Volume 1: Bailex, #1

by Erin Everleigh

  “Well, I’ve already closed down everywhere so just flick on the lights when you get there—inside the door on the right-hand side. Enjoy the rest of your night.” Glen raised his hand in a salute before exiting through a stairway next to where they were standing.

  Kieran was relieved to finally be alone. As his legs carried him through the halls, his mind began to process what had transpired between him and Terry just before the play began—his first wakeful premonition. Kieran dissected every detail—his emotions, his internal sensations, and his physical reactions. He replayed the incident at least a dozen times in his head in an attempt to figure out why it happened, how it happened, and what it all meant for him. He was intrigued, but more so, he needed to gain better control over himself should it happen again. He needed to be prepared.

  My hands.

  Kieran stopped walking. It had to be connected somehow to his hands. He had experienced physical sensations and forces in his body that he couldn’t exactly explain. But the one thing he was sure of was that it had all started when his hands contacted Terry’s shoulders. Kieran held his hands out in front of him examining his palms.

  Could I get it to happen again?

  Kieran turned in a circle, looking for something to touch. A flurry of butterflies took off in his stomach in anticipation. Something that may have a story to tell, he thought to himself. His eyes focused in on the trophy case mounted on the wall in the hallway. He took a few steps and stood square to the glass cabinet. The large championship trophy from the previous school year stood directly in front of him. The big game was in two days. If their school won, the trophy would continue to be displayed there, front and centre. But if they didn't win, it would be going to their rival. Kieran placed his palms on the glass and put all his focus and energy on the highly anticipated game.

  He waited.

  Nothing.

  He waited a bit longer. He closed his eyes and squeezed them tightly, searching for those unexplainable feelings.

  “Come on, do something,” Kieran pleaded with the case, his hands, some unseen power that he was beginning to believe existed.

  Still nothing. He let his hands fall and shrugged his shoulders.

  It was worth a try.

  He turned the corner and headed toward the boys’ restroom, intent on experimenting again the next day when he would hopefully be feeling less drained.

  Kieran stopped in his tracks and whipped his head around. “Hello? Anyone there?” He could’ve sworn he heard footsteps, but the corridor was empty.

  Silence. Kieran swallowed and rubbed the little hairs that had risen on his arms.

  It’s just in my head—must be the exhaustion.

  Just then, he heard the sound again. Fear gripped Kieran as he high tailed it to the restroom.

  He flicked on the light switch and quickly forced the door closed, locking it behind him. The lights began to flicker and, after a few moments, the pale yellow walls of the restroom became visible. Kieran did a sweep of the space, checking the three stalls to make sure he was alone. He rested his hands on either side of the porcelain sink, and with his head hanging, he let out the breath he had been holding. He turned on the faucet, and he watched the water flow through his fingers. He assured himself that, after everything he had been through that day, it was all just nerves. Kieran cupped his hands together and filled them with water and then splashed the cool water on his face. He did this a couple of times before lifting his head toward the mirror.

  “AHHH!” Kieran screamed and covered his eyes with his hands, blocking out the hollow-eyed dark figure staring back at him. Kieran could feel his body shaking. His heart was pounding so hard against his chest that he could hardly catch his breath. He slowly separated his fingers, letting the light seep in, as he peeked through the open spaces.

  It feels like that crazy movie all over again.

  The mirror was clear. He let his hands fall and then slowly turned around to confirm that there was no one there. He turned back to the mirror again. All he saw were his own bloodshot eyes and pale skin. “Yah, I’m definitely imagining things,” Kieran said out loud.

