Shawn met us later in the afternoon at my house and heroically offered to help in any way necessary. He swung an old baton that I’d had since before I could remember through the air while chanting about being a vampire hunter’s hunter. And if it really came down to that, I had little doubt that this rocker in tight pants could do it. The way he swung the baton around, someone could easily lose an eye. He stopped chanting long enough to have a brief moment of lucidity.
“Cams, what if they find you first?”
Irelynn sat up as if a spring was attached to her back. “Shut up Shawn, that’s the last thing she needs to think about!” Apparently she had thought the same thing but had managed to keep it to herself.
I tried to play dumb so he would drop the whole idea and looked at him with the most vacant expression possible. “Who?”
He made a stabbing motion toward my heart. “They, Cami, duh. The hunters and –.”
Irelynn grabbed the baton from his hand and held it up like she was going to beat him with it before she swung, a light inside her eyes switched on. “Oh my gosh!” Oh no, here it comes. “Oh my gosh!” She turned toward me with her eyes extended as far as they could without falling out of her head. “He’s one of them isn’t he? You said he was gone but I didn’t realize until now. That’s why he left!” She sucked in a huge breath that squealed as it drew in. I watched her body begin to sway slightly before Shawn jumped into action and steadied her. They both stood gawking at me.
I forced my head down trying to concentrate on packing as little as possible in my bag. I couldn’t look at them. “Um, yes I think so. Tom and I think he’s one of them.”
Shawn grabbed Irelynn’s arm again, thinking she was truly going to fall this time but she quickly shook him off.
His jaw clenched and an expression I had never seen before took over his face. He was furious. “That son of a –“
“Shawn, stop!” I cried. “I don’t know anything for sure.”
He stomped toward me grabbing my shoulders when he was close enough. “Are you crazy? Not sure? Where is he then? If he’s such a great guy, why isn’t he here to help you?”
I closed my eyes feeling the burning liquid building. “He’s gone.”
“What do you mean gone?”
“Gone! I don’t know where. Just gone! Are you happy now?” I screamed back at him. “He’s gone. He just used me to get information about my family. Now he has it and he’s going to kill them, because that’s what he does, unless I do something about it!” I couldn’t see anything anymore out of my blurred and burning eyes. The tears were pouring out faster than I could control them. Admitting to what I’d had a sick feeling about since leaving Tom at the Inn was much harder than keeping it in. It felt real now that I had said it. Will stole what he needed from me and with that he would hunt down my parents and I made it so easy for him. Why was I so blind? Shawn now had his arms wrapped around my shoulder holding me against his bony chest.
“I’m so sorry Cami. I didn’t even think about that. I’m so sorry.”
“I’m such a stupid girl,” I sobbed into his shoulder, “I wanted so badly to believe him, he was perfect and last night when he…how could he?”
I felt Irelynn’s arm reach around my back and we all stood there in a very long silence, my two best friends unknowingly giving me the strength I was going to need for this trip. Because it had finally dawned on me what had to be done.
With his newfound knowledge of the valley, Will would inform others about us and for all I knew, they would come here after they were finished with my family. For the safety of this town and hopefully my parents, I was going to need more than just ordinary courage to do what I was about to do. He wouldn’t even see me coming. I shuddered, trying to keep my body from completely shutting down at the thought.
I backed away slowly and wiped my face with my hands. “Great. Now look at me. My first trip out of the country and I’m going to be all puffy. Thanks guys.”
They laughed half-heartedly but continued to watch me with deep pity in their eyes. I knew they wanted to help, just as I would have wanted to. But there was nothing they could do, except keep Tilly and the school off my case.
“Okay,” I sniffled. “Enough of this. I need a plan. What are we going to tell your grandma? ”
In true Irelynn style, she jumped right in and most definitely not dwelling on what was out of her control. “I think you just need to keep that puffy red face and we’re good. There’s no way grandma can resist letting you go sleep in your own bed.” She led the way into the hall, but before I closed the door I looked around my unnaturally quiet room. An overwhelming emptiness washed over me. I wondered if this would be the last time I would see this room and all of my little treasures. It already felt different somehow; it was missing something.
“Let’s go.” Irelynn said, grabbing my hand.
She was wrong. Convincing her grandmother that I was depressed and needed to be alone wasn’t as easy as we had hoped. She thought there was no way I should be alone during a time like this. And being the nurturer that she was, Tilly was by my side all night and even when I went to bed. She sat on the side of the bed running her fingers through my hair. In a very odd way, it was comforting. I felt like a child again when Dorothy would sit with me until I fell asleep.
I couldn’t sleep though; the anticipation of the following day was stirring my mind into a frenzy. I had to slow my breaths and pretend to be asleep so that Tilly would leave the room. When she was out of earshot, I rolled over in my bed and caught Irelynn’s quarter-sized eyes staring back at me.
“That’s very creepy,” I whispered.
She propped herself up on one elbow. “You’re just going to have to go early Cami. I’ll cover for you. I’m not sure how yet, but I’ll do it. Trust me.”
