by Ginger Zee
Also by Ginger Zee
Chasing Helicity
Copyright © 2019 by Ginger Zee
Cover illustration © 2019 by Julie McLaughlan
Cover design by Tyler Nevins
All rights reserved. Published by Disney • Hyperion, an imprint of Disney Book Group. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher. For information address Disney • Hyperion, 125 West End Avenue, New York, New York 10023.
ISBN 978-1-368-04587-2
Visit www.DisneyBooks.com
For my twister number two, Miles
CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-three
Chapter Twenty-four
Chapter Twenty-five
Chapter Twenty-six
Chapter Twenty-seven
Chapter Twenty-eight
About the Author
“So, Felicity, are you ready for your first flight?”
Helicity Dunlap suppressed a sigh and turned to the woman in the severely starched airline uniform sitting beside her. JULIE, her name tag said. An airline chaperone, she was in charge of Helicity for the duration of the flight from Grand Rapids to Houston. There, she would hand her off to Helicity’s best friend, Mia, and Mia’s aunt. Julie seemed nice enough, even if she hadn’t gotten her name right.
“It’s Helicity,” she said patiently. “With an H.”
Julie peeked at Helicity’s paperwork. “Huh. I assumed that was a typo, just another airline mistake. You know, like the food.” She changed her voice to sound like a cheesy stand-up comedian. “Airline food—what’s up with that?”
Helicity cringed inwardly at her chaperone’s attempted humor. Outwardly, she offered Julie a polite smile.
Julie resumed her normal voice. “Helicity. I’ve never heard that before. Is it a family name?”
Helicity was as used to this question as she was to people getting her name wrong, so she had a ready answer. “My grandmother was a physicist. She studied helicity. I got the name because my mom liked the sound of the word, which means to spin, basically.” The real definition of helicity was much more complex, but she’d learned long ago not to elaborate. Most people tended to glaze over when she did.
Further discussion was cut short by the announcement that the plane was ready for takeoff.
Julie grinned. “Here we go!”
The engines powered up with a high-pitched whine. A second later, the plane shot forward down the runway. As the G-force from the rapid acceleration pushed her back into her seat, Helicity instinctively reached for the necklace she always wore—a lightning bolt on a long chain. It wasn’t hers; it belonged to her mentor, Lana McElvoy. Lana, who was still in a coma in a hospital. Because of her. Because of Helicity.
Her hand tightened around the charm’s jagged edges as the wheels bumped on the tarmac. Then the wheels left the earth behind, and the plane soared on a sharp incline into the sky.
Helicity pushed aside her bangs and curled up closer to the small oval window. She had recently given herself a super-short, shoulder-length bob haircut that swept across her forehead. She’d done a decent job, but the new style made her look much older, and her mother had been startled when she saw it. Helicity had needed to make the change, just as she’d needed to take her horse, Raven, for long solo rides in the countryside surrounding her hometown and to travel hundreds of miles to Texas. Anything and everything to avoid running into her past.
Outside the window, the ground below vanished in a shroud of pale gray mist.
I’m inside a cloud, Helicity realized.
Seconds later, the plane burst through the foggy layer and into the brilliant blue sky above. She blinked at the sudden brightness. Then her eyes adjusted, and her breath caught in her throat.
A carpet of puffy stratocumulus clouds stretched in endless waves toward the horizon. The late afternoon sunshine painted the expanse with warm golden tones. The only thing missing from the fairy-tale landscape was a palace gleaming in the distance.
Helicity was enthralled. She loved anything to do with clouds. Anything to do with the weather in general, in fact, which was why she dreamed of becoming a meteorologist and storm chaser one day. While many kids her age spent their free time staring at screens, Helicity scanned the world around her for evidence of atmospheric and environmental change. Things like trees bending in the wind and grassy fields parched to brown from lack of rain. Shimmering heat creating that beautiful mirage, radiating up from the pavement, and sunlight softened by low-hanging haze. Slick patches of black ice lying in wait for unwary travelers and powdery snow skimming across frozen expanses. Each day, the ever-changing conditions delivered something new and amazing, and Helicity didn’t want to miss a single moment.
Or at least, that’s how she felt until two terrifying storms—first a tornado, then a flash flood—caught her and those she loved in their powerful clutches. Her parents had lost everything in the tornado. Her brother, Andy, had risked his life to search for her during that same terrible storm. And Lana—
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
Julie broke into Helicity’s thoughts. Helicity blinked, then lifted a shoulder and let it drop. “Oh, yeah…it’s nice.”
“I’ve seen views like that hundreds of times,” Julie continued. “One of the perks of working for the airline, you know?”
Helicity knew Julie was trying to engage her in conversation. But since the flood, she hadn’t been sleeping well, and she just didn’t have the energy to feign interest in small talk. So, after offering the chaperone a smile and a nod, she closed her eyes, intending to pretend she’d dozed off.
Soon, though, the plane’s gentle rocking motion and the steady drone of the engines lulled her into her first real sleep in weeks.
