"Roy, we must leave now!"
I was so captivated by the brilliance I barely heard Taylor calling my name. She pulled my arm and we made it back to the broken window and climbed outside. Once on the grass, I saw that even the basement windows of the school shined brightly. The sight was mesmerizing. Taylor pulled me farther from the school until we reached sights and sounds that were normal.
We ran all the way to the trail leading to my house and continued until we reached the pond. Taylor turned and studied my face. "Roy, you've got to return to your body. It's much too dangerous for you to leave it. I'm in grave danger because I've deceived them, but it feels wonderful. This moment is worth more than a thousand lifetimes. It's what being alive is all about."
Taylor's words were confusing and she had to be out of her body, just like me. I said, "Were you born with the same gift as me?"
She didn't answer my question. Instead, she said, "I've got to return to my body, Roy! I'll explain everything after I do. I'll meet you at Matt's house."
Chapter 25: Attack
I returned to my body, jumped out of bed, and ran as fast as I could to Matt's house. As I approached his home there was a strong smell of death. The thought of Taylor being dead was unbearable. Slowly, I walked to the front door, only to see that the door was wide open. Cautiously, I entered the house, not making a sound. The stench was terrible. I held my nose and followed the hallway that creaked beneath my feet.
Outside Matt's door, I could hear him crying. Then he said, "Please stop!" My emotions became so intense, I left my body.
Slowly opening his door, I saw a man dressed in black holding Matt against the wall. I rush forward and pushed him away from my friend with such force he hit the opposite wall. I was stunned by my strength. The man recovered and stared at me with lifeless eyes. He was pale and gaunt, inhuman looking. He ran out of the house and into the darkness.
Matt had fallen to the floor and lay curled in a ball. He was weeping.
"Matt, are you okay?" He didn't acknowledge me. I asked again, louder. "Matt! Are you okay?" He still didn't answer. Then I realized he couldn't hear or see me. I returned to my body and stepped into the room. Matt was up against the wall. Then he fell to the ground. There was a huge crack in the opposite wall and I realized I was witnessing myself throwing the stranger away from Matt.
I said. "Matt, it's me, Roy."
He looked up with tears in his eyes. "Roy?"
"Yes, it's me."
He jumped up and threw his arms around me in a hug. "Roy, you have to leave now! Now, Roy! Now!"
"Calm down Matt, he's gone."
"How do you know? How?"
"Because I scared him off."
Relief washed over Matt's face.
I explained, "I saw him when I was out of my body. Not a very good looking fellow." Matt seemed to relax a little more. The smell of death was still constant.
I asked, "Where's Taylor?"
"I don't know. I went to bed after my Mom left for work and the next thing I remember is waking up and being thrown against the wall."
I looked around for any sign of Taylor. Matt's window was open and the scent of death was coming from outside. I told Matt to stay in his room and wait for me. Amidst his protests, I returned to the front porch and descended the steps to the yard. I walked around to the rear of the house.
"Roy, where are you going?" Matt called from the porch. I ignored him, determined to find the source of the smell. Cautiously, I entered the woods following the stench. I'd only walked a few feet when I saw a body on the ground with the moon's light trickling like a shadowy web all around it. It was a woman lying on her side, facing the forest. Chills coursed down my spine. Was I looking at Taylor? The smell was unbearable.
Slowly, I circled the body to see the woman's face. The moonlight wasn't bright enough for me to discern who it was. Holding my nose tightly, I grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the shadows and prayed, "Please Lord, don't let it be Taylor."
It was Matt's mother. Purple bruises covered her neck. She had been strangled.
Matt called for me again.
I walked back to the house.
Matt sounded like he was on the verge of hysteria, "Roy, where did you go? Did you see anyone?"
"I was just making sure the stranger was gone. Matt, I think it's time for you to tell me everything you know."
Chapter 26: Matt
We left Matt's house and he drove his car to our secret hideout at the wrecking yard outside of town. No one knew about this place except me and Matt. When we were kids we'd built a fort there out of car parts.
