*****
I couldn’t quite decide if I was awake or dreaming. The memory of Rygons attacking danced in the back of my mind. But, for whatever reason, I walked through a cluster of trees. If you could call it walking. Something pulled me, like an invisible cord attached to my midsection. My feet moved, but I wasn’t moving them. I had no control over my body.
The sun hung low, creating an orange haze in the sky. I made my way toward a little serene river, its banks covered in pink and purple wildflowers. Leafy trees and plants lined the narrow dirt trail I walked, like some kind of red carpet entrance.
Guess that answered my question: dream. Had to be. Not bad, for my imagination. I preferred to be on the beach drinking one of those cool umbrella drinks, but no fire. Definitely a first. So, I could deal with the cheesy scenery. Plus, this was my dream. Maybe I’d run into some Abercrombie and Fitch model chopping wood—shirtless.
My body continued to follow the path, toting me along. At the water’s edge, a small white bridge appeared. I blinked: Trippy, but sweet nonetheless. I crossed over the clear water, wishing I could stop for a moment. Nope.
I cursed as the walk dragged on and on. Would I have to stroll in this make-believe land until I dropped off the face of the earth? Felt like it.
Finally, I halted when a log cabin came into view. The two-story home almost completed this perfect fairy tale forest. All it needed now was a princess and some dwarfs. Still waiting on that Abercrombie and Fitch model. In the front, there was a huge bay window and a deck that led to a door on the upper level. Beautiful. There wasn’t another word to describe it. I urged my body to go toward it, but it wouldn’t. Son of a—! Who rigged this? I looked down at myself frustrated and ready to launch out of my so-called body.
A figure on the side of the house, climbing out a window, drew my attention. Black hair, brown eyes…The girl.
She took in her surroundings and walked stealthily toward an old red car. Sneaking out? Nice. The closer she got, the more I realized something was wrong. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she shook.
A figure in a hooded, black cloak materialized and stared at her from behind a nearby tree.
Oh crap.
My adrenaline spiked. Why was I always immobile around this asshole? I screamed at the helpless girl, but no sound came out. I thrashed in frustration. If this girl died, it’d be all my fault.
Her head snapped toward the Kember. In the blink of an eye, he stood before her, blocking her way to the car. Her eyes widened and I heard her intake of breath. She turned and ran into the forest.
He watched her run.
Everything around me slipped and ran together like a wet canvas. The scene before me melted and darkness rushed in.
Replaced at once with concerned green eyes, a creased brow…
Aiden.
His hands gripped my arms. He gazed straight into my eyes. “Can you hear me? Taylee?”
I blinked.
He breathed in relief.
I opened my mouth, staring at Aiden in disbelief. “…what the—?”
He hesitantly released me and motioned around us. “I don’t know. You were in a trance or something. I’ve been trying to get your attention for the last half hour. Are you okay?”
“I…” We were still out in the forest, but out of the trees. Few stars dotted the sky and the moon’s light reflected right on…the cabin. I walked here? A chill shot up my spine. I stood at the exact same distance and angle I had in my dream—or whatever it was. “The girl was there,” I whispered, pointing past his head at the place I had seen her.
He glanced behind his shoulder, then back at me. “No one was there.”
I stepped around him but couldn’t make out much detail in the darkness. “You’re sure?”
“Yes, it’s abandoned. Windows are broken and a few logs are rotted away.”
No, that couldn’t be right. I squinted, trying to get a better view of the house and cursed my normal eye sight.
“What’s going on? One second you collapsed and the next you were on your feet walking. You wouldn’t answer me. You wouldn’t look at me…”
“I-I thought I was dreaming.” Without hesitation, I blurted the entire vision to him, all the while trying to make sense of it.
Aiden pivoted toward the house and raked his fingers through his hair. “I don’t even know what to tell you. Kind of sounds like an illusion.”
“One way to find out.” I stepped around him.
Reaching out as I passed, he stopped me. “It’s midnight. Let’s come back tomorrow.” He gestured to the sky. “When you can see.”
I pushed his hand back from my stomach, smirking. “Your sense of adventure gets lost with your humor, Captain?”
“This isn’t some kind of ’do now, think later’ situation. If what you saw was, in fact, an illusion, the girl may not even exist. This could be a set up. You may be walking right into someone’s hands.”
