Trunks of Ages: The Seven Seals

by Mary Beth Frank

  Chapter 15 Harassed

  December 28-Present Day

  The train ride was, much to Sebastian's relief, uneventful and boring. Several times they walked to the dining or observation cars, looking for an excuse to stretch their legs. Marshall was still bouncing off the walls, long after the initial excitement would have worn off for most seven-year-olds. Sebastian was trying very hard not to duct tape him to his seat. The people sitting around them had all gotten up in search of new seats, mumbling about “loud obnoxious brats” when they gathered their belongings. Marshall was still rambling a mile a minute, at the top of his lungs, about boring train facts. He had tried to tune him out by turning his mp3 player on full blast, but Marshall droned on about the pistons of steam locomotives, a subject he could care less about. Makayla and Ethan had gotten out their mp3 players ages ago, but were now passed out in their seats, abandoning Sebastian to Marshall’s over-stimulated brain.

  Finally Marshall settled down to a Lionel catalog, losing himself in his world of trains. Several minutes later he was sound asleep. Alone and quiet for the first time since they’d left, Sebastian suddenly realized he was hungry.

  Rummaging through the stuffed bag, he was trying to feel for his beef jerky, but found his grandpa's mysterious present instead. He might as well open it now, since there was nothing else to do. Laying it in his lap while he tried to shove the bag back under the seat in front of him, his eyes caught Gina’s card on the floor by his feet. Sebastian shoved the card into his pocket, for safe keeping, and began to fumble with the aging yarn on the package. Pulling it free, he tore through the crisp brown paper his grandfather had used as wrapping, letting it fall to the floor. Inside an old white box was an antique compass. It wasn't anything special. In fact, it looked like it had been well used. The gold was tarnished, leaving an uneven polish to the back and sides of the instrument. The paint on the face of the compass had chipped in numerous places, and the glass on the front had several thin scratches stretching across its surface. Sebastian jiggled it, trying to make the needle spring to life. Not impressed, he set it down on his lap. A white piece of paper inside the brown wrapping he had thrown down caught his eye. He scooped it up, smoothing it out on his lap. The old note had a message scribbled in his grandpa's penmanship, “It will always point the way home.” Sebastian shrugged, wondering what was so special about an old compass. He shoved it and the note into his pocket, letting them rest next to Gina's card.

  The train slowly lurched into the station at Springfield, just before dinner time. The children quickly grabbed their packs, wearily getting off the train. No one else was getting off from their car, but there wasn't anyone left in their car to get off with. Sebastian, climbing down onto the platform, decided they were going to have to get something to eat. He led them to the info map he spotted in the middle of the station. Remembering from their last visit that there were a few restaurants south by the River, he looked on the map for the fastest way to Main Street. They checked the map, and Sebastian suggested that they walk down Lyman and turn left on Main. The rest just shrugged at his plans, not really caring or knowing to do anything different. They headed off, anxious and nervous. Marshall was bouncing as he walked, holding on to Sebastian’s hand for comfort. Ethan and Makayla still had their earphones stuffed into their ears, but were glancing nervously around while they walked. Sebastian led them in silence, letting his mind wander back to the meeting with Gina at The Outfitter’s Store. He felt his pulse quicken, as he thought about the way her black hair curled around her forehead, the way her lips were puckered when she looked like she wanted to say something but didn't. He suddenly wished he hadn’t been so chicken that day; desperately wanting to talk to her and figure out her secrets. At least there was still some hope they would have some classes together. Maybe then he would have the courage to talk to her for more than a minute, even ask her on a date. The second he thought about it, he felt his stomach churn.

  Trying to focus on the task at hand, instead of intense fear that gripped him when he thought about dating, he turned onto Main. There were a few local restaurants and bars, but he headed toward the familiar Dippin’ Donuts sign, wanting comfort food. They all ordered sandwiches, muffins, and shakes. Makayla got coffee, commenting on how she wanted to stay up to read on the bus. She said she had found a chapter that could be really useful in one of the books she had gotten. They talked about the shields, mulling over their intricate design. The conversation turned to speculating on what could be in the box. Sebastian let them carry on, but pulled himself back into his thoughts about Gina. He still didn't get it. Why was she suddenly in Ithaca? Was it a coincidence that she was there the week all their lives turned into an episode of “The Twilight Zone”? Sebastian laughed at himself, thinking that he really had lost it. She had to be just an ordinary girl. But those eyes...

