by Vega Lizzie
Still cloaked in the protection of the void, Terra followed as the young woman went to her car. Following for a short distance as she drove across town, Terra was unprepared as Chloe suddenly veered through traffic and turned her old car onto the road that lead to a cemetery. Still sobbing, she almost ran through the gravestones, only to fall to her knees in front of two matching stones. At that moment, Terra knew the last piece of the puzzle had just fallen into place. Whether it was a surge of her own nerves, Terra reached out her hand and for a brief moment, pierced the protective veil.
“Is someone there?” Chloe asked as she turned from her parents’ graves. From the darkness, Terra watched the young woman’s hands clench then begin to shake. She was genuinely afraid. Whatever act or charade she was playing had suddenly given way and Terra felt she was seeing the real person.
“Please…don’t hurt me,” Chloe said, her voice quaking, “but please…be real for me. Something…anything in my life,” she sobbed, “please…be real.”
It was all Terra could do not to step from the void to meet her. The pain she could feel from the woman’s voice closed in on her and in that moment, Terra saw herself. As she stepped back into the loft studio, she slumped to the table as Shannon rushed to her.
“She’s me, Shan. Maybe in a few years, maybe next week, but I could feel how empty she is.” Tears ran down Terra’s cheeks quickly to be matched with Shannon’s. “We’re wrong, somehow, she doesn’t have the look of a woman that’s…”
“Having sex with my father?” Shannon said but quickly apologized, “I’m sorry. I was thinking a lot about my Mom today. What she stands to lose if this goes badly. It’s selfish, I know.”
“I could be wrong, but I really don’t think so. I think in some capacity, she knew I was there.”
“You didn’t reveal yourself?”
“No. But that’s the thing,” Terra said, “I got this feeling that she was at her wits end in the real world and wants, desperately wants there to be more to her life. It just seemed…familiar.”
“And so, you want open up to her. Subtle at first, right?”
“Not yet,” Terra hedged, “Let’s talk about something later but I want to make a quiet honest gesture to her. If only to respond to a request she doesn’t realize she just made.”
Terra’s phone began to chime over and over as a series of texts arrived. “That bothers me,” Shannon said as she watched Terra begin to scroll though the messages. “They’re all from Marcus,” she said warily, “That might not be a good thing.” She took a deep breath and pushed call.
“Hi. Sorry, I was, um, away. Looks like you found something.”
“Away,” he said back, “that’s true. You go off GPS when you’re out there. Sorry if I over-texted you cuz it’s not really an emergency but I, uh…I sorta got spooked.”
Terra shared a soft smile with Shannon and they both sat down at the kitchen island, “Okay, I’m back in town, uh, for now. What turned up?”
“Well,” he began, “and I should know by now, especially with you two, to learn to read between the lines when I dig into someone’s background. Financially, Chloe lives within her means. She pays her bills, mostly on time. Had a little bit in savings and likes to order books from all over the world, she makes a little money there too.”
“Okay, seems legit,” Terra said aloud, but Shannon was already reaching for her phone. Terra continued to question Marcus, “what else ya got?”
“Her job has a basic health benefits package and I see where she has been paying for counseling outside of her coverages for a couple years. Four different therapist offices, two in the last four months. She hit her deductible two months ago.”
“I can see that in her,” Terra said quietly, “She looks drained. Like she hasn’t been sleeping well.”
Shannon looked up from her texting, “And why change therapists so quickly? Find one who listens? Or find one that plays along for enough time to see if there’s something to help.”
“That’s a little cold, Shan,” Marcus said, “But the latest one gave her a prescription for sleeping pills.” He cleared her throat for emphasis, “That would red-flag it for me.”
“I know,” Shannon sighed quickly as she set her phone on the counter, “I have to switch gears for a minute. Just sent a text to Maggie to have her get a picture of Dad’s new library additions. If she was shopping for a prescription…we all know how that tends to go. I sorry for sounding callous.” She looked to Terra, “You want to go back, don’t you?”
