Misplaced Trilogy

by Brian Bennett

  The tall funnel slowly lifted from the ground, retracting into the dark swirling clouds above. Treetops splintered apart as the tail-end of the twister failed to clear the faraway tree line.

  The swirling clouds accepted the last bit of the tornado and curled within themselves, slowly ascending higher into the dark sky.

  Trey spun toward Livy. Crawling his way to a run, he sprinted through the grassy field.

  Livy's motionless body lay unnaturally spread out, face-up in the muddy grass. He threw himself at her side and pressed his ear to her chest. His own heartbeat pounded so hard in his ears, he had no way of hearing hers.

  He sat back on his knees and watched her chest move to slow, deep breaths. She was alive.

  He raised his eyes to the sky. The swirling dark clouds had vanished, leaving only the shelf of storm clouds from the earlier rains and a spattering of small dark clouds, backlit by the half moon.

  He blew out a puff of air and sat quietly watching her breathe.

  Gunther's voice fractured the silence. "It's not over yet."

  Trey's eyes flared at Gunther's projection. "You could have killed her!"

  "I know that . . . but you have to listen to me or she'll wish she died in the fall."

  Trey's eyes widened. "What?" he asked. "What now?"

  "You have to smash the transmitter."

  Trey turned over his empty hands. Dejected, he shook his head. "I lost it."

  Gunther's hands slid through Trey's shoulder, trying to lift him to his feet. "It's over there . . . in the mud. Now get up; we're running out of time."

  Sensing the urgency in Gunther's voice, Trey hopped to his feet and jogged through his own tracks back to his landing spot.

  Gunther was waiting for him there, pointing to the transmitter's exact location. Trey pushed aside the muddy grass and spotted the polished black stone.

  "I got it," he said, pinching it between his fingertips. A jolt of energy shot up his arm and extended throughout his entire body. "Ah-gh, I forgot about that part."

  Gunther vanished with the bolt of energy, but his words echoed in Trey's memory. "You have to smash the transmitter."

  He scanned the field around him, and a pile of rocks caught his attention near the split-rail fence. Struggling to his feet, he stumbled to the fence-line and fell to his knees beside the mound of stones.

  He placed the shiny-black transmitter on one of the larger flat rocks and searched through the pile for one to strike it.

  Gunther appeared, standing over him. "Yes, perfect."

  "I don't understand. Why'd you give it to me if you just want me to smash it?"

  "You're right, you don't understand. Just do it. I don't have time to explain."

  Trey raised a rock in his fist and smacked it down on the transmitter. The blow clattered loudly but failed to scratch the surface of the hard black stone.

  He swung at it repeatedly with firm, swift thumps until the rock in his hand began to crumble rather than the transmitter.

  "You need a bigger rock. And use both hands."

  Trey wiped the sweat from his forehead with his shoulder and studied the rock-pile.

  Gunther vanished for only a second and returned even more excited. "You have to hurry. They'll regain control of the ship any second now."

  Trey took a deep breath and wrestled a larger stone high above his head with both hands. With every ounce of energy he could summon, he brought it down with a mighty grunt.

  The impact crushed the transmitter, releasing a wave of energy that knocked Trey backward several yards. He landed hard on his back and lay facing straight up at the sky.

  An instant later, amid the patchy clouds and the twinkling stars, a searing white light flared, a hundred times larger and a thousand times brighter than any star.

  A pink ring of energy encircled the light and rapidly expanded outward. The ring grew wider and wider until it filled the sky and disappeared behind every horizon. In its wake, a green aurora shimmered through the atmosphere and slowly vanished.

  There was no doubt in Trey's mind; the ship, the crew, Gunther, they were gone. He had obliterated them all.

  Blinded of all emotion, he lay motionless, staring into the empty sky.

  An eternity passed by on his back in the soggy grass.

  Livy's large blue eyes peered down at him. Soft moonlight glimmered through her light hair.

  "Trey, are you all right?"

  "Yes," he said, softly. "We're gonna be fine."

