The Legend of the Firewalker

by Steve Bevil [paranormal/YA]

  Alan frowned when he saw Nathan and removed his own cell phone from his ear. “What the heck is going on up there?” he asked. “What’s the reason for all the noise? My guys said they heard screaming.”

  Nathan tried not to look upset.

  “What?” asked Alan, speaking into his phone. He attempted to pass Nathan on the stairwell. “And where is Angela?” he asked him.

  Nathan caught Alan by the arm. He had a sad look on his face. “She’s not up there,” he said, almost in a whisper. He cleared his throat. “Just come with me.”

  “What do you mean?” Alan protested. “I just left from up there like fifteen minutes ago.”

  Nathan held on to Alan’s arm and continued down the stairs.

  “Hey,” Alan groaned. “What the heck are you doing? And where is Angela?” He spoke into his cell phone. “I don’t know what he’s doing,” he said. “He won’t let go of my arm.” He reluctantly continued down the stairs. “Again,” he said, while speaking into the phone. “I said I don’t know.”

  Nathan just shook his head and kept walking.

  “Okay, fine!” Alan snapped, after yanking his arm from Nathan’s grip. “Here!”

  Nathan raised his eyebrows and frowned. “I don’t want your cell phone,” he said. “I am dragging you along just in case I may need backup.”

  “Back up?” he asked. “For what?” Alan rolled his eyes and shoved the phone into Nathan’s hand. “You better answer it,” he said. “It’s Lafonda.”

  Nathan paused to take a deep breath and sighed. He could only imagine how upset she was that he hadn’t returned any of her phone calls. He placed Alan’s cell phone to his ear and winced. “Hello?” he said slowly.

  “Nathan Urye!” she responded, angrily. “I have called you several times and left several messages. Why haven’t you called me back?”

  “Hmm,” he uttered, while mentally recalling the events of the day. “I would say I have been very busy.”

  “Whatever, Nathan. You could have at least texted me and what’s going on there? Alan said the guys heard screaming on my floor. I tried calling Angela, but it just goes to voicemail.”

  He heard a door open and close on the stairwell and proceeded down the stairs, trying to remain calm. “Lafonda, I couldn’t call anybody. There was a storm tonight and I had no signal…”

  “Hey,” protested Alan, while following close behind him. “Where are you going with my cell phone?”

  Nathan just ignored him and kept walking. “Plus,” he continued. “You can’t imagine the night I’ve had. Jonathan and Dr. Helmsley were…”

  “Leah’s missing,” she said.

  He froze and Alan almost ran into him. “What?” he asked. “What do you mean? What happened?”

  There was a brief silence on the other end of the phone. “We had just returned back to Leah’s parents’ house after shoe shopping,” she said. “Leah wanted to change clothes before we went out for dinner…”

  “Shoe shopping?” he asked.

  Alan’s eyes lit up. “Shoe shopping?”

  “Yes,” she continued. “I waited for her downstairs with her mom in the kitchen. She wasn’t gone that long. Her mom had just taken the peach cobbler out of the oven and that’s when we heard this loud screeching noise.”

  A cold shiver ran down his back. “Did you say screeching noise?”

  “Yes,” she said. “It almost sounded like grinding metal.”

  Nathan remembered the sound the Necrocritters made while on the pseudo staircase with Jonas. He also recalled the scratches on Bobby’s arm and the comment Jonas had made about the train behind his house. “Like the sound of a train?” he asked, proceeding down the stairs again.

  “Yeah,” she replied surprised. “How did you know?” Lafonda waited for a response, but continued. “We followed the sound back to Leah’s room and when she didn’t respond, her mom opened the door. The room was a mess Nathan; feathers everywhere and her bedspread ripped to shreds. It reminded me of her dorm room the night she was taken to the hospital.”

  There was silence on the phone again. “What kind of shoes did you buy?” he asked.

  Alan nodded; eager to hear the response.

  “Shoes?” she asked, sounding a bit confused. “I bought a pair of sneakers.”

  “Are you wearing them now?” he continued. “What color are they?”

