by Wendy Owens
“I know where you live.” Uri replied, staring off in the distance while he continued fueling his bike.
“Creepy much?” Gabe said. “Look, what’s going on here? You say you know me and where I live. I have never met you. Can you understand why this would be making me a little uneasy?”
Uri silently looked at Gabe with a pleased grin.
“Gee, I am glad you see the humor in it all.” Gabe added, becoming more infuriated with each passing moment.
Uri’s face stiffened as he watched Gabe punch the motorcycle seat, hard. In an effort to comfort Gabe, Uri tried to reassure him. “Seriously, Gabe, there is no reason to worry. Michael will explain everything when we get home.”
The word home was a foreign concept to Gabe. He had been relegated to countless foster homes throughout the years. He only had a handful of memories of his parents, but most of them had been forgotten long ago.
He remembered when he went to the group home he had been told it would just be a few days. Now here he was, six months later, stuck in the same lonely place. He had recently accepted The Boy’s Refuge would be the only home he would know for the next two years. The way Uri said home felt so unfamiliar. He envied him.
“Who is this Michael?” Gabe asked.
Uri stood there for a moment in silence. The pump clicked to a stop, he pulled the handle. Gabe watched as he replaced the dripping nozzle into the cradle. Uri looked around nervously for a moment, setting Gabe on edge.
“You’ll see soon enough.” Uri answered, finally.
“OK, seriously.” Gabe insisted, stepping off the bike. “I demand some answers before I go anywhere else with you. I have no idea what you did back there at the Subway to get us past those cops, but I know something wasn’t right about it. Now you’re taking me out to the middle of nowhere and I’m going to miss my curfew. I need some answers now, damn it!”
“Get on the bike, Gabe.” Uri sounded annoyed as he replied. “You won’t miss curfew because you don’t have one tonight.”
“What?” Gabe questioned, consumed by confusion. “What do you mean I don’t have one? The curfew is not negotiable. No exceptions. If I am late I lose privileges. You have no idea what it’s like when you don’t have the right to come and go. It’s like a prison!” Gabe became more excited as he talked about the consequences he faced.
“Gabe, please calm down.” Uri said while climbing onto the bike. He looked over his shoulder at Gabe. “Michael made some phone calls. The home you live at has marked you on leave for the next week.”
“What?!” Gabe shouted. “How the hell did... what do you mean... a week?!” Gabe was clearly distraught and overwhelmed by the situation. He felt his head begin to swim and thought he might actually vomit.
“Look, it’s not like I am trying to hide anything from you Gabe! There’s too much to explain. Trust me; it’s simply easier to show you.” Gabe listened to Uri, struggling to make sense of everything. “Michael is a very important and powerful man. He has helped many people in his life and, from that, gained a lot of friends. In return, those people help him when needed. It is necessary that we have time to show you everything and explain who we are. These people gave us that.”
Uri could see he had Gabe’s attention. Uri glanced around at the darkness; Gabe thought he almost seemed nervous. “The manor is on an island just over eight hours away,” Uri continued. “That’s why it’s of the utmost importance we keep going. We need to avoid trackers.”
“Trackers?” Gabe asked, the crack in his voice revealing his unchecked fear.
“Not something you want to know about… Really, Gabe, I promise,” Uri explained. “If you can just find it in yourself to trust me a little while longer, all will be made clear. Michael sent word to your social worker as well, saying that you were visiting distant family for the week. If you want to return to New York at the end of the week I will take you myself.”
“If I want to return? What do you mean?” Uri ignored Gabe’s questions. He leaned back and slowly reached out to touch Gabe’s hand. Gabe wanted to scream. To turn and run as far as he could into the darkness, far away from Uri and all these terrifying secrets. However, the moment Uri touched his hand, Gabe felt that same calmness he had felt when Uri touched him at the train station.
Without another word, he climbed on behind Uri and they darted off into the night. Gabe buried his chin into his own chest to try and block the wind from the part of his face the helmet did not cover.