I considered it. “Well…you sense anything? Anyone lurking in the shadows?”
His stiff reply took a moment to come. “No. Not that I hear.”
“Good. Now we’ve thought about it, let’s go.” I tried to step forward, but my ankle caught in the knee-deep weeds, making me trip.
He caught my elbow and sighed. “Careful.”
I straightened and pushed back the hair hanging in my face, my cheeks growing warm. Walking forward, a lot more cautious, I made my way to the entrance. I turned the handle and pushed on the door. It wouldn’t budge. “Son of a— did they cement this thing in?” I kicked it hard, cursing it to hell. “It’s stuck!”
Aiden motioned me aside. He wiggled the handle and it broke off, clattering as it hit the cracked concrete pad.
I scoffed. “That’ll work, too.”
He slammed his shoulder into it and the door flew open, dangling on one hinge.
I rolled my eyes. “Showoff.” Though I’d never admit it to him, I was actually quite impressed.
A hint of what could’ve been a smile touched his lips, but otherwise he didn’t acknowledge my comment. Testing each step with his foot, he went inside the mass of shadows. “Step where I do.” He turned back and held out his hand, giving me something. “The last thing we need is you falling through the floor.”
I frowned, turning over the smooth cylindrical object in my hand: A flashlight. “You’ve had this the whole time?” His hand, still outstretched, caught my attention. My chest tightened and the flashlight situation left my mind. I stepped inside the house and took it. I hated how warm and strong it felt around mine. As bad as my emotions wanted to wig out, they were blocked when I took in the abandoned house.
Moving the light beam across the space, I grimaced at the apparent living room. Back in the day, it was probably beautiful and cozy with the huge rock fireplace and tall windows, but all traces of that were gone. The only things that’d occupied it in the last decade were most likely animals and guys like Herman.
Dust from the warped wood floors clouded and swirled in the air as we walked. I pressed my lips tightly together, but the powdery substance wafted into my nose. I coughed and fanned my face. “Nice. When do we move in?”
“Strange.”
I peered around the room wondering what had him stumped. Sofas were ripped and moldy. Pictures covered in cobwebs hung on the walls…I didn’t find it strange, just gross. Aiden pulled me around a broken coffee table positioned in front of a small boxy TV and bent to dust off a few magazines splayed across the floor. He picked one up. Faded and torn, but enough intact to make out the cover. A TV Guide that advertised Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. His brow furrowed and he tossed it back onto the ground.
“Come on.” He pulled me toward a staircase winding to the second level.
The flashlight beam bounced off four doors and the cracked walls of the narrow hallway at the top of the stairs. Aiden didn’t hesitate. He opened the first door we came to and dragged me inside. A long desk, still
covered in papers, dominated the middle of the room. On it sat a grey computer I swore was older than the Golden Gate Bridge.
He blew out a huff of air as he looked around.
I jerked my hand from his and turned on him. “Okay, enough with the huffing and puffing. I know you’re confused. Time to share with the class.”
He motioned around the office. “You don’t find any of this odd?”
“What? That people were able to function before real computers?”
“That someone left all their stuff.”
“Oh, that.” I took in the room one more time. “Yeah, I’d say it’s weird. What does it have to do with the girl?”
Cautiously, he moved to the desk and started wiping the dust off papers. He rummaged through them and rubbed his brow. “I don’t know yet.”
“Well, what’re you looking for?”
He winced, and I quickly moved the light beam from his face.
“Anything. If I can find a bill or letter it could tell us who lived here.”
“Good thinking. Me and trusty flashlight’ll check the room across the hall.”
He pointed a finger in my direction without looking up. “Stay.”
“Dog commands? Really?” I placed my hand on my hip and glared.
“Power bill.” Aiden unfolded the paper. “This has to give us something.”
I stared expectantly at him.
He tapped his chin, eyebrows drawn together.
“What?”
He set the bill down and slowly lifted his head until his eyes met mine. My heart thudded in my chest and not because of the beautiful green emeralds staring back at me. It was the look in them. Compassion, confusion and a lot of other things that told me something along the lines of: shit.
Give me life-sucking monsters any day. Bad news—anything life changing—and…
I spun on my heel and walked out of the room.
“Taylee!”
Half way across the hallway, his tone stopped me. Not harsh or exasperated. Panicked. He barreled over the desk and bound toward me.
I found out a second too late why.