by D. S. Murphy
The air felt several degrees cooler in the artificial cave, and I shivered. Brett picked up a bronze bowl full of powdered ash and sniffed it. Then he raised his eyes and found mine.
“They’re smoking it. The phylia. Why would they do that? And this?” he asked, raising his hands towards the domed roof. “This is just crazy.”
“I’ve seen this before,” I said.
“In the future?” Brett asked, his eyes widening.
“Earlier tonight,” I confessed. “In your dad’s office. He had books about this stuff. Delphi. The priestess. I thought it was just a weird fascination of something.”
“Obession is more like it,” Brett said. “I can’t believe Zamonta would even allow something like this. I mean, my dad’s a scientist, not a cult leader.”
“Maybe they found out about the phylia on accident somehow during routine tests. That kind of side effect would be tough to ignore. Maybe your dad found out about what’s going to happen in the future and is trying to stop it somehow.”
“But it doesn’t work on everybody,” Brett said, frowning. “We all smoked at the party. You were the only one to have some kind of adventure into the future.”
The picture of my mother burned in my pocket. Could she see visions too? Is that why Kyle Peters had a folder on her in his office? I opened my mouth to say something, but for some reason I wasn’t ready to share my discovery with Brett. It felt incriminating somehow, like my mother was in on the secret we were trying to solve. I wanted to ask my dad first at least, and give him a chance to explain.
There was a flash of light from the hall outside. Brett pushed me against the wall with a hand over my mouth. My heart pounded as we listened to the guard’s footsteps approach, and then pass the door. My skin prickled with sweat. When the guard’s footsteps had faded, I looked up at Brent. He was staring at me, and I realized how close we were. I could feel his heart beating through his shirt. He smelled like vanilla and cinnamon, with a slight scent of lemon—from the detergent his shirt was washed in, I guessed. It was the stuff dreams were made of.
He took a deep breath and stepped away from me slowly, almost like it was difficult for him to increase the distance between us. Then he opened the door and poked his head outside.
“All clear,” he whispered. I followed him out into the hall. We’d only taken a few steps when I heard a voice behind us.
“You two, what are you doing in here?”
Brett grabbed my hand and we ran. The hallways blurred past as we retraced our steps to the side exit. We jumped in Brett’s jeep and he peeled out of the lot just as the guard burst out of the exit. There was a sharp crack and the side mirror of Brett’s jeep shattered into pieces. Brett swerved, but then stepped on the gas. His eyes stayed glued to the road until we were several miles away. Finally I heard him take a deep breath and blow it out, but still he didn’t say anything. His brows were furrowed and he seemed lost in thought. We were halfway home before I broke the silence.
“Are you okay?” I asked, the nerves wrapping around my vocal chords.
He glanced at me with surprise, like he’d forgotten I was with him.
“Yeah, sure, why?”
I paused before answering. “It just seems like there’s something on your mind.”
He stared straight ahead, but his lips curled up in a smile.
“You mean other than finding out your father might destroy the world?”
“Yes,” I said with a laugh. “Other than that. I thought, maybe, you know, we should talk about it?”
“I need some time,” he said. “That guard shot at us. If I’d thought it was that dangerous, I’d never have let you inside. Whatever is in there, they don’t want anyone finding out about it.”
“Can’t you just ask your dad? Maybe he’ll tell you the truth.”
“Maybe,” Brett frowned. “I’ll think about it.”
Part of me wanted to push the issue, but I pursed my lips and looked out the window. Brett put on the radio and a song I hadn’t heard before started playing. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, to the rhythm of the song. I watched him out of the corner of my eye and could see him mouthing along to the lyrics. He glanced at me and smiled. My heart fluttered in response.
Brett pulled up to my house and turned down the radio. I opened the car door but he grabbed my arm. The air seemed hot between us as he leaned forward. I closed my eyes, and parted my lips, hoping he was making a move. I opened them again when I heard him clear his throat.
“I think I should probably keep the phylia, since it’s not safe for you to travel alone. We can plan out the next trip in a few days, once we’ve made a plan.”
I cringed in response. Even though he was right, something about the way he said it hurt my feelings. He didn’t think I could handle it. Or he was still trying to control everything, so he’d be in the loop. It was responsible of him, actually, but it still pissed me off a little that he didn’t trust me. I reached into my bag and pulled out two containers. He nodded when I handed them over, but didn’t say anything else. The silence was awkward, so I jumped out and waved goodbye.
I stood in the doorway and watched him pull out of the driveway. Once his car was out of view, I pulled the third container of phylia from my bag. I wasn’t going to let Brett dictate when I could travel. I had questions of my own, and I needed answers now.
19
I was buzzing with adrenaline when I reached my room, and my head was swirling with unanswered questions. What did a food corporation have to do with the priestess of Delphi? And how was my mother connected to Zamonta? I lay on my bed, staring at the photo of my mother. She was smiling slightly, like she had a secret. Her long, curly blond hair took up nearly half the photo. I almost laughed at the sight of it—I’d forgotten how wild it was. One time Tamara called her Rapunzel, and I thought it was so hilarious I almost peed myself. I clutched the photo as the memories flooded in. One afternoon she spent nearly three hours curling my hair, because I wanted to look just like hers. But the next morning my hair was as flat and straight as ever. I was so crushed she took me out for ice cream. I blinked away the tears and forced myself to stand up.
