by D. B. Green
We follow the mad rush to the lockers. The cool air in the corridor feels good. Maz pulls her jumper back over her shivering shoulders. “I can’t win today,” she says.
I kneel down to my locker and take out Penny’s Polaroid from my pocket. I stare at the strange white door. The same white door that haunted my life for so long. The same door I finally accepted wasn’t real.
“Put it away,” Maz whispers. “You’ve somehow gone under the radar with the white door thing, but if anyone sees that, you’ll end up with a year-long tagline.”
Simultaneous alerts chime as everyone turns on their cell phones. I slip the Polaroid in my pocket as my phone joins in with the chiming party.
Logan, you forgot your keys. Drop in to work on your way home and pick them up. Harmony wants to see you, too.
Anne x
“What’s wrong?” Maz asks, swinging on her locker door.
I show her the message. “Are you OK if we make a quick stop off?” I say. “I said I’d drop in after school anyway.”
She nods. “Who’s Harmony?”
“She’s Anne’s PA.”
“Whose Anne?”
“My grandmother,” I say, just as another message comes through.
“Unknown number,” Maz says, her eyes opening wide as she reads it. “Mysterious.” She drags out the end of the word.
I turn the phone around to read the message.
Sorry I bailed, but I had to speak to someone about what happened. I’ve been seeing strange things all afternoon, like what happened in the nurse’s room.
Penny xx
“It’s from Penny,” I say, as another message alert chimes.
Tell no one about what happened. We’re in danger. Keep your eyes open. Trust no one. And yes, I feel the same way. I NEED to see you. Don’t be late.
Penny xx
“What’s up with her, and how did she get your number?” Maz says, straining to read the new message.
I hide the screen with my hand. “I don’t know.”
Maz suddenly snatches my phone.
“Hey, what are you doing?”
Her fingers fly over the keypad. “I’m giving you my number.” She grins, emphasizing the word ‘my’. “You’re now the luckiest guy in school.”
“What about your boyfriend?
She hands me the phone back. “Well, he’s definitely luckier, but he finished school last year.”
I study her face, trying to see if she saw Penny’s message.
A hand suddenly slams into the locker door next to us. It’s Candy. She leans close and blows a chewing gum bubble which pops, sending a strawberry-scented breeze into my ear. “I thought I told you to stay away from her.” She glances at Maz.
“Leave him alone, Candy.”
She leans back and blows another bubble. “I’m sure Steve would love to meet your new boyfriend.” She pulls out a pink cell phone and flips it open. “Shall I call him?”
Maz thrusts her arms against her hips. “Go on then, bitch. See if I care.”
Candy swings her arm out to slap Maz. Without thinking, I block her, grabbing her wrist.
Everything stops. All the students freeze like they’re in a paused video. An eerie silence fills the corridor. Maz leans back at an impossible angle with her elbow imbedded in the chest of a startled kid. School books hang in the air around them, like hovering birds. Time is frozen for everyone except me.
I turn around. Candy’s eyes glow blue. Sparkling bright, like two flickering, blue lightbulbs. Then, I’m in her head, in her mind looking out. I see the prom poster from this morning. Her hand scrawling across the picture of Maz. Candy’s hate oozes out with every stroke of the marker. The memory disappears in a flash of light and now I’m looking at my face through her eyes. It’s like a photograph. A second of my life, paused forever. Then the books hanging in the air behind my head fall. Time starts moving again.
Candy pulls her arm away. “Let go of me, you freak!”
Shit. Did she see my life, too?
Candy scowls and strolls past, followed by her entourage. I guess the vision was one-way; she would have reacted differently if she’d been in my mind, too.
Maz helps a kid up from the floor behind her and gives him back his books, keeping her eyes firmly fixed on Candy until she disappears around the corner. “The bitch will probably have you up on an assault charge.”
“It’s OK,” I say, pulling on my hat. “I’m tight with the girlfriend of the head of police’s son.”
Maz taps me on the arm and laughs. “Yeah, you are.” She links her arm in mine and we head to the lobby.
