“I walked home. Sorry, Mom.” Before she could respond, I added, “I’ll be down in a few minutes to help with supper.” I put my hand on my door.
She hesitated, then nodded. “Sure. We’ll talk then.”
Wonderful.
Alone, I looked out my window to the street below. Tyler was right. I’d healed quickly. On impulse, I lifted my shirt and peeled off the top corner of the bandage from my stomach. The bullet wound had faded to a small, pinkish scar, and the faint Lichtenberg figures from the lightning were nearly invisible. I pulled the rest of the dressing off and shoved it into the garbage, underneath the papers. So much for follow-up with the doctor. There was no need to see him, and I didn’t want him wondering how I’d recovered so quickly and so completely.
Although it was still light out, the edges of night crept over the sky. As an afterthought, I pulled my cell from my pocket. Five missed calls. Ten texts. I must have turned the ringer to silent before class.
I scrolled through his texts—Where are you? andCall me were the general gist of things. I tapped his name. It half rang, only once, and he was there.
“Where were you?”
“I just got home.”
“We’re waiting.”
“I just got home,” I repeated.
There was a brief pause. “Listen. I called them as soon as you left. Nobody wants to wait.”
“They’re going to have to.” Everybody tried to tell me what to do. “I have homework.” It was a lame excuse, even for me.
“If the creatures manage to get into our world, you won’t have to hand it in.”
“Yes but, if I meet with you and we stop them, I will.
“What do you even have for homework? You missed the whole day today.”
“Besides catch-up work, the stuff from today. We were in the same class. Didn’t you notice the assignment she wrote on the board?”
He was quiet again. Finally, “Do you really want me to answer that?”
“My stepdad’s serious about me staying in on weeknights. If I try to go out, it’s going to cause a whole—thing. If you guys can wait until they’re in bed, I can leave.”
“He won’t catch you?”
“No. They won’t expect it. It’s not exactly a part of my repertoire.” I wasn’t sure but I thought he laughed.
“Fine, should I pick you up?”
“No. On your motorcycle? Are you kidding? They’d hear me.”
“So when can you get out?”
“I don’t know. Eleven maybe.”
“It’s a school night. Are you sure you can stay up that late on a school night?”
“Ha, ha. Where are we meeting?”
“Dee’s dad owns Cal’s Junkyard, over on Main.”
Dee. One of the others. “And he’ll let us use it?”
“Doesn’t have to let us. She knows how to get in, and she knows the dogs there. She ties them up before we meet.”
“Okay. See you.”
He didn’t answer before hanging up.
Chapter Six
I sat on my bed and leaned against the wall. It was only 10:30 p.m., but the pain in my hand was already gone.
My parent’s bedroom door clicked shut and the blare of the television drifted down the hall. Their nightly ritual would be the cover I needed to get out. Once the TV was on, they rarely came out. Before I lost my nerve, I grabbed my phone and opened my door slowly. I turned around to close it again, latching it carefully. That was another thing that changed after they married. I slept with my door closed.
Downstairs, I grabbed my jacket from the front closet, shut that door softly, then eased the front door open. Nights were cooler. It was dark, but the streetlights lightened the shadows enough for me to see where to go.
The light didn’t help my general sense of unease. I knew some people went out all the time at night, but not me. I did my homework, went to bed early. I didn’t cut classes—at least, I didn’t used to.
As I walked down the street, I almost wished I’d accepted Tyler’s offer of a ride. I picked up my pace, and soon I sprinted. In moments, I stood at the gate of the junkyard. I realized that I was perfectly fine. I wasn’t even winded. Only my feet hurt a little.
“Rachel. Decided to join us?” Tyler’s deadpan voice startled me. He faced me, leaning on the fence, his palms pushed against the bars. It was chilly, but he was dressed in jeans and a black t-shirt.
“Are you going to let me in?” The gate was chained and locked.
“Let yourself in.” He grinned. “Climb over.”
“I thought her father owns the place.”
