Dark Visions (29 page)
"It's perfect," Kaitlyn whispered, looking around the inside. She'd ridden in it before, to and from school, but she'd never really
looked
at it. To her eyes now, there seemed to be square miles of room. There were two bucket seats in front and two long bench seats in back, with lots of space between them.
looked
at it. To her eyes now, there seemed to be square miles of room. There were two bucket seats in front and two long bench seats in back, with lots of space between them.
There still seemed to be miles of room once Tony piled in blankets, sleeping bags, and pillows. Riches untold, Kaitlyn thought, fingering a thick down-filled comforter. He even took Gabriel and Rob back into the house and lent them spare clothes. Finally he put groceries from the refrigerator into a paper bag.
"It won't last long with five of you, but it's something," he said.
"Thank you," Kait said again as they got ready to leave. Rob was in the driver's seat; Gabriel in the other front bucket seat. Anna and Lewis were in the bench seat behind them. Kaitlyn had ended up in the rear bench seat—too far from Rob, but no matter. They'd change places later.
"You just get Zetes, right?" Tony said, then slid the door of the van shut.
We're going to try
, Kaitlyn thought. She waved as Rob backed out of the driveway.
, Kaitlyn thought. She waved as Rob backed out of the driveway.
"Keep going down this street and I'll tell you how to get back on Highway 880," Lewis said. He was studying a map of California that Tony had supplied. When they were on the highway, he changed it for a map of the United States.
"Well, we've got clothes, we've got food, and we've got sleeping gear. And we certainly have transport,"
Rob said, settling back in his bucket seat and running a caressing hand over the steering wheel.
"Now—exactly where are we going?"
CHAPTER 5"L
et's just get out of California as fast as possible," Gabriel said. Rob wouldn't agree.
et's just get out of California as fast as possible," Gabriel said. Rob wouldn't agree.
"We ought to think about this before we just start driving blindly. We're looking for a beach, right? There are a lot of beaches in California—"
"But we
know
it's not in California," Kait interrupted. "Anna and I know that. We're sure." In front of her, Anna was nodding.
know
it's not in California," Kait interrupted. "Anna and I know that. We're sure." In front of her, Anna was nodding.
"And we've got to get
out
of this state," Gabriel said. "This is where the cops will be looking for us.
out
of this state," Gabriel said. "This is where the cops will be looking for us.
Once we're in Oregon we can relax a little."
Kaitlyn was afraid Rob would argue just for the sake of arguing with Gabriel—she wasn't sure how things stood between them just now—but he just shrugged and said, "Okay, then," peaceably.
Lewis rattled the map. "The fastest way is to go up Interstate 5," he said. "I'll tell you how to get there.
We still won't make it to Oregon before dark."
"We can change drivers every few hours," Kaitlyn said. "Oh, and everybody, try and look like you're on a field trip or something, at least until one o'clock or so. People might think it's strange for a bunch of teenagers to be riding around in a van during school hours."
The country kept changing as they drove. At first it was beige and flat, with scrubby grass and an occasional gray-purple bush beside the road. As they got farther north it became more hilly, with trees that were either bare or dusty green. Kait watched it all with an artist's eye and eventually picked up her sketchpad.
It felt like a long while since she'd had time to draw. It had only been twenty-four hours, since yesterday's art studio class—but her entire life of yesterday felt years away. The oil pastels spread smoothly onto the fine-toothed paper, and Kaitlyn felt herself relax. She needed this.
She blocked out the shape of the distant hills with side strokes of the pastel stick, catching an impression of them before the scene changed. That's what she liked about pastels—you could work fast on a burst of inspiration. She filled the hills in with loose, vigorous strokes, and the picture was done in minutes.
That was practice. Now turn the page. Reach for cool colors—pale blue and icy mauve. Maybe acid green and blue-purple, too.
A picture was coming alive under her fingers without her conscious intent.
Kaitlyn was used to letting her fingers go at moments like this, while her mind simply drifted. Right now her mind had drifted to thoughts of Gabriel.
She was going to have to talk with him, and soon. As soon as she could find any privacy. Something serious was wrong. She had to find out what it was…
With a shock Kaitlyn recognized what she'd drawn on the sketch pad.
Gabriel. Not the stark black-and-white portrait she'd always imagined, but a form arising out of a dense network of colored lines. It was unmistakably Gabriel…
… and in the center of his forehead, blazing with cold blue brilliance, was a third eye.
It seemed to glare at her balefully, and Kaitlyn suddenly felt faint. As if she were about to fall into the picture.
She jerked back, and the sensation disappeared, but chills ran down her neck.
