Thorn’s voice was thick with sleep. "You okay?"
"Yeah," I whispered back. "Go back to sleep."
He moved closer and laid his head against mine. I drifted off to the sound of his breath in my ear.
I woke up before he did and went into the kitchen to try and find something to eat. When Thorn finally roused an hour or so later, I was in the kitchen working on my laptop as best as I could with one usable arm while sipping some orange juice. He came in and looked in the fridge, pouring some orange juice as well. He dropped down into a chair near me and leaned over to see what I was doing.
"Working?" he asked, taking a drink of his juice.
"Sort of," I said. "I was just kind of jotting things down. What's the great plan for today?"
He sighed. "I'm going to call the sheriff’s office and see if he's in."
"Excitement," I intoned in a dull voice.
"I never said I was exciting."
"Says the musician-slash-telekinetic psychic," I joked. "You are the very opposite of boring, my friend."
Thorn chuckled. "I'm actually really boring when you get to know me."
"There's something I don't know?" I asked warily.
He shook his head. "I'm not that deep of a mystery," he assured me.
Thorn went to get dressed for the day, and I sat there thinking. I looked out the kitchen window and let my mind wander. When he came back into the kitchen, I noted he had his crutches this time. He leaned against the door frame. "I had a message from Oliver that said they had cleared the main mine entrance. So, I guess they'll be doing a sweep of the mines today."
"Do you think they'll be okay with those creatures?" I asked. I had been thinking about the creatures and how there was nothing to keep them on the mountain.
"I have no idea, but they'll be armed. I'm sure they'll do as well as we did, especially if Mullen is with them," Thorn said in a reasonable voice.
"What's the deal with the Mullen clan, anyway?" Curiosity always got the better of me, and this time was no exception.
Using the crutches, Thorn made his way over, keeping his ankle off the floor. He sat down in one of the kitchen chairs across from me, leaning the crutches against the table. "The Mullens and my family used to be allies generations back, but the Mullens got greedy. They wanted control of the river, not to protect the river or others but for their personal gain. When the river shifted course because of the earthquake, the Mullens wanted our help to find it again. My family refused, and since the Mullens were a family of conjurers and had no ability to connect to the spiritual plane, they couldn't find it on their own."
"Unless they compel someone else to do it," I said thoughtfully.
Thorn conceded my point with a nod. "Truthfully, I think my ancestors underestimated the tenacity of the Mullen clan."
"I can see how they can compel us dreamers to do it; our powers touch on the spiritual plane and are infamously difficult to interpret and control. It wouldn't be hard to change a dream's message and lure a dreamer," I mused out loud. "Grams always said that our gifts can control us if we aren't careful. I never thought she meant that literally."
The blond smiled. "There are a lot of things grandmothers say that we probably should take as literal facts, apparently." He picked up the crutches, pushing himself up on them. "I'll be in the study making some calls." I nodded as he left the room.
I returned to making notes, jotting down the clues and diagramming what I knew about Carver's Corner. I read through the newspaper and noticed that we had made the local news, if only as names mentioned in the online version of an article about the mine collapsing.
I supposed that Oliver had to do the article, as it was pretty big news around here. It listed Darren as being in critical condition at a local hospital. I sighed. Growing restless, I wandered down the hallway toward the study. The door was open, and when I entered, Thorn looked up.
He was sitting at his desk with his ankle propped up on top of a stack of papers. The person he was talking to on the phone was so loud that I could hear them from my position by the door. Thorn would occasionally move the phone farther away from his ear, and for that I did not blame him.
The TV was off, and I absentmindedly reached down and retrieved the spongy ball from the floor. I closed the door and tossed the ball at the basketball hoop hanging on the back of it. After a moment, I heard the phone click closed.
Thorn said, "The sheriff is up at the mines this morning, but he’d very much like all of us to come in and give a statement on what happened in the mines, especially when we found the body."
"I can see how he would," I said as I tossed the ball again. "Legally we'd need to do that whether he’s an evil conjurer or not."
