Capsule

by Mel Torrefranca

  “Your style is different now.” Jay’s hands fell to his lap. “Nice glasses. I didn’t even know you used contacts before.”

  Kat raised her chin to see her reflection in the mirror of the sun visor. She’d been trying everything to create a few new sparks in her life, and a new style was one of them. She pressed the glasses closer to her forehead before readjusting the banana-yellow headband that held the frizzy blond hair out of her face. Yellow had always been Emmeline’s favorite color.

  “You’ve been wearing her clothes,” Jay added.

  That was only a half-truth. Her new style was much bolder than Emmeline’s, but she did incorporate elements from her sister’s wardrobe. A few crop-tops, accessories, and even her funky neon socks. Emmeline had started wearing them around the house as a joke ever since Mr. Pike had bought her a pair of hideous donut-themed socks a few years back, but Emmeline had never worn them to school. Kat had even taken the collection of nerdy charms out of Emmeline’s bedroom drawers and attached them to her backpack. She rewatched every animated Disney movie that Emmeline binged routinely over spring breaks—Big Hero 6, Tangled, Despicable Me, Wreck-It Ralph—but none of them helped. None of them made her cry.

  None of them made her feel bad.

  “I’m surprised you haven’t asked me yet,” Jay said.

  Kat nodded at her reflection, impressed with her improving winged eyeliner skills. “Asked you what?”

  “Why I showed up to talk to Emmeline that day.”

  She flipped the sun visor shut, eliminating her reflection and turning her complete focus to Jay.

  He traced his fingertips along the lines in his palm. “I asked her why she refused to go to homecoming with me.”

  Kat had figured it’d been related to the dance. “So what’d she say?”

  “She said she wasn’t going.”

  “And the night of the dance—”

  “Yeah.” Jay nodded.

  They sat in the front seats of the car in silence while the sun lit the distant hills with an orange glow. They hadn’t gone anywhere. They hadn’t even moved from the curve along the sidewalk bordering Kat’s home. But it felt as though they’d been driving for miles. They both cared for Emmeline. They had both been close to her, but never close enough to understand her. Neither of them knew why she left that day.

  Neither of them knew why she died the night of Brookwood High’s homecoming dance.

  Kat gulped. She remembered the night clearly. She remembered how Emmeline had snuck to the door with folds across her forehead, eyes glazed over, shiny. “Before she left, she told me she was spending the night at a friend’s place.”

  Jay’s eyes fell shut. “She told me she was going on vacation with her cousins.”

  “My dad was told she was ditching the dance for a friend’s birthday party.”

  “And our other friends were told she was dealing with a family emergency.”

  Kat clenched her teeth and unraveled the papers in her hands.“This isn’t doing anything, is it? No matter how many times we go back to that tree, there’s nothing there. Besides a bunch of yellow flowers, these papers are all we have. And they mean nothing.”

  “What if we go to Grovestown today?” Jay’s voice raised to a higher-pitch. “Why didn’t I think of that before? Quasso Drive is the main road to get to Grovestown, right? So what if she was meeting someone there? We could ask around and see if anyone knows anything about her. Maybe we could try Lothen too.”

  “Sounds pointless.”

  “It’s worth a shot.”

  “We’ll find nothing.”

  “And how are you so sure?” Jay started the car. “Let’s keep looking.”

  “But why?” The pages crinkled from the pressure of Kat’s grip. “Why do you care so much about finding answers?”

  The smile vanished from his face. His answer required no thought. “Because I cared about Emmeline too.” He pressed his foot against the brake pedal and set the car into drive, eager to bring Kat along on his next mission. “We’re in this together, you know.”

  “In this together? You knew Emmeline for what, two years?”

  “We were pretty close, and—”

  “Maybe she had a pretty face, but you weren’t pretty close.” Kat didn’t bother concealing her unsteady voice. “You’re dying to know why she died the same night you were planning to go to the dance with her. You’re just frustrated because you wanna know why she said no.”

