“Oh! Speaking of lunch, you’re going to love this,” Autumn said, as she hopped up onto the counter. Much to her embarrassment, Autumn gleefully told her brother all about Renee’s encounter with the bullies. She didn’t want Sage to think she couldn’t stand up for herself.
“At least they were caught this time,” he replied after Autumn told him they had been punished for what they did.
“I know, right?” she went on. “But that’s not the best part. While we were watching them clean up, Renee was like, ‘I cursed Macey to slip on a banana peel.’ And as soon as she said it, Macey totally slipped on a banana peel! You should have seen it!”
“Seriously?” Sage eyed her with amusement and a hint of curiosity.
“It was a pretty freaky coincidence,” Renee admitted bashfully.
“Are you sure it was a coincidence?” he teased.
“Have you seen the shoes she wears?” Renee asked, suddenly aware that both siblings were looking at her as if she really did have super powers. “If I had the ability to curse someone, I’d do something much cooler,” she said dismissively.
“I wouldn’t have been as nice,” Autumn said wistfully. “If there weren’t rules…” She trailed off as her brother gave her a sharp and meaningful glance that confused Renee. There was something unspoken between them, but she wasn’t sure what it was.
“Her older brothers were just as bad,” Sage explained to Renee with an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry you got caught up in our family rivalry. The Vickers kids all think we Rivers are weak nerds.”
“Oh no,” Renee shook her head. “They started right in on me. If it wasn’t for them, I might not have met Autumn. I’d rather be a nerd if the alternative is to be a brainless Barbie like those three.”
“Well, if you’re a nerd, you’re in good company,” Sage informed her with a warm smile. “We just so happen to have a whole store full of nerd paraphernalia. Would you like the grand tour, Renee?”
“Hey, that’s my job,” Autumn protested, but shot a sly, knowing look at Renee behind her brother’s back.
“No, your job is to unpack and catalog six new boxes of self-help,” he shot back. “Come on,” he said to Renee with a conspiratorial wink. “I think you’ll like this.”
Sage led her up the stairs, above which a sign read “Genre Fiction” with an arrow pointing up. They bypassed mysteries and thrillers, romance, western, and horrors as they made their way up to the back of the loft. There, the entire back wall was devoted exclusively to science fiction and fantasy.
“We proudly boast more sci-fi and fantasy titles than that megastore over in the mall,” he bragged. “It helps that mom’s a bigger geek than all of us.”
“This is amazing,” Renee said, awestruck. Already she noticed several titles that had been hard to find back home. “I’m going to become your mom’s best customer.”
“I think she’ll like that. I know I will, if that means you’ll be in here a lot.”
“Are you kidding? I’d live here if I could,” she said and caught herself. Maybe Autumn was right and Sage really did like her, as impossible as that was to believe.
“So,” he said, drawing the word out slowly. “On Friday they’re having this sort of arts festival and there’s going to be a band in the park. I have to work, of course, but only until seven. I was wondering… if you didn’t already have plans, that is, if you’d like to come check it out with me.”
“Really?” Renee blurted out before she could stop herself. She was completely dumbfounded. Guys like Sage did not ask her out. For that matter, no guy had ever asked her out.
“Absolutely really,” Sage said, taking a step closer as if he sensed her disbelief. “You’re really cool, Renee. I’d like to get to know you better.”
“Th-thanks,” she stammered, aware that her heart was beating loudly in her chest. “That sounds great. I’d love to.”
“Perfect.” Sage’s eyes lit up when he smiled. “We can meet here if you’d like.”
“Sure,” she replied, returning his smile with a bashful one of her own.
Sage showed her the books he had recommended when they met earlier. It was a series about a girl whose world is turned upside down when she finds out she has a rare telekinetic gift. The description sounded exactly like something she’d enjoy, so Renee selected the first volume to purchase. After that, they went back downstairs, where Autumn was wrestling with a stack of boxes.
“Ugh, there you are. Do you have the box cutter?”
