Seers (13 page)

I finished packing, and then headed downstairs. I heard some noise in the kitchen, and hoped it was my grandparents. I was anxious to get to Lee’s, so we could spend as much time as possible together.

“Grandma?” I called out, just before entering the kitchen.

“Nope, just me,” Grandpa said from behind his paper. He was sitting in his usual place, and his coffee remained untouched.

I stepped up to the table, shouldering my bag. “I’m going over to Lee’s—I’ll be back sometime Sunday. Could you pass that along to Grandma for me?”

“Sure can do.” Grandpa’s voice was lacking its usual level of amusement, and for the first time I really noticed his aura—at least, that which was visible around the paper.

It was almost completely green—the darkest green I think I’d ever seen.

“Grandpa, is something wrong?” I asked, fighting the knot of fear in my stomach.

He lowered the paper slowly, eyes lingering on the words until it was lying flat on the table. Then he removed his reading glasses and squinted up at me.

“Have you heard about those freak accidents happening down in Santa Fe?”

I shook my head slowly, knowing that he’d continue without much prodding.

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He humphed and reached for his mug of coffee. “Not surprising. It’s not like school teaches you anything important.” He took a quick sip, and then spoke quickly, eyes back on the paper.

“For the past couple weeks, strange things have been happening down in the capitol. Mysterious deaths, mostly. Freak accidents.

The paper’s started calling it ‘The Death Train’. And it seems to be moving.”

“Freak accidents?” I repeated questioningly, my skin prickling.

He frowned, still focused on the paper. “Yep. It started with some construction workers—some car broke through a guardrail and killed two of them. At least, that’s what they’re saying the first one was. But listen to this: ‘The Death Train seems to be picking up speed, and moving meticulously through the city. In addition to the unfortunate workers at the construction site in’ . . .blah blah blah . . . there it is—’there have been six other victims apparently caught by this haunting and unexplainable phenomenon. The last of which was found yesterday in her home—a middle aged woman living alone, Annette Jones. She was found yesterday morning in her bed. She apparently strangled herself in her sleep, using her bedsheets. Police visiting the scene offer no further explanations, and there seem to be no leads. Officials are interested in any help the public can give. At this time, no suspects are being declared—

all deaths seem to have been purely accidental.’” Grandpa looked up, and I could see the worry as clearly in his eyes as in his aura.

I shrugged a little, though I couldn’t lie—the article was freaky. “I don’t understand, Grandpa. Why are you so worried? I mean, they’re just accidents, right?” Grandpa slowly shook his head. “I don’t know . . . it appears that way, but— you know what they say—nothing is ever quite as it seems.”

I felt my brow furrow. “You think someone’s behind these deaths? Like, a serial killer or something?”

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He shrugged, and took another drink from his mug. “Maybe.” I felt a reflexive chill go through my body, but before I could open my mouth to press him for more of his thoughts, Grandma was clearing her throat behind us.

I jumped a little at the rough sound. “Henry,” Grandma scolded loudly. “What are you trying to do? Scare her out of her wits? I think you quit the army a bit too soon, old man. I’ve always thought so.” She reached between us to fold up the paper and snatch it quickly away.

Grandpa—though still surrounded by green—was smiling as he winked at me over Grandma’s shoulder. “I guess she’s forgotten that I came back to marry her.”

“Oh no, I remember,” she grunted, tossing the paper to the counter and then moving for the coffee pot. “I still think you’d have been a bit saner if you’d had the chance to shoot at a few more things before coming back, that’s all.” Grandpa rolled his eyes at his wife, then turned back to regard me. I guess I hadn’t completely managed to rearrange my pale face, because his eyes grew soft as he looked at me. “Never you mind, Kate—I’m just an old fool, getting excited over nothing. Go on—

have fun at Kellie’s.”

“What?” Grandma whipped around. “Where are you going young lady?”

I sighed, and tightened my grip on my bag. “Lee’s mom is gone again, so I was going to stay with her so she won’t be alone. I’ll be back Sunday.”

“Why am I always the last to know?” She asked. Before I could answer, she threw her hands in the air. “Never mind. Shoosh. Go on, have fun. But next time, tell me before I buy enough steak to feed three growing girls, hmm?”

