Dead Spots

by Rhiannon Frater

  “Has that always been here?” Mackenzie asked, waving at the howling beast.

  “No, that’s new.” Grant shrugged dismissively. “But it’s not the only one. You should see Kansas.”

  “I guess a lot of people are afraid of them. Tornados are scary as hell.” Staring at the funnel, Mackenzie inwardly shivered. It was little relief that it wasn’t moving for there weren’t any assurances it wouldn’t start chasing them.

  “So is being caught in one. I don’t want to repeat that.” Grant leaned on the walking stick he’d made from a tree branch earlier. The gnarled staff made a good weapon if anything attacked. So far they’d been lucky. The wraiths they had encountered had remained tethered to their location and not pursued them.

  “One caught you?” Mackenzie shuddered at the thought. She wiped her face with the hem of her shirt, wishing they had some water with them. She was overheated and thirsty.

  “A person in our group was afraid of them and let down their guard one day. The tornado formed on top of us and we were caught. It broke us like dolls, impaled us with debris, and left us to die in a field. That was a terrible death.”

  “Grant, that’s so awful! I’m so sorry!”

  “It’s just the way it is sometimes. Let’s hope the rest of the day is uneventful.” He inclined his head toward the intersecting road. “Ready to move on?”

  Nervously, she checked the tornado. It was still in the same spot, but the black clouds were spreading outward, lightning sizzling in their depths. The blue cloudless sky above was slowly giving way to the encroaching storm. A thrill of terror sidled through her and she licked her dry, cracked lips anxiously. She hoped her fears weren’t pulling the thunderclouds toward them. “Yeah, definitely. How much farther do we have before we hit another dead spot?”

  “A few miles if I’m remembering correctly.” Grant had rolled up his shirtsleeves and draped his jacket over one shoulder. He still looked far too well dressed for hiking, but she could see now the places on his shirt and trousers he had patched up over time.

  “How do we keep the tornado from attacking us?” Mackenzie strode alongside Grant, feeling apprehensive. She’d finally put the kitchen knife in a pocket in her purse, but it was where she could easily claim it. Of course, a knife was no defense against the looming storm.

  “You’ll learn over time to guard your mind to keep the wraiths at bay. When we reach a dead spot, you need to start shaping it immediately, before the wraiths seize control. It’s a tug-of-war between us and them.”

  The roar of the tornado coupled with the clashes of thunder sent prickles up and down her back. She rested her hand lightly on Grant’s shoulder for comfort. He didn’t seem to mind. The sky darkened and the gloom that wove between the trees in the surrounding woods grew darker and more ominous. The forest bordered the road, but there was a good twenty feet between the shoulder and the tree line. It made Mackenzie feel a little safer, though she knew anything could happen. The wicked black birds, the mourners, and the road of graves had revealed the world to be far more treacherous than she cared to think about.

  The ache in her leg muscles was barely tolerable. After Joshua had died, she hadn’t done a single bit of exercise. Throughout her pregnancy she had maintained a strict walking schedule, but after the loss of her son she hadn’t wanted to do much other than lie in bed and sleep. It had been hard to function when the overwhelming depression made every aspect of her life difficult.

  Mackenzie now recognized that her psyche had started to change when she had boxed up her possessions and loaded up her car to drive back to her childhood home. Though she was still angry, hurt, and sad, the process of boxing up her life had in effect allowed her to take a mental step forward in the healing process. She hadn’t actually been conscious of this reality until she had been driving to Kerrville. The desire to reclaim herself and create a new life had been a daring new thought in her mind and it had altered her. She felt the change even now. The Mackenzie of two days ago would not have been able to keep walking along the isolated country road with a complete stranger and deal with frightening situations. That version of herself would have given in to the need to hide somewhere, curl up, and wait for rescue, or to die. When she had pulled off the interstate and dared to take her own path back to Texas, she had made a choice that had changed everything in her life.

  The peals of thunder rumbling along the horizon caused her to jump.

  “It’s still far back. It just looks closer. Try not to think about it. Don’t give it any more energy,” Grant advised her.

