by Shelly Crane
He was nuts.
“So, Maggie,” one of the drummers said as he passed me and stopped by the door. “Where are you from?”
“Tennessee.”
“Ah, so that’s where Caleb met you. I thought you were just his little beach bunny.”
“Nope, I’m afraid not.”
“So you go to school with him?”
“Not yet. I’ll start in the fall.”
“Shame,” he muttered.
“What is?”
“You are wasting a good mind on mundane government brainwashing schooling. Think about it. Where has this country been headed in the past sixty years? The pit! That’s where!” He pointed to emphasize his point. My eyebrows rose at his vehemence. “A socialist society is where we’re headed my friend. Then The Man will be all over us. You think it’s bad now? Ha! Just wait until you can’t even grab a burger without Big Brother knowing whether you ate pickles on it or not.”
Caleb walked swiftly towards us and leaned forward to whisper loudly to him.
“Careful, Spence, they could be listening.”
“Ah, come on, man!” He pushed Caleb off and scoffed. “You think this isn’t real?” Caleb took my hand and led me laughing to the Jeep. Spence kept yelling after us. “It’s real, Maggie! Don’t go to school, man. It’s just one step closer to the end for you if you do!”
“What is he talking about?” I asked as Caleb put me in my side.
“Conspiracy theory,” he laughed as we pulled out.
“Aha. Well, you guys sound really good.”
“Really? I feel so stupid now for agreeing to do this. They are...too eccentric for me. I just wanted to play.”
“You did great,” I soothed and rubbed his hand on the gear shift knob. “Who cares? It’s just one show and you’ll have fun.”
“Yeah, you’re right. Just gotta suck it up. So what was your favorite song?”
“Um...the one about the sun sizzling into the ocean.” He laughed hard. “What?”
“Zeke wrote that song about his cat.”
“His cat,” I repeated blandly.
“Yep, Peaches, she ran away.”
“I’d run away too,” I muttered under my breath, making him laugh harder.
When we pulled into the driveway, I don’t know what I expected to find. The house was dark, sleeping bodies inside it. There was a half moon in the sky. I looked at it, comparing it to the Jacobson family crest tattoo that everyone wore on the inside of their wrist. Once again, envy inched its way inside. I wanted one. One day, even if I had to pull a Gran to get one, I’d have one.
“You coming, babe? That moon is just as pretty from our bedroom window,” Caleb called and beckoned me to him with a waggle of his fingers.
We made it to the porch before we heard the giggling. I knew that giggle. I peeked around the back porch and saw Amber and Kyle in the pool together. He was shh’ing her and watching the windows to make sure no one woke up. His mind was racing. He wanted to be in the pool with Amber, what guy wouldn’t, but he was still secretly concerned about his aunt and uncle finding out. He had no intentions of this thing going anywhere with Amber but he didn’t want the drama.
Amber’s mind was way too dirty and vivid and I yanked out of it immediately uttering an ‘Eeew’.
“Ditto,” Caleb said and pulled my hand for us to go inside. “Kyle is such an idiot,” his whispered as we walked through the dark house.
Once inside our room, aka the den, he turned his back so I could change into my pajamas. These days, that consisted of his band t-shirts and boxers or some sleep pants. I know. It was kinda weird. It scared even me. I mean, we’d only known each other two weeks. Two weeks! That was it. It was so strange yet exciting to feel so primed and ready for something. I’ve never felt more ready to be or do anything that I was to be Caleb’s significant.
Now...marriage and living together and kids and joint checking accounts was another story.
But for now, even though this time had been short, we’d grown comfortable around each other. And I loved to wear his clothes. Every since that night after Marcus’s attempt to kidnap me and Caleb changed my wet clothes, putting me in some of his, I couldn’t sleep in anything else. And he loved to see me wear them. It was a mutual thing. My camisoles would have to be on hold anyway because we slept in the middle of the living room where anyone could walk in and they often did.
We climbed into our couch bed, I was last and forgot to turn off the light. I groaned and banged my head on the pillow, so not wanting to get up and all of a sudden, the lights went off. I sat up quickly in the moonlight.
“Caleb. Did you get up?”
“No. Why? What?”
“I didn’t turn that light off.”
“Okaaaay,” he sang, clearly not understanding.
“No. I didn’t get out of bed and turn the lamp off. I just...” The thought came to me.
Just like in the Jeep with the keys. I banged my fist and almost...willed it to start. We’d never talked about it since and I’d actually forgotten about it until now with so much going on.
I concentrated and focused on the lamp. I wanted it to turn back on. But it didn’t. I laughed at myself for thinking I had some kinda extra special power or something. It was just a fluke, right?
“I saw what happened that day. I’d forgotten about it too. There is something to it, I think. Try again,” he coaxed softly and sat up next to me.
I focused and it just sat there. I glared at it in the dark corner and said in my mind for it to come on, flip the switch, burn bright. Wished it would do something. It continued to disobey. I slapped my hand down on the bed in frustration.
“Dang it.”
The light came on.
Caleb gasped a surprised breath and put a hand on my leg.
“Maggie,” he whispered in awe. “Try again, baby. Turn it off.”