  He splashed water on his face one last time, reached for a paper towel to dry off, and then headed out of the restroom. As he unlocked the door, he heard a creak and then a sudden bang as one of the stall doors slammed shut. Kieran shrieked and dashed out of there without looking back

  Eleven

  Going On Long Enough

  IT TOOK ALMOST TWO full days for Kieran’s headache to subside. However, the tension he felt in his body was stronger than ever. He was determined to gain some semblance of control over the craziness that his life had become but with no clue how, he was left feeling anxious the majority of the time. He hadn't had any of his premonition dreams since the night of the play. And he hadn't experienced another vision—how he and Riya described his encounter with Terry—either, yet it wasn't for lack of trying. Kieran would touch things wherever he would go—school, home, the grocery store—but nothing ever came of it. Nonetheless, he no longer entertained the notions of coincidences, overreactions, or that it would all just go away.

  “Maybe it was because you were angry,” Riya offered one day.

  “I have to be angry to have a vision?” Kieran questioned, though the thought had crossed his mind.

  “No. Not necessarily angry. Maybe just highly emotional in some sense…” She was grasping at anything as an explanation.

  “Maybe…”

  Kieran took Riya’s suggestion to heart, and for the next number of days, he became hyper-aware of his feelings, perhaps to a fault. If he experienced even an inkling of heightened emotion, he would make sure to put his hands on something in the vicinity.

  “Kieran, I think you should take it down a notch,” Riya whispered, as she passed him in the hall, eyeing the students around them. “People are staring.”

  Kieran followed Riya’s gaze.

  “And talking,” she added. “Exams are almost over. My explanation of exam nerves won’t cut it much longer.”

  Kieran slowly stood and removed his palm from the knapsack on the floor. The owner of the bag gave Kieran a wary stare, then snatched the bag and took off.

  “Sorry,” Kieran mumbled to Riya, his face heated.

  Riya grabbed Kieran’s arm and led him into an empty classroom. “Maybe we should say something to Patti and Jim.”

  “No.” Kieran’s voice was harsher than he intended.

  “You aren’t exactly doing a good job of keeping a low profile lately,” Riya retorted.

  Kieran brushed his hands up over his face and through his hair. “I know. I’m sorry. I’ll be better. It’s all so…overwhelming.”

  Terrifying.

  Kieran paused, contemplating Riya’s suggestion for the umpteenth time this past week, but landed on the same conclusion. “Patti and Jim can’t find out. I can’t take that risk.”

  “I thought you trusted them.” Riya wasn’t going to let it go that easily. She was worried about Kieran and was at a loss as to what else they could do.

  “Trust is not the issue. I do trust them. It’s just…this is just too much…”

  He grasped Riya’s shoulders and stared deep into her concerned eyes. “We can’t tell anyone.” Riya nodded. “Promise me, Riya.” He pleaded.

  “I promise, Kieran.” She wrapped her arms around him. “We’ll figure this out.”

  ***

  It was only out of the blue later that afternoon—in the soup aisle of the grocery store, when Kieran reached for a can of chicken noodle soup from a large display—that time started to stand still again. He could feel his body tense up in response, as everything went black, followed by the shine of a bright light.

  A little old lady, wearing an orange sweater and carrying a basket full of vegetables, turned into the soup aisle. Her eyes were roaming the shelves, looking for what she needed. She paused just before the soup display, seeming to have found w
hat she was looking for on a shelf above. She placed her basket on the ground and proceeded to reach for the item. On her tippy toes, with her right arm extended as far as it would go, she lost her balance. She tripped over her basket, knocking it into the canned soup display. The cans came crashing down on her.

  “Freak,” someone whispered in Kieran’s ear, as he felt an elbow jab into his side.

  Kieran opened his eyes and standing next to him was Terry and his mother.

  What are the chances??

  “See, Mom, I told you he’s crazy,” Terry, not so discretely, told his mother. Terry’s mother didn't respond to her son's comment but turned her attention to Kieran.

  “Are you okay, Kieran?” she asked. “I heard you haven’t been feeling that well lately,” Kieran noted a sceptical tone in her voice.

  “I’m okay, Mrs. Noval,” Kieran answered, regaining his composure.

  “Maybe we should call Patti. Is she here with you?” Terry’s mother pulled her cell phone from her pocket. She knew everyone. Kieran wasn’t sure if it was because she was a fixture around the school, or if she was just one of those nosy, busybody people. But he wanted off her radar.

