“I don’t see where we have much of a choice,” she said.
Henry thought for just a moment, then nodded. “Then let’s go.”
~~~
As soon as they touched down, Nikki knew something was wrong. She’d never been to the house they stood in front of but the sky was too bright and blue, the air too dry and warm. She looked around, still hoping she was wrong but the tall fir trees that stood everywhere in the Northwest were nowhere to be seen.
Jamie swiveled his head back and forth. “Where are we?”
Henry spoke softly, his expression betraying his confusion. “This is where I used to live,” he said, trying to keep his voice steady. “We’re outside my old house.”
“Wait, we’re in Virginia?” Jamie said. “I don’t get it.”
Nikki thought back, remembering how Henry had once been Banished from coming here. Obviously, that Banishment had long ago been lifted. Even though it didn’t seem quite possible, their being here now could only mean one thing.
“It’s the holidays,” Nikki reminded Jamie.
Jamie’s eyes widened, then he nodded, putting it together.
Nikki didn’t have to ask how it was possible, even though they’d just seen Bethany what felt like no more than an hour ago. Their time at the pond had obviously accounted for way more time here—eight hours, at least. Maybe more. They were going to have to watch things closely.
“Exactly,” Henry said. “Bethany has already flown back home.”
As soon as he said it, Nikki felt sure of one thing. Even if they told Bethany everything they knew about Ian’s future, it wouldn’t matter. She was now three-thousand miles away from anything that was going to happen and there was no way she’d be able to stop it.
8
Lost and Found
Ian sat at the kitchen counter, staring at his flexlet while his mother fried bacon and his father chopped onions, peppers and mushrooms for one of his “world famous” scrambles. Margo remained upstairs, more than likely scrolling through feeds on her wallscreen, earphones blocking out the sound of family below in favor of whatever band she’d gotten into lately. It wasn’t lost on Ian that Margo seemed to have kept getting more withdrawn over the past year. His parents had commented on it too, although they’d tried to make light of it, attributing her behavior to just another teen phase. Still, Ian had sensed at least a grain of genuine concern.
Hopefully, it was just a phase. Margo was sixteen now and high school was a bitch, especially for intelligent, artistic girls with a tendency to remain slightly overweight. Her struggle with acne couldn’t be making things any easier, Ian knew. At the same time, she was the kind of kid who’d find her own way in college not long from now and start kicking some serious ass socially while her high school cheerleader counterparts would probably be waiting tables.
“Need a refill?”
Ian looked up from his flexlet to see his father poised to pour more coffee into his mug. Ian slid his mug closer to where his father stood on the other side of the counter. “Sure, thanks.”
It felt strange to have his father filling his coffee mug. Sometimes, it seemed like just days ago that he’d sat there six years old in his pajamas, eyeing the milk jug he couldn’t manage to lift on his own. Last night, his parents had offered him a glass of wine. How had the time passed so quickly? Ian wondered if he wasn’t too young to wonder about that.
Ian’s father gestured with his mug toward Ian’s screen. “Anything interesting?”
“Nothing much,” Ian said. “Just the news, basically.”
“Let me guess, Democrats and Republicans can’t agree on anything.”
Ian nodded. “Yep.”
“The economy is still struggling despite holiday sales and all that good stuff.”
“True.”
His father looked at the ceiling. “Someone missing was found but someone else went missing. A freak accident at a zoo, someone mauled by a big animal or something like that. Oh, and of course a weather calamity to top things off.”
Ian couldn’t help laugh. “Have you read this before?”
“Way too many times,” his father said. “Taking a break from it while I’m on break myself.”
Ian’s mother turned and said, “Bacon’s done. You’re on. Keep it legendary or you’re fired.”
“Legendary. No pressure.” Ian’s father picked up his cutting board and approached the stove to start scrambling.
Ian hadn’t exactly told the truth about reading the news. Technically, he was reading a very old archived news article—it felt strange to be looking at 2-D images again—although, he actually was reading about someone who’d gone missing and then been found.
It was so strange to think that Professor Russell had once been one of those people. Ian had been trying not to think about it but then his curiosity had gotten the better of him and he’d started searching. Just before his father offered to fill his coffee, he’d pulled something up. A weird abduction, ransom attempt from twenty years back. Some freaky tech guy had figured he could screw over his rich boss by kidnapping the guy’s niece. Weird shit. Who would ever think of doing something like that? Ian turned his attention to the article again. Yep, Virginia. Lisa had said it happened somewhere down south. The girl’s name, Bethany Connors. Professor Russell’s first name was Bethany. Kind of an unusual name. This had to be—
“Toast or bagel?” Ian’s mother said.
His father looked over from his place at the stove. “There’s some muffins too. Cinnamon or blueberry.”
Ian barely looked up. “Actually, a bagel sounds great. Do we have any cream cheese?”
Ian’s mother called upstairs. “Margo, breakfast is ready!”
“She probably can’t hear you,” Ian’s father said. “Try texting.”
Ian’s mother sighed and said, “Ridiculous,” but she typed on one of the counter screens. A few moments later, Margo’s boots sounded on the stairs. She took a seat at the end of the counter without removing her earphones.