"Matt, I need to know everything. I know you're scared, but so am I."
"Roy, you have no idea what they're capable of."
"Who, Matt? Who are they? And who was that weird man hurting you?"
"Roy, he could be anywhere right now. He could kill us at any moment."
I could see that Matt was deathly afraid and I knew there was only one way to relax him enough so I could hear the truth. While I sat in our hideout, I thought about Matt's mother so I could create an overwhelming emotion to catapult me out of my body. It worked.
I walked around the old wrecking yard looking for any sign of the mysterious stranger. No one was around. Then I picked up a stick and wrote in the dirt outside of the hideout "ALL CLEAR" in big bold letters, before returning to my body.
Matt kept his eyes trained on the entrance to our hideout, like he was afraid the man would enter. I said, "Matt, there's no one here. I left my body and checked the place out. Here's proof." I grabbed his arm and pulled him to the entrance to see what I had written.
He swiped his eyes. "Okay Roy, I trust that you've scouted out the junk yard." He inhaled a shuddering breath. "Everything I told you and Taylor at my house was true, but there's more. When I was a kid, my mom and Sheriff Tanner sat me down and told me that you were different from other people and that I was to tell them about anything unusual happening when we were together. They said that you're very important, but wouldn't tell me why. They also warned that if I ever told you about their conversation someone would hurt you."
He inhaled another calming breath. "When we were in the fifth grade and you talked about smelling death, I knew that was something I had to tell my mom. After I did, she looked really scared and said I was never to mention it to anyone. Whenever you started talking or acting weird, I told her about whatever had happened and she'd call Sheriff Tanner. He'd come over and I'd have to repeat it to him. Sometimes she made me meet with your dad and mom and tell them, too.
"The one thing I know is that the entire town knows you're different and they've been warned not to talk about whatever it is. There have been several town meetings that you never knew about and that my mother wouldn't let me attend."
I asked, "What about the light at the high school?"
"Everyone knows about the light, but they also know that anyone who talks about it could disappear or be found dead. Since Murdoch returned things have gotten crazy. I don't know anything more about Murdoch than you do, but I do know that everyone has been instructed not to speak about him or you. The sheriff is making sure of that."
He continued, "This sounds crazy, but my mother said that the people watching are not human and they can be anywhere, at anytime. She said she's heard them referred to as travelers. Roy, I think I figured out why you're a threat. You can see them when you're out of your body, like that guy at my house. I don't know what they want or why they're here, but I do know everything revolves around you."
I stared at Matt as things started to make sense. Maybe the reason Miss King had disappeared was because she knew I had the gift. Maybe she was trying to warn me about the travelers. Maybe that's why my mom was killed. And Matt's mom!
I felt like I was drowning in emotions and separated from my body. Free of my body, I walked outside our fort. Someone was coming swiftly toward us in the moonlight. I recognized the inhuman looking man. Just when I turned to get Matt so we
could run, I heard, "Saul, stop!"
I looked to my right and saw Taylor. She shouted to the man in black, "Murdoch will kill you!" I glanced back at the stranger, who had stopped walking. I stared into his eyes. Suddenly, I felt energy coursing through me. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced. The best word to describe it would be "strength." I felt like I could take on the world as everything around me got smaller.
Something flickered in the man's eyes. Taylor stepped between us. The intruder turned and walked back into the junk yard. Taylor rushed over and threw her arms around me.
I returned her embrace. "Taylor, I've been so worried about you!"
"Roy, you must go home. I'll meet you tomorrow at noon, by the pond. You'll learn everything then." She gave me a little shove and then turned and disappeared into the night. I stepped back inside the fort and into my body. It was time to tell Matt about his mother and call Sheriff Tanner because there was no other choice.
