by Brian Harmon
“I think he was going to the library,” she replied, looking puzzled. “I didn’t know you knew Zachery.”
Again, I didn’t know what to say. That happened a lot around Sherry. She probably thinks I’m the weirdest kid in the world.
She started to turn around again. I should’ve let her go, but I couldn’t. “Be careful,” I blurted. “Don’t… Don’t do anything… You know. Crazy.”
She kind of squinted at me, as if I were the strangest thing she’d ever seen. I didn’t really blame her. “What’re you talking about? What’s gotten into you?”
I wanted to tell her to stay away from Zachery. I wanted to tell her that her life was in danger. But how could I? She’d never believe me. Why should she? The whole thing was crazy. I should’ve turned around and ran away, but I just couldn’t. “I had a dream,” I said. Even as I heard the words come out of my mouth, I cringed. It was so stupid. What was I thinking? “The other night,” I explained. “Something bad happened to you.”
She actually smiled at me. I could barely believe it.
“Awe,” she said. “That’s sweet. But dreams aren’t real. You know that, right?”
“Sometimes they are,” I told her.
She looked at me like I was an adorable puppy. I still can’t decide if that made me really happy or really mad. “I’ll be careful,” she promised.
Then she turned and walked away.
I managed to keep my big mouth shut that time.
Did I do the right thing? I know I did the stupid thing, but was it the right stupid thing or the wrong stupid thing? I mean, maybe she’ll think about me saying that now. Maybe it’ll give her just enough hesitation to back out of whatever danger Zachery is trying to get her into. Or maybe she’ll go straight to him and tell him that her goofy neighbor is acting weird and asking questions about him.
I really wish you could give me some advice. I’m starting to think I really stink at this stuff.
If nothing else at all, however, at least I knew where to find Zachery. I set off for the library.
The librarian was working behind the counter. She didn’t even look up when I walked in. I was starting to feel a little invisible.
I immediately saw Zachery and the other two boys from that meeting the other night. They were in the back corner, sitting at a table. I set off down the nearest aisle, out of sight, and quietly made my way to that side of the room.
My heart was racing again. I was scared to death. Even now, I can’t really believe I did that. If they’d caught me spying on them, who knows what they might’ve done to me?
I plucked a book off the shelf as I walked and pretended to be looking through it, then I made my way to the aisle closest to where they were sitting. Keeping just one shelf of books between me and them, I focused on being as quiet as possible so that they wouldn’t know anyone was there. And in case that failed, I tried to look like I was deeply focused on doing research and not listening in on their conversation.
I honestly didn’t think I’d hear anything. I still wasn’t convinced that I shouldn’t have waited for another dream. I wouldn’t have been at all surprised to find that they were only doing homework or talking about football or whatever else teenage boys did in the library when they weren’t plotting something awful with murderous men in gray suits.
“She’s into that kind of thing,” said one of the boys. He was a skinny kid, kind of smallish, with brown hair that needed cut a long time ago.
“A lot of people say they’re into stuff,” countered Zachery.
“That’s right,” agreed the third boy. This was the one with the deep voice. I’d pictured him as big and tall, muscular, but he was short and kind of chubby. “I’ve known a lot of girls who said they were into a lot of stuff. But when it comes to doing the stuff, they ain’t into it nearly as much as they said they were.”
“She means it,” insisted the skinny boy. “Trust me. She’s into all sorts of freaky stuff.”
“I always did think she was kind of weird,” said the chubby boy.
“Kind of hot, though,” said the skinny one.
“If you like that sort of thing,” said the chubby one.
It seemed to be exactly as I expected. They were talking about girls.
But then Zachery said, “We can’t be picky. Obviously, we can’t count on Vera and we’re losing moonlight. It has to happen soon.”
Losing moonlight… That’s what they kept saying at the activity center. And Vera… She was the one who didn’t want to do it. The gray suits told him to forget her and find someone else. It seemed they’d done just that.
“I can’t believe she gave this up,” said the skinny one.
“What about Sherry?” asked the chubby one. “Is she in or out?”
“She’s still on the fence,” replied Zachery.
“And if she says no?” asked the skinny one.
“I have somebody,” he assured them. “Fred Avesley.”
“That goofy kid from gym class?” asked Chubby.
“He’s desperate for attention,” explained Zachery. “He’ll do anything we say just to be included in something.”
“And if we don’t need him?” asked Skinny. “If Sherry shows up for this thing?”
“Then we’ll have an extra. There’s nothing that says we can’t have more than five. We just need at least five.”
“Are you sure you’re reading that thing right?” asked Skinny. “We’re not going to blow this because you mistranslated something, are we?”
Carefully, I peered through the bookshelf at them. I saw Zachery reach into his bag. The book was there. I could see his hand resting on it.
“I know what I’m doing.”
“I’m just asking. You’re the one who said it could be dangerous.”
“It’s not dangerous if you do it right. And I know what I’m doing.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“So when are we doing this?” asked Chubby.
“Soon.”
“How soon?”
