by Simon Rose
“She’s right, Max,” his dad added. “We can all be together again. You have to stay strong and see this through.”
Then Max heard a different, yet very familiar and menacing voice inside his head.
“They’re both dead because of you, Max. How does that feel?”
Max’s mother suddenly vanished and his dad’s face abruptly changed into that of Kane.
“I’ll always find you, Max. I know who you are and what you’ve done, and believe me, you’re going to pay.”
Max awoke with a start, confused for a second about where he was. It wasn’t particularly cold but Max shivered. He then heard a voice when the bus slowed down as it approached a red light.
“Here.”
The one simple word just seemed to appear from nowhere in Max’s mind. He was sure that he recognized the voice but couldn’t place it so he quickly dismissed the thought. After everything that had happened, he knew that he was probably capable of imagining just about anything. He looked out of the window again. The bus was now in a residential area containing newer houses, but again nothing looked familiar to him. Then something made Max turn to face the opposite seat. The bus had remained empty throughout the journey but for a fleeting second Max was convinced that someone was watching him. The bus moved forward, turning a corner at the traffic lights and driving into a residential street.
“Here.”
It was the same voice as before. Max looked all around him but he was alone. Yet when he turned to face the front of the bus he saw a woman with shoulder-length light brown hair wearing a blue dress standing at the top of the steps beside the driver, who seemed oblivious to her presence. The woman then turned her head and Max gasped. It was his mother but then she suddenly vanished.
Max realized that his mother was once again trying to reach him. He pressed the bell button above the window beside him and saw the driver glance into the rear-view mirror. Max stood up and almost stumbled down the aisle as the driver braked sharply. Max hurried to the front of the bus.
“You want this stop?” asked the driver. “I thought you were going downtown?”
“Yeah, this is great. Thanks.”
“Maybe give me a bit more notice next time,” said the driver.
“Sorry,” Max replied. “It was kind of a last-minute thing. My dad just texted me that he’s close to here.”
“No problem,” said the driver, winking. “Have a good night.”
MAX SCANNED HIS surroundings as the bus drove away. It was a relatively modern residential area like so many others in the city. Max had no idea where he was. He made a note of one of the street names from a nearby sign and sat down on the bench at the bus stop to check on a map using his phone. His battery was almost exhausted but he hoped he had enough power to at least get a clue where he was. He typed in the street name and did a quick search on the map.
Max discovered that he was in a neighbourhood on the opposite side of the city to where he lived. Yet at least he now knew how to get home, if it was even safe there anymore. In the previous timeline, Kane had managed to track him down and could probably easily do so again.
“Hello, Max.”
The soft voice was so familiar, but Max’s heart was racing and he was gripped with fear before he reluctantly looked up.
“Mom?”
Marina Garrison, or her spirit at least, was seated at the opposite end of the bench, smiling at him. Despite having witnessed his mother’s ghost before, Max still couldn’t believe his eyes.
“Mom?” Max repeated.
“Yes.”
She was wearing the same blue dress. His mother’s resemblance to the familiar photograph at Max’s home was remarkable. This time he was close enough to see her hazel eyes and that she was wearing a small locket on a golden necklace.
“Is it really you?”
“Yes,” she replied. “It really is.”
She reached for the necklace and her slender fingers gently opened the locket. Max was astonished when she showed him a tiny photograph of himself as a baby.
“What are you doing here?” said Max, his voice quivering. “Why can I see you?”
“I’m guiding you, Max. That’s all I can do. You need to connect with Julia.”
“Julia?” said Max. “But I don’t even know where she is.”
Marina smiled again.
“Like you, she remembers the other timelines but you may soon both forget everything and then it will be too late. You’ll just accept your fate and never even realize anything was ever any different or have the chance to put things right and stop Kane. You must return to the beginning, to where it all began.”
Her image was becoming less stable, moving in and out of focus.
“What’s happening?” said Max, in alarm.
“I’ve had problems breaking through. I’ve been trying so hard but the timeline keeps changing and that doesn’t help.”
“There’s so much I need to know,” said Max. “So many things that I want to ask you.”
“To where it all began,” Marina repeated.
Her image flickered. Max reached for her with his outstretched hand but then she was gone.
Max was startled when his phone vibrated with an incoming text. It was from Julia.
Where are you? Are you OK?
Max quickly typed a reply.
Battery very low. Where are you?
Julia replied with a map.
Use back door.
Max quickly checked the map in relation to where he was. The address Julia had sent to him was very close. Was that what his mother had been trying to tell him? Is that why he’d been gently persuaded that he had to leave the bus at this precise location? Max tried to reply to Julia but his phone’s battery finally ran out of power. Max hoped that he’d remembered correctly which way to go but luckily the house was only a few streets away.
