Fingers in the Mist

by O'Dell Hutchison

  My heart drops when I see the Chapmans stand next. Jeb follows his family to the front of the church, and I have to stifle a gasp. He places his arm around his little brother, Beau, as they follow their parents and older brother, David, to the front. The Edwards, a younger couple with a five-year-old daughter, stand next. Mr. Edwards is the school’s Health & P.E. teacher. I met him and his wife two summers ago when they first moved to town. I liked them because they were young and hip and didn’t seem to belong here, even though Mr. Edwards lived here as a boy.

  I watch in horror as Bunny stands, pulling Chastity to her feet. As expected, Bunny’s clothes are wildly inappropriate for church. Her pink mini-skirt skirt, high heels, and cleavage-baring camisole make even me blush, but she doesn’t seem to care. Chas holds a sleeping Parker to her chest, her head held high, refusing to let her fear show. She looks straight ahead and walks to the front, fixing the sleeve of her little black dress as she stands next to Bunny.

  That’s five families. The Simpsons were obviously the sixth. That leaves us.

  The rest of the congregation looks around, searching for the seventh family. I feel my face flush as my father stands, grasping Judy by the elbow, coaxing her to her feet. He nudges me with his foot and I stand, leading the family down the aisle to the front of the church. The pendant on my necklace feels hot against my skin. As I walk down the aisle, I swear I feel it give a small tug. All eyes are on us, and although I want to hold my head high in defiance, I can only look at my feet. I glance over at Trevor, and the look on his face brings tears to my eyes. I can’t tell whether it’s a look of fear or disappointment.

  Chastity hands a fussy Parker to Bunny and grabs my hand when I stand next to her. Monique smiles smugly at both of us from her seat in the front row, and I swear that if I weren’t in church, I would punch her in the neck. I look past her, into the eyes of my grandmother. She stares at us, her face expressionless. It’s like she doesn’t even realize that four of her family members stand before her.

  “As is tradition,” Reverend Carter begins, “we will light a candle for each family member as we pray for their souls.”

  His voice makes my skin crawl. I know he has something to do with this and I want to call him out, but what proof do I have? I smooth the front of my silk blouse to busy myself.

  “Let the light of the candle represent hope that these families can deal with their loss, hope that their sins will be forgiven, and hope for a new beginning.”

  At the end of his speech, Mrs. Fowler begins playing another song and Monique, Sophie—her second in command—and two boys I don’t know all stand and move to opposite ends of the line. One of the boys hands a candle to my dad, Judy, and Mitch. When he gets to me, I can’t move. I don’t want to take it from him. Taking it means I admit to doing something wrong and I can’t do that.

  “Take the candle,” my father whispers. I look over at him, and the look in his eyes tells me I have no choice. I reluctantly take the candle from the boy. He looks at me with sad eyes—eyes that say he’s sorry. I want to tell him it’s not his fault.

  Monique lights my father’s candle, followed by Judy and then Mitch, each time softly saying, “Peace be with you and your family.” She repeats the phrase when she gets to me, but her soft words don’t match the cold, hard hatred in her eyes. As she moves on to Chastity, I hear her whisper, “You two deserve this more than anyone.”

  If there were ever a time I wished I could call upon my crazy powers, now would be it. I would make it a huge spectacle and shoot fireballs from my eyes, burning her from head to toe.

  Monique lights Chastity’s candle, whispers her words of peace and then says, “Slut.”

  There’s another tug at the necklace around my neck, and I swear I feel a slight breeze stir around me, causing the flame from my candle to sputter and jump. Before I realize it’s happened, fire creeps up Monique’s back.

  Monique doesn’t realize what’s happened until her mother shrieks, rushing to her daughter with her shawl in hand. She throws it over Monique’s head, beating at the flames. Both Chastity and I immediately start to laugh, and despite the dirty looks from those around us, we can’t stop.

  “She did it,” Monique shrieks, pointing an accusing finger in my direction. “She started my hair on fire.”

