Father turned in his seat. His voice sounded in my ear. The ear muffs he’d put on me apparently had speakers in them.
“We’ll fly to Jackson, Wyoming. From there, we’ll take my plane to Seattle. We should arrive by five in the morning.”
Once in Seattle, we’d have three full days before we’d return to the cabin. The others had told me that Father would dedicate two of those days solely to me. He’d indulge me in anything I wanted to do.
I couldn’t wait!
I FELL ASLEEP somewhere over Wyoming. The next thing I knew, Father was gently shaking me. “Galena, wake up,” he whispered. “We’re in Seattle.”
Rubbing my eyes, I peered around. We were no longer in the helicopter but a plane.
“I carried you from the chopper. You were sound asleep.”
He ushered me out of the plane to a waiting car. Red glowed on the horizon. The scream of jet planes sounded from the distant commercial runway. We appeared to be at a smaller section of the airport.
I paused a moment to stare at everything. I’d never seen planes before, not close like this. I’d never seen a car either outside of a movie.
Smiling, I ran my hand along the car’s exterior. It was cool to the touch and very smooth. Father nudged me gently toward the open door. My smile vanished. Father continually glanced around, his brow furrowed, his mouth tensed.
I remembered Flint’s warning.
We left the airport and pulled onto a large road. Road signs flashed by the window. Any thoughts about those men and that bad place vanished. I almost giggled. This was an interstate. I knew all about them from the Transportation class Father taught a few years ago in our Real Life course. The Real Life courses in our homeschool were my favorite. Father said it was important that we understood how society worked. He said the stuff in our Real Life courses was normally learned from living in society, but since we didn’t live in society, we needed to be taught it.
I cupped my chin in my hand and stared out the window. A car passed us. A baby sat in a car seat in the backseat. I’d never seen a baby in my life!
About half an hour later, we pulled off the interstate onto a smaller road and drove to another smaller street until we pulled into a driveway. Large, metal gates blocked it from the road. The driver opened his window and punched in a code. The gates swung open.
“We’ll stay here for the next three days,” Father said.
“Where are we?”
“Just outside Seattle.”
“Do you own this house?”
Father shook his head. “It’s a rental.”
We drove forward. My eyes widened at what appeared. The house was very different from the cabin. I stared in awe. It was huge! Ivory pillars adorned the front. Vines snaked up the sides. The exterior walls were white and had dozens of windows.
It was beautiful.
After he parked, the driver opened my door. I wanted so badly to say hello but remembered Father’s rule. No talking to anyone unless necessary. Sighing, I followed Father.
“I’ve hired a small staff to tend to our needs,” Father said quietly. “You can talk freely to them but not about anything regarding your life or our pasts. Understood?” His tone was gentle yet firm.
“Yes, I understand.”
Two people stood with clasped hands at the front door. Father introduced me to them. I eagerly held out my hand to the woman. It was something we’d learned in Etiquette class. We’d all practiced shaking hands with one another back home, but this was the first time I’d been able to do it in real life with a real stranger.
“It’s nice to meet you.” I shook her hand. “My name’s Lena.”
“My name’s Rose.”
I switched my vision. Her cloud billowed white. That’s weird. She doesn’t have any colors.
Regardless, I liked her immediately but had to make myself not stare. That was also something we’d learned in Etiquette course. Staring was rude, but it was hard not to. Rose was the first person I’d met who was a woman around Father’s age. Like Father, she also had little wrinkles around her eyes, and her skin was dry when our hands shook. It was not only exhilarating, but it made me pause. If I had a mother, would she look like Rose?
THE NEXT DAY, Father and I left early. The same driver brought the car around and opened the door for us. When we sped down the driveway, I practically bounced in my seat. “Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.” Father’s eyes twinkled.
The drive away from the house was as exciting as the drive in. We again hopped from highways to interstates as the image of Seattle grew larger and larger. Huge buildings and a pointy structure, which Father called the Space Needle, appeared as we drove toward the city. My nose was glued to the window. I couldn’t believe how big everything was!
