Dark Places

by Krista Cairn

  “Sweet dreams, Sunshower,” he said as he pulled the door shut.

  Chapter 24 // Wanna Be

  Simone was wide awake. Sleep was pointless. The Zenith team had been in her living room, being introduced as though she were suddenly important to them. That. Was.

  Awesome. She sprang up, out of bed and did a happy dance.

  Mitch cracked her door open, puzzled. “Was that a power nap or something? Short, right?”

  “It just hit me. The Zenith Team. In My Home! My home!”

  “Fan girl, much?”

  She started laughing. “We can beat this guy now. I know it.”

  “A little validation goes a long way, sure.” His tone was a little guarded.

  “I know, I know. Calm down. But you’ll see why this is such a good thing. I’ve heard the behind the scenes stories from Jenna. Extreme non-disclosure stuff. It’s good. Really good.”

  “Do they have experience with radioactive mad-men?”

  She paused. Probably not.

  “That’s not the point. That’s our specialty, not theirs.”

  “And you’re okay with putting them in harm’s way, with no defense?” he asked.

  “Balancing your light and dark, I see.” She narrowed her eyelids, trying to imagine where he was going with in his head and feeling her stomach start to sink. “Think of it this way… they were already in harm’s way. Now they know. They’ll get the detectors and send us leads. What happened today was a good thing.”

  He didn’t respond then nodded and pulled the door closed behind him.

  “Wait,” she opened it and went after him. “What’s the real problem?”

  “Nothing, really. Just this gut feeling that the planet just shifted a bit and forgot to take me with it.”

  She stood close and wrapped her arms around him. “Don’t worry. I’ve got you. You won’t be falling off any time soon.”

  He started laughing, lightly, then sighed. “Ya, you do.”

  “So talk to me.”

  He shook his head. “It’s nothing.”

  “Really? Nothing?” She leaned back and looked up into his eyes. “Hey, you’re not jealous are you?”

  “Should I be?” he smiled, half-heartedly.

  “No. I’m a huge fan of you, too.” She went up on her tiptoes and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. “I’m your number one fan.”

  He rolled his eyes.

  “I mean, I haven’t put up posters or anything, but that’s cause I see you everyday.

  That’s better than a poster.”

  That got him grinning and shaking his head. He pushed her arms off his waist. “This could be low blood sugar. When did you eat last?”

  “I don’t remember,” she said, sulking just a bit as she wandered into the kitchen behind him.

  “Ah ha.”

  “What?”

  “You’re cozying up so I’ll make you food.”

  Simone stuck her tongue out at him. “Think you’re so smart,” she teased.

  He ignored her comment. Instead he was busy, rifling through her cupboards and fridge. “You really don’t shop much, do you?”

  “People keep eating it and not leaving money for more,” she shrugged, then went to find her cellphone. It should have been at her bedside, but it wasn’t. Maybe it got knocked on the floor. She bent over to check. It wasn’t there, but she found three missing socks.

  Sighing, she sat back on her heels. Where else could it be? It wasn’t at Mitch’s again, was it? She was sure she brought it back here. She walked back out to the kitchen.

  “You haven’t seen my cellphone, have you?”

  “You mean this?” He held it up. “It was in the fridge, next to the butter.”

  Blushing she walked over to take it but he held it up over his head. “You can’t look until after you eat. If I’m going to the trouble of cooking, you can wait until after.”

  She jumped up, trying to get it but soon realized that tactic wasn’t going to work.

  She smirked. There were a few things she could do to get it, but should she?

  “What if I promise to just go plug it in. It shuts down while it’s charging.” She stood right in front of him, reaching up still. She wobbled a bit on her toes, but wasn’t quitting.

  She accidentally fell against him. When he caught her by putting an arm around her waist, her heart started beating far too loud.

  “You’ll only go plug it in then come right back?”

  She nodded.

  “No looking as you walk?” His voice changed as he looked down at her. “Right?”

