by Amy Hale
“The hauntings,” Colt said. “Smart way to keep the place to themselves.”
Jane nodded. “I think so too.” She took a deep breath. “Everyone ready?”
The men nodded in unison, and she stepped lightly as she led the way, searching for the stairwell. She swiftly found it and carefully opened the door. Jane pushed her way through and waited for Colt to follow. Once the door was quietly closed behind all of them, she took a tentative step upward and was dismayed to find that the concrete and metal stairs created a slight echo. All they could do was move slowly and hope they made it to the third floor before they were discovered.
It was a tedious journey to the top, but once there, they all took a moment to listen to the silence. There were no sounds at all. The foursome carefully slipped through the door leading to the third floor rooms, and that’s when they heard it. A thumping sound. In moments, an old baseball rolled toward them, stopping just inches from their feet.
Jane raised an eyebrow. “Is that all you’ve got? I thought ghosts were scary? This is playing fetch. My dog can do this.” She picked up the ball and tossed it back in the direction it came from.
She heard a faint whisper, then a loud bang. She stood there, arms crossed and flashlight pointing forward. “Well? Impress me already!”
She could hear the guys behind her snickering, and she shushed them. “Be polite, fellas. I’m talking to the spirits.”
She heard more whispering, this time slightly louder than before. A small lamp floated out of the darkness, its cord trailing behind it like a tail. The shiny, green ceramic reflected the glow of her flashlight for a moment, then crashed to the floor scattering large chunks across the carpet.
Jane clapped. “Much better! Although, that lamp was kinda pretty. Now it’s my turn to show you a cool trick.”
Jane lifted her flashlight high above her head so it shined on the remains of the lamp. Using her gifts, she held it there to free up her hands.
“Now watch carefully.”
She wiggled her fingers, and bit by bit each chunk of lamp rose from the floor and hovered in the air in front of her. Once she had all but the tiniest bits, she used her fingers to reassemble the lamp as if it were a puzzle and let it hover in the air a while longer. Then she used one index finger to slowly spin the green ceramic and show an almost perfect fit.
From the darkness she heard a gasp and then a curse.
“Well, that’s not a nice thing for a ghost to say. But let’s be honest here. You’re no more a ghost them I am, are you? You’re simply gifted, and like me, trying to avoid being recaptured by The Curators.”
A young man, no older than nine or ten, stepped out of the shadows and into the small circle of illumination from her flashlight.
His eyes were wide as he inspected the lamp, then her. “It’s you.”
Jane smiled at him. “It’s me.”
He ran to her and gave her a huge bear hug. She laughed and hugged him back, carefully pushing the lamp to one side and setting it on the floor.
Jeremy made his way forward and smiled. “Hey, Caesar, is that you?”
Caesar smiled widely. “Hey, Jeremy. You’re okay. I’m glad to see you, man.”
“You too, fella. Who’s here with you?”
Caesar then noticed Brett and Colt. He frowned. “Who are they?”
Jane made introductions. “This is Brett and Colt. They are friends, and I promise you can trust them.” She patted his back. “Now, who is with you?”
Caesar looked back into the dark hallway behind him. “Follow me.” As he walked, he spoke of their escape. “We got separated from a larger group, and then Blake got sick. He’s doing better, but he’s still not well. We tried to take him to a clinic, but the doctor started getting nosy, and Rachel said we should run.”
As they neared a door marked Conference Room A, Jane stopped Caesar. “So, it’s just you three?”
He nodded. “Yes. Just Blake, Rachel, and me.”
He pushed open the door to the conference room and spoke quickly. “Hey, guys, it’s me. I found Alice and Jeremy. And they have friends. They want to help us.”
Propane lamps flared to life and Rachel was suddenly in front of them. She seemed to possess Jeremy’s gift for speed.
“Wow, Alice. You look different.” She looked her over quickly. “I mean good. Healthy. Not like the last time I saw you.”
Jane smiled. “Yeah, they were half-starving me by that point. But please, I want you all to call me Jane. Alice died a long time ago.”
