community had moved on, the student body was quite the opposite and rumors swirled of the gory details surrounding Molly's demise. No one truly knew what happened. 

But Anna did, or at least she knew the some of the torture Molly was subjected to, thanks to her father. 

However, it gave her an advantage. Enabling her to weed through the rumors and queasy suggestions that people around her were making. 

"Don't you have more important things to worry about, other than some tragic news story and the hearsay surrounding it?" Anna asked with an annoyed tone as she stopped at the cafeteria doors. She could hear the mass crowd booming exaggerated laughs and jokes into the air. 

For the first time since her very first day, she was nervous about entering. 

Suddenly, she could hear the rumble in Eric's chest. Turning her head towards him, her eyes were making it clear that she wasn't sure why he was still there.

"You know what isn't hearsay?" He asked, his tongue playing at his lips like a reptile. It was fitting for someone who was the human form of a snake, "The fact that you've been dethroned after that stunt Friday night," Eric smiled as he pushed through the doors, but not before turning his head back to Anna, "Who's the tragic news story now?"

Scoffing slightly to herself as the glass doors closed in her face, Anna peered down at her feet. What she feared was coming true, her friends hated her and now the entire school knew it. She was the outcast all over again. 

Removing her hands from the handle of the door, she backed away from the entrance of the large gathering ground. Perhaps, for the time being, it was best to lay low and allow Claire to cool off before she approached her and attempted to apologize for her actions.

After heading to her locker to grab her gym bag and car keys, Anna bailed on the rest of the school day. Though her father would gut her if he found out she was skipping school, she felt the reward was worth the risk. Anything was better than facing the reality of high school gossip.

Scott had Anna's car towed from Reese's property, so thankfully she left was able to leave the confinement of the building without having to walk.

She didn't have a plan in mind, but she knew that she couldn't go home or be in the open where it was possible for her father or his deputies to spot her around town.

And surely someone would, given that there seemed to be someone with a badge on every corner.

Escaping the parking lot, Anna found herself driving down Middlebury Lane and spotted a local hidden gem, a place she knew she would be safe from anyone willing to tattle on her.

Aunt Betty's was a small cafe, brewhouse, and bakeshop combined into one. Betty Anders was the town's sweetheart, before she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's three years ago. Since then, here sister Elenore has taken ownership, though some question her cognitive abilities as well.  

Quickly pulling into a parking spot on the small downtown street, Anna hurried into the cafe. The bell on the door chimed above as it slammed hard behind her. There were no more than a handful of locals seated at the old galley tables and the air smelled of freshly brewed coffee and baked goods, and the pages of old books. 

Elenore had recently begun a trend of hanging potted plants and herbs from the ceilings so the small intimate area was more jungle-like than usual. However, it allowed more privacy in the corners of the space, perfect for someone attempting to stay hidden.

Nearing the back of the building, Anna approached a withered bookshelf that housed an assortment of old reads. Most of them were from no-name authors and some of the pages were torn out, but she found the history of them fascinating. Many of them were older than her grandmother.  

Getting lost in the feeling of the leather binds, Anna let her thoughts slip away as she studied them. Flipping through the old dusty pages.

Suddenly, an arm reached over, grabbing a small diary-like book from the shelve she was exploring. In all her time coming to the cafe, she had never witnessed anyone taking notice of the books as she had. 

"I wasn't aware school was out early," the voice broke low but strong and slightly sarcastic. The tone made her heart skip a beat as it reminded her of the way her father spoke to her when he was attempting to be stern. But the voice behind her wasn't familiar and neither was the tailored sleeve that was retracting from the bookshelf.

Looking over her shoulder, Anna exhaled a small laugh. 

Nicholas Wicker, Reese's father stood with his hooded eyes in a humored but questioning glare. He was tall, much taller than Reese but everything else was identical. 

It was as if Anna was looking at Reese 30 years into the future. 

His dark hair was trimmed at the sides, giving way to a full, styled set of plush waves. The navy blue suit he wore probably cost more than someone's rent and his black shoes shined under the yellow light. In his early 50's, he still exhibited a handsome face and a well-maintained body. And although he was business-like, he still attained a rigid quality. 

"I'm taking more of a personal day," Anna joked, finally replying. She knew Nicholas didn't know her, they had never met nor had they even crossed paths. Anytime she was in his home, he was gone on business or out of the country.

 So there was no chance he would rat her out. 

At least, she hoped.

Nodding with satisfaction to her answer, Nicholas handed her the book he had plucked from the shelf, "Handwritten by Charles Henry and a few other locals in 1882. If you're looking for something old but timeless, give it a go. It can get spooky at times, but well worth the read. He was from here and wrote about some local urban legends in the surrounding areas," the leather on the small book was practically in pieces, held together by stitches.

