Safe Travels

by Alex Dafney

  “Close enough.” He says as he cups my face in his hands, lowering his lips to mine. Just like before, the tingling sensation is intense. I moan softly against his lips as he darts his tongue in my mouth, moving one of his hands to the back of my neck. Suddenly I’m seeing another image. This one of Cooper and I running through a strange city, men running behind us. Cooper pulls back, eyes wide. He squats down on the ground in front of me, placing his hands on the arms of the chair. "How are you doing that?”

  I shake my head in disbelief. There’s no way he saw the image in my mind. “I, uh, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I look beyond him to the backdoor of the house. I’ve got to get out of here. Pronto. I start to stand, and Cooper stands along with me, placing his hand on my arm so I’ll look at him.

  I look up into his face as his eyes search mine. “Are you from a different time?” He asks quietly. The question is like a slap and instantly sobers me up. I duck out from his arm and speed walk to the house. I’ve got to get Callie and get the hell out of here and away from this guy. Just as my hand reaches the doorknob, he places his hand against the door. I sigh. I know at 5’4 and a hundred and ten pounds there’s no way I’m pulling the door open while he’s bracing it.

  I look up at him with my best resting bitch face. “I’m just leaving. I hope you enjoy the rest of your evening.” I pull on the door, but I can’t make it budge. “Just talk to me for a minute.” I let go of the door and stomp around him. The good thing about visiting the same place is you know all the exits. I walk around the corner of the house to the little gate that leads to the front yard. Just as I unlatch the gate and step out, he calls from behind me. “Ophelia. Please, wait.”

  I drop my head. I don’t know why, but something in his voice causes me to glance at him over my shoulder. His shoulders are slouched and he’s looking at the ground. I turn, folding my arms across my chest and scowling. “You have two minutes.” He jerks his head up, his lip pulling up slightly at the corner as he walks toward me. “Can we sit down and talk about what just happened?” I shake my head at him. “Nothing to talk about. We kissed at a party.” I shrug nonchalantly. I’m not telling him anything about my gift, the Society, nothing.

  He nods and takes a step back, putting his hand between us. “Very well. It was a pleasure to meet you, Ophelia. I hope to see you again. Maybe in the future.” I eye his hand, reluctantly shaking it. His touch sends those damned tingles straight through my arm. He gives me a polite nod before turning to walk into the backyard.

  Chapter 3

  I groan and place my fingers to my temples Saturday morning. Why in the hell do people drink is my first thought, my second, Cooper. I shake my head as I climb out of bed and walk into the bathroom. After my shower I stand in front of the mirror in the bathroom, applying my makeup.

  Try as I might, I can’t help thinking of Cooper. He very possibly is one of the most good-looking men I’ve ever seen in my life. I catch myself smiling in the mirror and quickly shake my head, trying to rid my thoughts of him. He knows about the Society, about shifters. I recall the images that came into my mind when we were kissing. Men chasing us in hoods. I shudder involuntarily. Maybe Cooper is Society. Or maybe he’s what the Society protects shifters from.

  I finish my makeup and get dressed, my mind still whirling with unanswered questions. “It doesn’t matter. You’re never going to see him again.” I mutter as I round the corner into the kitchen. “Never going to see who again?” Mom smiles at me over her shoulder as she cooks breakfast. I sigh to myself. Damn my bad habit of talking to myself. Out loud. I open the fridge and grab a water, gulping it down as I sit at the bar.

  Mom raises an eyebrow at me as she places a plate in front of me. I stare down at the French toast on my plate. Mom only makes me French toast one day of the year. I had been so preoccupied with my thoughts of last night that I forgot today is my birthday. I look up at Mom and she’s smiling brightly. “Happy Birthday, Ophelia!” She walks around the bar and flings both arms around me.

  I hug her back. “Thanks, Mom.” She pulls away from me, staring into my face with a smile. She runs her hand across my cheek as her eyes fill with tears. “When did you grow up on me?” I chuckle as I shake my head lightly. “It’s been eighteen years in the making, Mom.” She pushes my shoulder playfully before walking back to the stove to fix her own plate. “No reason to be a smarty pants. You’ll understand when you have kids of your own.”

