Abduction

by Rodman Philbrick

  But it could be something serious. She had heard that mental illness often struck in the teen years. She could be psycho. Or maybe it was a hormone imbalance, something simple like that.

  Mandy looked up at the ugly library building. Her unconscious must have directed her here. While she’d been fleeing like a scared rabbit, her brain had still been working for her.

  She got up off the wall and walked toward the library with her usual twinge of distaste. The library was in an old factory. It was a grimy brick building with small windows. Inside, it was always dark and chilly, even on sunny, warm days. Not a cozy place.

  Hurrying up the library steps, she pulled open the heavy door, going in before her reluctance could get the better of her.

  She stopped inside the door to let her eyes adjust. The lighting was dim after the brilliant sunshine outside. And the air smelled musty. The building was oppressively silent. It had to be the least inviting library in the world. Even though she loved to read, she always dreaded coming to this place.

  “Oh!” Mandy started as she spied a figure staring at her through the gloom. “Mrs. Grundy. I didn’t see you.”

  The sour-faced librarian grunted in reply and moved behind the massive central desk. Mrs. Grundy had been librarian as long as Mandy could remember. She always acted as if she didn’t much like anyone using the library, and she especially disliked children and teenagers.

  Mandy ducked her head and scurried across the lobby to the stairs. She went up, feeling the old lady’s bad-tempered eyes on her. The old wooden stairs creaked. The sound seemed to rip rudely through the silence. Mandy winced, feeling herself beginning to sweat nervously.

  She was uncomfortably aware that there was no one in the building but her and Mrs. Grundy.

  On the second floor, Mandy went straight to the computerized catalogue. In moments, she had found just what she needed and headed for the stacks. The medical section was at the far end.

  Slipping down the narrow aisle between the tall stacks, Mandy instantly felt hemmed in. But the book was right where it was supposed to be. She grabbed it and sneezed as a spray of dust was dislodged. No one had touched this book in a long time.

  Just as she sat down at a secluded corner table and opened the book, a sound made her freeze. A creak on the stairs.

  Mandy listened for footsteps, the hair rising on the back of her neck. Nothing. She pictured Mrs. Grundy standing halfway up the stairs, spying.

  Mandy whirled. Her chair scraped the floor loudly. There was no one there.

  She turned back to the book, disgusted with herself. She’d never been the jumpy, imaginative type. She hated what was happening to her.

  The Encyclopedia of Brain Diseases. The heavy book’s title seemed to leap off the cover. Mandy swallowed. She felt so lost and alone.

  In the table of contents she found a chapter on “Fugue States: Blackouts and Memory Loss.” Feeling a little queasy, she opened to the page and began reading.

  Her shoulders slumped as she read. Her eyes followed the small print with growing horror. Her symptoms were described in every detail. And the possible causes were horrible.

  Brain tumor. Stroke. Epilepsy.

  The stairs creaked. Mandy stiffened, instantly alert. The boards creaked again, a loud protest. And this time she heard footsteps.

  They were too heavy to be Mrs. Grundy’s.

  And then they stopped. He—whoever it was—was up here with her. Mandy sat rigid in her chair, listening intently. She heard nothing. Was he watching her?

  Then after a few minutes, the footsteps started again. The person was moving toward her. But he was being very quiet, moving very slowly, as if he was trying to sneak up on her.

  Mandy’s pulse quickened. If she screamed, there was no one to hear except Mrs. Grundy.

  Sliding, almost silent, the steps crept closer.

  She remembered the dust she’d raised, getting her book. There was nothing at this end of the library anyone was interested in. Nothing but her.

  She fought the urge to flee. She was being ridiculous, she knew she was. This was the public library. What could happen to her here?

  Suddenly an image burst in her brain like a clenched fist.

  Quentin’s leering, lip-smacking face gloating over her.

  His footsteps. Coming to get her.

  Chapter Nine

  Quentin came closer, closer.

  The smile got wider. Yellow teeth clicked together eagerly.

  Little yips of glee escaped him.