Zachery seemed to be getting agitated. “Soon,” he grumbled. “This weekend, I think. So be ready.”
“I’m ready,” Chubby assured him. “The sooner the better. It’s going to be awesome. All our dreams come true!”
“Shut up!” snapped Zachery. “You want someone to hear you?”
“You shut up,” returned Chubby. “Nobody cares what we’re talking about back here.”
“I don’t care. Just shut up. We’re done talking about it.”
“Fine. Whatever. I’ve got to go anyway.”
“And I’ve got to use the restroom,” announced Skinny.
They both stood up and I knelt down and began looking through the books on the lowest shelf. I hoped I’d made myself too small to notice, and it seemed to work. Nobody paid any attention to me.
I knelt there for a while after they had both walked away, determined not to draw any attention to myself. Then, finally, I glanced back and saw that Zachery, too, had stood up and stepped away from the table to use the card index. He was only about ten feet away, but his back was to the table.
His bag was right where he’d left it.
I wasn’t going to get another chance like this one. I crept out from behind the bookshelf and hurried over to the table. Quickly, I snagged the book, replaced it with the one I was holding, and then ducked back out of sight again.
My heart was racing now. There was no turning back. I had only seconds before Zachery returned and I had no idea how long it might take him to find that it was gone. I was hoping that the book I slipped into his bag would buy me some extra time, but it was more than possible that he’d see it was gone as soon as he returned to the table. I made my way around the outermost rows of shelves toward the door, stuffing the book in my bag as I went.
It almost didn’t fit, but I managed, which was good, because if the librarian had spotted me trying to leave with a book, she would’ve stopped me. Then I’d be in real trouble.
But luck was with me. I made it out the door without anyone seeing me.
It took every bit of willpower I had not to run, but I managed. Even when the skinny boy stepped out of the bathroom in front of me, I somehow managed not to panic. He didn’t pay me any attention.
I went out the front doors and just kept walking, my heart thumping in my chest. By now there weren’t very many people around. There was no crowd to blend into. I felt so vulnerable. It was all I could do to keep from running away. But if Zachery and his friend burst out of the building at that moment and saw me running, they might assume that I was the thief. And I wasn’t very confident that I could outrun them both.
But they didn’t come after me. Either they hadn’t discovered that the book was missing yet or they were still searching inside the school.
I made it to the park. That’s where I am now. That’s where I’m writing this letter, with my bag beside me. The book is safely hidden away inside. No one’s come looking for me yet. But it makes me sick that I had to run into Sherry like that. I keep imagining Zachery telling her that someone stole his book and her telling him I was looking for him.
He’ll put it together. He’ll know it was me.
I’m sure of it.
I’ve got to go now. If I’m not home soon, my mom’s going to start asking questions. And I’d really rather avoid that.
Be careful out there.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Eric finished reading the letter and then rolled it back up and put it in the glove box with the other one.
“He’s a brave kid,” said Holly. “I’ll give him that.”
“Or stupid,” said Kevin.
“Be nice,” she snapped.
Kevin held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. “I was just saying.”
“Is him having the book a good thing or a bad thing?” asked Eric.
“Hard to say,” replied Holly. “Kind of depends on the book, I guess.”
“Isabelle told me there were lots of dangerous books out there. Do you know about any of them?”
“Only stories and rumors,” replied Holly. “Except for Grandpa’s book. And we still don’t know what’s in it.”
Eric nodded. That book was magically sealed. The only way to read it was for Holly and all her sisters to do it together. Since Holly left the coven to come home with him the same day it was returned to them, it remained locked to this day.
“Del’s keeping it safe,” she explained. “She says we’re not meant to read it yet anyway. She says we all need to grow stronger first.”
“Maybe it’s the same book,” said Kevin. “I mean that was 1962 when Hector stole it. Who’s to say Hector didn’t eventually give it to your grandpa?”
Holly frowned. “That seems kind of unlikely. Besides, Grandpa’s book was more of a research journal than an ancient tome of evil.”
“It was just a theory,” conceded Kevin.
“And it’s not impossible,” said Eric. “Weirder things have happened. But I haven’t seen anything else to connect this to Holly’s coven in any way.”
“I don’t want to interrupt, but do we have any idea where we’re going next?” asked Paul. “Because I’m not feeling too good back here.”
Eric turned and looked back at him. He didn’t look so good, either. He was a little green, as if he were rapidly getting carsick, except he’d never known his brother to get motion sick before. “What’s wrong?”
“Headache. Kind of queasy. And everything feels a little tilted. It’s like I’ve had way too much to drink, except I haven’t.”
“You’re probably just shaken up.”
“You think? I fucking shot a man in the head. That’s some pretty scary shit.”
“It wasn’t your fault,” Holly assured him.
“I don’t really want to talk about it,” groaned Paul. “I just need to get out of this car and get some air.”
“Right,” said Eric. “Sorry. We’re going back to Goss.”
“Goss?” asked Holly, surprised. “But Hector said that place was dangerous. He said there were monsters there.”