  I scoff before taking a bite of French toast. Kids are the farthest thing from my mind right now. Mom takes the seat next to me at the bar, quietly eating. I know she’s holding back asking about my decision. I finish eating and walk my plate to the sink, rinsing it and placing it in the dishwasher. I lean back against the counter, folding my arms across my chest. “I know you’re chomping at the bit to ask.”

  She gives a small chuckle as she shakes her head. “You know me well, O.” I push off the counter and grab my purse from the kitchen table. I don’t even know why we have a kitchen table. I can’t ever remember using it for anything other than a place to drop our purses and bags. “I need to talk to Gamma before I give you my answer.” She nods, not saying a word as she finishes her breakfast.

  I make the short drive to Gamma’s house. She lives just a mile away from Mom and I in a small subdivision. Mom’s been trying to convince her for years to move in with us, but Gamma likes her independence. I walk onto the porch and knock on the door. After a moment the door pulls open. “I knew you’d be by today.” I laugh as she steps aside to let me in. Of course, she knew I’d be here, she’s a future shifter.

  I throw my purse on the couch and follow her into the kitchen, taking a seat at her kitchen table. One that is actually used as a table, unlike our table at home. Gamma pours two cups of coffee, sitting one in front of me as she sits opposite from me at the table. I pour cream and sugar into my coffee cup as Gamma sips hers. “So? What brings you here on your birthday? Happy Birthday, by the way.”

  “Thanks, Gamma.” I look down into my coffee as I stir it with a spoon. Taking a deep breath, I look back up to her. “Am I going to join the Society?” She gives me a little smirk. “We’ve had this discussion many times. You already know that I haven’t seen it.” I nod as I sip my coffee. Future shifting is a hell of a lot more difficult than past shifting, or even presenting shifting. The future has yet to be determined, so it can always change with even the slightest influence.

  I sigh loudly, sitting my coffee cup down in front of me, running a finger along the rim. “Have you ever seen things when you, uh, when you touched someone?” I feel my cheeks heat as I glance up at her. She tilts her head to the side, looking at me quizzically. “What do you mean? You touched someone’s hand and glimpsed their past?” I shake my head and lean back in my chair, covering my eyes with my hand. “Not exactly.”

  Gamma smacks my knee with her hand, forcing me to look at her. “Dammit girl. Quit beating around the bush.” I laugh as I pick up my coffee cup, wrapping both my hands around it like it’s some sort of shield. I suck in a deep breath and tilt my head back on the chair, staring at the ceiling.

  “I saw something when I kissed this guy. When he touched my hand, it tingled just like it does when I’m holding an object to travel, except a thousand times more.” I shake my head as I close my eyes. “When he kissed me the first time, I saw him, in a flip book sort of way, and two men in hoods following him. The second time, I was with him. We were running, and the men were running behind us.”

  After a moment I’ve gathered myself enough to look at Gamma. Her eyes are narrowed, mouth pinched into a tight line, worry clearly written across her face. “What? What is it?” I ask as I sit up more straightly in my chair. Gamma lets out a long breath. “Who is this boy?” I shrug. “I really don’t know. I met him in the past, all I know is his name is Cooper. Why does that matter?”

  She gets up from her chair, walking over to the kitchen sink and staring out the window. “Does he know of your gif
t?” I nod my head as she glances over her shoulder at me. “I think so. He asked if I was from another time.” Gamma walks back to the table, taking her seat. She reaches over and grabs both of my hands in hers. “Listen to me, Ophelia. Firstly, you already know your answer about joining the Society. Secondly, you need to be careful of this boy. He sounds like he may be a shifter in one form or another. A strong shifter. Just like you. Connections like that only happen when two strong shifters come together. We don’t know if he’s on the good side of shifting or the bad. Be careful when you see him again.”