  “Everyone, please calm down. It was merely an accident.” Reverend Carter looks at Monique and then at me. For a moment, I think I see a glint of happiness in his eye, but why exactly, I don’t know.

  I glance in Trevor’s direction as I try to regain my composure, but he’s not looking at me. Mason, though, is staring right at me, the now-familiar sick grin plastered across his face. I look away as Sophie finishes lighting the candles, making a wide arc around me like she’s afraid I might cast a fireball in her direction. The music stops and Reverend Carter speaks into the microphone again.

  “Let us pray.”

  The entire congregation bows their heads as I stare intently at the flame dancing at the center of my candle. The smell of burnt hair lingers in the air and I have to concentrate to keep myself from bursting into another fit of giggles.

  “You have to stop them, Cait.”

  I look around, wondering where the soft voice came from, but everyone around me is still; heads bowed in prayer.

  “You can’t let them take you.” The voice is louder this time, and there’s no mistaking who it belongs to. It’s my mother.

  I search the bowed heads of the congregation, almost expecting to see my mother’s face staring back at me. My eyes stop when they meet the face of a pretty blond woman with piercing sapphire eyes staring intently at me from the third row. The moment I meet her gaze, she looks away. I look down at my candle and let out a tiny gasp when I see my mother’s face behind the flickering flame.

  “Be careful.”

  “Amen.”

  The moment the prayer ends, the vision of my mother evaporates.

  Chapter Six

  After the service, we all filter out of the church into the cool afternoon breeze. Reverend Carter announced that the church would supply everyone with bottled water and non-perishable items to get us through the next several days. I find it funny that the church was prepared for this. It’s like they knew it was going to happen. Why else would they have enough food and water for everyone? Why am I the only one questioning this?

  Judy doesn’t say a word to me as she takes Mitch’s hand and walks directly to the truck, obviously too embarrassed to speak with anyone, her reputation ruined. Standing in front of the entire town with the rest of us sinners was probably the most humiliating thing she’s ever done.

  The wind picks up, sending leaves in colors of yellow and orange scattering across the courtyard. The sky is still heavy with clouds, and a light mist hangs in the air. I brush my hair out of my face and notice my father speaking with my grandmother at the side of the church. They appear to be having a very heated conversation.

  “Are you scared?” I can sense the fear in Chas’s voice, her tough exterior nowhere in sight.

  “It just all seems so surreal,” I say. “I don’t know what to make of it.”

  “Did you light Monique’s hair on fire?” She starts to laugh again, easing some of the tension.

  “No! You were standing right next to me. You know I didn’t.” As much as I’d love to be able to tell her the truth, I can’t. She would have a million questions and I wouldn’t have the answers.

  “You just had this really intense look on your face right before it happened.” She wraps her arms around herself, her face serious again. “I’m scared. I don’t want to die. I can’t leave Parker an orphan.”

  “You won’t die.” I know my words don’t offer much comfort, especially when I don’t know if I believe them myself. If what was said in there is true, we could be dead by the end of the week, victims of a town’s religious fanaticism.

  “It’s obvious that it’s me they’re after. I’m fifteen and
had a baby out of wedlock.”

  “That’s exactly why they shouldn’t take you. Who in their right mind would take a mother away from her infant child? Maybe it’s Bunny they’re after.” The words are meant to make her feel better, though I know the moment they leave my mouth that there’s really no way this will end positively for her.

  “Bunny may dress like a slut, but she’s a saint. It’s not her.”

  Over Chas’s shoulder I catch a glimpse of the blond woman I’d caught looking at me from the church pews. She stares in my direction, a worried look in her eyes.

  “Who’s she?” I ask, pointing in the woman’s direction.

  Chas turns and waves. The woman smiles and then walks toward the opposite end of the parking lot.

  “That’s Miss Simmons. She’s our English teacher. Why?”

