Jump When Ready

by David Pandolfe

  Will tilted his head and looked at her curiously. “Are you tired?”

  It seemed weird to me that Bethany was tired all of a sudden. Just a few minutes ago, she’d been totally excited and happy.

  Bethany rested her head against the seat. “No, I’m fine.”

  “Any good places to eat on Cary Street? Maybe we could get some dinner.”

  “Sure, that sounds great.” Bethany spoke softly, her eyes starting to close again.

  It even seemed like Bethany might be about to doze off when a thin girl with long blonde hair approached the car. A woman, really. She might have been a little younger than Will, but not much. She leaned into Bethany’s window and I couldn’t help notice how green her eyes were.

  “Thanks so much for stopping by,” she said. “Eric told me he didn’t mean to take my books. I totally don’t believe him.”

  Will laughed. “Right, I wouldn’t either. There’s just the one box in back. It’s kind of heavy, though. I can help if you—”

  “No, it’s fine. But do you mind giving me a ride to where I parked? I was going to put them in my trunk.”

  I wish I could say that I at least sensed something was off. But it wasn’t like that. They totally fooled me too.

  Karen got into the van and Will started driving. Looking back, I realize that I should have guessed something was going on when he didn’t ask Karen where she’d parked. He just kept driving, down one block and then another, while nobody spoke. Suddenly, he was outside the neighborhood and taking an onramp for the highway. I was in back, next to Karen, who sat looking out the window as if nothing unusual was taking place. Not that I could have done anything, but it was already too late.

  A few minutes passed before Bethany opened her eyes again. She seemed groggy and confused as she looked out at the road. Then she turned to Will without lifting her head fully from the headrest. “What are we doing?”

  Will didn’t answer.

  Bethany sat up, blinking repeatedly, struggling to keep her eyes open. She glanced back at Karen, then turned to Will again. “Will, where are we going?”

  Will kept driving, changing lanes and picking up speed. He still wouldn’t look at Bethany.

  Bethany had to know something was wrong, but some other part of her brain must have kept telling her there had to be a logical answer. After all, Will was her friend, a person she trusted. But Will had told her lies—he’d set a trap. How could Bethany face that?

  Bethany turned to Karen. “I thought we were going to your car.”

  Finally, Karen looked at Bethany. “Don’t worry,” she said. Which made no sense.

  “Bethany, you need to get out of this car!” I screamed the words but I don’t know if she heard me. Either way, I’m sure she already knew that much.

  I looked at the highway signs. I’d seen them so many times but they meant nothing. What was I-95? What was 64? When it came right down to it, I didn’t even know where the roads went. That had always been for my parents to know.

  “What are you doing?” Bethany said. “Forget it, take me home.” She was trying not to cry but she wasn’t quite pulling it off. When Will still didn’t answer, Bethany got her phone from her pocket, her hands shaking as she started to dial.

  Karen reached over and grabbed the phone. “I wouldn’t,” she said. “We’re just running an errand. Then we’ll take you home. Don’t worry.”

  What else could Bethany do but hope those words were true? It wasn’t like she had a choice. She looked out the window, still trying not to cry. But she was still crying.

  It took a while, maybe ten minutes, before Bethany’s head fell forward. She jerked upright and looked around, fighting to remain conscious. Then her eyes slowly closed again and her head fell. The same thing kept happening as Bethany kept opening her eyes and looking around, each time shorter than the last, until finally her chin remained against her chest and her eyes stayed closed. After that, she remained passed out, slumped against the door of the car.

  “Bethany, wake up! Wake up!” I kept yelling the same thing over and over but she couldn’t hear me. How could she possibly fall asleep? At the same time, she’d been dozing off since they left Starbucks. Suddenly, I realized what was happening. When Will had gotten the drinks—he must have drugged her. Even though it all seemed insane, that was the only possible explanation.

  I sat there freaking out, not sure what to do. I couldn’t grab the wheel and steer the car off the road. I couldn’t hit anyone. I couldn’t even dial Bethany’s cell phone. I was just a ghost—a helpless, useless ghost.

