Dead Spots

by Rhiannon Frater

  “Like the Lone Ranger. Rescuing people,” Johnny said with an affectionate grin.

  “Something like that,” Lucas said, sadness in his eyes. “I lost Johnny last night, so I’m glad I found him again. I was worried about him being on his own. I’m glad he found you.”

  Johnny looked embarrassed. “I’m sorry I didn’t obey.”

  “Me, too,” Lucas said somberly. “I’m sorry I couldn’t save you.”

  “I woke up in a graveyard. It was scary. Macky killed a zombie in the graveyard. The bad one from Night of the Living Dead. She bashed his head in with a big rock.” Johnny smiled at Mackenzie proudly.

  Standing, Lucas studied her a bit more thoughtfully. “Pretty and badass. I’m impressed.”

  Mackenzie ignored him, her eyes shifting to where Grant had vanished along with the shark and the car. “Where is he now? Where will he come back?”

  “He’s a wraith. He can show up anywhere he wants.” Lucas ushered Johnny toward the car. “But I suggest we leave before he recovers and decides to get territorial again. You know, beyond the whole shark thing.”

  “Are you sure he’s a wraith?” If Grant was a wraith then everything she had endured became even more heinous.

  “I can see it. The same way I can still see the remnants of his energy covering your eyes and seeping into your heart. He’s kept you afraid since he found you, hasn’t he? Consoled you in the bad times? Made you depend on him? Maybe made you feel like he needed you?” Lucas hesitated. “I’m sorry, Mac. I am. But you’re damn lucky his jealousy streak got the best of him when you took in Johnny and that his possessiveness literally bit him in the ass. You’ve escaped him. Now we need to get the hell out of here.”

  Unease and anger were a volatile mix inside of Mackenzie. She wanted to defend Grant, but the words felt empty. Her mind gathered together all her memories from the last few days. Moments when Grant had been possessive, overly affectionate, and even seductive. The dream from the night before haunted her. If Lucas was right, it had been no simple sex dream. It had been something more insidious. She could still remember the heaviness of Grant’s body and the thickness of his cock inside her. Feelings of violation and disgust filled her. Overwhelmed, she ran to the side of the road and gagged.

  “Macky?”

  “Johnny, get in the car,” Lucas ordered.

  Mackenzie retched. Her stomach was empty, so it was merely liquid. Nausea made her head swim and she felt a scream building within her. The crunch of Lucas’s boots on the road announced his approach.

  “Mac, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been so flippant.” There was an unexpected gentleness to his tone. “I understand how difficult this must be for you. Especially if you have feelings for him.”

  “He was my friend,” Mackenzie answered. “That’s all.”

  “I know you want to believe he’s not a wraith, but I can see the truth of this world and its inhabitants. I can see that you’ve died only once in this world. I can see that Johnny has died ten times.” Squatting next to her, Lucas gazed solemnly at her. “I’m sorry about Grant. I really am. Were you with him long?”

  “I’ve only been with him two days. He found me right after I came through a dead spot.” Mackenzie felt scared, vulnerable, and somehow guilty. “He helped me out. Showed me how things work here.”

  “It’s what they do. They friend you, seduce you, pull you into their web, then slowly drain the life out of you until you’re what they are.”

  Tears blinded her and Mackenzie angrily wiped them away. “He made me feel safer. Protected.”

  Lucas nodded. “I know.”

  Mackenzie felt sickened at the thought of being deceived by something as horrible as Grace. She still remembered the hideous sharklike mouth and wondered if Grant had one, too. “Maybe it wasn’t Grant today. Maybe it was another wraith pretending to be him.”

  “Do you believe that?”

  “I want to.” Though Mackenzie didn’t want to fully embrace the truth, she suspected Lucas was right. It all fit together too perfectly. Grant’s annoyance at her taking in Tildy and Johnny spoke volumes. He’d been adamant that she stay away from Lucas, a man who had actually saved her. Grant had attempted to isolate her.

  “But you don’t, do you?”

  Mackenzie didn’t answer. She attempted to stand, but wobbled. Lucas cupped her elbow and lifted her to her feet. The adrenaline rush was gone and she felt weakened in the aftermath. Dropping his hand, he stepped back, giving her space. In the car Johnny watched from the backseat.

