by Jamie Magee
“Are there any storms close?” I thought nervously, remembering how painful the last one had been.
“Storms never occur close to Chara,” Landen promised. “We don’t encounter them until we pass Esterious.”
I smiled faintly and took his hand. I began to take in the beauty of the string.
“So what do you think about Dane being able to see in here?” Brady asked Landen.
Landen raised his brow and pressed his lips together. I could feel a tinge of jealousy coming from him. “I knew there was something else I wanted to ask you about.”
“Dane is the brother I never had,” I explained.
I watched as a grin came across Landen’s face. He then wrapped his arm around my shoulder and kissed the top of my head. “I know. He told me about that night at the lake. I’ve already thanked him for keeping you safe when I couldn’t.”
We came to the passage that they’d chosen. It was a light blue haze. I was the last to step through. I didn’t know what to expect, having no idea what this world would be like. The passage was behind a large building, next to a generator.
We walked around the front to the streets, and much to my surprise, it looked the same as my world did. We were in a small town, the buildings were all made of brick, and the roads were made of what looked liked pea gravel. The people seemed ordinary enough, and the clothes even appear to be the same as they were in my hometown. I reached out with my sense of emotion to see if this place were truly as safe as I thought it was, and I could feel that the mood was ordinary—the collective stress, pride, and energy that I would have felt at home.
I did find it odd, though, that I didn’t see any children anywhere. There wasn’t a stroller in sight. I didn’t even see a dog on a leash. I noticed a few admiring feelings aimed at my escorts, and it was easy to see that they all went unnoticed by them.
“Where are the children?” I asked.
“Here, the children are the most precious assets. They keep them safely at home until they’re young adults, for fear that if they mingle with any adult beyond their family, their ambition will be altered.”
Chrispin began to grill Marc and Brady about the dimensions he’d recently traveled. He was ambitious and young at heart. The guys were telling Chrispin tall tales about giants and flying dragons, and at one point they had him convinced that trolls taught in the schools in my world.
As we passed a street crossing, something caught my eye. I hesitated, and Landen stopped with me, but the others didn’t notice and kept their stroll.
“What is it? Do you see something?”
“You said no children, right?”
“Right.”
“Do you see that woman with the crying baby?”
“No.”
Landen called out to the others. They were confused. Maybe they were waiting for something more dramatic, or perhaps they thought they’d be able to see my images.
We turned down the alleyway and followed the woman. I was grateful that I’d found someone off the beaten path. I could imagine that someone might notice five people disappearing into thin air. This was a young girl. I could see that this was her first child. The inexperience was in her eyes. She was dancing and singing above the crying. I could see that she needed strength and that the baby needed to be calmed down. I was starting to doubt that I’d be strong enough to help them both and carry us all through the string.
“Okay, we’re here. What’s your plan?”
“Look, I’m going to hold Willow, and you guys hold onto me,” Landen instructed.
“Wait. Are you sure about this? I don’t want them to get burned,” I thought in a nervous tone.
“I was only burned because Drake pulled me back through. I shifted out of the path you made. They’ll be okay. I promise.”
I tightened my jaw. I was even angrier with Drake now, and all I could think about was how I was going to make him pay for hurting the ones I loved.
Brady stepped forward quickly. I was sure that after my display yesterday, he was eager to see how I did this. As their anticipation rose, I could feel the excitement running through the guys. I felt the gentle pull of the string, and as I reached out, I could see a white light reach back toward me.
I reached forward and placed one hand on the baby’s back and one hand on its mother. I felt the hum pass through my body. They were beautiful. I’d have to find the time to sketch these two. I let my mother’s energy and my father’s peace flow through my memory. I hesitated longer than I normally would. I watched as the baby succumbed to a peaceful sleep. His mother’s eyes sparkled. She looked refreshed and happy. I lingered, taking one last look at all the details, then I took in a deep breath, gathered my strength, and let go. I felt my body pulled back, so I focused on the energy and stopped myself in the string.
Suddenly, a roar of laughter erupted from Landen, Brady, and Marc. Brady was laughing so hard tears were coming out of his eyes.
“Get him, Marc,” Landen said as he tried to calm himself. Marc stepped through the other side of the string and returned with a humiliated Chrispin.
“Don’t let go until she stops,” Landen said as he tried to stop laughing.
“Sorry,” I said, apologizing for the others’ laughter.
His face was red. “You guys can tease me all you want, but that was epic,” Chrispin said, grinning. The others nodded their heads in agreement.
“I’m glad I got you back when I did. The passage is already gone,” Marc said, slapping Chrispin on the back. I looked in front of and behind myself, and I could still see it just as clearly as I had before.
“I told you so, they can’t see it anymore,” Landen thought.
“Can they still pass through it?”
“I don’t know. We should try.”
“Hey, we’re going to try something. Line up behind Willow,” Landen instructed. The irony was unbelievable. They were nervous, but all macho on the outside. I walked back through my passage, and one by one we were all back in the alley.