  After a few more minutes, Karen reached from the back seat and nudged Bethany’s shoulder. She waited, then did it again, a little harder. Bethany remained slumped forward, her eyes closed as she breathed evenly in and out.

  “Well, that was easy,” Karen said.

  Will nodded. “Yeah, it really was.”

  ~~~

  They stopped just once, at a rest area. It was fully dark now and they parked far from the other cars and any lights. No one saw as they got out and moved Bethany to the back of the van. It only took a few seconds. Will strapped a gag onto Bethany’s mouth. He put her in handcuffs and threw a blanket over her.

  I ran at him and screamed, “Get your hands off my sister!” I tried to push him away. I tried to punch him. Nothing I did made any difference—a gnat would have been noticed more. When they drove off again, I knelt next to Bethany in back. “I’m right here!” I kept saying. “I’m right here!”

  I could only hope she heard me.

  I’m not sure how long they drove after that. More than an hour, definitely. Maybe two. All I could do was read the road signs and try to notice as much as possible. But when they left the highway and started driving country roads, there was nothing to see except the lights of passing cars. The van started to climb and then kept climbing. After that, there were no other cars at all.

  Eventually, they drove onto what felt like a logging road, the van jostling and bumping. All I could see in the headlights were trees, their branches creating a tunnel. Finally, we pulled up in front of a cabin. Will cut the engine and headlights, plunging us into total darkness.

  I passed through the side of the van and looked around but there was nothing to see except the dark shapes of trees. I heard crickets and cicadas by the millions, chirping and humming. I saw no lights in the distance. I heard no cars.

  Will and Karen got out and opened the back. The interior light came on, seeming incredibly bright.

  Will leaned over Bethany. “Okay, wakey, wakey! We’re here!” He waited a moment, then turned to Karen. “She’s still out cold.”

  “How much did you give her?”

  “That was a pretty strong dose,” he said. “For obvious reasons. But she should be coming around by now.”

  “What does she weigh, a hundred pounds?”

  “True, she’s smaller than I imagined. Let’s lift her out.”

  They got Bethany to her feet and stood her up. At first, she started to sag but then she straightened, gaining her footing. Her eyes shot open and she shook her head, trying to make her muffled voice heard through the gag. Bethany pulled away and started to run but didn’t get far before she tripped. In her drugged state, her wrists bound, she fell hard.

  Will clicked on a flashlight and walked to where Bethany lay on the ground crying. I waited for something bad to happen, for him to hit her or jerk her to her feet.

  Instead, he crouched next to her. “It’s okay,” he said. “It’s not like you’re thinking. We’re not going to hurt you. Understand?”

  Bethany looked up at him. For a moment, she remained still. Then she nodded.

  “Can you get to your feet? Sorry, stupid question. You’re in handcuffs. Will you allow us to help you up?”

  Tears streamed down Bethany’s face. She nodded again.

  Will and Karen took hold of Bethany’s arms and lifted her up.

  “I know it’s dark out here,” Will said. “But there’s a
cabin just over there. We should go inside now.”

  Bethany shook her head and started to back away again.

  “There’s nowhere to run out here, Bethany,” Will said. “You’d never make it. There are cliffs, mountain lions, all kind of dangers. Either way, we’re going inside, but we’d rather not drag you in if we don’t have to.”

  Bethany didn’t walk forward but she didn’t run either.

  “Good,” Will said. “Let’s get inside.”

  Slowly, they guided Bethany where they wanted her to go.

  Will turned on the lights and it surprised me to see that it was just a mountain cabin. Nature paintings, couches, a table and chairs in the kitchen area. The kind of place your family might rent for vacation. I’d imagined something horrible but it wasn’t that way at all. My mind kept spinning, trying to make sense of things.

  “Karen’s going to take off the gag now. Is that okay?” Will didn’t wait for an answer. He nodded to Karen, who walked behind Bethany and undid the clasps.

  Bethany spat the thing out and the rubber ball fell to the floor, trailing plastic straps. She inhaled deeply, then started coughing.

