C I N: Lynn, Lynn, the city of sin. You never come out the way you went in. (The C I N Series)

by Christina Leigh Pritchard

  “You were struck by lightning twice. It is quite amazing for me to be speaking to you. You should be dead. Don’t get me wrong, I am happy you are alive but just completely out of my element. I’ve never witnessed such a miracle before. Lynn recorded another phenomenon like this once, I think, in the mid 1600’s. A teenage boy was struck by lightning in one of the old factories before they were burned down. He survived without a scratch, too.”

  The doctor was right. I should be dead. I had been struck by lightning twice. I examined my hands and legs. It didn’t make any sense. Why did I feel so great? I felt like I could just rip off these tubes and run a marathon without any training whatsoever.

  I brushed my hand through my hair. It was softer than normal and fuller.

  “How do I look?”

  The Doctor turned around. “What do you mean?”

  “Well, did the lightning change my appearance somehow?”

  He laughed. “No, you are as clean as a whistle. There wasn’t a single second degree burn on your body! See, you truly are a miracle!”

  That wasn’t what I had meant. “Can I take off these tubes? They’re aggravating. Hey, did anyone tell my mom that I was in the hospital?”

  “Not yet. We want to monitor you a little longer just to make sure that you’re okay. I don’t know about your mother, sorry.”

  There was a knock at the door.

  Michael peeked inside. I smiled. He carried flowers in his hand and a balloon. “Well, well, well,” he chuckled. “Looks like that lightning finally got you good.”

  “Very funny.” I rolled my eyes. He put the flowers and balloons on a little table across from my bed. There were other flowers and balloons and even cards already there. “Who gave me those things?”

  Michael picked up the three cards and read them. “They’re from Ally, Millie, and Alex.” He set them back down on the table. “I hope you don’t mind, but I brought your future roomy with me so that you could finally meet her.”

  “You mean I get to meet Donna with tubes in my face? Gee, thanks so much, Michael! You’re such a sweetheart.”

  “I try,” he said, patting me on the top of the head. “You look great for someone whose been fried. “Lisa—my little shish-ka-bob…”

  I smacked him. This time he didn’t flinch. He almost welcomed it.

  A girl with short, wavy brown hair and hazel eyes entered my room. “Lynn’s little miracle!” She held an enormous card, probably almost as large as a poster board. “You’re famous. Everyone can’t wait to meet the girl who defied science.”

  Michael sat on the edge of my bed. “This is Donna Denning. She’s a little animated, as you will soon learn.”

  “This card is for you.” Donna handed me the gigantic card. There was a picture of a sad little guy in black pants and white, long-sleeved collared shirt.

  So you are down in the dumps…

  I opened it up and giggled. The disco song Stayin’ Alive by the Bee Gees played. The sad man was up in dancing position with has hand high in the air.

  Hang in There…You’ll be dancing again real soon!

  “Thanks, that’s awesome.” I lay the card in my lap. “So you get to stay in the same dorm room with the miracle girl.”

  “I know, right?” Donna bounced on the soles of her feet. “This is going to be the best year yet. I can’t wait until school starts. We need to hit the malls and get a few things. We wear uniforms but there are several dances and free wear days too at our school. Do you like movies? Please, please tell me you do! I’m a movie-holic.”

  Donna and I were going to get along great. Finally, I had a normal friend.

  Aunt Millie barged into the room. She leaned over my bed, her eyes filled with fright. “I haven’t even had you a week yet and you’re getting struck by lightning!”

  “I’m still alive, so no worries. Hey, Aunt Millie, did you tell my mom I was in the hospital?”

  She didn’t respond.

  Aunt Millie wore a pink dress shirt buttoned all the way up. Was that our uniform; a collared shirt? I hoped not. I couldn’t wait for school to start. Donna was going to be a blast.

  “Hello, Dean Brown.” Donna backed up. “Come to the bonfire this Saturday, Lisa! We have so much to discuss.”

  Michael made a funny face behind Millie.

  I giggled.

  “Michael,” Aunt Millie’s voice was thunderous. “Out.”

  Dr. Jerkewitz came back into the room with a nurse. “I am going to release you. Your vitals are perfect.”