“He does, but she doesn’t have a set of keys. Just jump it.”
“Fine.” I thought climbing over would have been more of a struggle, but I was over the fence, landing on both feet without effort. I shook my head—it had to be Elliot’s gift.
“I wasn’t exactly part of the track team either.” Tyler shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “And not exactly a team player.”
The junkyard was just as eerie at night as I thought an old car graveyard would be. A bit of light shone from the warehouse ahead. My foot caught on a piece of debris lying in front of me and I stumbled. Tyler reached out to steady me and, instantly, I knew he was nervous, too. Elliot had only shown me to him. The others could only take his word for it. Their faces in his mind—he hadn’t exaggerated when he said they were excited. They’d been here since 4:30.
I sensed a flash of violence. Felt it. I stopped and looked up at him. “You were fighting?”
“No. Training. We spar sometimes. Elliot said it helps. Makes us better.”
“You’re nervous, too.”
“I’m sure you’ll be fine. I should mention something though.”
I stopped walking.
His tone told me I wouldn’t like what he planned to say. He cleared his throat. “So, before Elliot ... I mean, when he was around, he pointed you out. He said ...” I tried to see his expression, thought about reaching out to read his thoughts. It was odd how that had already become second nature to me. “He told me you were going to lead us in this ... fight. I told the others.”
I almost laughed. “A leader? Me? You must be out of your mind. I’m nobody.” I had the impression he shrugged. He didn’t argue with my assessment. “Why?”
“No idea. But he sees things. In us. In you, he saw a leader.”
“But Elliot’s ... gone.” I choked on the word. “How am I supposed to lead anyone?”
“I don’t know. But you are.” He walked faster. I hurried to keep up.
We reached the warehouse and Tyler entered first. I followed. There were three of them there. One of the girls seemed familiar. I squinted. I knew her from school. I couldn’t believe I didn’t recognize her right away. Dee was the kind of girl who stood out; everyone knew her. She was student body president, captain of the soccer team, and, a year older than me. Most likely, she would be valedictorian when she graduated later that year. Her thick black hair was tied up in a high ponytail and she wore a long sweater with leggings. She didn’t look any more like a superhero than I did, but certainly more like a leader.
Could she take me seriously?
The other two were unfamiliar. The boy, obviously much younger than us, stared at me with huge eyes. He seemed the type of kid who’d wear glasses and carry a scientific calculator in his pocket. In khakis and a sweater, his appearance was ordinary though his pants were a little high, his mouse-brown hair cut a little too short. He should be at home doing homework.
Like I should be.
“How old are you?” The question popped out before I thought about it.
He blushed. “Fourteen.”
Older than he looked, but too young to be involved. Then again, who wasn’t?
The other girl stepped forward but, instead of speaking directly to me, she challenged Tyler. Her tone echoed my thoughts. “This is our leader?”
I didn’t blame her for being surprised.
&n
bsp; Sarah was tall and slim, with broad shoulders and short, spiked, platinum blonde hair. Could take any one of us out without breaking a sweat. Tough, too: nose, brow, and lip piercings, and several in her ears. Her hands were planted firmly on her small hips, and there were wide rips down her faded jeans. She was an extreme version of Tyler.
“Can’t you see it?” Dee’s voice startled everybody. “Did you bother to look at her?”
I knew what she was talking about. My energy. Tyler had said it was nice.
When Sarah shrugged, Dee smiled. “Oh, I guess I forgot. It’s harder for you.” Her tone didn’t suggest she’d forgotten anything. There was an undercurrent of animosity between them.
I wondered if Dee really saw anything about my energy or if she supported me to annoy Sarah.
Jonathan spoke up. “Sarah does have trouble seeing it.”
I focused on Sarah again, reading her energy this time. Bright colors surrounded her body jumping to light, vibrant and alive. She might not be able to see the energy of others, but hers was amazing.
“Thanks for that, Jonathan.” Her sarcasm said she wasn’t the least bit grateful.