The driver swept us through downtown, expertly maneuvering the traffic and streets. So many people were walking around. It was fascinating to look at the different clothes, faces and size of each person. I switched my vision. I expected to see a sea of color staring back at me.
My mouth dropped at what I saw instead.
“Everyone’s white, ivory or gray. And there’s a black one!”
Father pushed a button. A screen lifted that separated us from the driver. “You’ve switched your vision?”
“Yeah, their clouds don’t have colors!”
I snapped my sight back to normal. The black and white spectrum from the people on the streets vanished. “Nobody else has colorful clouds.” I remembered Rose’s white cloud and the other staff member’s ivory cloud. So that wasn’t unusual?
“Hmm,” Father said. His hazel eyes brightened as he tapped his chin. “That’s very interesting. We should discuss that later. That could have greater meaning.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
17 years old
Jet and Jasper bounded into our room. “Up and at ‘em girls! Capture the Flag is on!”
Squeals filled the air as the twins poked and tickled the other girls awake. It was Saturday and the first day of summer break. We always started summer with a game outside.
Jet’s head appeared beside mine. Since I slept on the top bunk, we were at eye level. I narrowed my eyes. “Touch me and you’re dead.”
Jet chuckled. “Flint’s not here to save you, Little L.” He lifted his hands and made tickling movements in the air.
I picked up my pillow and whacked him in the head.
A chuckle sounded from the door. Flint lounged against the frame, his arms crossed.
“What was that you were saying?” I asked sweetly.
Jet rubbed his head and glared, but there was still a twinkle in his gaze. “You’re gonna regret that, L. The game’s only just started.”
I smirked. “We’ll see about that, you big bully.”
OUTSIDE, THE SUN tried valiantly to shine through the dense trees. Warm air flowed across my cheeks. All of us wore running shoes or hiking boots. Even Jacinda was dressed ready to get dirty.
Jet crossed his arms. “All right, Father’s put a perimeter around the cabin. We have a mile radius, so if you get to the orange tether, you have to stop and turn back. That’s the only reason he’s okay with this game. Technically, none of us can get too lost. Understood?”
All of us voiced understanding. The Forbidden Hills were known for disorienting people. Some referred to it as The Bermuda Triangle of Colorado. It’s why we lived here. Nobody ventured into these Hills.
“So this is how Capture the Flag works…” Jet launched into the explanation. From there, we picked teams. Team red was the twins, Amber and Mica. Team yellow was Flint, Di, Jacinda and me.
“Right, everyone has thirty minutes to find where they want to keep their flag.” Jet set the timer on his watch. “In exactly thirty minutes, the game begins!” He grinned gleefully.
Team red jogged into the trees in the direction of the stream. I wondered what the game would be like, considering we’d be running through the forest. The forest could be incredibly disor
ienting. I figured that would make things more challenging.
“Okay, so where should we put our flag?” Jacinda picked at her nail and made a face at the chipped paint.
“By the cliff?” Di suggested. “The terrain’s really rocky there. It would be harder for them to outrun us.”
Flint took out his compass. “Let’s head that way.”
After twenty yards, I was completely lost as we followed Flint and Di through the forest. I ducked around a tree branch. “This is going to be interesting. We’ll probably all get turned around and not find anything.”
Jacinda nodded. “I’m thinking the two of us should be the guards.”
“I couldn’t agree more.”
Flint glanced over his shoulder. When our eyes met, my heart rate increased. How could he do that to me with just one look?
Jacinda nudged me after Flint turned around. “Is your pulse racing from the hike or something else?”
I glared at her.
The trees parted when we emerged near the cliff. The orange tether that Father had resurrected circled about ten feet from the cliff’s edge.
Di surveyed the rocky terrain. “Somewhere around here would be good.”
