by Bryan Cohen
Natalie rolled her eyes. "I'm sure it would be exactly the same if your girlfriend didn't have selective amnesia."
Ted put his hand on Natalie's leg and moved it down to the knee. "I'm not thinking about her right now. I'm thinking about us."
Natalie felt her cheek twitch. "Oh, yeah? And what is it you're thinking exactly?"
Ted leaned over from the passenger seat, as if to deliver his message as a whisper. "I think I'm ready to tell you that 'I love you' back."
Natalie's heart began to pound and it took an unintentional jerk or two of the wheel before she steadied the car. Ted removed his seatbelt and moved his lips to Natalie's neck. She took in a deep breath and inhaled the familiar scent. She wished the words had come several months earlier. Everything could have been different. As Ted moved his lips up to her ear, Natalie could only think of one problem with her current scenario. None of this was real.
As she was about to pull onto Ted's street, Natalie yanked the wheel all the way to the left, sending Ted bouncing away from her and back into his chair. She slammed into a mailbox and gunned the accelerator up the lawn of one of Ted's neighbors.
"What are you doing?!" Ted's voice cracked as he attempted to gain control of the wheel.
"Just a little reality check." Natalie gunned the accelerator.
They bore down on the front windows of a two-story home. Ted screamed and covered his eyes.
And then, nothing happened at all.
The car didn't have a scratch on it as Natalie sat alone in the vehicle. Ted had disappeared and the neighborhood had been replaced by a dry wasteland.
Natalie was more shaken by the fake declaration of love than she'd been by the fake crash into the house. She closed her eyes to shake it off before stepping out of the car. Her feet landed on a crack in the dusty earth. Everything around the vehicle was desolate and hopeless. Though she had a distinct feeling that she was being watched.
"I know you're here, Redican."
The teacher appeared without hesitation on the other side of the car. He looked different than he had when the man had approached them in the parking lot: he appeared stronger, and an inch or two taller. Natalie figured it was some kind of projection of his ideal self. Maybe he felt like a real man when he was invading people's minds.
"I'm impressed, Natalie." Redican walked around the front of the car before he leaned against one of the headlights. "Maybe the light souls picked the wrong champion."
Natalie crossed her arms and glared at this supposed authority figure. "You're in my brain. I guess you can do anything you want while you're in here, huh?"
Redican smiled. "That's correct. Some people put up more fight than others, but that's generally the case."
"Then why even talk to me?" Natalie asked. "Why not just have me go blow up a bridge or whatever the heck you're controlling me for?"
Redican pouted. "It's easy to control someone. I'd rather convince you that what I'm doing is right."
Natalie took a few steps away from the car. She could feel the heat from the fantasy world beat against her exposed neck. "I guess you have a captive audience. What do you want to convince me of?"
Redican walked up to Natalie and looked off into the endless view of cracked, vacant ground.
"This is what your world will look like if Ted continues down this path. Erica and the light souls are using him as a weapon, but he's meant to end the war and bring peace to all the worlds it's affecting."
Natalie looked at Redican. He seemed sincere, but it was impossible to tell what was fact and what was fiction in this place. "You realize that goes contrary to everything Erica's been telling us."
Redican sighed. "You say that I'm the one with the mind control, but Erica is the one brainwashing all of you." He paced, each step kicking up more dust than the last. "It's not her fault. She's a pawn for the light soul regime. Just like Ted, she never chose this. But she's here to keep the living soul on their side, preventing him from his true destiny."
Natalie thought for a moment. "You're saying he's powerful enough to be king of all the worlds, not just a hero of our world."
Redican eyes seemed to glow with her response. "He's not just strong enough to rule over all the realms. It's his true destiny."
Natalie couldn't even think of Ted as the student body president, let alone some Grand Poobah of worlds they'd never even heard of. Then again, that was the old Ted. The new one had stopped an apocalypse and saved her from the clutches of a semi-evil cult.
"And what am I supposed to do about all of this?" Natalie kicked at the dirt.
Redican lifted Natalie's chin up, allowing them to look eye-to-eye. "You're his friend. You can help him to see reason."
Natalie growled. "And if I don't, you'll warp my brain back to kindergarten, right?"
Redican stepped back and smiled. "No. You'll die. But not by my hand – by somebody stronger than me."
Natalie put her hands to her face and ran them through her hair. She looked away from her mental captor.
Redican continued to back away. "You can think it over, Ms. Dormer. But time's a wastin'. I think it's time to wake up."
Before she could say a word to the man walking away from her in the wasteland, Natalie's real eyes fluttered open.
Chapter 41
Ted reached for the arm around his throat the moment he woke up, only Nigel wasn't there. Gone were the inner wall of the castle and the collection of humans and non-humans who surrounded him as he lost his last bit of air. Even though it was apparent that he'd been in some kind of dream, he could still feel the squeeze of his enemy's grip around his neck. Natalie woke up at the same moment, and they looked at each other for several seconds before speaking.