  “That’s not it.” He frowned. “The only answer I want is the reason why she had to leave that night, but I’m also doing this because I care about you. I know this must be a challenge to deal with.”

  “Well it’s not, okay? And maybe that’s the problem. Maybe that’s why I want answers.” Kat’s face grew hot. If she knew why her sister left that night, she could understand Emmeline better. And if Kat understood her better, she could finally feel something. She could finally cry and grieve properly. But judging from their last few visits to Quasso Drive, this mystery was impossible to solve. “Whatever this thing is that we’re doing, it’s over.”

  Jay had never been extremely close to Emmeline, and he had never been extremely close to Kat either. Yet he cared about Emmeline more than Kat ever could, and he cared about Kat more than she ever deserved. How was it that Jay could care so much, so easily?

  He glued his eyes to the sunset at the horizon while his breathing slowed to a steady pace. Kat opened the car door and stepped outside, wincing as a weed pierced through her sock.

  “These are yours now.” She tossed the five poems onto the passenger seat. “Have fun with your investigation, Sherlock.”

  Kat slammed the door, the rage slipping between her teeth as she rushed toward the patio. Her eyes watered, and she could tell the tears were real. She wanted to be happy that she’d finally felt something, but she wasn’t, because she knew the bitterness inside of her had nothing to do with Emmeline.

  Jay Mendoza. She thought he was the one person who didn’t look at her like the little sister of a dead girl, but apparently he was just like everyone else.

  11:28:23

  JACKIE SOARED THROUGH the evening air.

  At first the game had sounded crazy fun, but as Jackie fell from the tree, Kat held nothing but hatred for Capsule. It took their lives, shook them, and spit them right back ten times worse. It had shown Kat a part of herself that she hated. It had shown Peter and Jackie who she really was, and now they’d never be able to see her the same.

  Kat’s heart pounded as Jackie struck the grass.

  Blood.

  Jackie had scraped her right forearm against a branch on the way down. Thick droplets of deep red dripped onto the dewy green shards. Jay kneeled by Jackie’s side, helping her into a seated position and leaning her delicately against the trunk of Emmeline’s murderous tree.

  “Jackie?” Jay set his arm on her shoulder. “Jackie, can you hear me?”

  Peter kneeled next to Jay, his eyes narrowed, face angular. He resembled the face of the boy Kat had pictured as the cruel blogger behind Moral Moon, but this Peter had softer eyes. He had someone he cared about more than the other students at Brookwood, and because that person he cared for had been hurt, he was angry. Heartbroken.

  Frustrated.

  And it was Kat’s fault. She was the guilty one here. She should have known from her previous experiences with the dizzying levels of Capsule that having Jackie climb a tree would be dangerous. Level One had left Kat on her knees in the school gym. Level Two had left her spilling food over the floor of Halos. And Level Three had left her stumbling at Pelle Cove, her feet sinking into the sand to regain balance.

  Kat should have realized sooner that Capsule had been luring them into danger. She should have supported Peter when he’d shouted at Jackie to come down from the tree. She should have done something to stop her. She should have
come up with a safer plan. A plan that wouldn’t result with an injury.

  Kat knew she hadn’t done what was right, but once again, she didn’t feel guilty.

  Jackie gripped the gash in her forearm with her eyes clenched shut, and as Peter and Jay lifted Jackie to her feet, Kat stood from a distance. Their words muddled as though she were drifting away underwater.

  “We need to get you to a hospital.” Jay’s voice bubbled in the frosty air, and the white puffs sneaking between his lips were so real.

  Kat exhaled, but her breath in the air was nothing but a visual effect. A convincing post-production edit made to fool viewers into believing something fake was reality. It was nothing but a breathy lie.

  The fourth time Jay had showed up at Kat’s home to search for answers, he’d been eager to help. They hadn’t found any more clues after the five poems, but Jay had never planned to give up. If he really was the insensitive jerk she thought he was—if he really wanted nothing more than to investigate for his own sanity—he could have driven to Quasso Drive alone on Day One, but he’d reached out and offered to bring Kat along. He had supported her, yet she’d pushed him away.