Tyler cleared his throat. He stood off to the side, holding the small box from his room. He approached, and we formed a semi-circle around him. As we watched, he opened the lid. Five thin bracelets lay at the bottom. They gleamed under the warehouse lights. “Elliot said, when we were together ...” He didn’t need to finish. Everyone knew.
“So what do they do?” Jonathan reached into the box. He lifted one out and turned it over in his palm.
Sarah and Dee followed suit.
“They’re supposed to connect us.” Tyler glanced up.
“Connect us?” Sarah’s eyebrows shot up. “Nifty friendship bracelets.”
Tyler grinned at her. “I know. Dream come true, right?”
They had a similar sense of humor. Sarah rolled her eyes, but she slid it on her wrist. Dee and I did the same. Jonathan and Tyler were last. We all paused expectantly.
“So, is something supposed to happen with ...” Sarah’s voice trailed off, and she frowned down at her bracelet.
In the same instant, my own bracelet radiated heat. Warmth suffused my wrist, then it grew hotter. Not burning, exactly. Strange. Heat spread into my fingertips and then up my arm to my elbow and shoulder. Soon, my whole body felt like it glowed. I tried to focus on their faces, but it was difficult as a beautiful warm sensation washed over me.
The heat receded and my body returned to normal. It felt good though. Connected. Then I sensed everyone’s emotions at once. Most were like mine: excited, energized. Jonathan was frightened, screaming, his fear overwhelming him.
The rest of us responded in sync, upset for him. We knew what it was to be afraid.
I stepped forward and laid my hands on his back. Wordlessly, the others gathered around, touching him on his arms, his shoulders. Our touch was communicative: peace, warmth, safety. A group message of calm. His fear faded, and we felt its retreat. I perceived Sarah’s strength and Dee’s self-confidence, Tyler’s courage, Jonathan’s intelligence.
I wondered what impression they had of me. We still touched Jonathan, and they got my question.
“Power,” Dee answered quietly.
Sarah nodded. “A lot. It emanates from you.”
I dropped my arm to prevent her from reading my reaction.
“Wow,” Jonathan whispered. “I can feel you all.”
It was true. Not thoughts—I couldn’t hear their thoughts without the physical contact—but I sensed them. Their emotions, their energy—we were connected. I studied the faces around me. This was some army. Anyone observing us would only see a small group of teenagers. The unique way our energies connected made me think we might actually have a chance.
“So, we know the creatures want in.” Instantly, the bracelets were all but forgotten as their eyes turned to mine. “What I don’t understand is how they plan to do it.”
“They’re building a bridge.” Jonathan’s soft voice trembled. Fear again. “And they’re building from both sides.”
“But if they can’t get here—”
“They’ve found help,” Tyler cut in.
Elliot had covered this with them already, but it was news to me. Nobody said anything.
I asked the obvious. “From who?”
He glanced at the others. “From people who used to follow World Maker. At some point, they rejected Elliot, but they’d already learned how to cross over on their own. And they kept crossing over. The creatures saw their chance. They saw the change in their energies, but instead of destroying them, they began whispering directly to them, both in their own dimension and through the dimensional wall. And those people listen. They convinced others, too—even those who’d never met Elliot, who don’t share their power.”
“Maybe they want to be on the winning side,” Dee added quietly.
“So, how will we know who they are? I mean, they’re human, too, right?” I hesitated. “We are still human, aren’t we?”
“I guess so.” Tyler shrugged. “I don’t know.” It was an unsettling thought.
“Does it matter?” Jonathan’s voice sounded sad and childlike. “We’ll never find those people on this side, and it’s not like we can ask the creatures. Somehow, I don’t think they’d be interested in talking to us.”
“Maybe ...” I was trying to be helpful. Leader-like. “Maybe if we pretend to turn against Elliot—”
“You can’t pretend something like that.” Sarah cut me off quickly. “They can see our energies, too. They’d know.”
So much for leader-like. “So what do we do?”
Tyler apparently liked that question better. He extended his hands, and we followed his cue. The image of him and me fighting the creatures flashed through our minds.