“That has to give us an advantage,” Brady said.
They followed me back into the string again, and Landen led the way back to Chara. I noticed that Brady’s emotion had changed. He was nervous. The others must have sensed his mood change as well because Marc grinned at Brady and said, “Don’t worry, Brady. I’m sure Willow will learn to affect the emotions around her soon enough to help you if you need it.”
I glanced up at Landen, questioning what I’d just heard.
“He’s nervous about being a dad. Can you blame him after seeing your image?”
“It’s not always like that.” I could remember what a happy baby Libby was.
“It’s not the crying. The two biggest challenges we face in our lives are finding the right person and being good parents. He was just as nervous when he went to find Felicity. I remember telling him it should be easy, that he already knew what she looked like. That was when I realized that by my seeing you I was different from the others. They only have a feeling to follow.”
I halted as my mind raced through my memory, touching on every image I’d ever helped.
“What is it, Willow?”
I smiled up at Landen. “I attract them,” Landen questioned me with his eyes, but I continued. “Listen, if I’m lonely, I find someone who’s lonely. If I feel lost, that’s who I find. The other day, we were talking about marriage, and I found someone who was about to propose. This morning, I was with Felicity, and I could feel the baby’s emotion.”
“But, Sharon—Libby.”
“I think that was personal. Like you said, they’re connected to me, so I have to be sensitive to their pain.”
Landen grinned, agreeing with me. “Well, we can take that off our list of unanswered questions,” he thought.
When we reached our dimension, it was almost sunset. Landen had told the others about the nightmares and our dreams, how they were more like out-of-body experiences. They seemed to take what we were saying well, but I could te
ll it bothered them the same way it bothered Landen that I’d been in Esterious so many times alone. That place must be wretched.
When our house came into view, I could see Felicity’s car. She was standing on the porch with her arms crossed, which reminded me that I hadn’t even tried on the dresses that she’d brought me.
“Looks like somebody’s in trouble,” Chrispin taunted.
When we got to the house, I could sense her. She wasn’t angry; she was excited. She wrapped her arms around Brady and said, “I heard that you’ve been playing with babies all afternoon.”
The shock came from everyone but Landen and me. We both knew Libby must have told her. I couldn’t wait to see her.
Felicity smiled at Brady, knowing that she’d bewildered them. “My new best friend, Libby, told me.”
“I wonder how she fits into all of this?” I asked Landen.
“She’s zoned into you, at least what happens to you.”
Felicity had Brady unload her car. She must have been expecting us to be late coming home because she’d brought clothes for the guys to change into. It was refreshing to see them in colors other than black; like changing out of a uniform, the seriousness left them for a moment as they prepared for the night.
Chapter Eleven
“Soulmate” is an overused term, but a true soul connection is very rare, and very real. Hilary Duff
Felicity helped me choose a dress for the night. It was a beautiful combination of royal green and blue, fitting for the warm weather. The straps were thin, and it flowed from beneath the chest to just above my thighs. I blushed as Felicity complimented the way it brought out my eyes. I was trying to absorb all the positive energy she was exuding. My nerves were on edge. I was looking forward to seeing Libby and my mom, but I had no idea what to expect from my long lost grandparents or whoever else.
Landen was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs, dressed in a royal blue shirt and brown khaki pants. He politely told Felicity and the others that we wanted to walk and would be there soon. Their understanding was undeniable. We had been alone for less than an hour that day, and it was easy to see that, though we were an admired couple, no one would desire to bear our burden.
We walked in silence for a while, lost in the last few days. With each step we took, I could feel the dread building inside me. When my breathing became measured, Landen hesitated, and then stopped walking. I could feel his concern as he tried to understand why I was so upset.
“I’m fine, just not so good with crowds,” I thought, looking around for an escape.
Relief came over him as he heard my simple explanation. “It’s not going to be like it was at home. They know what your insight is, and they’re going to do whatever it takes to make you comfortable. If it gets to be too much, just tell me. They’ll understand,” he said as his eyes tried to catch my gaze.
“Landen, I just don’t think I can go and smile and have a party. I just lost one of my friends, and I don’t know if the rest of them are safe or not. I can’t block that out and the emotions of the crowd at the same time,” I said, stumbling over my words while trying to hold back tears of grief. I turned away from him so he wouldn’t see me struggle. He quickly circled me, not allowing me to hide anything from him.
“Look, there’s nothing I can say to take all of that away. No one is asking you to forget your friends. This ‘celebration’ is just a way for you to meet your family, a family that you should already know,” Landen said, cradling my face.
As I looked into his eyes, I felt peace come over me, and my body relaxed as the calm took over.
Landen smiled as he felt the tension leave me. “I don’t want to go either. I want you all to myself. It feels like we’re never alone, awake, anyway,” he said as he looked across the field in the direction we were walking. He looked like he was listening to a distant conversation. “I can feel Rose’s intent from here. She wants to guide us. Right now we need to be guided if we’re going to be strong enough to bring your friends home safely.”