“It’s right here,” said an older woman who had just come from the back room. This was clearly Sage and Autumn’s mother. Her long hair was the same raven wing black and her eyes were the same brilliant green. When she saw Renee, she smiled. It was a genuine and warm smile, not the pasted on polite smiles that parents usually used toward their children’s friends. “You must be Renee,” she said, extending her hand. “I’m Miriam River. Autumn tells me you’re an avid reader.”
“Nice to meet you,” Renee said politely. “And yes, I love to read. Your store is amazing and your staff is helpful,” she added with a grin, holding up the book in her hand. “I’d like to purchase this, please.”
Miriam glanced at the book Renee held and then darted her eyes quickly to her children. Both Autumn and Sage gave her a nearly imperceptible nod. Renee wondered what that was about, but Miriam smiled at her again. “For you, dear, that one is free.”
“Really? I don’t mind paying,” Renee insisted, but Miriam held up her hand.
“It’s a very popular series. I’ve no doubt you’ll be back for the rest of them soon enough. Consider it a welcome gift. I only ask that you read carefully. The story is quite entertaining, but there is an important message within,” she added cryptically.
“Thank you very much. I’ll pay close attention,” Renee promised with a glance at the clock. It was already nearly six. She couldn’t believe how fast the afternoon had flown. “My parents will be home soon,” she said apologetically to Autumn. She felt slightly guilty that she had spent most of her time in the store with Sage.
“That’s cool. I’ll see you at school then,” Autumn said pleasantly, but gave Renee a look that said she was going to either grill her or pick on her mercilessly over her obvious infatuation with her brother.
Renee tucked the book into her backpack and said goodbye to the River family. As she walked the few blocks back to her house, she couldn’t believe how amazingly lucky she was to have ended up in Waterside. For the first time in her life, Renee didn’t feel the need to retreat into her own mind to find happiness.
Chapter 4
The thunderous reverberations of stampeding horses echoed against the canyon walls with such force that the sound waves were nearly visible to the naked eye. Blake Carter flattened himself against the ledge of his lookout and tried to get an estimate of how many men the sheriff had sent after him this time. From the looks of it, half the population of Denver was down there. Shooting was out of the question. He’d run out of bullets long before the entire posse entered the pass. He had just one advantage. The horses were not nimble enough to climb the steep and narrow ledges that led to his current hideout, which meant that the men would have to come after him on foot. Blake crept closer to the edge. With any luck, they’d lose his trail and continue on into the valley.
He couldn’t hide out forever. Already the sun was creeping higher and Blake had very little water left in his canteen. He needed to get to the cave where he had hidden the gold. The gold that he had come by one hundred percent legally, despite the sheriff’s twisted logic that led to his face on a wanted poster over the words “Dead or Alive.” With the gold, Blake could get a mule. Not the fastest animal, but it would survive the desert and traverse the dangerous terrain better than any horse ever could. If he was careful, he might make it all the way to California, where he could blend in with the countless other prospectors who headed west every day.
But before he could make his dreams a reality, Blake ha
d to make it out of the canyon alive. Below him, the sheriff slowed his posse to a crawl. Though he couldn’t hear what the man was saying, he understood the gestures. Even if he didn’t, there was no mistaking the actions of the men who dismounted their horses and strapped their rifles to their backs before fanning out to climb the steep paths jutting from the walls. Time was up. Blake had to get out of there and he had to do it fast. Carefully, he slid himself back from the ledge and up onto his hands and knees. But as he stood, the toe of his boot struck loose soil, sending a miniature cascade of pebbles over the ledge and into the ravine below.
“Aw hell,” Blake muttered under his breath as he realized what had just happened.
For a moment, time seemed to slow down as the pebbles tumbled over the edge, making almost as much noise as the stampeding horses had. Blake heard the sheriff shout directions to his men and sprang into action. Without bothering to see how many were behind him, he slid his pistol back into the holster and ran across the flat ledge to the narrow pass that would take him down and out the other side of the ravine. Gunshots and shouts echoed all around him, but Blake kept running. He’d come back for the gold, maybe. For now, his only goal was to outrun the sheriff’s men.
