by Alicia Rades
My eyes shot open, and I gasped for air.
“Crystal?” I heard Derek’s voice say.
I swung my head around, trying to figure out where I was. It was dark, and I was moving. After a moment, I realized I was still in the car. I clutched my hand over my chest as my heartrate slowed.
“What was that? Are you okay?” Derek asked.
“I—” I thought about it for a second.
On one level, I was freaking out at the terror I felt in Sage’s memories. On another level, I’d seen something, and although it wasn’t directly connected to Sage’s death, it left me feeling one step closer to helping her.
“I’m fine,” I answered truthfully.
18
The weekend passed like any other—uneventful—although a sense of worry taunted me as Saturday marked just two weeks until Sage’s death. As guilty as it made me feel, I didn’t know what else to do but wait and hope for the best.
Monday came with good news.
Talked to Sage, Robin’s text said during lunch. Says she’s not mad at you.
I had to wonder exactly what that meant. Did it just mean she was trying to get rid of Robin and stop his inquisition, or did it mean she was interested in talking to me again? All I could do was cross my fingers and hope she would show up to Robin’s band practice on Tuesday. I wasn’t keeping my hopes up too high. That’s why I was shocked when my phone rang on Tuesday on our way to the band practice and Sage’s name came up on the caller ID.
“Hello,” I greeted, almost too quickly.
“Crystal?” Sage’s voice came across the line.
“Yeah.”
“Hi.” She paused for a moment like she didn’t know what to say. I heard her take a deep breath. “Let me start by saying I’m really sorry.”
“About what?” I asked, feigning ignorance. It came across sounding fake, even to me.
“You know exactly what I mean. I shouldn’t have called you crazy. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know I was sorry.”
“So, you’re coming to the band practice?” I asked, almost with too much enthusiasm.
“Actually,” Sage said, her voice coming off a little shy like usual. “I was hoping you’d accept my apology over dinner or something, if you haven’t eaten yet. We could meet at the food court in the mall. I’m more in the mood for a girls’ night instead of hanging out with all of Robin’s friends. Not that there’s anything wrong with them. But only if you don’t mind.”
“No!” I nearly shouted. “I don’t mind. I’m almost to the city. I can be there in about 15 minutes. Does that work for you?”
“Yeah! I’ll see you soon.”
I hung up. “Emma, is it okay if you drop me off at the mall? Sage wants to meet up with me there. You guys don’t think it will be weird being at Asher’s without me, do you?”
“Of course not!” Emma said. “Besides, I’m practically in the band now.”
“You’ve only practiced with them three times,” Derek pointed out.
Emma frowned at him but let the statement slide. “Yes, I’ll drop you off, Crystal. It’s kind of exciting that she’s talking to you again. Do you want us to come with you?”
“No.” I shook my head. “It sounded like she wanted it to be just me and her.”
“Okay,” Emma agreed with a look of worry in her eyes. “You can text or call me when you’re done, and I’ll come get you.”
When I exited the car, I nervously shifted my backpack on my shoulder and took a deep breath as I entered the mall. I was excited to talk to Sage again, but I was scared of what she had to say to me. I was sure she still didn’t believe me, so warning her about her death was off the table.
I scanned the tables and restaurant lines for Sage, but I didn’t see her. Maybe she wasn’t there yet. I was headed toward an empty table and about to sit down when I caught a glimpse of auburn hair the color of Sage’s. She looked up to meet my eyes as I made my way over to her.
“Hey,” I greeted, slinging my backpack strap over the chair across from her.
Sage offered a smile, but it was the nervous type she always had. “So, uh, what type of food are you in the mood for?”
I scanned the restaurant signs. “Chinese?”
I put my backpack back on as we made our way into the line, thankful that I had a few dollars from babysitting stashed away in it. I knew there had to be a reason Sage invited me here, like she wanted to talk about something, but all we could do was make small talk—like what kind of chicken we should order—until we got back to our table. I suspected she was too nervous to start talking, and I was already covered in a thin sheen of sweat anticipating what it could be about.
After a few bites and complete silence, I finally set my chopsticks down. “Did you want to talk about something?”
“Huh?” Sage looked up from her food.
“I guess I can’t figure out why you invited me here,” I admitted.
Sage gave a long sigh, the kind of sigh you make when you’re trying to calm your nerves. She set down her own chopsticks and tugged on her sleeves until they were balled into her fists. She wiped at her nose with the back of her hand. “You’re right. I do want to talk to you about something, but it’s just really hard for me.”
“You can tell me anything.”
“Isn’t that weird?” Sage said, catching me off guard. What did she mean? “The thing is, I know I can talk to you about anything, and that’s crazy. We’ve only known each other for two weeks. I’ve been to therapist after therapist, and I couldn’t talk to any of them. And then you . . . But then you said those things about my family . . .”
“Sage,” I interrupted. “I’m sorry about that. I—”
“No, it’s okay. It really is.” She picked up her chopsticks again and poked at her rice. “I should be the one apologizing about the way I treated you.” She bit into a piece of chicken.
“Thank you,” I said, twisting some noodles around my chopsticks.