Time suddenly freezes again, like before. Students pause in mid-stride on their way to the exit. The paint on the walls changes from blue to red, like a slow-moving wave of color. I turn in a circle following the change. My eyes fall on the tall statue at the center of the lobby. It’s not Poseidon anymore. It’s changed to a golden lion with wings. A griffin. Then the changes revert, in the same slow wave pattern. Poseidon once again stands tall in the lobby.
“Newb, are you OK to drive?” Maz says. “You seem kind of spaced out.”
I stare at Poseidon. “Yeah, I’m fine. Some fresh air will do me good.”
Maz puts on her blue hat and wraps a matching scarf around her neck. “You sure about that?”
“Can I ask you something? Has this school ever had a griffin as a mascot?”
“A what?”
“It’s cross between a lion and an eagle.”
Maz shakes her head and drags me to the door. “You need some freakin’ fresh air. Right now.”
The icy cold nips at my skin as we step through the doors. It feels good. Everything that happened inside the school drifts away, like a dream. The chilly air has the opposite effect on Maz. She throws her head back and yawns. “You should get an early night. That’s about the hundredth time you’ve yawned today.”
She stops mid yawn and grins. “Have you been counting?” Her grin fades. “I don’t know what’s the matter with me. I got to bed early last night and I know I slept through. But I still woke up tired.” Her eyes narrow. “It’s not like Steve kept me up either.”
I hold my hands up. “The thought never entered my head.”
“Good. Keep it that way. They don’t call me Candy.” She laughs. “Which one is your ride?”
I walk her to my truck at the bottom of the car lot.
“This is yours?” She stands with her arms on her hips, staring at the frost covered hood. “Do we like, have to wind it up or something?”
“Ha, ha, ha,” I say, dryly. “Very funny.”
She suddenly pushes me against the truck as a red Porsche streaks past. The unmistakable pink highlights of Candy behind the wheel.
“Thanks,” I say. “You saved my life.”
“We’re even now,” she says, watching Candy disappear out of the school’s main gates.
“Yeah, I guess we are.” I open the door for her. “You sure you’re OK for me to stop off on the way? I can run you home first if you prefer.”
She holds up her hands. “I’m in no rush to get home.”
I close the door and walk around to the driver’s side. Ice still covers the edges of the windscreen. The crystals shine under the car lot security lights. It’s getting dark.
“Are you sure this thing will go?” Maz says, as I slide into my seat. She flicks at the torn leather.
I twist the key in the ignition and the engine fires. “Ye of little faith,” I say.
“Where’s your grandmother work?”
“Main Street Bakery.”
Maz smiles. “Of course, the cupcakes. Does she bake there?”
“Kind of,” I say. “She owns it.”
15:36 GMT-4
MAIN STREET | MERIDIA FALLS
I step out onto the recently-salted sidewalk. The street lamps light up the small pools of melting ice, like raindrops falling in a puddle. They shine like piercing eyes in the night. Glowing eyes.
&n
bsp; A cold wind whistles around my neck, like an icy finger against my skin. I lean back into the truck for a quick hit of warmth. “I’ll just be second,” I say. “Keep the engine running.”
Maz flips open her cell phone. The light from the screen illuminates her warm smile, taking the thought of glowing eyes away. “Take your time, Newb.”
I close the door, sealing the warmth in with her as a stream of icy cold air blows down Main Street. It hits me in the face like a dodgeball, stinging my skin. I pull my jacket collar up high and tug my hat over my ears.
The Main Street Bakery takes up three units. Anne told me the first thing she did was buy up the neighboring stores – a beauty salon and a coffee shop. She expanded the bakery into two units and kept the coffee shop connected.
I push open the bakery door. The bell above it rings as a blast of sweet warmth hits me in the face like a sugar explosion. My skin tingles at the sudden change in temperature. The coffee shop, through the arch to the left, is packed. Just my luck; this place seems to be a hangout for students. It sounds just like being back at school.