  “She keeps staring at me. She kind of freaks me out,” I say as I watch her crawl into a small, silver Toyota.

  “I’m going to pull the truck around back and get our supplies,” my father says, walking up behind me. “Be ready to go in five minutes.”

  He says this without looking at me. I feel empty and dismissed. Does he think this is my fault, too? My hands begin to shake, and I grasp the pendant around my neck to keep them busy. It immediately warms in my fist, comforting me.

  “Caitlyn? How are you holding up, dear?” my grandmother says from behind me, her voice cold and formal.

  “I’m okay,” I say, forcing a smile. She must be so disappointed in all of us. How dare we ruin her name?

  “I must say, I’m shocked. This hasn’t happened to our family in years. I’m speechless.”

  Be strong. The voice of my mother rings in my ears, startling me.

  “Is something wrong?” Nana asks.

  “No, I’m fine. I’m just tired.”

  She gives me a curt nod and walks off to her shiny blue Buick.

  “We need to get going,” Bunny says, pushing Parker’s stroller in our direction.

  “I’ll call you later,” Chastity says, throwing her arms around my neck. I hold her tight, not wanting to let go. What if this crazy talk is real and I never see her again? “Be careful, Cait,” she says, pulling away. Tears run down her face, and when I see them I start to cry, too.

  “It’s going to be okay. Somehow, we’ll make it okay.” I know my words don’t offer much comfort, but I’m not willing to admit that after this week she may no longer be a part of my life.

  I wipe my face as she walks away, silently wishing her well. I turn in the direction of our truck and walk right into Trevor. He reaches out to grab my shoulders, steadying me.

  “Hey.” He removes his hands and places them in his pockets. For some reason this has become his standard stance whenever he’s around me, like it hurts him to touch me.

  “Hi.” I look at the ground, so he can’t see the tears in my eyes.

  “Are you okay?” he asks.

  I shrug in response, unable to speak because of the lump in my throat.

  “I’m sorry—for all this. I really am.”

  “Sorry for what?” I blurt out. “For what’s about to happen to my family, or sorry you ever got involved with a sinful little tramp like me?”

  I look at him in defiance, and immediately regret snapping at him.

  “For what your family has to go through,” he says pointedly.

  “Why is everyone treating me like I’m a leper? I feel like I should put a big ‘A’ on my chest. Everyone seems to have it in their head that I’m the reason my family was marked and that I will end up missing at the end of the week. They’re probably right. I’m a worthless little bitch, only out to cause trouble and break hearts. Isn’t that right?”

  “Are you done feeling sorry for yourself now?” He stares at me and I look away.

  This is exactly why I didn’t want to move here. I hate this place, and these small-town people with their messed up ideals.

  “Come on, admit it. The Redeemers only take the dirty and worthless, and that’s why my family was chosen.”

  “So, you think the Redeemers only take dirty, worthless people? Is that it?” His voice is loud—louder than I’ve ever heard it.

  “Isn’t that how it works?” I ask, defiantly.

  “So, then you’re saying my sister—my eight-year-old sister with Down syndrome—was a dirty, worthless human being and that’s why she was taken the last time this happened?”

  His confession takes me by surprise. Partly because I never knew he had a sister and partly because if he did—and she was taken—it means this is real.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I didn’t even know you had a sister.”

  His eyes burn into me and I take a step back. “Watch your words, Cait. When you say only the dirty and unworthy are taken, you lump my sister in with that group. She was anything but.”

  We stare at one another, unsure of how to continue. I don’t want to fight with him. I need him on my side again. I’m about to apologize when Jeb walks up. He places a hand on each of our shoulders and leans in close.

  “We need to get out of here. I’m not going to let them take me.”

  “You can’t leave. There’s no way out of town,” Trevor says. “The bridge is washed out and the road flooded. You know how it is when they come.”

  Jeb shakes his head, his face set in determination. “We have to try. I can’t do this. I won’t let them take me. This has to stop.”