  “Sorry, wasn’t sure if we’d need that while we were driving,” Will said. “Are you all right? Do you need to sit down?”

  Bethany was still swaying like she was groggy. “Yes, I’d like to sit down.” Her voice was rough and dry.

  Will gestured to the kitchen table, then followed Bethany and sat across from her. Karen came over with a plate of fruit—grapes, strawberries and blackberries. She set down glasses of water. I waited for her to remove the handcuffs from Bethany’s wrists, but that didn’t happen.

  Will chose a strawberry, then slid the plate closer to Bethany. “Just so you know, we’re not barbarians. Are you hungry? Do you need to use the bathroom?”

  Bethany cleared her throat. “What’s going on? Who the hell are you? I mean, who are you really?”

  “You might as well call us Will and Karen. Those are as good as any other names. Besides, you already think of me that way. Why change that now?”

  Bethany kept blinking and shaking her head like she was still trying to wake herself up. “Why did you take me here? What do you want?”

  Will chose a blackberry this time. “These really are good. You should have one,” he said. “We want what everyone wants. Can you guess?”

  Bethany frowned, confused. “Money?”

  Will shrugged. “Good guess.”

  Bethany stared across the table at him. I knew what she was thinking since I was thinking the same thing. “But we don’t have money! Not like that. I mean, we’re not poor or anything but—”

  “Sometimes people have surprising resources,” Will said. “But let’s not go into that right now. Let me tell you how it’s going to be. If you make things easy, we will too. If you don’t, we won’t. Is that clear?”

  “But you just finished telling me you’re not—”

  “Simple question. Yes or no?” Will’s voice rose and his eyes hardened. “Do you understand?”

  The change in him had an effect on Bethany. She started to tear up again. “When do I get to go home?”

  Will exhaled slowly, like he was annoyed but trying to be patient. “Good, a simple question. I’ll give you a straight answer. When we get what we want. Got it?”

  Even though he hadn’t come close to answering the question, Bethany nodded.

  “Okay. Now, drink your water.”

  Bethany’s eyes locked on the glass Karen had left in front of her.

  “You’re totally right,” Will said. “It’s a sedative. Nitrazepam, just so you know. You might have heard of it referred to as Alodorm. Easy stuff to come by, actually. Then there’s its cousin, Xanax. Not nearly as strong but good for anxiety and the like. We might just mix up a few of those, depending.”

  Bethany shook her head. “Whatever it is, I don’t want it. It makes me feel like I can’t breathe.”

  Will thought for a moment, then shrugged. “You were just scared. Now, drink. Remember what I said, hard or easy.”

  I couldn’t just sit there listening any more. Even though I knew it wouldn’t matter, I ran at him again. To hit, to scream, to make the bastard know I was there seeing all of it. But suddenly I started getting dragged backwards. Slowly at first, then faster. I looked behind me, expecting to see Karen or someone even though it made no sense. I called out, “Bethany!” for no reason. She couldn’t help me and I couldn’t help her.

  I rose into the air against my will, uselessly fighting against whatever had hold of me. I lifted through the ceiling. Within seconds, I was back in the darkness. I saw the light of the cabin window below but it disappeared quickly as I was pulled through the sky. I saw the lights of a town in the distance. At one point, I shot directly through a jet passing far above the earth, for one second hearing and smelling the passengers worn out from travel. I was accelerating so fast now that everything became a blur, even the stars above.

  Then I saw nothing but darkness while I shot through space.

  6

  River Rat Can Speak

  I felt the light against my eyes but kept them closed, both out of fear and confusion. I had no idea where I might be or how long I might have been there. It felt as if everything had simply stopped and gone quiet.

  Then someone asked me a question. “What happened to you?”

  I opened my eyes to see that I was sitting by a pond on a sunny day. I knew where I was immediately, although I hadn’t thought of the place in years. The pond had been close to the first house we’d owned and John and Bethany used to take me there when I was just a little kid.

