by Kelli Kimble
“There’s just something we don’t know,” I said. “She’s the only one who can help us.”
“No, Nim. I mean it. If you examine the motives of everyone involved . . . then only people like us will benefit. The upper people, they’d never allow us to rise. This has to be coming from our class. Our people.”
I glanced back to the house. The man was visible again in the kitchen window. He was opening cabinets and pulling things out. “We have to wait for my aunt,” I said, turning to face Elton. “She loves me. She’ll help us. We’ve never even met that man.”
Elton clenched his fists and closed his eyes.
“Elton, she’ll help,” I insisted. “I know she will.”
“All right,” he finally said. “We’ll wait for your aunt.”
A cluster of telepathic kids walked by on the street. Soon, the neighborhood would be active again, with people coming home for the night. The man slid out the back door and around to the front, walking away, as if he belonged. Nobody questioned him.
“Maybe we should check to see if he left the door unlocked,” I said.
“No. We’ll wait until its dark, when your aunt is home. Like we said.”
“Okay.” I wished for the hundredth time we had something to eat. I longed to go to the kitchen to eat whatever the man had left on the floor to go bad. Too bad Arisa didn’t keep any snacks in her playhouse.
Rue and Arisa finally arrived home at around five. Rue let the dog out the back door, and it ran directly over to the playhouse and began sniffing around. Thankfully, it didn’t bark, and she didn’t notice it was paying a lot of attention to the house. It growled several times, but Rue opened the door again some time later and broadcast for it to come and eat. The dog ran back to the house without a second glance back at us.
When darkness fell, we inched to the back door, keeping our eyes out for the kimono people, or anyone else who might be dangerous.
I knocked on the door, and Spot immediately began to bark. We hung back, away from the light coming through the window.
Rue was yelling at the dog to shut up, and the curtain flicked aside as she looked to see who was at the door. She didn’t see us, and she opened the door to look out. Hello? she said. Spot was pushing at her legs, trying to get by.
I moved forward, into the light. “Aunt Rue? Can I come in?”
Nimisila! Where have you been? Everyone is looking for you. Are you all right? Come inside!
I followed her in, jerking my head for Elton to follow.
We went in, and she shut the door. Where have you been? You didn’t go home last night, and you didn’t go to school today. Your mother is worried sick.
“My mom is okay? She’s at home?” I grabbed Elton’s hand and squeezed. None of this was as bad as we’d thought. Everything was going to be okay.
She turned to the stove, where something in a pot was boiling over. She tended to it as she answered, Where else would she be?
Arisa was sitting in her child-size chair at the table. She banged a spoon against her plate. Nim! Take me to the swing, Nim!
“Hi, Arisa,” I said as I went over to give her a squeeze. I pulled her from her seat and hugged her. She laughed out loud; her laugh wasn’t as bad as most telepaths’ were.
Don’t touch her. Put her down, Aunt Rue said. She advanced on me. She was holding the spoon she’d just been using, and she was brandishing it at me.
“What?” Confused, my grip loosened on Arisa, and she slid down my side, until her feet touched the floor. She cowered behind me, afraid of the suddenly angry expression on her mother’s face.
Why did you come here? You’ve put us at risk. Your baby cousin! How could you be so selfish?
I put a hand on Arisa’s head and took a step backwards. “I . . .” But, my voice trailed off. My aunt wasn’t going to help.
“It was my idea,” Elton said. “I thought you could get us to our families. You seemed to know something about what’s going on—”
I do know, and I know I’m as good as dead if I help you, and I know from the state of my house when I got home that they were already here. What if they’re still out there, watching? Huh? Did you think of that? They could know I’m talking to you. They could think I’ve told you things.
“But, you haven’t,” I said. “We’re only kids. We didn’t know where to go.”
She dropped the spoon and stood ramrod-straight. I’ve got to get you out of here, she said. She turned and shoved some food into a bag: A few rolls; an apple; a wedge of cheese. She thrust it at me. Wait here. She grabbed Alisa by the hand; she was still crying, and, at the sudden aggression of her mother yanking her to the door, she began howling in earnest. Rue left through the back door, throwing a look of utter contempt at me as she closed it behind her.