  The nurse took off my nose tube and got to work on the ones in my hands. Millie stood by, stamping her foot nervously. “What is the matter, Aunt Millie?”

  “I hate hospitals,” She looked out the window. “Good, the skies are clear now.”

  Another nurse brought a wheel chair over to my bed. “I can walk, really, I’m fine.”

  The nurse blushed. “Unfortunately, you have to be pushed out so that way, an accident will not occur and make us liable.”

  “So basically you’re afraid to get sued?”

  She nodded.

  I sat down in the chair and put my cards and flowers in my lap. Millie took the balloons in her hand and followed the nurse and me out into the parking lot. There was a news reporter with a camera man, waiting for us.

  “They are calling you the miracle girl. What do you have to say about that?” He spoke so fast. “Can you self heal? That’s X-Men stuff, right? Are you a mutant?”

  I got out of the wheel chair and jumped into the taxi. Millie climbed in next. “This had better blow over fast,” she responded, buckling herself in. I did the same.

  When we reached the dirt road, I spotted Pig. He jumped high in the air and barked hysterically. Had he missed me? How cute.

  “Hi, Bipolar Pig,” I hollered out the window. He raced alongside the car. I got out and knelt down. He wagged his tail but would not come to me. I stood up, disappointed. “I could’ve died,” I told him. “The least you could do is let me pet you.”

  Alex sat on his purple swing. He glanced up at Pig and I. “You’re back,” he said.

  “Yeah, I guess so.”

  “Your mom called. I told her what happened and she sent you a card via Fed Ex. It is on the shelf in Ally’s room.”

  “Thanks.”

  I went into Ally’s room and there were clothes folded neatly on the bed. There was a note on top of them.

  “Sorry you got fried; here are some clothes I don’t wear anymore. Ally”

  That was nice of her I guess. I shoved them over so that they were out of my way. Pig sat near my feet, panting and wagging furiously. “Well, do you want me to pet you or not?” He raced out of the room. “Figures,” I laughed, putting the flowers on the shelf alongside the photo frames. Amber’s card sat nestled in the shell frame covering up the picture of her and Jimmy. I pulled it out and opened it up.

  “Get better, Lisa, as soon as I can I will send for you…

  …Mom.”

  She really wasn’t going to come back for me. I nearly died and all she’d done was send a card? I crumpled her note into a little ball and tossed it behind the bed.

  I rubbed my eyes and swallowed hard. When Amber put me on the train and said goodbye, it wasn’t temporary as she claimed. It was the kind of goodbye that lasted forever. She was never coming back.

  Twelve

  The Woods Hold A Secret

  Ally tapped on the door lightly. She leaned against the framework with a worried look on her face.

  “Are you all right?”

  I nodded. “Actually, believe it or not, I feel great.”

  Ally’s face lit up and she entered the bedroom. “That’s good to hear.”

  “Thanks for the clothes. They’ll come in handy, especially since school starts next week.”

  “I don’t wear them anymore, anyway.” She used her pointer finger to trace the embroidered flowers on the bedspread.

  “Ally,” I took a deep breath. “Is everything all right?
”

  “Yes, I was just worried, that’s all.” She stood. “I think I will go now.”

  The front door slammed.

  Some things never changed.

  Why did she disappear for hours at a time? Where did she go? What did she do? Ah, did it really matter?

  I changed into some of the jeans Ally left for me and put on a striped fuzzy long sleeved sweater. There was a package of new underwear in a bag. That was a blessing for sure since I was down to my last few pairs.

  Millie was in the kitchen, cooking dinner. She seemed so relaxed now. Before, at the hospital, she’d been jumpy and distracted.

  I sat down at the table across from the cat’s bowl. Rat sat in her chair waiting to be fed. I smiled. It was kind of cute to see her there, waiting patiently like a human.

  “The cat is funny,” I scooted up to the edge of the table. Aunt Millie turned around, almost surprised to see me. “She waits as if she were a human.”

  Rat placed her paws on the table and stared at me. If I didn’t know any better I’d say she was listening. “You’re just a little girl trapped inside a cat’s body.” Rat hissed and jumped down from the table.

  Aunt Millie roared with laughter. Her immense belly bounced up and down and her eyes squinted together. Had I missed something?