I had no doubt she would be able to do this because wrapping Tilly around her finger was something she had down to an exact science.
“I know you will. I have faith in you.” I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling until the patterns started swirling around creating new pictures, then they were gone and I was asleep.
It was very unusual for me to remember my dreams. They were always too insignificant or too bizarre to recall, but this one would be different and I knew that before it was even over.
He was with me although I couldn’t see his face. But it didn’t matter because I could feel him and the warmth that radiated off of his body consumed me. The rest of the world slowed around us as I rested my head against his chest and let the hum of his heart be the only sound that entered my ears. I drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly letting any worries buried deep in my heart escape with it. I was wholly and blissfully at peace; I melted into him. His arms ensconcing me in safety as I closed my eyes –a distant joyous laugh reverberated in the air.
I opened them to see Mark and Jillian strolling. They flickered as if in an old silent movie, slowly toward me with their fingers intertwined. They were so happy and madly in love. I closed my eyes again and buried my face further into his chest knowing that I felt that same way about the man I was nestling into. I heard their voices again, only this time slightly panicked. I dreamily opened my eyes to see them running toward me now, Jillian’s face full of terror, but no recognizable words coming from her opened mouth. I smiled -What was she afraid of? My head slumped against his chest again, too heavy for my neck to hold up. The shouts were louder now, amplified and raging in my own head. I tried to find the strength in my eyelids to open them one more time, but they would only part a sliver and were blinded by a flash of dazzling blue light that forced them shut again. Then silence.
I lay curled up under the warm soft blankets for a while listening to the sounds of the early morning, hoping there was no snowfall over night so that my trek over the mountain pass and to the airport would be as drama free as possible. As quietly as possible, I sat up and slipped into my shoes. After searching in the dark for my bag, I tiptoed to Irelynn and pushed on her
arm. She peeked at me with one eye still closed.
“I’m going now. I’ll call you as soon as I can.”
She closed her eye for a second and then popped up completely out of the bed and grabbed on to me.
“Oh please be careful. I love you. Don’t eat anything you can’t pronounce, don’t take any drinks from anyone and don’t take rides from strangers,” she whispered in a panic, obviously forgetting the fact that everyone I met would be a stranger. I hugged her back.
“I love you, too, and I will call as soon as I can.”
I grabbed my bag and walked over to the window. It grumbled open and I climbed through it. I looked up at Irelynn, who was trying to control her terrified expression as best as she could. I shot her a quick smile and turned toward the alley. I thanked God again for having our houses so close together.
I wondered where Tom planned to meet me to give me my plane ticket, hoping that he would show up at my house before I decided that indeed I was a chicken and could not do this. When I got inside the house, I ran up to my room and grabbed my passport and small bag. I didn’t bother packing any clothes because the non-existent plan included me meeting up with my family as soon as the bus ride was over. Dorothy always kept her keys hanging in the hallway above the table where her mail sat nicely filed in a box with wooden slats. I was able to appreciate now that she was so organized, unlike me.
I paced up and down the hall waiting for my phone to ring, but it didn’t. I checked the clock on the wall. 4:55 AM. I wasn’t doing myself any favors by clock watching so I decided to go out and warm up the car.
A manila envelope with my name scrawled on the front sat under the windshield wiper on the driver’s side. I must have missed Tom. I tore the envelope open and dumped its contents on the hood of the car not really caring if anything would scratch it. A large wad of foreign money rolled across the hood and fell onto the floor. I have no idea how to use this, I thought, grabbing it and shoving it into my pocket. The other items included a map that, much to my relief, Tom had marked all over with instructions; a plane ticket and what I assumed was a bus ticket. The final destination on it: Costa Rica.
I tossed the envelope into the garbage can near the garage door, but noticed something else hanging out of the opening. I tugged on the thin chain and pulled it all the way out of the envelope, a small pewter vial containing a sparkling blue liquid hung from the end.
“What the heck is this?” I searched the envelope again for some kind of clue. A yellow sticky note was stuck to the inside.
Cami-
Keep this hidden at any cost, and only drink from it at time of great need. It will give you more power than you could ever have on your own.
Tom
“Thanks Tom, but I don’t drink strange liquids, especially when it’s glowing.” I shoved the vial in my pocket and took a deep breath.
I couldn’t believe I was here, standing in the freezing garage about to embark on a journey. On a mission, rather, to warn my grandmother and the others about what was coming to meet them. Just as quickly as Will’s face flashed in my mind, I forced it out. The vial in my pocket seemed to burn against my skin – and if my nightmare came to fruition, at least I had something in my arsenal. I grabbed the tickets and map and shoved them into my bag. It was now or never.
8
I was very proud of myself for not causing an unfortunate incident on the plane, but when the cramped bus ride was over I looked at my gnarled fingernails in disgust. Why is it I always forget to bring the one thing that would prevent me from mutilating my fingers…gum?
I stepped off the bus and right into the heart of a bustling market with stands as far as I could see lining the tiny congested streets. I was instantly dazzled by the color that surrounded me - vibrant colors from the various fruit and floral stands as well as the buildings themselves. It wasn’t what I had expected at all. And really, I didn’t know what I had expected to see.