  “You don’t even know that they’re going to take you; it could be anyone in your family.” Trevor’s voice is smooth and even as he tries to convince Jeb to stay.

  “No. We’ll get out of town and get help. This isn’t normal. I’m not like the other religious freaks in this town that actually believe the Redeemers are working for a higher good. My grandmother is ecstatic that we were chosen. She actually had the nerve to say she’d been waiting for this day her entire life. That is so not normal, man.”

  I find myself nodding with every word Jeb says. He’s right. If this is real, we need to get help. Something is going to go down this week, supernatural or not, and we need to stop it. I’ll come with you.”

  Trevor turns to look at me the moment the words leave my mouth. “Are you serious?”

  “If I stay here, I’ll be dead by the end of the week. I didn’t come here to die.”

  Trevor rolls his eyes. “You don’t know that—”

  “It’s obvious it’s me. Even if it’s not, I’m not letting them take anyone else in my family. If we get out of here, we can find help and be back by morning.”

  “Do you think Chas will come?” I’m surprised to hear these words fall from Jeb’s lips.

  “I doubt she’ll leave Parker. In fact, I know she won’t.”

  “Then we’ll bring him with us,” Jeb says with a shrug. “I’ll go over to her house and talk to her now. Meet me behind the high school at five o’clock. Everyone will either be at home or out at Monique’s birthday party, so we won’t have to worry about anyone seeing us. Dress warm and pack light.”

  He hurries off, blending into the crowd of people still filtering out of the church. A few seconds later I hear the roar of the engine of his old Ford.

  Trevor looks at me, his brow creased with worry. “Are you sure you want to do this? It’s not safe.”

  I don’t know why he’s suddenly so worried about me. The way he’s been acting, you’d think he would be happy I’m leaving.

  “I don’t have a choice. We have to stop this. Come with us.”

  He looks at me and shakes his head. This isn’t like him; he was never the type to balk at a challenge. He loved a good adventure, and I can’t believe he’s not jumping at the chance for a little excitement.

  The sound of my father’s horn pierces the silence between us. He hangs his head out the window and motions to me. “Cait, let’s go.”

  “Please say you’ll come with us.” I grab his hand and I’m surprised when he doe
sn’t jerk away from me.

  “I don’t think I can. This week will be rough on my mom. The last time this happened, the Redeemers took Sarah and we lost my dad. Plus, all this stuff with Mason has been hard on her. If I leave her now, she’ll never forgive me.” That’s the thing about Trevor—he’s loyal to a fault and he puts his family before anyone.

  “We won’t be gone forever. Just long enough to get help. We’ll be back. Please come.”

  My father honks the horn again, and before Trevor can answer, I start for the truck.

  I close the door, and as my father pulls away, I look back at Trevor. He raises his hand in a small wave, sadness in his eyes.

  I hope he comes.

  When we get home, I go directly to my room and change into a pair of black yoga pants and a red hoodie before curling up for a nap. I need to rest so I can make it through our grand escape. I doze off to the sound of Mitch’s pleading voice as he walks around the yard calling for Yancy.

  ***

  “Cait? Come down and eat.” Dad’s voice comes at me from the other side of my door, pulling me from my dreams. I don’t feel much like eating, but I know I have no choice.

  I pull on some socks and my running shoes before going down to join them. My plan is to say I’m going for a run to clear my head. I’ll deal with the repercussions of sneaking off later.

  Everyone is silent as we pick through the leftover pot roast. A cloud of uncertainty hangs over the entire family. Will this be the last meal we all share together?

  “Are you going to eat that, or just push it around your plate?” Judy asks.

  I stick a piece of meat with my fork and put it in my mouth without answering her. I force myself to swallow, even though eating is the last thing I feel like doing right now.

  “Are you okay, Caity?” Mitch asks, staring up at me through his shaggy blond hair.

  “Yeah.” It’s not much, but it’s all I can muster right now.

  “Feeling guilty?” Judy asks.