"Thank you," she stated simply. The gesture was random but appreciated. Feeling as if the conversation was over, Anna smiled and turned back towards the shelf. 

From the corner of her eye, she watched as Nicholas kept his eyes on her, studying her hands as they felt along the spines of the books. She wanted to move away, but it was too late to do anything but stand there and continue to pretend to read. 

"Your Sheriff Walkers girl aren't you?" He asked with the same amusement in his voice as before. 

"How'd you guess?" She questioned, dropping her hands to her side and turning to face him once again. She held her breath, knowing she was already in deep shit with her parents, and if they found out she skipped, life would be over.

Shrugging, he crossed his arms over his chest. That was when she noticed the brown paper bag he had in his grip, "I've seen you and your family around town, Reese has told me a lot about you. I'm glad to hear that you've settled into town so quickly. It's impressive," his eyes moved from hers, slowly gravitating towards the bookshelf next to her, "Plus, your father used to have the same fascination with those old stacks of papers," Nicholas shrugged once again, "I guess the love for knowledge runs in the family. But who knew that Scott could have such a beautiful daughter."

Anna smirked, realizing how uncanny it was that Reese was so much like his father. Their statements and questions pieced together in such a similar fashion it amused her. It was now ludicrous to think Reese was one of a kind. 

For a moment, she almost forgot that she wasn't out of the woods yet. He was far too charming and it was a wonder as to why her father despised him so much. 

"Look, is it possible to keep this between us?" She suggested lightly, hoping he would take the bait so she would avoid more punishment, "My dad would kill me if he knew I wasn't in school."

Nicholas' eyes shifted as they peered down at her. His lips curled and a small rumble filled his throat, "Kill is a pretty strong reference, but I guess you can ever be too sure," he admitted, "Your secret is safe," he promised, slowly reaching into his brown paper bag to pull out a bright red apple. 

The gleam in it shined just as his shoes did. 

The peaks of his lips curled perfectly around the top of the supple fruit as he bit into it. The sounds of the skin breaking around his teeth reminded Anna of a bone breaking. It seemed to incase the entire room with an exaggerated crunch.

She was mesmerized by the elegance and sexiness of the bite. 

"Mmm," he moaned out, seemingly pleased with the taste, "There are so many tempting things in here to eat, but I'm trying this new health kick," he commented, his gaze moving around the room, then subtly moving back to her.

Anna felt the skin on her cheeks burn with fire. His face looked amused, but that didn't necessarily mean the comment was geared towards her. They were in a room full of cookies and cakes. 

What was the possibility that her friend's father was hitting on her?

After all, she wasn't even legal.

Before Anna could reply, Nicholas walked away, still biting into the freshly picked apple.

Hearing the jingle of the bell on the door, she knew he was gone and it was safe to near the register to pay for the book that was suggested to her. 

Elenore slowly lifted from her stool behind the counter towards the register, her worn and oversized sweater hiding her robust frame. Anna smiled lightly as the sound of her slippers shimmied across the creaky wooden floor. 

"Anna sweetheart, how are you today?" Her graveled voice asked, pressing a few buttons of the register, "I haven't seen you in a few months!"

Thankful that she didn't ask about school, Anna handed the book over the counter, I'm good Mrs. Anders, just been busy with school. I'll just be taking this today, please," looking out towards the road, Anna watched Nicholas get into his sleek black Mercedes. The remnants of his words still making her feel confused. Her arm was extended over the glass counter for what seemed like minutes, wondering why her item wasn't yet plucked from her hands to be logged. She turned her attention back towards Elenore. 

The timid woman stood with her eyes planted on the book stretched towards her. She wouldn't speak and she showed no signs of the taking it to enter it into the logbook. 

"I'm kind of late for something Mrs. Anders, I just need this one thing rung up please and I'll be out of your hair," Anna gestured, shaking the book slightly in annoyance but also to get some sort of normal reaction out of her.

"Maybe there is something else you'd find that suits you better," Elenore offered, turning away slightly almost as if she planned to return her stool without ringing Anna up. 

Huffing, Anna raised her eyebrows, "I'd like to purchase this one, please. I think it might have some really cool history of the town."

Nodding slowly, Elenore looked towards her, "No charge," she blurted before turning back towards her chair. Anna frowned, shocked that she wasn't expected to pay for the book. Even if it might have only been a few dollars. 

Turning, she neared the door, shaking off Elenore's weird behavior towards her. Though, she was showing more and more signs of developing the same illness as her sister. 

"Not everything is urban legend dear," Elenore shouted, when Anna turned back towards her, she was already seated in her stool, "Nothing good has ever come from beyond those trees. Not even that decrepitate book," she spat, almost as if her words were the saliva cursing the pages. 

Lips parting, Anna watched Elenore turn away from her with a snide look in her eye. And it was as if she was cursing her too.