Corey trotted down the dock toward us, rubber boots thumping with every step. When he reached us, he pulled down his neck warmer and caught his breath. “Hey.”
I half-smiled. “Hey yourself, jackass.”
He grinned with an embarrassed chuckle. “Yeah, sorry about the other day. I was out of line.” He reached a hand toward Luke. “Start over?”
Luke glared at Corey with jaw tight, hands in the pocket of his hooded sweatshirt.
Corey still held his hand in the air, waiting.
With a sigh, Luke gave in and shook it.
Corey smirked.
Having no time to waste, I cut to the point. “So, I talked to the bookstore owner the other day. He said he saw Aiden hanging out there with a guy around his age. White kid who dresses well, with black hair that kind of covers his face, black-rimmed glasses.”
Corey cast his eyes down, shuffling his feet.
“Do you know anyone who looks like that?” I pushed.
He cleared his throat. “Yeah, I do. His name is Jimmy Olson. He’s a senior, like me. Sits next to me in biology. But he’s kind of…” He cleared his throat again. “Come to think of it, I think I did see him and your brother talking a few times.”
I bit my cheek in annoyance. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”
He shrugged. “Didn’t seem important.”
I let the silence stretch, reveling in Corey’s obvious discomfort. “Do you know where I can find him?”
He furrowed his brow, heaving a dry cough. “I think his folks live over on Oak Street. But you’ll have to look ’em up to be sure.”
I let my gaze fall to the cracks between the dock boards. “Jimmy,” I muttered under my breath.
Eager to change the subject, Corey turned to Luke. “So, um, you still working at the inn over on the highway?”
Luke shook his head, shifting his weight from side to side to stay warm. “Nah, I was let go. I’ll probably be heading out of town soon.”
Corey shot me a puzzled look before turning back to Luke. “Why don’t you just apply for another job? I can think of a few places that might need some help over the winter.”
“Hey man, how about you keep your advice to yourself, all right? You don’t know what you’re talking about, so mind your own business.” The salt in Luke’s voice caught both of us off guard.
With a huff, he marched down the dock toward the boardwalk. Corey and I shared a confused glance before I rushed after my brooding dream friend.
“Wait up, dummy.”
We were on the boardwalk near the crux of Main Street before he finally stopped. He turned to face me.
“What was that about? Corey may be an ignorant ass sometimes, but he really was trying to help. And he had a point about finding another job.”
Luke refused to meet my gaze. “It’s kind of complicated. I guess there are some things you might be better off not knowing about me, Mads.”
I punched his arm not-so-lightly. “Why don’t you let me decide that.”
“Oww.” He laughed, but his expression remained unreadable. “Maybe later,” he sighed.
Sure, I was curious, but I let it go. I wasn’t open with him, so why should I expect any different? As I mused, my eyes fell on the graveyard of canoes and fishing boats that had outlived their use, piled like corpses at the far end of the beach. One canoe in particular stood out. White spray paint marked its hull. Probably tagged by one of the local kids. Wait…
I stopped, squinting to read the upside-down words. Only the first part was visible from behind a cracked kayak. Focusing my vision, I saw the first letter.
A.
“Madelyn? What is it?”
I.
My feet drew me a few steps closer.
“Mads, hey,” Luke called.
D.
I picked up my pace.
E.
I started sprinting, loose pebbles flying behind my feet. The rest was hidden. When I reached the first of the broken boats, I climbed over, stumbling across the slippery aluminum and rotting wood hulls until I reached the canoe tainted with white paint.
When Luke caught up to me, he helped me push away the broken kayak to reveal the rest of the message.
We stepped back to read the upside-down words. My body froze, air caught in my lungs.
Aiden Clarke, Hell waits for you.
“What in God’s name… “ Luke whispered, eyes wide.
I clenched my fists, grinding my teeth until my jaw ached. Pebbles began to rattle around my feet.
