Nightmare Stalkers

by Michael La Ronn

  Suddenly, the train’s engines started.

  Steam erupted from the cab, blowing into our faces.

  Whooo…whooo…

  The wheels started chugging.

  “No,” I said, running at the train. “Allegra, no!”

  But the train took off before we could catch it.

  A whirring sound descended from the sky.

  A police helicopter.

  Rodgers and Destiny slid the door open and threw down a rope ladder.

  “Let's go!” Rodgers shouted.

  We grabbed on to the rope ladder and climbed into safety.

  Meanwhile, the phantom train sped toward downtown, toward a stadium lit up in the distance.

  34

  “I thought you abandoned us,” I said as Destiny helped me into a seat in the helicopter.

  “Never,” she said. “But I knew you were gonna need some help. And I had an idea.”

  The pilots saluted us as Rodgers shut the door, then they swung the helicopter over the snow, following the phantom train.

  “Train is headed east toward Mynthia Stadium,” the pilot said. “Appears to be moving at approximately one hundred miles per hour. We are in pursuit.”

  The train flew down the tracks, ripping them out of the ground. It seemed even more furious than before, sending fire and sparks ahead of it, sounding its whistle every few seconds.

  “What'd you do to piss it off?” Rodgers asked.

  “Her,” I said. “Rodgers, the train is Allegra.”

  Rodgers stared at the train again.

  “Naw,” he said.

  “It's true,” Darius said.

  “I'll be damned,” Rodgers said. “So what was all of this even about?”

  “It's about an undead who refused to die,” I said. “And bad things happened as a result.”

  “Seems awfully selfish,” Rodgers said.

  “It’s not,” Destiny said. She looked down at the train sadly. “She just got lost inside herself. That's all.”

  “Suicide ain't never selfish, even though it feels like it,” Darius said.

  Rodgers looked away, embarrassed.

  The train tooted, throwing up a column of steam.

  “Gentlemen, let's drop the banner,” Rodgers said.

  Destiny elbowed me. “You're gonna like this.”

  A loud flapping sounded under the helicopter as the pilots sped ahead of the train.

  “Banner?” Darius asked.

  “Allegra needs love and support,” Destiny said. “So that's what we’re gonna give her.”

  “The banner says ‘We love you, Allegra.’” Destiny said.

  The stadium and the downtown city skyline loomed.

  “We've ordered an evacuation for the stadium and every building in a two-block radius of the terminal,” Rodgers said.

  The helicopter swung back toward the train, descending until it was low enough over the tracks for the train to see.

  “What's that sound?” Rodgers asked.

  The train whistled.

  And then we heard a voice.

  Loud.

  So loud it filled the sky.

  It was Allegra’s voice.

  “Is she talking to herself?” Rodger asked.

  “I won't live in purgatory,” Allegra said. “I won't go without equalizing. No, I can't. I know that I shouldn't. It's not fair! People must die! But that's not fair to them. I don't know what to do. Aaaaaaaaaaaaagh!”

  The train whistled again and Allegra stopped talking.

  “I think she's spotted the sign,” the pilot said.

  “We love you,” Allegra said. “No! I'm not capable of being loved…”

  The train tracked closer to the stadium.

  “She's about a mile away from impact,” the pilot said.

  “Come on, Allegra,” I said. “Listen to yourself. Listen!”

  “No one loves me!” Allegra shouted. “Not anyone! But who would hang a banner for me? Only someone who loves me…”

  “Goddamn, that girl is so indecisive,” Rodgers said.

  “She's going to do the right thing,” I said. “Just wait.”

  “She's half a mile away,” the pilot said.

  I gripped the seat handle, unable to look away.

  “I've decided,” Allegra said. “Yes. It's clear now. I know my path.”

  And then she stopped talking.

  Silence.

  Just the helicopter blades whirring overhead.

  The train whistle blew long and hard as the train shot out of the last few acres of trees in Dragon Park and toward a tunnel that led into the stadium.

