by Gardner, A.
Birds chirp in the trees and we hike over branches and rocks in our path. I can tell Dane’s energy is waning. His steps are slow and lethargic. His mouth is hanging open for air. He stares blankly ahead as he walks. I eagerly peer around each aspen tree hoping to see signs of a small town. So far no luck.
My conscience is screaming in my ear. I’m horrible at holding things in. I have to tell him what happened last night.
Bad timing, Mikki.
“We drove all day yesterday,” I begin.
“Who’s we?”
“Me and . . . Zanna.”
“You brought Zanna,” he shakes his head.
“I had to,” I reply. “She figured us out.”
Dane looks away. I bite my lip and keep going. My eyes stare down at the dirt. I lift my foot over a jagged boulder.
“Where did you tell your Aunt you were going?”
“Oh,” I mumble. The story of Aunt Scarlett and Dane’s dad is news for another day. Maybe even never. “Spontaneous road trip,” I lie.
“And she went for that? Doesn’t sound like her.”
I ignore his statement and continue. Thinking of Aunt Scarlett only makes my heart beat faster. I’m still upset with her.
“We stopped last night and stayed with Zanna’s cousin.” I swallow hard. “His name is Kade.” It’s weird to say his name out loud . . . in front of Dane.
“Oh by the way,” Dane interrupts. “Have you seen my dad around?” I let out a large breath. The truth was yes. I saw him meeting in secret with Aunt Scarlett.
“No,” I say through my teeth. “Sorry, I haven’t.” I help him maneuver over a fallen log.
“I must be the talk of the town right now.” Dane rolls his eyes. “Mom will love that.”
I hear the crunch of a twig behind us. I jerk my head around.
“It was only a chipmunk,” Dane responds.
“Right,” I nod. I’m not convinced. The skeleton man knows what I saw. He won’t just walk away.
“Look.” Dane points ahead of us. We’ve reached the outside of town. Another crunch behind us makes me jump forward. I look behind me and see open forest.
“Chipmunk again?” I whisper. Dane’s eyes go wide.
“On three,” he says softly. His eyes focus on the nearest building in view. I know what he’s about to do.
“One. Two. Three.”
Dane sprints down the mountain side and I follow. He is practically hopping because he has to propel his dead leg forward. I keep up with his pace, breathing fast. I glimpse over my shoulder. We’re away from the woods. I see a tree branch wave, and behind it is a gaunt, scowling face.
DANE
Chapter Twenty Five
“She’s seen too much.”
She saved me.
While sitting alone in the woods in a pool of my own blood I never expected to see Mikki. Her angelic face was like a glowing light in extreme darkness. I can’t believe I’ve done this to her. My conscience won’t shut up. It has been yelling in my ear since I saw her face.
I’m in a hospital bed. I take a deep breath as Mikki enters the room. There’s something I need to tell her. She’ll find out eventually but I can’t bring myself to do it. We ran to town together and I ended up collapsing on the street. I don’t remember the rest. I woke up in a room with Mikki by my side. She came all the way here. She stuck with me the entire time.
I can’t tell her now. It will crush her.
“How are you feeling?” she asks.
“Better.” I glance around the room. “Now that no one’s asking me questions.”
“What did you say?” Her eyes go wide.
“Nothing,” I quietly respond. I rest my head on my pillow and close my eyes. She sits quietly at my bedside. I see her put her cell phone back in her pocket. “So, what did your Aunt say?”
I’m hoping this turns into a long conversation. I don’t know where to go from here. I don’t know what to say to her. Dad will be arriving soon and things will go back to the way they were. He can’t see Mikki at my bedside. He can’t know she is involved.
“She sounded weird,” Mikki replies. “Not at all like herself.”
“Well that’s good. Right?”
Mikki shakes her head.
“It means she’s saving her freak out for when I come home.”
“Speaking of that . . .” I take a long breath. “You should get back.”