“Nice one,” Sarah said. “Learning quickly, leader.”
I couldn’t tell if she was being sarcastic, but since he hadn’t shown the part where I’d almost been devoured, I had to assume she meant it.
Then she frowned. “How did you guys get in?”
“Rachel can open a portal.”
“Herself? Already? Like Elliot?”
He nodded, smiling. I ignored the exchange and focused on the point of his vision. “What were you doing when you had the creature pinned down?”
“Reading him.”
“You can read him?”
“Yeah. The images are different—stored or processed differently. But it’s the only way we can get any information. Jonathan’s right, it’s not like we can interrogate them.”
The horrible sound they made flashed through my mind, and everyone winced. I wasn’t sure whose thought it was. Mine, maybe. But we’d all heard it first-hand, and our feelings were the same.
Tyler continued. “So the idea is to go in as many times as it takes until we get valuable information. We have to find the ones who can show us what we need to know, where to find their people workers and their bridge.”
“There must be thousands of the creatures.” A wave of fear hit us when I spoke. It was Jonathan’s fear.
“But a lot of them will know. Maybe all of them will,” Tyler rushed on before Jonathan’s fright overwhelmed us.
I picked up the idea quickly. “And as soon as we find one bridge, we’ve found both sides, right? The creatures and the traitors are in the same spot?”
“Hope so.”
Jonathan’s dread continued, palpable, but at least it wasn’t worse. He let go and walked away from our group. He pulled himself up onto a rack of tires, dangling his feet off the edge. “What now?” Jonathan called down after a moment, his voice calmer.
They looked at me, expecting me to know. Tyler told them I was the leader. They expected me to lead. Unfortunately, I had no idea how.
“You could take us there, fearless leader,” Sarah teased.
I thought of my last encounter. My voice quietened. “No, thanks.”
“Come on. Tyler say
s you can open it. We’ve all been there with Elliot—fought those demons. We’ll just—look around. See how it feels to be connected there. Maybe find a little information. We can leave if there’s trouble,” Sarah taunted.
Jonathan’s fear surged again and mixed with mine, but excitement from the others overshadowed it. I glanced at Tyler and noticed his eyes focused intently on my face. He knew I was shaky with openings. He was right. Or he had been. But, somehow, since we’d connected, I felt infinitely stronger, like I had when Tyler placed his hand on my back the first time. I checked their energies again. They sparked to life. Vibrant and beautiful. Just like that. I concentrated on a point past them and, as a test, thought about opening a small seam. It was almost easy.
“I’ll sit this one out,” Jonathan called from his perch.
I seconded his sentiment silently, but I opened it and couldn’t back out. I concentrated on wrapping the opening around us, and slowly, the two realities blended. I merged our dimensions, taking stock of the new surroundings, prepared to bring us back if the creatures were near. They weren’t.
The place was desolate and empty, unlike the last location. There were vague noises, cries and whisperings in the distance, but no shadowy figures were visible on the horizon. I felt Sarah, Dee, Tyler—and even Jonathan, who hadn’t come with us. Sarah absently touched her bracelet, and I realized I’d done the same.
We were linked here, more strongly than in our world.
I stepped forward cautiously. Since we weren’t under attack, it was easier to concentrate on the environment. The climate was dry and hot. No clouds, but darker than our world. A few scattered building shells stood in a cluster ahead of us. This dimension was almost devoid of structures. They couldn’t endure here. Not permanently. I scanned the horizon.
“To town or away from it?” Tyler asked, waiting for me. Town implied shops and houses and small businesses. From what I understood about this world—its destructive environment and unlivable conditions—town wouldn’t look like it did in our world.
I didn’t reply. Neither? What if I led them into a fight we weren’t prepared for? What if I couldn’t reopen the seam in time?
“You’re doing fine.” Tyler’s hand touched my arm gently, and everyone read my anxiety. The bracelets made me feel stronger, but they didn’t allow for much privacy.
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