  “What’s so funny?”

  “Rat’s a boy,” Aunt Millie answered. “He’s very temperamental about being called a girl.”

  “But, everyone calls him girl, she, her…”

  “Yes, we do it to piss the cat off. It’s our own private joke.”

  “Sorry, Rat, I didn’t know you were a guy.”

  Rat pranced over, twitching his tail. He sat at my feet. He meowed and lifted his paws. I leaned down to pick him up. I was going to cradle Rat in my arms, hold him close to my chest, and listen to him purr…

  Pig jumped up and grabbed Rat by the throat. Bipolar Pig held the cat down on the floor, snarling. “Pig, stop that!”

  He did not stop.

  Aunt Millie came out of the kitchen and just stared. She wiped her hands on her apron and then disappeared back inside the kitchen. I rolled my eyes. This place was a nut house.

  “Pig, if you don’t let Rat go I’m gonna pick you up,” I threatened, leaning forward. Pig raced away, leaving Rat on his back.

  Rat got up and sauntered over to his chair. He placed his paws back on the table. His neck was wet with dog slobber and his yellow eyes shook nervously.

  “Pig, that wasn’t very nice.” He just sat next to my chair keeping his eyes on the cat.

  “What did you do to that poor dog?” Aunt Millie exclaimed. “He’s your protector.”

  “Lisa,” Alex cleared his throat. He stood in the hall with his hand on top of his head. He brushed back his blond hair. His eyes seemed an even lighter shade of blue today and his skin paler than normal.

  “Hi, Alex,” I grinned. “Thank you for the balloon and card.”

  “Millie picked it out. All I did was sign the card. Anyway, I’m glad you’re feeling better.”

  “Never felt better. I kind of want to go exploring. Maybe after dinner I will check out those woods finally.”

  “Oh.”

  Millie brought out dinner (it wasn’t chicken, thank goodness) for Alex and me, fed Pig and Rat and then waved goodbye.

  “Where does she always go?”

  Alex did not respond. What did I expect? He never answered my questions.

  “You’ll have to ask her yourself. It’s not my place to say.”

  “Oh,” I scratched my head. I didn’t know what to think.

  “It’s getting dark; I’m going to get you a flash light.” He got up from the table and dug around inside the pantry closet. He pulled out what looked like an antique. It must’ve been his parents’. When did they get back anyhow? Would he start school without ever seeing them?

  “It’s old but one of the most reliable flashlights you will ever use. Be careful. They don’t call Lynn the city of sin for nothing. There is a lot of crime here.”

  “T-thanks,” I took the flash light. I’d forgotten all about the history of Lynn. The old saying “Lynn, Lynn, the city of sin; you never come out the way you went in,” raced through my mind.

  Alex slowly trudged down the hall. It would be much safer if he came along. Would he? I had Pig. He was kind of scary. Yeah, right, as scary as a ten pound beach ball.

  “Hey, um, Alex.”

  He stopped, keeping his back turned to me. “Would you like to come?”

  Alex shook his head and disappeared into his room. “Thanks a lot,” I grumbled, grabbing Michael’s ski jacket. Pig and I ran around to the back of the house, past the chicken coop and we walked along the path towards my future school. The woods were dark. Shadows bounced off the trees and I backed up slowly. Pig would bark if someone was hiding close by, right? “Pig?” I looked down and spotted him at attention. He wasn’t staring at the woods, though, but behind us. Was there someone there? Alex? He was good at surprising me.

  Should I turn around? Would that scare off whomever it was standing there, breathing close to my neck? It definitely wasn’t Alex. He’d never breathe on me. The thought would send him into a fit of rage.

  Maybe if I twirled around and screamed, “what do you want?!” that would spook the person. No, they were too close. I’d have to run.

  Pig barked. I twirled around and collided into a warm body.

  “Punking out?” Michael teased. I looked up into his warm eyes and punched him in the shoulder.

  I grabbed my chest. “You just scared the crap out of me! I thought someone was about to mug me.”

  He chuckled softly. “No, I’m not a mugger, I swear.” Michael grabbed my flashlight. “This is awesome, where’d you get this? It’s so old!”