  “That’s easy for you to say. You’re used to all this.”

  “I’m tired of all this.” Grant gave her a wan smile. “But it’s nice to have a companion again.”

  “I feel like I haven’t been very good company. First I accuse you of being a delusion, a phantom of my imagination, then I ignore all your advice and nearly end up in a grave … again. I’m a real pain in your ass.”

  “At least you’ve moved on to at least entertaining the thought that what you are experiencing might be real.”

  “That’s progress, huh?” She winced. “Or a major step back if this is all a delusion.”

  “Don’t overthink it.”

  Grant looped his arm around her waist and gave her a gentle squeeze and she rewarded him with a smile. The small gestures of reassurance were appreciated. The man she was traveling with was obviously a very tactile person, which was reminiscent of her ex-husband. It made her feel a little awkward whenever he touched her, but she was growing accustomed to it as she had with Tanner. Strangely, Mackenzie didn’t have a problem showing tenderness to others, but she struggled to accept it.

  “You’re overthinking it,” Grant decided, chuckling as he observed her somber expression.

  The terrifying roar of the tornado drew her attention again. “I just feel like this place is giving me a whole new list of things to be scared of.”

  It was difficult to ignore the stationary mammoth funnel of swirling gray clouds. Lightning crackled along its edges and the debris caught in the fierce winds tumbled through the air, never falling to the earth below.

  “It’s not moving,” Grant reminded her. “It’s someone else’s terror manifesting. Not yours.”

  The words resonated within her. Her whole life she had carried her mother’s admonitions in her head like an endless looping tape. With Tanner’s encouragement, she’d managed to break free from a lot of the negativity imbedded in her psyche by her mother’s incessant paranoia, but when Joshua had died it had returned with force. Losing her baby and her husband seemed to be the fulfillment of all her mother’s dire portents. If Mackenzie was honest with herself, she had believed to some extent that the disintegration of her life with Tanner was punishment for leaving her mother. Now all around her were the manifestations of other people’s paranoia and she was starting to adopt them as her own. It was what she’d done her entire life.

  Casting an inquisitive look her way, Grant lifted his eyebrows.

  Mackenzie just smiled, not willing to divulge her internal revelations. Continuing her steady pace, she reached into her purse and lightly caressed the baby blanket with her fingertips before pulling out her journal. Though she continued to walk, she scribbled another line on her new list.

  Don’t adopt other people’s fears.

  Before Grant could lean over to see what she’d written, she snapped the journal shut and stored it away.

  “You like lists, don’t you?”

  “They keep me focused.”

  The narrow lane they were on was nearing a crossroads. The endless walking was beginning to take a toll on her and Mackenzie was glad for a visual indicator that they were at least making some headway on their journey out of the area. The t-shaped intersection was a couple hundred yards away and a thicket of trees and overgrown bushes made an imposing green wall. It almost felt like they were in a maze.

  A new low growling sound filled the air, freezing Mackenzie in her track
s. It took several seconds for her to realize it was the sound of a car engine. Grant caught her by the arm and flung her toward the brush on the side of the road. Losing her balance, she tumbled into the ditch filled with tall wild grass and bits of gravel. The grit bit into her palms when she tried to push herself upright, then she was knocked onto her side by Grant as he fell onto the ground next to her.

  “What the hell, Grant?”

  Covering her mouth, Grant settled on top of her in a protective manner. In a whisper he said into her ear, “We can’t travel by car. It’s something else.”

  Vastly uncomfortable with the way Grant covered her body while pinning her to the ground, Mackenzie struggled to get free, but he held her down. A rock was digging into her stomach and the dry grass poked at her face.

  “We’re in danger,” Grant hissed. “Stop moving!”

  The roar of the car intensified as it approached from the direction they’d come from. Was something stalking them? The sharp squeal of tires and the reek of exhaust filled the air. There was a loud creak as a car door opened and a man’s voice called out.

  “Anyone there?”