  She sits back and picks up her coffee cup, taking a sip. I shake my head as I play with the coffee cup in front of me. “I doubt I’ll see him again. I met him at a Fraternity party in 2005. I didn’t give him my last name or anything personal.” I glance back at Gamma who has a shit eating grin on her face. “What?” I ask her. She simply shakes her head. I sigh heavily. I know she knows something, but she’s not going to tell me. She never does. Gamma stands and offers me her hand, pulling me up and hugging me tightly. “You need to get on home and tell your Mamma your decision.”

  I park my car in the driveway and stare at the front door. I already know my decision, but I don’t want to disappoint my Mom. She’s Society through and through. I respect her for that, but I hope she can respect me for my decision as well. I take a deep breath before stepping out of the car and walking through the front door. “Mom. I’m home!” I call as I sling my purse on the kitchen table. “In here!” She calls from the dining room.

  I make my way through the kitchen to the dining room that we never use, to find Mom sitting at the table looking at paperwork. She looks at me over her glasses. “How’s Gamma?” I pull out the chair across from her, taking a seat. “She’s good. We had coffee and chatted.” She crosses her arms over her chest as she smirks at me. “She didn’t give you anything. Did she?” I chuckle as I shake my head. “You know she didn’t.” I sit up straighter in my chair and fold my hands in front of me as Mom does the same. “What would be the point of living if you already know what’s going to happen?” We say at the same time.

  We both laugh at the line Gamma has told us each over and over through the years. She may know what’s going to happen in our future, but she sure enough won’t let us in on it. Once we’ve recovered from laughing, I look across the table at Mom. She slides her glasses off and places them on the table. I sit up straighter, trying not to fidget as I open my mouth to speak. “I’m not joining the Society.” It comes out barely a whisper as I drop my head to stare at my clenched hands in my lap.

  Mom sits forward in her chair, folding her arms on the table. “Ophelia.” I lift my head to look at her. I expect to see her face full of disappointment, but instead she’s smiling at me. She reaches across the table, holding her hand palm facing up. I place my hand in hers and she squeezes it. “I’m glad you made a decision. I’ll let the counsel know first thing Monday morning.” She pulls her hand back and grabs her glasses, placing them on and flipping through the pages in front of her.

  I stare at her dumbfounded, before standing from my chair and flinging my arms up next to me. “That’s It! That’s all you have to say? All this time I’ve been worried about disappointing you, about ruining my whole life with this one decision and that’s all you have for me?!” She sighs as she sits back in her chair. “Sit your overdramatic self down.” I scowl at her as I plop back down in the chair, folding my arms across my chest.

  Mom tilts her head and gives me a slight grin. “You remind me so much of myself at your age.” I roll my eyes. It’s not the first time I’ve heard this, but right now I’m not in the mood. She flings her pen across the table at me, narrowly missing me. I stare at her wide eyed as she points across the table at me. “You may be eighteen. You may be a legal adult, but I am still you’re Mom, and you will treat me like it.” I resist the urge to roll my eyes again. “Yes, mam.”

  She exhales a heavy breath as she stands from the table, walking around to sit in the chair next to me. She raises an eyebrow at me. “As I was saying, you remind me of myself at your age. I didn’t want to join the Society either.” She flips her hand in the air as she rolls her eyes. “Too many rules and regulations. I wanted to choose my own partner, travel the world through time, backpack across Europe. I wanted to do it all.” She looks over at me with a wistful smile. “But I found out I was pregnant with you a few days before my eighteenth birthday. I chose the safest route for you and for myself.”

  I stare at her for a long moment. “Why have you never told me that?” She shrugs. “I never wanted to influence your decision.” Tears sting the back of my eyes as I reach over and pull her into a tight hug. She pulls back, tears in her own eyes. “I’m proud of you, O. Proud, but worried. There are bad people in this world that search for people with our gifts.” I nod my head as I listen to her.

  She stares up at the ceiling, shaking her head slowly before looking at me again. “I’ve never told you much about your father, but he decided not to join the Society. He wanted to fight the good fight, take down the group of people who hunt our kind. He was taken just after you were born.” A single tear slides down her cheek. She brushes it with her hand and clears her throat. “Don’t be foolish Ophelia. That’s all the advice I can offer you. Keep your secret, don’t get complacent, and don’t go out looking for trouble.” I nod as I wipe the tears from my own eyes.

