The Gateway Through Which They Came (15 page)

His chubby friend says, “Cowboys…
in space
? It was brilliant!”

If it weren’t for my crappy mood, I’d ask them the name of this awesome show. Their conversation continues as they climb down the bleachers and head back toward campus. I imagine what other nerd talk could be happening right now and picture the two of them playing some live action role playing game. Wizards and dragons or some shit. I chuckle at the thought.

I’m almost alone, if I don’t count the couple making out by the field goal post, which is damn right disturbing. The guy looks about ready to eat her face off. I kind of feel bad for her. Near the end of my stretches, the couple leaves, the girl wiping away his slobber with the back of her hand.
Gross.
I shake it off and begin my sprints as a warm up.

The movement around campus settles down, and I assume no one’s left but me and the janitor. Oddly enough, I’m okay with that. It’s kind of comforting knowing it’s just me and Old Man Ned. He couldn’t care less about what I do as long as I stay out of his way.

The air is calm as I take it in, and I wonder then where the other Gateway went. Whoever it is has to be a member of our school, though it’s strange I’ve never felt it before. Maybe it’s someone new. I’ll have to be on the lookout from now on. To not be the only Gateway in school would be a welcomed change.

After I work up a sweat with sprints, I remove the phone from my backpack that rests along the sloshy grass. A quick text to my mom about practice is pointless, I realize. It’ll stay unread for a better part of a week. But being that I don’t plan on staying too late, I figure it’s no big deal.

The sun finally begins its descent by the time I’m ready to start my run. Shortly after the last of its rays sink below the horizon, the sky darkens with a thick wave of clouds rolling in like the makings of a storm. I have to do this before the rain picks up again. It would be easier if Trevor was here with his stopwatch to time me, but who am I kidding? I’m not really here to push my time limit. I’m here to forget about Koren, about the cloaked man, and all the other bullshit.

I shrug it all off for the time being, and count down in my head.

Ready… set… go!

After each loop around the track, I stop for a quick rest, then push myself even harder. The increasingly slick track beneath my feet is cause for concern. I’m worried that I might slip and break something.

I keep going.

My feet slip every so often, which only makes me run faster. Water kicks up from the track and splatters onto my legs every couple of seconds, but it’s nothing. I concentrate on inhaling through my nostrils and exhaling out my mouth, nice and controlled. The sound of my heart knocking against my chest keeps me company. I run for what feels like hours.

The field lights flicker on at some point, but I hardly notice. An ache in my lungs from the cold air rushing through builds into a pain so sharp, I feel defeated.

Just a little more,
I tell myself as I round the track to the finish line.

I’m nearly at the finish mark. The night’s almost over. My legs feel on the verge of giving out as I inch closer. Movement captures my attention, something lingering under the lights, near the end of the bleachers. It could be anything, anyone. Maybe the janitor is waiting to tell me to go home already. He’s done that on more than one occasion. But there’s something about the way the shadow stands still, facing my direction. As I grow nearer, it shrinks out of the light and into the darkest corner, its shape peeking from between the seats. My pace slows as I force my eyes to make out more features, but it’s hidden itself well beyond the reach of my vision.

The figure is tall, that much I can tell, but everything else about it blends into one solid mass. There are no characteristics to define what or who it is. Though I’m certain this thing is not Old Man Ned. The form is too inhuman to be anyone. My mind is blank. I’m walking as I cross the finish line and head in the direction of my bag with slow, steady steps. Keeping my eyes on the shadow, I fumble for my phone and hike the bag onto my shoulder. With a blink, the shadow disappears from under the bleachers, and the beads of sweat down my back grow cold with fear.

My heartbeat skyrockets as I turn in every direction, looking for the thing. It could be anywhere. I whip my head side to side, front and back, afraid that if I look in one place too long it’ll take me by surprise. What is this damn thing? Is it messing with me? I can feel something as if it’s wrapped itself around me, circling me in the dark. Before the dizziness can take over, I find it standing at the top of the bleachers, staring down at me.

I can see my breath in the cold air, rapid puffs one after the other. We watch each other, the shadow and me. What is it waiting for? Words form in my mind, but they’re caught somewhere in my throat. I’m stricken with terror as the black mass begins to descend the steps. It melts with the movement, gliding closer and closer. There are no feet, no legs, nothing that shows any sign of movement. There’s only the realization that it’s getting way too close, and I’m nothing but stone. I can’t move, even though a voice inside of me is screaming:
RUN!

Can this be him? The man from Redhead’s shared vision? But this isn’t a man. This isn’t anything. Just a thick, dark fog. It nears the end of the bleachers. The distinct shape of a head and disproportionate arms are the only things I can make out, until claw-like fingers form at its side. I open my mouth to call out, to ask for a name, but my skin prickles as the sound of its maniacal laughter drifts into the air. The sound is not booming, but like a disembodied voice traveling through an emptiness in the air that’s not quite from this world.

