Connor (16 page)

I wandered into a room that had a huge wooden bookshelf made of mahogany. There were no lamps in the room, but the hall lamp provided enough lighting for me to see the design on the shelf. The carvings on it were so detailed; it was like nothing I had ever seen before.

On it were some old wilted books and dust most likely from the leaky ceiling. I grabbed a few books to see how bad the damage was.

“Don't you think they are keeping something from us?” “Geez, Cheyenne, make some noise next time,” I said, nearly jumping out of my skin. I guess my nerves were on

edge more than I thought.

She leaned against the door folding her arms. “I thought you supposedly had superhearing or something like that, guess not,” she said with that cold blank stare she so perfected.

“Well, I thought with your big bug eyes you should be able to see through this whole house, guess not,” I said, slapping the book back on the shelf where I found it. Yes, they are totally hiding something from us, but then again she didn't know all of what I knew.

“Hate to interrupt your book and tea club session, but while you're in there swapping stories, something happened out here,” Scott said appearing out of nowhere pointing down the hall.

“Where did you come from? I didn't see you at all. Not in any room,” Cheyenne said, unfolding her arms, facing him.

“Don't worry about it. I'm here. Anyway, I was following behind Shak and Selene to see what they were up to because I'm betting you there is more going on than they say, when suddenly they just disappeared.” I knew Scott was a little off, but disappeared? I gave him a blank stare as Cheyenne completely turned her back to him. “No, seriously, I was right behind them, well, a little ways, then they were gone. Like poof.” He did some animated gesture with his hands and mouth, showing how something disappears.

Like I said before, he's crazy. Cheyenne rolled her eyes and walked off down the hall in the direction he was pointing. I followed suit, telling him to come on and show us exactly where they supposedly disappeared. They most likely just went into another room.

We caught up with Cheyenne, who was peering into each room from the hallway and shaking her head no when she didn't see them while I listened out. We searched and searched, heading toward the direction Scott came from just to make sure.

“I don't see them,” she said.

“Yeah, I don't hear them either,” I said.

“Yeah, well, I don't sense them, and believe me, my senses are keen,” Scott said. He had a point; he was the one who scoped us all out before we knew anything about him.

“Come on. It was further back here.” He started to trot down the hall where there were no more rooms and the hallway curved to the left then to the right. Stopping short, he pointed to a dark area down the hallway.

“Well, did you go down it?” I asked.

He sucked his teeth at me. “Yes, I did, but like I said, nothing. I walked down the hallway like this.” We followed him. “Then bam, a wall.” Sure enough, there stood a wall in the oddest place.

“Did you see or hear anything?” I asked.

“I heard a gush or something like that, then I peered out and nothing,” Scott said.

“I don't see anything behind the wall. It looks black as in empty space,” Cheyenne said with a puzzled expression on her face. I'm betting her face was a reflection of mine because I didn't hear anything at all behind the wall.

My spidey senses were definitely tingling. How do people just disappear like that?

“Assuming how big this place is, I'm pretty sure this hallway should go on for much further. Actually, this wall is new. See, look here,” Scott said, pointing out a few discrepancies. “My ole man, my dad, does construction, and I help him out when he needs it or when I need the money. Anyway, the paint on this wall is a different shade from the original. Probably because that shade no longer exists. Also, the side panels on the wall don't match up to the main walls. Same goes for the floor tiles. This is crappy structuring.”

“Okay, then why would someone build a wall here like this?” Cheyenne asked.

“I figure to keep someone from getting to the other side,” Scott said.

“Or maybe it was built to keep someone in,” I added. We stood there for a minute. “Guys, what if Byron, Khan, Selene, and Shak are behind this wall?” I asked.

“An old place like this has to have hidden passageways, how cool is that?” Scott asked.

“Yeah, sure,” Cheyenne said, shaking her head. It was quite clear he annoyed her, but then again who doesn't? “What if the gushing sound you heard was a segment of this wall opening and closing like a hidden door?”

