Thoughtless

by Jacqueline Gardner

  "This will all be over soon, my dear." Her voice was soothing but the words she spoke weren't friendly at all. "Your soul is in good hands." She sounded upbeat. I couldn't see her face but I imagined an angelic looking girl whose smile revealed the face of a devil.

  Terror struck my entire body as I imagined my soul being ripped away. I pictured my stiff body being tossed in the dirt, and my mom crying every night for the rest of her life. I banged on the door, hoping that the monster on the other side would have a heart attack from the fright. She just laughed like this was all a game. What type of sick person found this type of stuff amusing? I guess I would soon find out.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Dru

  I pounded my fists against the door until I felt the warm ooze of my own blood. My madness only seemed to amuse my tormentors.

  "Only one thing missing," the girl sighed. "It's time we got our book back."

  "What were you thinking?" Terrence responded. My eyes went wide every time I heard his voice. I still couldn't believe that I was locked in here because of him. I was so furious that I hoped I'd get a least one chance to disfigure his perfect face. If I was living in my last moments, I might as well try.

  "My head is wild with ideas, dear brother. And every one is even crueler that the next."

  "We mustn't waste any more time, Dru. We've already drawn too much attention to ourselves. The Council is disappointed enough by our trail." I rubbed my throat and heard myself swallow. The woman's name was Dru. The bracelet was hers. Agent Squire's raid on the school was the only reason I was still alive – that book he'd taken out of the school, it must have been hers. Without the raid, Dru would have her book. And once she had her stupid book, she'd add me to her list of helpless, innocent victims.

  "Don't fret. I'll handle it." Dru's gentle footsteps left the basement. I pounded on the door again, hoping to get Terrence's attention. I heard him walk closer. His scent grew stronger.

  "It's a shame things had to go this way, Bridget," Terrence whispered. "But you are number seven. I can't let my feelings for you get in the way of that." His feelings, I thought. He didn't sound to torn up about it to me.

  "Number seven?" I asked. My voice no longer trembled. A fire was building in my chest, rather than the usual sinking feeling of despair. Sulking had never worked for me in the past. It wouldn't work now either.

  "Yes," he replied. "Once my sister gets her spell book, she'll be able to acquire your soul. Because you are number seven, her transformation will be complete. She will be one of few with powers that great. You see Bridget, you take your gift for granted."

  "Transformation? She's already a monster! Just tell me why," I muttered. "Why did you pretend for so long? Why didn't you just grab me off the street or something?" I heard Terrence chuckle. I heard him take a breath and move for the staircase. "Terrence!" I pounded even harder. My fists stung as they hit the wooden door with greater force.

  "This is much more fun." Terrence kept chuckling as he switched off the light. I heard his footsteps upstairs. Then they were gone. I was alone in the dark with only my own thoughts to keep me company. I kicked the clutter around me, making a clear spot to sit in. I was growing accustomed to the smells. The smell didn't bother me as much – Terrence's laugh did.

  * * *

  My eyes opened at the sound of tiptoeing and distant thoughts that feared getting caught – Rory. He'd somehow gotten inside without being locked in the basement himself. Rory's footsteps searched the main level. He called out my name in his head. Bridget? I know you hate it when I do this but if you're here, please make some noise. I rubbed my hands. The cuts were starting to heal, but I stood up and got ready to pound on the door one last time.

  Rory heard the noise and immediately ran down the basement stairs. The sound of his voice made me smile.

  "Bridget?"

  "Rory? How did you get here? I wasn't sure you'd kept up!" I felt relieved. Rory opened up his mind. He'd followed from a far distance. And when Terrence turned off onto the dirt road, he knew that his destination had to be the abandoned Allen House.

  "I saw them leave." Rory yanked the door but it didn't budge. I could hear him fiddling with the lock. I was overjoyed. I had to get out of here.

  "So you saw . . . her?"

  "You mean the super skinny blond that dresses like a barmaid? Yeah, I saw her."

  "Rory that was Dru," I replied. I could feel his shock. Then his brain connected all the missing pieces. He put his concentration back on the lock. His attempt to pick it wasn't working. After a pause, I heard him run around the room.