  “Earth to Sebastian,” Makayla was pulling him out of his trance. “We need to go!”

  Sebastian looked at his watch, frustrated that he had lost track of time. They had wanted to get to the bus station in plenty of time, in case they could catch an earlier bus. They found a taxi waiting outside the Dippin’ Donuts. Sebastian thought it was odd that the only taxi within sight just happened to be sitting exactly where they needed it.

  “Almost like it read my mind,” he smirked to himself.

  “What?” Marshall was looking up at him from the sidewalk

  “Nothing,” Sebastian shrugged.

  He shook his head as he climbed into the taxi, thinking he was going to need a mental exam when this was all over.

  The bus station was a small building, not designed with Christmas crowds in mind. People were coming and going, keeping the revolving doors in constant motion. There was a long line of yellow taxi cabs waiting outside the front entrance, hoping for their next fare. Inside the station, bags and people seemed to be piled everywhere. Luggage was sitting next to waiting passengers while they slept, ate, or stared off into space. Seeing the line at the ticket counter, Sebastian gave up on the idea of catching an earlier bus.

  Once again, he found himself having to wait through the monotony of the check-in counter, while all the other impatient passengers grumbled behind him. Fortunately, the lady at this counter was slightly faster than the last. Sebastian grabbed his tickets and motioned for the rest to follow him to the waiting area. However, after stepping one foot into the stuffy room, he moaned to himself. There weren't enough seats open for all of them. Letting the other three have the only empty seats he could find that were together, he plopped himself down on their bags, trying to wrestle them into a position that wouldn't kill his back.

  Finally, after several hours, their bus had arrived and was ready to load. Sebastian gathered up Marshall, who was dead asleep and not budging, handing his pack to Makayla to carry. She rolled her eyes, but tagged along behind him to get in line with the other passengers. People were fairly impatient, trying to push their way up the line for the chance to have first choice of seats. Sebastian was too exhausted to care where they sat, as long as it was together. While he waited, he tried to plan out something of a schedule for the impossible day ahead of them.

  Tomorrow morning they would be in Boston and would check into their hotel before heading out to where ever it was they were going. According to a search on map quest, the map wasn't leading them anywhere. In fact, Google earth had no listing for anything at that location.

  Sebastian began to wonder if they were just on a wild goose chase. Maybe their destination existed, but there wasn't anything significant there, at least according to the Internet. This frustrated Sebastian, but only further intrigued Makayla. Before they left, she spent hours at the library trying to get information on the address. Ethan had decided that he was responsible for the portable GPS system, eagerly attempting to find the spot. Sebastian thought he had heard Marshall mumbling to himself several times about “blue lights and nothing there.
” He was obviously trying to solve the newest mystery of the madness happening to them this Christmas break.

  Sebastian sucked in his breath as a gust of cold wind swept across his face. The wind tousled his coppery hair, blowing the shaggy mane into his eyes. Dark clouds began to blanket most of the night sky, giving an eerie feel to the chilly night. A snow flake hit his forehead, reminding him that mother-nature could care less about his need for a clear day tomorrow. The last thing they needed was a snow storm. Turning his body to shield his face from the unrelenting wind, he heard some commotion in the back of the line. A bunch of male voices were talking loudly; a couple bellowing in laughter at another’s sarcastic tones. Sebastian turned around even more, noticing three boys hanging back, keeping a distance from the rest. They were leaning up against the doors to the station, dragging on cigarettes. Rolling his eyes to himself, he knew this type. These were the kind of kids who acted like the world owed them. He grimaced, watching them, deciding that they were just as dim witted as Bobby Myers. They were punching each other in jest, laughing, and talking loud enough for the entire line to hear. A couple of them had their mp3 players so loud that the beat of their rap music was pounding through the line. Sebastian was glad he hadn't had any coffee earlier, because he was sure this group was going to make their bus ride miserable. Sleep was sounding like a nice escape.