  Nikki looked down at me. “What’s got you so freaked out? You look like crap.”

  At any other time, I might have laughed. Leave it to Nikki to be blunt. But everything that had just happened came rushing back at me. It was almost like the opposite of waking up—like what I’d just experienced with Bethany was real but now I was inside a dream.

  I jumped to my feet. “Listen, my sister’s been kidnapped! By two people—they took her someplace, to this cabin somewhere. I don’t know what to do!” I was back in that reality, my pulse racing.

  I expected Nikki’s eyes to widen, for her to gasp or act alarmed. Instead, she nodded calmly. “What do you mean ‘do’?” she said. “Don’t get me wrong. I feel terrible about what’s happened. But there isn’t anything you can do.”

  “What are you talking about? I’ve got to help her somehow!”

  Nikki looked me in the eye. “I’m sorry.”

  I stared back at her. “That’s it? You’re sorry?”

  Nikki turned away and looked out at the pond. “This is a nice place. I guess it must make you feel happy or something.”

  How could she possibly change the subject like that? “Yeah, sure. It’s a happy memory, I guess.”

  Nikki’s eyes grew sad and suddenly she seemed far away. A few moments passed before she spoke again. “That’s what I thought. And, really, that’s all anyone back on Earth is too now. Like you are to them. I’m sorry, Henry, but we’re all just memories now. That’s why we’re not supposed to keep going back. Believe me, I’ve been down this road and it only gets worse.”

  I waited for Nikki to say more, but she picked up a stone and flung it out at the water. It skipped a few times, then splashed, leaving ripples. Maybe she didn’t want to talk about that road she’d been down but I wasn’t about to accept that I was nothing more than a memory. At least not yet, not now.

  I bent down and plucked a stone from the ground. It felt cold and real. “There’s got to be some way to help,” I said. “Bethany heard me before, so maybe my parents can too. Or my brother. I don’t know.”

  Nikki turned to face me. “What do you mean, she heard you? She couldn’t have.”

  “She did! I know she heard me talking to her just before it happened. I even made her laugh with some old family stuff only she’d know about. She tried talking back to me too. She as
ked if I was there with her.”

  Nikki stared at me strangely. I wasn’t sure if she didn’t believe me or what the deal was. “You’re not joking, are you? Are you lying to yourself?”

  “No! It really happened, I swear.”

  A few seconds passed while Nikki seemed to be thinking about things. Then she said, “Have you tried this with any other living people? Can anyone else hear you?”

  I thought back to when I’d been with my family. “Not really. I just figured no one could. Then I started talking to Bethany when she was driving and she totally heard me.”

  Again, a few moments passed before Nikki spoke. “Hard to be sure what this means,” she said. “Sure, sometimes there are people on the other side who can sense us. But it’s really rare. The odds of it being your own sister is like one in a million. I suppose it could possibly mean…” She let her words trail off.

  “What?” I tossed my stone into the pond. Maybe the pond was just a memory but the stone still splashed. It was as real here as we were. Here, thoughts became real. If we could shape this reality, I wasn’t about to give up hoping that I could somehow affect the other.

  Nikki didn’t answer my question. Instead, she watched the ripples spread across the water and I got the feeling she was lost in a memory of her own. I reached out and touched her arm. “Hey, are you okay?”

  It took a moment before Nikki answered. “Sure, yeah. I’m fine. But, listen, I think we should talk to Martha.”

  ~~~

  “How do we know she’s even here?” I asked, when Nikki knocked on Martha’s door.

  “She’s always here, if you need her.”

  “What if you don’t?”

  “Then she’s not here, idiot. Aren’t some things obvious to you yet?”

  For some strange reason, it felt comforting to see Nikki back to being her usual sarcastic self. Nikki was just good at being Nikki.

  As promised, Martha opened her door and smiled at the two of us. “Hey, guys. How’s it going?”

  Nikki shot me a look like I’d just ruined her day. “River Rat has an issue.”

  Until that moment, I hadn’t realized Curtis’ nickname for me had caught on.