Wake Up

by Brooke De Lira

  “Because you were the only one. The only one who saw what happened to him. But you kept it all to yourself.”

  My heart beat fast in my chest. “But… why would you care?”

  “Because I loved him!”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Goosebumps crept over my skin, my hands trembling with more emotions than I could name. The shriek of an eagle called overhead, but I kept my eyes on Jimmy. “When you say ‘love,’ you mean…”

  “Exactly what it sounds like,” he snapped. The color drained from his face as his irritation seemed to give way to sadness. “He was different from everyone else. What we had, it was special.”

  A gust of wind swirled around us. Confusion rolled inside of me. Love.

  I looked down at the worn picture, my eyes drawn to Aiden’s solemn face. Why didn’t he tell me? Keeping it from Mom and Dad I could understand. But me? He knew I would never judge him.

  Jimmy sniffled, long bangs hiding his eyes. “Back then, I deserved to know the truth, but all I was left with was a lie, the same lie that the whole town was spreading. He slipped on a rock? That’s a load of bull, and we both know it.”

  I took another step back, trying to calm my nerves. “I… I really don’t remember. That’s why I’m here, why I came to you.”

  He fidgeted in frustration, but his air of hatred around him was dissipating. Mine was, too. Something inside me wanted to believe him.

  I lowered my voice. “If I ever want to remember, I need to retrace everything. I need to know what you know.”

  While Jimmy mulled in indecision, I caught a glimpse of white from my periphery. When I looked, I gulped, trying to hide the terror that rose in my gut. At least two dozen Intruders stood on the beach leading to the rocks where I now stood with Jimmy. But they weren’t moving. Just standing there, staring, their faces tainted with deep scowls.

  The call of the eagle overhead made me look up just as Jimmy let out a defeated sigh. The bird was the size of a small airplane, eyes black as coal and talons tinged with fresh blood. I brought my eyes back to Jimmy, hoping that if I ignored the Intruders long enough, maybe they’d just go away. This is your dream, Madelyn. Not theirs.

  Jimmy sat back on a boulder, removing his glasses to rub his bloodshot eyes. His nose was red from the cold. “Okay,” he mumbled, sniffling. “This is how I met Aiden.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Jimmy

  Shy Harbor might have been your escape from the big city, but for me, it was home. Some people say small towns are safer, more innocent. Happier. But unless you’ve lived your whole life with the same handful of people, the same sights and sounds that rarely change from day to day, you could never know the truth.

  The people of Shy Harbor don’t have a lot of drama in their lives, so they create it. As weird as it may sound, drama is one of the most basic of human needs. I know because I’ve seen people do anything to produce it. In my freshman year of high school, talking behind each others’ backs was everyone’s favorite pastime. If they didn’t bully you with their fists, they’d gut you with their words, their rumors.

  I was quiet, different from the others. All I wanted was to bide my time until I could go to the lake and capture it in photos. But before they even knew me, everyone decided I was a freak. Summer vacation was no different.

  In July, I was asked to get some photos of vacation life in Shy Harbor for a resort brochure. When I first approached the docks, I saw Corey and Aiden pulling a canoe in while their other buddies were smoking weed behind the boat shack. I didn’t recognize Aiden, but I knew the others from school. Let’s just say we weren’t on good terms.

  Seeing the chance for a great candid shot, I pulled out my camera and focused on Aiden and Corey before they noticed I was there. But the moment the shutter closed, something hard whacked the back of my skull, knocking me to my knees, sending my camera bouncing onto the rocks. Blood pumped in my ears as I held my head, waiting for the throbbing to pass. All the while, the other guys gathered around, laughing.

  The boy who’d just hit me with a canoe paddle was one of my worst tormentors in high school, and I could just tell he had just been waiting for an opportunity to strike me down.

  “Sorry! It was an accident.” He laughed, high-fiving the other guys as they approached. Corey was laughing right along with them, but Aiden didn’t even smile. He kept his eyes on the beach while he finished pulling the canoe ashore.