  The bus doors opened and the passengers in front of them began to get on board in single file fashion. The bus driver was roughly taking people's luggage, throwing it without much care into the storage compartment underneath. Deciding not to take any chances, he quickly handed Marshall to Makayla, who could barely hold him and switched his pack to the opposite side of the driver. Taking Marshall back, Ethan and Makayla silently followed suit. The last thing they needed was to lose their packs with all their gear inside. Not only that, but they didn’t want to be hanging around, waiting for the bags, once they reached Boston. The less people noticed them, the better. Sebastian had a sinking feeling that being in the spotlight was coming soon enough. It was a thought that made every inch of him crawl with horror. Spending his whole life learning how to be a fly on the wall, he was coming to understand that he was being forced off.

  A sudden gust of wind ripped through his jacket, sending shivers all over him. Although, Sebastian recalled, he had been shivering the last couple of days regardless of the weather. It was his body’s natural way of warning him of his pending doom.

  Clear of the bus driver, Sebastian carried Marshall and led the other two toward the middle of the bus. He set Marshall in the window seat, propping his backpack under his head as a pillow and using his jacket as a makeshift blanket. Ethan and Makayla plopped down in the seats across the aisle from him. Pushing her hair out of her face, Makayla cleared her throat with a little too much force, a signal that Sebastian knew. He glanced up at her, catching the slight panicked look in her eyes. Without turning her head, she moved her eyes toward the front of the bus. As far as he could tell there was nothing to fear except the misery the obnoxious boys promised to provide. But then he saw what was making her nervous. There, stepping onto the bus was the man in the black T-shirt, looking like he too had been waiting in the crowded waiting room. The mop of curly hair was disheveled, and his shirt a wrinkled mess. Moaning, only loud enough for Makayla to hear, Sebastian slumped down in his seat. The man passed by them without any sign of recognition making Sebastian feel a little paranoid. In fact, he took a seat a couple rows behind them, putting his bag in the rack above him. Sebastian looked at Makayla, who was now staring straight at the back of her seat, rubbing her fingers together as if a sudden gust of cold air had blown past them. He put his hand on her arm and squeezed it, silently telling her that it was going to be OK.

  Makayla looked at him, eyes bright and blazing, betraying her usual carefree attitude. She slowly nodded her head, her blonde trusses waving around her.

  “Hey, baby, mind if I sit here? A pretty girl could use some company, huh?” Makayla and Sebastian had been so wrapped up in the man with the black shirt boarding the bus that they hadn't notice the group of teenage boys starting to sit down in front of them.

  “You can sit wherever you want, but don't call me baby! And don't even think about bothering me the rest of the trip!” Makayla's panicked expression had turned to sheer rage in a matter of seconds; her cheeks bright red and her hands curled into fists on her lap. She was nearly growling at the arrogant high school boy in front of her. Surprisingly tall and muscular, the boys were obviously the athletic type. They had been too far away at the station, merely shadows against the night’s dark canvas, to see what they looked like close up. But now there was ample light from the stationary bus, he could tell their rippled necks had more muscle tone than his entire body. Great, sports jocks. At least, he thought oddly, Bobby Myers doesn’t have that going for him. Glancing back at Makayla, he saw a cold and calculating expression come across her face. This was something he hadn’t seen in his sister before. Why was this high school jerk hitting on his sister? Did this happen all the time? She just entered junior high! He remembered a lot of adults had murmured around him about how pretty she was, but Sebastian thought they were crazy. She was, after all, just Makayla. She was just his little sister. So, what on earth did this guy want with her?

  “Whatever, babe, but if you change your mind you know where I'll be.” The boy glanced over at Sebastian, sizing him up, and turned around to sit down.