A long claw taps at its side in rhythmic movement, taunting me. The reality of the scene hits me. This isn’t a person in front of me. It’s not human at all. This realization awakens my body from its stupor, returning the mobility I need to run. As I head toward the school parking lot, phone in hand, I look behind me once to see if it follows. I can almost feel it nipping at my feet, but when I turn it’s not there. The shadow doesn’t pursue me. It’s not even moving.

I lose my footing, but recover enough to press on. I look back one last time before I reach the lot, and find the shadow staring back at me in triumph, its shoulders heaving with laughter as it evaporates into the silhouette of night.

slam into Izzie full force and realize my keys are still in my backpack.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” I toss it on the roof and rip the pouch open. Another second and I’m safely inside the confines of my car, jamming the keys into the ignition. Whatever the hell that thing is, I want nothing to do with it.

Should I call the cops? Should I report this to someone? There are about a dozen things I need to do, but getting the hell out of here is at the top of the list. I back out without looking and slam the gear into drive. I can hardly think straight.

A loud bang hits the driver side window and I’m convinced this is my last moment on earth. The shadow caught up with me. I’m done. My foot hits the brake instead of the gas out of habit. With my heart slamming into my chest, the beginning of a heart attack seems likely about now. I shake like a lunatic as I turn to find Koren of all people on the other side of the glass.

“Aiden! Open the door!” Her palm rests along the glass, her eyes wider than ever with desperation.

“What the hell are you doing here?” My body is in complete shock. I waver between wanting to open the door to let her in, and wanting to hit the gas and leave her ass behind. For the life of me, I can’t come up with one reason for her being here. Why
is
she here?

“Please,” she begs. “Let me in!” She slaps her palm against the window as if her pleas aren’t clear enough.

What am I supposed to do? Whatever is out there can get to her, too.

I reach across to the passenger door and unlock it. Her face sets with relief as she hurries around the front of the car and throws the door open. The second the door clicks shut, I hit the gas. Beneath us the tires screech as we barrel through the parking lot and onto Hillsdale Highway.

Awkward seconds pass between us like two people meeting for the first time. With how much time we’ve spent apart, the truth of that isn’t too far off. I keep my eyes on the road, trying to forget the disturbing shape on the bleachers. I can’t make sense of it. Of the shadow. Of Koren. This is getting seriously weird.

My heart finally starts beating at a normal rhythm, and I’m able to loosen my grip on the wheel. Each red light turns green as we approach, and I’m thankful they’re on my side. Right now, stopping isn’t an option. Koren stares out the window, her silence becoming more mysterious as time goes on. How much longer does she expect me to sit here with no explanations?

Seven months ago, I would have sat here with her for as long as she’d let me, never asking much more than that. She could have blown me off for Justin, but I’d forgive, waiting until she needed me again. I can’t do that anymore.

“Koren. What—?”

“Can you take me home?”

I’m taken aback and cast a quick glance in her direction. The skin of her face is paler than it was yesterday. The shadows under her eyes are more enunciated in the blackness of the car, giving her the appearance of a girl suffering a hundred degree fever.

“Are you okay? Do you need me to take you to a hospital or—”

“I’m fine,” she says, her voice shaking.

Did she see the shadow? Was she confronted by it? I don’t know whether to ask or allow us to continue driving in silence. Doesn’t take long for me to figure out which.

“What were you doing at the school? Didn’t you go home?” I blurt it out quickly in case she attempts to cut me off again.

I turn down Crestline Drive in search of Koren’s house, or at least where she used to live. She doesn’t stop me or tell me I’m going in the wrong direction, so I continue on.

Koren sighs. “I left some things in my locker. I was hoping to get there before the school locked down.”

“At eight o’ clock at night? Koren, you know they lock the doors earlier than that.” I pause before I ask, “What were you really doing there?”

I don’t expect her to answer, so it surprises me that she says, “Checking on you.”

Immediately, the tension in the car thickens. Why in the world would Koren Banks check on me out of the blue? How did she even know I was there?

“That doesn’t make any sense.” I gotta be honest with myself, Koren is teetering on the edge of creepy. I hate thinking it and instantly clear it from my mind.

For the first time since she sat down, she looks at me. As I idle at the stop sign on her street, I’m paralyzed by her. The way I feel when she looks at me like that, it’s what I missed about her. That feeling she creates inside of me makes me want to reach out and brush my hand against her cheek. To pull her face toward mine. That look in her eyes makes a fire erupt in my chest that I can’t ever put out.

“I was worried about you,” she says. Sadness strains from her blue eyes that used to carry so much life.

I reach for her hand and she lets me. “You don’t have to worry about me.”