He thought about how his biggest problem that morning had been growing up alone in the world. Gabe started to think about the bright side of his New York life. He was fed and clothed. He had a roof over his head. Now he found himself on the back of a complete stranger’s motorcycle, being driven into the wilderness where nobody would hear his screams.
Gabe found himself fixating on all the possible ways his life could be snuffed out. Perhaps a bag over his head, a knife to the belly. Maybe even assassination style with a bullet to the back of the head.
As he tried to think of something else, anything else, his thoughts drifted back to the evening’s events. There was the train, the girl, the explosion, why did all of these things keep happening around him?
Gabe thought about his most recent foster family. They had been nice to him. Some families he had lived with avoided him like the plague. It had felt like they didn’t want to get close to Gabe or the curse that was his life from fear that it would infect them as well. The Hannon family wasn’t like that at all, though.
Gabe was so used to being distant when he would go to a new home, that he found it hard to adjust to the loving environment of the Hannon’s. After countless tragedies, Gabe learned not to get too close for fear that he might lose someone else he had come to care for.
Gabe had actually made it eight months with the Hannon’s. A record for him. Gabe remembered how he had let himself get used to being accepted and included. It was the routine, he thought. It was easy to get lost in it and everything became normal. He let his guard down. He had begun to think that perhaps he was cured from his depression, those visions.
It was then that his foster dad, Christopher, had reminded Gabe of what he had to lose if he let himself get too attached, too comfortable.
Christopher had gone to pick Gabe up at school for his therapy appointment. In the car, Gabe felt the dread he had not felt for months. The light headedness, stomach pains, clammy hands; it was all back and hit him with a tremendous force.
Gabe could still hear Christopher’s panicked screams. ‘Gabe what’s wrong? Are you alright?’ Christopher had been so concerned about Gabe, who was doubled over in the passenger seat that he didn’t notice the truck that ran the red light. Gabe struggled for air as he contemplated Christopher and the pain his wife and kids must have felt simply because they had tried to share their love with Gabe.
Gabe clenched his eyes shut tight, a haze filling his head. He tried to think of anything else; anything but all the people who had disappeared from his life, ripped away by tragedy.
Gabe refocused his thoughts on perils from the evening. What exactly had Uri done when he raised his hand back at that subway? Was it something Uri had done that made that poor woman scream? Although Gabe didn’t know how Uri could have done anything, he hadn’t left Gabe’s side.
The officers had not even looked at them, which Gabe found particularly odd considering they were only feet away. Gabe couldn’t imagine any possible way the officers could have missed them. Gabe thought about he was certain something wasn’t right. He had a mountain of questions for this Michael character when they finally met. Gabe just hoped things wouldn’t end like it usually did when people tried to help him.
A couple hours passed and the rhythm of the road had Gabe drifting in and out of sleep. His eyes had grown heavy again. Just as he thought he might slip back into unconsciousness, he felt the bike pulling to one side. He lifted his head groggily as gravel began to spit up onto his ankles.
Uri was pu
lling off to the side of the road directly behind an old car. The pebbles sprayed outward as Uri came to an abrupt stop. The brake lights of the car glowed in the darkness. Gabe once again began to feel very frightened of the situation he was finding himself in.
As the blurriness of sleep faded from Gabe’s eyes, he noticed the car was an old muscle type. Leaning to one side in order to see the car more clearly, he instantly recognized it as a Mustang Shelby GT. The color was white, with a black stripe down the center, although it was hard to tell with all the dust that was on the vehicle. Gabe thought perhaps it was a stranded citizen. Or even better, someone that might be able to help him if he decided he needed a quick exit strategy from Uri.
Uri stepped off the bike and, glancing back at Gabe, he raised his hands and commanded Gabe to “wait here” in a cool tone. Gabe watched as Uri approached the car slowly and cautiously. Gabe’s breath caught in his throat.
Uri reached the rear doors and leaned forward to peek into the car. After looking for a moment he lunged towards the front driver’s side door and pulled it open quickly. The car let out a huge creaking sound. Gabe watched through narrowed eyes.
