Darkest Designs (15 page)

He gave a short bark of a laugh. “So we just walk forward?”

“I'm guessing so.”

She reached out for his hand. He clasped hers in his much larger one. Together they walked the short distance to the door. As they arrived, the door in the picture opened.

And they walked through.

***

Eric couldn't help holding his breath as they entered the drawing. But just as with all the other strange portals Storey and her stylus had created, he stepped into a whole new world.

And a familiar sound had him dropping Storey's hand to clap both palms over his ears. He groaned, barely hearing Storey call out, “Tammy, hush. It's me, Storey.”

The sound cut off instantly. Tammy's eyes widened. Then she launched herself from where she'd been sitting at Eric and Storey.

Eric, knowing the size of the bomb about to blast them, tried to brace himself, but she knocked him back several steps, while they both knocked Storey over.

Storey cried out, then all Eric heard was her laughter. He disentangled himself from Tammy's legs and turned. He grinned. Storey was lying down and Tammy almost eclipsed her as she lay on top. Skorky raced over and around both of them, getting in the way as they laughed. Storey was tickling the chubby little Louer who wiggled frantically to get away, but at the same time, obviously didn't want to go anywhere.

“Torrey.”

Storey, her grin splitting her face almost in two, hugged her close. Skorky dashed over Storey's head to take up residence on Tammy's shoulder, his beady eyes bright and curious. Tammy's over-bright eyes looked up at Eric. She sniffled happily. Something warm and fuzzy bloomed in Eric's heart. He'd never felt anything like it. At this moment, he couldn't be happier. They were in danger, had just survived what could have been an endless hell, yet seeing Storey and Tammy together made up for all of it.

He'd never thought to see Tammy again. Hadn't given any energy to wishing that any different. Now that he saw her, and her connection to Storey, he realized how much he'd missed the little girl himself. He'd just shut those emotions down, believing that a relationship wasn't possible.

Then Tammy scrambled to her feet and wrapped her arms around him. He hugged her tight.

Once again his world had shifted. Thanks to Storey.

S
torey finally managed to clamber to her feet. She took several deep breaths and rejoiced. They were free from In-between and they'd successfully reached Tammy. As Tammy and Eric enjoyed their reunion, she glanced around at Tammy's small room. Dirt walls again. Maybe that's all her people knew.

Or maybe that's all they'd been able to achieve so far. But Tammy appeared to have a bed, something like a small table and there'd been an attempt made to carve shelves into one wall. With Tammy's few things, like Storey's bag, she'd made the little room look like home.

On one wall were scratch drawings. Tammy's artwork, she presumed, studying the stick men in the picture. She walked closer. A small hand snuck into hers. Tammy reached out with her other hand and tapped the wall with the artwork.

Skorky ran across Tammy's arm to jump on a ledge and stare at them.

“Torrey.” She tapped the wall and one skinny stick figure. Tammy grinned up at her. Storey was entranced. For the whole time she'd looked after Tammy, the child had shown little to no facial expressions. As if their race didn't use them. Over time, Tammy had learned to mimic more of the expressions she'd seen on Eric and Storey.

But this appeared to be her first spontaneous grin.

And it was beautiful. Storey bent, hugged the little girl, and said, “Thank you Tammy.”

“Storey, do you think you can communicate with her again? Now that the styluses apparently contacted her?”

“I don't know.” She straightened. “Tammy, do you know how to communicate with me, now?”

No response. She closed her eyes.
Stylus. Can you help me to communicate with Tammy?

Don't need help. Tammy here.

Storey gasped and opened her eyes. She shared a special smile with Tammy, then turned to face Eric, excitement and that wonderful sense of connection flowing through her. “Tammy is here and we can communicate!”

“Telepathically, of course. Which means I'm only going to be able to get half the conversation again.” He rolled his eyes in exaggeration, but his smile eased any sting.

She smiled back at him. “I'm sorry for that. Maybe you can learn to communicate telepathically as well.”

Torrey?

Storey turned back to Tammy.
Yes?

Are you in trouble?

Storey groaned loudly, but kept a smile on her face.
We are. This time you helped save us!

Tammy danced several steps. Then her steps slowed as if understanding what would come next.
Are you leaving again?

Soon. I need to return to my home first. Then come back here for another quick visit. Maybe if we can talk this way now, we can talk once I return home, too.

Tammy's face lit up.

“What brought that on?” Eric asked.

Storey laughed, holding out her hand to Tammy. “I was telling her that now we might be able to keep in touch.”

“Do you think that would work across dimensions?” Eric frowned. “If that's the case, I might have to try to learn. Then we could stay in touch all the time.”

“And if that doesn't work, you could get me a codex that allows me to write messages like you've been doing with Paxton. It wouldn't be as good as telepathy, but we would be in constant contact. Instead of planning visits.” She chuckled. “Or better yet – you should get a stylus of your own.”

“That's not likely to happen.” He pulled up his codex and considered it. “I think both of these have that ability. He lifted her wrist, reminding her that she wore one already. “We'll test it later. First, are we going back to Paxton's lab or to your home world? As much as Tammy is happy to see us, I'm not so sure about her father.”