Stop it, she told herself. There was nothing strange about a picture of the third eye. Gabriel was psychic, wasn't he? And this just a metaphor showing he was. She'd drawn a picture of herself with a third eye once.
The reassurances didn't reassure. Kaitlyn knew in her bones that the drawing foretold something evil.
Kait, what's wrong?
Rob's voice in her head. Kaitlyn looked up from the maze of colors to see that everyone was looking at her. Gabriel had turned around in the front, and Lewis and Anna were looking over the back of their seat. She could see Rob's worried eyes in the rearview mirror.
While she'd been drawing she'd forgotten about the web, hadn't even felt the presence of the others.
And she could tell from their confusion that they hadn't heard
her
thoughts, either, just gotten a general sense that she was upset.
her
thoughts, either, just gotten a general sense that she was upset.
Interesting, one part of her mind said. So drawing is a way to screen my thoughts. Or maybe it's just concentrating.
Meanwhile, the rest of her mind was answering Rob.
It's nothing. Just a drawing.
She felt Rob's alarm. "A precognition?" he said aloud.
"No—I don't know." It was horribly impossible to lie in the web. "Whatever it is, I don't want to talk about it now."
She didn't, either. Not with Gabriel sitting there hearing every word, not with Lewis and Anna looking on. Gabriel would be furious at the violation of his privacy, and the others might panic. No, Kaitlyn had to talk to him alone about this first.
She could feel frustration from Rob—he could tell she was hiding something, but not
what
. Anna's clear dark eyes were questioning.
what
. Anna's clear dark eyes were questioning.
Time to change the subject. "Shouldn't we stop and switch drivers?" she said.
Lewis grinned. "Let's wait a couple of exits and stop at the Olive Pit. There was a sign back there advertising free samples."
"This must be olive country," Kait said, glad of a distraction. "I keep seeing groves of olive trees."
She kept talking until they stopped, and then there was the complexity of selecting olive samples—chili olives and Cajun olives and Texas olives and Deep South olives—and by the time they all got back into the van everyone seemed to have forgotten their questions.
Gabriel drove. Rob sat in the rear with Kaitlyn, who leaned against him.
"You all right?" he said, too softly for the others to hear.
Kaitlyn nodded, avoiding his golden eyes. She didn't
want
to have any secrets from Rob, but she was afraid to upset the precarious balance between him and Gabriel.
want
to have any secrets from Rob, but she was afraid to upset the precarious balance between him and Gabriel.
"Just tired," she said. She didn't feel like drawing anymore, not even when a huge and beautiful mountain appeared before them in the distance. Its single peak was white with snow, accented by black ridges of rock.
"Mount Shasta," Lewis said.
They passed rolling hills and crossed riverbeds, mostly dry. The motion and the sound of the van was lulling. Kait's head drooped onto Rob's shoulder and her eyes shut.
She woke with a start and a shiver. How strange—it was
cold
suddenly. Icy cold, as if she'd stepped into a restaurant freezer.
cold
suddenly. Icy cold, as if she'd stepped into a restaurant freezer.
She looked around, dazed with sleep. Mount Shasta was behind them, glowing like a huge watermelon jewel in the sunset. The sky was murky mauve.
In the front bench seat Anna's black head was lifting. "Gabriel, turn down the air conditioning!" she pleaded.
"It's not on."
"But it's
cold
," Kait said and was caught by another shiver.
cold
," Kait said and was caught by another shiver.
Shivering himself, Rob wrapped his arms around her. "It sure is," he said. "We haven't gone
that
far north—is it usually like this, Lewis?"
that
far north—is it usually like this, Lewis?"
Lewis didn't answer. Kait saw Anna look at him curiously, and at the same time realized she could sense nothing from him in the web.
"Is he asleep?" she asked Anna.
"His eyes are open."
Kaitlyn's heart rate seemed to quicken.
Lewis
? she thought, sending the word to him.
Lewis
? she thought, sending the word to him.
Nothing.
"What's happening?" she said aloud as Rob let go of her to lean around the front seat and look into Lewis's face. She had a bad feeling—a very bad feeling. Something was
strange
. The air wasn't just cold, it was full of electricity. And there was a smell, a smell like a sewer drain.
strange
. The air wasn't just cold, it was full of electricity. And there was a smell, a smell like a sewer drain.
And a sound. Kaitlyn heard it suddenly over the soft roar of the van's engine. A sharp, sweet sound, one note, as if somebody had run a wet finger around the rim of a crystal goblet. It hung in the air.