  Natural

  WEEKS AFTER THE mysterious flare had faded from the headlines, Trey pulled open the rickety screen door and tapped lightly on the glass. A moment later, Amy swung open her door wearing nothing but a long baggy t-shirt.

  "Nice prom dress," Trey said with a laugh.

  She smiled and batted her eyes. "Thanks," she said, pumping her curler-filled hair.

  She reached to Zach at Trey's left side and pulled him into the house by his tuxedo lapel. "You can chat with Mom while I finish getting ready."

  Zach rolled his eyes and disappeared through the front entrance.

  Livy stepped to the doorway in a strapless dark-blue gown. Her short blonde hair was teased to perfection, curling forward at the bottom to a small point. The slightest vibration was all that altered her natural features. Her deep blue eyes were barely larger than most, but Trey had no problem recognizing the big and beautiful ones behind them.

  "You look amazing," he said.

  Her narrow lips drew to a smile. "You're quite dashing yourself." She looked up at his light spiky hair. "I'm glad you decided to go natural, too."

  She spun to the side, jutting a slender hip in his direction. "I'm sure you recognize the dress."

  He nodded uncomfortably, unable to forget Amy’s gown. "I wouldn't have noticed." With all sincerity, he added, "It looks even better on you."

  She smoothed a finger along the low-cut seam above her breasts. "I don't fill it out nearly as well." She gazed down. "Maybe I should amplify them."

  "No, I'm glad it's really you in there."

  Her flirtatious eyes widened. "Really?"

  He covered his warm cheeks with a minor projection and held out his hand. "Come outside and wait with me; it's nice out."

  She took his hand and walked alongside him to the edge of the front porch. He placed his palm on the small of her back, and they gazed up into the clear dusk sky. A few of the brighter stars were already making their debut.

  Livy turned to him with a sheepish smile and fingered the silky fabric of his lapel. "My mother was married to your father. So, does that mean you're . . . like . . . my stepbrother?"

  He gave a breathy chuckle. "I suppose it does."

  "Do you think that's kind of weird?"

  "Weird?" He huffed out a laugh. "Not a bit."

  A bright meteor dashed across the sky.

  "Did you see it?" Livy asked.

  "Uh-huh."

  Her eyes scanned the vast space above them. "Do you think we'll ever feel like they aren't coming after us?"

  "I don't know," he admitted. "Arken says that since the ship . . ." He paused, avoiding the painful words. "Well, they have no reason to search for us."

  "What about the other ten?"

  "Apparently Gunther only told his brothers about the two of us."

  She looked into his eyes. "What about you? Do you want to find the others?"

  He nodded. "Sure I do, eventually. After graduation. Who knows, maybe even while we're visiting colleges."

  He looked into her deep blue eyes. "For now, I'm just glad you found me."

  She smiled and inched closer to him.

  Trey leaned slowly toward her.

  A loud horn blast snapped them both apart. They turned toward the rented limousine in the driveway; a jacked-up Ford truck was pulled off the road beside it.

  Billy's sleeveless arm waved at them through his open window. "What's the matter, Trey? Ya too embarrassed to bring a date in yur pretend truck?"

  Trey shook
his head and strolled up the sidewalk, hand-in-hand with Livy.

  The frayed edges of a modified dress shirt barely stretched out past Billy's shiny white tuxedo vest. His curly hair tufted out from under his trademark camouflage hat. A girl in the passenger seat leaned forward, smiling in their direction.

  "Hey, Julie," said Trey. "I thought you gave up on this clown."

  Billy swiped his big hand toward Trey, just out of his reach. He laughed and slapped the door of his truck. "You must notta heard the big news. Randolph signed a deal to start filmin' Jigsaw Four."

  Trey groaned. "You've got to be kidding. There's more?"

  Billy revved his loud engine. "Oh yeah, Trey; every good story always has more."

  Part 2 - Hunted

  Excursion

  TREY FOLLOWED CLOSELY behind a dark figure at an urgent pace. Where he was headed and his reasons for going there were as murky as the dimly lit corridor that stretched ahead as far as he could see.