  “Yes, they’re pink and grey,” she replied, annoyed. “And why on Earth are you asking me about my shoes when Leah is missing?”

  “Where are you now?” he asked.

  Lafonda huffed. “In my car,” she said. “Driving home.”

  “No!” he exclaimed. “I mean – you should stay there!”

  “I need a break,” she said. “We just spent hours looking for her and talking to the police. I’m tired and just want to go home. I told her mom to call if there was any news.”

  “That’s the reason why you should stay there,” he said. “You shouldn’t be driving – you’re tired. And what if Leah comes home?”

  She sighed. “I’m already on the road, Nathan. And besides, I am almost there. Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”

  He was nearing the bottom of the stairwell when he caught a glimpse of Erin standing there with a basketball in her hand. “Everything is fine,” he said.

  “I want to talk to Angela,” she demanded.

  Nathan rolled his eyes. “Everything is fine,” he said. “And we’ll see you when you get here.”

  “Ugh,” she groaned.

  He looked stressed. “Bye,” he said, before hanging up the phone.

  “What the heck was that all about?” asked Alan. “Why did you say if Leah comes home – where is she?”

  “What’s going on?” asked Erin. “What’s up with all the ruckus on the stairs tonight? The girls on my floor were complaining about loud noises. They said it sounded like a fight on the stairwell. I came out here and that’s when I saw the weirdest thing.” She pointed to the exit at the bottom of the staircase. “I saw two guys dressed in black walk straight through that door, but the entire door was like engulfed in a blue light. And when I reached the bottom to investigate, the blue light was gone and so were the guys. I checked the lobby too. Unless my eyes are deceiving me, I promise you, those guys just disappeared.”

  Alan held out his hand. “Give me back my cell,” he demanded. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on or should I just call Lafonda?”

  Nathan took a deep breath. It was Jonas’ basketball in Erin’s hand. “Angela is missing,” he said.

  “What?!” blurted Alan.

  Nathan nodded and his face frowned sympathetically. “Yes,” he said. “Jonas, Andy, and Eva Marie are also missing.”

  Alan’s mouth fell open. “You got to be kidding me,” he said. “Is this a joke?”

  Nathan shook his head and gave Alan back his phone. “I’m not joking,” he said. “And Leah’s missing too. That’s why Lafonda called; she was calling to tell me about Leah.”

  “That’s crazy!” groaned Alan. “We have to call the police.”

  “The police are on their way, but trust me,” responded Nathan. “They can’t help us.”

  Alan looked confused. “What are you talking about?” he asked.

  Erin pointed her thumb to the exit again. “Does this have anything to do with those guys dressed in black?” she asked. “And who are they?”

  Nathan nodded. “Yes. But I can’t explain right now.”

  She had a doubtful look on her face. “Are they some type of gang?”

  “Gang?” spouted Alan.

  “No, they’re not a gang, but some of the campers might think they are,” he responded. “And for now, I think we should keep it that way.”

  Frustration was building in Alan’s eyes. “We need to go after them!”

  “That’s what I plan to do,” responded Nathan, sympathetically. “And I think I might know where they’re heading next.”

  “Then I am going w
ith you,” vowed Alan.

  Nathan reached into his back pocket. “You can’t,” he said. “I need you to stay here with the others.” He gave Alan Angela’s cell phone and suddenly sadness gripped his face. “Sam and some of the other campers have been injured and the paramedics are on their way. With Lafonda gone and now Angela, I need you guys to stick around and make sure everything is all right.”

  Erin nodded. “Okay,” she said.

  Alan rolled his eyes in protest, but proceeded up the stairs.

  “Erin,” said Nathan. He stuttered a little before speaking. “I need a favor – this is very important.”

  She took a few steps closer and stared at him intently. “What?” she asked.

  “When Lafonda gets here,” he said. “Under no circumstance can you allow her to leave Lawrence Hall.”

  She looked confused. “But…”

  He grabbed her by the arm. “Please,” he said. “It’s really important. It’s a matter of life or death.”

  “Okay, okay,” she said. “Relax. I’ll keep an eye on Lafonda.”

