Clan of Redemption (13 page)

“I grew up in a small town
North of here, it’s not much to talk about and there isn’t much to
do around there either except to get into trouble,” Blake said with
a smirk.

“Yeah, growing up in a
small town is hard, but I wouldn’t change it for city life. It’s
too busy for me, everyone seems in such a rush, but there not sure
where they're going,” I said as I looked at Blake through the
rearview mirror.

I never noticed that about
his eyes, maybe because I’ve been so busy thinking about Logan to
be able to concentrate on anything else but they glowed when light
hit them.

Time seemed to float by
like I wasn’t even driving. That has always been so creepy to me
that you can drive and not remember how you got there. I seemed to
snap out of it when I noticed a sign for food up ahead.

“I think this is the exit
we take, Montesano. Is anyone hungry or thirsty?” I
asked.

“I am!” Sully
yelled.

“I thought you were
listening to your music, how did you hear me ask that?” I
said.

“Anytime there is food
involved I hear it.” She giggled.

“Sully, are you seriously
telling me that you’re hungry, we just ate an hour ago,” I said as
I pulled of the exit. I know that I’m thirsty and Saska needs to be
let out to pee.

“I have a very fast
metabolism, what can I say.” She shrugged her shoulders.

She does have a fast
metabolism, I hated the last hour before lunch during school, Sully
would get so cranky and start to talk really fast, that was my cue
to sneak her a snack while in math class. I would carry them just
for her. I could always sneak stuff past Mr. Carlton, he never took
his face away from that board. It was like he didn’t really have a
class, it was like he was working problems out to
himself.

I pulled into the parking
lot of a place called The Crows Nest.

“Cool beans, a burger
joint,” Sully said as she started to put her IPOD away.

I let Saska wander around
the parking lot, even though there wasn’t any grass, he found a few
spots to pee on.

Blake and Sully were
already inside when I went to put Saska back in the car.

I opened the door. “Get
in,” I said as I waved my hand towards the seat.

He just sat
there.

“Ok now, don’t do this,
you can’t go into the restaurant with me, it’s not like you’re a
service dog,” I said with one hand on the door and one hand on my
hip.

Saska jumped in the
driver’s seat while I unrolled the window a bit so he could have
some fresh air.

As I was about to walk
away, he put his paw on the rim of the window and pushed out a
small bark.

“What, I told you that you
can’t go in there, no dogs allowed,” I said.

He just barked
again.

“Are you hunger?” I
asked.

No response.

“Ok, so are you thirsty?” I
asked.

No response.

“So what do you want?” I
asked knowing that I wouldn’t be able to understand him.

My chest started to warm,
then it moved to my right arm and down my hand.

Keep the window rolled all
the way down, so I can jump out if I need to

“Ok, but if someone comes,
you better protect our stuff,” I said as I opened the door and
rolled the window down.

“Wait a minute, did I just
hear that…….did you just talk to me.” I looked right into his eyes.
He just stared back at me.

“Did I just answer you…no
I couldn’t have heard what you said. Did you just ask me to roll
the window down?. Ok Jayden get it together, there is no way you
just heard that dog talk to you.

If you can hear me, we are
in big trouble

“You’re telling me…..Oh
shit," I said.

Is this really
happening.

Shitshitshit.

Jayden you need to stay
calm, please don’t freak out and please don’t tell your
friends.

“I am going to pretend
like I didn’t just hear that,” I said as I shut the
door.

I walked into the
restaurant and walked over to the booth that Sully and Blake had
picked for us.

“Jayden are you ok, you
look a little pale,” Blake said.

“I’m ok, I’m just thirsty,
have you two ordered anything?” I asked as I couldn’t help but look
back towards the car.

“Heck yeah, I ordered
their combo, it looks scrumptious, I ordered a milk shake too, they
have some cool flavors,” Sully said as she started to play the
drums with her fingers on the top of the table.

“Jayden, can I get you
something to drink, you don’t look so good.” Blake
asked.

“I would love a milk
shake, I don’t care what kind….oh yeah, can you get a cup of water
for the dog too. I would hate to forget him,” I said as I looked at
Sully trying to get her to focus on my eyes.

Blake walked over to the
counter to order but was luckily beat by a large family that had
just walked in. That meant that I had more time to try and explain
to Sully what just happened between me and Saska.

“Sully I need you to
listen to me,” I said with my firmest tone I knew how to
use.

“Ok, I’m right here, talk
away,” Sully said.

“Something weird just
happened with Saska,” I said.

“Jayden…you can’t say
weird around me anymore, everything that has happened over that
last few days have been weird,” Sully said.

“Sully, I don’t have much
time to talk to you about this before Blake comes back, please
listen to me?” I asked with eagerness in my eyes.

“Ok, Ok, sorry, tell me
what happened,” she said.

“I think I just had a
conversation with Saska,” I said as I looked for a response from
her.

“Yeah, you and I both, we
talk to him all the time, what’s so weird about that?” Sully
said.

“No, I really talked to
him, I heard what he was thinking and I answered him and he
understood me,” I said as I swung my head about to see where Blake
was.

“That is so cool; I’ve
always wanted to know what dogs are thinking. So, what was he
thinking….let me guess, “Have you seen my “…

“Sully this is serious, he
talked to me like you and I are talking right now. Please be
serious for just a minute, I don’t want Blake to know about this,”
I said as I gave her my most stern face I could come up
with.