  “Let’s get out of here. This area is still flaring up. I think lover-boy may be on his way back.”

  “If he’s coming back, maybe it’s because he’s returning to life like I did. Maybe you’re wrong.…”

  Lucas shot her a look that was both irritated and sympathetic.

  Though a part of her wanted to stay and wait for Grant to reappear so she could find out the truth, she knew that idea was foolhardy. All that Lucas had said cast a new light on everything she’d experienced and revealed some ugly truths she hated accepting. If not for the dream, maybe she wouldn’t believe Lucas, but she could still remember it vividly. If Grant really was a wraith, their best chance for survival at the moment was to go with their rescuer. Maybe it was unwise, but Lucas’s camaraderie with the boy had softened her anger at him. She really had no choice but to go with Lucas since Johnny was already in the car and waiting.

  Together they walked toward the car, their boot heels thudding against the asphalt. The overcast sky and late-afternoon sun gave their surroundings a dreary appearance. The light breeze was cool and gentle against her heated face, and she was glad she was wearing her jacket. She had lost her purse in the hearse, and the loss felt momentous. Joshua’s blanket and her book of lists were gone now.

  Lucas opened the passenger door before darting around the front of the car to slide behind the steering wheel. The car doors banged shut once they were seated and the engine fiercely roared. Lucas shifted gears and punched the accelerator. The car shimmied slightly on the loose dirt and gravel tossed up from the wheels. They caught traction and the car sped past the place where the hearse and Grant had vanished.

  “I told you this car is cool,” Johnny said, grinning. The gaps in his teeth were endearing, speaking of his transition from being a small child to a young adolescent.

  “It really is,” Mackenzie agreed.

  “I made it myself. From memory. Not bad, huh?” Lucas patted the dashboard proudly.

  Mackenzie stared at her dirty hands, slowly running the edge of her thumbnail under her other fingernails to clean them. It made her uncomfortable that she was wondering if all Grant had told her was even true. “So the car is like a dream palace?”

  “This whole world is the place of dreams and nightmares made manifest. And just like your dreams, this world can be anything you want it to be. Most of it is pretty mundane because most people are not that imaginative, but there are some places that are completely awe-inspiring.” Lucas proudly rubbed the steering wheel. “This is my dream. A 1964½ Mustang. The first ever made. When I was a kid I studied manuals about this baby and clipped pictures out of magazines. I even went to a classic car show when I was ten just to see one.”

  “This is the coolest car ever!”

  “Absolutely!” Lucas agreed.

  Mackenzie studied the interior of the car, impressed by its aesthetic. “So you did this from memory?”

  “Yep. Not bad, huh?”

  “It’s really amazing, honestly.” She noticed several maps folded on the backseat marked with different colors of highlighters and snagged them. Shuffling through them, she noticed neat lines of notes written in pen. “What’s this?”

  “I’m looking for a way out,” Lucas answered. “That’s about a year of work right there.”

  Mackenzie read a few of the notations. They included names of people, dates, building descriptions, and even addresses. Flipping through them, she noticed one notation in Arizona
. The names Jared and Ted were written in neat script.

  “You met Ted and Jared,” she said in an awed voice.

  “Yeah, about a year ago near El Paso. Cool guys. They were heading toward the East Coast. You know them?”

  “I met them last night. They took shelter with me and Grant. There were other people with them.” Mackenzie hesitated, her tongue moistening her lips. “I figured out that one of the women was a wraith. It all went to hell, and I died.”

  “I’m sorry. That’s rough. And terrifying.”

  “I definitely don’t want to do it again.” Mackenzie studied the maps closely. “These notations. What do they mean?”

  “They’re locations where people entered a dead spot.” Lucas tapped the note she had been looking at. “It’s the names of the people I interviewed, where they entered, and the date. I’ve been looking for a pattern.”

  Mackenzie flipped through more maps and found one of Los Angeles. There were plenty of entries around it, but none were Grant’s name. “Have you found one?”