Lisa had said something about a brother who died. Sure enough, there was a link in the article about the abducted girl’s other family tragedy. Ian clicked the link. His eyes widened and his heart jumped. Damn, that kid looked just like the one he’d imagined the other day—the long dark hair streaked with purple, the brown eyes. Freaking weird. How was that even possible?
Ian read about how this kid, Henry, had died in a freak drowning accident. He’d gotten caught in some rapids on the James River. Ian remembered the name of that river from history books. God, the poor kid had only been fifteen at the time.
“Must be a bigger news day than you’re letting on.” Ian’s father set a plate down in front of him.
Ian’s mother took a seat next to him on his other side. She raised one of the counter screens and tilted it back. Ian figured she planned on checking one of her new sites.
“How about we all just talk,” Ian’s father said. “Ian’s only home for a few days. Design can wait.”
“Good point.” Ian’s mother tapped and the screen slid back down again, becoming part of the counter. She gestured at her daughter to remove her earbuds. “Margo, turn off your music.”
Ian kept staring at the kid’s picture, especially at his name. Henry Connors. He’d barely noticed at first but now all he could see was the letter “H” as if no other text remained on the screen. That weird psychic lady, Julie—she’d asked if he’d known someone whose name started with the letter H. She had, hadn’t she? He wasn’t just imagining that part, right?
Someone you knew on the other side. I’m getting H. His name begins with H.
Ian hadn’t thought about that first part until now. He’d only told her he didn’t know anyone whose name began with H. What could she possibly have meant by that other thing? Someone you knew on the other side.
“The plan was talking to you.” Ian’s father tapped the top of Ian’s flexlet. “How about eating your breakfast and joining us?”
“Oh,
yeah. Sorry!” Ian collapsed his flexlet and set it off to the side. He could have sent it to the other side of the planet, though, and he wouldn’t have been able to stop thinking about what he’d just discovered.
“This looks great,” his father said.
Ian’s mother laughed. “If you do say so yourself.”
“Hey, I meant the bacon too!”
“Just kidding, honey. That’s a splendid scramble, perhaps even legendary.”
“Yeah, it looks awesome.” Ian cut into his eggs with his fork and took a bite. He forced himself to snap out of it, telling himself it had to be a coincidence. After all, lots of names began with H. Howard, Hugh, Hunter, Harrison. Hagrid! Ian smiled inwardly thinking about the old Harry Potter movies. Oh, right. Another one. Harry.
Toward the end of their meal, Ian’s father sat back in his chair. He looked back and forth between them. “So, you three. We have some time off together. What should we do today?”
“I’m meeting up with Donna,” Margo said.
“Of course you are,” Ian’s mother said.
I’m getting other names now. Someone whose name starts with J. Also, N. Do you know anyone whose name begins with N?
“I have to do a little shopping,” Ian said. “By myself. Secrets.” He felt bad saying it, since he’d planned on spending the day with his family. But he figured they’d go along with the need for some privacy while shopping for gifts. “Just for a couple of hours,” he added, seeing the hurt in his parents eyes. After all, he hadn’t been around for months.
His mother smiled. “Back for dinner?”
“Oh, way before! How about we meet back here at, say, two? Then we can spend the afternoon together.”
That did the trick. His father got up and started clearing dishes. “Two o’clock it is, then.” He turned to Margo. “Same goes for you, okay?”
Margo sighed. “Yeah, I guess.”
Ian’s father pretended to ignore the attitude. “Okay, go, you two.” He checked the time. “See you both back here in four hours.”
~~~
Ian got into his car, entered his password into the start pad, set the browser to audio and told it to search for archived news articles about Bethany or Henry Connors. To weed out unwanted or coincidental information, he added, “Richmond, Virginia.”
He backed out of the driveway, shaking his head at his own foolishness. As he drove toward the University District, he continued to ask himself exactly what it was he thought he was doing. He was supposed to be spending some time with his parents during the holidays. Hanging out and recharging his batteries after a fairly brutal semester. Now, he was obsessing about some weird stuff that made no sense at all and driving toward the apartment building he’d fled the other afternoon when the psychic chick freaked him out. Did he even have any questions for her? Come right down to it, no, he didn’t. So, why was he going there? Because he owed her money, Ian told himself. Which was true. He hadn’t paid her and that just wasn’t right, even if he hadn’t liked the experience. A deal was a deal, after all.
The browser kept reciting different versions of the same information, essentially. Two sad events striking the same family a long time ago. A teenaged boy who’d drowned, followed by a sister who’d gone missing just weeks later. God, that must have been incredibly painful for the parents. Some articles offered more information than others, such as background information on the family. Professor Russell’s father had also been a college professor who’d taught Sociology. Funny how that ran in families. Ian himself was considering going into education like his own father. Another random bit caught his attention. She’d once played lacrosse on a team that won a regional championship. Damn, pretty impressive. Ian could imagine it easily, though. He guessed Professor Russell to be in her late thirties but she remained totally fit. He suspected she probably worked out often. Another article reported that Henry’s death had been speculated as a possible suicide.