From the back of the large room, they heard Blake’s weak gravelly voice. “Sure.” Cough. “Whatever you say.” Cough. “Hot shot.”
Jane frowned. Blake sounded awful. She walked to where he was sitting, his back against the wall. His eyes were bloodshot, and his skin was clammy and pale.
“You know I never liked it when you called me hot shot,” she playfully scolded him.
He coughed again.
“Blake, what did the doctor say?”
He tried to clear his throat. “I dunno.” He pointed to Rachel. “Bossy over there pulled me out before they could run tests.”
Rachel sighed loudly. “They were asking too many questions, numb skull. We have no idea who is working with The Curators. We have to be very careful.” She looked at Jane. “I tried giving him some meds I got from the drug store, but nothing has really helped much. He’s not sleeping or eating very well.” She looked around. “Not that there’s an abundance of nutrition at our fingertips living like this.”
Jane sat next to Blake and lightly touched his forehead. “Has he been running a fever this whole time?”
Caesar spoke then. “It comes and goes.”
Jane motioned for Colt to join her, and it was then that Blake and Rachel really noticed the Henderson brothers.
Rachel smiled at them. “I see you’ve picked up some brawn along the way.”
Jane smiled. “They are more than brawn. They saved my life.” She turned to Colt. “A water, please?”
He dug one out of the bag he brought with him and handed it to Blake. Cautiously, Blake accepted the bottle, cracked open the lid, and then took a sip. Once he had taken a few more drinks, Jane got on her knees beside him.
“This is gonna sound nuts, Blake, but I want you to try something, okay?”
His tired eyes glanced up at her, and he weakly shook his head in agreement.
“I want you to close your eyes and think of something wonderful. Anything that has ever made you happy.”
He looked at her with skepticism. “Are you for real?”
“Yes, please. Just do it.”
“Okay.” Cough. “I’ll try.”
He coughed a couple more times then closed his eyes. Jane placed her fingers at his temples and tried to see the swirl of bright colors in her mind. For a brief moment, she remembered earlier that morning when she’d done the same to Dr. Weston hoping to heal him. She pushed the depressing thoughts away and welcomed in all the joyous memories she had. She felt the tips of her fingers tingle and warm. That feeling spread up her arms, and she willed it to leave her and enter Blake.
Within moments, Blake was gaining color in his skin, and his eyes were bright and clear. His raspy breathing and hoarse voice disappeared, and his fever dissipated.
Blake looked up at her in awe. “How did you do that?”
“I’m not really sure. It’s something I stumbled upon a few months back.”
He sat up and looked at Rachel and Caesar. “Can you believe this?”
Rachel’s smile widened. “It’s freakin’ amazing. No wonder Professor Twisted was so obsessed with you.”
Jane frowned. “He didn’t know I could do that either, but he was with me when I discovered it this summer.”
Rachel and Blake gave each other odd glances.
Jane looked at her. “You might as well sit down. This explanation could take a while.”
Colt and Jane had decided the best course of action was to get a decen
t night’s sleep and start fresh in the morning. Blake thought he knew where a few more of their friends might have gone, so they’d hatched a plan to look for them the following day.
Colt handed out hotel keys outside the Motel 6. There was no way he was sleeping in that old hotel, and there was no reason anyone else should either. It was getting way too cold to sleep without heat and despite Jane’s ability to heal others, the last thing they needed to deal with was more illness.
He held out a key to Blake. “You, Caesar, and Jeremy can take this room. They’ll bring in a roll-away bed for Caesar soon.”
He handed the next key to Jane. “For you and Rachel.” She gave him a look that said thank you, although, neither of them were happy being apart for the evening.
“Brett and I will take the last room.”
Brett flashed a wide smile. “If you and Jane want to be together, I’m sure it’s no big deal for Rachel and me to share.”
Rachel squinted her eyes at Brett. “I don’t know about you, Sparky, but I get kinda twitchy at night. I’d hate to accidentally kill you in your sleep or something.”
Brett just continued to smile at her and she rolled her eyes. “Not happening. Ever.”