I pointed at a big pile of rocks. They were a few feet from the rope. “On top of there would work.”
Flint sprinted to the pile. He reappeared beside it.
My breath stopped at the sight he made standing near the cliff’s edge bathed in sunshine. His chestnut hair whipped around his head, and his tall, strong physique looked so powerful. I swallowed. Sometimes his beauty and my traitorous body’s reaction to him took me completely by surprise.
Flint glanced at his watch. “We’ve got a few minutes until we reach the thirty-minute mark. How should we play this?”
I forced myself to stop staring.
Jacinda put her hand on her hip. “Lena and I were thinking we should be the guards since you and Di are the fastest runners.”
Di’s short, dark hair swayed when she nodded. “That’s a good idea. I had a fraction of a vision on the walk here. It was of me and Flint near the red flag. I think we’re going to win.”
Flint glanced at his watch again. “Right, time’s up. Ready?”
Di nodded curtly. “Let’s go.”
They took off at a jog and disappeared into the trees, their tall frames and olive skin disappearing from view. I sighed. It was probably best it wasn’t me and Flint guarding the flag. I’d probably stare at him all day, admiring his pristine perfection, possibly drooling. He’d likely wonder if I’d bumped my head on a tree during the walk in.
Jacinda sat down daintily on the cliff and crossed her legs beneath her. “Are you going to breathe now that he’s gone?”
I hadn’t realized I’d been holding my breath until she said something. Letting it out in a rush, I plopped down beside her. My long hair flew around my face. I pulled the hair tie off my wrist and swirled my curls into a pile on the top of my head. “Is it that obvious?”
She smiled and patted my hand. “Only to me.”
“He doesn’t know I exist,” I said glumly.
“Of course he does. Besides Di, you mean more to him than anyone.”
I rolled my eyes. “I highly doubt that.”
Jacinda and I sat in the sunshine, talking to one another for I don’t know how long. The pure joy of being outside on a warm summer day, bantering with my sister, soon made my nostalgia for what could never be disappear.
Just as I was about to say something else, a flash of color caught my attention.
“Hey, did you see that?” I scrambled to my feet and pulled Jacinda up with me. “I think I saw someone running over there.” I pointed to a space in the trees about fifty yards away.
“You did?” She shaded her eyes against the sun. “Do you think it was one of the twins?”
“It could have been. I thought he, or she, was wearing blue.”
“Jasper was wearing a blue shirt.”
Just then, one of the twins emerged from the tree line, about fifty yards down from us. I switched my vision. The yellow billowy cloud swayed like a haze in the sunlight. “It’s Jasper.”
“Has he spotted us?”
“Not yet. Quick, let’s get out of sight and see what he does.” I pulled her down.
We sank behind the rock pile while still on the balls of our feet. Adrenaline coursed through me. I’d almost forgotten we were playing a game.
I peeked around the rock pile and watched him. “Do you think he’s alone?”
Jacinda frowned. “Hold on. Be quiet and I’ll find out.”
She closed her eyes. I knew she’d turned her hearing on full power. Father had worked with her for years to hone and control it. She’d mastered her ability better than any of us. However, she didn’t have additional powers, not like Di, Mica and the twins.
Jacinda had described her hearing to me once. If she wasn’t able to turn it on and off, she’d have gone crazy. Voices, sounds, whispers, the wind – everything filtered through her senses at an aggravating level. The only thing she could compare it to was what she’d read about schizophrenia – the constant bombardment of noises and voices, unable to be controlled. No wonder Father had spent so much time with her when we were younger. She inevitably would have gone mad if she couldn’t control it.
“Jet’s here too. They’re ten yards away,” she whispered so quietly I almost didn’t hear.
A few seconds later, one of the twins said, “What’s that over there?”
“Their flag!” The other whooped. Quickening footsteps sounded.
I almost jumped up but waited for Jacinda’s signal that they were close enough.
