“Now, if you need anything,” said Lauren, “if you get spooked or whatever, you call and I can be there faster than you can imagine.”
With a genuine smile, Marcy replied. “Okay. Thank you.” She paused for a moment, looking carefully at the Shadow standing before her. She opened her mouth twice, but the words failed to come out. Finally, on the third attempt, she was able to speak what was on her mind. “You know, thirty minutes ago I thought you were a bitch.” Thad’s laughter could be heard from inside the car. Marcy watched as Lauren grinned and rolled her eyes. “I was wrong.”
With a mild flush of embarrassment covering her cheeks, Lauren replied in a soft, genuine tone. “Thanks. Too bad things weren’t different. I think we could be friends.”
Marcy looked down to Nicole in the back seat and sighed as she looked back to Lauren. “Maybe there’s still a chance? After all of this is over, we could make that happen.”
Lauren wanted to acknowledge Marcy’s proposal, but the fact that she knew their situation had a small chance at complete resolution prevented her from doing so. Instead, she gave Marcy one last hug and then opened the rear driver’s side door.
Marcy watched as Lauren held out her right hand, a faint blue light coming from beneath her palm, and took Nicole into her invisible grasp, gently lifting her head and torso into the air. Lauren slid into the seat and the allowed Nicole’s head to rest on her lap.
As she closed the door, Marcy placed an open hand on the window, and without a word, turned and walked away towards the hospital entrance.
CHAPTER 12
Lauren felt her heart sink as Marcy removed her hand from the window. She looked down to Nicole as she rested on her lap. She suddenly saw the young girl differently. No longer did she see her as a worthless addict, as a waste of her time. She now realized that this was someone’s daughter—someone’s friend. Instead of resentment, she felt pity.
Thad turned the key in the ignition and, as the car came to life, the ethereal bodies of Maggie and Cliff materialized, Maggie in the passenger seat next to Thad, and Cliff in the back seat behind her.
Lauren looked to Cliff and saw him sitting on the seat. With neither his, nor Maggie’s, from being solid, Nicole’s legs protruded through the old man’s body. Lauren couldn’t help but giggle.
“What’s funny?” asked Cliff, the seriousness of the moment etched firmly in his scowl.
Lauren lifted her eyes from his, realizing the inappropriateness of her reaction. “Nothing,” she replied, trying not to make eye contact with him. “I’m sorry.”
Thad put the car into gear and began to weave his way through the parking lot. Eyeing the gas station across the street, he applied the brakes and looked over his shoulder. “We’re going to have to get some gas,” he said calmly. “That, and I’m hungry.”
Cliff simply nodded and as Thad accelerated quickly across the intersection, Maggie spoke.
“How did that go? Is Marcy okay?” she asked hesitantly, sensing Cliff’s frustration.
With no response from Cliff, Lauren answered respectfully. “It went about as well as could be expected.”
Lauren’s softened expression and sad eyes did nothing to bolster the mood in the vehicle.
Thad pulled up to a gas pump, but before he turned off the ignition, he asked, “Does anyone need anything?”
“I’ll come in with you,” replied Lauren. “I could use something to eat. We should probably try to get Nicole to eat and drink something, too.”
From the back seat, Cliff spoke in a distant and groveled voice. “Get me a cigar, will ya? The biggest one they got.”
Thad turned in his seat and looked at his grandfather with a furrowed brow.
“Don’t look at me that way, boy. Just do what I ask,” barked the old man.
Lauren carefully exited the car, taking care to rest Nicole’s torso on the seat as she stepped out. Thad killed the ignition, causing Maggie and Cliff to instantly disappear. Thad hesitated for a moment.
“Huh, sure as hell hope no one was looking at us. That’d have to be a pretty strange sight to most people.”
With Lauren now standing at the front of the car, Thad got out and began to pump gas. He leaned on the car, patiently watching the digits roll by and found a comfort in the cool evening breeze that was presenting itself.
“You doing okay?”