“But-”
“My dad is on his way,” I continue. “I overheard a nurse saying they’d contacted my family. He can’t see you here.”
She looks down at the floor. I feel a pit in my stomach but this is for her own good. She lifts her head with a slight smile on her face. Something’s different about her but I can’t put my finger on it.
“I want to stay,” she insists. An answer I’m not expecting.
“Mikki-”
“Dane,” she speaks louder. I shut my mouth. “I don’t care what your parents think or what your sister thinks. I’m not afraid of them.” She pauses for a second. “Are you?”
“I’m not afraid of my own family, Mikki. It’s just . . . this situation is very complicated and I’d rather you not get tangled in it.”
“Right,” she nods. She stands up with a frown on her face but she doesn’t seem disappointed. She’s angry.
“Where are you going?”
“It doesn’t matter,” she responds. She leaves my room without a second glance. My heart speeds up. I see the line move up and down on the monitor next to my bed. She’s pissed. I have never seen her like this before.
I was right. Today wasn’t that day to come clean.
* * *
I sit up like my bed is on fire. I can hear him - smell him even. I gulp. He won’t be happy with me. I see a figure walking briskly to my door. I can’t tell what Dad is going to say by the look on his face. His face is expressionless like always.
“Sir,” I say, looking down at the bandage on my leg.
“Son,” he replies. “We need to talk.”
“I know,” I say in a low voice. “But I swear. I did what Rig said. I stuck to the plan.”
“That’s not my concern at the moment.” He clenches his jaw. There’s a glossy shine in his eye, almost like the beginning of a tear. “I ran into a friend of yours on the way in.”
“Who?”
He tilts his head like I should already know the answer.
“I’m astonished,” Dad says steadily. He folds his arms and scratches the side of his cleanly shaven chin. “It was a poor move to involve her.”
“What do you mean?” I don’t know how much he knows. This could be his way of getting more information out of me.
“The Copelun girl.” His voice rings through my head and blasts into my ears. She’s toast.
“What about her?”
Dad glares at me.
“I’ll cut to the chase. She’s seen too much. I’ll have to take action.”
“No,” I shout. I sit up farther. My leg burns and I grimace from the pain. “She doesn’t know anything. Nothing at all.”
“Don’t be too sure.” He finally grins and it sends a shockwave of adrenaline to my heart. It scares me.
“Leave her alone,” I say through my teeth.
“You brought her in. This is your doing. I don’t have much of a choice at this point.”
“Dad-”
“That’s it,” he interjects. He holds out his hand for silence. “We’re going back to Seaside. Be ready to answer questions for the press. No nonsense. Stick to the script.”
“But-”
“I’m sorry?” his voice blasts. He’s not going to let me get in another word.
“Yes sir.”
MIKKI
Chapter Twenty Six
“It’s my problem, not yours.”
“I did it,” I blurt out. Zanna is speeding down the highway. Both of her hands are gripped tightly to the wheel. She’s been quieter than usual since we last saw each other. I thought for su
re she would want me to tell her every detail.
“Did what?” She keeps her eyes on the road.
“I confronted Dane.”
“Hmmm,” she quietly replies. “Good for you.”
I can’t help but roll my eyes. Out of all the times for her to be quiet, today is the day I need to talk. I finally told Dane what I thought. I walked out of his hospital room and didn’t look back.
Then I ran into his dad.
“What’s the matter with you?”
Zanna finally looks over and takes a deep breath. A breeze blows through the open window, and her black bangs fly across her face. She glances at an upcoming exit and swerves to take it. I hang onto my seatbelt as she pulls into a gas station parking lot and turns off the car.
“Okay,” she responds. “I can’t lie. I’m starting to freak out a little bit.”
She can’t be feeling as unsettled as me. I’ve seen enough for a lifetime and I wish I could forget.
“About what?”
