Reaper (30 page)

“Then you’d get fat,” I pointed out.

Harrison looked down at himself, felt his abs and smiled. “Nah, that wouldn’t happen to me.”

I rolled my eyes. “I know how to make the vacuum work on its own, and I’ve magically dusted. I haven’t mastered dishes yet. They’re small and it’s more complicated that you’d think.”

“That’s interesting,” he mused. “Have you done this spell?”

I looked over his shoulder. “No; I don’t need to do any money spells.”

“I would,” he confessed. “And I’d donate some to charity, of course,” he added. I smiled at my twin, thinking there was probably a good reason the ‘powers-that-be’ didn’t grant him magic. Hunter let me know when René pulled into the driveway. I started the dishwasher and opened the front door.

“Hey,” she called as she made her way onto the porch.

“Hi,” I called back. “Ready to ride?”

 
“Heck yeah,” she said and stepped into the house. “I wish I wore different pants though,” René said as she stood. “The seams in my jeans rub my legs.”

“You can borrow a different pair from me,” I told her. She followed me upstairs to borrow a pair of breeches.

“Try these,” I said as I tossed her a pair of hot pink breeches. “They’re kinda tight, well tighter than they are supposed to be, on me.”

“I don’t know if they will fit me then,” she said, holding up the pants.

“You’re smaller than me,” I said with a laugh.

“Shorter, but I don’t think smaller.”

René’s petite five-foot-three frame was so smaller than mine. “Just try on the damn pants,” I laughed. I was taken slightly off guard when she stripped down right in front of me. I changed in front of Laney with no shame, but we’d been friends since preschool.
 
I avoided any awkwardness by walking into the sitting area and gazing out the front window. I opened it a few inches to test the temperature of the evening air; it had been another chilly, drizzly day. The wind picked up and wafted a horrible sent into the room.

“Eww,” I said aloud to Hunter, who had followed me over. “Do you smell that?” Hunter sniffed the air and let out a soft ‘woof’. A weird pale, blue light was bobbing at the end of the driveway. I squinted, trying to get a better look but I couldn’t get my eyes to focus.

“I’ll be right back,” I told René and dashed down the stairs and out the front door, with Hunter glued to my side.

The smell of rotting and decay was so strong that it made me gag. I kept the blue light in my line of vision as I slowly closed in on it. I reached out and touched it. Hunter barked and an electrical shock pulsed through my body. The light faded until it was gone. Clouds covered the sky, barring the moon from giving any light to this dreary night. Hunter picked up on something I couldn’t and turned his attention to the road. Sure enough, a car drove past. It slowed when I came into its view.

“You have got to be kidding me,” I muttered when a police car slowed to a stop a few feet in front of us. A husky, red headed, female cop made her way over.

“Honey, what are you doing out here in the cold all by yourself?” she asked.

 
“Uh, I live here,” I answered.

“Uh-huh.” She extended her hand. “Why don’t you get in the car, where it’s warm?”

 
“No, really, I’m fine. I’ll just go back in my house,” I said as politely as possible.

“Honey,” she said again, “what house?”

Exasperated, I whirled around to point out the large, white Victorian. But it wasn’t behind me. I was standing at the end of a huge, empty field.

Chapter 12 - Twilight Zone

I blinked. My house didn’t reappear.
 
I f-ing hate you, Mindy
. I looked back at the police officer; concern and worry obvious on her face. She took a step closer, eyeing Hunter nervously. He wagged his tail as she drew near.

“Beautiful dog,” she complimented and bent down to pet him.

“Thanks,” I said automatically; Emily Post would be proud that I remembered my manners. I closed my eyes.
None of this is
real, I reminded myself. I saw the house in my mind. The yellow glow of the porch lights spilled out onto the front yard—which was full of patchy grass and weeds. Ethan and Harrison were no doubt playing video games in the family room and René was up in my room, waiting for me to return. The kitchen would still smell like lemon chicken and garlic mashed potatoes.

I opened my eyes. Crickets and frogs sang in the dim night. A chilly breeze rustled through the trees. And my house was nowhere in sight. What the hell was going on?

“Where are we?” I asked desperately, hoping that I merely wandered down the road…again.

“Indiana.” Her eyebrows pushed together in more concern.

“I know that,” I snapped. I shook my head in apology. “I mean, where—exactly. What street?”

“Paradise Valley is the town you’re in. Technically, we’re on the outskirts. And you’re standing on county road three-thirty-five.

Shoot. That was my road. I looked up and down the street. Maybe I was a mile or so from the house.

“And it’s April?” I tested.

“Yes it is. Honey, can you please get in the car? You’ve got to be freezing,” she said with a shiver. “I’ll take you to the station, get you something to eat. How’s that sound?”

If I turned and ran, would she shoot me? Would it even hurt? I could whip up a spell, throw her telekinetically and hope to get away. I was fast, but bullets were faster. Could a hallucination kill me? I was sure none of this was real. However, I didn’t want to test that theory.

“Please, honey, get in the car,” she begged.

 
Seeing I had no other choice I replied, “Only if Hunter can come with.”

“Of course he can.”

She opened the back door for us. Hunter jumped in without any hesitation. Before the door was closed, Rose pressed the button on her walkie talkie. She said something that sounded like ‘I’ve found her’. I dug my nails into the seat. It felt so real. I closed my eyes once more and tried to will the false image away.

 
I’ve got to stay calm,
I told myself.
What do I do?
I asked Hunter. When he didn’t respond, I opened my mind to his. It was empty. There was no connection.

“No,” I whispered aloud and twisted to face my Guardian. I put my hands on the side of his head and leaned down.
Hunter!
I screamed. His mind was blank. I felt further. No, it was worse than blank; it wasn’t there.