  “Final moments,” Destiny said. “Come on, Allegra!”

  “Come on, Allegra,” Darius whispered.

  “Come on, Allegra,” I said.

  The train shot into the tunnel.

  Silence.

  I held my breath.

  An explosion rocked the stadium.

  A wave of fire bloomed from the underground subway terminal, a strip of gray along the side of the stadium.

  Another explosion shook the street as the wave of fire and sparks spread across the city, blowing up cars and breaking the glass on nearby buildings.

  The train erupted out of the underground tunnel, and up a bridge, glowing purple.

  And then the train exploded, collapsing the bridge into the streets below.

  I screamed as purple spiritual energy rained all across the city, disappearing quietly among the flames and smoke.

  And then Allegra da Silva was no more.

  “We failed,” I said.

  I wanted to cry.

  Darius hung his head and Destiny wiped tears from her eyes.

  “She wasn't strong enough,” Darius said. “I don't know what we could have done to make her stronger.”

  Rodgers spoke into his phone.

  “Was there anyone hurt in the blasts?” he asked.

  He shook his head as he listened to a report.

  “They're telling me it’s too soon to tell,” Rodgers said. “But it sounds like the evacuation hadn't finished yet. There were people caught in the blast.”

  Tears ran down my face now.

  Goddamn it, I hated crying.

  I hated it.

  People died because of me.

  I sighed.

  How was I going to explain this one to Aunt Letty?

  Nana was probably looking down at us from heaven, shaking her head.

  I let her down.

  I let my aunt down.

  I let my cousins down.

  I let Allegra down.

  I let my city down.

  Destiny tapped me on the shoulder.

  “Y’all, look!” she shouted.

  In the snow, a golden light rushed across the tracks.

  It was so bright I couldn't discern it at first, but my eyes adjusted as the light took form.

  A train.

  A golden subway train.

  Rather, a ghost of a train.

  But this train was pristine—no graffiti. It whistled down the tracks, repairing them as it passed, undoing all the damage from the phantom train and the fire.

  “It's headed for the stadium!” Destiny cried.

  The train sparkled as if it were solid gold.

  “It's Allegra,” I said. “Repentant Allegra.”

  The train ripped into the tunnel.

  Soon, the fire in the stadium disappeared. Golden light washed over the area, restoring everything that had been damaged.

  Holy light sparkled down from the clouds.

  Then the train whistled one last time before it disappeared.

  “Guess she pulled through after all,” Rodgers said.

  “Guess so,” I said, smiling.

  I put an arm around Darius and Destiny.

  “Another victory for the Dream Readers,” I said.

  Darius frowned for a moment.

  “Haha, this whole adventure was pretty gangsta, wasn't it?” he said, lightening up.

 
We laughed as the helicopter flew down to meet the sheriff and rest of the police force, who were standing in the snow next to the forest.

  They were clapping for us.

  35

  “I don't know what you kids did, but it worked,” the sheriff said. “We were looking at pure carnage.”

  He pointed to the skyline.

  “At least six or seven hundred people were caught in the explosion,” he said. “Science says they should have died. But when that second train blew through here, they were saved.”

  “Pure miracle,” I said.

  I was proud of Allegra.

  Proud of myself too.

  I did pretty good for dealing with something outside my skill level.

  “She took away the evil spirits in the terminal too,” the sheriff said.

  “Probably took them with her to the afterlife,” Darius said.

  He clasped his hands together and said a prayer. Then he looked at the sky wistfully.

  Destiny touched his shoulder. He grabbed her hand.

  “She was something else,” he said. “I was starting to like her.”

  “She was beautiful,” Destiny said. “I'll give you that.”

  I joined them and rested my head on Darius’s shoulder.

  “Don't take it too hard, D,” I said.

  “I sure do know how to pick the ladies, don't I?” he asked.

  We watched the twinkling stars through the break in snow clouds.