“Mikki,” she says with wide eyes. “I heard the gunshots. I saw the black SUV. We’ve just stumbled into a hell of a mess.”
“I know.”
“I mean . . . what are we going to do?”
“Don’t worry,” I answer. “It’s my problem, not yours.”
“What the hell happened, Mikki?”
I stare down at my shoes, thinking of the right thing to say.
The truth or a lie?
My mind flashes back to the moment I heard the skeleton man fire his gun. My heart starts pounding. I think of the man I saw through the window. He was lifeless on the floor.
“I . . .” A tear trickles down my cheek. Zanna puts a hand on my shoulder. “I heard the shots too.”
“No,” she gulps. “Don’t tell me you . . .” She pauses and bites her lip.
“I did,” I admit. Another tear runs down my cheek. “I saw what happened and then I ran.” I wipe my face. “I still don’t know how Dane and I made it to town.”
“So he really was kidnapped by a bunch of freaks,” Zanna mumbles. I shrug.
“I have no idea what’s going on.” I think back to seeing Mr. Haskell at the hospital. I was surprised to see him but he wasn’t too shocked to see me. That’s when I chose to speak up. I looked at him and introduced myself. At first I didn’t think he’d reply. He looked me up and down with no expression on his face. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. Then he opened his mouth and asked me a question.
“You didn’t ask?”
“There wasn’t much time to,” I answer. “I was trying to tell you. I left Dane's room and ran into . . . Mr. Haskell.”
“No,” she gasps. “That’s why you took so long coming back to the parking lot. I waited hours after you called me.”
“It was thirty minutes,” I correct her.
“What did he say when he saw you? Was he shocked? Probably nervous that your Aunt Scarlett might be in the next room.”
“No,” I say right away. “He didn’t say much.”
In fact he only asked me one thing followed by a promise that I wouldn’t divulge what he’d asked. He asked me what the man looked like. I was confused at first. How could he have known about what happened at Bristlecone if he just arrived? But he asked me again with a command in his voice that forced me to relive that horrible moment. I told him about the skeleton man. I told him every detail I could remember.
“Oh whatever,” Zanna protests. “I bet he blew a lid.”
“No.” I try to think of something. “He was focused on seeing his son. I don’t think he gave my presence much thought really.” I wait for her response.
Please buy it, Zanna.
“Weird,” she replies. “Then again, that family is strange.”
“I think a better word is complicated.”
“I want to go home,” Zanna says quietly. “Are you ready for that?”
I’ll have to face Aunt Scarlett sometime. She’s patiently waiting for me to come home so she can ground me in person. I don’t know when I’ll see Dane again. I didn’t get to tell him about Kade but at least I tried. He still insists that we should keep our relationship a secret.
Now his dad probably knows.
“I have to be,” I reply.
Zanna nods and starts the car again. She brushes a strand of hair out of her face.
“No unexpected stops this time,” she adds. Her comment makes my stomach feel sour again. I don’t know how Dane feels about how I walked out. I asked him to tell his family about us. He said no, and I left. Will we even still have a chance when I finally tell him about Kade?
I have to. My stomach won’t be able to take it much longer.
“You didn’t tell him about Kade did you?” Zanna asks.
“No.” I shake my head.
“Good.” She pulls back onto the freeway. “Don’t tell him.”
“Didn’t we already have this conversation?”
“Yeah but I know you,” she laughs. “You won’t be able to help it. It’s that do-gooder conscience of yours.”
I turn my head towards the window. She won’t understand. I think she swallowed her conscience a long time ago. I bet she doesn’t even get that sick feeling in her stomach anymore. I can’t get rid of it.
“I don’t know what will happen,” I sigh. “With anything.”
Chapter Twenty Seven
“You’re being followed.”
I’m dreading this moment. I’m standing outside my apartment and after the long drive with Zanna I’m completely exhausted. All I want to do is sleep. I don’t foresee that happening. The sun is going down and I see a light on in the front window. Aunt Scarlett is waiting for me.