Chapter 27: Rebellion
The next day I arrived at the pond a little before noon. The trees swayed in a soft breeze and the day was warm. While I waited for Taylor, I thought about what had happened the night before and how devastated Matt had been. Sheriff Tanner had decided Matt should stay with his aunt in Fort Carter while they investigated the murder.
I also thought about Saul. Why hadn't Taylor told me about him and why did she tell him Murdoch would kill him? How could Taylor know so much and not share it with me? How could she not tell me about her ability to leave her body? Was she a traveler, or someone like me? My thoughts were making me crazy.
I glanced at my wristwatch; 12:01. Taylor should arrive at anytime. I felt a hand on my back. When I turned, there was no one there. It had to be Taylor out of her body. I felt a small hand grab my wrist and urge me up from the stump. I allowed her to pull me into the dimness of the trees. When she released me, I sat on another stump.
Because Taylor was out of her body, I knew the only way we were going to have a conversation was if I was too. I closed my eyes tightly and conjured up a wave of emotions. Effortlessly, I left my body. Sure enough, Taylor was there smiling beautifully.
She said, "So…I see you're learning to control your ability very well." She had her arms folded and one leg propped on a rock.
"I certainly feel more in control than before. It's strange how I feel so strong when I'm out of my body."
"Roy, that's another part of your gift that will develop over time. I'm sorry I didn't tell you that we share the same ability, but I was scared. There is so much you don't know." She sat on the rock. "So ask me what you want to know."
"First, what is everyone trying to hide and how did I get this ability?"
"Fairview's population is mostly made up of people called travelers. Matt and his mother and a few others are the exceptions." She amended sadly, "Well, Matt's mother was an exception. No one has told you anything because they're afraid of becoming the next murder victim if they do. You're a gifted mixed-breed, Roy. You can leave your body without losing the connection to your physical self."
"What! Are you saying I'm part traveler?"
"Yes."
"Are you a traveler, Taylor?"
"Yes, a full-blooded one."
"Do you lose the connection to your body if you're out too long?"
"Yes. I have to use the light portal to move outside my body. Right now I'm in my traveler body. To return to my human body, I must walk into the portal. Roy, you've been born from a traveler and a human. You're a traveler experiment. They want to see if mixed-breeds have greater abilities that can be harnessed."
"What happened to Miss King, my fifth grade teacher?"
"She was a traveler that we believe was either trying to help you escape town or steal your body. We're not sure. As for what happened to her…she was terminated by Saul. Roy, every traveler that knows of your ability envies you, and some would do anything to have your body."
"How could they do that?"
"You can exchange your body with a traveler's as long as you're in the presence of the portal. That's how I received mine. Taylor's body was dying and she was in so much pain she gave me hers."
"Why do I smell death?"
"We're not sure, but it has something to do with being a mixed-breed. It's one of the ways we know a full-blooded traveler from one who is not."
"What would happen if I walked through the portal?"
"You would experience our world."
"Who murdered Matt's mother and why?"
"Saul killed Matt's mother because she knew too much about you from Matt. He was trying to kill Matt when you arrived. If humans were to find out about us they would destroy the portal. We need the energy of the light to remain in our human bodies. As for Saul, he's a traveler without a human body who has been sent to watch your every move. At one time he reported to Murdoch, but now he reports directly to the Guardians of our world."
"Who killed the old man that had been guarding the gymnasium door?"
"Saul killed him because he was an observer sent by the Guardians who changed his allegiance to Murdoch."
"Where is my mother being kept?"
"Roy, she's dead. Hannah was killed by Saul."
I exclaimed, "But I thought Rose was my mother!"
"Rose was a mixed-breed. She died in childbirth along with her baby."
"Who was in the cabin with me?"
"I was the one in the cabin. Murdoch didn't want to reveal that he's a traveler because he thought it would be too much for you to grasp at the time. He wanted you to first see the portal and then he'd slowly reveal the truth. Murdoch placed me in your life to keep tabs on you. When he was caught and put in jail, he knew I would free him."
"You mean you killed the deputy!"