IN THE DARK, all the houses in the neighbourhood looked pretty much the same. The names of the streets were also all very similar. Max wished that he could use a map to check the address indicated in Julia’s text but his phone remained dead. Finally, he reached what he was sure was the correct street. Most of the houses had at least a few lights on but there was little traffic and no other pedestrians. As Max hurried along the sidewalk he peered at the numbers on the houses and knew that he was getting close to his destination. Then he noticed something that looked distinctly familiar up ahead, a realtor sign on one of the front lawns bearing the name Linda Woodman. Max recalled how Julia had mentioned earlier that she’d been hiding out in houses that her mother was selling. As he drew closer Max couldn’t see any lights on in the house but then remembered that Julia had instructed him to use the back door. If she was trying to hide it made sense that the house would appear to be unoccupied. Yet Max was also painfully aware that he really had no idea what he was getting into.
He spotted a path leading along the fence at the side of the house’s attached garage. He quickly checked the street to confirm that no one else was around then hurried up the driveway and darted along the dark path. When Max arrived at the rear corner of the garage, the house’s backyard was shrouded in darkness. He took a couple of steps toward the door of the house and was shocked when it opened slightly and someone grabbed his wrist.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Reunion
“QUICK, GET INSIDE.”
Julia pulled Max into the house then gently closed the door behind him.
“Were you followed? Did anyone see you?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Come in, get away from the windows.”
She led him into the sitting room where the curtains and blinds were all pulled tightly closed. The lights were switched off in the adjoining kitchen and dining room and a couple of table lamps provided the sitting room’s only illumination. There was a wide couch in front of the coffee table, across from which were two armchairs. Even in the semi-darkness the house appeared to be very clean and tidy although there wa
s a water bottle, some fast food cups, and a pizza box on the coffee table beside Julia’s laptop, phone, and charger. Her leather jacket was draped over the back of one of the armchairs.
“Are you hungry? That pizza’s from earlier today but it should still be okay.”
Max’s stomach growled. He hadn’t eaten anything since the muffin he’d consumed on the bus on his way to Deanna’s house.
“What happened to your face?” asked Julia. “Where did you get that bruise?”
Max touched his cheek, relieved that the pain had subsided a little.
“It’s a long story,” he replied. “What’s going on? What are you doing here?”
“This is one of my mom’s houses that she’s showing. There are a few in different parts of the city and I’ve got some of the spare keys. I have to keep moving from one to the other in case anyone sees me.”
“How long have you been here?”
“Since last night. I’ve mostly been living on fast food but I’m running out of money.”
“I didn’t know what happened to you after we . . .”
Max hesitated. He wasn’t sure how much Julia would remember now that things had changed again.
“After we what?” asked Julia.
“After the hospital.”
Max paused briefly before continuing.
“Do you remember that?”
Julia nodded.
“Yes, I do. It’s been quite confusing, but I seem to remember different versions of events since we first met in the library at the school.”
“Yeah,” said Max, wondering what else Julia knew. “That happens. I kept trying to contact you but you wouldn’t answer my texts.”
“Sorry, I was pretty upset after we got back from the hospital. I’m sorry I ran out on you.”
“I kept trying you, but my phone finally died just before I got here.”
“We have the same type of phone. You can use my charger if you like,” said Julia, picking up the charger from the coffee table. “I’ll plug it in over there.”
Max took out his phone and handed it to her. She walked over to the wall outlet beside the nearest chair, connected Max’s phone and plugged in the charger.
“You look starved,” she said, moving her jacket to one side and sitting down in the chair. “Please, finish the pizza.”
Max didn’t need another invitation. He sat down on the couch, took off his jacket, and grabbed a piece of the cold pizza.
“So what happened to you?” he asked.
“After I left you, I went home but my mom told me that two guys had been to the house asking about me. They said they were from the police and I’m convinced it was those guys that were at the school.”
Max nodded.
“Connor and Drake. I met them again too.”
“Where?”
Max thought for a moment.
“It’s a complicated story. Tell me what happened to you first.”
“Well,” Julia began, running her fingers through her long hair, “I figured they’d come back if I stayed there, so after getting my mom to calm down I waited until she wasn’t looking. Then I left the house with a collection of keys to the other houses. I took some money from her purse too, which I’m not proud of but I needed something to survive on.”
“And you haven’t been back home?” asked Max, taking another slice of pizza.
“No, like I said, I’ve been moving around ever since, but I’m still worried that someone will see me. I’m positive that the police are looking for me. I still have my laptop so I know what’s going on. I don’t know what I’m going to do, Max. I can’t live like this forever.”
“What about your mom?”
“She’s worried, of course, but just like when I skipped school I told her I’m okay when I sent her a text.”
“Well,” said Max. “Connor and Drake are now the least of our worries.”
“What do you mean?”
After confirming that Julia seemed to have been largely unaffected by the shifting timeline, Max told her everything that had happened. He explained how he’d gone to see Deanna and that she’d refused to help him. He then told Julia how he’d altered the past and inadvertently caused the death of his parents at the train station. Max concluded with the story of how he’d been captured by Connor and Drake and taken to see Evans, who in turn introduced him to Kane and together with Max witnessed the tests of Kane’s powers.