  Nathan started towards the exit, but spun back around. “What time is it?” he asked.

  “Almost midnight,” she responded.

  “I hope I still have time.”

  “Nathan,” she called out. He turned around again and for the first time tonight, he could tell that she was worried. “I sure hope you know what you are doing.”

  “Me too,” he mumbled. “Me too.”

  Nathan stepped out of the stairwell and into the lobby of Lawrence Hall. The rush of cool air greeted him and so did the glaring red and blue lights from the ambulance sitting out front. Good, they’re here..

  He caught a glimpse of Sam being examined by a paramedic while a watchful Hugo towered over them. A trickle of campers and counselors began to fill the lobby.

  Soon the police would arrive and so would LaDonda. He figured now was a good time to slip out unnoticed. He had a gut wrenching feeling as he exited outside through the kitchen. The door slammed shut behind him and he was alone in the parking lot. “I hope Sam will be okay,” he said. He remembered seeing the cut on her arm and how relieved she had been to see him. Feeling frustrated, he slammed his fist against the dumpster. “I feel like I am deserting them!”

  He looked to see if anyone was around and then headed towards Jonas’s house. Nathan sprinted as fast as he could; cutting across unfenced yards and through a couple of alleys. He turned the corner and a couple of feet in front of him were the railroad tracks that ran behind Jonas’s house. He remembered the modest home with sloping roof and white trim and headed up the driveway to the back of the house. All the lights were off except for the one on the front porch. It was a little past midnight and as he expected, there was no train.

  “I hope I am not too late,” he mumbled to himself.

  The back of the house was completely dark, but there was a faint glow of light from one of the back windows. “I hope he’s still there,” he said. “I hope they didn’t come for him.” Nathan stood atop a brick at the bottom of the window to look in. “If he’s gone, how on Earth will I get in?”

  Inside the window, he could see Bobby playing video games in the dark with the light from the television reflecting on his face. Nathan lightly tapped on the window and in a flash; Bobby turned off the television and hopped into bed.

  Nathan chuckled. “Bobby,” he whispered while continuing to tap on the window.

  Bobby slowly opened his eyes and stared at the window for a moment before getting out of bed. “Jonas?” he asked.

  Nathan smiled. “No,” he said. “It’s me, Nathan.”

  “What are you doing out there?” asked Bobby, while raising the window. “Is my brother out there too?”

  “No,” he said. “Have you seen him tonight?”

  Bobby shook his head.

  Nathan glanced around the room. The box for Bobby’s video game, Wizards and Warriors, was on the floor and there was a Wizards and Warriors poster on the wall. “I need to talk to you,” he said.

  “Am I in trouble?” Bobby asked. “Please don’t tell my mom. If I get in trouble again, I won’t be able to go to my brother’s closing ceremony tomorrow.”

  Nathan chuckled. “A strange man is looking through a little boy’s window in the middle of the night and you think you’re in trouble?”

  Bobby tilted his head and folded his arms across his chest. “You’re not a stranger Nathan,” he said. “We’ve met and besides, I’m not a kid, I’m almost ten years old.”

  “Okay, all right,” said Nathan. “I want to show you something, but first you have to promise me you won’t be opening anymore windows for anyone after tonight.”

  “Okay,” said Bobby, pausing to take a seat on the window sill.

  Nathan took a quick glance at the poster on the wall again and stepped back. “Umm, Bobby,” he said. He looked back at him with eager anticipation. “Have you seen anything strange or odd lately? Any weird creatures or people like in Wizards or Warriors?”

  Bobby’s face suddenly looked peculiar as if he was trying to remember something. “There was this black cat in the tree once,” he said. “It was really hairy, not like Lacey. It growled a bunch and it had sharp teeth.”

  “What did the growling sound like?”

  The boy twisted his lip and stared off somewhere over Nathan’s shoulder. Suddenly, his eyes lit up and he spoke again. “Like Lacey, but when she’s been accidentally stepped on – I think?”

  Nathan nodded. “Gotcha,” he said. He took a few more paces back; standing closer amongst the trees. “They must have erased his memory like they did Jonas,” he thought. “And they probably did the same thing to their dad.”