  “Have fun with your investigation, Sherlock.”

  After the Level Three memory, Kat had criticized Peter for pushing Isabella away when she was only trying to help, but she’d done the same to Jay. For the past two years, Kat had used Peter as an example of what not to become. At least someone worse always lingered nearby. Someone that her level of evil could never top. But this entire time, she’d been exactly like him.

  Maybe worse.

  Jackie struggled against Peter and Jay. “I’m fine.”

  “No you’re not, okay?” Jay pulled her toward the car. “The wound could get infected.”

  “Peter, please!” Jackie turned to her right, gazing at him with quivering eyes. “We need to get to the fifth level. I can make it.”

  Peter shook his head. “You’re hurt. We can handle Level Five alone.”

  Kat stood hidden in the shadows as Peter and Jay settled Jackie into the passenger seat of Jay’s car. Jackie no longer fought their help. Jackie’s neck went tense before Jay shut the door softly, locking her out of the game. The player’s health was drifting away, and right at the end too.

  With Jackie safely tucked into the car, Jay turned to Peter with bulging eyes. “What the hell have you pulled my sister into?” He whispered so loud it was nearly a scream.

  When Peter didn’t reply, Jay faced Kat for the first time since Jackie’s fall.

  “Kat.” He no longer fidgeted with his clothes. He didn’t even shiver as a chilly breeze washed over them. Kat knew Jay wanted answers, and Jay knew Kat had them, so he asked, “What’s going on here?”

  And he deserved answers. He truly did. But Kat didn’t know where to begin.

  Jay nodded, accepting Kat’s silence, and reached into his pocket for the keys. He forced Peter to step out of the way as he walked past him. It was obvious that Peter and Kat weren’t welcome on Jackie’s evening hospital trip.

  As Jay sat in the driver’s seat, Kat reached for Jackie’s phone in her back pocket. She opened Capsule and watched the time on the countdown trickle away. The game choosing to threaten her life made perfect sense now. It wasn’t like she and Peter didn’t have the bad karma to deserve it. What had they done for the world, after all?

  Peter ran back to Kat. “Where’s the next location?”

  She tapped LEVEL FIVE under the countdown. On the pop-up was the phrase SUNSHINE AUTO.

  Peter stopped at her side and read the screen. “Never heard of it.”

  “Me neither,” Kat said.

  Jay started the engine, ready to steal Jackie from the game.

  Neither of them knew where the final location was, and until they reached a place with an internet connection, they wouldn’t be able to search for the address. Grovestown was still miles down Quasso Drive, and walking there would take three eternities. They also had to worry about whether Jay would share their location with anyone or not. It wasn’t a stretch to think Jay might attempt to reach out to their families. If that happened, it’d be game over.

  Kat held Jackie’s phone toward Peter.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Take it.” Kat stretched her arm further toward him. “You’re on your own.”

  Peter stepped away from the device, hands in the air, refusing to touch it. “Is this because of the memory?”

  Jay’s car slipped out of sight in the direction of Grovestown. The engine chuckled as he left the pair stranded off the side of Quasso Drive.

  Kat nodded. She didn’t pull the phone away.

  “Seriously, Kat? What the hell’s wrong with you?” Peter pointed to the road, where Jay’s car had stood only seconds ago. “Giving up isn’t the answer.”

  Kat squinted at the countdown. “And how do you know we deserve to get out of this?”

  “I don’t.” Peter crossed his arms. “I just have to hope that we do.”

  Kat found strength in hearing those words from Peter Moon. A boy who had created so much hate and pain through his blog. A boy who had screamed at a sweet girl who had gone through a traumatic experience. To know that Peter still had faith in himself, to know that he still fought for himself even when he had no right to be fought for—that had to mean something. Was it admirable, or selfish? Intelligent, or naive?

  Kat wasn’t sure, but whatever it was made her pull the phone away from Peter and back to her face.

  Maybe he’s right. Kat closed the Level Five pop-up and swiped to the second page of Capsule. Maybe we do deserve a chance.