His foot fell on a patch of unstable gravel and Blake began to slide. He dug his boots in to slow his descent, but still, he slid faster. He reached out and grabbed at the gnarled branches of scrub brush that grew out of the cracks in the cliff face, thankful that he still wore his thick leather riding gloves. He hauled himself up and onto another ledge. Ahead of him, a narrow path cut through the canyon walls. Blake didn’t know where it led, but he didn’t have a choice. One of the sheriff’s men had spotted him and gave chase.
As Blake ran, a door appeared in the wall to his side. No matter how fast he ran, the door was always there, right next to him.
“No way, man,” Blake said to the door as much as to himself. “Too easy. I’m not ready to give up quite yet.”
The door had appeared a few days ago while Blake was still renting a room above the Kettle and Wagon Saloon. He didn’t know whom he’d find on the other side, but he knew what would happen to them and he wasn’t going to put himself through that again. But just like all of the other times the door had appeared, Blake’s luck began to dry up. It was that same day that the sheriff burst into the Kettle and Wagon and accused him of stealing the gold.
The sheriff’s men were gaining on him, but Blake noticed that the pass widened up ahead and kept running, hoping to find another path down the side of the ravine. But as he turned the corner that would bring him out and into freedom, he drew up short and pressed himself against the side of the cliff. Bandits had set up camp, blocking the only way out of the valley. Though he had nothing of value, Blake was a wanted man with a hefty price on his head. The posted reward for his capture was more than enough for word to have gotten around to all of the bandits and outlaws for miles around.
Going back the way he came was out of the question as well. Already, the sheriff’s men were rounding the corner and in a matter of seconds, they would be right on top of him. He could try to shoot his way through the bandit camp, but whether or not he could shoot fast enough to outrun the posse was questionable. A quick glance behind him showed that to be highly unlikely. With a string of curses that would make a sailor blush, Blake grabbed the door handle and gave it a forceful shove.
As he tumbled through the doorway, the dusty Colorado ravine faded away, replaced by a quaint town square. His dust covered Stetson, long coat, and western boots were anachronistic, but it didn’t matter. Though people in modern dress walked past, they didn’t see him. Technically, Blake didn’t exist yet, but that had nothing to do with the fact that he had just left the 1860s Colorado gold rush on the other side of the portal. Technically, he hadn’t actually been there either.
Suddenly, the air around him began to shimmer and his chest tightened. Blake groped blindly and found one of the park benches in the middle of the square. He collapsed onto the bench and braced himself for the emotional onslaught that was coming. He hated this part, but he was ready. He didn’t care who they were, he couldn’t. How many strangers’ lives had he seen in their entirety? It didn’t matter. They were all dead and soon enough, this one too would end. He would not waste time trying to save them, but neither would he do what it was clear he had been sent to do.
But as a lifetime of memories and experiences invaded Blake’s mind, his resolve began to weaken. It wasn’t that she was young, his age, in fact. It wasn’t that she was pretty, though she was. There was nothing in her memories to indicate that she had endured anything near the horrific nightmare that Blake had lived through for his first sixteen years of existence. As far as he could tell, this girl led a perfectly normal life. He wanted that to be the case. He wanted to step back through the portal and forget she ever existed. He would have, were it not for the fact that it was all a facade. Permeating every apparently wholesome and happy memory was an overbearing sense of loneliness that Blake could not ignore, no matter how hard he tried.
The information overload began to recede and the tightening in his chest subsided. Slowly, the world came into focus and Blake knew exactly where he was. Waterside, North Carolina, a coastal town with a population of just under fifty thousand. It was January, but the sun was shining and the temperature was a pleasant seventy-five degrees, as it would be every day in this picture perfect town. For a moment, Blake smiled. It reminded him of Piper’s Bend, the small coastal village in Washington where his grandparents ran fishing tours. But just as quickly, he pushed the memories aside. There was no point in dwelling on people he would never see again.