  A petite girl hurried alongside him, matching his rapid footsteps. Her fair skin and perfectly white hair stood out against the dark surroundings. For an instant, his heart lifted with the recognition it was Livy, but the looming dread returned stronger than before.

  Livy’s gaze steadied on the feet of the tall figure who led their way. Clearly Trey wasn’t the only one feeling apprehensive.

  As they passed beneath one of few overhead lights, the soft blue glow highlighted the long, straight hair of their leader.

  “Arken?” Trey whispered under his breath.

  Not one in their group broke stride to acknowledge his question in any manner.

  Trey studied the man’s jostling narrow shoulders. With further thought, it couldn’t have been his father; Arken’s smooth deliberate gate was unmistakable, and in the months Trey had known his true father, he had never seen him wear anything but pure white robes.

  Without warning, the dark silhouette slowed.

  Ahead, the corridor continued into blackness, but a dark opening in the wall suggested a passage to their upcoming left. Two steps later, another figure came into sight, lurking in the alternate hallway.

  A pair of glassy, jet black eyes turned to Trey as his entourage rounded the corner. Even in the dim lighting, the pasty naked skin of the alien being that stood in front of them made Trey’s stomach lurch.

  With a sudden gasp and a convulsing jerk, Trey jolted awake to a bright sunny afternoon, buckled into the front passenger seat. The quiet hum of road noise created by Livy’s Toyota Prius seemed deafeningly loud compared to the eerie quiet of his dream.

  He took a deep breath and let his senses normalize to his true surroundings. Livy turned to him from the driver’s seat for only an instant. Her chrome aviator sunglasses blocked the view of her large blue eyes, but Trey picked up on the concern he was certain they held.

  She glanced into the rearview mirror, then spoke quietly as she drove. “Another one of those dreams?”

  Trey spun in his seat, tipping up his own dark sunglasses to see into the dark back seat. Nestled together, fast asleep in the cozy small space, Zach rested his head on Amy’s shoulder with his mouth agape.

  Trey couldn’t hold in a chuckle. “Suppose I should wake him before he drools on her?”

  “Nah, let them sleep,” said Livy. “I was right about the dream, wasn’t I?”

  Trey turned back ahead and slouched into his seat. “It doesn’t matter, it’s just a dream.”

  Livy huffed out an aggravated breath. “We don’t have just dreams.”

  Trey rolled his eyes. “I talked to Arken like you said, and he’s never heard of anyone having premonitions in their dreams.”

  “Fine, but did he say it wasn’t possible?”

  “No.” Trey hesitated, recalling how fascinated his father had been with the possibility. “It’s just a dream. I bet a psychiatrist would say it represents my fear of picking the wrong college or something lame like that.”

  “Yeah,” said Livy, sarcastically. “I bet that’s it.”

  Amy spoke up from the back seat, clearly not as asleep as Trey had thought. “I’d have nightmares too if I were thinking about going to Longwood Community College.”

  “Hey,” cried Trey. “Who said anything about LCC?”

  “Your Mom said you were offered a free ride, so I thought you must be considering it.”

  “No! I’m not considering it. She just wants me to stay in Longwood where she can keep covering for me. They’ve never been concerned about the money.”

  “Jeeze,” interrupted Livy with a quick elbow. “Rude much?”

  Trey was taken aback, wondering what he’d said. Slowly, his error sunk in. Even with the extensive scholarships Amy had been offered by several top universities, she and her single mother would have a difficult time covering all the expenses. Nonetheless, Amy wasn’t actually the one offended.

  Livy’s parents might have had the resources, he had no way of knowing, but it didn’t matter. Everyone in the car knew that once Livy turned eighteen, she would be completely on her own financially. To make matters worse, Livy’s scattered school records of a boy named Nigel had wiped out any chance she had for financial aid or scholarships.

  “Sorry.”

  Livy shrugged it off. “Don’t worry about me. I’m not the college type anyway.”

  The purr of the small hybrid engine was the only sound in the uncomfortable silence that followed. Trey began to wonder if his psychoanalysis had been spot on. Each day of summer brought his small group of friends closer to changes that might separate them for good.