Sage swallowed. “Who’s to say you’re not telling the truth?”
I nearly choked, but I forced the noodles down my throat without a problem. “Are you saying you believe me?”
Sage shrugged as she shifted the rice around on her plate. “I’m not saying that. I don’t know what to believe. Remember how I told you I thought I saw my family after they died?”
I nodded.
“Well, I’ve been thinking a lot about it, and what if I did see them?” Sage paused for a moment. “You didn’t call me crazy when I said that, so I just feel pretty terrible about calling you crazy. Besides, Robin’s been talking some sense into me.” She gave a bit of forced laugh.
“Yeah, he’s pretty good at knowing what to say.”
An awkward silence filled the air between us while we each dug into our food.
“So,” I finally said. “What was it you really wanted to talk to me about?”
Sage gave an exhale through her mouth as if preparing herself. “So, I thought a lot about what you said. At first, I was really scared.”
“Of what?” I asked when she paused.
“I—I guess I was scared you knew too much about me. I’m really good at shutting people out.” Sage rubbed at her eye nervously. “You probably picked up on that.”
I nodded and offered a sheepish smile.
“But like I said,” she continued, “I have this weird feeling that I can trust you. My therapist says that if I can’t open up to her, I should at least talk to someone. She tried to get me to write in a journal, but I just couldn’t do it. Like, what if someone found it?” She sniffled and took another bite of rice. When she swallowed, she spoke again. “So, I figured I’d take a stab at talking to you.”
A little part of my heart fluttered, touched that she trusted me enough to talk to me. I listened quietly and chewed slowly as she spoke.
“There are a few things you should probably know about me. You already know that my parents and sister died. But that’s just one of my issues. When I was lit
tle, my uncle used to live with us.” She pressed her lips together and looked around to make sure no one was listening. She lowered her voice. “He used to . . . do stuff to me.” Her eyes shifted nervously but wouldn’t look at me.
It took me a few moments to realize that I wasn’t supposed to know this already. “I’m so sorry,” I told her honestly.
“No, it’s okay. Really. I was doing fine until my parents died. I mean, my dad always made me feel safe. But now that he’s gone . . .” Sage twisted her sleeves nervously in her hands. She finally looked into my eyes, her own brimming with tears that threatened to pour over the threshold. “I don’t feel safe anymore.”
“Oh, Sage,” I said quietly. This time when I reached over to touch her hand that now rested on the table, it wasn’t awkward. But the moment I touched her, something changed. A sickening feeling overcame me. It felt like my insides were twisting and my guts were trying to force their way out of my throat. A tightening sensation rose to my eyes, and my nose tingled. Hairs stood up on the back of my neck.
I pulled away from Sage, almost too quickly. “I know how you feel,” I told her, but I knew she had no idea how much truth there was to that statement.
Sage forced a smile, returning her hands back into her lap. “That’s sweet, but I know you’re just trying to make me feel better.” She took another deep breath. “After my dad died, the nightmares of my uncle came back. That’s why I didn’t fight living with Anna and Brian—my mom’s sister and her husband. I actually wanted to live with them because I felt I needed someone there to protect me. My therapist already knows all this, but what she doesn’t know is something that terrifies me more than anything else.”
“What is it?” I asked in a near whisper.
“I—” Sage paused like she wasn’t sure whether to tell me or not. She stole another nervous glance around the food court.
“You can tell me,” I assured her.
She bit her lip as if it was the only way to stifle the tears. Finally, her eyes locked on mine. “Sometimes I think I see him.”
I drew in a sharp breath.
“Sometimes I think I’m going crazy,” Sage admitted, rubbing the back of her hand at her eyes to wipe away tears she was trying so hard to hold back. “I don’t know—maybe I am going crazy. Other times, I’m scared he’s come back. Like, now that my dad’s gone, he’s coming to get his revenge, like he’s still mad that I told my parents about him.”
I didn’t know what to make of this. If she was seeing her uncle—if he was stalking her—then that would definitely mean she was in danger from him.
“Where have you seen him?” I asked.
She shrugged. “Just around. I don’t know. Once I thought I saw him when I was at the grocery store with my aunt. Once I thought I saw him driving down our street.” She paused for a second and tilted her head in thought. “Actually, the day I met you, I thought I saw him on the bus on the way to work. But I don’t know. I could be imagining things.”
My heart sank, and I tried to picture what she was going through. Then something clicked. That’s what she was scared of the first day. I took just a split second to absorb this, and then worry filled my mind. If her uncle was stalking her, could he be out for blood?
“I believe you, Sage.”
“Really?” she asked, raising her head and wiping her eye for the last time.
“I really do, but Sage, why haven’t you told anyone? You should at least call the police.”
She shook her head. “I would, but . . .” She hesitated like she had more secrets to tell and wasn’t sure about whether to share them or not. “I’m not sure yet if I’m actually seeing him or if I’m just crazy.”
If she wasn’t willing to call the police, and I was still pretty sure I couldn’t tell her when she was going to die, then what could I do? Maybe if I could change the course of the future . . .
“You know what I think you need?” I asked her.
“What’s that?”