"We need to get out of here," they said in unison.
They picked themselves up off the pavement and drove for several minutes of silence before Natalie broke it.
"So. What'd you dream about?"
Ted was still trying to process all of it. Erica had told him the basics about the other worlds, but there was so much that had gone unsaid. He'd seen creatures beyond explanation and a massive castle straight out of a King Arthur movie. He also knew there was no way to tell if what he saw was accurate without talking to his protector.
"I saw a possible future on another world." Ted scratched his head. "Aside from you, nearly everyone was there. I was some kind of leader."
Natalie grimaced at the last word but only for a moment. "Were you a good leader?"
Ted rubbed his neck. "I suppose. Until I got choked out by a twice-back-from-the-dead Nigel. What did you see?"
Natalie sighed as if there were a part she wanted to leave out. "Redican tried to recruit me. He thinks you could bring peace to all the worlds."
Ted raised his eyebrows. "The real Nigel said something about that before I killed him. About being a weapon. What does that even mean?"
Natalie shook her head. "Parts of it make sense, but without Erica, it's hard to be sure."
Ted's face lit up. "In my dream, Erica said that I fixed her."
When they reached a stop sign, Natalie changed her turn signal from left to right. "Just what I wanted to do today. Go to Erica's house twice. I hope she left you an instruction manual."
Mrs. LaPlante's cheeks turned red with happiness when she saw Ted at the door to Erica's house. "I'm so glad you're here." She gestured for the two of them to enter. "Erica was talking about graves and death and who knows what. I could barely stand to listen to it."
Ted and Natalie shared a look and inhaled the aroma of potpourri.
"Where is she?" Ted asked.
"In her room." Mrs. LaPlante flattened out her dress. "She hasn't made a peep for hours."
Ted left Natalie downstairs for some small talk as he bounded his way up. He walked into Erica's room and immediately felt the draft from the open window. Ted noticed something out of place. He moved the dollhouse to its usual location, but he put it back when he saw the giant hole in the wall.
&nb
sp; "She's gone." Ted touched Mrs. LaPlante's shoulder. "I'm sure she's just waiting at my house."
Mrs. LaPlante sniffled briefly before the waterworks started. She fumbled around for a tissue until Natalie found the box and handed her one.
"Thanks, dear." She rubbed away a fair bit of makeup from her eye. "I've failed as a mother. I lost her once for a month. An entire month! Can you believe that?"
Natalie gave Ted a look like they should get out of there. Instead, he gave Erica's mother a big hug.
"You haven't failed as a mother." Ted felt Mrs. LaPlante's tears start to wash onto his shoulder. "You were practically my co-mother growing up and I turned out half-decent."
The reassurance seemed to help, and within a few minutes, Mrs. LaPlante had stopped crying and the two friends were back on the road. Ted explained what he'd seen in the room.
Natalie let out a short laugh. "Great. So our little alcoholic realizes that she used to be dead and that she has super-strength. I wish we had a police blotter right about now."
Ted leaned back in his seat. "I think I know where she is, but I should probably go alone." He put his hand on Natalie's arm. "Besides, you haven't even seen a bed in two days."
Natalie shook her head. "You mean a shower, Ted. I haven't seen a shower in two days. That's what's bothering you."
Ted ignored her. "You're coming to prom tomorrow, right?"
Natalie pulled into Ted's driveway. "We have a supervillain who can mess with our brains, your date is probably off on a rampage somewhere and nobody even asked me." She looked over at Ted with a smirk. "So, no, I think I'm gonna sit this one out."
Ted took in a deep breath. "Alright, suit yourself, but it's okay to go with friends. I bet Dhiraj'll rent a limo if he gets back in time."
Natalie unlocked the doors. "I'll consider it. Now, go find your girlfriend before she knocks over a 7-Eleven."
Ted patted Natalie on the shoulder. He couldn't quite read her face, but there seemed to be something she was holding back. Ted opted to let it go, and when she pulled away he took to the skies.
It felt peaceful to fly through the wind as the cold air pressed against his cheeks. The whooshing sound that filled his ears helped him forget everything that ran through his mind. His trust remained with Erica, but it felt strange that both Nigel and Redican had said the same thing. They both thought that he was being used. Whether or not they were right, how was he supposed to know? After all, he was taking Erica's word for it.
Ted recalled his ordeal in the caves a few months ago as he flew over the fence to the woods. Sure enough, when he reached the overturned tree and the clearing where Daly had done the deed, Erica was sitting there alone on a tree stump. When he got closer, he saw that her hands were covered in dirt and that she was gripping a bloody knife. Ted's eyes grew wide as he landed.
"Oh my God, are you–"
"Don't worry, it's old blood." Erica didn't sound like either person Ted had known in that body. She let out a dark laugh. "It's my murder weapon. I guess I should put it in a shadowbox or something."
Ted froze in place. "I – I'm glad you're OK."
"I'm not OK. I'm dead." She cackled again. "And even worse than that. I'm sober."