He knew exactly who he was looking for and spotted her immediately as she turned the corner onto Main Street. She was giggling with two other girls while a couple of boys walked behind them, deep in conversation. The smile she wore was genuine as she laughed at something one of the other girls said. They slowed as they neared the bookstore and waited as an impossibly handsome young man came out. He took her hand in his, greeting her with a brilliant smile. They all walked to the other side of the square and disappeared into the unmarked door that led to the Latte Loft.
Blake didn’t follow. Instead, he looked over at another door, one that only he could see, and considered passing through it. He already knew the outcome. There was no point in sticking around to watch her fate play out, and there was nothing he could do to change it. For the first time in her life, she was truly happy. The oppressive loneliness of her memories was gone. She had good friends and a caring boyfriend who thought the world of her. Revealing himself, and ultimately the truth, just seemed unfair. She was going to die anyway. Why shouldn’t she have the chance to truly live before that happened, even if it was a lie?
His hand paused on the doorknob. He had to go back. He didn’t even need to go back to Colorado. There were plenty of other places he could explore that would keep him from growing weak and complacent. The battle at Gettysburg, Nazi Germany, Ancient Rome, heck, he could even go live amongst the dinosaurs in the age before man if he really wanted to. But it didn’t matter. Wherever in space and time he went, the door would be there, taunting him, until the day it disappeared, signaling that the girl was gone.
How long then until another door appeared, and another after that? Blake let his hand fall away and sighed, defeated by his own conscience. He could no more turn off his emotions to spare this girl than he could to become the efficient machine his malevolent masters wanted him to be. Instead, he waited in the square until she appeared again.
He watched as she walked along, hand in hand with her boyfriend, until they returned to the bookstore. She shyly allowed him to give her a hug before she skipped away, up the street to the row of perfect Victorian homes. Blake followed her to a towering green house, where her mother’s car sat in the driveway. Inside, he watched unseen as she chatted with her mother about her first week of school and nervously asked for help getting ready for her first date.
There was a sound of crunching gravel as her father’s car came up the driveway and moments later, he walked in carrying a pizza. Blake stood stoically by the window, watching as they all sat around the table, eating and laughing.
But as strong as he thought he was, Blake could not bear to watch the happy scene in the kitchen any longer. His own memories pressed at the corners of his mind, like unwelcome storm clouds darkening a summer sky. He slipped out the door and waited on the front porch, picking at the peeling paint on the porch swing, until the girl emerged an hour later. A pink stripe stood in shocking contrast to her wheat colored hair and she wore a vintage sundress of the same electric color over black tights and combat boots. To Blake, she looked like a pop star from a bygone era. It was certainly a unique style, but it suited her perfectly.
He followed as she walked back down to the town center, not at all surprised when she ended up back at the bookstore. Blake felt like a stalker as he shadowed her and her date across the square to an old-fashioned ice cream shop and later back to the lawn where a local band played covers of popular songs. They watched politely for a few songs, but it was obvious that neither she nor her date were into the style of music being played. The boy put his arm around her and leaned in close, putting his lips to her ear so that she could hear him over the band. The girl enthusiastically nodded her agreement to whatever he had just suggested. As they slipped away, back down Main Street, headed for the beach, Blake felt a sudden sense of foreboding. With his nerves on edge, he followed.
Chapter 5
When the final bell rang on Friday afternoon, Renee tried to act natural as she gathered up her belongings, but her insides were a twisted knot of nervous energy and excited anticipation. In a few hours, she was going on her first real date with Sage. Actually, this was her first date ever, but she kept that information to herself. She still couldn’t believe how completely different life in Waterside was from life in New Mexico. Every one of her teachers kept their classes interesting and fun, including gym class. After receiving harsh punishment for their actions on Monday, Macey, Lacey, and Casey were hesitant to step out of line again. Renee wasn’t sure how long that attitude would last, but she was enjoying it while she could.
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