  Quentin’s face filled Luke’s vision. And still it moved closer until his flashing glasses, flaring nostrils, and yellow grin were one big blur.

  “Boo!”

  The sound popped in Luke’s ears. Spittle spattered his face. His muscles jerked. He could move again.

  Luke turned clumsily and stumbled.

  Quentin’s cackling laughter rang out.

  Luke heard Jeff’s laughter joining in as he struggled to find his footing, his legs rubbery.

  “Should we stop him for ya, Q?” another boy asked.

  “No. Let him go. I’ll let him squirm on the hook a little longer.” Quentin slapped his knee as he hooted with glee.

  The sound rang in Luke’s ears long after the boys had lost interest in him. Anger replaced his fear, but he felt helpless to do anything about it.

  Luke scooped his T-shirt up off the sand, slapping it against his leg as he headed out of the park. But as his anger faded, a hollow feeling replaced it. He had never felt so alone.

  No one could help him with what was happening. No one but himself. He trudged up the street, too drained to run.

  Luke picked up the pace as he went through town. He waved to a few people he knew, but didn’t stop like he normally would. He didn’t stop until he reached the public library.

  The squat ugly building had always made him feel small and inadequate. Although, Luke thought as he pushed through the door, it wasn’t the building that bothered him so much as its guardian.

  That old bag Mrs. Grundy. She always glared at him like she expected him to start smuggling books out under his shirt.

  She glared now as Luke faked a smile and headed swiftly upstairs. The air in the building had a thickness and weight to it. Luke wanted to start whistling to liven the atmosphere, but that might give the old bat a heart attack.

  Instead he found himself treading lightly, trying to make as little noise as possible. In the card catalogue he found several books that might help.

  Then, on second thought, he turned back to the catalogue. There was a good possibility, a very good possibility, he had to admit, that what was wrong with him was medical.

  The way he was thinking—his paranoia—was probably a symptom. He could have some rare brain fever that caused blackouts and totally mind-bending hallucinations.

  The Encyclopedia of Brain Diseases. That was certainly clear enough. He’d get that one first, then look for the others. Luke moved slowly down the stacks, checking the numbers. The medical books seemed to be all the way at the end.

  As he entered the last stack, a chair scraped. Startled, Luke jumped. He’d thought he was alone.

  A familiar figure hurried past the stack in a blur. Her blond hair swung forward, hiding her face. But there was no way he could mistake those long, slim legs.

  Mandy Durgin.

  What was she doing in the library on a day like this? He knew she was a brain but, still, it was summer. Too bad she hadn’t seen him in the library. It might have scored him some points.

  Luke ran his eye down the spines of the books, trying to put Mandy out of his mind.

  She seemed nice and she sure was great-looking. But she hung with a totally different crowd. Astronomy club. Tie-dyed clothes and the vegetarian plate for lunch. New Age hippie types.

  Besides, he didn’t have room in his life for girls right now. He had to find out what was happening to him before he ended up in the loony bin. Or worse.

  The medical book wasn’t on the
shelf. Luke gave up looking. He found his other books easily enough. He was kind of dreading the ordeal of checking them out with Mrs. Grundy. She was sure to have some sarcastic remark.

  But when he came downstairs, Mrs. Grundy wasn’t at the front desk. Mandy was. Luke squared his shoulders. He hoped there weren’t any sweat stains on his T-shirt. At least he wasn’t sweating now. This place was cold as a tomb.

  Mandy looked over her shoulder, a frightened look on her face. When she saw who it was, she tried to smile. But her face was stiff.

  What did Mandy have to be afraid of?

  She was holding some big thick book. The front was pressed to her chest so he couldn’t see the title.

  “I don’t know where Mrs. Grundy went,” Mandy said nervously as Luke stopped beside her. “I’ve been waiting five minutes at least.”

  “We’re the only ones in here,” said Luke. “You’d think she might notice we want to check out books. Old witch,” he added under his breath.

  Mandy stifled a giggle.