Two slender arms reached out from the car and pulled Uri half way into the vehicle. Uri let out a yelp. Gabe leapt off the bike, trying to stay on his feet as the motorcycle hit the ground. Losing his footing, Gabe fell backwards on the dirt. He was frightened by what was unfolding before him.
He turned and pushed himself up on his knees, preparing to run. Before he took off, he caught sight of Uri pulling himself out of the vehicle. Uri was looking around puzzled, trying to figure out what the commotion behind the car was.
“Gabe?” Uri asked. Gabe looked back at him in shock. “Are you OK?”
Gabe stood up and watched Uri extend a hand towards the open car door. The same slender arm Gabe had just seen pull Uri into the car, reached out and took hold of Uri’s hand. Gabe was mesmerized as he watched one of the most beautiful creatures he had ever seen emerge from the car’s interior. It was a young girl, probably close to Gabe’s age. She placed one brown clad cowboy boot after the other onto the gravel covered asphalt.
The first thing Gabe noticed about her was the soft glow around the locks of her beautiful auburn hair. She tossed her head from side in an attempt to remove the troublesome strands from around her face. Gabe wished time could stand still. He stood there, mouth gaping open, studying her rosy lips. He wondered in the darkness what color her eyes were. Gabe thought he heard something far off.
“Gabe!” Uri finally shouted. “I asked are you OK?”
Snapping back to reality, Gabe quickly replied, “Yeah, uh sorry.” He wondered if he looked like a total idiot or only slightly like one.
“Well, get over here. I want you to meet someone.” Uri motioned him over to the front of the car.
Gabe looked down at the motorcycle lying on the ground and wondered if he should pick it up. He imagined himself not being able to lift it due to lack of strength or perhaps lifting it to only knock it over again. He decided to play it safe in front of this radiant stranger and leave it where it was to avoid further embarrassment.
Gabe was trying very hard to focus on just being able to walk straight; he was worried he was failing at it.
“Gabe,” Uri began. “I want you to meet someone. This is Sophie. She's like us.”
Gabe paused, annoyed by the unexplained statement ‘like us’ but decided to ignore it.
Sophie extended her hand to Gabe and he was all too eager to return the greeting.
“Hi, I’m Glabe, I mean Gabe.” He stammered and blushed.
Laughing, Sophie replied, “I know. All of us at the manor have been dying to meet you.”
Gabe glanced over at Uri and mumbled, “So I’ve heard.”
Sophie continued shaking his hand and smiling at him. Gabe began to feel increasingly uncomfortable with this incredibly beautiful girl touching him.
“Umm...” he continued, “So what brings you out to the middle of nowhere?” he asked awkwardly. He pulled his hand back and shoved both of his hands into his pockets. Gabe was horrified, what brings you to the middle of nowhere? Could he have made a bigger idiot of himself?
Uri started to laugh.
“Well, what did you think we were going to do, Gabe? Ride eight hours on the motorcycle all the way back to the manor? We needed Sophie to wait for us far enough away that her talents could get us safely home.”
Gabe rolled his eyes at the talent comment. It was honestly annoying him the way Uri spoke like he should have a clue what any of this meant.
“Hop in the back! I’ll grab the bike.” Uri said as Sophie opened the rear door and motioned for Gabe as if she were some sort of game show hostess.
Moments later, the bike was loaded and they were on their way again.
Chapter Three
Gabe rubbed his eyes and gave a sleepy yawn. As he stretched, free from the contorted position he had been in for hours, he realized the precarious situation he was in once again. He was in a car, riding to an unfamiliar location with two strangers. They were two strangers who were keeping a lot of secrets.
Gabe laid there, thinking about the events that led to this moment. He could hear Sophie and Uri having a discussion in the front seat. He tried to remain as quiet as he could in hopes neither would realize he was awake. Gabe thought perhaps he might finally hear something that would help him figure out this crazy mess.