  “It’s probably dead anyway.” She suddenly realized she was still leaning against him and stepped back.

  “Okay.” He handed her the phone. “Don’t make me come in there after you.”

  “And what if I do?” she teased, skipping toward the bedroom. She must be light-headed, the way she kept flirting. It was just wrong. You don’t tease. That was her rule with men. You don’t play, and you don’t tease. She plugged the phone in and watched to make sure the power light came on. It did. She nodded at it. “You charge. I’ll be back soon.”

  There was no point in trying to start it yet.

  Mitch was sliding an omelette onto a plate as she walked back in.

  “That smells amazing. What did you do to it?”

  “Oh, a bit of kitchen magic, as usual.”

  “Fine. Keep your secrets.” She took a huge mouthful.

  “Try to enjoy it. You’ll get indigestion,” he scolded.

  She was done in a couple minutes and leaned back in her chair, satisfied. Watching him eat, she had to ask… had she been flirting, and seriously… was that the only way she knew to get a guy’s attention? Was she that ignorant of male-female relationships? What did she want from this relationship, she wondered?

  She blinked a few times then sighed. She had his attention a few days ago. Now things had cooled off. That was good right? They had to learn how to be friends first.

  “You’re doing a lot of thinking, all of a sudden,” he said, sitting back in his chair.

  She wasn’t about to tell him what she was thinking. “I have fuel again, for thinking.”

  She smiled. “I have a question. We’re friends now. We’ve shared food, sleeping quarters, time together. So, I’m curious, what do you like in a girl?”

  He stared at her, eyes wide for a minute then laughed. “You’re asking me what makes a girl attractive to me.”

  She nodded.

  “Why? Are you going to set me up with some of your friends so I’ll stop hitting on you?”

  “I’m just… curious.” She looked away, suddenly shy.

  “You’ll have to figure it out yourself,” he said.

  “You want me to study you?”

  “No, figure it out.”

  Her breath caught in her throat as she caught his meaning. He wanted her to try to get his attention? Like, try dressing up different ways and seeing what his reaction was?

  That could take a while.

  “I really don’t know. Do you like makeup or a natural face?”

  “Natural, or light makeup.”

  “Dresses or pants?”

  “Both. Depends on how they fit.”

  “Tight or comfortable clothes?”

  He paused. “This isn’t quite what I meant.”

  “I don’t have time to play dress up.”

  “You’re serious?”

  She nodded.

  “What’s the rush?”

  “I’m curious, that’s all.” It took courage to ask and she had no idea when she’d get that kind of brave again.

  He reached across the table with both hands and took hers gently. “I’m happy when you’re happy. When you feel beautiful, I see you as beautiful. When you don’t, I’ll help you believe you are. If you want to dress sexy for me, that’s a bonus.”

  It didn’t look like he was kidding. “Wow,” she sighed. “That was the perfect answer.”

  “It’s eas
ier to say when it’s true.”

  Did he mean it was true, so it was easy, or was that it was a rehearsed line? Simone leaned back again, letting his hands slide as she did. No wonder relationships took maturity.

  You had to develop the confidence that what you felt was true, and trust that the other person wasn’t playing around.

  “Honestly, it’s been nice having someone to talk to, to hang out with,” he said.

  Her isolation was for different reasons than his. He’d endured a level of loneliness she could only imagine though. He seemed highly social, outgoing. Self-Imposed exile would be hard.

  “I imagine we’ll have lots of friends now,” she said.

  He sat, staring at her, making her wonder what she’d said. Was it good or bad?

  “What?” she asked.

  He closed his eyes a moment then stood up. “It’s good having one friend. I don’t need more just yet.”

  She smiled and stood, clearing the dishes into the sink. “We should do some of the things friends do.”

  “Like?”

  “I’m not actually sure,” she laughed. “Watch a movie?”

  “At my place or yours?”

  “We can go to a real theatre now.”