"What the
hell
is going on?" Rob demanded. He was shaking Lewis. At the same moment Gabriel snarled from the front, "What are you guys
doing
back there?"
hell
is going on?" Rob demanded. He was shaking Lewis. At the same moment Gabriel snarled from the front, "What are you guys
doing
back there?"
"We're not doing anything," Kait called—just as Lewis jumped up and dived for the empty bucket seat beside Gabriel.
His hands grabbed and beat at the air. His body slammed into Gabriel, who cursed and wrestled with the steering wheel. The van swerved.
"Get out of here! Get him out of here!" Gabriel shouted. "I can't see—"
Rob twisted in behind Lewis, trying to pull him back. The van kept swerving and skidding as Lewis's elbows hit Gabriel. Kaitlyn clung to the seat in front of her, frozen.
"Come
on
!" Rob yelled.
Lewis, come on back! There's nothing there
!
on
!" Rob yelled.
Lewis, come on back! There's nothing there
!
Lewis kept on fighting, and then all at once he went limp, and like a cork popping out of a bottle, he shot backward with Rob. They both crashed into Anna, who yelped. Then they fell in a tangle on the floor.
"Hey—what's the matter? You getting fresh or something?" Lewis said. "Let go of me."
It was an ordinary, complaining voice. Lewis was disentangling himself, looking mildly bewildered but absolutely normal.
Rob sat up and stared at him.
Gabriel had finally gotten the van on course again. He shot a glare over his shoulder. "You crazy jerk,"
he said. "What'd you think you were doing?"
"Me? I wasn't doing anything. Rob was grabbing me." Lewis looked around at all of them, his round face honestly puzzled.
"Lewis—you really don't remember?" Kaitlyn asked. She could tell by his expression, by his presence in the web that he didn't. "You jumped up and started beating on something in that seat," she said, nodding.
"Only there was nothing there."
"Oh…" A sort of light was dawning on Lewis's face. Then his expression turned sheepish. "I guess—I was dreaming, you know? I don't really remember the dream, but I thought I saw somebody sitting there.
A kind of whitish shape—a person. And I knew I had to get it…" His voice trailed off. He gave another look around and hunched his shoulders apologetically.
"A dream," Gabriel said in disgust. "Next time keep your dreams to yourself."
A dream? Kaitlyn thought. No. It didn't make sense; it couldn't be the whole explanation. Why should Lewis suddenly start having dreams that made him attack things? And what about the cold—it had disappeared as quickly as it had come; the air felt fine now. And the drain smell, and that sound…
We're all tired
, Anna's gentle voice said in her head, reminding her that she hadn't been trying to shield her thoughts.
Not just tired but exhausted. And we've been under so much stress
—
it could come
out in strange ways
.
, Anna's gentle voice said in her head, reminding her that she hadn't been trying to shield her thoughts.
Not just tired but exhausted. And we've been under so much stress
—
it could come
out in strange ways
.
"We could all have been dreaming a little," Rob said with a laugh.
"I suppose," Kaitlyn said. She tried to put any further doubts out of her mind—for now, at least. Lewis obviously believed his own story, and Anna and Rob believed him because he believed it. There was no point in harping on it.
We'll wait and see what happens, she told herself. She settled back on the seat, and Rob returned to sit by her again. The light was fading in a way that made her want to check if she was wearing sunglasses.
To the west and in front of them were huge flaming hot cherry clouds.
"Should we stop?" Rob asked, peering at his watch in the dimness.
Gabriel turned the van's headlights on. "We're still in California. We can stop when we get to Oregon."
The sky went gray and then black. Ghost trucks with dazzling headlights came and went on the other side of the highway. It was nearly eight o'clock when they reached a sign saying welcome to Oregon.
They drove on until they found a rest stop and then ate dinner sitting on the cool dark grass outside the van. Dinner was peanut butter sandwiches and one apple apiece, drawn from the grocery bag Tony had given them. Dessert was some cherry cough drops Lewis had found in the glove compartment and the last of the Cajun olive samples.
"We can stay here tonight," Rob said, looking around the almost-deserted rest stop. There were few cars on the highway nearby. "Nobody will bother us."
Kait found she'd brought toothpaste but no toothbrush. In the women's rest room she rubbed her teeth with a corner of a cotton shirt she'd packed. They all wanted to go to bed early.
"But
how
?" Kaitlyn said when she got back, confronted at last with the logistics of five of them sleeping in the van. Suddenly there no longer seemed to be acres of room. "Where do we all
fit
?"
how
?" Kaitlyn said when she got back, confronted at last with the logistics of five of them sleeping in the van. Suddenly there no longer seemed to be acres of room. "Where do we all
fit
?"
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