Thorn grunted what I assumed was an assent. I let the ball roll across the floor after it went through the hoop one last time, then turned toward the blond. He had his eyes closed and looked to be in a bit of pain. "Want something for the pain? I've got some medicine in my bag.”
"The doctor gave me a prescription, but I hate narcotics. They make me groggy, and thus, my powers are pretty useless," Thorn mumbled without opening his eyes.
I chuckled and said, "I don't take narcotics either. These are just ibuprofen. Hang on and let me get them." I went to get the medicine out of my bag which, I had left haphazardly on a kitchen chair.
After grabbing the pills, I grabbed a can of soda out of the fridge and brought them both back to the study. Thorn gratefully took the pills and nodded his thanks.
"I don't really think you need to be driving," I said as I sat on the side of the desk. "Maybe you should get your ankle looked at again."
"I'm fine, and if I can't drive, then you can," Thorn replied reasonably. Surprise must have crossed my face, because he chuckled. "You didn't think I’d let you drive my truck?"
"I just assumed you were protective of it," I said with a laugh.
Thorn shrugged. "I don't like Oliver driving it all the time, but this is a dire circumstance that doesn't happen often. So, yes, you can drive the truck if it will make you feel better about my ankle."
That afternoon, I drove us into town. Going down the road wasn’t that hard. I was grateful that the snow had taken a day off and the roads were relatively clear. Thorn was silent for most of the ride.
When we parked at the police station, I sighed and slid out of the truck with a resignation that was like a heaviness in my stomach. I held the door open so Thorn could get through with his crutches.
Inside, the police station was fairly busy, but not overly. It was a small town, after all. The person behind the counter looked up and smiled as we approached. "Thorn, I heard you were mixed up in that mine incident."
Thorn nodded. "I thought you'd moved with Deborah?" The two men clearly knew each other, and I assumed they had probably gone to school together, as the deputy looked to be around our age.
"We moved back so she could be close to her mother." Thorn nodded his understanding, and the deputy gave me a curious smile. "I'm Martin," the man said as he tapped his nameplate. "You must be…" He looked down at his sheet. "Mr. Victor Shelton?"
I nodded. "Nice to meet you, Martin."
Checking the sheet again, he said, "Let me check to see if the sheriff is busy." He bustled quickly down the hallway. A few moments later, he appeared around the corner and motioned for us to follow him. Stopping in front of a heavy wooden door, he gave it a couple hard raps before opening it for us.
Sheriff Mullen said, "Thanks, Martin. Hold my calls, would you?" The deputy nodded and then shut the door again.
The sheriff was a middle-aged man with unruly hair that looked like it would be impossible to comb. But his beard and mustache had at least been trimmed. He looked exactly the way I pictured a mountain man to look—albeit one who was forcing himself to wear an uncomfortable uniform. The man motioned for us to sit down, and I followed Thorn over to one of the leather chairs positioned in front of the sheriff's desk.
"I'm glad you boys came dow
n. We had a helluva time in the mines, but we did find Donna." The sheriff paused and then amended, "Well, we found her body. I'm going to have the deputies take your statements, but before we do that, I understand there was something you two wanted to discuss." He looked at Thorn as he spoke, who eyed him back steadily.
Thorn nodded. "Actually, Mr. Shelton wanted to ask you a few questions regarding a story he’s working on."
"Story?" Sheriff Mullen looked apprehensive.
I gave him a friendly smile and said in my best professional voice, "Nothing major. I'm just here looking for some writing inspiration, and I came upon the disappearance case of Caroline and John from twenty years ago. Would you happen to know anything about it?" I clicked on my phone's recorder and held it out toward him.
Sheriff Mullen cleared his throat. "I worked the case. I should know a thing or two about it, boy." He sighed heavily. "I was a detective back then, eager to make my mark and advance. I took the case on without a second thought. It was the biggest case that had ever crossed my desk, and I meant to solve it."