Without another word, we went to work, searching everywhere—loose floorboards, wall panels, even under rugs for a lever to open a passageway to the other side. We searched everywhere, even places that didn't make sense, like couches and pillows, until we exhausted all possibilities.

Then it clicked. I ran back down the hallway to the room with the mahogany bookcase, thinking back to the Caring House. In the room, I pulled on statues, books, pushed on more wall panels, but nothing happened.

“Connor.”

“Yes,” I said, turning around, but no one was there. It was quiet, too quiet. I no longer heard leaky pipes

or the lights making that humming noise, just quiet. My skin crawled with goose bumps. Something was wrong, terribly wrong. I slowly backed up to the wall behind me.

The room started to get cloudy, hazy like. I blinked a few times, thinking my eyes were playing tricks on me when the haze started to swirl together. It was slowly forming into some sort of shape right in front of me. I tried to move it, but I barely affected it. I tried again several more times, but it kept coming at me.

I ran toward the door, but the door slammed shut. It was too dark to see in the room. Something pinned me against the wall, squeezing my neck, lifting me off the floor. It was choking me.

I grabbed at it, trying to get it off, but I felt nothing but my own throat. I tried kicking my legs for leverage until I started to see spots. I was about to pass out.

I tried one last time to send it flying, and it worked. I fell to the floor, holding my throat, gasping for air.

I heard Scott and Cheyenne banging at the door, calling my name. “Connor, what's wrong? What's going on? Open up!” I heard them screaming.

I crawled to the door coughing, but I managed to turn the knob, but it wouldn't budge. I thought why won't they kick it in, and that is exactly what Scott finally did. He knocked the door off its hinges, grabbed me up, and carried me out the room. He sat me down in the hallway, and both of them starting asking me a million questions at once.

After I caught my breath, I told them why I ran back to the room. “I heard my name called then something started choking me. Next thing I knew, you two were banging and knocking down the door.”

“Something, what do you mean something? Didn't you see it? It wasn't human? Didn't you see it?” Cheyenne asked.

Scott cupped her face. “Relax, I will take care of this.” She knocked his hands away and pushed him out of her face. “You, what do you mean you're going to handle

this?” she said.

“Yes, me, since I'm the only one of us two that has managed to remain calm so far. At least Connor is calmer than you, and she almost had the life choked out of her,” he said.

“This is insane. Connor said 'something,' not someone. What can you possibly do?” she asked, walking away from him.

“Listen, we said it before—they were hiding something from us, right? I have a feeling that whatever that was in there was only part of it, so don't let them think they really needed to hide the truth from us, okay? Besides, I'm pretty sure we are being watched,” Scott said.

“You mean other than you, stalker boy?” Cheyenne said, grabbing his face this time.

Scott politely removed her hands, ignored her question, and instead said, “If you wanted me, all you had to do was ask.” Then leaned in and kissed her, she backed away speechless. He may be off, but anyone who leaves her speechless is okay with me.

“Oh, by the way, Connor, I got your message to kick down the door, but next time, lead with that,” Scott said.

I nodded. I hadn't even realized I did it. As far as people with abilities go, we needed to get it together. I need to get it together.

“I say after what just happened we get out of here, find the others, and let them know what is going on,” I said. Cheyenne and Scott agreed. We are definitely being watched, and it's the same someone I have sensed all along, and it wasn't Selene.

We headed in the opposite direction of where Selene and Shak disappeared, which should have been the way out. I felt bad about leaving them, but we needed to regroup.

On the way back, I could've overlooked it being dimmer because one or two lights went out as threatened, but I gained either some serious weight or the walls shifted. Maybe I was going insane, but I swear the hallway was even narrower than when we first got here. Before, two people could walk side by side; now only one person could.

The once bright yellow-colored walls covered in paintings had only stains with cracks, allowing small trickles of water to run down them, contributing to the thin sheet of water covering the basement floor.