  The claustrophobic press of Grant’s body made it difficult for Mackenzie not to squirm, but she remained still beneath him. The man calling out over the grumble of the car didn’t sound familiar and she realized that she had fully expected to hear Tanner. The vehicle sounded more like a sports car than Tanner’s truck, but she couldn’t see it since Grant covered her completely and the grass obscured her view.

  “Hello? Anyone out there? I’m not one of them. I’m human.”

  Grant fiercely wagged his head, his finger pressed to his lips.

  “I won’t hurt you. I promise. I’m human.” The stranger sounded a little aggravated, or maybe worried. “I know you’re scared. I can help you.”

  Again, Grant gave a shake of his head. Dread bubbling up inside her, Mackenzie nodded in response and remained silent.

  The stranger then lowered his voice, seemingly speaking to someone else.

  Closing her eyes, Mackenzie shifted her hand so it slid inside her purse. The softness of the baby blanket beneath her fingers was inexplicably comforting. It reminded her that the worst thing she could ever have imagined had already happened. This new threat couldn’t hurt her any more than she already had been hurt.

  As if in response to this revelation, the car door banged shut and the car shot away. The squeal of the brakes indicated its turn onto the country road ahead, and then it was gone.

  With a grunt, Grant got up, reclaimed his walking stick, and crept through the grass to check the lane. Mackenzie rolled onto her back, gripping her bag to her chest. The journal and small laptop made it heavy, and her shoulder hurt from carrying it, but it was worth the discomfort. The few possessions she retained were her anchor to another world that still contained the promise of a new beginning. She had to hold on to that and push through this nightmare dimension.

  “What was it, Grant?”

  “Wraiths. Hunting.” Grant bent over and helped her back to her feet.

  “They knew we were here, didn’t they?” After shoving the straps of her purse over her shoulder, Mackenzie wiped off the dirt, pollen, and bits of grass from her hair and clothes.

  “You burn bright. Like I told you before.” Grant fussed with his own clothing, but kept an eye on the intersection ahead. “That’s why I covered you with my body.”

  “To hide my brightness?”

  “Exactly.”

  “Did it work?”

  “I hope so.”

  “Why can’t I see this ‘brightness’ on myself?”

  “Because you haven’t died enough to be infected by this world, Mackenzie. The more life you lose, the more you see it in others.”

  Inhaling a sharp breath, Mackenzie said, “I see.” How many times had Grant died? Did he even keep count? The thought was disturbing.

  “Let’s keep moving. The car went in the opposite direction we’re heading in.” Grant paused, then added, “Thanks for listening to me. I know that wasn’t comfortable.”

  “I appreciate you looking out for me,” Mackenzie replied, shrugging. Even though she was his meal ticket and haven provider, Mackenzie did sense Grant was starting to care about her as a friend.

  Cautiously, they walked along the edge of the lane, keeping an eye out for the mysterious car or any other potential attackers. When at last they reached the intersection, Mackenzie stared at the sign with frustration. Names overlapped each other in different fonts making it incredibly difficult to read.

  “This sign makes no sense to me. I have no idea what it even says.”

  “Town names, old road names, that sort of thing. The world has changed a lot since this sign went up. It reflects that.”

  The world she had left behind was also changing and without her. That truth was not lost on her. Tanner was carving out a new life for himself with his pregnant girlfriend while she walked Texas back roads avoiding scary monsters. This was not the new life she’d imagined for herself.

  “I should have known I’d find you out here with him,” Tanner’s voice said, startling her.

  Whirling about, she was shocked to see him coasting along the asphalt on his motorcycle toward them. The rumble of the engine mingled with the deafening noise of the tornado and the thunderous booms. It gave the eerie impression of coming from the same source.

  “Mackenzie, it’s not him,” Grant said, a warning in his voice.

  “I know.”

  Yet, her heart skipped a beat at the sight of him. Boyishly handsome in his jeans, motorcycle boots, black T-shirt, and leather jacket, he elicited a throb of desire within her. Clenching her hands, she turned away from the vision of Tanner and walked in the direction Grant had chosen earlier. With all her mental strength, she tried not to believe in the wraith.

