The Second Premonition

by Tamara Geraeds

  At least he has the decency to look guilty at my last words.

  He brushes his fingers through his long hair. “That sounds pretty accurate. And I figure you saw the roads and houses for the first time today?”

  “Yup.”

  “You probably thought you were going crazy, right? I did when it happened to me, you know.”

  “No, I already covered that when I met my Shield and found out I had to save the world.”

  Charlie’s mouth falls open. “You have a Shield?” He shakes his head. “I’m so jealous.”

  He pauses before adding. “And hungry. Do you have anything to eat?”

  I gape at him. “You’re really thinking about food now? I know you’re always hungry, but-”

  “It’s because of my power. It needs fuel, you know.”

  I frown. “What?”

  “Where do you think the gel comes from?” He grins. “It’s basically grease.”

  I remember the caramel-like substance shooting from his hands. “Oh, yuck.”

  He shrugs. “You get used to it.”

  With a sigh, I stand up. “I guess that explains why you can eat so much junk without getting fat. We’ve probably got something greasy somewhere.” I walk to the kitchen and rummage through the cabinets.

  “Did you say you had to save the world?” Charlie calls.

  “Yes, from the Devil. It’s a long story.”

  How would I even explain everything that has happened? I can hardly wrap my head around it myself and there are still things that I don’t know or understand. Like why saving Mr. Timson kept the Devil in Hell. Or how the demons that attacked knew I was the one destined to save this man. Why I have a Shield of ghosts to protect me.

  The questions roll around in my head and I really don’t feel like telling Charlie everything so he can come up with even more questions.

  Instead, I focus on what’s in the cupboards.

  The only greasy things I can find are chips and chocolate. I drop them on the kitchen counter and open the fridge for something to drink. Time to change the subject. “So that yellow-eyed girl, she’s your girlfriend?”

  There’s a short silence. “Not yet.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me about her? Or introduce us?”

  “Well, I didn’t know what to tell you, since I couldn’t explain about the magical world yet. And even if I could, she doesn’t like to step into the human world, you know.”

  I almost drop the can of orange juice. “The human world?”

  Charlie doesn’t answer, so I put the bottle under my armpit, take two glasses in my hand and the snacks in the other and walk back into the living room.

  “The human world?” I repeat.

  He pushes a blond lock behind his ear. “Yes, that’s what I wanted to tell you.”

  I put everything on the table between us. “Okay, go ahead.”

  He leans forward to open the can and fill the glasses. “You already know there are magical beings on Earth. You’re one of them, a Mage, like me. Only more powerful, since you have a Shield.”

  “My Shield was summoned by my grandfather, and partly by my father.”

  Charlie empties his glass and opens the bag of chips. “That’s what I thought. But Shields can only be formed by powerful Mage families. I could never do it, you know.”

  I hide my look of satisfaction behind my glass.

  After swallowing a handful of chips, Charlie continues. “As you already know, there’s more than just Mages in the magical world. Creatures that don’t look human. They can disguise themselves as humans, but most of them don’t like it. That’s why half of Blackford is hidden to humans.”

  For a moment I just stare at him. Is he serious? “You’re pulling my leg.”

  “Nope,” he says between bites.

  I open the bag of M&M’s and chew for a while. “So, you’re saying what I saw was real and no one can get a building permit in Blackford because all those spaces aren’t actually vacant?”

  “Exactly! And those grass strips we’ve got everywhere? Those are the roads of the magical world. Of our world.”

  I reach for another handful of chocolate. “So why didn’t I see it before?”

  “Most of us get our powers at sixteen. Soon after, the veil will lift and you’ll be able to see everything and everyone in the magical world. You can switch between the two worlds, too, choose whether you want to be visible in both worlds or only in the magical one. Pretty cool, right?”

  Just when I want to agree, a realization hits me. “So, while pretending to be on vacation, all this time you were still in Blackford.”