“I already ran into monsters there. He was probably seeing that.”
“Or he was seeing this time,” she countered. “You don’t know.”
“I don’t know,” he agreed. He pulled out the notepad he took off Wire Ties’ body and held it up. “But it looks like that was where this guy might’ve gone after he left me in those tunnels. There’s a good chance that’s where he…uh…” He frowned at the notepad.
“Where he was turned into a zombie?” suggested Paul.
Eric frowned. “Where…whatever…happened to him.”
It still didn’t make sense. He was sure the guy was dead when he checked his pulse. His skin was cool to the touch. He wasn’t breathing. He had bullet holes in his chest. And yet when they came back into the room a few minutes later he sat up as if he’d only been napping.
“Isn’t that an even better reason to stay the hell away from there?” asked Kevin.
“It’s the only place I know to go at this point.”
Reluctantly, Holly headed for Hudson Street. “This is crazy.”
Eric nodded. He knew it was.
He recalled Hector’s letter. It didn’t give him any clues where to go next. He went to the high school and then he went to the motel. That meant the motel wasn’t unseen in 1962. It was still in business, even. Although it didn’t sound like business was exactly booming. He wondered when it closed. And when did it turn unseen?
It was impossible to even find out, since being unseen extended to all records of a building’s existence.
He still didn’t know how that worked, exactly. Isabelle said there was a unique sort of energy surrounding those places, but that it wasn’t magic. He wasn’t sure what else could do something like that. It was strangely purposeful, almost intelligent.
Eric instructed Holly to park around the side of the building, as he and Karen had done. If Steampunk Monk or Mistress Janet were to show up, they might not immediately know there was anyone here, giving them at least a small advantage.
Maybe.
As soon as they were stopped, Paul jumped out of the vehicle, ran around the back and threw up.
“Well that didn’t sound good,” said Kevin.
Eric stepped out and walked toward the rear of the vehicle, but stopped well before he could actually see his brother. He hated to see anyone throw up. He hated to even hear it. It made him feel like he was going to vomit for the rest of the day. “You okay?”
Paul groaned and then retched again.
Eric didn’t blame him for being sick. He felt a little sick himself. The incident inside the motel was pretty bad. He still wasn’t over what happened in Illinois, and his hand was forced. This time, Paul just kind of panicked.
He couldn’t stop thinking about it. Had he made a mistake? Was Wire Ties still alive when they found him? Had he killed him by erroneously declaring him dead?
He desperately hoped that Paul was right and that he had, somehow, risen as a zombie.
Holly walked around and handed him back his keys, then promptly turned and hurried away, covering her mouth as though she, too might vomit.
“You guys better stay here,” Eric said. “Holly and I’ll have a look around inside.”
Paul responded by thrusting his hand out from behind the vehicle in a thumbs-up.
He turned and peered into the back seat, where Kevin was still sitting. “How’s your eyes?”
“I can recognize shapes now. Like, I can see you standing there, but I wouldn’t know it was you if you weren’t talking to me. But it’s definitely coming back. Just slowly.”
Eric nodded. “Isabelle’s going to stay on the line with you.”
Just like that, his phone rang. “That’s so freaky,” he said, fumbling with the screen. “I’m never going to get used to her.”
“If anything happens out here, she’ll let me know. Same if anything happens inside.�
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“She’ll let me know. Got it.” He held the phone right up in front of his face and squinted at it. “Buttons would be good right about now.”
“Do you need help?”
He pressed it to his ear. “Izzy?” He grinned and looked over at him. “Got it.”
“Stay on the line.”
“Right.”
Turning toward Paul again, he asked, “You okay?”
“Never better,” he groaned. “Time of my life right here. Get going.”
Eric did just that. He headed straight for the doorway he and Karen entered through that morning. Holly was already waiting there for him, well out of earshot of Paul’s horrid retching.
“This place is creepy,” she groaned. “How did you talk Karen into going in there?”
“It was her idea.”
Holly peered through the glass. “It astounds me some days that she’s not a witch. She’d be an amazing one.”
“I want to go on record that I said nothing to that. Not a word. I just let it go.”
“Noted.”
“You’re going to tell her that when this is all over.”
“Sure. Whatever you want. Let’s get this over with.”
They opened the door and crept inside. The atmosphere hadn’t changed a bit. The light was a little different, but the feel of the place was exactly the same.
“How many more thrusts do you have left?”
“I’m not sure. At least a couple, I think.”
“I know there were at least two of those monsters in here this afternoon.”
She took his arm and hugged it against her. “I don’t like it here.”
“Yeah. Me neither.” He and Karen had explored much of the building during that first visit here. There wasn’t a whole lot to see, really. The place was empty. And yet those monsters didn’t appear until after they’d finished searching the kitchen and pantry. He had no idea where they were hiding up until that point. All he knew for sure was that they could be anywhere.
But as they walked past the open gymnasium doors, he immediately saw that at least one of them wouldn’t be a problem. It was lying on the polished floor on its back in a puddle of blackish blood.