I tried and once again it did nothing. Not even a blink. I was completely confused and I could feel Caleb was too. I huffed and the room went black again.
“Why does it only do it sometimes,” I asked in a hushed angry tone in the dark.
“I think...I think it has to do with your emotions or something. It only seems to do it when you’re frustrated.”
“So what do I do?”
“Get mad.”
I blew a breath. Get mad… I thought about Amber in the pool. Girls like that who just burn my…
The lights turned on.
“Ha!” I laughed surprised and strangely giddy.
“You did it! Maggie,” he sighed and rubbed his hand on my leg.
“What is this?”
“I have no idea. I mean we’ve had a techno-path in the family before but this is something different. Try something else.”
Kyle interrupted him by tapping on the window gently.
“Will you cut it out?” Kyle hissed a muffled complaint. “You’re going to wake everyone up. What’s with the light show?”
“Just shut up and go back to your pool date,” Caleb sneered, turning his back on him and focusing on me. “Ok, let’s try something else, something not mechanical. Um...swing the door open.”
“Ok, I’ll try.”
I thought about how Bish has been such a jerk to me the past few days, warranted or not. I pictured the door opening...right on Bish’s big toe. The door swung slowly and silently to a wide open position.
“I knew it. You can do anything can’t you?” Caleb said in fascination and enjoyment.
“I have no idea what I can do.”
“I’m sure Bish would appreciate the gesture too,” he said and grinned. He pulled back the covers and stood up, beckoning me to him with a hand out. I looked at him questioningly. “What? You think I can sleep after that?”
“Where are we going?” I asked but let him pull me up to stand with him.
“Come on, let’s go see what else you can do,” he said slyly. We slipped on our flip flops and a couple of his hoodie jackets.
He p
ulled me down to the beach and made me practice moving shells, flinging sand into the air, a poor unfortunate crab was probably scared to death as I finally got something to hover in the air between us. I found out I could do just about anything. Things and objects of all kinds obeyed my mental commands if I was angry or upset or frustrated enough. Eventually, it took a toll and I was exhausted.
Caleb sat in the sand and I practically collapsed in his lap. I pulled my bare legs up and wrapped my arm around them. It felt amazing outside. Caleb pulled his hood up and then mine for me. He leaned back a little against the dune and nestled me closer. He was beaming and radiating with pride and love.
He had helped me and encouraged me all night. He would touch me to help keep my emotions in check and then we’d start again as his heartbeat banged away next to mine in my chest from all our melding.
His warm hand came up to rub my legs to keep them warm as I felt my eyelids start to droop. He kissed my forehead and sighed.
My eyes popped open. I looked up at him quickly, remembering something.
“Ah, Caleb, I’m sorry I keep doing this to you,” I rasped.
He was reading my thought and shook his head, no.
“Maggie, I’m happy for you. I’m not jealous.”
“No, I wouldn’t think you’re jealous. I just...”
“I know, but you think it bothers me. It doesn’t, not that you have so many abilities. I can definitely handle that. I’m not worried about my ability at all right now. I have a place, right here.” He squeezed me. “I don’t need anything else right now. I’m so proud of you,” he whispered and then took my chin between his thumb and finger, kissing me so very gently.
“Gosh, Caleb,” I sighed and shook my head and put my hands on his chest. “You have too much faith in me.”
“Why do you say that?”
He turned me on his lap to look at him so he could see my face, my legs on both sides of him.
“I just hope...I turn out to be what everybody expects,” I muttered softly.
“You will,” he said surely. “I have no doubt about that.”
“Well, I’m glad one of us does.”
He chuckled quietly.
“You’re so funny, you know that? It’s still my favorite thing about you.” I just smiled a wry smile. “Are you tired?” he asked and tucked my hair tighter under my hood.
“Yes, very.”
He pulled me back to lie on his chest and rubbed my back.
“Sleep, Maggie.”
“On the beach,” I asked and it broke with a yawn.
“Yep,” he chuckled.
“You’ve slept on the beach before?”
“We used to camp out all the time when we were kids. You’ve never?”
“Never.”
“Well there’s a first time for everything.”
Under his warm soothing hands, I fell right to sleep.
~ Ten ~
I woke with overly warm breath on my face. I crinkled my nose and I thought Caleb’s breath was awful bad this morning. My eyes peeked open and I was licked on the cheek by a fluff of blonde.
“Bella,” I crooned. “Did someone let you out? Huh?” I said as I scratched her scruff.
“She really has taken to you,” Caleb said, startling me.
I didn’t know he was awake, but I could tell from his tone he was happy about Bella’s and my blossoming relationship.
“Yeah, she has. She’s a sweet girl. Us girls gotta stick together, don’t we,” I crooned to her.
“I’m trying not to be jealous.”
“Jealous of me or Bella?” I asked with a little smile and a raised eyebrow.
“Either.”
I giggled and accepted his kiss but Bella was having none of it. She nuzzled her nose in between us.
“Alright, you,” Caleb said and pushed her away playfully. “Go lay down.”
She trotted about six feet away and plopped down on the sand.