  Makayla relaxed a little bit, letting her fingers uncurl from the tight fists she was holding at her sides. Her color seemed to be returning to normal.

  “Uh, does that happen often?” Sebastian couldn't seem to help asking the question, even though he knew he didn't want to know the answer.

  Makayla didn't respond at first, but finally looked up at him.

  “Sometimes…” she said, her voice drifting off for a second. “Well, actually, all the time. But only when I'm not with you or Ethan.” Makayla looked down at her hands and started picking at her nails. Sebastian could feel the heat rising to his cheeks. What did she mean, “When I'm not with you or Ethan?” Was it just the high school boys, or did the college town they lived in add more misery to her life? Sebastian wanted to punch something. He hadn't felt this upset or protective over Makayla in a long time. He must not have been paying close attention to her the last couple of years, because he still saw her as the little girl in pigtails swinging on the swings at the park down the road. He still envisioned her bouncing off to ballet class in that awful tutu she used to wear. To him, she didn't seem any different. She still had the long blonde hair that tangled up into knots all the time, still had the long lanky body that she complained about, still had the pointed nose that wrinkled up every time she got annoyed, still had the long eyelashes that were like overgrown ivy on her eyes. Makayla started to giggle next to him.

  “Sebastian, you should see yourself! You look pretty stupid right now.” She pushed him on the arm across the aisle.

  “Well, I don't know what someone's supposed to look like when they find out their little sister gets hit on by older boys all the time,” Sebastian spat out, annoyed that she was laughing at him.

  Makayla returned again to her normal, carefree self, trying to reassure him that she was all right. “Oh, it really isn't that bad. Usually, it’s just some stupid high school boys trying to impress their friends. When they find out who I am and how old I am, they almost always back off. Except that time...” Makayla stopped herself and suddenly put her lips together in a tight line. Her eyes lost the sparkle that had just brought them back to life.

  “Makayla? What do you mean? What time?” Sebastian was now on the edge of his seat, wanting to know who had hurt his sister, so he could punch his lights out when they got home.

  “I don't want to talk about it. I just want to read right now, OK?” Makayla was focusing hard on trying to pull a book free from her pack, but
her hands were trembling too hard to succeed.

  “Makayla, what happened? Why didn't you tell me about what's been going on?”

  Makayla hesitated with her bag, letting it rest on her feet, looking at the seat in front of her. Sebastian thought she was intentionally not meeting his gaze. “Because being harassed is hard enough as it is. It would be even worse with you always hovering around trying to protect me. I just want to ignore them and try to be a normal girl. Is that so bad?” Makayla finally looked up at him, her eyes pleading and sad.

  Swallowing hard, trying to force down the fury raging within him, he tried to see her point. Now that he knew boys harassed her all the time, he didn't know how he could leave her alone. Fury was quickly replaced with pity, and he found he wanted to comfort her, but had no idea how. Finally, he decided to leave it alone, for now.

  “Yeah, that's not so bad.” Sebastian looked at her for a moment, trying to see this grown-up version of his sister. It didn’t work. Pigtails still bounced in his head. He put his hand on her shoulder, trying to reassure her without saying anything. In his mind, however, he swore to himself that no one would ever hurt her. They would have to kill him first. Finally, exhausted from thinking about this new revelation, he wanted to be lost in his own little world for a while.

  “Will you be OK if I get some sleep?” he asked, motioning to the boy in front of her.

  Makayla flashed him a big smile, “Aren't I always?”

  “Well, that's to be determined.” Makayla flashed him a warning with her eyes, but Sebastian ignored her. He knew when they got back home he was going to have to be looking out for her more than usual. She was definitely not walking home by herself from school anymore. And he would make it a point to go with her to The Java or Book Rack Alley. She was probably OK with her friends, but he wasn't going to take any chances. If something happened to her, he wouldn't be able to live with himself. She was his little sister. Didn’t he promise his dad and Alice to watch out for her? Well, that promise wouldn’t end when their lives returned to normal. Sebastian pulled out his mp3 player and closed his eyes, and within minutes Sebastian found himself dreaming of the box and its shields.