Jane shoved Brett toward his own room. “It’s fine as it is. This will give us girls a chance to catch up.”
Colt kissed Jane goodnight, despite the snickers and teasing comments from Caesar. Then he unlocked his door and took his belongings inside. Brett stood just outside the door, bags in hand.
“Goodnight, Jane.” He directed his gaze at Rachel. “Goodnight, Rachel. I hope you sleep well and dream of me.” He blew her a kiss just before Colt yanked him into the room by the back of his shirt.
Jane laughed and Rachel replied, “Goodnight, moron.”
Once Colt had the door closed and locked, he turned and crossed his arms, staring at Brett.
“Just what in the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Brett raised his eyebrows as if he had no clue what Colt was talking about. “I’m not doing anything.”
“Offering to share a room? Blowing her kisses goodnight?” Colt shook his head. “You realize she could probably snap you like a twig, right?”
Brett closed his eyes and shook his head from side to side. “Oh, but what a way to go. She’s hot.”
Colt snorted in disbelief. “Rachel’s right. You are a moron.”
“C’mon, Colt. I know you’re spoken for and all, but you aren’t blind. Her long brown hair, blue eyes that were plucked straight from the sky, and the most kissable lips I’ve ever seen. And I haven’t even started on her curves…”
Colt held up a hand. “Stop right there. I don’t want to hear another word. How do you know she doesn’t have some kind of super hearing? If you’re smart, which I sadly know you aren’t, you’ll quit before you say something she’ll make you regret.”
Brett laughed. “You’re no fun anymore. We used to talk about women all the time.”
Colt sighed. “Yeah, that was when our biggest concern was who ended up as playmate of the year. We owe Jane and Rachel more respect than that.”
“I’m not trying to be disrespectful Colt. I really like her.” He thought about it a moment. “Her being dangerous is kinda hot too.”
Colt threw up his arms. “I give up. I’m going to bed. Do me a favor and keep the rest of your thoughts inside your head.”
Brett gave Colt a mock salute. “Will do, Captain. Just promise me something.”
“What do you want now?”
“Promise that if you get lonely in the middle of the night you won’t crawl into my bed. I hate spooning, and you sweat a lot.”
Colt threw a pillow at Brett, then slipped under the blankets of his own bed. His brother was a lunatic sometimes, but he was right about one thing—the bed was indeed lonely without Jane.
Jane walked through a large graveyard. As she approached the first row of stones, she saw Dr. Weston’s name among them. She bent down and brushed away the fresh earth in an attempt to keep the headstone pristine. A tear rolled down her cheek as she softly skimmed the engraved letters with her fingertips. She’d lost her father-figure; a man she looked to for help and guidance. The tears continued to fall as she closed her eyes and leaned her forehead on the cold marble. A breeze blew around her and it seemed to carry with it a feeling of dread. Then she heard a taunting voice. “You can’t win, you know. They’ll all die and it will be your fault.” She raised her head only to realize she was no longer at Dr. Weston’s grave, but was now looking at Colt’s. She gripped the headstone until her fingers turned white, and she wished the earth would just swallow her whole. Just as she started to rise, the dirt gave way beneath her and she was falling as if she’d somehow gotten her wish. She continued to fall, with no evidence she’d ever stop. A distant sound grew in volume and it seemed to surround her. It was everywhere, but nowhere. Water? A waterfall? No, that’s not it. Rain? Not quite. A faucet. Why was she hearing a faucet?
Jane woke up feeling almost as tired as when she’d went to bed. The sound of Rachel using the bathroom sink had broken through her restless slumber. She sat up and rubbed her face, trying to will away the images that still lingered in her mind. If she could avoid sleep completely, she would. The dreams were really starting to get to her.
Rachel walked out of the bathroom and gave Jane a sad smile. “Do you normally have nightmares? Or is it something about sharing a room with me that made you go all Elm Street last night?”
Jane shook her head. “Sorry. I’ve been having them a lot lately. Hope I didn’t disturb you too much.”