"Yes. I had too. It was to protect Murdoch and you."
I recoiled. "Taylor, the deputy was an innocent man and you murdered him!"
"No, Roy, his name was Rotan and he was a traveler. He manipulates humans into giving up their bodies to travelers."
"Is my sister, Serena, a traveler?"
"No, she was born to Roger and Hannah before Roger became one, but she knows about you and Roger."
"Is Sheriff Tanner a traveler?"
"Yes. He's the overseer of the portal in Fairview. He's here to watch over the town and report all happenings to the Guardians. Murdoch has gotten in the way and that's why Sheriff Tanner has the authority to return him to our world. The last thing the Guardians want is for Murdoch and you to expose their existence. Murdoch was high ranking in our world and volunteered to monitor the experiment with mixed-breeds, but he rebelled. Now that I've joined with Murdoch, the Guardians want to return me to the other side, too. Roy, the reason Murdoch and I are willing to turn our backs on our own race is because to be human is to feel love. And Roy…Murdoch and I love you."
A voice commanded, "That's enough, Taylor!"
Murdoch stepped out of the woods.
Chapter 28: Discovery
Murdoch stood in front of us. "Roy, what Taylor says is true. I'm sorry I didn't tell you everything, but I was afraid you weren't ready for the truth."
"Why did you tell me my birthmother was Rose?"
"At the time it seemed more sensible than revealing our alien origin and Rose being a mixed-breed. How would you have reacted if I'd told you travelers are entities who need a human body to sustain them in this world, and the portal allows them to obtain those bodies? As Taylor already told you, she was given her body because the former owner was dying. I explained to the original Taylor that if she walked into the portal, she would begin a new life free of disease in another world, and the body she gave up would become whole in the trade off. She agreed. She was happy to exchange places."
"I could have left my body and seen it was Taylor in the cabin."
"That's why she was only there for a minute and I told you she must leave or lose her body, which was the truth for Taylor, but would not have been for the real Rose. If you had seen Taylor,
I would have told you the truth about Rose."
"Are you my birthfather?"
"No. Roger Clawson is your birthfather. He's a traveler, but your mother, Hannah, isn't. The original Roger wanted to experience another world, but your mother refused. She did agree to the experiment though. I told you I was your father to gain your trust so I could save you from the Guardians."
"How did you get your body?"
"This body belonged to a man named Murdoch who was tormented. He had returned from war and couldn't deal with his life in Idaho so he moved to Fairview. He met and married Rose. At the time, I only had a traveler body so Murdoch couldn't see me. I followed him around and when I realized he intended to commit suicide, I wrote a note telling him about a new life waiting for him through the portal. I didn't know if he would believe me, but he went to the high school one night to check it out. When he walked into the portal I was able to exchange places with him. After I received his body, I helped many travelers into this world by finding human candidates.
"But being in my human body made me understand what it is to love. I fell in love with Rose and when she died giving birth to our child, I broke away from the Guardians. Roy, I want to save your world. If your ability to separate from your body at will, as well as survive without the energy received by entering the portal was understood and replicated, it would speed the invasion of your planet. No longer would travelers have to remain in close proximity to light portals."
Taylor said, "I've been out of my body too long. I have to return." She then gave me a quick hug and ran into the woods.
Murdoch continued, "Roy, the reason I urged you to go to the high school the other day was because I wanted you to see the portal for yourself. After all, you are part traveler and not all of our kind are evil."
"But why did Taylor keep me from seeing it?"
"She's very protective of you and afraid you're not ready to experience a different reality. But I know you are. The portal will reveal many secrets of the universe."
Softly, I replied, "All I ever wanted was to know the truth."
Chapter 29: Beginning of the End
That night, I met Murdoch at the high school at eight. I had to see the portal.
Murdoch said, "Roy, there's nothing to be afraid of. I can't explain what you will experience, as there are no words to describe it. I do know, however, that what you have been searching for all your life is there."