I couldn’t let myself get all worked up. I had to do something. I thought about calling Chrys, but she was probably still pissed at me from earlier. Besides she wouldn’t know anything, and I needed more than a sympathetic ear right now. I needed information. Dad was passed out on the couch; I’d passed him on the way in. And I wasn’t sure I wanted to ask him anyway. He always tensed up when I talked about mom, like just hearing her name brought him physical pain. Tamara had already gone back to school. But I wasn’t completely out of options.
I grabbed the container of phylia and held it up to the light. The flat, green leaves erupted into little clusters of purple flowers. That’s when I realized I didn’t have anything to smoke it with. I’d always used the little glass pipe, and it’s not like dad would have something like that lying around the house. Shit. And that wasn’t my only problem. Traveling into the future from my house would be reckless; I almost got torn apart by mods on my first trip. I could ride my bike to Defiance, but didn’t love the idea of leaving my body passed out somewhere while I was in the future. Frustration made me bold. I grabbed my backpack and stuffed it full of things I might need, including the Skittles I’d bought for Annabelle. I only felt a little bit guilty as I snuck out the front door and cut across the grass to Eric’s house. The light on his bedroom was still on. I grabbed a handful of gravel from the driveway and tossed pebbles at the glass one by one, until the window opened up and Eric stuck his head out. His eyes bulged when he saw me.
I waved, and he held up one finger to tell me to wait. A minute later, the front door opened. Eric’s hair was messed up and he was wearing pajama pants.
“Sorry, did I wake you?” I asked. It wasn’t even eleven yet, but I knew not everyone was a night owl like me.
“I was up. What are you doing here?” I peered past him and saw
his mom washing dishes in the kitchen.
“I just… needed some help studying,” I said.
He looked skeptical, but let me in anyway. Mrs. Patton waved from the kitchen, but there was a coldness to her expression I hadn’t seen before, probably due to the lateness of my visit. I followed Eric into his room and watched him shut the door behind me. Suddenly I felt embarrassed. Inviting myself over to a guy’s house in the middle of the night? This was not normal behavior.
“Is it okay that we’re in here?” I asked.
“Yeah,” he said. “My mom isn’t strict about this kind of stuff.”
“So, you have girls in your room every night then,” I said.
He coughed and shook his head. “Believe it or not, you’re the first.”
“Relax,” I smirked. “I’m kidding.”
He motioned for me to sit on his bed, then sat on the chair next to his computer and turned it around to face me.
“So, what are you studying for?”
“Actually,” I said. “I’m not here to study.”
“Why am I not surprised?” He grinned.
“I need your help,” I said. “And it’s going to sound crazy, but it has to do with… the future.” He blinked at me. “I just need you to watch me while I travel.”
He looked thoughtful for a minute, then frowned.
“You mean you want to smoke. Here. And you want me to babysit you while you get high.”
“Here is too dangerous,” I said, shaking my head. “It’s late, this area could be swarming with mods—the monsters I told you about. Actually I’m hoping you can drive me to Defiance so I can do it there. I’ll be safe within the city, it’s protected.”
Eric smiled uncomfortably at first, thinking that I was joking. The look in his eyes turned to panic when he realized I was serious—like he was afraid to be trapped in a room with me.
“Oh boy…” he said, rubbing his palms on his jeans.
“I know what you’re thinking, but I really need you to do this for me, without asking questions. Nothing I say could make it sound less weird, but trust me, it’s important.”
“What if the cops show up, and you’re passed out in the back of my car? Or worse, what if you never wake up, and I’m driving around with a dead girl in the backseat?”
Now it was my turn to look shocked.
“That’s not going to happen,” I said with conviction.
“I don’t know that,” he said. “You haven’t spoken to me in years, now suddenly you start showing up to my house late at night, asking for favors so you can use drugs? A real friend wouldn’t help you, they’d stop you.”
“Nevermind,” I said. “Forget I said anything. Coming here was obviously a mistake.”
I had my hand on the door to leave, but Eric jumped up and pushed it closed again. He stood there for a minute, his arm on the door behind me, and looked at me like he was trying to see under my skin.
“You’re going to do it anyway, aren’t you?” he asked.
“Definitely,” I shot back.
“But it would be safer for you to be with someone, and you don’t want to be alone.”
“Pretty much,” I said.
“And you’re not just setting me up to take the fall for something stupid.”
“I told you, I’d never do something like that. I wouldn’t lie to you. I already told you the truth—I need to trip into the future, to learn things that will help me save the world in this timeline. Whether or not you believe me, that’s up to you.”
Eric closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, but finally sighed and nodded his head.
“Let me grab my keys,” he said.