“I think I can take care of her share,” Grandpa assured her, patting his protruding waistline with a smug fondness.

“I got a salad for you, dear.”

His eyes narrowed. “Charlotte, I refuse to eat like a rabbit.” 98 K • • •

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“That’s what you get for eating like a carnivorous wolf for the past sixty years.”

“You’re exaggerating, woman, and you know it.” I excused myself from the room with a small smile, but they barely seemed to notice. They squabbled like, well, only an old couple can. They were so different from my parents, but in many ways, quite similar. It was equal amounts of wonderful and horrible to have them as a constant reminder of their absence.

The short drive to Lee’s house was basically an opportunity to think about the mysterious accidents in Santa Fe. True, the city was miles and miles away, but something that unexplainable and creepy didn’t have to be close to freak a person out. For a moment I wondered if Lee had a paper, or if she’d let me look it up on her computer. But then I remembered that I was going for normal me this weekend, so that meant no worrying about a news story. I was going to enjoy this time with Lee, end of story.

Lee was ready and waiting when I got there, the Play Station already on. We then spent far too many hours dueling each other on Guitar Hero to be considered healthy.

In a word, the evening was great. Exactly what I needed. We played, talked, watched movies—it was like old times. I didn’t once think about Patrick, or Aaron, or the ‘Death Train’. It was just me and Lee, and a lot of overdue girl time.

That night we watched older chick flicks until two in the morning, and then we fell asleep on the floor in front of the TV.

We ached a bit more than we used to in the morning, and Lee joked about us getting old. It was perfect.

Saturday was pretty much more of the same, except we went swimming for a couple hours before Lee announced she wanted to go shopping. She didn’t have enough black tops, and she said she could always use some more Gothic accessories.

So we drove into the city around three in the afternoon, and were soon walking in the mall. It wasn’t as big as some malls, but it was enough to satisfy the general shopping urges. Since I’d never

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gone shopping for the Gothic look, I followed Lee to the second level, and into a dimly lit store. The lights were on, but the overwhelmingly black merchandise must have absorbed all the light, because it was pretty hard to see. The music wasn’t really my style, nor was the carefully arranged assortment of clothing.

In minutes I was looking for an excuse to get out, and I found it when I saw a stand in the main area of the mall, selling sunglasses. I told her where I was going, and she nodded without looking up from between two shirts that looked really similar to me.

I couldn’t keep the grin off my face as I made my way out of the store, noticing once again how yellow Lee’s aura was, compared to the other customers and even the clerks.

Stepping out of that store was like stepping back into the living world. I felt like I could actually breath again. I headed for the sunglasses, and began browsing for the perfect pair. I was halfway around the cart when I felt someone step up behind me. I tensed, but he was speaking before I could turn around. It was a voice I knew, though not well.

“Hey there, thought that was you.” I spun around, clutching a pair of large sunglasses, and found myself face to face with Toni, the Invisible Man.

He was grinning from ear to ear, and for the first time I noticed that we were the same height—I might even be a little taller. He had dark brown hair, dark brown eyes, and his mischievous look was all too familiar. As was his silver aura.

“So,” I said slowly. “Are you visible right now, or am I talking to myself?”

He laughed a bit too loudly, and shoved his hands into his pockets. “I sure am, beautiful. So listen, uh, I’m sorry I haven’t actually had a chance to introduce myself. I’m Antonio Alvarez.

You can call me Toni.”

“I’d rather call you gone,” I retorted, turning back to the cart.

He chuckled. “You’re funny, eh? I thought so. Sorry about 100 K • • •

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scaring you, though.”

“You didn’t scare me.”

“Patrick told a different story.” I replaced the sunglasses I’d been holding, then I turned back to him, adopting the stern face I used when addressing my sisters.

“Did he? Well, you didn’t.”

“Whoa, now, let’s not get feisty,” he said, grinning and shaking his head. “I just thought I’d apologize if I scared you at all—

you know, with my whole mock haunting thing.” I stared at him, not buying his apology at all.