Who would write that about my brother? My brother who had a smile for even the most sour people whose boats he tied every summer at the docks. My brother who wanted nothing more than to strum his guitar on a hot summer day or climb to the highest rocky point just to say he could.
No one could say something so evil about someone so good, not unless they were evil themselves.
“I think you need to calm down.”
I shot my eyes up to glare at Luke, who was glancing around with an agitated look. That’s when I realized the rocks and broken watercraft around me were floating several inches above the ground. I took a deep breath, bringing them back down.
Luke sighed in relief, placing a hand on my shoulder. “Look, whoever vandalized your garage door before is just trying to mess with us. You can’t let it get to you.”
I stopped, watching Luke’s worried face, then studying the message on the canoe. I crouched beside it and brushed a hand over the white spray paint.
“But it doesn’t add up. Look at this.”
Luke crouched down beside me, peering at the scratches and chips that gave the dry paint a worn appearance. “This isn’t new.”
I nodded. “We may not know if this was written before or after Aiden died, but either way, it must be at least a few years old.”
Luke furrowed his brow. “That’s even weirder.”
“Much weirder.” My eyes drifted back to the haunting words. “I think it’s time we met Jimmy.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Before…
Clear sky rose high over the red rock cliff above me, pine trees creating a soft border that swayed in the wind. I jumped from rock to rock along the bottom of the cliff, balancing with my arms to avoid falling in the water. Even in the summer, the Great Lake stayed icy enough to make me dread a surprise swim.
When I reached the rocky outcrop, I wiped the perspiration from my forehead, letting my hair fall from its ponytail. A soft melody echoed through the rocky cove. I looked up to see Aiden reclining on a boulder, strumming his guitar. A soda can was balanced nearby.
I waved to catch his eye, still huffing from my trip over. “Could you maybe choose a less accessible place to practice?”
He laughed and tossed a pebble in my direction.
I dodged it, pulling my sketchbook from my shoulder bag and finding my own rock to perch on. “What’s wrong with the park?”
He shrugged. “Too many people, voices, noise. Thought I’d switch things up.”
I grinned, digging out my pencils. “If I wandered off as much as you did, Mom and Dad would freak. You’re so lucky you were born a guy.”
He chuckled. “You’d get away with it. Mom is so busy writing her slutty romance novels. And Dad’s been prepping for the school year nonstop…”
I let out a long groan. “I can’t believe summer is almost over. I’m not ready to go back. Kath and I haven’t even had the chance to paint our mural yet.”
I paged through my sketchbook until I found my half-finished wolf. Damn, it was uglier than I remembered leaving it.
“Yeah, going back to school is going to suck,” he mused.
“How can you complain? Your grades are perfect. You’ll probably fly through senior year. Then you’ll be off to Harvard, or something.
He let out a deep breath and leaned back on the rock, scrunching up his flannel button-up. “Yeah, I guess.”
He went back to his strumming, and I started fleshing out the tail of
my wolf. After a moment, he began playing and singing a song he’d written years ago.
“Find me the sunshine in this sweet refrain. Go back to nowhere, but tell me your name.”
The cheery melody hit me with a wave of nostalgia, bringing me back to all the summers Aiden and I had spent mapping out the woods together, making fortresses and pretending to be great explorers. Even back then, he’d probably been too old for that kind of make-believe, but we still had so much fun together. Where did that go?
“Hey, dummy.”
I shot him a glare, but it turned to curiosity when I saw him holding something in a clenched fist, smirking. “Catch.”
He chucked the small object at my face. I barely deflected it with a protective arm, effectively avoiding one ugly bruise. The object fell with a clink. “You jackass.”
He laughed as I scanned the rock around me for the object. A metallic glimmer caught my eye. Kneeling, I reached forward to pick up the silver necklace attached to a polished stone. But not just any stone.
I smiled. A Lake Superior agate, the semi-precious gemstone for which the lake was famous. We had spent hours combing the shores for these when we were younger. I ran a finger along the beautiful red, white, and transparent bands.
