Wake Up

by Brooke De Lira

  Before I could plan a smarter move, Luke lunged forward with log held high over his head.

  “Luke, no!”

  He swung the log down with a grunt, but it passed right through the wild dog’s muzzle. Luke dropped the useless piece of wood. Before he could back away, the wolf’s teeth caught him by the sweatshirt.

  I leaped forward to help Luke quickly shrug off his hoodie, leaving just his white T-shirt underneath. The wolf shook the hoodie like a chew toy, red saliva dripping from his mouth. While the beast was distracted, I grabbed Luke by the wrist and launched him far from the wolf with all the mind power I could muster.

  “Get to the truck. I’ll catch up!”

  I could tell he wanted to argue, but the return of the wolf’s attention changed his mind. The beast dropped the shredded hoodie, barking at Luke. With a snarl, he lunged forward, but Luke was far enough ahead to leap into the underbrush.

  I whistled to bring the creature’s attention back to me. His ears perked, and with a growl, he lumbered toward me, holding his massive jaw agape.

  Adrenaline coursed through my body, but I stood my ground. I was getting to Jimmy Olson, and nothing this creature did was going to stop me.

  I swung my hands down, and like an osprey’s wings, they propelled me upwards in a burst of wind. I flew through the cool air, soaring over the trees for a few long seconds. Frigid wind swept across my skin, and in that moment, I knew I was breaking rule number one. The more I used my powers to control my dream, the more dangerous my predicament became. When I landed in a nearby patch of woods, I stumbled through raspberry bushes that scraped and cut against my exposed skin.

  It was only after a few shaky seconds that it dawned on me. I had absolutely no idea where I had fallen, or where I was running. I stopped to catch my breath, letting the rush of adrenaline subside.

  The forest was quiet. I must have evaded the wolf, at least for now. But there was a new problem.

  I spun around slowly, peering through the forest of pine and hardwood that went on endlessly. I was lost.

  I checked the phone in my pocket, and my heart jumped. How was it already four o’clock?

  Sitting down cross-legged, I considered my next move. I couldn’t panic. Not now. I had to think. The clouded sky meant no sun for directions. Maybe I could make a compass.

  I let out a long exhale. Of course. Aiden and I had navigated Shy Harbor enough to know the town was almost due east from this part of the woods. I wanted to smack myself for not thinking of it sooner.

  I closed my fist. When I opened my hand again, I held a small, metal-encrusted compass. But something was wrong.

  The needle spun in circles endlessly, never finding True North. I closed my eyes and willed it to fix itself, but when I opened my eyes, the needle still spun. I couldn’t help but wonder whether this had something to do with my fading consciousness.

  Meow.

  I snapped my eyes up to see a white cat with long fur seated before me, tail wrapped neatly around its paws. My skin prickled when I met its eyes. Black, just like the Intruders. With another meow, it vanished. I leaped to my feet, scanning the forest around me. It appeared again some yards ahead.

  It trotted away, then stared over its shoulder with its empty eyes, as if calling me to follow. I had no reason to trust some mysterious Intruder cat, but something about its presence seemed so non-threatening, even comforting, that I couldn’t help but follow after it.

  It continued its Cheshire-cat act of vanishing and reappearing deeper into the woods until finally, it disappeared and didn’t come back. I scanned the forest ahead for the white feline, but instead, I saw the red pavement of the highway peeking through the trees.

  With a smile of relief, I sprinted out of the underbrush, jogging along the pavement until I found the dirt road where the pickup was parked. Luke leaned against the door, head bowed in thought. When he saw me, he ran forward to make sure I was okay, but his expression didn’t carry its usual warmth.

  “What took you so long? I was starting to think you were super-wolf chow.” His voice was stern, but he couldn’t hide an undertone of worry.

  “Just got a little turned around.”

  Church bells rang in the distance, their deep thrum filling my head. “I’ll bet anything Jimmy and Ruth will be at the service. I would have liked to talk to Jimmy alone, but I’ll take what I can get.”