  His smile fading slightly, Lucas shook his head. “Not yet. I’ve resorted to traveling from one dead spot to the next hoping that the doors to both worlds are open. But, if there is a pattern, I’m sure I’ll figure it out eventually.”

  “If we get out, then I can go home,” Johnny said. “My mom is going to be so sore at me.”

  Lucas and Mackenzie exchanged looks. Lucas wagged his head no. “Hey, buddy. Do you like chocolate?”

  “Uh-huh!”

  Lucas fished a candy bar out of the pocket of his leather jacket and handed it to the kid. Without asking, he handed one to Mackenzie, too.

  Ravenous, she didn’t think twice about tearing open the wrapper and consuming it.

  “Try not to get chocolate on the seats,” Lucas said, grinning.

  “I won’t!” Johnny cried.

  “I meant Mac. She’s like a chocolate monster up here.”

  In spite of everything, Mackenzie smiled. “Gee, thanks.”

  “I love chocolate. And hamburgers. And hot dogs,” Johnny informed them. “And milk shakes.”

  Finishing the candy, Mackenzie crumpled the wrapper. Lucas extended his hand and she dropped it into his palm. He closed his hand and when he unfurled his fingers, a fresh new candy bar rested upon it. He tossed it at her and she caught it.

  “Wow.” She was stunned.

  Lucas smirked. “In this world, anything is possible.”

  Again, she realized Grant had not told her the truth. Cars could run in this world and a dead spot wasn’t required to shape things.

  “Where are we going? I don’t want to go back to the house with the zombies!” Johnny called out from his perch in the backseat.

  “No worries, little buddy. We’re going to a motel. It even has a restaurant. We can have hamburgers or pizza, or whatever you want.”

  Returning to the maps, Mackenzie was awed by how many names were scrawled on them. Around a few dead spots, multiple names were written. “Some spots are more active, huh?”

  “High-population areas.”

  Searching for the area where she had entered, she was disappointed to see it was empty. “I came in here.” She tapped the map.

  “When we get to the motel, we’ll add your info.”

  “I already told him about the scary house that made me come here.” Johnny’s voice was somber. “I miss my brother.”

  “I know, Johnny.” Lucas’s face shadowed with sorrow. “I miss people, too.”

  “Me, too,” Mackenzie agreed.

  Glancing at the side mirror, Mackenzie saw the road unspooling behind them, empty of sharks, cars, or anything other than asphalt.

  CHAPTER 24

  The motel ended up being the old-fashioned type with individual bungalows for visitors. Mackenzie was relieved when Lucas fixed one of the small buildings with the snap of his fingers, much to Johnny’s delight, and escorted them inside. Mackenzie’s head was still throbbing from restoring the hearse and the thought of rebuilding anything made her wince.

  Two full-size beds covered in comforters sporting a distinctly western look stood side by side beneath paintings of Native Americans hunting on the open plains and cowboys riding along caravans. A shallow nook held a small table and two chairs.

  “Not the fanciest place, but it’ll do.” Lucas smiled with satisfaction.

  “I like it. It has cowboys and Indians,” Johnny said with satisfaction.

  A black-and-white television sat on the dresser, but Lucas touched it and turned it into a flat screen.

  “Now it’s fancy,” Mackenzie said, winking at Johnny.

  “I like to show off,” Lucas admitted.

  “It looks like it’s from a spaceship.” Johnny touched the screen in awe. “I like it.”

  Lucas studied the room. “If I remember correctly there is a rollaway bed in one of the other units. I can drag that in here for you, little buddy.”

  “Why not make one?” Mackenzie asked.

  “It’s not worth spending the energy on something that already exists,” Lucas answered with a shrug. “Less drain on restoring than making.”

  Flopping onto a bed, Mackenzie stared at the ceiling. Her mind felt like a wasteland, empty and devoid of life. It was as if all the emotions surrounding the revelations of the day had sapped her energy. Though Mackenzie was increasingly at ease with Lucas, she was also still shaken. Upon reflection Mackenzie had to admit that Grant had been very controlling. Lucas, meanwhile, seemed much more interested in entertaining the little boy and making sure they were comfortable and safe than bossing Mackenzie around.

  “Johnny, I think you and I should go get some food from the café and let Mac freshen up.”