Right. The leader of the Louers, Tammy's father, had knocked them out with their nasty telepathic weapon the last time they'd seen him. The horrible noise that made an unconscious state actually preferable.

She glanced down at Tammy.
Tammy does your father know we are here?

She nodded. Storey gasped.
Did he know ahead of time?

No.

So how does he know now?

Tammy cocked her head and frowned up at Storey in confusion.
He can hear us, of course.

“Oh shit.” Storey turned to Eric. “Her father apparently can hear this telepathic conversation so he knows we're here.”

Eric immediately started punching coordinates that he'd used not too long ago to take him to Storey's dimension. “Tell her we have to go. We can't get into trouble with her father again.”

As Storey relayed the message, Tammy's face crumpled.

“Ah Eric, we need to leave now. She looks like she's going to start crying.”

“Hold her off,” he said, urgently desperate to stop that horrible shrill sound of hell that would soon be coming out of Tammy's mouth. Then his codex started its musical notes, instantly distracting Tammy. The little girl reached out to touch the flashing lights.

“Whoa.” Eric backed up. “Storey, get over here.”

She quickly stepped right beside him as the black smoke rose up around his legs. She waved goodbye to Tammy, saying.
We'll be back soon, honey
.

Tammy's eyes filled with tears. She launched herself at Storey.

And the black mist closed around them all.

***

“Storey, please tell me that didn't just happen?”

Silence.

“Storey,” he snapped. “Talk to me.”

“I'm here. But so is Tammy.” She added humorously, “I guess our visit wasn't long enough.”

“Damn it.” He couldn't believe it. Why did everything go wrong? This should have been so simple – get in and get out. No one should have even noticed.

A choked giggle slipped from Storey.

Short arms reached around his waist and Tammy snuggled close.

He glared into the mist, then sighed and wrapped an arm around Tammy's back. He reached out and tugged Storey in closer where he could see her face. “What are you laughing at?”

“You.” She added, “You swore.”

“Did not.” But he had. And she knew it. Drat. She just smiled up at him. He'd always liked that about her. She never judged him. No matter what.

“What do we do now?” she asked.

“If her father finds out she came with us, there goes any chance of a peaceful relationship.”

“Speaking of which, I'm thinking the stylus needs to contact Tammy's father and explain what happened.”

He stared at. “If it can do that, why didn't it do it before?”

She shrugged. “Maybe it did.”

We did not. We can.

Then please do so. It's our intention to return Tammy immediately.

A buzz filled the air.

“Uh, Storey?”

She wrapped her arm around him. “It's okay. It's the stylus doing something.”

“That's what worries me!” Tammy's round face peered up at him through the gloom. She smiled, her empty hand reaching up to pat his cheek. “Ris.”

“Eric.” Eric covered her hand with his. “Eric. Try it again.”

“Riss.”

“I'm going to presume hard sounds like Ks aren't easy for her.”

Storey giggled. “And what's her problem with E?”

The mist started to dissipate. A wave of relief washed through him. Maybe something would go right for a change.

The sun twinkled brightly overhead and green trees surrounded them.

Tammy's eye shone as she looked around with the mist almost gone.

Eric said, “Looks like she recognizes the area. “You can almost see the look in her eyes, saying food is around the corner.”

At that Storey laughed again. “And she's welcome to it. I have never met anyone with an appetite like hers.”

“Good thing she doesn't know about the rest of the cheese in my bag,” he said smugly.

“Let's hang on to it. We might need your supplies for later.” Storey headed off in the direction of her home.

Tammy followed, her hand securely held in Eric's.

Eric gave a last glance into the bushes around them and followed.

What would they find this time?

S
torey tilted her face to the sun. What day was it? The sun appeared to be high in the sky. If it was a weekday, then she might be lucky enough to find the house empty. If it was a weekend, then one…or both…of her parents could be there. And she so didn't want to meet them. Not in this time. Her mother, if things were back to normal…yes. She wanted to hug her tight and tell her how much she loved her.

But if it was the crazy life where she went to a private religious school and her father, who she hadn't seen in a decade, was home and still married to her mother, no way. Like how weird…and wrong…was that?

She admitted to being ambivalent on many of the issues, but she really didn't want to live the other Storey's life. That one did her schoolwork and never picked up an art pencil. This Storey would die under those conditions. Her art was her outlet. Her path to freedom from the world around her. She
had
to be able to draw.

And she would, no matter what. If what Eric had said was true about her room being full of art books she didn't recognize, then maybe the other Storey had already learned she needed to draw.

Maybe there was crossover, or bleeding from one Storey to the other. Time had twisted, but what else had twisted with it?

She reached the end of the trees and stopped. Her home stood in front of her. Its familiar clapboard siding stirred pangs of homesickness inside. She desperately wanted to see her mother. The real one. Not the other one. Storey sighed. How did life get so confused?

Tammy tugged on her hand. Storey looked down at her trusting face, wondering at the child's sympathetic look. There was no way Tammy could really understand what bothered Storey at this time. But Tammy was offering what comfort she could.