“Good luck,” I hear Zanna whisper through the car window. She rolls up her window and zooms away. I’m left alone with two choices. I can either go inside or run away again. I hesitate but take a step forward. I take a deep breath and walk closer. I lightly knock on the door. The handle turns right away.
“Hi,” I say when I see my aunt’s face. She nods. I step inside. The kitchen is cluttered and the living room looks like someone’s been sleeping on the couch since I’ve been gone. Aunt Scar looks tired. Her eyes are a little puffy and her hair is matted. She’s wearing sweat pants and a baggy top.
“You’re back,” she replies.
“I am.” I brace myself for the scolding.
“Well . . . good to have you back.” She shuts the door and returns to her position on the couch. I watch her pick up a magazine and continue reading. My mouth hangs open. I don’t move. She’s acting like nothing is wrong.
“So that’s it?” I shouldn’t push her further but it doesn’t feel normal to walk to my bedroom and not talk about anything.
“What do you mean?” She turns around.
“That’s all you have to say? You aren’t mad?”
“Mikki,” she shrugs. Her voice is low. “You’re an adult now. You make your own choices.” I’m speechless. What more can I say to that? My shoulders sink. I nod and drag my worn feet to my room. I shut the door and sit on my bed in silence. This doesn’t feel right. Aunt Scar and I aren’t talking. We used to talk about everything. And since my mom left, she’s been my only family.
I rub my forehead. I have a headache. I feel my phone buzz in my pocket. I pull it out and see Dane’s name flashing on the screen.
Another unexpected event.
I open his text and quickly read it.
Our spot. Ten minutes.
* * *
After my dealings with Aunt Scarlett I don’t know what to expect. Maybe Dane wants to talk? Maybe he’ll finally explain everything? Maybe he wants to quit seeing each other for good. I step under our tree at Riptide Park. A figure is waiting for me. My mind jumps back to the first time we snuck away like this. We declared this tree our spot.
“Dane?” I whisper in the shadows. I see a face and it reminds me of Dane’s but it’s older and worn.
My chest pounds.
I gulp.
/> “Not exactly.” The man steps into full view. It’s Matt Haskell, Dane’s dad.
“Mr. Haskell?” Now there’s no doubt in my mind that he knows about the two of us.
“Yes.” His voice is deep and authoritative though he’s trying to whisper. “I’m the one who contacted you.”
“But why?”
“The two of us have things to discuss.” He takes a step closer and it makes me nervous.
“I promise,” I reply. “You asked me a question back at the hospital and I haven’t told anyone about it. I kept my word.”
“I believe you,” he answers. The way he says it is a bit reassuring. I force my muscles to relax instead of clench. “Thank you for sharing what you saw with me.”
“You're welcome?” I’m not sure how to respond.
“I have two things I need to discuss with you,” he continues. “First, this business between you and my son. It needs to end immediately.”
I’m too scared to protest. I have no argument except for the way I feel about him.
“Um-”
“I need you to agree that you won’t see him anymore. Even if he continues to contact you.”
“But . . .” He lifts his chin up. He seems even taller. “I don’t understand . . . Sir.”
“Perhaps this next part will make it all clear.” He glances around the park and takes another step towards me. “Mikki, what you saw changes everything. From now on I need you to do what I say. Exactly what I say.”
“He’s looking for me isn’t he? That man.” My heart beats into my throat. In the back of my mind I wondered. What will happen next? Will things be the same when I go home? I guess the answer is no.
“You’re starting to understand,” he nods. “Unfortunately, the only other person who has seen the face of this man is in a coma.”
My heart leaps this time.
“You mean the man that was shot isn’t dead?”
“He’s very close to death,” Mr. Haskell replies. I see a shiny glimmer in his eye. It's almost like a baby tear. “From now on you will be watched. Followed. Studied. You need to look out for yourself.”