  When the rest of the guys ran back to the docks to help take in a couple of jet-skis, I sat back on the beach, fuming. I could take it in the classroom. It was school, after all. But this? This was a job. I was humiliated, but I wouldn’t show it. I’d never give those guys the pleasure of seeing me break.

  Then, just like that, he was there. Holding my camera and offering it to me. I took it, speechless. I should have said “thank you,” but all I could do was blink. He pulled his loose hair back into a ponytail, stealing a glance at his friends as they made their way up the dock.

  “They can be shitty sometimes, but they don’t mean it. Honest. Are you okay?”

  He held out a hand, his kind eyes watching me, his expression completely sincere. I took his hand, and he helped me up with a smile that could have melted the coldest January snow. “I’m Aiden, by the way.”

  I grinned back. “Jimmy Olson.”

  Finally pulling myself out of my stupor, I checked my camera and unzipped my backpack to stuff it back in.

  “Woah, are those yours?” Aiden pulled out a stack of prints I had stashed in the front pocket. I felt heat rise to my face as he flipped through my latest portfolio of life in Shy Harbor.

  “Amazing. You really capture people’s emotions, and all with that old film camera? It’s stunning.”

  “Uh, thanks.” I wanted to keep our conversation going, to get to know Aiden. But his good-for-nothing buddies were already making their way back from the docks. I glared in their direction, unable to quell the hatred rising in my soul.

  But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done. The quote gave me strange comfort in that moment.

  “I have to go,” I murmured, still scowling.

  “Why?” The moment he glanced at the docks, Aiden hung his shoulders, casting his eyes down to hide his embarrassment. “Well, maybe I’ll see you around.”

  I didn’t answer. I just left. I could feel him staring back at me, and it only made me walk faster.

  I hope so, I thought.

  Days passed. I’d almost forgotten about our encounter on the beach, until I was browsing Gerald’s bookstore one afternoon, looking for the latest Stephen King novel. It was just the kind of book Mom hated, so I’d have to hide it. But by then, I’d gotten pretty good at my covert reading habits.

  Hearing footsteps, I glanced up. And there he was again, brow knit as his finger grazed the spines of the small selection of romance novels.

  “I wouldn’t have pegged you for a romance reader,” I joked.

  His head shot up at my voice, but his surprise quickly turned to delight when his eyes met mine. “Oh no, you got me!”

  He smiled, shaking his head as he pulled a small volume from the shelf. “Actually, I just came to see if they’d stocked my mom’s new novel yet,” he said.

  When he saw the book in my hand, I caught the glimmer of recognition in his eye. “Now that’s my type of read.” He stepped closer until he was peering over my shoulder, his hair brushing against my face. I tried not to let my discomfort show.

  “Yeah, a good thriller can really take you away. From this place, from the small-minded people who can’t understand you, to somewhere exciting.”

  “What, are you saying Shy Harbor’s not exciting?”

  “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

  We both laughed, and we passed the next half hour talking about our favorite authors, our families, our hobbies. Until Gerald kicked us out, grimacing as he chewed on the end of his cigarette.

  “We’re closing. Ou
t,” he grumbled.

  We said our goodbyes as the afternoon sun cast a golden glow on Aiden’s face. But just before leaving, he turned and grinned. “How about we meet behind the bookstore tomorrow? I’ll bring my guitar next time, and you can give it a try.”

  And that’s how it started. We would meet by the bookstore. He’d play guitar. I’d take photos, and we’d talk about our dreams and our fears. It wasn’t long before I realized we understood each other in a way no one else did. I can’t say exactly when it became something more, but I wouldn’t have changed it for anything else in the world.

  We had to keep our meetings secret. We both knew it, even from the beginning. In a small town like Shy Harbor, being different meant something was wrong with you. Neither of us was ready to become the gossip of the town. But that didn’t stop us from meeting each other, time and again.

  Until one day, Aiden’s friend Corey saw us together at the bookstore. He sniggered, pointing at us with a mocking finger. “Oh get real, Aiden. Seriously? Hanging out with that Bible-toting loser? You guys look gay.”

  That was the last time we met in public.