Forcing myself to stop ogling the town, I searched for the nearest telephone because mine, conveniently enough, was dead. Finding a restroom wouldn’t hurt either; I had completely underestimated what “tropical” meant. The sooner I could wipe the moisture from behind my ears and hairline, the sooner I could concentrate. I needed all the help I could get if I was going to attempt to communicate at all while I was here. Much to my chagrin, I decided to drop Spanish from my classes for this year. I didn’t think I would ever need it; I lived in north Idaho for heaven’s sake, and I wanted to take something more exotic like Cantonese in case I was ever able to join my parents on one of their trips.
I slowly walked toward a cluster of buildings that I assumed were shops because of the signs hanging from their rooftops. As I neared, a wave of relief cooled me, the signs all had English translations to aid me in my quest for a restroom. I knew how selfish that seemed, but this was an emergency and I didn’t care.
When I entered a small market, the air conditioning greeted me with a chill that went straight down my spine. I shivered and looked for a sign…anything that could point me in the direction of the restroom. It was hiding in the very back of the store.
Sure enough, through the oxidized restroom mirror, I saw the giant puffball that had once been my ponytail was devouring my entire head. I grabbed a paper towel from the dispenser and with cool water, wiped my face and back of my neck. I considered buying a new shirt because mine had become sweaty, but decided that a clean one would suffer the same fate. I would wait until I was with my family before worrying about changing clothes. I went back out into the store and up to the front counter. I cringed when an angry, wrinkled man behind the counter pursed his lips. I halted and nearly forgot what to say. My first words in a foreign country, make them count.
I shifted my weight to one leg and tried to appear nonchalant. “Phone?” I asked. It was the only thing I could think of to say without giving away my ignorance.
The angry man surprised me by smiling and pointing his matching wrinkled finger toward the market outside. There must be one out there. I smiled back and turned toward the door.
A delicate rain had begun to fall when I left the store. The beauty of the town caught me again, and this time I stole a minute to just look. This might be the only moment of stillness I would have for a while and I wanted to enjoy it. While I studied the life here, I couldn’t help but think that someone here knew; they knew what was happening just outside the limits of town. A prickle ran down the back of my neck, as if I were being watched as well. I scanned the crowds seeing if I could lock eyes with any of these strangers, but found no one willing to do the same.
I stifled the sensation and pulled the water bottle I had gotten at the airport out of my bag.
“Where is that phone?” I mumbled.
“Necesitas auyda?”
A soft voice nearly scared the life out of me. I jumped, dropping the bottle, and causing the small amount of water that remained to pour out onto the sidewalk. Great way to not attract attention. I dipped down to pick the bottle up, but the boy was too quick. I stood up to thank him, but instead found myself unable to move. The helpful stranger nudged the bottle into my petrified hands as he stood up. He smiled sheepishly, his tanned face showing a hint of red behind his cheeks.
His thin body towered over me, and all I could do was stare at him. Crap. How do I say…anything? I shook off the trance his gold-rimmed crystal clear blue eyes held me in. Why did eyes always captivate me? Especially the blue ones. Note to self, blue eyes…bad!
“Amerry-kun?” he asked.
American, was it that obvious? “Um. Yes,” I blinked away the rain settling in my lashes. “Thank you.” I grabbed onto the bottle and spun around, hoping to catch the telephone on my way around.
“Do you need help?”
I stopped and quickly weighed the odds of asking this stranger if he knew where the phone was. I hadn’t disobeyed Irelynn’s orders to not take drinks from strangers, it was my water bottle and it was empty, but now I was about to break h
er no talking rule.
“Yes, please. Do you know where I can find the telephone?” I tried not to offend him by speaking a little slower than usual, but I wasn’t sure exactly how much English he could speak- although he did ask me if I needed help with pretty decent clarity.
“The telephone?” He smirked and the redness returned.
I put my pantomime skills to the test and held up my hand, pretended to poke numbers in my palm before holding it to my ear.
He put his hand over his mouth and chuckled softly. “I cannot help you find the telephone. But maybe this would help you?” He pulled a silver object from his pocket and tossed it to me –a cell phone.
When people would tell me they had been mortified, I never quite understood what they meant, having never experienced it…until that moment. He knew exactly what I was talking about and he was laughing because I had just asked him where “the” telephone was. As if there was only one, Holy Grail telephone in the entire town. Was it possible for me to make it through a whole day without making an ass out of myself?
So, this boy knew English and he sounded rather fluent. That was good. Next problem; would I be able to understand him enough through his thick accent to not repeatedly offend him? The odds were definitely against me on that.
I glanced at the phone he was holding, tempted, but I couldn’t accept his offer. “Thank you very much, but the person I’m calling is in the United States. It would be a very expensive call.”
He smiled slightly again and placed the phone in my hand. “It is okay. You can make your call. You want to get out of the rain?” He directed me toward a restaurant across the tiny street with a large red metal roof covering its patio.
The Valley Page 17