Lauren’s voice caught him by surprise. He snapped his head to see her standing by the driver’s door.
“Yeah,” he replied suspiciously. “I guess so, considering.”
Lauren shoved her hands into her front pockets, kicking at pieces of chipped concrete that were at her feet.
“It’s probably kind of tough for you. I can relate you know.”
Thad lifted his chin and stared into her eyes. Something was different about her. Though he’d only known her for hours, from what he’d gathered in that short time frame was that she was anything but soft.
“Is that right?” he replied, unsure of exactly how to respond. Realizing that his tone was slightly brash, he cleared his throat and corrected himself. “What I meant to say was—yes, it’s been tough. But by the looks of it,” he motioned to Nicole’s body in the car, “it could be a lot worse.”
A bright and genuine smile fell upon Lauren’s face. “Thank you,” she said softly.
Thad’s guard dropped. Suddenly it was as if he was looking at a different person. He saw her youthful face exude sincerity, and watched as she pulled a hand from her pocket, tucking a few strands of hair that blew lightly in the wind behind her ears.
“Thad,” asked Lauren playfully.
Awakened from his daze, he smiled back to her. Just as he was about to speak, he heard the gas nozzle click, signifying the tank was full. He pulled the nozzle, replaced the cap, and then returned the nozzle to the pump. Finding himself suddenly at a loss for words, he tried to reply with the sincerity that she had shown.
“You’re welcome.”
He returned the gas cap to the car, and walked side by side with Lauren into the convenience store. He found himself, though he knew she didn’t need it, wanting to be protective of her. He chuckled to himself at his sudden change of perspective towards the girl.
“What’s funny?” she asked.
Hardly realizing that his chuckle had been audible, he looked to her sharply with a smile. “Nothing, nothing at all.”
She turned away heading for the restroom and, though he needed to use it as well, he didn’t want it to seem like he was following her.
“Did you want me to grab you something?” he asked as she walked away.
She looked over her shoulder, continuing to walk away and replied. “No, I won’t be long.”
****
Cliff and Maggie sat in the car, invisible to all around them. To each other, they were as real as if they were among the living, yet the backdrop of the world was blurred and broken.
Facing forward in her seat, Maggie asked Cliff, “How are you holding up?”
Startled by the broken silence that had surrounded them for a short while, he replied. “I’m okay, I guess.”
“You’re lying,” said Maggie as she turned in her seat.
Cliff stared her in the eye, and the pained expression of worry on her face made it clear that she knew he wasn’t speaking the truth.
“I’m just worried,” said Cliff. “I’m worried about Test.”
Maggie wrinkled her nose. “Why? I thought they were safe at Lauren’s?”
“So did I,” replied the old man sarcastically.
“So what’s changed?”
“Thad had a vision, back in Kansas City,” replied Cliff. “He said that he saw someone standin’ in a line of trees, watchin’ a home that when he described it, told me it was Lauren’s house.”
Fidgeting in her seat, Maggie’s demeanor had taken on a more frantic posture. “Maybe,” she paused. “Maybe he saw Test? He’s never met him before, right? That could be, couldn’t it?”
Sh
aking his head slowly, Cliff replied. “No, I don’t think so. Thad described him to me and it didn’t sound like Test.”
Maggie’s eyes widened. “I’ve got to go back there,” she said in a whisper, the words more for herself than for Cliff.
Scratching his chin, Cliff stared out the window deep in thought. “I don’t think that’s a bad idea, but I’m thinkin’ that maybe Lauren should go with you. If Isaac has sent someone, she would need to be there. There’s nothin’ that you or I could do on our own.” There was a moment of stillness as Cliff continued to stare out the window. Slowly turning his gaze to Maggie, he continued. “Thad and I can take care of Nicole and get to Washington hopefully in a day or two.” He paused once again, glancing out the window and began talking to himself as he thought about Thad. “Shoot, that boy’s gonna need some rest.”
“What?” asked Maggie.
“Nothin’, nothin’. It’ll probably take us two days to get there. If somethin’ happens between now and then, we’ll….”