“You didn’t think I forgot about your birthday tomorrow, did you?”
I clenched my hand around the stone, holding it to my chest.
“Hey, Aiden.”
“Hmm?” He went back to his guitar, tuning his strings and listening for the perfect sound.
I hesitated. “I feel like I’ve barely seen you all summer.”
He grinned. “Ditto.”
A pang of guilt struck my chest. I had been spending so much time working on my art and hanging out with Kath these past summers that I’d barely seen Aiden, even when we were both in the cabin. Man, things sure change as you get older. Was this what it meant to grow up?
I pushed my deep thoughts aside, joking, “I bet it’s because you met a girl, isn’t it? What, you’re afraid to introduce her to Mom and Dad?”
He laughed as I repeated “Aiden’s got a girlfriend” under my breath in a singsong voice.
“Believe me, it’s nothing like that.” He went quiet. When I looked up from my sketch again, he was gazing into the lake’s horizon with a somber face, eyes impossible to read. “Nothing like that.”
Part of me wanted to push further, but I let my curiosity slide, tucking the necklace in my bag and coming back to my wolf.
Now if only I could get the eyes right.
CHAPTER TWELVE
“Are you ready for this?”
Luke and I stood side by side, summing up our courage. The sidewalk under our feet snaked through thorny rosebushes and aspen saplings to the farm-style house that towered over the lawn. I sighed and pushed my messy pink locks back, eyes fixed on the glass-accented front door painted in cornflower blue.
A plaque that read “Olson” in Scandinavian rosemaling hung under the porch light. The house looked like something from a home magazine, but I knew the picturesque scene was a lie. Jimmy lived here. Whatever dark secrets were hiding with him, they wouldn’t stay hidden for long.
“Ready as I can be.” I turned to Luke, and an unexpected comfort warmed my icy veins. “Thank you for, you know, sticking around.”
He met my eyes and grinned, grasping my hand for just a moment before his fingers slipped away. My heart jumped at his touch. “Don’t worry, Mads. We’ll get to the bottom of all this. I promise.”
Emboldened by his words, I stepped toward the white house in all its eerie perfection, focusing my aura into my chest. C always said it would give me the strength to take control of any dream, though I couldn’t help but think it was just a glorified placebo effect.
When we reached the door, I held my finger over the doorbell, letting out a sigh that became white smoke in the chilled morning air. I pressed down.
A melody sounded in the house, and soft footsteps soon followed. The door opened a crack, a small woman peering through the sliver of space. Seeing us, she opened the door fully and nodded deeply.
“Good morning children. What can I do for you?” As she spoke, her eyes drifted to my piercing and hair before looking Luke up and down. I took this short moment to study her own appearance. She wore a long, dark green dress with black accents, her waist-length, salt-and-pepper hair falling over her shoulders. Dressed for the day, but no jewelry. No makeup.
She must have been in her forties, but her skin was fair, her voice soft, and her presence nothing to attract attention.
I forced a smile. “Good morning ma’am. I’m Madelyn, and, oh yeah, this is Luke. We’re looking for Jimmy. Are you his mother?”
She raised her brow and tilted her head. “Oh, well. Yes, I am James’ mother. My name is Ruth, pleased to meet you.”
She reached out a hand, and we each shook it in turn. “But I’m afraid you missed him. He went out this morning to photograph Shoreview. You know, the abandoned resort down the road.”
Luke piped up. “Yeah, I know that place. I bet it would make for some sick shots.”
Ruth smiled, opening the door wider and gesturing inside with one hand. “Please, come in and sit down for a few moments. It’s a chilly morning and I’d hate for you to catch cold.”
Sharing a quick glance, we hesitantly nodded and stepped into the den.
She guided the way to the floral-print furniture gathered around a coffee table. I pulled my boots off before stepping onto the carpet, my eyes drawn to the walls decorated with crosses and paintings that depicted scenes from the Bible. No TV in sight, and the only electronics seemed so outdated they could almost be considered antiques.