It didn’t last long. The nightmares intruded, a familiar montage of disturbing images, some real, some fabricated by her overactive mind. Her mother cowering in the basement as the tornado ripped their home apart. Her father staring in anguish at his son’s battered body. Lana mouthing something Helicity couldn’t hear over the roar of the floodwaters. Andy wide-eyed with terror as his car flipped, rolled, bounced—
She woke with a gasp. The bouncing was no dream.
Turbulence. The word flashed through her mind as the plane gave another shudder.
Turbulence, she knew, was caused by sudden changes in the airflow around the plane, like a jetty in the ocean that disrupts the flow of ocean waters. Turbulence could be caused by so many different factors: nearby storms, proximity to mountain ranges, and alterations in the jet stream. There weren’t any mountains nearby, and she didn’t see any thunderstorms, so it had to be clear-air turbulence.
Knowing what caused the plane to shake was one thing. Experiencing that shaking was something very different.
The shuddering stopped, then began again, more intensely this time. A tone sounded, and the
FASTEN SEAT BELT sign flashed on. A finger of unease crawled up Helicity’s spine. “Is this normal?” she asked Julie.
A lurch sent the chaperone’s drink splashing into her lap. “Oh, sh—sugar,” she amended in mid-expletive. She mopped at the mess with her tiny airline napkin, then shoved the sodden wad into her plastic cup. “I’ll be right back.”
Ignoring the seat belt sign, she unbuckled and headed to the galley. Suddenly, the plane gave a violent jerk. Julie stumbled. Helicity was thrown sideways in her seat. Her head hit the window, and she saw stars. When her vision cleared, she saw Julie had strapped herself into the plane’s jump seat.
The loudspeaker crackled. “Ladies and gentlemen,” the pilot calmly intoned, “as you have no doubt noticed, we are experiencing a bit of turbulence. At this time, we ask—”
His request was cut short when the plane suddenly plummeted like an elevator in free fall. Cries of alarm filled the cabin as Helicity and the other passengers went weightless for a split second. Then, like a yo-yo reaching the end of its string, the descent halted abruptly. Helicity nearly bit her tongue when she thudded back down into her seat.
Without warning, an overhead compartment popped open. A child’s pink backpack tumbled out and hit the man sitting below. Cursing, he kicked it under the seat in front of him, then half-stood, twisting awkwardly to re-secure the latch.
“Sir! Sit down!” the attendant commanded.
Too late! The plane lurched again. The man flew backward into the aisle. A second jolt sent him sprawling forward. His nose cracked against the metal armrest. He howled and clapped a hand over his face. Blood gushed between his fingers and down his chin as he dragged himself back into his seat.
Helicity’s fear spiked. She gripped the lightning bolt with both hands. Her palms were slick with sweat, but her mouth was bone-dry, her breath coming in ragged gasps.
I’m a survivor, not a victim. I’m a survivor, not a victim.
Out of nowhere, her mind conjured up the mantra that had pulled her back from the brink in the past. Some people might use the words survivor and victim interchangeably, but to her, their meanings were very different. Survivors pushed their way through adversity; victims were defined by it. Given a choice, she’d choose to be a survivor every time.
She latched on to the words, willing them to force out the adrenaline-fueled panic pulsing through her system. She breathed as Lana had once taught her, slow and deep, in through her nose and out through her mouth. She focused on the necklace digging into her palm—a sensation she could control and that could ground her.
I’m a survivor, not a victim.
The whine of the engines sliced into her thoughts. The plane nosed higher into the sky, aiming to rise above the turbulence. She sensed the passengers around her holding their breath. The craft jostled a few more times. Then, finally, the ride smoothed out.
A murmur of relief washed through the cabin.
“Who says Disney has the best rides?” the pilot joked over the loudspeaker. His comment elicited a smattering of shaky, forced laughter.
Helicity slowly released her death grip on the necklace.
Julie hurried down the aisle. “You all right, Fel—Helicity? I hope you weren’t scared.”
A sunbeam struck the lightning bolt, making it wink and flash.
“No, I wasn’t scared,” she murmured. I was terrified.
The plane taxied to a stop at the Houston terminal two hours later. Helicity was the first one out of her seat. Julie trotted to keep pace with her on the walk to the baggage carousel. “Wow, you must really be looking forward to seeing your friend!”
“Yeah, I—”
“Helicity!” A petite girl with short coal-black hair, a heart-shaped face, and a slightly upturned, sunburned nose pushed through a knot of people.
“Mia!” Helicity grabbed her friend in a bear hug. Mia squeezed her back with just as much ferocity.
A woman wearing loose-fitting linen shorts and an unbuttoned pink blouse over a white tank top joined them. She looked so much like Mia that Helicity knew she had to be her aunt, Suzette.
“I’ve got her from here,” Suzette said to Julie. Julie checked her ID, then told Helicity good-bye and disappeared into the airport crowd.
“Well, Helicity.” Mia’s aunt cocked her head sideways, smiling. “If you don’t mind my saying so, you look like you’ve been through the wringer.”
