Redheads are Soulless by Heather M. White

there, his red eyes looking back at me.
    I knew that I should ask Jason for help, but I didn’t want help. I was under Robbie’s spell, and I was starting to like it.
    “Are you ready to head back?” Jason asked.
    I nodded. “Yes.”
    On the way to his car, I held his hand. He held open the door for me, and I got in. He shut it behind me. After he walked around and got in the car, I started the conversation.
    “So what are we going to do tomorrow?” I asked as I flipped through the radio stations. There was nothing on, as always. The only kind o f music they play in Alabama is country. Annoyed, I just turned it off.
    Jason just laughed at my annoyance. “Do you want to go ice skating again? I did promise to teach you.”
    I couldn’t help but smile. “I would like that.”
    I would have t o be crazy not to fall under Jason’s charming spell.
    He pulled me close to him, and gently kissed my lips. “I don’t know what I would do without you, Sof,” he said softly. “You really are my hope for the future. I look forward to everyday because I know you will be there. I won’t let him take you from me.”
    Later that night, I let Jason hold me as he fell asleep. Once I was confident he was deep asleep, I gently pulled his arm off of me, and made my way out the door. As usual, Robbie was standing outside.
    “Did you come to see how a real man would treat you in bed?” Robbie flirted.

I rolled my eyes. “No, ewe,” my voice sounded unusually high, so I cleared my throat. “I need to know what a hortribue is, and I need you to tell me.”
    When I said the word hortribue , Robbie’s eyes got really big. “You, little girl, need to go back in there with Jason and forget you ever heard that word.”
    “So you do know what it is,” I smiled. “Why is it so bad to tell me about them if they’re extinct?”
    “They are very much alive, and will very quickly rip you apart limb by limb. I’m serious. Forget you ever heard the word hortribue . ”
    “What does it matter? You’re going to kill me anyway. What does it matter if they kill me first?”
    Robbie stiffened. He looked like he wanted to say something, but he didn’t. “Sofie, please, just go back in there with your boyfriend and stay out of this. It’s a fight that you don’t want to get involved in, trust me.”
    “Why should I trust you?”
    “I don’t know, but you do, and I know it.” He ran his fingers through my hair, making me shiver . I tried to ignore the way he looked at me with desire.
    I stared at the floor, and resisted the urge to cry. “I don’t want to die.”
    He pulled my chin up so I was looking him in the eyes. “I don’t want you to die either, Sof. I…”
    Suddenly the bedroom door opened, and Robbie quickly pulled his hand away from me. Jason pulled me into his arms.
    “You have gone too far this time,” Jason yelled at Robbie. “Leave her alone.”
    Robbie didn’t respond. Instead, he turned and walked away. A few seconds later, I heard the front door slam.
    “Are you ok?” he asked.
    “I’m fine,” I said, not fully meeting his gaze. “Robbie didn’t hurt me.”
    Jason put his arm around me, and I lay back down, but my mind was on Robbie. I wondered where he went, and if he was ok. I needed to know what he was going to say before Jason walked into the hallway. I believed him when he said he didn’t want me to die.
    I lay in bed, tossing and turning most of the night. Finally, around 3am, I heard the front door shut. Then I knew that Robbie was home saf e. It was then that I was finally able to close my eyes and get some sleep.
     
    …
     
    The next morning when I got up, Robbie was in a bad mood. He seemed to be taking all of his frustrations out on me. As soon as I walked into the kitchen, he stomped past me to the living room. When I sat down on the couch, he got up and moved the chair on the opposite side of the room. I glared at him, but he seemed oddly unaffected by me. I crossed my arms over my