“Whatcha doing?” the officer asked, staring curiously at me and heaved down into the driver’s seat.

I didn’t answer. I shook my head and tired on last time. There was nothing, absolutely nothing there. Hunter licked my face before playfully nipping at me—something he’d
never
done before.
Oh God, this is bad,
I told myself. Hunter, my anchor to the real world, was gone. I slid my fingers down his neck and gripped his collar.

“I’m Officer Henson,” the cop said as the car lurched forward. “But you can call me Rose.” That was a prettier name than I expected for such a gruff woman to have. “And you must be Anora?”

“How do you know who I am?” I blurted, with only a small tremor to my voice.

“We’ve been looking for you, honey.” She spoke in a way that you would to a two year old who was crying for their mother.

“Why are you looking for me?”

“Your parents are very worried,” she said quickly, avoiding my question.

“Why are they worried?”

Rose hesitated before saying, “We’ll talk about it at the station. Are you cold, I can turn the heat up?”

“Yeah,” I mumbled.
Stay
 
calm
, I repeated and let go of Hunter’s collar. I ran my fingers through my messy hair, digging my nails into my scalp. That pain was very real but it still didn’t jolt me back to reality. I stared out the window; everything was in its place; the streets, the stores, and the landmarks were all correct. Why wasn’t the house?

I concentrated on not barfing or crying. Rose opened the door and I scrambled out of the police car. I could still make a run for it, couldn’t I? I could hide behind a dumpster in an alley…and have the entire police department find me. The time for running had come and gone. I was going to follow Rose into the station and call Ethan. He’d be able to do something and get me home.

We walked through the lobby and down a hall. People milled about talking, eating, and acting totally normal. We passed a row of cubicles and entered into a small conference room.

“Have a seat,” Rose said gently, motioning to a light blue arm chair that had seen better days. “Your parents are going to be so happy to see you.”

“Ok,” I said, automatically thinking that the last time I saw them at my graduation was actually a while ago. “Why are they coming?” I asked, too curious to keep my mouth shut.

Deep concern and worry caused little wrinkles to form around Rose’s eyes. She knelt down in front of me and put her hand on my knee. “Honey,” she said in tone you would use when you told a child the family dog just died. “Don’t you know?”

My heart skipped a beat. “Know what?”

“You’ve been missing since September.”

My stomach fell. “I saw them not that long ago,” I retorted. Why was she lying?

“Sweetheart, no you haven’t.” She patted my knee. I jerked my leg away. After a second of looking hurt, she sighed empathetically and stood. “You just sit tight, honey, and I’ll call your family and let them know you are safe and sound at last.”

“Ok,” I said, eager for her to leave me alone. I knew I saw my parents at graduation. I would never forget my mother’s words after I received my diploma. She told me she was proud yet disappointed and she ‘didn’t know where she went wrong raising me’. It had stung to know that she was disappointed in me as a daughter and I felt bad for her shouldering some of the blame for my leaving. I shook my head; I couldn’t dwell. Actually, the more I thought about graduation, the harder it was to recall the fine details.

The room was spinning and my head pounded. I sprang up from the chair as soon as Rose left the room. I snatched up the phone from the middle of the table and punched in Ethan’s number. A feminine robot told me that she was sorry and that the number was no longer in service. Maybe I accidentally hit a wrong button. I carefully redialed but I got the same recording.

My first thought was that something terrible happened to Ethan and his phone had been destroyed, making me unable to get a hold of him. I shook that thought and told myself that I would still get his voicemail, even if the phone was off or even smashed. I tried Laney’s number—same recording. I tried my brother—his phone number wasn’t valid. Panicking, I dialed a random number to see if the phone even worked. I hung up when a woman answered.

Muffled voices and heavy footfalls echoed in the hall. I raced back to the chair and got my ass in it just in time. Rose opened the door and smiled.

“Your family is taking the first flight out and will be here tomorrow night,” she cooed, expecting me to be excited. Instead, I stared at her blankly.

“What’s taking so long?” I asked in a level voice, hoping to catch a flaw in this plan.

“It’s a long flight—” she began.

“From New York?” I interrupted. “No, it’s not.”

“Well, it’s just not that simple,” she said, satisfied with her response.

“Even my brother?”

“Oh yeah,” she said eagerly. “He’s excited to see you too!”

I bit my lip and looked down.
Yes!
I screamed in my head.
She doesn’t know Harrison is already here.
I looked around the untidy office, not wanting to meet Rose’s eyes. “Can I go home now?” I tried.

Rose recoiled in shock. “I-I think it’s best you stay here.”

“I’d really like to get Hunter home,” I told her, trying my best to sound homesick and pathetic.

“Honey.” She put her hand on my arm. I don’t like being called ‘honey’ and I hate being touched by strangers. “You will go home. As soon as your parents get here.”

“Can I please call my boyfriend? I’m sure he’s worried.” It took a lot of effort to keep my voice level.

Rose twitched and stood. She paced from the chair to the door a few times before she sat down. Her demeanor was different. “Listen,” she said directly. “The boss says to go along with you until the psychologist gets here, but I can’t lie to you anymore, honey.”

I swallowed the lump that was forming in my throat. “Lie about what?”

“Your boyfriend you want to call, Ethan,” she said slowly.

“How do you know Ethan?” I asked, unsure if I should appear to be shocked. I expected Mindy to have done her research on me; she should know just about everyone I care about.

“He’s not your boyfriend.” She drew in a ragged breath. “Anora, he kidnapped you.”

I suppressed the urge to laugh. “No he didn’t. I moved here on my own.”

“He told you that you did. But he kidnapped you six months ago. Every cop in the state of New York has been on high alert for you, sweetheart. It’s a miracle that your picture was sent out nationally, or else I wouldn’t have recognized you and the dog.”