  In an effort to focus back on the excitement of their weekend excursion, he broke the silence. “We have to be getting close.”

  Livy glanced at the odometer. “Only fifty miles.”

  “Maybe we should wake—“

  When Trey turned, Zach was upright, running his fingers through his shaggy hair. Deep sleep marks were imprinted on the side of his face, pressed there from the fabric of Amy’s ruffled blouse.

  Trey snickered teasingly.

  “What?” asked Zach, sleepily.

  “You drooled on Amy.”

  Zach flushed red in an instant, and his eyes shot to Amy’s dry shoulder.

  “He’s lying,” Amy said.

  Zach felt the side of his lips and looked down at his own dry shirt. He looked up to Amy. “Sorry anyway.”

  She offered a smile. “Don’t be. If it bothered me, I would have pushed you away.”

  Trey wasn’t sure what was going on between Zach and Amy. They hadn’t officially broken up, but in the prior weeks, they’d begun to act like a divorced couple.

  Zach swatted in retaliation, but quick reflexes pulled Trey away, barely saving his nose.

  Trey turned back to the front, wary of an unexpected slap to the head, but it never came.

  Livy spoke next. “I think we should stop and eat before we get there. They say amusement park food is ridiculously expensive. I’ve been watching billboards, and there are lots of options in the next town.”

  Trey agreed with her plan, but lingering thoughts of the long dark corridor and the black haunting eyes waiting in the shadows left a knot in his stomach that made him unsure he could ever eat again.

  Amusing

  TREY GAZED ACROSS the massive parking lot to the distant entrance for Treasure Bay theme park. Heat waves shimmered over the sea of parked cars blazing in the early afternoon sun.

  “No backpacks,” said Livy over the roof of her lime green Prius. “The less we interact with Security the better.”

  Normally Trey would have considered her demand to be an overreaction. He’d been through security countless times in his lifetime without incident. His projected image had proven sufficient to fool human eyes and apparently the x-ray images and grainy low resolution security footage had never raised a concern.

  “She’s right,” he added.

  The four empty-handed teens eyed one another, realizing it was a moot point. In unison they slammed their door
s and headed toward the park entrance.

  A short security line was backed up for bag checks, but a hefty girl in rent-a-cop attire waved everyone else quickly through a metal detector. As Trey approached, he slipped on a light projection to reduce his eyes to normal human size. He pointed to his mirrored sunglasses with a questioning gesture, but the large woman shook her head while waving him quickly through the scanner with them on.

  Moments later, they were all through security. Trey glanced up at the small surveillance camera mounted above the ticket booths, a habit he struggled to break; being aware of cameras was one thing, but his tendency to look straight at them was another.

  Livy, on the other hand, was like a pro. On several occasions, Trey had accused her of being oblivious to cameras, but each time, she recounted the exact location and characteristics of every one he’d spotted.

  Within minutes, the cloud of worry had lifted, and Trey peered up into the brightly colored steel coasters twisting through the park. The familiar screams and the roar of wheels fighting to cling to tracks put a smile on his face.

  He turned to his group of gawking friends. “Shall we hit the Screaming Serpent first?”

  Livy shook her head rapidly. “I need to build up to that one.”

  Trey faked a heartbroken frown. “All right then, how about Captain Rooster’s Kiddy Coaster. Is that more your speed?”

  “Very funny. How about that one?” She pointed to a surprisingly tall, white steel coaster. “It looks harmless.”

  Zach broke in. “I thought you wanted to ease into it? White Lightning is the fastest coaster in the park.”

  Livy shrugged. “I’m fine with fast, and heights aren’t a problem either. I’m just not ready to go upside down.”

  They all looked at one another for verification, and with unanimous nods, they headed off toward the White Lightning entrance.

  Livy’s hand slipped into Trey’s palm and their fingers weaved together. He squeezed lightly and shot her a quick smile. He couldn’t help noticing Amy follow suit with Zach.

  The sign at the ride’s entrance estimated a twenty minute wait, much better than Trey had expected given the heavy crowd.