  He paused then smiled. “I guess we could.”

  “Unless you’d rather not.”

  “It’s just been so long. I have no idea what’s in theatres.”

  Simone laughed. “When we get to the other side of whatever this mess is, we’ll go see everything that looks good.” Whatever this mess is… Right.

  “That’s a date,” he said. “Or whatever. You know what I mean. I’m a bit on an introvert, so I don’t think about going out much.”

  “Oooh, so Zenith dropping by en masse must have been like a nightmare, eh?”

  He chuckled. “I keep forgetting this is your personal drop-in center.”

  “It’ll be nice to go out knowing we’re not targets. Just going out for a walk would be something, eh?”

  “I’ve been thinking about how we can subdue this mad scientist with minimal collateral damage.”

  “Great! Because honestly, I have no idea.”

  “Tell Rene.”

  Simone blinked in surprise a couple times. “Tell him what?”

  “Everything. You said he’s a retired police detective.”

  “He’s my ticket to normal. If I tell him, well… I don’t know.”

  “He’s a detective. He’s probably been on to you from the start, even if he’s not sure what’s odd about you.”

  It’s not just about her anymore, she knew. There’s Mitch and Justin to consider now.

  “It’ll take too long to explain.”

  “Promise to follow up after?”

  “What am I asking him to do?”

  “Listen and give strategy ideas.”

  Why wasn’t she thinking straight? She didn’t feel tired anymore. Suddenly her knees went weak and she grabbed the table to stay upright.

  “Whoa, what’s this?” Mitch moved in close and caught her. Swinging her up into his arms, he was clearly worried.

  She shook her head. “I’ll be better in a minute, I think.”

  “You better rest.”

  He walked to her room and set her on the bed. He went out and brought a chair back, sitting next to the bed. “Why are you so tired?”

  “This time, I don’t know. Didn’t catch up enough yesterday, I guess,” she whispered.

  Why was her voice weak too? There wasn’t a doctor that she knew who would understand her physiology. She had to guess. What caused this before, and how did she fix it? “Sleep.

  It’ll be okay. I just need sleep.”

  Mitch’s face was contorted in worry. To Simone, it looked like his world was falling apart as he watched her.

  She reached out a hand. “Don’t worry. This will pass. It always does. I think I’m changing again.”

  “Again,” he whispered. Leaning forward, he kissed the back of her hand.

  “It’ll be okay. It will,” she repeated, not knowing what else to say. “Is your apartment shielded?”

  “Yes.” He swept her up in his arms again and carried her out to the street.

  Was he going to walk the whole way? She wanted to stop him, but he probably wouldn’t listen.

  “Piggy back will be faster,” he said. “Can you hold on?”

  “I think so.”

  He stood her up and turned quickly, taking her hands as soon as they crossed his shoulder and pulled her up as he crouched. Standing, he made sure she was secure.

  “Okay, here we go.”

  They got back to his place fast. She figured she’d been out cold for at least half of the hike. Soon he was setting her on a bed and pulling the blankets up. He pushed the hair off her face and forehead.

  “I’ll get you some water,” he said.

  When she woke up next, she was still tired. A bit disoriented, too, she realized.

  “Mitch?” she called out. He startled awake in a large padded chair next to the bed.

  “Simone, you’re awake. What do you need?”

  She reached out and he took her hand. Instantly she felt peace.

  “Just you.” Everything went black as she fell back to sleep.

  The next time she woke up, Mitch was in the bed, sleeping next to her. One of his arms was draped over her midsection. She rolled over to look at him, hoping he was resting well. He seemed good. She felt fine now. Rested.

  What had happened, anyway? That wasn’t a delayed reaction. At the very least, it meant her home wasn’t safe anymore. Why hadn’t Mitch been effected? Or maybe he was, and it took longer for him to be effected. He’d lived in this apartment building, indoors most of the time, while she was out doing courier work, travelling through all the irradiated areas without knowing.