  “I know a place where no one will bother us,” Aiden whispered as soon as Corey left.

  The next day, we fought through raspberry bushes and stinging nettle until we reached a clearing. The ruins of an old cabin were breathtaking, and I couldn’t help but pull out my camera the moment I saw it.

  Aiden chuckled beside me, brushing his hair back. “There’s a shed, too.”

  The rest of the summer, that’s where we’d go. It was our place. No judgment, no prying eyes. Just us. He wrote me songs and played them for me, and I captured him on my camera, even knowing I’d have to hide the photos so Mom wouldn’t find out. So no one would find out. I kept them in the shed, and he started stowing his guitar there so he wouldn’t have to drag it back and forth.

  It was the best summer of my life. It wasn’t perfect, but we were happy. It was like no one could ever hurt us out there in the woods. No one.

  Sometimes, I would catch Aiden staring into the sky, his lips hardened in such a solemn expression, as if something was eating away at him. But whenever I asked him about it, he laughed it off and changed the subject. At those moments, I just wanted to be near him, to tell him I was there for him. And right then, I almost said it. Those three words that I was so afraid of voicing out loud. But I didn’t. I just smiled and continued our conversation.

  God, I wish I’d said it. My biggest regret will always be not telling Aiden “I love you.”

  When we were happy, that’s when I should have told him. But of course, nothing good ever lasts.

  At the end of the summer, everything changed.

  It all began to fall apart when…

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Jimmy’s words were cut short by a deafening shriek and the scraping of talons on rocks. I stumbled back as the massive form of the white eagle swooped down, the black holes in its skull widening in fury. Thinking fast, I lifted my hand, the force of my mind knocking Jimmy down onto the rocks, away from the raptor’s grasp.

  The beast flapped its wings, blowing sharp gusts of wind over the boulders, but when it saw it had missed its mark, it darted back up into the sky and began circling again. Whether it had given up or it was planning its next attack, I was afraid to find out. I ran to Jimmy’s side, helping him to his feet.

  “Are you okay?” My pitch rose and wavered with genuine worry, which surprised even me. Just minutes before, I would have loved to have seen Jimmy get eaten by a giant eagle. But I knew the truth now—at least part of it. And my heart drowned in shame when I realized how wrong I’d been about Jimmy. The boy Aiden loved.

  “I’m not dead?” he blurted. His eyes rose to the sky, watching the monstrous eagle circling like a vulture. “What is that thing?”

  “No time to explain,” I blurted. “We have to get out of here.”

  When I glanced toward the beach to map out our escape route, I gasped and froze. The Intruders who had been still as statues now hobbled toward us. They blocked the narrow passageway to the open shoreline. Their faces were contorted with rage, their lips mouthing silent words.

  “Shit,” I hissed, but Jimmy’s scream brought my attention back to the death bird that was now in free fall.

  “Oh, no you don’t.” I stood over Jimmy, bracing myself with one arm in front of my face. This stupid dream bird wasn’t about to kill my brother’s confidante, my only shot at the truth. If it wanted him dead, it would have to rip through the master of the very dream world it had invaded.

  Just before the tips of its talons touched my arm, the eagle spread its wings, pumping them to break its fall. It screeched from a beak that dripped with blood, the feathers of its head ruffled in frustration. But it didn’t touch us. It flew back into the dark clouds to circle again.

  “I don’t want to die!” Jimmy blurted, fumbling with his backpack as his body trembled.

  “You won’t,” I shouted through gritted teeth, just as a flash of lightning cast the cliff in a blinding light, followed by a torrent of rain.

  “Those things are getting closer,” he whispered, pointing to the humanoid Intruders who stumbled over the rocks toward us. I clenched my eyes shut, searching my brain for anything that could get us both out. A boat would leave us exposed on the water. Maybe I could make a floating walkway…

  Without my consent, my hands began wandering in my now-drenched pockets, fixing on the agate necklace. But when my fingers tried to wrap around it, the wet rock slipped, tumbling out of my pocket and onto the rocky ground. A wave was about to wash it away.