Helicity almost told them about the turbulence and her panic attack. But she held her tongue. It wasn’t something she wanted to think or talk about right then.
“The flight was a little bumpy, Suzette,” she replied instead.
“Bummer. And call me Suze. Everyone does. And speaking of calling,” she added, “phone your folks so they know you’re safe and sound.”
The carousel began spitting out luggage just as Helicity finished talking to her mother. She retrieved her single duffel with a tingle of pride when Suze nodded approvingly at how lightly she’d packed. She followed Mia and Suze to the parking garage, grateful to be leaving the airport behind and determined not to think about the return flight she would eventually have to take.
“Wait until you see our wheels,” Mia murmured with a hint of laughter.
“Hey, now,” Suze chided. “Don’t go mocking the mighty beach-mobile.” She waved her hand at a row of vehicles.
“The beach-mo—Oh.” Helicity picked out their car right away. It was a massive four-seat ragtop convertible from the 1960s, as wide as a bus and so long its backside stuck partway into a second parking space. The body was a brilliant turquoise with chrome trim. The interior and ragtop were creamy white. “That is really…something.”
“Most recognized car on all of Bolivar Peninsula,” Suze said, patting the hood affectionately. “I’ve got another car back home, but I figured we’d pick you up in style.”
They drove with the top down and their hair blowing in the wind. For a moment, Helicity felt as carefree as her hair and forgot about her troubles. About an hour in, they pulled over to grab ice cream and put the top of the beach-mobile up to enjoy a calmer end to the ride.
Darkness had fallen by the time they reached Port Bolivar, a small community on the southwest tip of Bolivar Peninsula. They pulled off the main highway onto a side street, then into a dirt parking area near Suze’s bed-and-breakfast. Warm, humid air enveloped Helicity when she opened the car door. A light breeze carried the familiar scent of newly mown grass, sun-kissed dust, and car exhaust, plus something she’d never smelled before. She inhaled deeply, trying to identify it.
“That’s the sea you’re smelling,” Mia told her. “Kind of different from the freshwater we’re used to from Lake Michigan, huh?”
Helicity inhaled again and detected the salty tang. A hint of fish, too. Not bad fish like when her mom made homemade fish sticks, but good, fresh fish. The onshore breeze brought the sound of lapping waves. “How close are we to the beach?”
“You’ll see,” Mia said mysteriously. “But first…” She waved her arms. Warm yellow motion detector lights flicked on, illuminating the bed-and-breakfast’s exterior. “Welcome to the Beachside!”
Helicity blinked in surprise. “It’s on stilts!”
The beach house was unlike anything she’d ever seen in Michigan. Painted the same turquoise as the beach-mobile with white trim around the doors and windows, it stood on posts that raised it several feet above the ground. There were two sets of stairs, one from the parking area to the front of the house, the other to a large back deck. Beneath the house and deck was an open storage space with beach umbrellas, chairs, Boogie Boards, and a trio of bicycles with wicker baskets on the handlebars. In the far corner was an enclosed outdoor shower. A short distance away from the house was a stone fire pit surrounded by colorful Adirondack chairs.
Helicity took it all in as she followed Mia and Suze up the weathered back stairs to the deck. She assumed they were going inside, but Mia led her to the railing.
“Check it out,” she
said.
“Oh…wow,” Helicity breathed.
The deck looked over the grassy expanse and the fire pit. The grass gave way to a small dune. A footpath cut through the dune to a sandy beach. And beyond that was the Gulf of Mexico. The full moon bathed the gently rippling waves with its silver-white glow.
“It’s so beautiful,” Helicity whispered.
“Yeah.” Mia leaned her elbows on the railing and stared out at the view. “There’s something special about this place, Hel. I feel so calm here. At peace, if that doesn’t sound too hokey. Suze says it’s because I’m away from the daily stress of my home life.” She shrugged.
Helicity shot her a quick look. Mia’s parents had gone through a nasty divorce the year before. Mia had been caught in the middle of it but had seemed to come out okay. Now Helicity wondered if she’d been hiding deeper feelings—feelings she wasn’t ready to share, not even with her best friend.
I get that, she thought, thinking of her own reluctance to reveal her panic attack.
“Anyway, that’s the main reason I invited you here,” Mia continued. “I thought being someplace different, away from the constant reminders of—of everything you’ve been through, might help you, you know, heal a little bit.”
Helicity slipped her arm around Mia’s shoulders and gave her a quick hug. “Just being with you, seeing this”—she nodded at the moonlit seascape—“I already feel better.”
A beam of sunshine woke Helicity the next morning. She blinked, momentarily confused by her unfamiliar surroundings. Then she saw Mia’s empty bed and remembered.
Texas. I’m in Texas. Well, at least for now. Nothing was permanent. The tornado that had destroyed her hometown, the flash flood that had ripped Lana from her grasp, had taught her that.
She and Mia had talked late into the night. Or rather, Helicity had talked. Mia had listened, only interjecting exclamations of horror, requests for clarification, and bursts of indignation now and then.