  I took my first steps toward the Lutheran church, but I was keenly aware Luke wasn’t following behind. I cursed myself for letting the truth spill out back at the shed. He hadn’t been ready, but then again, how could he ever be? I swung around to see him still standing by the truck a few yards away, lips pursed in thought.

  “I understand if you want to part ways here,” I said.

  He stared off into woods with jaw firm, his thoughts a mystery to me. I’d never wanted so badly to break rule number one than at that moment.

  He kept his eyes on his shoes. “All the stuff you said back there—I admit it made me question everything. But if you’re not right, if this isn’t just your imagination on overdrive, then I don’t think it’s safe for me to keep encouraging your…” He seemed to struggle for the right word, then let out a sigh. “Your delusions.”

  A lump formed in my throat, but I forced a grin. “I get it. I really do.”

  He shook his head, kicking a loose stone onto the highway. “I need to go back to your place and pack my stuff. I’ll keep my head down until I get out of town, then start making my way up to Minnesota. Hopefully the cops won’t be looking for me there.”

  He thought for a moment. “How about I park the pickup at your place once I give you a ride to the church?”

  I shook my head, biting my lip to keep it from trembling. This was downright painful.

  “No, I don’t mind walking.”

  He nodded curtly, turning to open the door, then stopped. With a shaky breath, he walked to where I stood and rested a hand on my shoulder.

  “I’m sorry about everything. I really hope you find what you’re searching for, and…” looking into my eyes, “that you’ll be careful.”

  I touched the hand on my shoulder, so cold from the freezing wind on his bare arms.

  “I’ll try.”

  He would never understand or believe me. My mouth almost mouthed the word “Stay.” My heart longed for it. But there was something inside of me that stubbornly refused to break the rules and influence Luke—my literal dream guy who seemed to have taken on a life of his own.

  His fingers slipped away from under my hand. “Take care, Mads.” And with one last smile, he stepped into the truck, started the engine, and drove down the highway toward my neighborhood.

  I stared after him until he disappeared behind the trees at the next bend, my chest tight. Was this goodbye? After everything we’d been through. He was gone.

  Maybe things could start fresh in another dream, but my head reeled with doubt. I may never wake up from this dream. And if I did, I may never be able to return to this same dream world. Even if I could, would the new Luke be the same as this one, or just another hollow construct of my lonely inner world?

  I let the breath escape my lungs, pushing out the flood of thoughts and centering my mental energy on one thing—finding and exposing the person responsible for Aiden’s death.

  Without sparing another precious second, I darted across the highway, through the thin patch of woods before the town, and down the series of streets lined with old homes and businesses. The air was dry for now, but a cold wind still whipped across my skin.

  Before long, the sharp steeple of the bell tower rose over a few oak trees. I reached the back of the old church, edging along the walls as muffled voices sang a familiar hymn to the tune of a pipe organ. When I arrived at the front entrance, I glanced around for Intruders. All clear.

  The church stood perched on high ground, a stone stairway leading to the street below. The doors were propped open, so I peered inside. Dozens of Shy Harbor residents lined the
pews, standing as they sang.

  The harsh notes of the pipe organ and the smell of old carpet wafted through the doors. It brought me back to the Sundays we’d spent here during summer vacation. When I was old enough to stop going to Sunday School with Alice, Aiden had helped me get through the pastor’s droning by playing hangman our programs.

  I blinked away the memories, scanning the backs of heads for Ruth and Jimmy. There was Gerald from the bookstore, and a few rows back, Corey and his parents. After a moment, I spotted Ruth by her neat braid and old-fashioned maroon dress. I checked either side of her. No Jimmy.

  Letting out a sigh, I fell back onto the bricks of the church and slid down into a crouch. Ruth would know where he was. I could go in to talk to her now, but… no. The service would be over in a few minutes. No need to draw unnecessary attention.

  “Psst, Madelyn!”

  My eyes shot up to see Kath peering from just inside the church. My heart warmed at the sight of her. I smiled, and she hastily grinned back, sneaking out to join me. I got up to embrace her, breathing in her familiar strawberry perfume. “Boy, is it good to see you again.”