He squirmed a little under my stare, but then his joking manner was back. He pulled out his hands, raising them in defeat.

“Listen, no need to get upset, beautiful. I’m new to this whole thing, all right?”

“What thing? The going invisible thing?”

“Oops.” He paused with a small wince. “Eek, I’m in trouble now.” Then suddenly his grin was back. “But yeah, that.”

“So, are you mock haunting me now?”

“Not at all. Is it illegal for me to come to a mall or something?”

“Is that how invisible people spend their Saturdays?”

“That or sitting at home, bored. What do you think I’d choose?”

“I don’t know—I don’t know you.”

He grunted a little, but it wasn’t a negative sound. He was enjoying himself. “You pretend too, though. Also, while we’re on the subject—are you going to call him, or what?”

“Who?” I asked, though I knew very well who he meant. After all, Patrick was really the only thing we had in common.

Toni rolled his eyes. “Look, I can tell that you’re a tough girl or whatever, but you really need to talk to him. There are some things you’ve got to know—for your own safety.” His eyes suddenly widened, and he leaned quickly toward me, reaching out—I flinched aside, but he was reaching for a pair of glasses that had caught his eye, not for my throat. “They’re

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amazing!” He gasped, cradling them in his hands. “I’ve been looking for a pair like this for . . . for years!” I tried to calm my pounding heart by pressing a hand to my chest, and I couldn’t keep the glare off my face. “What’s your problem?”

He glanced over at me, still fondling the glasses. “At the moment? No moolah. Can you lend me fifteen bucks? Plus tax?”

“Why would I do that?” I asked, too shocked by his asking to sound appropriately upset.

“Cuz you’re beautiful and nice?” He tried.

“Not going to work,” I assured him.

That mischievous look was back. “I guess I could just go invisible and steal them.”

“You’re a creep,” I said, even as I started to dig through my purse. “You owe me,” I told him, though I wasn’t sure what made me say the words. Heaven knew I never wanted to see him again.

“Sure, sure, just hand it over,” he said greedily, hand open and waiting. I started to hand him the money, then I glimpsed the price tag. “They’re thirteen, you creep—not fifteen.”

“Whoops. My dyslexia.” His grin only widened. “It’s betting getter, though. Get it? Getting better, betting getter, eh?” I didn’t laugh at his joke, but for some reason I still handed him the money he needed. “Don’t try to swindle me again.”

“Swindle? People still use that word? What sort of nerd are you?” He saw my face, and reevaluated his next words. “Very well.

Never again. But by again, do you mean that you would like to see me again?”

“Just pay for those glasses and get away from me, all right?” I watched him carefully, just to be sure he’d actually pay for them and not just pocket the money, but as soon as the money was safely out of his hands I turned and started walking back toward the store where I’d left Lee.

Toni was right at my heels. “Didn’t you want a pair?”

“Not anymore. You spent my funds.” 102 K • • •

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“Want some ice cream? My treat.”

“Why are you trying to be nice to me all of a sudden?”

“Truthfully? I want you to call Patrick so he’ll go back to school, so I can have some time alone without his brooding company. That, and you’re beautiful.”

“Why would I go anywhere with you? I don’t even know what you are.”

“Ouch.” He clutched his shirt near his heart, grimacing. “That was a little harsh, don’t you think?”

“You’re not human.” I stated.

I shouldn’t have been surprised by his answer, but the easy way he said it made the words seem more out of place than they already were.

“Nope, I’m not—but does that mean I’m evil? No.” His eyes suddenly brightened, and he stopped walking. “Is that your hot friend? The Goth one?”

I followed his eyes, and saw Lee paying for her few purchases at the counter, several yards away from us. She hadn’t seen us yet, but that would change any second now.

“Go away,” I hissed, stepping in front of him to better block his view of Lee. I waved a hand at him, looking urgently over my shoulder at my best friend as I did so.

“You’re kidding, right? I’ve been wanting to talk to her for a whole week!” He moved to take a step forward, but I grabbed his arm in my harshest grip.

“Ow!” He protested. “Why do that? Why?”

“Disappear right now!” I ordered, tightening my grip on his arm.