“Nothing’s going to happen,” Maggie interrupted sharply.
Suddenly the driver’s door of the car opened, followed quickly by the rear driver’s door as well. Thad plopped behind the steering wheel holding a plastic bag filled with sandwiches and sports drinks. Lauren, looking around first to make sure that no one was looking, took Nicole into her grasp, lifting her gently and then settling into her seat.
Thad fumbled with his keys and upon finding the correct one, inserted it into the ignition and brought the car to life. He looked to his right and then checked the rear view mirror for his invisible passengers, but they failed to appear. He turned the rear view mirror to see Lauren.
“What gives?” he asked.
“They’re here,” replied Lauren. “I can feel them. They’re just keeping to themselves I guess. Sit tight for a minute, I’ll be right back.”
Thad watched in the mirror as Lauren grinned like a five year old. Before he could take his next breath, a flash of white light, faster than he could blink, reflected off of the mirror and blinded him. He buried his eyes in the crook of his right arm and shouted.
“What the hell? What the hell was that?”
After a brief pause to recover from the surprise, he turned in his seat and felt his heart sink at the realization that Lauren was gone; he and Nicole the only ones left in the car.
In a frantic and confused voice, Thad spoke quickly, the words running into the next.
“What in the hell is going on? I’m gonna lose it, I really am. I can’t take much more of this.” He took a breath and looked out the windows in all directions. “Hello? Hey?”
Having phased to the spirit world, Lauren was now staring at Cliff who wore a look of someone who was carrying a great burden. She glanced to Maggie who looked no different.
“You two going to join the party?” she said playfully, trying to lighten what appeared to be a tense exchange between the two of them. Without an ounce of reaction from either of them, Lauren became concerned. “What’s wrong?” she asked sternly, her playful demeanor taken a sudden down turn.
Cliff raised his shoulders as if taking in a deep breath and then let them slump. “I think you and Maggie here should go on ahead of us and get home.”
Lauren angled her head slightly. “Okay—so what’s going on?” she asked.
“Thad had a vision,” answered Maggie.
Lauren turned her head to the woman, but then returned to Cliff. “And?” she asked as she gestured with her hands to coax out more information.
“He saw someone watchin’ your house,” replied Cliff.
Lauren’s back straightened, every muscle in her body instantly becoming tense. “Do you know who it is?” she asked.
Cliff shook his head. “No, I don’t.”
“Are you guys going to be okay?” asked Lauren. “Do you know the way home?”
With somewhat of a pained grin, Cliff replied. “We’ll be fine. We can figure it out.”
Lauren looked to Maggie and nodded her head one time. “You ready?” she asked.
Maggie lowered her head slowly and then glanced to the old man. “We’ll keep them safe, Cliff. You make sure you take care of the girl and your grandson.”
Cliff looked to the driver’s seat, through the haze and scribbles that separated their worlds, and could see Thad gripping the steering wheel tightly with both hands. “I will,” he replied somberly. He looked to Lauren. “You two’d better get goin’.”
****
Thad sat stoically behind the wheel with the engine running; confused, frightened, and not sure what to do next. His heart was racing and sweat had begun to pour from his forehead and into the corners of his eyes. As a voice echoed from the back seat, he lost his breath.
“You ready to go, boy?”
Thad quickly spun to see his grandfather had returned.
“Shit, Grandpa!” Thad shouted. “What the hell is going on?”
Cliff gave Thad a disapproving look for his language, but then realized that any grown man in his situation would’ve probably reacted much worse. “I’m sorry, son. There’s been a slight change in plans.”
With his brow furrowed deeply, Thad replied as his breath seethed through his teeth. “Oh yeah? How’s that?”
“Lauren and Maggie are going on ahead to Washington.”
With his left hand still gripping the steering wheel, Thad’s knuckles jutted sharply from underneath his skin. He began to twist his grip on the hard plastic as he replied. “What’s wrong now?”