  The sound made Luke brave. “I know how we can get her attention,” he said. “We’ll start to leave with the books. She’ll notice us then.”

  Mandy smiled. It looked almost real this time. “She’d probably have us arrested. Dragged off in chains. I’ll bet she’s hiding somewhere back there,” Mandy said, indicating the shadowy recesses of the library. “Watching.”

  “Mrs. Grundy!” Luke called loudly, surprising even himself. Was there anything he wouldn’t do to impress this girl?

  But Mandy’s eyes widened in what looked like admiration, so he tried again. “Hey, Grundy!”

  A door slammed somewhere. Brisk footsteps headed their way. Luke’s insides quailed as Mrs. Grundy’s scowling face came into view.

  But he stood straight and gave her a big smile. “We thought maybe you’d gone to lunch,” he said. “Forgot we were here.”

  The librarian didn’t reply. She marched behind the desk and fixed a fierce, thin-lipped glare on him. She held out her hand for his books.

  “Mandy was here first,” said Luke, a little breathlessly. It was bad enough Mrs. Grundy would have to see them. He really didn’t want Mandy to know what books he was taking out.

  “No, you go ahead. Please,” Mandy insisted.

  Luke had no choice. He pushed the books across the desk surface, heat rising to his face in a fierce blush.

  He turned toward Mandy, trying to block her view of the titles. “So how’s your summer going so far?” he asked cheerfully.

  He should have known he wouldn’t get off that easy.

  “Aliens Among Us?” Mrs. Grundy’s grating voice boomed out in disbelief. “Alien Abductees: In Their Own Words? You pull me away from my work for this trash?” Mrs. Grundy snorted, stamped the books hard, and shoved them back at Luke.

  Luke felt his face flaming. He would have bolted out the door, but he didn’t want to leave Mandy to deal with the old bat alone.

  “Well?” rasped the librarian impatiently, her bony fingers tapping.

  Mandy was still clutching her book. Reluctantly, she put it down.

  Luke gasped. “Hey, I was looking for that,” he said without thinking.

  Mrs. Grundy’s head snapped back toward him. “What are you waiting for? This is a library, you know, not a dating service. You’ve created quite enough commotion in here.”

  Luke backed off. He moved in a trance for the exit. Pushed open the door. Went out.

  His thoughts were whirling. Two people in the library at the same time on a gorgeous day, both looking for The Encyclopedia of Brain Diseases.

  It couldn’t be a coincidence.

  But what else could it be?

  He looked at his own books. Was he really so far gone that he would take a coincidence like this for proof? No.

  But as he saw Mandy heading toward him, Luke decided to take a huge chance. Here he was, a guy who never asked a girl on a date unless he was absolutely, positively certain she would say yes. And now he was about to tell a virtual stranger—a girl—what had happened to him last night.

  Luke opened the door for Mandy. “Say,” he said with forced heartiness. “You, um, want to go to The Upside for a cappuccino or something?”

  Mandy looked surprised. “Oh. I … I—”

  He was about to get shot down. He felt his face get hot again.

  “You kids!” Mrs. Grundy’s shrill voice penetrated the heavy glass doors. “No loitering!”

  Mandy’s soft blue eyes suddenly got steely. She flashed a look back through the door. “Why doesn’t she get on her broomstick and go back where she came from,” Mandy snapped.

  “Oz won’t have her,” Luke replied. “They got rid of her and they’re not taking her back.”

  Mandy laughed and thought for a moment. “I’d love a coffee,” she said.

  He smiled in relief and they fell into step, heading back downtown.

  And then suddenly they seemed to run out of things to say.

  Luke was wondering how to begin. Nothing seemed quite right.

  “Sorry I’m not such great company,” Mandy said suddenly. “I didn’t sleep too well last night.”

  “Me, neither,” said Luke, his heart beginning to thump. This was his opening. “That’s why I was in the library, looking for that book you took out.”

  Mandy’s reaction stunned him. Her face drained of color. Her blue eyes stood out against her white skin, like sapphires on snow. Her eyes held his. A current seemed to flow between them.