“What do we do?” I asked.
“She said to stay here,” Elton said.
“But, we can’t trust her! Weren’t you listening? She isn’t going to help us. She’s trying to save herself.”
“Then, let’s go,” he said. He grabbed the doorknob, but it was too late. It swung open again, and Rue was standing there—without Arisa.
“Where’s the baby?” I asked, craning my head to see around her. I couldn’t believe she’d hurt Arisa—but I also couldn’t believe my own aunt was looking at me like I’d committed murder.
At a neighbor’s, she snapped. Get your things and come on. She grabbed me by the collar and pushed me out the door ahead of her. Elton followed behind. She went through the backyard, around the back fence, and to the alley. It was darker back there, since most of the houses were closer, and many of them had fences similar to Rue’s. She turned to the right, up the alley, keeping me at arms’ length and looking behind us every few moments to make sure Elton was still there. I told you two not to tell anyone about your ability, she said.
“We didn’t,” I said.
That doesn’t make sense. The others came forward, asking questions and looking for advice. They couldn’t have known you had abilities otherwise.
“We didn’t tell anyone,” Elton insisted.
They did the experiment on your whole class. They knew it wouldn’t work on everyone. They were looking for the ones who were naturally attuned.
“We asked questions,” Elton said. “About Talika.”
She shook me by the shirt. I told you to forget about that worthless girl!
My teeth rattled together. “She’s not worthless,” I said. “She’s my best friend.”
Then, you deserve whatever happens to you.
Tears immediately came to my eyes. My own aunt didn’t care what happened to me.
We came to the end of the street, and Rue turned sharply left, pulling me off-balance. I struggled to stay on my feet, and my shirt choked me. But, she tightened her grip. Whatever happens now is your fault. You hear me? Your fault. Don’t come back to my house and leave Arisa alone. Got it? She shook me again.
Tears were openly falling down my face, but she either couldn’t see them or didn’t care. She pushed me down another alley, to the right, off the street. I could hear Elton breathing heavily behind us. He didn’t say anything more. He was probably afraid of what other cruel things Rue might reveal.
You didn’t answer, she said. You stay away. Away. Got it? She stopped and pulled me closer so that I was looking directly into her face. Surely, she could see me crying now, but even in the dim light, I could see her face was contorted with anger, not sympathy. Stop your sniveling. They won’t like it.
She opened a garden gate and pushed me into a backyard. The lights were on in the two-story house, and there were backlit shadows moving over the shades. She reached back and grabbed Elton with her other hand, forcing him in front of her, and she frog-marched us up the steps to the back door.
Knock, she demanded.
I flinched but didn’t raise a hand. I didn’t want the attention of whoever was inside.
Do it! She brought her arms roughly together, so that Elton and I we
re crushed against each other.
Elton knocked.
The movement inside stopped, and a light flicked on over the door. It was bright, and we both raised our arms to shield our eyes. The door opened, and a dark figure was in the doorway, the lights inside keeping their face in shadow.
I found these two, lurking, Aunt Rue said. I know you were looking for them.
A hand came down to rest on my shoulder and squeezed. “Elton, Nimisila! We’ve been worried about you. Won’t you come in?”
I knew the voice. I dropped my arm and squinted to see the speaker.
“Mrs. Darit?” Elton asked.
It was only Mrs. Darit. My insides felt like they were sagging to the ground. Our teacher. She would help us.
“Come in, come in,” she said. Rue gave me one last shove and released my shirt. I tripped over the threshold, and Mrs. Darit caught me. “Easy, there, Nimisila. Where have you been? Everyone has been so worried about you two.” She ushered us in, and someone else went to the door to talk to Aunt Rue. They were talking only to each other and not broadcasting, but Rue’s face was first angry, and then worried. When I last saw her, she appeared to be pleading.
Good.