I close the door and step past the coffee shop archway. There’s a queue at the curved bakery counter at the back of the store. Tempting cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and Anne’s best seller, apple pie, stand behind the shining glass. There’s no sign of Anne. She likes to be hands-on, meeting and greeting the public, so it’s strange that she’s not here. I check the time. Three thirty-nine. She said she’d be here after school.
“Happy birthday, young man.” Tom, a server from the coffee shop, walks into the bakery. A mischievous glint twinkles in his eye. He’s only in his late twenties himself, but he insists on calling me “young man”. I only met him yesterday, but he must have said it about a hundred times.
He leaves a tray of cappuccino mugs on the bakery counter, much to the disgust of the woman serving behind it. “Anne and Harmony had to shoot out on a last-minute errand,” he says, reaching behind the counter. He pulls out a bunch of keys. “She left these for you.” He dangles them in front of my face, shaking them like they’re Christmas bells. “She said to make sure you put them on your keychain.”
I indicate outside. “My keys are still in the truck.”
He narrows his eyes and stares through the window. “Is that a girl you’ve got in there?” He grins, then covers his mouth with his hand, exaggerating a look of shock.
The woman behind the counter looks up and smacks him on the arm. She’s not much older than him, early thirties at the most, like most of Anne’s staff. “Happy birthday, Logan.” She grabs the keys from Tom and hands them over, smiling like she knows me. I don’t think she was working when I came into the bakery yesterday. But she’s got a familiar smile. Miss Slayter. I search her apron for her name tag.
Charlotte Slayter
Deputy Manager
“Thanks, Charlotte.”
The doorbell rings and a young couple walk in. They pause by the coffee shop archway, then join the queue at the bakery counter.
I turn back to Charlotte. “Do you have a sister?”
“Yeah, Karen. She’s a teacher; started at your school today.” She smiles. “You might have seen her.”
My face tingles as I try my best not to blush. “I think I did,” I say innocently as I open the bakery door. The icy chill claws at my face again, hiding any signs of embarrassment.
“Have a nice rest of your birthday,” Tom and Charlotte sing together.
I tug open the truck door. It opens with a crack, like a freezer door.
“You’re not gonna believe this,” I say. “You know that new teacher, Miss Slayter? Her sister works in there.”
Maz snaps her fingers. “That’s why she looked familiar.” Her eyes wander to back to the window and she stares at the bakery. “Can I ask a question?”
“Sure.” I attach the house keys to Cassie’s Wonder Woman keychain. “I don’t fancy Miss Slayter, before you ask.”
Maz ignores the joke and bites her lip. “Why do you drive this, forgive my French, piece of crap, when your grandmother is one of the richest women in Nova Scotia? You could drive a Porsche like—”
“What, like Candy?” I say, interrupting her.
“You know what I mean.”
I tap the dash. “I worked a summer job at a garage and saved up for this. Paid for it myself. This is worth more to me than any gifted car. I like to pay my own way.” The Rolex on my wrist suddenly feels heavy.
“Dumb, but admirable.” Maz grins and points at the darkening horizon. “Home, James.”
I pull at the elastic rim on my hat, so it snaps against my head. “Yes, Ma’am.”
The glowing yellow and orange signage from the Meridian Cinema on the opposite side of Main Street comes into view. Extra signage underneath reads ‘Restaurant’.
“You’re gonna have some date,” Maz says, pointing at a sign reading “for sale.” “That place is closed. No food or movies for you tonight.”
“It’s not a date,” I say. “It’s… homework.”
“Whatever you say.” Maz smirks. “The Newbie and Penny Dreadful. I sure hope you know what you’re getting into.”
The intenseness of Penny’s memories fills my mind. They were so real, like they happened to me. Did I imagine it? Was it a reaction to the vaccination drug? No. She felt it too. It happened both ways.
What about Candy? That was different. It was just a single memory. A strong emotion. She had no idea I was in her head.
I shake away the feeling as we pass the innocent looking Royal Canadian Mounted Police station on the right. The solitary shield above the door the only indicator of the building’s true purpose. Maz stares at it like she’s caught in a trance.
“So, does your boyfriend work with his Dad?”