  “No!” I squealed, diving onto the little gemstone the moment the wave crashed over my back. When it receded, I opened my hand, smiling when I saw the polished stone safe and sound.

  “Madelyn.” Jimmy’s voice was filled with dread. My heart stopped. In that moment, I’d forgotten about Jimmy. I swung around, but it was too late. The eagle darted toward him again, bloody talons ready to pierce his flesh.

  Someone tackled him to the ground, rolling with him over the harsh ground until the eagle shrieked in irritation again, ascending toward the sky. I peered through the rain, my eyes falling on Jimmy and the person who’d just saved his life.

  “Luke,” I breathed, moving toward the two guys to help them to their feet.

  “Girl, you attract the weirdest monsters,” he joked, taking me into a soaking embrace.

  “You know how to make an entrance.”

  “Yeah, well I saw you guys from the beach, and when those things started closing in, I figured I’d better get ahead of them.”

  I breathed in his scent, grinning under watering eyes. I’d never been so relieved, so happy to see him.

  Jimmy pulled us apart, drawing us back to the horror at hand. “Hate to interrupt, but everything still wants to kill us.”

  Luke frowned, grabbing Jimmy’s backpack for him and whispering to me, “Can’t you fly us out of here with your superpowers or something?”

  I stole a glance at the eagle above, brushing my drenched bangs back to give my eyes a clear line of sight. “It’s too much. It would make the dream unstable, something I can’t afford right now.”

  “Dream?” The question came from Jimmy, but I ignored it. Now was definitely not the time.

  I shut my eyes again, pounding my fists on my head to think of something. The eagle could swoop again at any moment. The Intruders were approaching. And even if they refused to touch me, Jimmy and Luke were fair game.

  A light meow interrupted my thoughts. I looked up. Standing on the edge of the cliff above us was that white cat. It just stared at me, like it was waiting for me to do something. But what?

  “Of course,” I whispered, wishing a rope ladder up to the top of the cliff. It appeared.

  “Now you’re thinking,” Luke began scrambling up the rungs, and I followed, signaling for Jimmy to do the same. The Intruders were just steps away now, reaching their corpse-like arms towa
rd our feet. Luckily, we were faster. The eagle, on the other hand, hadn’t finished terrorizing us.

  The bird flapped closer, its eyes fixed on Jimmy. After the longest thirty seconds of my life, my hands grasped the weeds at the top of the cliff. I hauled myself up, catching my breath as the Intruder cat rubbed against my legs, purring. Within seconds, Luke was up there with me, but just as Jimmy’s hands touched the top rung, the eagle attacked again.

  “Jimmy!” I screamed, but it was Luke who grabbed his wrists and pulled him onto the cliff, every muscle in his body tensed. The bird flapped its wings at the crest of the cliff, talons thrashing at Jimmy’s retreating form. In that instant, the cat darted from beside me, fur rising on end as it pulled back its lips to hiss at the eagle.

  “Hey, come back!” I called, reaching for the brave feline. I might be a dog person, but the last thing I wanted was to see this cat get gutted, even if it was an Intruder. But to my surprise, the cat stood its ground, hissing and spitting at its opponent. The eagle immediately backed away, stealing one last screech at the cat before soaring off and disappearing into the swirling clouds.

  I stood, dumbfounded, but Luke’s voice brought me to my senses. “Mads, come quick!”

  I rushed to where he knelt with Jimmy in his arms. His right leg was twisted, gnarled, and spurting out enough blood to make even a hungry wolf sick to its stomach.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  “It hurts,” Jimmy shouted through gritted teeth as perspiration beaded on his paling skin. Blood squirted from his contorted leg, collecting in a pool on the ground.

  “Hold on, it’s not that bad,” I lied in the calmest voice I could muster, but it did nothing to relax the thrashing Jimmy.

  “We have to get him to the hospital, Mads. Or he won’t make it.”

  I nodded furiously. Every other concern drained from my mind, replaced by the dire need to keep Jimmy alive. Everything else could wait. My eyes drifted to the white cat, who turned its back and vanished off the edge of the cliff.