Evie's Knight by Kimberly Krey

face with the sleeve of her shirt. She pried off her tennies and made for the kitchen, eyeing the clock on the microwave. The green numbers blared six thirty-five; she was pushing it for time. Though she had yet to commit to an art project, her remaining studies and homework had taken up most of the day, pushing her morning run into the late afternoon. 
    “Eve, when does your party start?” Her dad’s voice sounded from down the hall.
    “Not for a while,” she hollered, pulling the lid off the crock-pot. “I have to get in the shower, but you can go ahead and get started on this chili if you want.” She inhaled the rich, delicious aroma as she stirred. “I think we’re going to love this recipe. It’s got a lot more heat than the last one I tried.”
    He shuffled into the kitchen, pushing up the sleeves of his sweatshirt. “Sure smells great.”
    “I know. Here, let me get you a bowl.” Steam danced off the simmering soup as she spooned it into the deep, ceramic bowl. Evie grabbed sour cream and a jar of hot peppers from the fridge, slid them onto the counter. “Okay, I’ll be back up in a bit.” 
    She rushed down the stairs and, with her speakers blasting her favorite mix, hopped into the shower, remembering–for the millionth time that day–that she was about to see Calvin Knight! Evie wondered what time he would get there, what he might wear, and if he’d still have that ever-present five o’clock shadow that accented his jaw line so well.
    After putting the hairdryer to work, Evie slid into dark jeans, black knee-high boots, and a white, silky blouse. She pulled the straight strands of her hair into a sleek, high pony and put in her silver hoops.
    With it being a party and all, Evie decided to play up her eyes the way Kelly did–just not as bold. The eyeliner slid smoothly across her lids, grazing the base of each lash along the way. Standing up to the mirror, she smudged the liner for that smoky look. After grabbing her lip gloss, she paused, trying to listen through the blaring music.
    Was that the door?
    With the press of a button Evie silenced the pounding beat and turned an ear toward the ceiling. Perhaps she hadn’t heard anything, but she had felt something–was feeling it still. A dark, cold energy climbing up the sides of her neck, thick and unwelcome.
    Stiffening, she eyed the fixture through her mirror as the bulb began to flicker. In a staggered series of flashes, the bright light crept down to a dismal glow, before skipping into blackness.
    Her breaths came louder as she stared blindly ahead, sensing a hidden presence in the room.
    Before panic could set in completely, the light flicked back on to a mere spark, and then sunk back into darkness again. The action repeated, accelerating in pace as her heart sped up to match the quickened blinks. Through the spurts of light, Evie eyed the faulty bulb again, willing the stupid thing to just die out.
    While holding her next breath, eyes still fixed on the upper corner of her mirror, Evie saw an image forming along the glass. In fierce, massive strokes of oozing black, two dark spheres splattered the surface, followed by bold, jutting cheekbones and wild, flowing hair. The lip gloss slid from her hand as a gasp pulled at her throat.
    She reached for the light switch, flicked it off, and let out a shaky breath, staring into the blackness. Though the flashing lights hadn’t made a sound, it felt quieter now that all was calm and still. Evie put a hand to her heart, hoping to ease the frantic, heated thumps pressing against her palm. 
    Shaken from the incident, she slid her hand around the doorframe and let the wall guide her down the hallway until she reached the switch. The hall light glowed bright, lighting her way as she crept into the storage area for a new bulb.
    While images of the crazed woman blared in the forefront of her mind, she removed the demon bulb, tossed it in the trash, and screwed in the new one. Her hand hovered over the