“I think you need to relax. That way, you’ll be able to think more clearly, and you’ll really know if you’re imagining it or not. Why not hang out with us again? We can keep you safe.” I smiled at her, hoping she’d believe me. I tried convincing myself of this at the same time. Could I really keep her safe?
“You, Robin, Emma, all you guys? You really think you can keep me safe?”
“It’s better than being alone, isn’t it?”
Sage shook her head. “I don’t think any of you understand how messed up I am.”
“Well, we’re willing to help. We could go back to Asher’s and listen to them finish up practice. And you know what? They’re playing again in two weeks at my mom’s wedding. You should come to that, too.”
“Really?” Sage said with a half-smile. “You’re inviting me to your mom’s wedding?”
“Why not? There will be a buffet and dancing,” I added, hoping these extra perks might convince her.
“But you already have it all planned.”
“Sage, it’s fine. We’re not super formal people. So, will you come?”
She sighed. “I’d have to take off work again, and I don’t know what my boss will say since I already took a day off to go to Troy’s birthday party.”
“You could call it research,” I quickly suggested. “Tell your boss you were invited to a client’s wedding and you thought it would be a great opportunity to see how successful it was and to market the bridal shop.”
Please say yes, I chanted in my head. If she said yes, it’d be my ticket to helping her. Then she’d be far away from her uncle or whatever it was that was supposed to cause her death. Plus, she’d be by my side all day, and I wouldn’t have to miss my mom’s wedding. Please say yes.
Sage’s half-smile grew wider. “You don’t realize how sweet you are, Crystal. I honestly would love to be there. I’ll do my best to get off work.”
I was so excited that I actually jumped out of my chair and gave her a hug.
Sage laughed. “What are you so excited about?”
That you’re going to survive! I thought. Instead, I shrugged. “I’m just happy we’re friends.”
Sage’s smile was a genuine one this time. “Yeah, we really are, aren’t we?” After a pause, she spoke again. “You won’t tell anyone, will you?”
I tensed for a moment. My friends already knew most of it. But they didn’t know about Sage thinking she saw her uncle, and she trusted me enough not to tell. I couldn’t betray her trust.
I shook my head. “I won’t say anything.”
***
After Sage agreed to come my mom’s wedding, I finally felt like I could relax. We caught a bus from the mall and walked the few blocks from the bus stop to Asher’s.
“This is it,” I told Robin after the band finished practicing and Sage had left.
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“She agreed to come to the wedding. This is how I save her, isn’t it? I changed the course of the future. She’ll be safe now.” I took a breath. “Right?” I added.
Honestly, I wasn’t entirely sure. What if it was some type of self-fulfilling prophecy and I was somehow going to cause it? No. That couldn’t be right. There wouldn’t be anything dangerous at the wedding.
Robin answered my question with a smile. “I think there’s a good chance of it. You just have fun at the wedding, okay? I’ll keep an eye on Sage.”
“Really? Thank you so much!” I threw my arms around his neck and placed a kiss on his lips. My nerves were finally beginning to ease.
“Crystal,” Emma interrupted, “are you ready to go?”
“Yep!” I bounced up the stairs excitedly. “I’ll see you Thursday, Robin. Bye!”
“What are you so excited about?” Emma asked as we headed toward the car.
I didn’t answer for a moment as I thought about it. “I just have a feeling that everything’s going to be alright.”
Emma narrowed her eyes at me in thought.
“What?”
She sighed. “Just don’t get too excited. It may not turn out to be all rainbows and butterflies.”
Emma’s words put a halt to my excitement. Did she know something I didn’t?
19
The week passed by almost normally. I didn’t have any prophetic visions, but Emma and I kept up with our regular psychic sessions. We continued visiting Robin’s band, thanks to Emma being a part of it now. I almost didn’t even worry about Sage since she was showing up to band practices, and I finally felt like I’d sorted things out with her. Now it was just a waiting game. Homework, babysitting, and studying my psychic abilities took up most of my time, but as the wedding day neared, I spent more time talking to Mom about last-minute details.
The night before the wedding had me more nervous than I’d been the previous week. The rehearsal dinner went well without a single hiccup, so I wasn’t scared about walking down the aisle or anything. What I was scared about was whether or not my plan was going to work.
I stripped off the dress I’d worn to the rehearsal dinner I’d just returned from, took a shower, and changed into my pajamas. The hot water did little to soothe my worry.
“Mom?” I asked, knocking on her door.
She emerged a moment later dressed in a bath robe. “Yes?”
“Can I talk to you in my room for a moment?” I asked, spotting Teddy behind her. He was propped up on the bed reading a book.
“Sure.”
Mom and I crossed the hall to my bedroom and both took a seat on my bed.
“What is it, sweetie? You look worried.”
I forced a smile that came off genuine. “No, I’m fine. I just don’t really know what to expect tomorrow. Part of me is sure Sage is going to be okay. But then there’s a part of me that says it’s all going down in flames tomorrow. I don’t know which part is the psychic part.”
My mom laughed. “That’s always tough.”
“Anyway,” I sighed, “I just wanted to tell you that no matter what happens, I don’t want you to worry.”
My mom eyed me. “Do you know something I don’t?”