Mrs. Darit guided us into her kitchen and showed us to the table. “Are you hungry? Let me get you something. How about a nice sandwich?”
I nodded, eager for anything to eat. Now that I was starting to calm down, the force of my hunger was hitting me hard. I glanced at Elton. He was sitting straight up in his chair, staring at a fixed point somewhere across the room. I elbowed him. “Elton? Do you want something?”
He started. “Um, what?”
“Would you like a sandwich?” Mrs. Darit asked.
“Okay,” he said.
She turned to a cabinet and pulled down a pair of plates, then rooted around in the refrigerator. “You two must have been on quite an adventure,” she said. She produced some bread and meat and began forming a sandwich. “As soon as I have you settled with this, I’m going to call your mothers. They were both at the school today, torn to pieces that you couldn’t be found. I tried to reassure them that it was probably just a silly game, but they were quite worried anyway.” She pushed a plate in front of each of us. “It was just a silly game, right?”
I gave a halfhearted laugh. “Yeah,” I said. “It was all just a game.”
She went back to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of milk, then poured us each a glass. My mouth watered. I’d not had milk since I was weaned off a bottle. It had been later than most kids; milk was cheaper than feeding me solid food. But, at some point, they’d realized I had to eat real food.
I ripped into my sandwich. But, Elton kicked my leg. I glanced at him, my mouth full, as I barely chewed the food and prepared to swallow it so that I could shove more in.
He picked up his sandwich with his pinkies in the air, nibbled at a corner of it, set it down, then looked at me pointedly.
I sighed. I was eating like a pig. I slowed my eating enough to pay attention to Mrs. Darit again. After she set our milk on the table, she retreated several steps away. Her eyes were closed, and I recognized her stance as one a telepath takes when they are trying to direct their thoughts to someone who isn’t in close proximity.
“Everything is okay,” I whispered to Elton.
He shook his head, but he continued to eat.
“No, really. This is our teacher,” I gestured at her. “She’s going to help us.”
He set his sandwich down. “She is faking it, Nimisila. She probably isn’t calling our parents. She’s probably telling the kimono people where to find us.”
The food turned chalky in my mouth. “You really think so?” I said, swallowing. I reached for the milk and gulped at it, trying to force the half-chewed bits of sandwich down my constricted throat.
Before he could answer, Mrs. Darit turned around and sat down at the table across from us. “I’ve called your parents, and they’ll be here shortly. They’re quite relieved to hear you are safe.” She smiled and cocked her head. Suddenly, her expression didn’t seem so genuine.
“They’re coming here to pick us up?” I asked.
“Of course,” she said. She trailed her fingers on the table in a circular motion, drawing her fingers together, and then splaying them apart. “Why don’t you tell me about your adventure while you wait? Where have you been?”
Elton coughed, spraying milk across the table. I smacked him on the back as he coughed a few more times, then wiped his face with the back of his hand. “Sorry, Mrs. Darit.”
“Are you all right?” she asked. She mopped up the splatter of milk and bits of chewed food with a towel, throwing it in the sink when she was finished.
“Yes, I’m fine. I just swallowed something down the wrong pipe, is all.”
“Well. You were going to tell me what you’ve been up to.”
“It’s like you said,” Elton said. He had his best butt-kissing smile on. “We decided it would be fun to spend the night camped out.”
“How exciting,” she said. “Where did you camp? Did you have a tent?”
He shook his head. “No,” he said. “We stayed in Nimisila’s cousin’s playhouse.”
She nodded. “That’s interesting. You stayed there all night, and all day, until it was dark?”
“Yeah,” he said. He tucked back into his sandwich.
“Mrs. Darit?” I asked.
“Yes, Nimisila?”
“Why did my aunt bring us here? I mean, if our parents are so worried, why didn’t she take us home?”
Mrs. Darit squinted menacingly for a fraction of a second. But, she recovered quickly. “Oh, well, obviously, a single mother like your dear Aunt Rue doesn’t have time to scurry off to a dozen places on such short notice.”