The remaining four lights kept flickering on and off, barely giving us a steady stream of light to see. Coming in, I counted three lit rooms of the six we passed not an hour ago, but now there were only five rooms, and all of them were dark and empty except the last room going out, which would have been the second room we passed coming in. All the furniture sat piled up in this room neatly stacked. Strange. Now stood a wall where I swear the sixth room should be.

What did we get ourselves into?

I was about to mention it, but I stopped short, hitting the continuous wall extending from where the sixth room should be blocking our exit. “This hall should bear right instead of left, or am I just plain crazy right now?” I asked them both, pointing to the wall.

Scott pushed past me to feel the wall. “No, I clearly remember we turned left coming in, so now we should bear right to leave. We are supposed to go right.”

“Maybe we didn't pay that close attention and we actually go left,” Cheyenne said.

Is she nuts? “Snap out of it. There has been some significant remodeling going on down here in a matter of what, sixty minutes, and we didn't pay attention is the best you can come up with? We are supposed to go right,” I said, beating the wall with both hands.

“Maybe you didn't pay as close attention as you thought you did, Connor,” Cheyenne said, placing both of her hands on her hips.

“She's right, Cheyenne, it's like this place is continuously changing, like we're rats in a maze. Please don't act like you haven't noticed. Man, you're starting to act like weeping Willow,” Scott said, waving her off, and as he turned his back to her, she punched him in his back.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean? What is so wrong with Willow?” Cheyenne asked.

“Girl!” He turned around, rubbing his back. “What was that for?” Scott asked.

“What's wrong with Willow?” she repeated her question. “Oh please, she acts all fragile like she is going to break.

She's weak, and you know it. How did abilities even get wasted on her anyway?” Scott said.

“Don't talk about her like that when you don't even know her. She may be a little sensitive, but at least she cares about people and doesn't act all hard like you,” Cheyenne said.

They went back and forth, arguing and mocking the other. I couldn't believe these idiots. We were probably going to die down here, and they are actually arguing. And we're supposed to help others? Good luck with that.

I pinned them both to opposing walls neither able to move a limb. “Enough already. Just agree to disagree. Stop arguing and let's find a way out of here, or I will leave you both stuck to the wall.”

Of all people to be trapped with, I luck up with these two. I wish they would just kill each other already, but the more I thought about it, I took it back. It's too creepy down here.

After they finally settled down, we decided there were two options: we either retrace our steps to see if things change back in our favor, or go left.

We opted left.

It was darker on this side, with only one wall-mounted light a ways down, and there was even less room to maneuver, so we had to walk a rigid straight line. Crushed velvet wallpaper lined the walls, and they smelled awful. Who came up with velvet anyway.

I'd never thought I would say this, but thank goodness for Cheyenne. She could see almost as well in the dark as she could in the light. So guess who led. She wasn't too happy about it, but she took one for the team. Did she really have a choice, especially after the way she acted back there? I was in the middle, and Scott was in the rear.

We took our time and kept our eyes and ears open. I accidentally bumped into the wall; it was hard to see, drenching my left arm, gross. The walls were wet, cold, and did I mention smelly?

It was quiet and uneventful so far except for the occasional drop of water landing on our heads. This side of the house was eerie, dark, and much cooler; and there were no rooms or doors on either side, just a long, wet purple wall that I swear was closing in on us.

“Stop,” I whispered, slamming into Cheyenne when she came to a halt.

“What?” she asked.

“Shhh. I heard something,” I said.

“Oh, come on, you guys. You're being paranoid,” Scott said. “Is it me, or is it getting tighter in here, let's hurry up?”

“Paranoia for a reason, Mr. Big and Bad. Why don't you come up here and lead the way?” Cheyenne said.

“I would, but my eyes aren't as big as yours. They are like two big green lanterns,” Scott said, egging her the same way as my brother loves to do to me.