Julia shuddered at the mention of his name. She reached for the water bottle and took a drink. Max hesitated before he asked her a further question.
“Do you still remember what you learned about your mom at the hospital?”
“Yes,” said Julia, slowly. “I know he’s probably my father.”
“Well, there’s still no proof of that but I’ll admit it’s a strong possibility. Even if he had amnesia after what happened at the waterfront, Kane might still have met your mom at some point.”
“It was a shock at first,” Julia admitted. “That’s one of the reasons why I ran but I’ve had a little bit of time to think about it. If he’s so strong and my mom was considered to be a good catch by Kovac and his people, my abilities make sense if they’re my parents. My powers, or whatever you prefer to call them, have been growing since I hit my teens but since meeting you they’ve developed much more quickly.”
“Like sensing other people’s thoughts and seeing more ghosts?”
“Yes, but I’ve also had some odd dreams and some strange sensations when I’m awake. On the rare occasions that I’ve been out among people I’ve sometimes been able to read their thoughts or at least sense them. It’s a little weird and sometimes it’s been overwhelming, especially if a person seemed to be hurt in some way.”
“What do you mean?”
“If they’re in pain I seemed to sense it more strongly and then kind of absorb their pain and make them feel better. It’s kind of hard to explain. You probably think I’m crazy.”
Max smiled.
“After all that I’ve been though, there’s no chance of that. Have you noticed anything else?”
“Well, I think I can read thoughts, as you know,” said Julia. “When you came to my house I sensed that you were telling the truth. That’s why I let you in. I couldn’t explain it and still can’t control it all the time. It’s probably because the different abilities are still developing and all at the same time. It’s very confusing at times.”
Max grabbed the last piece of the pizza and closed the box’s lid.
“And the ghosts?”
“Yes, not just my own relatives but others too. I can talk to them but not all the time. Like I said before, my parents thought I was crazy but I didn’t know any different. I thought everyone could see these people. But I haven’t seen any lately, not since I saw your mom at the school.”
“Maybe you’re having these experiences because Kane was testing his powers and regaining his memories,” said Max. “Kane’s also in contact with others like him. I remember Kovac mentioning that when I was in David’s body and Evans said the same thing.”
“But I’m not like Kane,” Julia insisted.
“No, not in an evil sense but you might have been caught up in his sweep to find other psychics.”
Julia looked shocked.
“Does that mean that he knows who I am or where to find me?”
“Julia, I really don’t know. It’s all guesswork at this point, but you may be connected to his mind.”
She took another drink from the water bottle.
“I did have some thoughts of his, I think. I don’t remember too clearly but I think I saw some of those tests you mentioned, when he was watching the TV screens. There was a wide window in the room.”
“That’s a two-way mirror,” said Max. “I was watching with Evans on the other side of it. You had those thoughts about the playground too.”
“But they weren’t Kane’s thoughts, were they?”
Max paused before replying.
“Yes, they were. I remember back at the waterfront that Kane told me that he’d killed a boy at a playground and Evans talked about that as well. She said it was the first thing she discovered about Kane and that’s why she kept watching him after that, monitoring the growth of his powers. When she met Kovac he immediately recruited Kane into the operation to experiment on psychics.”
“And we both saw that yellow and blue playground. I saw that tall red-haired boy fall to the ground.”
“Wait,” said Max. “You saw him fall?”
“Yes, same as you.”
“No,” Max corrected her. “I saw the young Kane looking at me then felt myself fall before I came out of the vision back at the bus stop. I never saw what the boy looked like.”
“So?”
“So it looks like I saw it through the boy’s eyes, probably because I’m linked to Kane from my experiences with him in the different timelines. But you saw it through Kane’s eyes, possibly because you’re related.”
Julia frowned as she thought for a moment.
“This is so weird. Do you think Evans and the others knew about my connection to Kane?”
“Nobody said anything, but I can’t be sure,” replied Max. “They seemed to know that Kane and your mom were probably linked somehow, but nothing more than that. I have no idea what it all means. He seems to have regained all his powers but his memory’s still sketchy. He couldn’t remember me but was pretty close to realizing who I was before the gunfire distracted him. He had a slight bullet wound on his hand but I’m not sure what happened to him. He wasn’t at the facility when I left so it looks like he escaped and now he’s out there somewhere.”
“So he’s not affected by the different timelines too, like us? How is that possible?”
“I don’t know. Deanna said something about that—how we might remember forever or one day it’ll all fade away as if it never happened.”
“I’m sorry about Deanna, Max.”
He forced a smile.
“Thanks, but I guess I never really knew her now that everything’s changed. I mean, all my childhood memories are all the same but my dad isn’t there, just my grandma, although I can still remember the other events too. It’s so weird.”