Terra was quick. “Yes. She’s the first coincidence other than what the sheriff said to your father. Call it a welfare check if you need to but I got a bad-no, sad vibe from her.”
“Terra,” Marcus interrupted, “can you step out of the void long enough to ping us back? Either an update or at least to let us know you’re okay?”
“Funny, I’ve never bothered to look at my phone when I do the jump. Let’s try it.” Before Shannon could react, Terra snatched her phone from the counter, “Be right back.”
“But…how?” Shannon sputtered, “Where?”
“I won’t go far,” Terra grinned. “Get Marcus back on your phone and I’ll text both of you back.”
Before Shannon could stop her, Terra tapped out a quick sequence on the back of her hand and she was gone. One exceedingly long minute later, Shannon’s phone pinged.
“I got it too,” Marcus said excitedly through the speaker, “She’s up in Duluth. On the waterfront. Text her back.”
Shannon sighed, then huffed indignantly, “I don’t like this. Not one bi…” Terra materialized in front of her wearing a satisfied smile, “Not one bit?” she winked, “I sorta hung out for a second before you saw me. Not to spy on you but just to see if you saw anything that looks weird or scary.”
“Not one bit,” Shannon said coolly, now able to finish her sentence. “Seems you already have a plan brewing in your head, and no, nothing unusual the last few times. I didn’t know you where here.”
“I, uh, could go now?” Marcus’s tenuous voice came from Shannon’s phone, “If you two would like to discuss…”
Shannon rolled her eyes, “It’s fine, Buddy, I just don’t like that Terra is going to go out there by herself. It takes me a whole day and that’s if the flight can be scheduled.”
“Well, that makes sense,” he came back, “but she’s more than capable.”
“I’m more than capable,” Terra repeated, happily mimicking Marcus’s tone.
“God. Maybe you could go now,” Shannon abruptly said to her phone, then sighed, “Kidding. Yes, she is way more than capable, since I can almost hear the wheels spinning in her head. She’d go even if I said no.”
“That’s not true,” Terra said, reaching for Shannon’s hand, “I’ll tell you what I’m thinking. I want your input for sure.”
“So, we’re good on that?” Marcus asked quietly, “cuz there’s one last thing about Chloe. Thinking back, I should have started with this”
Now it was Shannon’s turn to place her hand on Terra’s. From the look they shared, it was clear they were bracing for another checkmark on the comparison list for Terra.
“What is it, Marcus? Is it about her parents?”
“Uh, no, well sorta. Her mother did a lot of doctoring before she died. Her father was killed in a hunting accident when she was seven.” Shannon saw Terra wince. “Her mother died of breast cancer at forty-two. The records aren’t complete.”
Terra closed her eyes, “An accident, then a cancer death.” When she opened her eyes, they were brimming with tears, “You should have seen the look on her face. That’s why I'm worrying.”
Again, Marcus interrupted, “I know that strikes close to home, but…that’s not what’s got me bothered. Over the last month, Chloe has emptied her savings account. She made several donations to charities around the city. I mean, it’s not a lot of money, but that says something bad to me.”
“She’s getting her affairs in order,” Terr
a said, then gritted her teeth, “Worst choice of words ever.”
“No. It’s fine,” Shannon said, “I don’t care if she’s involved with my father, or at least I’ll try to put it to the side for now. She might need help.” She looked to the ceiling and closed her eyes, “Thank you buddy. We’ll do a bit of planning and get right back to you, okay. How busy are you at work?”
Marcus chuckled awkwardly, “I get paid to play video games. I’m more than caught up with stuff. Just say the word and I’m mobile.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ll keep digging, okay?”
“Concentrate on the sheriff and leave the others alone for now.”
“Will do, boss.”
“I’m not your boss, okay?” Shannon said back, her tone almost sharp, “You have Chloe’s email address, right?”
“Yep, that was like, minute one.”