  My craving for chocolate fades and I drop the bag on the table. “You could have told me sooner.”

  He shakes his head. “There are rules. Laws. We can’t just go around telling people about our world.”

  “Not people, no, but your best friend? Come on, Charlie!”

  He finally lowers the bag of chips. “I wanted to tell you, but some things are physically impossible. I actually wasn’t capable of telling you. Something to do with you not being ready.”

  “Yeah, I’ve heard that before.” I take a sip from my juice. “But you can tell me everything now?”

  He grins. “I hope so.”

  “Great.” I slam my glass back onto the table. “Tell me about Paul. Is he evil?”

  Charlie opens his mouth to answer, but at that moment, a soft rustling reaches my ears. A familiar sound I was hoping never to hear again. My head swerves right of its own accord and there it is, drifting up the stairs peacefully, as if it’s only bringing good news. Another white envelope with meaningless lines on it. I don’t really want to know what’s inside, but if I want to keep my Mom, my friends and myself alive, I’ll have to take a look.

  Without a word I get up, climb two steps and pick up the envelope. The soft feathery feel of it confirms my suspicions.

  I can sense Charlie’s unease before he speaks. “What’s that? Does it have something to do with the Devil?”

  Praying it’s something else, I slowly lift the seal flap. A deep sigh escapes me. “Cards of Death. That’s what they’re called.”

  I close my eyes for a second. “It’s another warning. An assignment, or mission, or whatever you want to call it.”

  “I’m not sure what that means.”

  I resist the urge to rip the cards to shreds. “It means more trouble.”

  CHAPTER 3

  I show Charlie the two demon cards and summarize everything that’s happened since I received the proof of ownership for Darkwood Manor, the scariest house in our little town in Idaho. I’m still not totally convinced that I can trust him, so I leave out some details.

  When I’m done, he tells me he saw Paul looking over his shoulder, acting all weird, as if he was scared of getting caught doing something illegal. So he followed him and realized – like I did – that Paul had put a spell on Mr. Timson.

  I refill the glasses. “I still don’t know why he did that. Paul is not a bad guy, is he?”

  Charlie solemnly shakes his head. “I’m not sure. I was hoping he had been forced to do it, you know, but when we fought outside that office building in Boise, it was like he really wanted to hurt me. There was something in his eyes I had never seen before.” He stares at his hands for a few seconds. “Something dark.”

  “Maybe he’s under a spell himself?”

  Charlie’s eyes grow wide. “I hadn’t thought of that! That must be it!”

  Looking at the swirling symbols on the demon cards makes me nervous, so I put them back into the envelope. “I should go to Darkwood Manor. Show these to my Shield.”

  I stand up and grab my keys.

  Emptying the bag of chips, Charlie follows my example. “If I were you I’d postpone that plan for a few hours. You should get some sleep, you look like shit, man.”

  “Oh, thanks.”

  He slaps me on the shoulder. “No problem.�
� He walks to the front door. “If you need anything, just call.” His familiar grin spreads across his face. “I’m so glad I can finally talk to you about all this magical stuff.”

  “Me too.”

  He’s already halfway out the door, when I remember something important. “Hey, what about Simon and Quinn? Are they also Mages?”

  Charlie freezes for a moment, then turns around slowly. “Not quite. They are… something else.”

  Before I can ask for an explanation, he pulls the door closed behind him.

  “Another mystery to add to the list,” I mumble.

  Charlie was right. I still need sleep. I barely have time to take off my shoes before my brain decides to shut down again.

  My dreams are a jumble of monsters and friends with two faces, until I roll into a dream that’s much clearer and logical.

  There’s a shout and I rush over to Mom, standing at the bottom of the stairs. My clothes are torn and blood is dripping from my head. “Are you okay?” I ask, ignoring the sting in my ear.

  She grunts and lifts her arm.

  I grab it gently. “Did it hurt you?”