  “Not going to say anything, Mac?” Tanner gunned the motorcycle so it pulled even with her. “You’re out here with him and you’re not going to explain yourself?”

  Mackenzie refused to answer and followed Grant off the road into the tall grass. The motorcycle followed, but paced them on the shoulder.

  “Mac, what’s up with you? Look at me. Talk to me!”

  Tanner’s voice, his inflections, his words.

  It was so very hard to ignore him.

  “Mackenzie Babin, answer your husband!”

  “Mom?” Mackenzie whirled about. Surprise hit her like a ton of bricks when she saw Estelle riding behind Tanner on his bike. Clad in the sexy jeans she favored and highly polished black cowboy boots with red and gold accents, Mackenzie’s mother glared at her. In her late forties, Estelle still had a lean figure honed from competitively riding horses and her face was barely lined even though she was always tan from her time spent in the sun. Her cornflower blue eyes were expertly made up and her lips shimmered in hues of pink that matched the tank top under her denim jacket. As always, Estelle’s golden-streaked auburn hair was blown out and heavily hair sprayed to perfection. Even the wind wasn’t ruffling it.

  “We’ve been looking all over for you! Why did you abandon your car? Why are you out here walking with that man? Who is he?” Estelle demanded.

  “Estelle, she’s plumb lost her mind,” Tanner said in a dark voice, glowering at Mackenzie. “I told you.”

  Mackenzie could smell her mother’s flowery perfume and the hint of mint from the gum she chewed after smoking. “Mom, I—”

  “Don’t pay attention to them,” Grant urged.

  “Well?” Estelle asked, arching a perfectly sculpted eyebrow.

  It was hard not to answer. The woman before her looked exactly like her mother. Smelled like her. Even exuded her strength and force of personality.

  “Mackenzie, answer me! Didn’t I raise you properly? I told you over and over again not to be a damn fool and yet here you are in the middle of nowhere walking along a road with a complete stranger!”

  “She’s lost it,” Tanner said grimly. His gloved hands
tightened on the bars of his bike. “Totally lost it. Abandoning her car, not answering her phone, and now this?”

  “Where do you think you’re going, Mackenzie?” Estelle’s voice cut through her like a knife, demanding that she answer. “How can you be so reckless? So thoughtless? Haven’t I taught you anything?”

  Mackenzie locked her lips together, kept her head tilted downward, and fought the urge to defend herself to the beings on the motorcycle.

  “Who is this guy, Mac? Why are you running off with him? You’ve been acting all crazy and suddenly you’re gone. Just left me and Joshua in the lurch. To do what? Run off with some hobo that doesn’t even have a car?” Tanner’s voice was a mixture of hurt and loathing.

  “They’re not real,” Grant again reminded her.

  “Mackenzie, answer him! What the hell is going on with you?” The click of cowboy boots landing on the road jerked Mackenzie’s attention toward Estelle. The older woman stalked toward her, both hands on her narrow hips. “Answer him, for God’s sake!”

  “You’re not real!” Mackenzie shouted. “You’re not real!”

  “What the hell?” Estelle couldn’t have looked more shocked if Mackenzie had slapped her.

  “Just like that tornado, you’re not real!” Mackenzie pointed just as she realized the growling roar of the tornado was gone.

  “What the hell are you talking about?” Tanner asked, narrowing his eyes.

  Mackenzie’s hand dropped as she stared at the spot where the tornado had been spinning just moments before. The storm was still crawling across the sky, but the vortex of high winds was nowhere to be seen. Her hands shook at her sides as her mind struggled to comprehend what was going on.

  “Mackenzie, don’t listen to them. It’s all an illusion,” Grant said leaning toward her, his lips lightly brushing her ear.

  “I tried calling you. I tried to tell you that the state troopers were at the café. That you needed to head back there. I thought maybe you had broken down and were lost. That you didn’t have any coverage, but then I find you just walking along the road as though nothing is wrong! And with a complete stranger!” Estelle looked at her incredulously. “What the hell, Mackenzie? What the hell?”