“Really, how mature, Scott. Ignore him, Cheyenne. I don't hear anything anymore. Let's keep going.”

I could see her eyes burrowing into him. What can I say, he did have a point—they are huge. That's what he meant by green lanterns. “Hey, Cheyenne, did you know your eyes glowed green?” I asked.

“No, and when this is over, Scott, you and me,” Cheyenne said, turning back around. We crept on for a while without a peep, until I heard the sound again. I barely got out “Wait” when I slammed into Cheyenne for the second time.

“You really have to stop doing that,” I said.

“You said wait, so I stopped. Don't get so close,” Cheyenne said.

“There is only so much room in here, you know.” I listened out, hoping I was just hearing things, but this time, I heard moaning coming from up ahead. “I hear noises ahead, guys. We have to go check it out.”

“Why? I don't mean like, no, I mean like, I thought our objective here was to get out then find the others. Do we really think the others are down here? Trust me, if someone took them, they are in a place we won't be able to either get to or get out of. Simply put, it's a trap,” Scott said.

“Even though it burns my soul to say it, I have to agree with Scott. We need to get out of here first,” Cheyenne said. “Besides, the walls seem to be getting closer the further we move forward.”

“We don't really know what happened to them, but if the roles were reversed, we would want them to come after us, right?” I asked. They were probably right and it may be a trap, but I had to go with my gut. “Listen, we came down here for a reason, so we need to see what's going on. For all we know, it is Shak and Selene stuck or tied up somewhere. No matter what, we handle it.”

They hesitated but ultimately agreed. I navigated Cheyenne toward the noise, even though there was only one direction, straight ahead. I could see a faint light under a door ahead.

Cheyenne stopped, causing me to slam into her and Scott into me. “Cheyenne, now what?” I asked.

“You have got to stop doing that. The walls are squeezing in on us. My shoulders have been scraping the sides for a while,” Scott said, ending his sentence with a rude comment or two.

“Well, it's not a vast amount of space up here either. I stopped because I hear something too. It sounds like it's coming from behind that door,” Cheyenne said, pointing out a white door ahead. It provided a little light for those of us who don't see so well in the dark.

“Look, there's a clearing up ahead by the door.” Scott shoved his way past us, but putting emphasis on smashing Cheyenne against the wall to take the lead. “Do you see anything?” he asked Cheyenne.

Cheyenne glared at Scott as if she wanted to kill him after shoving her out the way and soaking her back. As disgusted as I was that my back was a little wet, it was worth it to see how much it mortified Cheyenne. It was so funny, I went straight past laughing aloud to hysterically quivering from laughing internally. The tears ran down my face from sheer delight. I wanted to do a jig.

“No, nothing. It's black like I don't see anything at all, you idiot,” she said with her fists balled, stepping into the small clearing by the white door.

“What, so your back got a little wet, get over it,” Scott said, not apologizing or feeling an ounce of sympathy. “Oh, sorry, Connor.”

I cut her off before another fight erupted and stepped in between them. “I still hear the noise though,” I said, staring at the door.

“Well, we don't have a choice. If you haven't noticed, there is a wall ahead, straight ahead, and the hallway space on the way back is practically gone, so it's either door number 1, or we turn around and try and squeeze our way back through,” Scott said, stating the obvious. “I don't know about you, but I choose door number 1.”

There was no way I was going back. “Let's do this,” I said.

Cheyenne looked back into the darkness and said, “Yes, but you know this is a trap, right?”

“True, but what other choice do we have? Okay, then I will go in first, and you two get ready for whatever,” Scott said, forming an impromptu plan. We were fine with it. It was his turn to lead.

Scott turned the knob, and the door opened up on its own; it was inviting us in—not a good sign. The light coming from the room was blinding at first, so it took a couple seconds for our eyes to adjust, especially Cheyenne's eyes. Hers are more sensitive to light.