  She is looking straight at me, but her eyes don’t focus. Her mouth is moving soundlessly and her free arm swings aimlessly up and down.

  “Mom?” My voice is pinched. “What’s wrong? What happened?”

  She lets out a piercing wail. Her whole body stiffens and her jaw clenches shut with a clang. Then gravity pulls her backward.

  In a reflex, I grab her other arm, preventing a collision between her head and the table. I struggle to keep her upright, and finally give up on trying to lift her. This is worse than the stiff as a board game. It’s like she’s frozen. Her eyes are still open, but she isn’t really here anymore.

  I pull her to the couch and onto it. The sight of her rigid body freaks me out, so I get a blanket and cover her. I yell at her for quite some time, hit her on the cheek and even pour water over her face. Nothing works.

  I take her frozen hand into mine and squeeze softly. “Don’t worry, Mom, I’ll get you back. Hang in there.”

  My heart is tap-dancing in my chest when I wake. I rub my face hard. “Please don’t let that be a premonition.”

  But I have a feeling that it was. I’ll have to make sure it doesn’t come true. I can’t lose Mom again. After years of mysterious fits, she’s finally better and I want to keep it that way. The best way to do that is to put a protection spell on the house. The Shield said there is one that doesn’t require salt. I’ll have to ask them about it.

  I hear the front door opening and jump out of bed. I’m still dressed and I smell like I’ve spent some time on a dump with a truckload of sweaty basketball players, so I jump into the hallway and yell to Mom that I’m going to take a shower.

  I feel a bit more alive when I walk down the stairs in clean clothes a few minutes later. Strange things may have happened, and the world is not what I thought it was, but I can handle it. I’ve got my Shield and my friends. Now that I think back, I’m convinced that Charlie was telling the truth. I should probably tell him everything I know. He might be able to help, since he knows his way around this magical world.

  Mom is sipping her coffee at the kitchen table. I kiss her on the cheek. “Good morning.”

  She looks so happy and peaceful. I have to put up that spell as soon as possible. “Good morning. How are things here? Did you just get out of bed?”

  “Yeah, I had trouble sleeping last night. I was just getting ready to head to Darkwood Manor. Fix the windows and stuff, you know.” She doesn’t need to know that Rodney already put in new windows. “Unless you need help here?”

  She puts her empty cup down. “No, insurance pays for everything, so we can let the professionals handle it.”

  “Great.” I pick up my keys. “Do you need anything from town? I can get it on my way back. Charlie ate the chips and chocolate.”

  “Charlie was here? That’s nice. He’s a good friend. You can always count on him.”

  I slowly breathe out. “Yeah, I guess so.”

  Mom picks up her cup and walks to the kitchen counter. “Unlike that Paul.”

  The keys almost slip from my hand. “What? What do you mean?”

  She doesn’t answer. The tap is running and she cleans her cup under it. She rubs it over and over.

  “I thought you liked my friends.”

  “Oh, I do. They’re nice. Especially Charlie and Quinn. Simon is a bit weird and Paul…”

  She falls silent, turns off the tap and starts rubbing the cup so hard with the tea towel that I’m afraid she’ll rub all the color off.

  I fight the urge to shake her. “Yes?”

  “There’s something off about him. He seems nice and all, but when you look deep into his eyes, you can see that there’s something wrong.”

  “And when did you decide that?”

  She finally puts the cup down. “I’ve had a strange feeling about him for a while. But last night, when Mona and I went for a walk, we bumped into him, literally. He didn’t recognize me at first, was mumbling to himself and gesticulating. When I greeted him, a fake smile crept onto his face. He looked like a madman. It gave me the jitters.”

  “I bet it did.” I stroke her shoulder and she shivers. “He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

  She shakes her head and puts the cup in the cupboard. “No, I’m fine.”

  I can tell by the way she moves the cups around that the feeling of unease hasn’t left her yet, so I turn her around and hug her. “He was probably just a bit stressed out.”