  "Back away from the door!" Rory yelled and stepped backward. There wasn't a lot of room. Before I could yell back, there was a loud noise against the door. I covered my head and ducked. The dust made me cough. After another bang, the doorway was clear. "The lock was new, but the door hinges weren't." Rory was grinning and catching his breath. I'd never been so excited to see him.

  I jumped into his arms without thinking. Being locked up in the dark had forced me to make a choice: fight or give up. My choice was easy. I wasn't a quitter. I was going to fight until I was dead or soulless. Or both. Terrence and Dru were psychos. But with Rory's help, maybe I could be the target who changed the game.

  "Thanks," I whispered, still squeezing him. Rory didn't know what to do. He slowly wrapped his arms around me but expected me to pull away and scold him any second.

  "Let's go," he replied. The two of us quietly jogged up the basement stairs. Rory was still carrying the rusty axe he'd used to break me free. It was much brighter upstairs. The front door had been left ajar. Rory peered outside and down the street. He waved a hand and the two of us ran down the dirt road. "My truck is just over here!"

  We were almost free. I felt anxious following Rory into the trees. If Rory's truck had been moved, I'd probably lose it. I couldn't handle anymore setups for the time being. We tore through a few more bushes. Rory's truck was right where he'd left it. I jumped in the car so fast that I almost smashed my fingers in the door.

  "Now let's get the hell out of here!" I nodded and Rory started his engine. His truck tore through the bushes and screamed onto the dirt road. The rocks and potholes threw me up and down in my seat.

  "They went after the book," I shouted over the noisy engine.

  "What book?"

  "The one Agent Squires found at the school. Terrence went to get it!" I yelled remembering the raid on the school. The FBI had pulled out ten of my classmates as well as Dru's precious book. She must have been at the school that night. Rory focused on getting us as far away from the abandoned house as possible.

  "We have to warn him! They'll turn every police officer in this town into mindless puppets!" I heard the worry in Rory's voice. My hands itched. I studied them in the light. There were tons of bloody scratches down to my wrists, with an added splinter here and there.

  "First, take me home," I insisted. Rory looked surprised.

  "Your mom?" Rory asked. I nodded. Terrence knew where I lived. I would have to tell my mom the truth, eventually.

  "We can call Agent Squires from there," I suggested. Rory yanked the wheel and turned onto a paved street. He sped towards my neighborhood. Our time was short. Rory knew that. I didn't have to tell him.

  "I hope this means you'll let me give you boyfriend advice." Rory grinned. He was trying to keep me from having a panic attack. I smiled again.

  "This was a one time thing. I'm usually a really good judge of character." My heart jumped as Rory turned a corner and I slid closer to him.

  "Yeah, but that's because you cheat," Rory muttered. I pretended to be annoyed. My fists were tightly clenched. Things were happening so fast that they didn't seem real. The streets were busy. It was near rush hour. My mom was sure to be home worried out of her mind. And my school bag was still in Terrence's BMW, along with my cell phone. I couldn't call her.

  "Oh crap! She's home." I could see my mom's car from down the street. The garage was still open and she
'd already gone inside. I could see the kitchen light on through the front curtains. "She's gonna freak, Rory. I was supposed to be home an hour ago. You have to come with me. She likes you for some reason."

  "Gee, thanks for the glowing commendation," Rory said drily.

  "You know what I mean."

  Rory's truck came to a halt at the front curb. The two of us ran to the front door so quickly, you'd think Rory's truck was about to explode. The key kept slipping through my fingers. My palms were sweaty. Rory put a hand on my shoulder.

  "Just relax for a second," he said in a soothing voice. "Time is short but we'll never get anywhere if you keep us standing here for half an hour." I cleared my throat and pushed the key into the lock.

  "Hope that didn't waste too much of your time," I replied as I stepped inside. The house was quiet. I was expecting welcoming yells from a furious mother. Instead I heard a few footsteps upstairs. I stood by the front door waiting for her to poke her head over the banister. She'd see my apologetic look and immediately jog downstairs to extend my punishment.