  “Serious question,” Destiny said. “Since Allegra was dead, and you had a thang for her, does that technically make you a necrophiliac?”

  Darius’s face went long as Destiny cackled.

  Darius grabbed a snowball and threw it at her.

  “When you get your first boyfriend at the ripe old age of forty-seven, I’ma chase him through hell with all kinds of stories ‘bout you,” he said, chasing her.

  Rodgers nudged me.

  “I take it the sibling bickering is a household norm,” he said.

  Darius and Destiny traded snowballs, laughing.

  “Pretty much,” I said.

  “You guys did a good job,” Rodgers said.

  “Couldn't have done it without you,” I said.

  “Doubt that,” Rodgers said. “I gotta hunch that you three are going to be famous soon.”

  I turned.

  “What?”

  “Just got a call from a reporter,” Rodgers said. “Apparently, they're getting swamped with phone calls from people who were in the blast. They're claiming they had near-death experiences and want to talk about them.”

  I smacked my head.

  “What,” Rodgers said. “Nothing wrong with taking credit where credit’s due. Besides, I bet some media coverage will do wonders for your business. Better buy safes for all the money that's gonna pour in. Ha!”

  I didn't know how I felt about that.

  About the media reporting on my business.

  We weren't exactly…orthodox.

  “Anyway,” Rodgers said, extending a hand. “It has been my pleasure, Aisha.”

  I shook his hand.

  “Maybe now we can get some rest,” I said. “And food.”

  “Amen,” Rodgers said. “There's a hamburger in a drive-thru waitin’ for me. I got my next case, so there's no time for rest.”

  He saluted me and jogged through the snow, toward an SUV that was waiting for him.

  He stopped and turned around.

  “Oh, Aisha!” he said.

  “Yeah?” I asked.

  “I got those MRI results,” he said. “They were super weird.”

  “Oh?” I asked.

  “I'll send ‘em to you,” he said, holding up his phone.

  As he drove away, my phone vibrated.

  A text message with a photo attached.

  An MRI scan of a brain.

  In the center of the image, faint as a ghost, was a star.

  36

  The police escorted us home.

  As we rolled up to the shop, I was never happier to see my home.

  We waved to the police as they drove away.

  “Who wants something to eat?” I asked, running up the steps.

  “Last one in has to cook,” Destiny said, following me.

  Footsteps ran down the sidewalk.

  Destiny pulled my coat. She uttered a cry, pointing down the street.

  A black man in glasses, a black pea coat, and earmuffs waved at us.

  I recognized him from before. He was the one who chased Destiny and me down the street earlier today.

  “You!” Destiny said.

  I held her back and stepped forward.

  “Who are you?” I asked.

  The man doubled over, panting. He motioned for us to stop.

  “Please, don't…don't run away…”

  From the looks of him, he was maybe a couple years older than Destiny and Darius.

  He looked up at us, hands still on his knees.

  “Are you…Destiny Robinson?”

  Destiny nodded

  “I have been trying to locate you all day, but you keep running away,” the man said. “You don't answer my calls…when you do, you chew me out…”

  “And I’ma ‘bout to do it again,” she said. “I told you I ain't interested in whatever you're selling!”

  The man motioned for her to be quiet.

  “Will you just stop talking for a minute and let me tell…you…about your admission status to Lakeway University.” he said.

  Destiny froze. Her lips moved, but no sound came out.

  “Hey, guys, she's here!” the man shouted.

  A van materialized in the middle of the street. A sliding door opened and several black men and women climbed out, rubbing their gloves and shivering. They looked tired and worn down.

  They lined up around the man as he finally caught his breath.

  “The hell is this?” Darius whispered to me.

  I shrugged.

  The man played a kazoo. Then the group harmonized quickly, clearing their throats.

  Then they sang loud, snapping their fingers.