Ian slowed the car as he listened but didn’t learn much more than that. Evidently, at the time, there had been reports that Henry had walked directly into the rapids that killed him. At least, that’s what witnesses had said. Suicide stories always caught Ian’s attention for some reason he couldn’t understand. He tried to avoid them but somehow they hit home with him every time and he found himself wondering how anyone could sink that low. At the same time, part of him understood that sometimes people despaired—that they could no longer imagine a future worth bothering with. What really struck him most was how that feeling would resonate for him, almost as if he’d felt the same way once when he never had. His life was amazing, he reminded himself. He enjoyed almost everything about it. Okay, maybe not the college workload so much, but still. Even that brought with it a feeling of achievement he appreciated at the end of the day.
He pulled up in front of the apartment building and sat in the car, more of Julie’s words coming back to him. Words he’d made himself forget. Almost like you have a group of friends there who still think about you. Wait, I’m seeing something else. Yes, definitely. I’m getting an image. A chill rippled up his spine. Was he really going to ask again about whatever it was that made her go pale? No, he wasn’t. He’d driven here to pay her—if she was even home. Besides, she’d said the image was random, unrelated stuff.
Ian climbed the staircase and knocked on her door. He could have sworn he heard someone moving around in there, then footsteps approaching. If they were footsteps, they suddenly stopped. Ian waited, wondering if he’d instead heard something from a different apartment. Another, less certain, instinct made him wonder if he was being viewed standing there in the hallway from the doorscreen. Julie had mentioned a roommate. That was probably it. Whoever she was, she’d have no idea why he’d be knocking on the door. Ian typed a quick message on the doorpad. I forgot to pay for my reading. Sorry. You have my info. Ian.
Ian walked back downstairs thinking it was all for the better just to put the whole ridiculous thing behind him now. Amazing how, if you let it, your imagination could just run away like that. What had he even been thinking going there again in the first place? He could have just phoned in the payment. Obviously, he had her information too.
As he got into his car and started it, Ian looked up at Julie’s window. For one brief moment, their eyes met before she stepped back and disappeared.
9
The Need
It was the last thing in the world they wanted to do, but all they could think of was jumping forward again to the day of Ian’s death. Those moments had happened incredibly fast and there hadn’t been time to change anything. Still, at least this time they’d know what was about to happen. Maybe they could think of some way to stop the event from taking place. First, they had to find Ian again.
This time they joined him as he left an apartment building. They followed as he got into his car and glanced up at the building he’d just left. A woman looked out the window, just briefly, before stepping back and disappearing from view.
“What the hell was all that about?” Ian muttered. As soon as he started the car, a screen lit up on the dashboard. A voice asked, “Visual or audio?”
“How about off?” Ian said, obviously annoyed. “Let’s start with that for an option.”
“Whoa, check it out,” Jamie said. “Cars have computers in them now.”
“Where have you been?” Nikki said.
Jamie turned to Henry and rolled his eyes. “Where have you been?” he mimicked. Without changing his imitative tone, he added, “I don’t know, maybe dead?”
“Try getting out more,” Nikki said. “I, for one, am over the Cure, just so you know.”
Jamie’s eyes became slits. “The Cure rules. Forever.”
Henry laughed. “One thing seems the same. Computers are still bugging the crap out of people.”
Nikki checked Ian’s expression. “They appear to have made an art out of it. But there’s more going on here. Give me a sec.” She closed her eyes and listened to Ian’s thoughts
, which remained on the woman he’d just seen staring down at him.
Nikki opened her eyes again. “That woman who just looked out at us. Okay, not us. Ian. She’s psychic.”
“For real?” Jamie looked back up at the window.
“Seriously?” Henry said, “I’ve never met a psychic.”
Nikki smirked. “Why do you two sound so impressed? One of you can talk inside people’s heads and the other can suddenly appear out of thin air.”
“Good point,” Jamie said. “Still, I’ve never been sure either.”
Nikki gestured at Ian. “Neither is he but that’s why he went there. I didn’t get what it was about but right now he’s wondering why she wouldn’t answer her door.”
Ian pulled away from the curb and started driving.
“Okay, let’s do this.” Nikki reached out just to be sure, grabbing on to Henry’s and Jamie’s arms again. She closed her eyes and a moment later they stood watching as Ian walked toward the doors of the shopping mall.
“I don’t know if I can handle this again,” Jamie said.
Henry started walking. “We don’t have a choice.”
So like Henry, Nikki thought, that willingness to take on hard things and not flinch. Nikki also felt nervous about witnessing the shooting again, while she was unsure she could keep them there long enough to have an effect. Last time, it felt like a cord was about to snap during the entire experience. Now, she wondered if knowing the outcome might weaken that cord even more. She’d never done anything like this before—never even dreamed it possible—so she couldn’t begin to guess. Strangely, though, she dreaded seeing the trapped look in that kid’s eyes almost as much as she feared watching Ian get shot again. That had been over almost before she’d turned to look. And then they’d been gone, suddenly back in their realm as if waking from a nightmare. On the other hand, the kid’s terror at what he’d created—at the certainty of his own resulting doom—had kept haunting her thoughts.
Memories from a Different Future: Jump When Ready, Book 2 Page 7