  “No.” Her voice is muffled. “Something wasn’t right. I saw it in his eyes.”

  I’m starting to think that Paul is indeed under some kind of spell.

  “Hey,” Mom says, lifting her head. “I thought your friends were all on vacation?”

  My mouth opens and closes without producing words. How am I going to explain this to her?

  I stroke her back until my hand feels numb.

  “So did I, Mom,” I finally manage. “So did I.”

  She rests her head against my shoulder and sighs.

  CHAPTER 4

  The street looks just like it does any other day when I step outside. We still have the same neighbors. There’s no extra house next to ours. Familiar trees wave their branches to the beat of the wind on the other side of it. Phoenix is parked in her usual spot in our driveway.

  I get in and steer her onto the road. I’m just starting to think I dreamt the whole magical world thing, when my gaze falls upon the missing grass strip on Willow Lane.

  Slowly I let Phoenix roll into the intersection. Everything is quiet, except for a tour bus making its way toward Oak Lane on the road that shouldn’t be there. The road that has replaced the grass strip. I try to remember what Charlie told me. ‘You can switch between the two worlds, too, choose whether you want to be visible in both worlds or only in the magical one.’

  Does that mean I’m invisible to normal people when I drive on the middle road? I chew my lip for a second, then decide, “The hell with it”, and steer Phoenix onto the magical road.

  It doesn’t feel any different, but it’s still weird to drive here.

  I follow the bus into town. Cars pass us left and right on the normal roads, people walk on the pavement and cross the street, but no one even glances in our direction. I am, in fact, automatically invisible to ‘normal’ people.

  Old Mrs. Delaney makes her way slowly to the bakery. She looks up and smiles. Surprised, I wave at her. She can see me? So she’s magical, too? Who would’ve thought!

  A black Volvo overtakes me and the driver waves at me. His hand is a deathly shade of grey and I don’t even want to think about what he could be. What kind of creatures exist, anyway? Are there werewolves and vampires? Boy, I hope not. Trolls, elves, orcs? Which ones are made-up? Was Tolkien also a Mage? Or even something else? Maybe he didn’t make all of those creatures up after all. Maybe he’d
seen them all in real life.

  My head is spinning from all the crazy thoughts and I almost slam into the tour bus. It has come to a sudden halt halfway up Main Street. No one is getting out, so I move a bit to the left to find out what’s going on.

  Two girls are crossing the street, oblivious to the presence of the bus.

  Whistling rises from the vehicle when the wind lifts the girls skirts. They don’t even look up. They just keep on walking, chatting amicably, straightening their clothes.

  The bus pulls up again. I’m glad I can follow it. If I hadn’t, I could have hit those girls, thinking I was in another dimension or something. But I’m not. I’m just in an invisible world.

  An idea hits me. It’s probably stupid, but before I can change my mind, my hands are already acting on it. I look in my mirror, steer to the left until I reach the normal road, honk and steer back onto the magical road. My heart pounds fast. This is probably illegal and I don’t know anything about magical punishments.

  But I forget about that when I see the girls looking over their shoulders. Their eyes search the street. Then they shrug and move on.

  A grin spreads across my face. This is all real! They can’t see or hear me as long as I’m on the grass strip. I speed up again, gaining on the bus, but turn left to investigate the town further.

  “You shouldn’t do that.”

  My tires screech when I hit the brake in shock.

  I look around, but there’s no one there. It takes me a second to realize who’s talking. “Welcome back. Am I in need of guidance again?”

  “Well yes, by the looks of it,” the angel answers.

  I slow down so I can take in all the new houses. It’s as if I’m driving through another town. Only half of these streets look like the Blackford I know. “I was just trying to find out how all of this works.”

  “I know and I understand.”

  I shake off the memories of Dad saying the same thing to me. I’m afraid to even consider the possibility that this angel is in fact my father.