  “No, no, I’m good, thanks,” Kieran called back to Terry and his mother, as he hurried off in search of the little old lady in the orange sweater.

  Kieran rushed past the aisles, peeking his head in as he passed each one. After about a minute, he found her in the vegetable section, picking green beans, near the front of the store. She was examining each one before either adding it to her plastic bag or discarding it back to the heaping display. Kieran stopped; he needed a plan. He wanted to test his vision, but he needed to make sure the lady didn’t get hurt. He picked up a basket by the entrance doors and began following her around the store. He kept his distance, adding items to his basket as he went. When she turned down the soup aisle, Kieran’s heart rate picked up. Just as in his vision, the lady scanned the shelves and slowed down as she approached the soup display. Her head was raised as she searched an upper shelf and then locked her eyes on the item. She placed her basket on the ground and began to reach…

  “Let me get that for you, Ma’am,” Kieran quickly approached, and gently touched the lady’s shoulder to make sure she was stable.

  “Oh, thank you, dear. It seems that I always need things out of my reach.” The lady smiled, and then she pointed to what she needed.

  The lady thanked Kieran again, added the soup mix to her basket, and continued down the aisle. Kieran sunk to the ground, feeling winded but relieved.

  ***

  “I think the dreams and the visions are making me sick,” Kieran blurted out without looking up from his workbook.

  "What are you talking about, Kieran?" Riya closed her textbook and grabbed Kieran's workbook from his hands, forcing him to look at her. Riya stared at Kieran's open workbook for a few seconds, then raised her gaze to him. “What’s this all about? Did you have a dream about this symbol again?” she asked, referring to his papers that were filled with doodles and scribbles of the symbol he had seen in his dream weeks ago.

  He just shook his head.

  “Talk to me,” Riya insisted.

  “I haven’t seen it again,” Kieran explained. “But I’ve started thinking more about it lately. I’m trying to put all the pieces together, and I’m convinced this is the key,” he added.

  Riya nodded, unsure of what to say. She believed Kieran may be right. What that symbol was, and what it meant continued to elude them. “Aren’t you starting to feel any better?” She switched back to the original subject.

  “Sometimes I start to feel a bit like my old self. But that only lasts until the next dream or vision. And there is always an underlying throbbing in my head that never truly goes away.” Kieran leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table. “I don’t have a fever, cough, runny nose, earache…what other explanation could there be? I started feeling like this not long after the dreams began. It’s been six weeks, Ri. And it's been getting worse. That’s gotta be the cause, or…something is really wrong.”

  “Okay, Dr. Kieran,” Riya joked, trying unsuccessfully to lighten the mood. Kieran’s expression didn’t change.

  “It’s probably just stress,” Riya grasped for another explanation. “Stress can really do a number on people. And you’ve had more than enough of it lately. You’ve got one more exam and then it’s summer break. I’m sure you’ll start feeling better soon with some time off.”

  Kieran heard her words; he had told himself the same thing. He just didn’t believe it. And he could see in Riya’s eyes that neither did she.

  “You still not feeling well, Kieran?” Patti asked, setting down a plate of freshly baked cookies on the dining room table between Riya and Kieran.

  Kieran nodded and reached for a cookie, hoping some comfort food would help ease the ache in his head.

  “I think we should go to the doctor tomorrow after your last exam. This has been going on long enough.” Patti sat down next to Kieran and placed her arm around his shoulders. He relaxed into her touch. He didn’t think he would ever get tired of how it felt to be cared for by Patti—the way he imagined a mother would care for her own child.

  “I promised I would stay and help set up for the dance tomorrow night.”

  “Okay. I’ll make an appointment for the next day.” Patti looked at her watch and then reached into her pocket and pulled out a ten-dollar bill. “You guys are in need of a well-deserved break. Why don’t you go to the store and pick up some ice cream for dessert tonight.” She handed Kieran the money and motioned them toward the door.