  “It’s Alex’s, he loaned it to me right before telling me to watch out for killers. What are you doing here?” I snatched back my light. He put his arm around my shoulders and sighed.

  “I was coming to bring you chicken soup, which I have in my truck but then I saw you crossing by the lake and decided to check out whatever it was you were doing. Ya know, most people who come home from the hospital, like, rest.”

  “I can’t sit still. I’m filled with energy, more than I’ve ever felt in all my life. If only you could understand. I want to explore and do things. Sleeping is for the weak.”

  Michael rolled his eyes and kicked me in the heel. I turned around and glared at him. “What’d you do that for?”

  “Sleeping is for the weak? Get real; you must’ve been struck by lightning or something.” He ruffled my hair.

  “Very cute,” I stomped ahead of him. “Are you coming or not?” He ran to my side along with Pig.

  We followed the trail through the woods for a good half hour. The sun set behind us and I had to turn on the flashlight. Michael made ghost sounds and grabbed my waist.

  I jumped about ten feet. “If you don’t stop I’m going to hit you with this flashlight.” I shrieked, shoving him away.

  Michael laughed and raced ahead of me. He turned down a winding path that led us outside the woods and into an open field. We were in the C I N Boarding School’s football field. We stood on top of a slight hill.

  “Wow, some great woods,” I said, disappointed. Michael raised his hands sideways, faced me and dropped. He tumbled down the hill and lay flat on his back in the grass.

  “Lisa, my leg!” Had he broken it being stupid? I scooted down the hill on my bottom. Michael grasped underneath his knee, scrunching his face. “I think I broke it.”

  “Let me look at it. I don’t see any protruding bones.” I stared at Michael. Was he laughing? I pointed the flashlight in his face and he squealed. “You jerk!” I hollered, chasing him through the field.

  I felt amazing. I didn’t get breathless or tired and when Michael collapsed from exhaustion, I wished to run longer and faster. I was invincible. Had the lightning done something to me? Had the reporter been right? Was I a muta
nt?

  There was one way to find out.

  I took the flashlight, closed my eyes and smashed it against my arm as hard as I could. My arm throbbed. I doubled over from the pain, squeezing my wrist. The light went out and it was pitch black.

  Obviously, I was not a mutant.

  “What did you do that for?” Michael leaned against my shoulder. He rubbed my arm with his hand. “Why are you trying to hurt yourself?”

  “The lightning didn’t burn me so I thought I would see if I was immune to pain or something. The reporter asked me if I was a mutant.”

  Michael snickered. “Lisa, you’re not a mutant. This happened once before to a family way back in the 1600’s. In one of the tannery factories just a little east of here there was a family that went by the name of Mood. They were Puritans and founded our school. Obadaya Mood was one of the first settlers along with Edmund Ingalls to move to Lynn. He had two children, a son named Joseph and a daughter named Jane. His daughter never had any children but Joseph had one son named Mathew and a daughter named Jane. He named her after his deceased sister. Anyhow, when Mathew was seventeen he was working in one of the tannery factories during a vicious storm. He was struck by lightning. The building caught on fire and everyone else died or was severely burned. Except Mathew; he came out without a scratch on him. Most people thought he was Lynn’s little miracle but there were others who thought otherwise and stayed away from him.”

  “What happened to him?” I took a deep breath. Michael was barely visible in the darkness. He put his arm around my shoulder and guided me up. He took the flashlight and jiggled it. I’d broken it. Alex was going to kill me. What did people think Mathew was? Did they think he was a mutant too?

  “Let’s get back. It’s a good thing I grew up playing in these woods or we’d never find our way home.”

  “You never answered me. What happened to Joseph’s son?”

  Michael let out a deep sigh. “Come with me and I’ll show you.”

  He led me down a narrow trail that looked barely used. We could hardly feel our way through the overgrown brush but Michael swore he knew where he was going so I followed.

  We came out in front of an abandoned church. It was small with a flat pitch roof. It wasn’t traditional in the least bit. “What kind of church is this?” I asked, observing the small cemetery a few yards away. The moon lit the sky here. It was bright and full of life. Old trees leaned forward as if to greet us. Pig wasn’t scared and he even seemed to know where he was.