  Nathan held his arm out with his palm facing upward toward the sky. He could feel the energy building in the muscles in his hand. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the anticipation building on Bobby’s face and he grinned. Slowly he released and a stream of white and blue light began to hover over his hand; coalescing into a swirling ball of energy.

  “Whoa!” said Bobby, attempting to hop out of the window.

  “Hold on,” Nathan chuckled, quickly closing his hand and heading over. “It’s way too late and you need to stay inside.”

  Bobby’s eyes were wide and he beamed. “Are you a wizard?”

  Nathan grinned. “No,” he said. “I am not a wizard.”

  “Then you must be a warrior!” said Bobby.

  Nathan pursed his lips in a lighthearted way and nodded. “Not quite,” he said. “But I appreciate the compliment.”

  “How did you do that?”

  “One sec,” he said. He peered into the window and climbed in. “That’s why I am here tonight – I need your help.”

  Bobby’s face frowned similarly to how Jonas’s did when he didn’t understand something.

  “Don’t worry,” said Nathan. “You can do it too.”

  “Me?” asked Bobby; his eyes wide in amazement.

  “Yup,” he said. “And Jonas can do it too – and so could your dad.”

  Bobby’s face radiated. “What do you need me to do?” he asked.

  “Okay, I need you to close your eyes and focus,” he said. “Listen closely and follow my instructions. This is like level 99 of Wizards and Warriors and you only have one board to go.”

  Bobby’s eyes were closed shut, his entire body looked stiff, and his hands were balled into fists. Nathan smiled. “Are you ready?” he asked. “Do you have your game face on?”

  He nodded.

  “Okay,” said Nathan. “I am going to tell you exactly how Jonas does it. Take two steps back from the window and hold out your hand. Now, I want you to think about Jonas and your dad – think about all the good times you’ve had together. Imagine that feeling growing – getting stronger!”

  A few moments passed and silence fell on the room. Nathan was about to give up, but soon Bobby’s arm slowly started to tremble. “Now,” he said. “Release it through your han
d!”

  A small bluish white light slowly crept from Bobby’s hand as he instinctively traced the window. “You did it!” he said.

  Bobby opened his eyes to a glowing blue window. “Amazing!” he said. He turned to face Nathan. “Did I do that?”

  “Yup,” said Nathan, while inspecting the window. “You did it, just like Jonas!”

  Bobby beamed. “Like Jonas?”

  Nathan nodded then smiled. “Yup,” he said. “Exactly like Jonas!”

  “And my dad?”

  “And your dad.”

  With caution, Nathan slowly put his hand out of the window, followed by his head. As expected, everything on the other side appeared frozen and shrouded in grey; the trees, the grass, and the houses. Everything was as it was in his dreams about Leah and in his dream about Grimm Cemetery. “Okay,” he said, while standing in the room. “It’s way past your bedtime, mister.”

  “I figured you were going to say that,” Bobby said, while climbing into bed.

  Nathan grinned. “Now remember,” he said, taking a seat on the bed. “No more opening windows for anyone whether you think you know them or not and no more video games!” He headed towards the window. “Oh, and no using your powers – at least until tomorrow,” he said with a wink.

  “Nathan,” Bobby called out. “Is my brother in trouble?”

  “Everything will be all right now,” he said. “Thanks to your help. Now off to bed. We’ll see you tomorrow.”

  The Space In Between was just as he remembered. The moon and the stars shone exceptionally bright and to his dismay, Nathan was way across town and nowhere near Grimm Cemetery. By now, he figured the portal that Bobby opened had closed and there was no sense in turning back.

  He continued to jog down the lifeless and muted streets, pausing here and there to catch his breath; sometimes stopping in awe at the barren streets and empty houses. “I sure hope Jonas can get us out of here,” he thought.

  He recalled his dream about Grimm Cemetery; the black and red-hooded figures, their swords, and the precarious blonde lady dressed in white. He huffed. “Yeah, that’s if I can figure out a way to save them.”