He dropped his hands down on top of the desk and looked to be collecting his thoughts. "We searched for both of them. We looked in town, on the mountain, and pretty much every town in the surrounding areas. Truth be told, we couldn't find a trace of them. It's been a long time since I've thought about that. The first sighting of them came a few weeks later. Suddenly people were seeing them everywhere. It became so that we couldn't keep track of the sightings. The mayor called for the investigation to be closed and said that if the husband wanted to find her, well, he could hire a private investigator. Most of the town council thought it was clear they had run off together."
"Did you believe that?" I asked as I situated my phone more comfortably on my leg.
Sheriff Mullen raked a hand through his hair, and I was shocked it didn’t get stuck. "Hell, boy, even as a green detective I knew it didn't make much sense. We got more and more pressure to close the case. Eventually, we did to save all our careers. I'm not proud of it, but it is what it is. It took a long time for us to get everyone to come back together in this community after that case. I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't stir things up too much again." Despite his almost friendly tone, I knew he wasn’t really asking.
"Of course," I said swiftly to assure the man that I’d understood him.
"If that's all, my deputies will take your statements." Without waiting for us to answer, Sheriff Mullen pushed a button on his desk, and a moment later, Deputy Martin pulled the door open. "They’re ready to give their statements."
"Yes, sir. Right this way," Martin said, holding the door open for us. We rose and made our way out into the hallway.
We were separated and asked to give a recount of what had happened in the mines leading up to the cave-in. It took less time than I would’ve thought. The deputy taking my statement looked confused and downright skeptical as I gave my account of what had led up to the cave-in and our narrow escape from the tunnels.
When I finished, the poor deputy looked like he really didn’t want to be responsible for this particular report. He made me verify multiple times that this was accurate and true. When he finally did let me leave, the man was still shaking his head.
Out in the hallway, Thorn was waiting on a metal bench. "Have fun?" he asked as he pushed up to his feet with the crutches.
"Oh, yeah. That deputy now thinks I'm nuts. How about you?" I rubbed my shoulder above the cast.
Thorn shrugged as we turned to walk toward the door. "They already think I'm nuts, so we are on par."
We stopped by the grocery store and picked up a few things. Thorn paid, and I frowned a bit that he hadn’t even asked me if I wanted to chip in anything. Maybe he’d picked up on the fact that I was effectively broke.
As we walked to the car, I said cautiously, "I can help pay for things, you know."
He looked over at me as we got into the car. I didn't fancy driving up the mountain, so Thorn slid into the driver’s seat. "I'm not sure if you’re angry or nervous. Which is it? Just so I know for future reference."
I sighed. "Get out of my head."
"It's hard to sometimes. It's as if you’re screaming at me," Thorn said calmly.
There wasn’t much point in arguing about that, so I turned the conversation back to the original point. "I'm neither. I'm just curious why you never ask for money. I'm pretty poor, but I don't like to feel like a freeloader, Thorn."
"You can pay whenever you wish, but honestly I don't care much about that stuff. I've got the money to pay, and I generally pay when I'm around others, so I didn't give it any thought, Victor," Thorn said wearily.
I nodded. "Okay."
He cranked the truck, and we drove in silence back up the mountain. When we got back to the cottage, we grabbed things and began to carry them inside as best we could. You never knew how much you used an appendage until it was in a cast. We managed, though. After we had gotten things put away, we took some pain pills and then laughed at ourselves as we sat around the kitchen table.
Thorn chuckled. "If I'm the last line of defense, I'd say the mountain is pretty screwed right now."
"Now, now. We did fine in a pinch," I assured him. He grunted, and I smiled at him. "What did you think about Sheriff Mullen's interview?"
His blond hair shifted over the plain button-up shirt he wore as he wiggled his hand in a so-so manner. "I think he's hiding something," Thorn said simply.
"You think he’s the one who called me here?" I asked as I tapped my soda lid.
Thorn seemed to consider it momentarily. "I don't know. I'd love to say that he definitely was, but something doesn't feel right about it."
"Yeah," I said quietly. "I'm kind of pissed off that I'm injured. I need to be out there finding out what these dreams mean." I sighed, rubbing my face. "I got a message from Dad asking me where I was."