  “Thanks, Patti,” Kieran said, slipping on his shoes.

  “We won’t forget your mint chocolate chip,” Riya called out, as she closed the door behind them.

  Patti brought the plate of cookies back into the kitchen and checked on the meat sauce that was simmering on the stove. She pulled down four plates from the cupboard and piled forks, knives, and napkins on top. Balancing the dinnerware in her arms, Patti pushed through the door to the dining room and set it down on the one corner of the table that wasn’t covered in Riya and Kieran’s books and papers. She went to clear off the table but then ground to a halt when her eyes caught the drawings in Kieran’s workbook. Her heart began pounding in her chest. She pulled out the closest chair and sat down, not taking her eyes off the shapes on the page. With two shaking fingers she brought the workbook closer and tried to swallow away her unease. After a few minutes, she traced the symbol with her fingers, and closed her eyes—shaking her head back and forth.

  “This can’t be,” she said, just above a whisper.

  A flood of images, recollections, and conversations from the past number of weeks inundated her mind, fitting together like puzzle pieces.

  Patti quickly got up from the table and ran to the kitchen. She grabbed her purse and turned off the stove. She scribbled a short note to Kieran and Riya—explaining that she forgot something she needed for dinner and would be right back—and then placed it on the stack of dishes at the end of the dining room table. She looked at Kieran’s open workbook and flipped it closed before punching numbers into her cell phone. She rested the phone between her shoulder and ear and rubbed at the scar on the inside of her wrist that was suddenly burning.

  “Meet me at the bank and bring your key,” was all she said before ending the call and rushing out the front door.

  Twelve

  Like Mother…

  “HOW DID IT GO? Did you ace another one?” Riya asked Kieran as she approached his locker.

  “Nothing that I didn’t expect. I don’t know if I aced it. I’m just happy that it’s done. How about you? How did your last one go?” Kieran collapsed the shelves in his locker and packed them into the extra bag he brought to school that day.

  “It was okay, tougher than I expected. But, I don’t even care now. We. Are. Done!” Riya raised her arms to the ceiling and spun around.

&nbs
p; “Hi guys, are you staying to help set up?” Randall asked as he and Gina approached.

  “We definitely are,” Riya grasped onto Gina’s shoulders to steady herself as she came out of her spin.

  “Great. We’re heading over there now.” Gina smiled and took Riya’s hand, spinning her in the opposite direction. “I take it your exam went well?”

  “It was fine. I’m just so happy that it’s over! Bring on summer vacay.” Riya did a little dance on the spot.

  “Bring on those rollercoasters tomorrow.” Gina’s excitement shone through her eyes.

  “Yah, bring ‘em on.” Randall gave a weak fist in the air, his voice less than enthusiastic.

  “I’m with you, Randall.” Kieran stood and closed his locker. “You’ll find me at the swan ride.”

  “Such wimps, those two,” Riya laughed, and Gina joined in.

  “We’re not wimps. We just like to keep our food in our stomachs.” Kieran patted his belly.

  “Semantics,” Riya huffed.

  “Randall,” a voice from down the hall called. “We need your help with the lighting.”

  “Duty calls.” Randall waved and headed in the direction of the gymnasium.

  “I’ll get him on a roller coaster before the end of the day tomorrow. I can guarantee you that,” Gina winked, and then jogged a few steps to catch up to Randall.

  “Those two…” Riya’s lips curled up and her eyes sparkled with something mischievous.

  “Leave them alone, Ri. I know you love being matchmaker, but please remember what happened when you tried to get Henry and Giselle together earlier this year. The best thing you can do is sit back and give them some space.”

  Riya’s smile fell. “Yeah, that plan kind of backfired. I’ll leave it alone.”

  Kieran eyed her.

  “I promise, okay? I’ll stay out of this one.”

  “Good.” Kieran smiled and pulled at Riya's arm. “Let’s go.”