“Gimme a second.” She took her hand from Terra and leaned forward to place her hands on the cool quartz surface. As her head hung low, her hair almost brushed to counter, “Send her an email. I don’t care where it’s from, but nothing obvious. In the subject line, put, help is coming, your wildest dreams are coming to life.
“Sounds like an ad for Disneyland. I like it,” Terra said, then grinned, “Wildest…that’s no exaggeration.”
“That’s an understatement,” Marcus seconded, “Anything in the body of the letter?”
Shannon looked up from the counter, tears were rolling down her cheeks, “Lil Bro, remember that time…before Terra?” She turned to face the living room, “Robbie was in the hospital?”
“Yeah, I remember, it was bad,” he said, “It was one of your darkest days. I’ll never forget it.”
Terra stood to put her arms around Shannon as she began to sob, “Hold on. If just for one more day. Sign it, Shannon and Terra.” She sniffled, “Got it?”
He sniffled back, “Oh yeah, I’ll triple encrypt it. Sending now. Talk to you later, unless I find something alarming. That was a long time ago, Shan. Things are so different now.”
“Thank you, Marcus,” Terra said as she tightened her arms around Shannon. As the call ended, she pulled Shannon in close, “Thank you. I didn’t know about that but that was a very kind thing to do.”
“Might be a mistake in the long run,” Shannon said as she straightened up, “to be so up front with someone we don’t know anything about. I can have her forget if it’s a problem.”
“I can’t see how it’s going to be a problem.”
“Can we do the hold very still thing?” Shannon asked, “Haven’t done that in a while. This would be an appropriate time for me.”
Terra didn’t answer, only to reposition her arms to let Shannon stand up straight. As they embraced, Shannon kissed Terra gently on the neck then settled her head on Terra’s shoulder. For many minutes, it was only soft breathing and an almost shared heartbeat.
“They found Robbie unresponsive in the alley,” Shannon whispered, “Someone from the restaurant had called 911 and I got home just as they pulled up. I had…I had to argue with the EMT’s to take him the hospital. I thought he was going to die.” Terra felt her heart begin to thump in her chest. She began to gently stroke Shannon’s hair. “It’s going to fine, Shan. We can help, now. We can do good things for people.”
Shannon nodded against Terra’s shoulder, “Yeah, we can…but, down the road, it’s going to get harder. Marcus told me to hold on. God, he was only a kid, but he understood so much. Then I met you.”
Terra sighed, “I figured. Even before your Dad, I knew there would things that we’ll have to deal with. More choices to be made. The visit home has got you thinking, right?”
Now Shannon raised her head to look at Terra, “It’s not all bad, from what little I know. A lot of happiness is on the horizon. Let’s start with one person. I have an idea.” Shannon began to lean in then stopped, “I’m a snotty mess, just a sec.”
Terra grabbed a handful of napkins for Shannon, only to get a chuckle in return, “Not that big a mess,” she grinned after blowing her nose. She kissed Terra on the lips, “Feel like going back to college?”
Terra’s raised brow signaled her interest, “I was thinking the same thing.”
Shannon playfully tousled Terra’s hair, “A ponytail, baseball cap and a school sweatshirt though, we should try to remain low profile for the time being.”
“I’ll still look older,” Terra mock-frowned, “But I’m still too young to be considered a cougar.”
Shannon happy expression was returning, “Don’t joke, in Montana, there are real ones out there. I’ve seen a couple.”
“I’m a magic cougar, wait,” Terra laughed as she flexed her arms, “like in a good ten years or so.”
“Nah, more like a panther, sleek and strong,” Shannon suggested, “Uber sexy as you slink through the night.”
“That’s nice, but I suddenly think I have to have some sort of Traveler’s backpack with other side gear.”
“That might be handy to blend in at the community college.” Shannon grinned slyly, “Now if only you had a tight pair of jeans.” She paused, grinning.
“I have several tight pairs of jeans, if you are suggesting I flaunt my assets.”
“But,” Shannon added, then snickered, “do you have a pair where the rear pocket is worn out in the shape of a can of chewing tobacco? Just a pinch under your lower lip…Go Bobcats.”