  Kat wasn’t sure what had brought her to tap the third power-up. She wasn’t sure if she did it because she wanted to give Jay proper answers for a change, because she wanted more time to get to know Jackie better, or because she simply knew Jay’s car was the most convenient way for them to get to Level Five in time and save their lives. Perhaps it was a combination of all three that had led her to tap ACTIVE.

  The rumbling engine stopped.

  Peter frowned at the lack of sound in the air. The crickets vanished. The wind dropped dead at their feet. He shot a confused glance at Kat before rushing to the side of the road. He looked to his right to find Jay’s car resting silently in the middle of Quasso Drive.

  “What’s he doing?” Peter headed for the car, and it took a moment for Kat to follow him. His voice lacked an echo, as though he were speaking directly into a microphone.

  As Kat ran down Quasso Drive, she swiped to the first page of the game. The countdown had dropped two hours.

  09 HOURS : 21 MINUTES : 16 SECONDS

  According to the directions for the third power-up, they had five minutes before time would resume again.

  Before Peter and Kat reached the car, the passenger seat door swung open, and Jackie stepped out. “You wasted two hours.” Her hand was clenched tightly against her arm, and the blood had smeared across the fabric at her waist. Her smooth voice had morphed into a raspy one, the pain seeping into her speech. “Smart move.”

  Kat froze at the sight of Jay through one of the car windows. She’d never seen anyone so still before. He sat in the driver’s seat as though he were a picture, eyes open and everything—not a single twitch in his muscles.

  Peter rushed to the car window and gasped at the sight of Jay’s frozen figure in the driver’s seat. “You used the power-up?”

  “You’re the one who said not to give up.” Kat opened the back seat and slipped inside. “Do you have a better idea for how to get to the next location?” She scooted to the opposite window, allowing Peter space to get in.

  “Right, the next location.” Jackie lowered herself back into the passenger seat. “Where is it?”

  “You two are crazy.” Peter hopped into the back and slammed the door behind him.

 
“It’s called…” Kat tapped LEVEL FIVE a second time. “Sunshine Auto.”

  Jackie poked her head into the back seat. “I’ve heard of that before.” She spoke fast, and the raspiness faded as though being a part of the game was medicine on its own. “It’s a used car dealership at the far end of Grovestown, right on the way to Lothen. It’s where my dad bought Jay’s car when he got his license sophomore year.”

  “Why go to a dealership all the way in Grovestown?” Peter asked.

  “It’s the only used car dealership in the area.” Jackie faced the front. “Has the best deals.”

  That was new. The other four levels had taken place in locations Peter or Kat had connections to, but this one was random. Only Jackie knew where the place was, so the final level had to have something to do with her.

  “Kat, I almost forgot to ask,” Peter said, his voice finally back to its usual animated tone. “Have your parents called you at all?”

  Kat shook her head. “My dad works late.”

  “How about Owen? Is he still texting you about his car?”

  “Yeah, about that. I’m pretty sure he found out.” Kat smiled, thinking back to when she’d woken up by the side of Quasso Drive after Jackie had tapped the emergency button. Her phone had flooded with a massive string of chimes—all from Owen. “He wouldn’t stop texting me, so I kinda blocked him earlier.”

  Peter held his palm toward her. “Can I check something really quick?”

  Kat pulled the phone out of the side compartment of her backpack and offered it to Peter. Before she could blink he’d opened the car door and chucked the device into the trees.

  “What the hell?” Kat reached for her phone through the air as though it might come flying back. Her face went hot as Jackie laughed from the front seat. “That was expensive!”

  Peter finally relaxed, resting his head against the door window. “I destroyed mine earlier, so we’re even.”

  “That’s not how it works! You can’t just…”

  The noise of the engine filled the air again. The sudden movement of the car switched Kat’s focus to Jay, who continued driving down the road as though nothing had happened. It wasn’t until he glanced into the rearview mirror when he caught a glimpse of the two figures in the back seat. He peeked over his shoulder. “How—how did you—”