“What, in the police?” Maz laughs. “No way. I’d never date a Mountie.” She turns away from the window and looks over her shoulder. “Steve’s a mechanic. He works at a garage at the other end of Main Street.”
My truck suddenly groans as I brake for a junction.
“Could be handy,” she laughs.
I slow to a stop as cars pass across the junction. A row of spotlights illuminates a huge sign greeting them on the corner.
Welcome to Meridia Falls
Home of Meridia University
Intense pain suddenly strikes between my eyes. The spotlights flicker in time with the beating pain in my head. It’s like a pulsating drum, building to a crescendo. I close my eyes and shake away the pain. It goes just as suddenly as it came, leaving a dull ache throbbing behind my eyes.
I focus on the sign again. The words have changed.
Welcome to Wolfville
Home of Acadia University
The sharp beep of a car horn from behind snaps my mind back into focus. I pull away, across the junction. The welcome sign now reads Meridia Falls again. What the hell is happening?
“Have you ever heard of the name Wolfville?” I ask. “Or Acadia University?”
Maz shakes her head. “Nope. Doesn’t sound like anywhere around here. Why?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“You’re acting a little weird, Newb. Are you OK?”
Penny’s message flashes in my mind. Trust no one. “It’s been a long day,” I say, rubbing at my eyes.
Maz yawns. “Damn right.”
The headlights pick out pale yellow and blue houses in the distance. We’ve left the bright front windows of the Main Street stores behind. Mist drifts around the truck as we head into the descending darkness of night.
The sign for the Harrison Estate shines up ahead. Maz stares at the entrance as we drive past. “Definitely neighbors,” she says.
A Catholic church comes up on the left. The white walls glow in the headlights. Mom, Sunday mornings, and fake smiles spring to my mind. A cold chill settles in my stomach that has nothing to do with the weather outside.
The turn for Maple Avenue is opposite the church. I signal a right just as Maz points at th
e junction. “I’m already on it,” I say.
She grins. “Just checking, Newb.”
“How far down?”
“Not far. I’ll tell you when.”
An arched, wooden sign appears on the left, between a row of shadowy trees.
Seven Trees Farm
Maz points at the sign.
“You live here,” I say. “On a farm.”
“Yeah, kind of. It’s my stepdad’s apple farm.”
An open wooden gate hides behind thick bushes under the sign. I turn the wheel and drive up the softly lit, gravel path. It winds through huge grounds that disappear into the darkness. “This place could give the Harrison Estate a run for its money.”
“Isaac Steele,” Maz sighs. “If you’ve eaten one of your grandmother’s apple pies, I can guarantee it’s made with Steele apples.”
“No chance. I hate apples.”
Maz laughs.
The icy gravel crunches under the tires as we approach the farmhouse. Bright windows shine in the distance.
“Slow down.” Maz points to a small courtyard to the right of the drive. “Pull up at the stables,” she says. “I don’t want my mom knowing I got a lift home from school.”
There’s a row of stables at the end of the courtyard, along with a horsebox. I spin the truck around and stop opposite the courtyard entrance. Another set of headlights shine up the drive. A red Porsche drives past. The same red Porsche from school. Candy’s Porsche. Her unmistakable pink highlights shine in the soft glow from the dash inside.
Maz lets out a long sigh. “Yes, you guessed it. Candy, the bitch, is my stepsister.”
“Holy shit!”
She laughs. “That’s one hell of an understatement.” She reaches for the door handle. “Thanks for the lift, Newbie.”
“Do you want me to pick you up in the morning? After all, we’re neighbors now.”
She smiles, the radiant prom smile. “Yes, please. Meet me here at the stables, at eight fifteen.”
I snap my hat again. “Yes, Ma’am.”
She leans over. “Happy birthday, Newb.” She kisses me softly on the cheek.
Her memories suddenly flood into my mind. I see her mom shouting. It’s an argument. Candy stands, smirking. A hand sticks out, Maz’s hand. Her mom grabs her car keys and gives them to Candy. “Be more like your sister.” The snarled statement echoes in my mind. I can feel Maz’s pain, the hurt and the tears as they roll down her cheeks.