  We are proud to inform you

  Of an honor so divine

  Ooooh, it’s so…

  Ooooh, it’s so…

  Hold your memories dear

  Because new ones will soon appear

  Oooh, it's so…

  Oooh, it's so amazing…

  At Lakeway

  At Lakeway

  Welcome to the family

  Welcome home

  Where blackness meets greatness

  Congratulations

  Congratulations

  Congratulations!

  The group harmonized on the final note, letting their voices fall away, jazz style.

  Fireworks appeared out of nowhere and shot into the sky, forming an image of the school’s mascot, a fearless lion.

  “I got in?” Destiny asked. “I got in?”

  “What do you think we just told you?” the man asked.

  “Stop,” she said. “Shut up!”

  “I think you're supposed to be excited, cuz,” I said.

  “Awwwww yeah!” Darius said, pumping his fists. “You did it, sis!”

  He hugged her and swung her around.

  The man jogged up the steps and handed her a scroll.

  “Your official acceptance,” he said. “Congrats. See you around on campus sometime.”

  Destiny accepted the scroll, unable to speak.

  As the students drove away, Destiny still didn't say anything.

  “Nana would have been proud,” I said. “You’re the first in our family to go to college.”

  Darius snatched the scroll and read it.

  “Whoa. Damn,” he said. He read it aloud. “Dear Miss Destiny Rae Robinson, It is our utmost pleasure to inform you that you have been admitted into Lakeway University as a candidate for our new Bachelor of Arts in Shifting. As a student in the city’s only magical Historically Black University, you will enjoy an
education that is second-to-none and provides a balanced perspective that will equip you with all the tools to prosper in today’s economic and magical environment. We are also pleased to inform you that the admissions council was so impressed with your application that we will be offering you a full ride scholarship through our prestigious H. S. Jenkins Fellowship, named after our most successful alumnus.”

  Darius’s eyes nearly burst from his head as he read.

  “Full ride?” he asked. “That solves a big money problem.”

  I couldn't believe the news. I wanted to cry tears of happiness. But I held back.

  “You earned it, cousin,” I said. “I'm proud of you. See? I told you it would happen.”

  Destiny put her hands over her face and sobbed with happiness. Darius brought her in for a hug and kissed her on the forehead.

  “Well, I think we can give Destiny a pass on cooking tonight,” I said.

  “Agree,” Darius said.

  A cab honked at us as it pulled up to the shop.

  The rear door opened and Aunt Letty stepped out, waving at us. She had plastic bags in her hands.

  “Babies, come and help me with this fried chicken!” she said.

  “Aunt Letty,” I cried. “Destiny just got accepted into Lakeway University!”

  Aunt Letty’s face went long.

  “No, she didn't,” she said, incredulous.

  “It's true!” I said, holding up the scroll.

  “Girl, stop!” Aunt Letty said.

  “No joke,” Destiny said. “I'm going to college, auntie.”

  “Praise the lawd!” Aunt Letty said, glancing at the sky. “Thank you, JAY-SUS! Ha haaaaa! My baby’s going to college!”

  “On a full ride,” I said.

  “Girl, you about to give your auntie a heart attack!” Aunt Letty said, shuffling up the stairs to hug Destiny.

  The smell of fried chicken hit me hard. My mouth watered.

  Yep, the bags in Aunt Letty’s hand were Wizmo’s—Moe the Wizard’s Fried Chicken.

  “Aunt Letty, what are you doing here?” Darius asked.

  Aunt Letty separated from Destiny and gave Darius a hard look.

  “Well, I was gonna go to bingo tonight, but I couldn't pay the entrance fee,” Aunt Letty said.

  Darius wrinkled his lips. “You didn't miss no bingo. How come you bought fried chicken if you couldn't afford the entrance fee, mmm? Mmm? Zactly. You came to congratulate us.”

  “Naw, I missed bingo,” she said in her best little old lady voice. “I would've come to congratulate y’all after. But seeing as I wasn't able to afford the five-dollar entrance fee…”