“Now,” he pulled me back to him with a hand on the nape of my neck. He kissed my lips sweet and long. “Good morning.”
“Morning,” I breathed, dazed.
“So, did you like sleeping on the beach?”
“Yeah,” I pulled my hood down and looked around. Caleb smoothed my hair for me, I’m sure it was a mess. “I love the beach. Can we move here? Buy a little yellow beach house with a wrap around porch and just never leave,” I said and snuggled into his chest, wrapped in my fantasy.
He sighed. It was a very loaded sigh. I realized what I’d just done. I just made plans… albeit hypothetical plans, but plans none the less. Caleb had wanted to talk about me moving in with him when we went to school for a week now. And I had studiously avoided it from the beginning.
“I will do whatever it takes,” he said softly, “to get you to move in with me. Anything you’ll let me do if you’ll allow me to take care of you the way I was meant to. I want to buy you a house and if I have to move to California to do it, I will.”
I didn’t know what to say to that, it was still scary to think about being married and having my own house. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to be with him. I wasn’t doubtful of our always being together. It wasn’t just the being young thing and people thinking I was hillbilly either, even though that was front and center. The label of marriage just brought something different to the table. I wasn’t sure what. But my mom didn’t honor the vow. She just left. Why couldn’t we just be together and not worry about that right now? No, Dad would freak about my living with a guy and that’s not what I wanted nor believed in either.
Caleb had a point about living with him, also. It would be impossible for him to reach me with conflicting class schedules while living in the dorm.
Wow, I was being so stupid. The answer was right there in front of me. Marry the man. Live with him and be happy and prosper.
Why was I being such a silly idiot about it all?
I looked up at Caleb from under my lashes to see him watching me work it all out. His face was anxious and hopeful. When I stayed silent and continued to stare into his ocean of blue eyes he sighed and framed my face with his big warm loving hands.
“Maggie, marry-”
A deep sharp bark interrupted as Bella jumped and bounded up the beach. We looked behind us to see Kyle and Amber coming our way. I looked back to Caleb knowing full well what he was going to ask me. He looked back at me, smiling sadly and we waited for the annoying giggling to reach us, only then did we look away.
“Hey, guys. Wow, did you sleep out here?” Amber asked with a high voice and I glared incredulously at her thoughts.
Mmmm. The beach...maybe tomorrow night Kyle and I should change venues.
Kyle gave me a look for my glare and I rolled my eyes looking away.
Those two are seriously trying to show me up.
“So romantic,” she crooned.
“Yes. It is,” I said looking at Caleb, offering a little smile and then leaned my head back on Caleb chest and shut everyone out.
With his arms wrapped around me I could feel the rumbling deep in his chest as he and Kyle conversed, but I didn’t hear the words. I was in a mental state of shock, awe, happiness, fright and most importantly, unbelief. This just couldn’t be my life. Sleeping on the beach with warm loving arms around me, being almost proposed to as we snuggled in the sand, blocking out annoying chatter from my mind with just a thought. I was so very lucky and so very scared. I’d always wanted to be special and important and now that I was, I wasn’t so sure anymore.
I was the Visionary. It was time I accepted that and learn exactly what that meant. Then it hit me, we had to call the Reunification meeting early. There was no other way around it. I had to meet these people and understand exactly what it was that everyone was doing in the present day that was wrong when they were powerless and without abilities. It was strange to me that the ones who had already ascended got to keep their abilities. It was only the ones who hadn’t ascended who were affected. That had to mean somethi
ng.
I glanced up to see Amber fluttering her hands as Bella tried to lick her hand.
“Ooh, ooh, get it away!”
“Come here, girl,” Caleb ordered softly and she dropped her head on my leg as she lay down beside us. He rubbed her ears. “She just wants some loving.”
“Well, she’s way too big and slobbery.” She wiped her hands on Kyle’s shirt. “My Pomeranian is way cuter and not so disgusting.”
Caleb cocked a brow at her and then Kyle, who just looked at the sky and shook his head. He had nothing to say to that.
“She’s not disgusting,” I sang to Bella. “You’re a sweet big girl.” I looked up at Amber. “She’s really sweet and soft and lovey. She can’t help it she’s so fluffy.”
She looked at me, almost like she was sorry for something, but her mind just flitted right on to the dogs again before I could grasp anything. She seemed like she was trying to not think about something awfully hard, like it hurt her to.
“Well...whatever, I just don’t like big dogs. Kyle, you ready to walk me home?”
“You live like three streets over,” he said and looked back at the house. “Can’t you just scurry home real quick like and I’ll see you later?”
“You’re not going to walk me home?” she asked and put her tan hands on her hips.
I was thinking the same thing actually. What kind of jerk wouldn’t walk the girl home after he spent all night with her in the pool regardless of what they did?
“Yeah, Kyle,” Caleb smirked and nodded his head at her. “Walk her home.”
“Everyone will be up soon,” Kyle said and glanced back to the house again.
“Maybe you should take responsibility for the things you choose to do,” Caleb said, not unkindly, just matter-of-factly. “If you’re ready to hang out all night and rebel, then you’re ready to walk the girl home and make sure she gets there safely.”