Her eyes flashed open. “Now!”
We both jumped up. The twins were only a few yards away, running straight for us. The expression on their faces was priceless.
“Get Jet!” Jacinda yelled.
We grabbed for the twins as Jasper reached for the flag. Jacinda grabbed his wrist just in time, but I wasn’t quite as fast. Jet stopped dead in his tracks and backpedaled. Before I could tag him, he turned and ran back to the trees.
“Dammit!” I followed him into the forest.
I fell behind as he quickly gained ground. I willed myself to move faster, using my small frame to its advantage. When Jet had to duck under hanging leaves and zigzag to avoid low lying branches, I kept running straight, leaves and branches brushing the top of my head. I was amazed that I slowly gained on him. My lungs burned, but I didn’t stop. I wouldn’t let him beat me this time!
Jet yelled when a branch scraped his face. He dared a look behind him. His eyes widened when he saw how close I was.
I grinned when he turned back around and watched in surprise as he tripped over a log. I lunged, pushing with all of my strength and launched myself into the air. “Got you!”
I’d never actually tackled someone before, at least not from an airborne maneuver and questioned if I’d made a smart move. It all happened so fast. One second, I was still running, the next, I was colliding into Jet’s muscular shoulders.
“Oomph!” The wind got knocked out of me. I could barely breathe, but I held onto him for dear life. I wrapped my legs around his middle and practically strangled his neck. He landed face first on the forest floor and groaned.
“I got you!” I yelled in gleeful surprise when I was finally able to breathe again.
Jet chuckled. “Is that what you call it?”
With a strong push, he rolled over unexpectedly and pinned me beneath him. My eyes widened when I realized how intimate our position was. I still had my legs wrapped around his waist, and my arms wound around his neck.
Of course, that was how everyone found us.
The red flag hung limply in Flint’s hand as he stared down at us, his face expressionless. Mica and Jasper burst out laughing, while Di merely cocked an eyebrow. Meanwhile, Jacinda seemed to be smothering a laugh while Amber had that yearning look in her eyes again.
“What the hell are
you two doing?” Flint seethed. His chest rose and fell much faster than I’d ever seen. It couldn’t be from running. He never got winded. Not even when he sprinted up a mountain.
“I…ah…” I stammered. I pushed a leaf out of my eyes and tried to scramble out from under Jet but he was too heavy. “I…tackled him.”
“Yeah, she tackled me all right.” Jet gripped my hips and leered. “We were just getting to know one another on a whole new level.”
Mica and Jasper were about to fall over, they were laughing so hard.
I glared at Jet. His hands were glued to my hips. I struggled to get out from under him but he didn’t budge.
“I see,” Flint replied. He dropped the flag, turned and walked away. His movements were stiff, his hands clenched.
I slugged Jet in the shoulder, but he still didn’t move. Flint was getting farther away. I almost groaned. I needed to explain to him that he had it wrong. I didn’t want Jet. Not like that.
“Jet!” I exclaimed, my irritation growing. I frantically searched for Flint as a strange sensation grew in the air. It felt almost like…electricity. “Get off me!”
Flint had almost disappeared in the trees. Soon, I’d lose him in the forest and then I’d never find him and explain that I didn’t want Jet – at all.
I slugged Jet again. He didn’t move. That strange feeling in the air grew.
Jet grinned. “I like feisty redheads.”
Flint’s bright shirt was now a speck in the woods. Another minute and he’d be gone. Desperation bubbled up inside of me. “I said GET OFF ME!”
Jet’s body flew from mine.
He shot into the air as if an invisible hand had reached down and ripped him from my body. He collided with a tree about fifteen feet away.
My mouth dropped as commotion broke out.
“What the hell was that?” Mica exclaimed.
Jasper rushed to Jet’s side. Amber and Jacinda stared wide-eyed. Di called for Flint.
In a flash, Flint returned.
“What happened?” he said.
Remembered Page 6