“But, Arisa was with a neighbor. Or she could have even come with us. She likes it when I carry her.”
Mrs. Darit nodded, “Hmm. Yes. Well. Most children do.” She glanced at Elton’s glass. “Oh, Elton. Let me get you another glass of milk.” She went to the refrigerator and retrieved the milk bottle. She was poised to pour more into his glass, when someone knocked at the back door. “That’ll be one of your parents, I’m sure,” she said. She put the milk bottle down and went to the door. When she swung the door open, it blocked our view of whoever it was. She stood there silently for a few moments.
Elton leaned over to me. “Should we run?” he whispered.
“Where would we go?” I said.
He shrugged. “She’s about to turn us over. If that were my mom, she would’ve pushed past Mrs. Darit as soon as the door was open a crack, and either one of our parents would be talking out loud.”
I turned to look over his shoulder, but the world tilted on its side. “Whoa,” I said. I clutched the chair, trying to keep from falling over. “Elton,” I said. My tongue felt like a dead slug sitting in my mouth. I wanted to spit it out; it felt so gross. I tried to reach out for Elton, but my arm left a trail of light behind it, which I was momentarily fascinated by. “Something is wrong with me,” I finally said.
But, Elton didn’t answer. His eyes rolled back into his head, and he fell forward, plunking his ear right into the leftover crust of his sandwich.
Mrs. Darit was coming back. Her voice was distant. “Nimisila, someone is here for you,” she said.
I struggled to focus on her—on anything. There was someone behind her. He was dark and blurry. He swam in and out of focus, but I knew who he was.
The man in the grey kimono was here for us.
We definitely weren’t going home.
But, before I could protest, everything disappeared.
Chapter 4
There was sound first. It was fuzzy, and it faded in and out. A clear word or two broke through, but I couldn’t make sense of it. Was it another language? Before I could decide if it was, I became aware of the need to vomit. I was laying on a flat surface—maybe a bed? I tried to lean over to throw up on the floor, but I couldn’t move. I succeed
ed only at turning my head and vomiting onto my shoulder. It was warm and smelled bad, and I heaved again, and again. It seemed like there was no end to what was in my stomach. I don’t know how that could have been, since I could have easily gone an entire week without eating such a volume of food. Spit and bile was dribbling from my mouth, and I tried to raise a hand to wipe it away. But, my hand wouldn’t move. I turned my head away from the vomit and tried to settle myself. What was happening? Exhaustion kept my eyes sealed shut, but it still felt as though I could hear something going on around me. Or maybe I was alone. Was I?
A short while later, I managed to whimper. My eyes still wouldn’t open, and my hands were still strangely unresponsive. I tested my legs and feet, and found they were unresponsive, as well.
There was a clicking sound in front of me, then a rough hand grabbed at my face. It forced my left eye open, and an intensely bright light shined into it.
Another wave of nausea swept over me, and I jerked my head away from their grasp, then turned back to my soiled shoulder. Strangely, my eye didn’t close, and as I vomited again, I saw that I was vomiting on a clean, white shirt, and the surface I was laying on was also clean and white.
“What?” I asked. My throat was sore and raw, my voice raspy. My eyelid got heavy and began to droop closed.
Nimisila? It’s me. Talika. Don’t answer me. Give me the eye signal. Can you do that? Blink your left eye if you can hear me.
Talika? Blink my left eye?
Come on, Nim. You can do it. Shake off the drugs. Just blink your left eye one time. That’s all. Once.
I mustered every ounce of concentration and focus. My left eye flickered, maybe halfway open.
Good. That’s great, Nim. That’s all I needed. Just try to settle down and rest, now. Someone’s going to clean you up.
I didn’t know what she meant, but things were getting fuzzy again. I didn’t want them to get fuzzy; I wanted to open my eyes and figure out what was going on. But, it was like trying to scrape a spoon of food out of an empty can. It wasn’t going to happen. I allowed the slow slide back into the strange quiet because I couldn’t do anything to stop it.