  "Bridget," Rory whispered. "Our phone call?" I stared at the staircase. Rory started tapping my shoulder with no intention of stopping until I agreed to make the call to Agent Squires.

  "You're wondering if that's annoying me? Well, it is." I muttered. I tore my focus from upstairs to the book – the book that Dru couldn't wait to get her conniving fingers on. The book that would show her how to permanently steal my abilities. "The number is in the kitchen." Rory made a dash for the phone. He was already finished dialing before I joined him by the fridge. I leaned on the kitchen counter and tried to clear my head. Rory handed me the phone. Every ring made my heart pound faster.

  "Jonathon Squires." Agent Squires answered sounding out of breath. He spoke as if he were in a hurry.

  "Agent Squires," I responded. "This is Bridget Ferns. I . . ."

  "Bridget! So glad you called. Listen, don't move. Don't answer the door, and stay put. I'm sending someone to come get you." He tried to mask his panicked thoughts. But hearing an FBI agent's fears for my survival just made me want to freak out even more. I put a hand on my chest to try and counteract that sinking feeling. I knew what came next. Dru had the book. Once she returned to Allen House and found any empty basement, she'd be at my front door.

  "She took the book didn't she?"

  "I'm not going to lie to you, Bridget. Yes, the book was stolen." The worry showed on my face. Rory gasped and stamped his foot. His shoe made a huge thud on the tile. I heard more footsteps upstairs. I could see someone peering over the railings.

  "I'm down here, mom!" I yelled, covering the receiver. I directed my attention back to Agent Squires. "Look, Agent Squires. My mom isn't a big fan of yours, I know that. But you've got to convince her to come to your office with me. I don't think she'll believe me if I tell her the truth, and there's no way I'm leaving her here. That would be a disaster waiting to happen." Agent Squires paused.

  "Your mom's already here," he replied sounding confused. "Her name's on our security sign-in." I heard the sound of rustling papers.

  "No," I protested. "Her car is parked outside. I just saw her a second ago." I could hear Agent Squires yelling in the background. A couple of his colleagues yelled back.

  "Well, she was just here but Agent Williams is having trouble finding her. Hang on a second." A shadow was cast from around the corner. I watched my mom stagger towards the kitchen. Her brunette bob was messy as if she'd been in bed all day.

  "She's here," I repeated into the phone. "I'm looking right at her."

  "Ok, just stay there. I am coming to you." The line cut off. I was relieved to see my mom unharmed without a scowl on her face. Rory said hello but my mom kept a consistent blank stare. Something was off, and Rory saw it too. My eyes traveled down to her hand. Her fingernails were digging into a faded, red book. The book looked as if it used to be a vibrant red. It had a cracking spine and its pages looked yellow.

  "Bridget," Rory said under his breath. "Is she holding what I think she's holding?" I nodded. My mom had a tight grip on the book that Dru wanted. The very book that could rip away my mind reading abilities, leaving me dead.

  "Mom," I said quietly. She stood still at the base of the stairs. I tried to dig through her thoughts, maybe find out what had happened in the past hour. There was nothing there but a blank slate and an eagerness to obey orders. I took a step backward and urged Rory to do the same. "Mom, put the book down and go back upstairs." I listened as her brain processed my command, eventually rejecting my orders.

  "What's going on," Rory whispered.

  "That's not my mom. Dru is in her head." At that moment my mom looked at me. Her gaze wasn't the gaze of a loving mother. It was the stare of a psychopath. Orders were pushed into her brain. I could hear them loud and clear – bring the book and the girl. Her eyes lit up like torches as soon as she advanced forward. The overwhelming urge to please consumed her entire being. She was Dru's servant in my mom's body. "What do I do? What do I do? Rory, what do I do!" Each time my mom took a step forward, I took a step back.

  "We'll have to do what we did when Bryce attacked."

  "Rory, she's my mom! I don't want to hurt her!" My eyes went wide. Maybe if I distracted her long enough, Agent Squires would show up with his dart gun thing.