I glanced across the field at the distant hill, then back at Landen and nodded. As we began to walk, he wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me closer to him. When we reached the top of the hill on the south side of our house, Landen pointed to where my parents’ house was. You could only see the rooftop behind the hills around it. Their home was to the left, and his parents’ was to the right.
Landen explained that not only had our fathers been close friends, but our grandfathers had also been too. For generations, the Haywood and Chambers families had lived side by side, the only two families with generation after generation of travelers. Even the women were fierce explorers. Others came to learn from them—some only trusting them to carry them home to visit the ones that were left in other dimensions.
We walked in the direction of his parents’ house. I assumed the party was going to be there, but I wanted desperately to see my mother’s home. The next hilltop revealed the home in which Landen grew up. It became apparent to me that porches were a way of life in Chara. The house was large, two stories, and white, outlined with wide porches and long columns. White lights outlined the bottom porch as well as the pathway to the front door. Music was playing, and laughter surrounded the house. There were several cars parked along the road just before the house. This “small group” of friends and family was larger than I’d expected.
A tiny figure ran toward us. It was Libby. My fear dissipated as soon as she fell into my arms. We couldn’t even say hello before she began to rush over her day, telling us about everyone she now had as friends, her room, and how much she loved it all here.
“So you didn’t miss me at all today? I see how it is,” I teased.
“Willow, I was with you, too, you can’t see me sometimes, though,” she said as she slid down and ran toward the house to announce our arrival.
Glancing up at Landen, I could sense his despair. He wanted nothing more than for Libby and me to be safe, and at that moment he saw that as an impossibility. He grinned at me, then guided me toward the house. I took a deep breath and squeezed his hand as we climbed the front steps.
“Don’t be scared,” he whispered into my ear, kissing my neck softly. He was putting off a blissful emotion, giving me a blanket to hide behind.
We walked through the front door, and I noticed that his house was so much different from ours. Everything was white and very bright, the walls accented the rooms with a light teal blue, and even the floors were a light wood color. Flowers decorated the banister and the doorways. No one was in the house. They’d all gathered in the back. Landen led me through the living room to the double door that opened to the back of the house. As we opened the doors, an eruption of applause began.
The group of family and friends was close to two hundred people. Heat filled my cheeks and my ears. The spotlight couldn’t be more uncomfortable. My mother and father stood in the front of the crowd, smiling up at us. My mom was glowing in a silver dress, her happiness unmistakable. Ashten, Aubrey, my father, and mother proudly walked up to the porch where we were standing, which had been transformed into a stage.
Ashten began a heartwarming speech. “Aubrey and I, along with Jason and Grace, are pleased to introduce each of you to Landen and Willow, the newest and youngest couple of Chara.”
Applause erupted again, then Ashten continued, “We have faced many trials and triumphs over the years. The time that Jason was lost will haunt me for a lifetime, just as the time that I found him will be celebrated for all of time.” Ashten raised his glass to my father while tears streamed down Aubrey’s face. It was easy to see that she’d helped Ashten carry the burden when my dad was missing.
“Today, we celebrate Jason and Grace. We also celebrate that my only daughter, Clarissa, has found her soul mate, Dane.”
I noticed Clarissa and Dane standing beside Landen and me. I didn’t know if they’d been there the whole time. They were locked in each other’s gaze, not appearing to notice the world around t
hem.
“We also celebrate that life is not predictable. We are not all the same. Uniformity doesn’t apply to any dimension, not even ours. Landen has proven this to us all as he stands here joined at last with Willow.”
The applause erupted again, and I felt an overwhelming joy beaming from the crowd. An older woman handed Landen and me a glass of champagne. Ashten then raised his glass, and the crowd toasted. Landen turned into me and kissed me softly. I could hear the applause begin again as my head spun with his touch.
My father put his hand around the older woman who had handed me the glass and said, “Willow, this is Rose, your grandmother.”
My eyes widened—she was not what I expected. Rose looked young. The only sign of age she had was her solid white hair, which fell just to her shoulders. Her eyes were a beautiful green, and beside her was an older man whose hair was short and dark with silver running through it. He looked like my father, only much older. “And this is your grandfather, Karsten,” my dad said, tilting his head in the direction of Karsten.
Rose hugged me tightly. “Oh, I’ve been on edge all day, wanting to meet you. Your father said you needed your rest. Do you feel better now?” Rose asked, looking at me then smiling over my shoulder to Landen.
I nodded, not knowing what to say. Karsten stepped forward and hugged me. “You are just as beautiful as your mother,” he said, grinning at me, then at my father.
The band began to play, and we were flooded with welcomes from the crowd. Everywhere we looked, there were smiling faces, handshakes, and hugs from everyone that was introduced to me, but the names escaped me as soon as they were said. You could see the resemblance in some of them, and it was clear that they were from Landen’s family. Others, I wasn’t sure.
Rose stepped in front of Landen and me. “All right then, give her some room. I’m sure crowds are difficult for her,” she said. Everyone stepped back a little.