He folded his arms back over his chest, slowly leaned back against the side of the car, trying to stay close enough to hear. He closed his eyes again, trying to look as convincing as possible.
Uri and Sophie were speaking in hushed tones. Gabe began to sweat as he kept feeling Uri’s eyes on him.
Gabe’s thoughts began to wonder. He found himself drifting back off to sleep when he suddenly heard Sophie ask in a clear voice, “Is Michael going to tell him when he gets there?”
Gabe slowly strained his neck forward in an effort to better hear. Uri didn’t say anything for a moment. Gabe imagined Uri was staring right at him to ensure he was sleeping. Gabe tried his best to be convincing.
“I don’t know Soph. I mean, I’m not sure I could have handled news like that when I first came. I trust Michael knows what he is doing, but I’m glad I don’t have to make that decision.”
What kind of decision? Gabe wondered, starting to feel a bit panicked as he listened intensely.
“Yeah, I get that. But is it fair to ask him to stay if he doesn’t know everything?” Sophie asked.
Gabe wanted to sit up and shout, “No, it’s not fair. So how about you just tell me what all this is about.” But he didn’t. He continued his charade.
“I know, but imagine you were in his place. Think of the person you were when you first came to the manor and who you are today. If you got that news at those two different points in your life, would you have handled it the same way? I seriously doubt it. Michael has his reasons, whatever his choice may be.” Uri explained.
Gabe realized his fists were clenched. His jaw tensed. He did his best to relax, but all of these secrets were driving him crazy.
“Uri, I get that, I do. I will support Michael with whatever decision he makes, but if free-will really is the most important thing, I don’t see how he can choose without being told the prophecy.” Sophie replied.
“Yeah, part of me agrees with you. I am just not sure how he would handle finding out that...” Uri paused.
“Here it comes,” Gabe thought. “I’m finally going to get some answers.” He waited, but Uri said nothing. Gabe’s heart began to race. He imagined Uri staring at him, making sure he was asleep before he said anything of great importance.
The deafening silence continued as Gabe felt the car begin to slow. Suddenly, he heard hurried whispers between the two in the front seat. Gabe assumed his act had been discovered. He braced himself for the consequences.
As he waited for the admonishment to begin, Gabe felt a shiver down his spine. He rub
bed his fingers against his cold and clammy hands. His stomach ached. He was filled with that often reoccurring feeling of dread. Reality hit Gabe that the silence was not from his act being discovered, rather it was from the fact that something was about to go terribly wrong. He quickly opened his eyes and sat up. Uri was staring back at him.
“You feel it too, huh?” Uri asked giving Gabe a half smile, although he was clearly worried.
“What?” Sophie said. “He already has the power to recognize auguries?” She stared, her mouth slightly agape.
“Auger - what?” Gabe asked looking at Sophie puzzled.
“Auguries,” Uri answered in a rush. “They’re the warning sirens we have to tell when evil is near. It’s like our spidey-sense.” Uri was scanning the outside of the car as it rolled to a stop.
Sophie placed the car in park and looked over at Uri.
“Seriously? I still can’t feel the presence and I’m a third year. Uri, you’re telling me Gabe already has his auguries fully developed?”
“I have no idea where he’s at; let’s just wait to talk to Michael before we make any assumptions, OK?” Uri insisted.
“Wait,” Gabe interrupted, feeling completely lost by the conversation. “What’s a third year?”
“Gabe, I would love to explain everything to you right now, I really would. The thing is, we are still a good hour or more from the manor.” Uri said as he reached over and put his hand on Gabe’s wrist. Gabe felt the familiar calmness he had come to know with Uri. “I know you feel it. Danger is near. Our priority is getting you back safe. OK?”
Gabe nodded, still clueless to what was unfolding around him.
“I would try to out run them, but we can’t risk them discovering the manor.” Uri explained, “I need you to duck down and hide on the floor with your head covered.”
“What? You’re kidding right?”
“I wish I was.” Uri said, pushing Gabe’s head down forcefully. As Gabe stared up at him, Uri became intensely serious as he gave him instructions.