“You’re not serious?” Terra said, then stuck her tongue under her lower lip causing it to bulge, then made a face, “That’s gross.”
“Wish I wasn’t.” Shannon shrugged, “Now let’s figure out how to approach this chick without scaring the living bejeezus out of her. Sorry, I mean Chloe.”
Chapter 11
As Terra materialized, she quickly stepped further back into the vacant vestibule of the school’s maintenance building. Pulling her phone from the backpack, she turned it on and made sure her GPS was available. After a quick review of the school map and a trip to the bookstore for a sweatshirt, she began to make her way toward the library, hoping Chloe was easily accessible.
Once in the library, she staked out a lounge chair and began texting Shannon and Marcus. From her distant seat in the main room of the library, she could see two women working at the main desk. Having seen her up close and without the sunglasses from the airport, Terra easily recognized Chloe, then moved to reposition herself off to the far side of the checkout desk.
It didn’t take long for Terra’s early impressions of the young woman to re-establish themselves as students approached with both books and questions. The young woman would eye them suspiciously, then complete their checkout or answer a question with only the barest amount of enthusiasm. More than once, her shoulders heaved in a heavy sigh as the students walked away, the young librarian’s chin returning sadly to rest in the palm of her hand.
Just then a text came in from Shannon. Attached was a photo. From Maggie, it read. These are the books in his library. Maybe start a conversation with one of these titles?
Shannon had listed several titles and authors below for Terra’ reference. Scanning the list, Terra landed on one about geology and smiled. A gentle question already forming in her mind. She sent a group text to Shannon and Marcus. Send another email to her: Be at your desk at 1 PM. The timing of the new message would give Terra another 3o minutes to observe the young woman.
A minute later, the young woman spun in her chair and quickly dug in her bag to pull out her phone. As she read the personal email, her head jerked up suddenly to nervously scan the library. Terra watched as she looked up to the wall to confirm the time on the clock, then shake her head as she realized her phone had the time as well.
Twice, other emails pinged on her phone and she jumped in a nervous response as Terra watched, pretending to be engrossed by the random book she had pulled off the shelf as she entered.
As the clock approached the appointed time, the second librarian excused herself and picked up a small
, insulated bag from under the desk. Chloe barely acknowledged her leaving as her eyes remained fixed on the giant decorative time piece. After a few minutes, she turned, eyes closed and began to breathe deeply. It was then Terra began to think the anticipation might prove too much for the young woman’s nerves.
I wonder what I would be thinking, she typed to Shannon and Marcus, She’s so nervous, I think I should approach now. The library isn’t busy.
Keep an eye on the talisman and just get out quick if anything goes wrong, Shannon instantly texted back, Can you have Tatsumi go with you next time?
After another student left the desk, Chloe turned away from the front of the library, her eyes were closed and with still ten minutes to go, looked like she was on the verge of tears.
She’s panicking, Terra instantly sent, I’m going in.
As Terra walked slowly up to the side of the desk, the woman glanced quickly at her, her shoulders once again heaving as Terra was quickly dismissed as another student. Terra could see her hands shaking as she came to a stop at the raised counter, “Sorry to interrupt you,” she said quietly only to have the woman glance frantically at the clock again and turn away. Terra heard a long sigh leave her lips in a halting rhythm. Her new school sweatshirt had worked too well.
“I’m a little early, I know. Can we talk?”
Chloe glanced nervously around the library, then half-way glanced at Terra, “Yeah, fine,” she said softly, “It won’t matter anyway. Someone was supposed to be here at 1…it doesn’t matter.”
“I’m your one o’clock.” Terra looked over as the second library clerk returned to her desk, “Can I borrow Chloe for a few minutes? It’s not real busy, I’ll bring her right back.”
The clerk looked at Terra then down to her associate, then nodded, her expression almost begging Terra to take her. “That would be fine,” she said, then whispered, “thank you.”