  The rest of the day goes by wonderfully. Mom and I get pedicures and have lunch together for my birthday, not speaking anymore of my decision to decline my invitation into the Society. Once we get home I decide to retire to my room with a good book.

  Just as I’m nodding off, there’s a knock on my door. I blink quickly a few times as I sit up in my bed. “Come in.” Mom peeks her head in the door. “I just got off the phone with your Gamma.” I groan as I roll my eyes. I should know by now that there aren’t any secrets between the three of us. Mom chuckles as she sits down next to me on the bed. “I here you met a boy.” I groan again as I lean back against my pillow, covering my face with my hands as the heat spreads across my cheeks.

  I’ve never really talked about boys or dating with Mom or Gamma. There was never anything to talk about after-all. A few dates with guys from school, that ended with an awkward peck of a kiss. Mom pokes me in my side, causing me to laugh and grab her hand to force her to stop. “So?” I sit up and flip my hair behind my shoulder. “So. Nothing. I kissed a guy at a party in the past. The end.” Shes gives me a curious look. I throw my hands up. “Ugh! Why can’t there be any secrets in this family?” She leans back on her elbows, snickering, as I stand up and pace in front of the bed.

  I stop and look at her after a few moments, placing my hands on my hips. “Ok. I met this guy. Cooper.” I start pacing again, my hands behind my back. “I had shifted to a fraternity party in 2005. He was handsome. Dark hair, light blue eyes, tall.” I close my eyes briefly and sigh. “He kissed me at the party, and it felt like when I hold an object in my hand.” I turn back to Mom. “You know, that tingling feeling?” She nods as I continue pacing. “Anyway, when he kissed me, it felt like that except intensified, and I saw this vision of him walking through a city that I didn’t recognize with two hooded figures behind him.”

  “Then the second time we kissed-.” Mom holds up a hand and I stop. She raises an eyebrow but has a playful smile on her lips. “You went to a fraternity party without me knowing and kissed a boy? Twice!” I wave my hand at her and continue pacing. “The second time we kissed I saw another vision. This one was of Cooper and I running through another strange town with three hooded men running behind us.”

  Mom sits up on the edge of the bed, her eyes wide. “What kind of shifter is he?” I shrug as I sit down in the middle of my room on the floor, legs crossed under me. “I don’t know. After the second kiss he asked how I was doing that. He obviously saw the images too.” I shake my head and look down at my hands in my lap. “I bolted after he asked if I was from another time. He kn
ows something.” I look back up to Mom who has a worried expression on her face. “Why do you have that look?”

  She squeezes her eyes shut briefly, trying to refocus. “You’ve never seen him before?” I shake my head. “Do you know why the Society pairs couples together?” I shake my head again. Mom slides off the bed to the floor, sitting directly in front of me with her legs crossed under her. “The Society pairs members according to their strength chart.” I give her a confused look as she huffs. “You would know all of this if you had joined the Society. Anyway, the strength chart is based on each individual’s strength in traveling.”

  “Yeah. I’m still lost.” Mom sighs. “Okay. Do you remember when I took you to the natural history museum right after I told you about your gift.” I nod. “Yeah. I touched that vase and damn near got whiplash from being thrown back to ancient Egypt.” Mom pushes my shoulder as I laugh. “It was not funny, young lady. You could have been lost forever.” I scoff as I roll my eyes. “I was only gone for a few minutes. I just remembered to focus on my necklace.” Mom nods. “Exactly. Most past shifters can’t go back that far in time. I’ve met one person in my life that could travel back to the civil war. That’s the farthest I know of personally.”

  I stare at her wide eyed. “Seriously? Why have you never told me this?” She shrugs her shoulders. “Once again, I wanted this day to be your decision.” I sit staring at the floor for a moment, trying to wrap my head around what she’s telling me. She taps my knee and I look up at her. “About this boy.” I hold up my hands. “There’s nothing about him. I’ll never see him again. No harm, no foul.”