Chapter 22
I arched my back and stretched my arms high over my head, trying to work out the kinks sleeping in my seat had left in my neck. Twin one and two, Joshua and James, were already out of the plane. Luna was still asleep, and I caught Joseph taking sidelong glances at me even though he pretended to be reading a magazine.
“Where are we?” I asked no one in particular.
“A small airport south of Seattle,” Joseph answered, without wavering from the magazine.
I could tell he wasn’t reading it… I mean, not really. If he was, he’d have to be the slowest reader in history, because he hadn’t turned a single page since I’d woke up.
I peered out the window at a small metal building lit up on the inside, and an idea hit me. I could go in there and ask to use the phone and call William. “Um, I’m going to get out and go to the bathroom,” I said to Joseph while reaching for the door.
“There’s a small bathroom in the back of the plane.” Joseph pointed his thumb over his shoulder without taking his eyes of the magazine.
When I glanced behind me I saw two extra seats… empty seats. I was extremely pissed and since Luna was still asleep, I directed my anger toward Joseph. “Did you know about this?” I shouted, pointing to the empty seats.
“What?” He asked, looking up from his magazine, his face contorted.
“There was enough room for William to come with us!” I slammed myself back down into my seat, folded my arms tightly across my chest, and started bouncing my knee really fast.
Luna stirred in her seat. When she sat up her long black hair was knotted and sticking out everywhere. “What’s all the yelling about? Some people are trying to sleep around here.”
“Did you know, Luna? Did you both know there was plenty of room for William?” I glared at them both for a minute, and when neither answered fast enough, I pushed open the door and jumped out. Luna called after me as I slammed the door and ran to the building.
There was a small counter just inside the door, but the room was empty except for me. I stood around for a minute, pretending to be interested in the maps hanging on the wall closest to where the phone sat on the counter. When no one came, I promptly jerked up the receiver, and punched in William’s cell number. “Come on…pick up the phone.” I kept glancing around nervously while his phone kept ringing.
Finally, his voice mail picked up. I waited for the beep and then I started to talk so fast, I’m wasn’t sure he would be able to understand the message.
“William, it’s Genevieve. I didn’t tell Aunt Bev to make you leave. I wanted you to come with me, but they said there wasn’t any room in the plane. I don’t have my phone, so you can’t call me, but I’ll try to call you again soon. We’re on our way to New-”
I spun around to see whose finger had pressed the button on the phone. “What do you think you’re doing?” I spat, angrily.
“What do you think you’re doing? Do you want to die, because I don’t!” Joseph was furious.
“What are you talking about? I was just trying to call William, not the Haven Daily News.” I was extremely hurt and confused. I didn’t know what I’d done wrong.
“What if they have his phone tapped? Or, what if they have him? No phone calls, no telegrams, no carrier pigeons, no contact with anyone! You feel me?” Joseph said angrily, grabbing my arm, and quickly jerking me toward the door. “We have to go…now!” He kept glaring at me. “Thanks to you, it’s not safe here.”
He shoved me into the plane and everyone stared, but said nothing. Luna reached over to take my hand, but I jerked away from her, and turned to face the window.
“I caught her on the phone.” I heard Joseph through my head phones. “She was calling William.”
Luna gasped. “What did she tell him?”
“Nothing. But, she was about to tell him where we were going.”
I turned off my headset and closed my eyes. I had a hard time falling asleep, and even when I finally did, it was fitful. I wished I had stayed awake.
I was at the edge of the woods again, watching helplessly while my house burned. This time though, it was different. There were several huge, ferocious beasts circling the house and they were taking commands from William.
When I heard my mother screaming, she wasn’t crying out for me to help her, she was screaming for me to run. I reluctantly listened to her pleas, and bolted for the trees.
Again they followed, and somewhere behind I heard William shouting my name, but I didn’t stop. My lungs burned from the smoke of the flames gaining on me. I was forced to keep running, as every time I glanced over my shoulder they were still chasing me.
I skidded to a stop when I came to the edge of the cliff. I turned around and the beasts emerged from the woods, teeth bared and snarling. Fresh blood dripped from their fangs, and I thought they’d killed William until he emerged from the woods and calmly walked right between them, holding out his hand for me.
“Jump, Genevieve,” he said in a calm even tone as he drew near.
I turned my upper body and looked over the edge. “It’s too far down.” Tears streamed from my eyes.
“You can trust me. I’ll catch you.” His mouth curved upward into a grin, unlike his normal smile. “Jump!”
I hesitated and one of the beasts leaped toward me. I turned and jumped, but William wasn’t there to catch me. The ground came rushing up fast.
I woke up kicking and screaming, and when I opened my eyes, Joseph was holding me down. “What in the hell are you doing?” I shouted over the plane’s loud engine noise. He was saying something I couldn’t hear.
He pushed a button on the side of my headphones. “You were having a bad dream.”
“Get-off-of-me,” I growled in a low throaty voice that frightened even me. I pushed him off with ease, and it not only shocked him, it shocked me as well. He flew backwards, and landed on top of Luna.
“How did I just do that?” I mumbled and thought about it for a minute before I jerked off my hoodie and looked at the bulging muscles in my arms. But I didn’t have muscles. I mean before moving to Alaska I was just your average skinny, un-muscular type girl. I promptly turned to face Joseph and fought to hold back the tears, but couldn’t. “I’m sorry…I…don’t know what’s happening to me.”
Joseph kneeled on the floor next to my seat and wrapped his arms around me. He pulled me close, stroking my hair. “It’s okay, Gen.” He spoke softly and quietly while I cried into his chest. Unlike William’s, Joseph’s heartbeat was strong and loud, and he displayed a gentle side that I’d never seen before.
I felt safe letting him hold me. It gave me a sense of normalcy. I wanted desperately to hang on to the old Gen. The Gen from L.A..
After I finally calmed down, I gently pulled away. When I peered at him, he had the same weird look on his face that I was sure covered mine, and we both smiled.
For the first time since we’d left Haven I no longer felt depressed. I wasn’t feeling sorry for myself anymore, and I think because I felt better, Luna and the boys felt better, too. We joked around, laughing, and telling silly stories, which made the time fly by (no pun intended).
Joshua, did something, and Maroon 5, She Will Be Loved, started blasting through our headsets. James was trying to dance in his seat, but it looked more like a chicken attempting to fly. We laughed hysterically, but it didn’t bother him one bit.
Of course, Joseph felt the need to really embarrass me. He quickly jumped out of his seat, grabbed Luna’s hairbrush, and started using it like a microphone, singing to me. A burning flush flew over me, and they all laughed lightheartedly. Mental note: Hide Luna’s hairbrush.