We followed Ruth and sat down on the sofa across from her. She smiled, eyes downcast. “You’ll have to forgive my surprise earlier. It’s just that James doesn’t have many friends. He’s such a shy boy, you know. Tends to keep to himself, no matter how hard I try to get him to open up. Where did you say you knew him from?”
Luke opened his mouth to reply, but he seemed to draw a blank. I chimed in, hoping to change the subject. “So, Ms. Olson, you said Jimmy went over to the abandoned resort.”
She smiled sweetly. “Yes, he left on his bike about an hour ago.”
Luke leaned forward, resting elbows on his knees. “Seems like a long way to bike just for a few photos.”
Ruth sighed. “Well, that boy will go to any lengths for his photographs, but I’m sure you two know that already. He won’t even go to the convenience store without that big fancy camera in his backpack.”
She craned her neck back to gaze at a series of portraits that followed a steep staircase on the wall behind her. “He may be quiet, but he sure has an eye for beauty. His landscape photos even made it onto the Shy Harbor tourism website, you know, and a few brochures.”
“That’s pretty impressive.” I studied the portraits encased in ornate oval frames. A man inhabited the first photo, followed by Ruth herself. The last was a portrait of a teenage boy, black hair contrasting against pale skin. He wore no glasses here. The dark of his eyes just barely shone through combed hair that shadowed his face. None of the family smiled in their portraits, but something about Jimmy’s felt more somber than the rest. Angry. Sinister, even.
Luke continued to ask questions about Jimmy’s photography, but the sound around me soon died away, as if my whole dream world had just fallen into a deep abyss, leaving only me and this portrait. A whisper rose from the nothingness, but the words were muffled, echoing as if from a cavern.
Whatever the whisper was saying, it repeated itself, like a chant or a prayer. The space behind Jimmy’s figure in the photograph darkened, his eyes taking on red lowlights. I squinted. The red hue now covered the entirety of his shadowed eyes, filling them until they dripped down his white cheeks in thick blood tears.
I blinked, entering back into my primary dream world. Focus. I had to focus.
Ruth was wringing her hands in her lap, lower lip tremb
ling. What had I missed?
Seeing the worry on my face, she let out an embarrassed chuckle. “Oh goodness, I’m sorry. It just means a lot to me that you two are reaching out to James. I know he has a temper and tends to hide behind his camera. He’s not an easy person to get to know. It’s been that way ever since his father passed. But under all that, he truly is a very good boy.”
Her eyes grew distant, her hands now still. “He is a good boy.”
Pulling herself from her reflections, she smiled at us again. A troubled, insincere smile. “If you don’t mind my asking, do you two believe in God?”
Luke shrugged. “Yeah, I guess.”
I locked eyes with Ruth, feeling an invisible thread connecting us. “I do.”
After everything, I still believed. I still prayed, even though I sometimes felt as if I was talking to an empty sky.
Ruth let out a deep breath, pulling a crucifix from under the neckline of her dress, grasping it with trembling fingers. “I believe the Lord gives each of us our burdens to bear, our demons that we must fight with His help alone.”
She stood to her feet, straightening her skirt. “Jimmy will defeat his. I have faith.” She turned toward the kitchen. “Now, I don’t know about you two, but I could use another cup of coffee and some raspberry bars. I’ll go fetch us some.”
Once Ruth was in the kitchen, Luke leaned over to whisper into my ear. “What was your brother doing with a guy like that?”
“That’s what we’re going to find out.”
He went silent for a moment. “Shoreview?”
I nodded, eyes fixed on a seventeenth-century painting depicting Judas kissing Jesus on the cheek. “Shoreview.”
The frame with Jimmy’s portrait fell to the floor with a crash, covering the stairway with shards of shattered glass.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Red highway stretched before us, surrounded on both sides by pine and hardwood forest. Luke tried to maneuver the truck around potholes, but judging by the number of times our brains jarred in our heads, I had to guess he didn’t have a whole lot of driving experience.
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