“There’s one more thing,” I said, pulling the phylia out of my bag. “I don’t have a pipe of anything to smoke this with. That should convince you I’m not the stoner you think I am. Any ideas?”
Eric smirked and cracked his knuckles, then turned to his computer and did a quick Internet search. He grabbed his keys and an empty soda from the bin under his desk, then used a key to puncture a hole in the top of the can. He took a lighter from the drawer and handed it to me, with the can.
“Here you go,” he said.
“Okay Macgyver,” I said, looking at the can dubiously. “But how does it work?”
“Let’s just get there first.”
I followed him downstairs, where he scribbled a note on the counter and left it under a mug. Then we went outside and got into his car. Twenty minutes later we were driving through the streets of Defiance, looking for a place to park. Things looked so different, I didn’t recognize anything that I’d seen in the future. In this time, Defiance was kind of a seedy area.
“There!” I said, recognizing the church Tamara had converted into an indoor garden. Eric pulled up to the curb across from the church and turned off the car. There were streetlights further up the street, but we were shrouded in darkness.
Eric held up the can and I handed him a small amount of phylia; he pushed it into the puncture hole on the top of the can, then showed me how to suck in air through the pulltab opening. I climbed into the backseat and discovered some pillows and blankets. Eric must have thrown them in before we left.
“I might be gone a few hours,” I said.
“It’s fine,” he said. “I brought a book.”
I leaned back and held the lighter and the can up towards my mouth.
“Hey,” Eric said suddenly, putting out a hand to stop my arm. My eyes traveled to the spot where he touched me and he quickly removed his hand. His cheeks turned pink.
“Before you go under the influence, I want to ask you something.”
I nodded, tapping down the phylia so it wouldn’t fall out when I lit the leaves.
“Shoot,” I said. I pulled the lighter out and held it over the leaves, waiting for whatever it is he wanted to say. I was impatient, thinking he wanted to ask me something about time travel.
“Do you want to be my date to the winter formal?”
My stunned expression threw him off, and he looked away from me out the window. “Or, you know, if you don’t want to…” he backpedalled.
“No,” I said. His shoulders sagged immediately. “Sorry, I don’t mean no, I just mean… it’s not that I don’t want to.” He met my eyes with a glimmer of hope. Winter formal had completely slipped my mind. It wasn’t exactly a priority. I wasn’t planning to go to the dance at all, but if Eric wanted to take me, that wouldn’t be so bad. I assumed Brett would be going with Courtney, but then I remembered what he’d told me today. She’s jealous of how I feel about you. If there was still the slightest chance Brett could ask me, I didn’t want to be spoken for.
“Can I think about it?” I asked.
He nodded. “Of course,” he said. “Take your time. But I have to buy the tickets soon, you know, if you decide the answer is yes.”
I nodded. I could go with Eric if Brett didn’t ask me. I didn’t feel anything for him, but I also didn’t want to hurt his feelings by turning him down for no reason. It was just a dance. It’s not like it actually mattered. I pressed the lighter and held it against the dried leaves and petals, watching the organic material burst into flame, then unleash a thick puff of smoke. I breathed it in through the mouth of the can, inhaling the phylia and holding it for a count of three. Then I let it out and leaned back against the pillows in Eric’s backseat.
***
When I entered Defiance again, the streets were deserted. I actually heard the wind, whispering through the empty alleyways like it was searching for someone to play with. For a minute, I thought this must be a different future, and that we’d already changed things. Then I heard the voices. Murmurs at first, so feint I thought I was imagining it, but as I followed the sound it became a rumble, and then a roar. Finally, I turned a corner and found them—several thousand people, gathered in what must have been a central park. The wide patch of grass was completely covered by blankets and families, holding each other close as they focused their
rapt attention forward towards a wooden stage at one end of the area. Stagelights had been set up for the occasion, and even from this distance, I recognize my sister. A microphone boosted her voice out to the crowd.
“Our next little storyteller is none other than Annabelle Merkins. Please give her your warmest welcome.” The crowd cheered and I clapped along with them, moving closer around the edges of the gathering. Annabelle skipped to the front of the crowd and climbed the steps up to the stage. She was wearing a yellow dress a few sizes too big for her. It was so long she had to be careful not to trip over it. She waved down at the front row and I saw Jake in the audience. He winked at her and she smiled back and then closed her eyes. She took three deep breaths, then opened her eyes suddenly and launched into her story—a fairy tale about a dragon, a princess, and a golden egg.
It reminded me of a story my mom read to me when I was younger. The thought sent a pang to my heart. The photo I found in the file at Zamonta flashed in my memory. I blinked away the image, but a hollow feeling washed over me. My eyes burned as I remembered her tucking Tamara and me in. She read us a new story every night. I had no idea there were so many stories to tell, but she never ran out nor missed a single night of storytelling. Until the day she died. That night, nothing was the same.
I wondered whether the same memories had inspired Tamara to put this public story-telling event together. It felt like a tribute of some kind to my mother. Defiance wasn’t just a place, I realized—it was a community. And I was here to destroy it.