  She hugged me back with limp arms, then stood back, eyes nervous. “What are you doing here? Where’s Luke?”

  I raised an eyebrow at her sudden interrogation. “He’s leaving town. And don’t worry about the police thing. He’s not a criminal, I swear. Anyway, I came to talk to Jimmy, but I don’t see him here. I need to ask his mom where I can find him.”

  She furrowed her brow. “Right, you asked me about that dude earlier. What was that about?”

  I shrugged, trying to hide the emotions that welled up whenever I thought of Jimmy. “Not a huge deal, really. I think he may have been hanging out with Aiden that summer, and I wanted to know more.”

  A mixture of sympathy and guilt covered Kath’s face as she fiddled with her glasses, eyes darting.

  “Kath, is everything okay?” Voices and more organ music rose in the church behind us, signaling the end of the service, but I kept my eyes on my suspiciously nervous friend.

  “Umm… of course.”

  Great. Normally I could never get her to shut up, and now her lips were zipped? Something was off. “I don’t believe you,” I murmured in a low voice so the service-goers walking past wouldn’t glance twice.

  Her dark eyes shone behind the glass of her lenses. Painfully, unwillingly, she parted her hot-pink lips to speak.

  “Madelyn? I thought that was you.”

  I swung back to see Ruth, who smiled sweetly at me and gave Kath a polite nod. “I looked back and saw you from the front of the church and, well, there aren’t many girls in Shy Harbor with pink hair.”

  Kath stepped forward, turning me back to face her. “Madelyn… can I talk to you in private?”

  “Excuse me,” Ruth retorted in an acutely offended voice. “This young lady and I were having a conversation, child.”

  Kath shot a glare at Ruth. “Well, in case you didn’t notice, I was talking to her first.”

  I raised my palms, shooting Kath a warning glance. “Hold your thoughts, okay? I just need to talk to Ruth for a minute.”

  She let out an impatient sigh. I turned back to Ruth, who listened with a smug smile.

  “Ms. Olson, I noticed that Jimmy didn’t come with you today. I have something I need to talk to him about. It’s kind of important. Do you know where I could find him?”

  The quick bleep of a police siren sounded from the street below the staircase, but I kept my attention on Ruth.

  “Uhh, Madelyn,” Kath mumbled. I ignored her.

  Ruth drew a deep breath before replying. “He wasn’t quite feeling himself today, so I gave him permission to skip the service, so as long as he volunteers for the food drive this Saturday. I believe he went to the foot of the cliff to get some pictures of the incoming storm.”

  “Madelyn!” Kath hissed again.

  I lifted a palm to gesture for her to wait. “Is he still there?”

  Ruth raised her eyebrows at the urgency in my voice. “As far as I know.”

  “Thanks.” I turned to the staircase, ready to bolt to the cliff without another word, when I saw the police car parked along the street below.

  The handsome young Shy Harbor sheriff smiled up at me, hands crossed behind his back. “Hey there, Maddie. Do you mind if we chat for a minute?” he asked in a condescending tone.

  I grimaced, shooting a glare at Kath. “What did you do?”

  She shrugged, twenty different excuses and apologies written on her face. “I didn’t mean to say anything, but he started interrogating me. I tried to tell him I didn’t know anything about Luke but, well, it might have slipped out that you knew him.”

  I groaned, sending Kath a look of ‘we’re not finished’ before smiling pleasantly at the sheriff.

  “It’s actually not the best time. How ’bout later?”

  I descended the steps toward the car, trying to hide my hatred as I looked into Sheriff Hartcliff’s eyes. Those patronizing eyes. The same ones that stared at me years ago as I recounted my memory loss, a blanket wrapped around my shoulders. That was back when he was deputy. I couldn’t begin to imagine how this a-hole ever got promoted.

  His new deputy stood behind the patrol car, leaning over the hood with beef jerky in hand, chuckling silently to himself as if the whole situation were some big joke. Jackass.

  “Actually, sweetheart. Sooner is better than later. Word around town says you know a guy named Luke. You know, the black kid who worked at the inn?”