“I’ll be serious, I’m
sorry, but seriously, what did he say,” Sully said as she gave me
that grin like a kid in a candy store.

“Sully, does it matter
what he said, how come I’m the only one freaking out about this?” I
said.

“What are you freaking out
about?”

I knew that
voice.

“She’s just freaking out
because she’s getting closer to meeting her grandparents,” Sully
said as she looked at me and winked.

Before anyone had a chance
to say anything, our food and drinks arrived. For the next ten
minutes, we all sat in silence drinking our shakes and Sully ate
her burger and fries.

“That smells really good,
I might have to stop here on the way back and eat a full meal,” I
said as I drank the last of my Chocolate banana shake.

“So what made you order me
chocolate bananas shake…not that I don’t like it, it’s just a
strange combination.” I was sad to see the last of the shake
disappear.

“You can’t go wrong when
you combine chocolate with anything,” he said as he gave me that
smile that made my heart skip a beat.

“It’s really late, we
should probably be heading out, and these roads are really dark and
windy. They can seem treacherous to someone who hasn’t driven them
often,” Blake said as we all got up.

“Yeah, you’re probably
right, plus I hate driving at night anyway. I have the worst night
vision. Sometimes I wish that I was a cat and could see better at
night,” I said as I threw the empty cup away.

The next few towns that we
passed just seemed to sail by, I barely remember glimpses of
fishing boats and a few shops along the way, but what I could stop
thinking about were the dog’s thoughts in my head. How could I
really be hearing his thoughts in my mind? Did I only think that he
would be thinking those things, but the voice seemed so
familiar?

“You really seem to like
that necklace” I heard someone say.

It brought my thoughts
slamming back in the car and I realized that I was rubbing the
center stone between my fingers.

“Yeah I do really like it,
it’s the one of the best gifts that I have ever received,” I said
as I let go of the necklace and let it drop back onto my
chest.

“Who gave it to you?” Blake
asked.

Don’t tell him

“As I close my eyes I feel
life slipping away, I come towards you,” Sully belted out,
oblivious to the fact we couldn't hear her music.

“Sully, your singing
really loud,” I tapped her on the arm trying to keep from having to
answer Blake about my necklace.

“I love this band, hey
Jayden did I tell you about this new CD I bought, I found it at a
hole in the wall music store? I swore the guy behind the counter
was sniffing something because he talked to himself even when no
one was around, but he knows his music,” Sully said.

“So what is the name of the
band?” I asked.

“I can’t remember, but
I’ll put it on your IPOD when we get home,” Sully said.

“I think you did mention
something about that, but I’ve waiting to hear some fresh and sassy
music,” I said with a smile. I knew that she would see the smile
and know that I understood what she was trying to do. I did take a
quick glance at Blake in the back seat hoping that he didn’t pick
up on me avoiding his question.

“Oh just pass me already” I
said with a raised tone.

“Is that car too close?”
Blake asked as he sat up as if he was on guard.

“Yeah, they just came out
of nowhere. Why do people have to do that, just go around already,”
I said as I rolled my window down and waved my hand as to signal to
the other car to go by.

“Maybe you should just
pull over at the next chance you get,” Blake said with concern in
his voice as he kept glancing behind us.

“Please Jayden, if you
pull over I will clock you just like I want to clock them. Just
brake check them those good for nothing...”

“Sully…cool it with the
curse words,” I said as I started to grip the steering wheel a
little harder.

Jayden, do as Blake says
but be very cautious, if you stop you might give up your advantage.
Just pull a fake like you and I use to at the Lake. Let them think
your pulling over then get behind them.

“Logan!” I said, as I no
longer had my thoughts on what was happening but on what I just
heard in my head.

“Sully are you ok?” Blake
asked as he put his hand on the back of my seat and started to sit
forward.

I looked back at Blake and
got lost in his eyes, those eyes of his make me forget about
everything else. They seem to radiate green around the
edges.

Jayden (the voice was
yelling) you need to wake up and concentrate or this car could run
you off the road.

“I’m awake, I’m awake. Ok
guys I’m going to slow down and see if this car just wants to pass
us. I want everyone to buckle in if they aren’t already,” I said as
I took a look in my rear view mirror to see where the car was.
These aren’t roads that I want to have to maneuver a car that I’m
intimate with. On the right of us are cliffs that trail off to the
water and on the left are rock walls.

“Jayden I think the car
just wants to pass, it’s coming up on your left,” Blake said with a
sense of relaxation in his voice.

“Great, well, I’m just
going to slow down a little to give them some room to pass me,” I
said as I didn’t release my tight grip on my wheel.

The car proceeded to pass
on the left and just as I thought it was not another attack the car
swerved over to the right and bounced off the my left front fender.
Without thinking I slammed on my brakes and turned the wheel to the
left. It happened like time was standing still. The left front end
of my car hit the right rear of the car in question. The car in
question spun out if front of us and hit a tree. It took a few
seconds for my car to come to a stop and I just sat there diagonal
across both lanes wondering what I should do next.

“Jayden, are you ok?” Sully
asked.

“Yes I’m ok, how about you
two?” I asked but not looking anywhere but at the car that wasn’t
moving.

“We’re both ok, so what
now Dale Earnhardt,” Sully said as she pulled her plugs out of her
ear. It’s good to know that she can put her music down when there’s
a need.

“Jayden, it might be a
good idea to get out of the middle of the road, with it being so
dark someone could come around one of those corners and not see
us,” Blake said.