"Oh?" Thorn asked as he took a sip of his soda.
"Yeah. I just kept thinking that if I’d died in that cave-in, I never would have answered that text. Who would’ve answered it? Some policeman calling him to tell him that I was dead?"
Thorn set his soda down. "But you didn't die."
"I know," I said, and I met his eyes. "I could have, though. You could’ve. Ginger could’ve. Oliver..." I trailed off. "This is my fault."
Thorn leaned forward, and to my surprise, he reached his hand out to me. I hesitantly grasped it. He said softly, "The only person at fault here is the bastard who put the compulsion charm on you. We’re going to make sure he pays for that; you got it?"
I nodded. "Yeah, I got it. It's not over yet, though. There are parts of my dream that I haven't seen play out. Thorn..." I said. "I don't think I'm gonna make it out of this alive, and I just wanted to say I'm sorry for that."
He shook his head. "You’re not going to die. I know you told me about the gunshot, but things can be symbols, Victor. I have a feeling that whoever set this in motion isn't going to give up easily, but neither are we."
"How do you think Ginger’s doing?" I asked abruptly, and Thorn chuckled as he let go of my hand. "Sorry, just crossed my mind."
Thorn gave me a grin. "It's fine. I haven't heard anything out of her, and oddly, Oliver has been pretty quiet too. Curious, huh?" He raised his eyebrows at me, sipping his soda.
I laughed. "Indeed. Curious. Hey, since I can tap into your powers, does that mean that I’ll be able to read other people?"
"I don't know," Thorn answered. "We probably need to test the connection out some more, but it could be dangerous."
"Dangerous? How?"
"Well, I don't know if it drains me or not, for one thing. I don't think it would, but then again, who knows?"
That was true. Thorn was vulnerable when he was drained, and I tended to pass out. I felt a twinge of something from the man, and I startled a bit. It wasn't really an emotion so much as it just was a little inkling that there was something there if I just reached out and connected with it. I had felt this sensation once
before, when he’d been speaking of the river. I eyed the man with curiosity, and he looked back at me quizzically.
"What is it?" Thorn asked, setting his soda on the table.
I shrugged. "Nothing. Maybe." Fidgeting with the lid of my soda, I said, "Ever since I connected with your psychic ability, I get these small sensations sometimes. It's like a twinge. It's hard to describe."
"Is it like there's something there that you can almost hear but it's behind a wall or so far away that you can't make it out?" Thorn asked.
I thought about it and nodded slowly. "Yeah. Kind of. What is that?"
He regarded me silently for a moment before saying, "People with my abilities often block and barricade themselves from invasion." He tapped his forehead. "It's nothing to worry about."
"So, when I feel that, it means you’re hiding something?" I asked.
Thorn shook his head. "It's not so much hiding. I've learned to push things down and put layers up to keep people out. I’ve always had to protect the secret."
"From me?" I asked as I pushed my soda can around aimlessly on the table with my fingers.
"From everyone. You know what it’s like to have to put up layers to keep people out, Victor."
"I guess I do," I said, sighing.
I felt the twinge again, and I reached out mentally to the man. I felt the presence that was Thorn, and he looked at me across the table. "Can you feel it when I do that?" I asked in curiosity.
He nodded. "I can feel you," he said.
"Does it bother you?" I asked.
A laugh escaped his lips. "No. I can feel you all the time."
I laughed as well. "Lucky you."
He shrugged. We sat there for a minute before I spoke again. "So, tell me about the mountain."
I felt that twinge, and this time I did reach out; I felt the connection between us flare to life, as if it had just been waiting for me to connect with it. I watched the blond for a moment as he set his soda down and eyed me calmly. "I've already told you about the river," he said.
I nodded and asked, "But what haven't you told me?" I wasn’t ready for the sensations that washed through me. I stared at him as I processed them and said in a strained voice, "My God, you’re hiding so much. I can feel how deep the layers go, but I can't tell what's behind them. How do you..." My voice trailed off.
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