  “What do you mean?” she asked, almost whispering.

  Luke’s voice faltered at first. It was taking him a long time to get to the point, but Mandy didn’t hurry him. She just nodded and let him know she was listening.

  “The high-tension wires started sputtering at the junction—the place where the big poles cross at the top of the hill.”

  “I know where the junction is,” said Mandy. “My dad is an engineer with the power company.”

  “The lines were sparking and crackling, and when I looked up it was like something big was swallowing up the sky—the stars, moon, everything disappeared,” Luke said, his voice cracking as he remembered.

  “The next thing I knew I was in my room, in bed, fully dressed. It was two A.M. and my parents were having fits downstairs wondering where I was.”

  Mandy’s face was hidden behind that smooth curtain of hair. “Have you had any residual effects? Paranoia, hallucinations, things like that?”

  “Yeah,” Luke answered eagerly. “You, too?”

  Mandy’s eyes narrowed a fraction. “How did you know?”

  Luke was brought up short. It was just a feeling he had. How could he explain it?

  “There were a lot of clues,” he said, shrugging. “Both of us being in the library looking for that book, you saying you didn’t sleep last night, the—”

  He stopped. He’d been about to mention the scene on the beach. Quentin, the aura of danger he’d sensed around her. But something told him Mandy wouldn’t be able to absorb so much at once.

  She was looking at him quizzically. “The what?” she asked.

  Luke tried to smile. “I don’t know. The expression on your face, I guess. Scared and worried. Like mine.”

  She nodded back at him. “Well, you’re right. I did have a similar experience. Only I started out in my room at ten o’clock and came to on my porch at two A.M. I figured it was some weird sleepwalking thing, only my brain has been, uh, jumpy ever since. But your description gave me an idea. I think I know what happened.”

  Her intense expression energized Luke. Could this really be something normal? Something explainable?

  “It’s the high-tension lines that made me think of it. My dad has been complaining about a series of power surges lately. You were under the high-tension junction and I only live three blocks from there,” Mandy explained. She stopped on the sidewalk and faced him with an air of total confidence. “I think it was a huge electrical surge that affected us both, made us blank out
. I’ll bet there are others who were nearby who had the same experience.”

  “But it didn’t affect your parents,” Luke said, unconvinced. “They were right there.”

  Mandy waved off his objection. “It makes sense that kids our age would be most susceptible. During the adolescent years there’s a lot of electrical activity in the brain. Some of it seems random and, of course, some teens throw off more energy than others. You’ve heard of poltergeists?”

  “Sure,” said Luke. He didn’t think he was the poltergeist type. But Mandy was forging ahead, as if quoting out of one of the books she’d been reading. This was the Mandy he remembered from class, brainy beyond belief. Way too smart for an average guy like him.

  “The surge must have been in synch with the energy being generated by our own brains,” said Mandy. “Causing some sort of overload.”

  Mandy gripped his arm. The touch of her fingers sent a surge of its own through Luke.

  “Come on,” she said. “Hurry. I’ll bet we find three or four more kids who had similar experiences. Kids who live near that junction. Maybe one or two of them will be at The Upside.”

  Luke looked toward the cafe. It was just up the street. He wasn’t sure it was good idea for Mandy to burst in, asking for blackout sufferers.

  “I don’t know,” Luke said doubtfully. “Electrical energy doesn’t explain how I somehow got past my parents into my bedroom.”

  Mandy frowned impatiently. “There must be some way you could sneak past your parents if you really wanted to. A back door? A tree by your window? The surge overrode your consciousness but not your cunning,” Mandy suggested.

  Luke could picture it, barely. He could have sneaked in the back door, waited until his parents left the living room, and scooted up the stairs. It wouldn’t have been easy, but it was possible.

  He nodded cautiously. “And the afterimages—those would be like the sparks off the wire, extra energy firing off hallucinations in the brain?”

  “Right,” said Mandy.

  Luke noticed her shudder slightly and knew her “hallucinations” were as unpleasant as his. Did her visions also involve Quentin?