  "You might not have a choice!" Rory yelled. I listened to my mom's thoughts. Her first attempt at bringing me to her master was a blow to the head. I stopped and waited for her to carry out her planned move. She walked a few steps closer and aimed a right hook at the side of my head. I was ready and I ducked just in time.

  Her thoughts sped up, moving to option number two: pushing me down to the floor. The adrenaline rush raised an alarm in her head. I lunged back and missed my mom's attempt to shove me to the tile floor. A kick to my legs was her immediate retaliation. The alarm in her head went off and I jumped, missing her well-aimed foot. After a few more jumps, ducks, and dives to the floor, it became easy. All I had to do was defend myself against each of her thoughts.

  "How are you doing that?" Rory sounded amazed but I didn't have time to look at him.

  "Grab the book!" I shouted. Rory snuck up behind my mom as she picked up a kitchen chair and hurled it across the room. It hit a window. The sound of cracking glass made me jump. Rory lunged for the book and grabbed it with all his strength. My mom's focus automatically switched to Rory. With one swift movement, she kicked Rory's stomach. He fell to the tile floor along with the book. I could see scattered drops of blood coming from his arms. Rory reached for the book, smearing his cuts into the kitchen floor.

  "Hey!" I yelled, trying to get my mom's attention. "Over here! I'm over here!" She looked in my direction again. Rory had the book in his hand. He dragged himself back into the family room and hid it underneath a couch cushion. I waited until Rory looked at me to smile. He grinned back.

  That brief interaction cost me. A hand swung at my head and knocked me over. I'd stopped paying attention for a minute and now the cold tile was bruising up my sides. A foot struck my ribs and I could feel something in my torso crack. A burning pain seared through my spine and shoulders. I tried to muffle my own painful screams but it sounded worse than if I'd actually let myself yell. I looked up to a mischievous smirk. A kick to the stomach came next.

  I forced my body to stick out my arms, cupping my hands. I caught her foot before it struck my ribs. Her violent kick hit my fingers like metal weights. I yelled again and yanked her foot forward, making her other foot slide out from under her. She fell backwards, hitting her head against the kitchen floor.

  I stood up and grabbed the counter for balance. My head was spinning and my muscles were aching. But the most painful injury was the sight of my mom lying on the tile floor. Her eyes stared straight up at the ceiling. Her mind was quiet. Dru had found another way to succeed. If she couldn't steal the book, she'd try to steal my mother's life. And the worst part was, she'd done it by my hand.

  Tears blurred my vis
ion. They were tears of horror, not tears of pain. I stumbled to the floor next to my mom, screaming. She had no response. I shook her shoulders, even lightly smacked her cheeks. My tears fell onto her chest, a mixture of water and black makeup. Nothing put my mind at ease. Intercepting the book didn't matter. Escaping from Terrence didn't matter.

  I felt Rory's arms wrap around me. His touch was gentle. I could feel his warmth, and his desperate desire to keep me safe. I dug my face into his t-shirt. His hand stroked my hair and pulled me even closer.

  "This can't be happening," I muttered in between sniffles. "No! No! No!" Rory found it difficult to look at the body in front of him. Seeing my mom's face reminded him of his own mother. He couldn't even imagine what he would do if the situation were reversed. I held onto his arms even tighter. Rory looked down at my mom's blank stare. His faced cringed. Words of comfort filled his head, but he didn't know which sentence to say. He knew none of them could change what had happened.

  "Wait." Rory let go of me and leaned closer to the tile floor. He smiled. I wiped the dripping makeup off my cheeks. "She's still breathing. That's a good sign."

  Chapter Seventeen

  Witchcraft

  Rory kept a firm grip on my hand as I watched my mom being wheeled out in a stretcher. She was still unconscious. The blow to her head had fractured her skull, but her heart was still beating. My vision was blurry from tears as I followed the stretcher until it was wheeled out the front door. I could hear screeching tires outside and eventually the ambulance's siren. My hands were shaking. All the muscles in my body ached whenever I moved.