Scott took the lead, with us right behind him. The noise, whatever it was, had stopped. We didn't hear anything now.

The room was huge, and it actually felt warm and welcoming. The furniture was old, as in antique, but well kept. There were two deer heads mounted on the far wall and a gun rack with two hunting guns placed below them.

A bear throw rug was in front of a brown leather couch, a leather chair to the right of it, an old funeral painting hung on the wall above an unlit fireplace, huge wall bookshelves, which housed, possibly, thousands of books. There were more books on the floor and even on a table in the corner. The best were stairs that led to a wall-mounted bookshelf. It must have been a lifetime of books in here.

There wasn't a speck of dust anywhere. It smelled clean in here like lavender; total opposite of out there. This room didn't fit according to what was going on out there, just like that strange wall down the hall.

“This room is spotless. Who do you think this room is for?” Cheyenne asked me. “Byron's grandfather?”

“There is an open book, in the chair like someone had been recently reading it. I doubt it's his grandfather's. He can't even walk,” I answered, still scanning the room.

“Where's Scott?” I asked.

“Over here, guys.” Scott yelled from behind the wall of the mounted deer heads. Cheyenne and I exchanged looks wondering how he got behind the wall. We followed the wall until we saw a curtain in front of the bookshelf stairwell, leading to an adjoining room.

I was in so much awe over the bookshelf, I hadn't noticed the curtain. The curtained room only had a sink and a bookshelf that he was trying to move out the way.

“What are you doing?” Cheyenne asked.

“Look,” he pointed to the floor. “There is a faint light coming from behind this wall. If I can just get to it…” He grunted as he pushed on it. It must have stood twelve feet tall and weighed a ton.

He managed to shove this humongous thing out of the way, and sure enough, there was a handle. It didn't look like a door at first glance, but there it was.

“Good eyes, Scott. A way out,” I said. Things were finally looking up.

“I told you, guys, we needed to check out the noise,” I said, relieved the so-called trap turned out to be exactly what we needed.

“I told you I would take care of this.” Scott said. Cheyenne actually smiled. I didn't know she could do

that. I almost went into shock when she ran up to hug Scott, but even more mind-blowing, he let her.

Her smile was short-lived because things turned for the worse before we knew what was happening. First, I saw the expression on her face twist from happiness to sheer horror in a second, then I heard it, and without turning around, I knew this was going to be bad.

The next few minutes seemed like they were a blur. Cheyenne was still in Scott's arms, facing the opposite direction of us, staring right at it. As I was turning around, Cheyenne slowly let go of Scott who, at the same time, reached for the door. I don't even think he knew what was about to happen.

From my side view, I managed to see a glimpse of darkness before it tossed me across the room, slamming me into the sidewall. I heard Scott yell as he flew clear into the other room, slamming into the wall bookshelf, breaking it on impact. I don't know how many books fell on top of him. All I knew was what I heard, and I didn't hear him move.

I slowly got up to see where it was. Time no longer slowed when I saw Cheyenne suspended in midair inside a cloud of darkness. She kept grabbing at her throat and trying to cough. Her eyes flooded with tears as it suffocated her.

Not knowing what to do other than to help, I had to help. I had no clue as to what that thing was, but I did the only thing I could. I got up, concentrating hard to break the cloud apart.

It took a few tries before it worked but only for a brief moment. The cloud dispersed, dropping her to the floor, allowing her to catch a few seconds of breath.

It quickly engulfed Cheyenne again, suspending her back in midair. Then a segment of the cloud split off and shifted into fire in the shape of a man heading in my direction. It got hot in the room really fast. Before I could move out of the way, it punched me in my chest, sending me flying toward the back wall. I slammed headfirst, almost causing me to pass out.

Fighting unconsciousness and dizziness, I got up as the blazing figure reformed into the dark cloud. This time I tried both, trying to get into its head and knock it back. I assumed it had a mind because if it can do, then it can think.