  A door opened nearby and she could hear Lucas shuffling about. “Okay, the bathroom is set up, Mac.”

  Turning her head, she saw Lucas setting fresh towels and Hello Kitty pajamas on the end of the bed.

  “Did you make those?” She propped herself on her elbows and regarded him skeptically.

  “Not a Hello Kitty fan, huh?”

  She rolled her eyes.

  Touching the tank top and drawstring pants set, Lucas said, “How about My Little Pony?”

  Mackenzie lifted an eyebrow.

  “Ah, I get it. You’re a Disney Princess girl.”

  “I think I’m going to punch you in the face,” Mackenzie said, but she felt a smile creeping onto her lips.

  “Wonder Woman! She’s Wonder Woman!” Johnny bounced on the bed enthusiastically.

  The pajamas shifted in appearance. The pants were now blue with stars and the tank top was red with the golden eagle. Mackenzie thought the set looked cute.

  “How’s that?”

  Mackenzie snagged the pajamas and looked at the label. “Ha. Ha.”

  The label read: DEAD SPOT DESIGNS.

  Her smile appeared to satisfy Lucas. “Okay, Mac, we’re getting food. What do you want?”

  “Hot dogs! Hamburgers!” Johnny said, continuing to jump on the bed.

  “Pizza. Extra pepperoni.” She was incredibly hungry.

  “Okay. We’re on it.” Lucas snagged Johnny by the arm and swung him onto his back. The little boy hung on, excited to be on a new adventure. “Ready, little buddy?”

  “Hi-ho, Silver, away!”

  “I take that as a yes.” Lucas playfully galloped to the door, opened it, and disappeared outside.

  The door shut behind them, the room feeling quite empty without all the boyish energy filling it. Gathering the things Lucas had made, Mackenzie entered the small bathroom and was surprised to find the bath running. Bubbles foamed on the surface and the sweet smell of lavender filled the room. Sliding off her clothes, she gratefully sank into the hot water. Flashes of the shark flitted through her mind, but she closed them off. She wanted to soak in the bubbles and not think of anything. The small white bathroom was a sanctuary from the insanity of the last few days and the hot sudsy water relaxed her aching body.

  Even
though she was determined not to think of Grant, her mind drifted over their journey. Lucas’s assertions about Grant made a terrible sort of sense. Hot tears dripped into the slowly cooling bathwater. If Lucas was right, this world had taken much more from her than she had originally realized.

  Yet, it had given her something unexpected. She was beginning to understand she was much stronger than she’d given herself credit for. Grant hadn’t been able to completely take control of her, though he’d tried. Upon reflection it was clear how hard he’d tried to make her dependent on him and isolate her. If Grant was an incubus wraith and wanted her to himself, he must have been furious over Tildy. He’d known Grace was a wraith and allowed her into their haven with a purpose. Most likely he wanted her to be terrified of ever taking in other people again. No wonder he’d been so irate when he’d found her with Johnny.

  Her emotions surrounding Grant bubbled beneath the layer of her exhaustion and she didn’t want to give them attention until she felt ready to deal with the fallout. Again, she’d been stung by betrayal by a knight in shining armor. First Tanner and now Grant. It was time to stop waiting to be rescued and do it herself. How she was going to do that exactly she wasn’t quite sure yet.

  Mackenzie was glad for the time alone, but when Lucas returned with Johnny in his wake, their arms filled with all sorts of fabulous fast food, she was happy to see them.

  “You look like Wonder Woman!” Johnny exclaimed as she slid onto a chair next to the table.

  “I just need a magic lasso and a tiara.” Mackenzie gave him a wide grin, delighted to see the boy enjoying himself.

  “Make it for her, Lucas!”

  “Later. First we eat! Ta-da!” Lucas flipped open the pizza box to reveal a piping hot pizza pie made to her order. He set a beer on the table, popped the top, and slid it over to her.

  “A feast for kings and queens!” Mackenzie inhaled deeply, the scent making her even hungrier. It was the first time in months she had actually craved food.

  “For cowboys, too! I got a hot dog with extra onions,” Johnny informed her, showing off the foot-long monstrosity covered in onions, chili, and mustard.