  She looked at him more closely. He was really, really asleep. She rubbed his cheek, seeing if he would rouse. No response. Putting a finger under his nose, she was glad to feel he was at least breathing. She pulled her cellphone out of her back pocket to check the time and date.

  Three days! She’d been out for three days. Suddenly she needed the bathroom. She slid out of bed, making sure she didn’t disturb Mitch.

  Who knew what had gone on in that time? She looked for messages as she walked.

  There were a few, most from Jenna.

  ‘We talked it over, and even Phil’s best idea was to increase patrols and see where the radiation spiked then pass that information to you. Sorry.’

  Pretty much what Mitch suggested. Which was good. They would be safe. And this really was outside the realm of normal.

  An anger she hadn’t known started to build. She was attacked in her own home.

  Mitch, too. Unseen. Invisible. Cowards. What if Justin was how she got infected in the first place? No. No, he wouldn’t do that. Or would he?

  His girlfriend back then was a little on the weird side. She looked normal, but when she opened her mouth, the strangest things came out. Simone couldn’t think of any of them right now, but what if she gave the toxin as a drink or snack to him saying it was for him to share with his family, and he didn’t know until it was too late? That would explain his close attention as she recovered. Guilt was a powerful motivator.

  He wouldn’t still be with that girl, would he? Simone finished in the bathroom and walked out starting a text to Justin. She nearly bumping into Mitch.

  “Sorry,” she said, looking up. She gasped as he grabbed her arms and held her tight.

  His grip tightened, until she whimpered. “Stop. You’re hurting me.”

  He looked right through her. As her sense of self-preservation kicked in, she pushed him away physically and with energy. He staggered back then came forward again. “Dylan,”

  he said, not touching her this time, but seeming awake.

  “Yes, Si Joon,” she said back. Why was he using her old name?

  “Dylan, I got it. I know what’s happening.”

  She w
aited but his eyes rolled back in his head and he slumped toward the ground, unconscious. Great. Now she’d have to drag him back to bed. He was too heavy to carry.

  Then again, if she ghosted while holding him, he’d ghost too. Then he’d be as light as a feather. Was that safe, though? He wasn’t a package, or even like other people.

  She decided to play it safe. Grabbing one of his feet, she turned him and started pulling him toward the bed room. She’d figure out how to get him up once they were there.

  Was he a sleepwalker? Great, just great. She’d put some child-proof locks up if he did this often. At the bed, she walked to his head, hoping to convince his sleeping brain to stand so she could push him over, onto the mattress. She whispered and he stood. How long would he sleep? And what did he figure out?

  “Dylan, look out!” he screamed, grabbing her as he fell back onto the mattress.

  Falling on top of him, she yelped from the surprise. That was some dream he was having. Not letting her go, he wrapped his arms and legs around her, holding her tight.

  Unsure what to do, Simone lay there, trying to think. You don’t wake up people who are sleepwalking, right?

  Stuck, he held her tight. She wasn’t in any pain, or uncomfortable. She also wasn’t tired. Sighing, she tried to wiggle free.

  “Wait,” he whispered, his mouth right by her ear. She turned her head to face him.

  His eyes were open. He looked awake. This was creepy, she decided. It was time to actually wake him up.

  “Si Joon,” she said. “Wake up. You’re dreaming.”

  He shook his head. “No,” he said. “Get down.” He pushed her off the bed and rolled off, landing next to her. As they did, a blast of light shot through the window, brilliant, like a search light.

  She rolled, flattening herself against the floor. What was going on? What was with the open attack? How had he known it was coming? Windows. They needed to get into the room without windows.

  “Static room,” she said, pushing herself along the floor, staying under the light beam.

  “Right.” He followed as she crawled out of the room.

  Chapter 25 // Reality

  Breathing heavy from the race to the center room, Simone dropped and rolled to her back.

  “What is going on?” she demanded.