Rachel moved to Jane’s bed and sat on the edge. “No, it wasn’t too bad. It just surprised me. I’ve never heard anyone cry and thrash in their sleep like that. You rearranged the room a little too; that’s when I realized you were dreaming. I do that as well.”
“You do?” Jane met her eyes, shocked and relieved to hear she wasn’t the only one dealing with the odd reactions to dreams.
“Yes. Although, I don’t generally move things unless I’m really having a horrific one.” Rachel placed her hand on Jane’s shoulder and frowned. “Just when I think I understand what we are able to do, things shift and change.” She thought back to Jane’s discovery that she could heal. “My gifts seem to be evolving as well. However, it’s nothing like what you can do.”
Jane put her head in both hands and groaned. “I’m terrified, Rachel. I don’t want anyone else to get hurt, but we have to stop this madness. And I’m no longer sure that we fully grasp what we are up against.”
Rachel pulled her in for a hug. “I don’t know why we were chosen for this path, but we have an obligation to see where it takes us. I’d wager we’re the only beings alive that can extinguish the organization. I’m here with you all the way, no matter how crazy it gets.”
Jane hugged her back. “Thanks, Rachel. You’ve always been someone I could count on.”
A knock at the door interrupted any further conversation on the topic. Rachel answered the door to find Brett on the other side. A goofy grin was plastered on his face as he stepped inside and held out a white paper sack.
“An offering befitting a goddess.”
She snatched the sack from his hand, and he bent over in a dramatic bow.
Opening the bag, the scent of fresh donuts assailed her senses. Her lips quirked into a small smile. “You’re lucky I love donuts. If this were anything else, I’d likely throw you out on your common ass.”
In usual Brett fashion, he was quick with a comeback. “While my ass may be common, there are other parts of me that are legendary.” He wiggled his eyebrows up and down for full effect.
“That’s it. Get out.” She gave him a shove, and he stumbled backward out of the room. Once he cleared the door, she slammed it in his face.
Brett caught himself before he hit the truck parked in front of their room.
Standing nearby, Colt chuckled. “So, how’d that go for ya?”
Brett pick
ed at imaginary lint on his sleeve, then shrugged. “Could’ve been worse. I got her to touch me.”
Shaking his head at his brother, Colt walked past him and took the other bag of donuts to Blake, Jeremy, and Caesar’s room. He rapped on the door with his knuckles.
The door opened just a crack, and Caesar eyed him cautiously. Realizing it was Colt, he threw open the door fully.
“Colt. Do I smell food? Donuts?” He bounced up and down excitedly.
“Yes, you do, little man.” He handed the bag to Caesar. “Just be sure you give some to Jeremy and Blake, okay?”
Caesar’s head bobbed in agreement, then he crammed an entire glazed donut into his mouth. Colt’s eyebrows went up in surprise, and Caesar attempted to smile despite his cheeks being stuffed like a chipmunk.
Colt ruffled his hair. “Don’t choke.”
Blake spoke up then. “If the donut doesn’t choke him, I will unless he hands that bag over so Jeremy and I can have one too.”
Caesar turned around and passed the paper sack to Blake, still chewing furiously on his mouthful. Colt shot Jeremy a questioning glance. Rising from the bed, Jeremy motioned for Colt to follow him outside. Once the door closed behind him, Jeremy frowned.
“Starvation was a method used to control us. You’ve probably heard Jane mention how they rationed our food and drugged us depending on what experiments we were participating in.”
Colt nodded his head, frowning.
“Well, some people were fed more than others. Those that were less useful to the organization were given smaller rations so that the more powerful were well-fed. When they did get food, it was often a case of eating it as quickly as possible or losing it to someone else.” Jeremy looked back at the closed door separating him from his temporary roommates. “We were in the group that got less. Caesar is still adjusting to not having to fight for his meals.”
Colt’s jaw clenched, and he thought about them scrambling and fighting for nothing more than scraps. It infuriated him. He wanted to resurrect Professor Russell just so they could kill him again. Or better yet, slowly starve him to death so he could experience the torture he put these kids through.