“Nothin’,” lied the old man as he looked over Thad’s shoulder, trying not to be obvious about avoiding eye contact. “I just thought it might be best for them to go ahead and make sure that Test was doin’ okay.”
“But what …,” began Thad.
“Just put the car in gear and let’s get movin’,” interrupted Cliff, his patience for difficult conversation suddenly spent. “Oh yeah, and where’s my cigar?”
Thad turned to face forward and slammed the car into drive. As they rolled through the parking lot, he dug into the plastic bag which rested beside him and pulled out the cigar and lighter that he’d purchased. Without looking back, he flung them over his right shoulder towards his grandfather.
Cliff’s eyes widened as he saw the cigar land on the seat next to him. It looked glorious and his mouth watered as he hurried to grab it. He watched painfully as his fingers passed right through it, and frantically tried over and over again to pick it up.
Thad glanced over his shoulder as he steered the car back toward the highway, finding himself pleasantly amused by his grandfather’s predicament. He turned back in his seat and allowed his grip on the steering wheel to relax.
“You doin’ okay back there?” asked Thad sarcastically.
“Shut it, boy. You got the right to be amused, but you don’t need to go and make me feel like a fool,” barked the old man gruffly in reply.
A wide smile graced Thad’s face. “I didn’t say anything, Grandpa.”
“Huh, don’t have to. You just drive, ya hear?”
“Yes, sir,” replied Thad.
A short silence followed until Cliff spoke once more. “You get tired, you pull over.” Receiving no response, he barked again, a little louder this time. “You get tired, you pull over. You hear me?”
“Yes, I hear you,” replied Thad as he looked over his shoulder. “Just sit back and enjoy the ride. Why don’t you take a—” he stopped himself mid-sentence, realizing that he was just about to tell a ghost to take a nap. Reaching over to turn on the radio, he continued. “Why don’t you just listen to the radio?”
Cliff listened to the quick blurbs of sound as Thad scanned stations. Suddenly, he heard the melody of a song that both soothed him, but at the same time caused his worried mind to remember its troubles. “Go back,” said Cliff gruffly.
Thad returned to the channel and heard Ray Charles’s voice floating like thick velvet through the speakers.
Chapter 13
Lauren approached her home cautiously and phased into the living realm. The depth of the evening darkness was something that she’d come to love about the area, and she allowed herself to be blanketed by its intensity. She could feel Maggie’s presence behind her matching, her path step for step, and paid close attention to her body, knowing that her gift would tell her of another Shadows presence.
Circling wide to the back of the property, she questioned her decision of shifting sides as the debris on the forest floor crackled with her every step. She stopped for a moment, stood tall, and closed her eyes; allowing her mind to focus solely on the task at hand. Though she wouldn’t allow herself to be completely sure, she didn’t think that there was anyone in the woods.
She returned to the front of the house, following the same path that had led them to the back, and then cautiously approached the front door. She could feel what she assumed was Test’s presence inside, but it was weak.
As if speaking to the air, she turned and whispered quietly to Maggie.
“I think you should go inside. There is a Shadow in there, probably Test, but if I go in, I could get blind-sided.” She paused as if waiting for a response. “If everything is okay, you come back out and stand on my left. That will be your signal to me that it’s all clear.”
Lauren waited for a few seconds, staring into the night. She could feel that Maggie hadn’t moved.
“Maggie, are you going in or what?” she whispered curtly.
As soon as the words left her lips, she felt the pull of Maggie’s spirit pass her by. Once through the door, the pull lost some of its intensity and Lauren stood for several tense moments with different scenarios running through her mind, none of them peaceful. Standing at the ready, she sensed Maggie’s return and felt her pass to her left side.
“Okay, I’m going to take that as everything is good,” said Lauren as the red light began to pulse down her arms. Though the pulses were weak, they shown brightly in the dark backdrop of the night.
“They’re fine,” replied Maggie as her form became solid. “He’s sleeping and she’s watching him.”
The Reverence of One: Book Three of the Shadow Series Page 12