  My fake smile dropped the moment the words ‘black kid’ left his mouth. “Don’t know him,” I spoke through gritted teeth.

  He laughed, shaking his head and adjusting that ugly sheriff’s hat of his. “Don’t try to fool me, Maddie. Why don’t we go back to the station and talk about it over a pop?”

  I opened my mouth to retort, but my eyes caught something in the back seat of the cruiser. Something white. I peered closer, ignoring whatever Hartcliff was rattling off next. Two Intruders sat quietly in the seat. They turned their faces slowly to face me and smiled. One of them placed a finger to his pursed lips.

  I gulped. Without thinking it through, I swiped my hand through the air, a little too dramatically, and the cruiser began rolling backward down the hill. The deputy who’d been leaning on the hood fell forward with an “Oof,” scrambling to his feet to chase the runaway vehicle. The sheriff frantically glanced between the cruiser and me.

  He pointed a stern finger in my direction. “Don’t go anywhere,” he commanded before chasing after the car.

  I stole a glance back up to see if anyone had noticed my mind mischief. The churchgoers chatted amongst themselves, oblivious. Kath was gone. But Ruth stared down at me, eyes bulging in terror. She was mouthing words I couldn’t hear, maybe a prayer to purge the demonic power from my body.

  I scolded myself for the slip-up, but I didn’t have time to sit and punch myself for breaking rule number one again. I needed to find Jimmy.

  With a sharp breath, I took off toward the base of the cliff at full speed.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Thunder rolled overhead, droplets of mist striking my face as I sprinted past the beach. From the corner of my eye, I thought I saw Luke on the docks. But I couldn’t stop to make sure. Time was running out.

  When I reached the first rocks of the cliff base, I slowed down to begin climbing, carefully, along the jagged shoreline. I grunted as I pulled myself over a boulder, falling into a crouch on the other side. But when I stood again, I froze.

  Just steps away from me, Jimmy knelt on wet rocks, focusing his camera on the lake’s horizon. Hatred boiled over in my chest as I watched him turn the lens of his camera. A wave crashed over the rocks, soaking his pants from the knees down, but he remained steady like a stone.

  “We need to talk, Jimmy,” I shouted over the roar of the wind and waves.

  His eyes broke away from his camera to see me, a scowl on his face. “I told you,
I have nothing to say to you. Now leave me alone!”

  He snatched his backpack from a nearby boulder and turned to walk further down the shoreline. He had the nerve to turn his back on me after what he did. With a snarl, I raised a fist, sending rocks tumbling down the cliff side. A chunk of rock rolled in front of Jimmy, nearly crushing his feet. With a gasp, he stumbled back and fell onto his elbows, his camera bouncing off the rocks and into the lake.

  “No!” he screamed, grabbing his precious equipment from the water. Seeing it was beyond repair, he glared back at me, chest heaving in anger. “What’s wrong with you? Why can’t you go away and leave me the hell alone?”

  He rubbed the bruises and scrapes on his elbows, growling in rage as he got up and marched toward me. I stood my ground, grinding my teeth until I thought they might shatter. He stopped when his face was just inches from mine. Until I could see every freckle on his monstrous face.

  “Because I need to know.”

  “Know what?” he scoffed.

  I clenched my fists, lowering my voice. “Why you killed Aiden.”

  He took a step back, confusion written on his face. “What are you talking about?”

  “Don’t play dumb with me, you murderer. I know everything. About your sick little shrine in the old shed, Aiden’s guitar, the photo of him in your room.”

  I reached for the photo in my pocket and unfolded it, showing it to him for emphasis.

  “Tell me why.”

  He shook his head, his face still red with anger. But his eyes weren’t burning with rage now. If I didn’t know better, I’d say he was fighting back tears.

  He spoke in a low voice. “I didn’t kill Aiden.”

  “So the paint on my garage door, that wasn’t you either, huh? You were angry because I was getting close to the truth.”

  “I didn’t do that because you were getting close,” he growled, his voice trembling. “I did it because I hate you.”

  I took a step back. “Why?”