While Ted was mildly concerned Erica might stab him, he sat beside her on the tree trunk anyway. "You remember everything?"
She nodded. "I remember getting stabbed and buried alive. After that, it gets blurry until I saw you yesterday."
Ted put his hand on Erica's thigh. "I wish I could've saved you."
She gave Ted a sideways glance. "Oh, come on. I was terrible. To you. To my parents. If not then, I probably would've ODed in college or gotten mugged and left for dead outside some skeezy club."
Ted started to put the pieces together. Erica didn't just drink because she was addicted. She drank to rid herself of these depressing, morbid thoughts.
"I never cared that you had issues." Ted scooted closer to Erica. "I just wanted to be there for you."
Erica's lip quivered. "I knew." She put her free arm around Ted's neck. "And I loved you for it."
Erica drew Ted close and kissed him. It wasn't like the deep, sloppy kiss they'd shared on his front porch. This one was real. He wanted to keep pressing his lips against hers for the rest of time. Unfortunately, that wasn't what Erica had in mind.
She pulled away from him and stepped off the stump. "Thank you for that. But I've already used up my time here."
Erica took the knife and moved it toward her abdomen. She was about to stick it in the same exact spot that had ended her life when Ted used his powers to fling it away. The knife stuck into the side of the turned-over tree, and Erica began to sob. As she slinked to the ground, Ted put his arms around her.
"I'm sorry." He tightened his hold. "I wish I could make you feel less pain. I want to bring you peace."
A strange sensation came over Ted. He felt himself looking into Erica's brain. For a second, it was as if he could find the part of her that was broken. He saw memories as if they were thousands of images on a digital screen. For a moment, he saw Erica's death at the hands of Deputy Daly. Another picture displayed the battle with Nigel and the dark souls. The last one he could see clearly seemed to be him standing with Erica at the altar of an outdoor wedding. At least, it was someone who looked like him.
The memories swirled around before him and seemed to re-order themselves when a burst of blue light shot out through his hands and enveloped Erica. Frightened, he stepped away and the light dissipated. Erica started to convulse. A dizziness came over Ted, and he leaned against the tree for support. As he did, Erica coughed herself back to consciousness. The tears were gone from her eyes. She looked around as if there was danger close by.
"What the... why are we in the forest?" Erica got up to her knees. "Where's Redican?"
Ted lowered himself to the ground and put his arms around Erica's waist.
"You've... you're–"
Erica glanced around and back at Ted. Her face relaxed, which softened her features.
"You did it. You fixed me."
PART FIVE
Chapter 42
Erica was too weak to let herself free from Ted's grasp. It wasn't that sensing his grip around her body didn't feel good. A part of her wanted to relax and take the necessary time to recover, perhaps while nuzzling up to Ted under a nearby sycamore. The part of her that won out, however, was the one that stood up way too fast and grabbed onto the overturned tree for balance. She couldn't help but be reminded her of her most recent crossover into this world.
One of the key differences was that this time Ted was the one who brought her back.
"You don't remember anything from the past couple of days?" Ted offered a hand to help Erica steady herself.
She took it. "No. The last thing I remember is Redican chasing me down."
Ted appeared to chew on the last thought like taffy, both methodically and carefully. "You'd forgotten everything about your other lives. You were pure Erica."
Erica was tempted to take a tour through Ted's brain. It would be a shortcut to figuring out what the combination of a furrowed brow and a smile really meant.
She rubbed his arm. "I - I'm sorry. Was it terrible? Did I do anything–"
Ted took her hand and kissed it. "No. It was good, actually. I got to say goodbye."
Erica nodded. She felt some of the strength return to her body like a battery recharging. Erica stepped away from the tree and stretched her arms to the sky.
She looked back at Ted. "Why didn't you leave her – me – the way I was? You could've had the Erica of your dreams."
Ted spun her around so he could face her. "I needed you." He moved a few strands of hair away from her face. "We'd probably all get brainwashed if you weren't here to help."
She'd been hoping for more, and the sigh betrayed her thoughts. "Okay."
Ted pulled her close. His sweet smell surrounded her.
"I wanted you." He smiled. "Also, I kind of didn't know what I
was doing when I messed around with your head, so it all worked out for the best." Ted's smile didn't last. He bit his bottom lip. "Which reminds me. How did I fix your brain? Can I do what Redican can do? Is that one of my other powers?"
Erica didn't need all of this. Her consciousness had just come back from who knows where and Ted was teetering very close to the edge of her authority.
"Yes." Erica wiped the dirt off her clothing and started to walk toward the fence. "Now, let's get back to–"
Ted flew through the air and landed ahead of her. "I have the ability to control people's minds and you're just gonna gloss over it?"
She took in a deep breath and forced a smile. "Um… yes?"
Ted's voice grew faster and higher in pitch. "Oh, no. You're not getting out of it this easy, protector-girl. Redican stole one of these books. Between that and the other ones, there's a ton of power that's supposed to be a part of what I am, right? Maybe I can use them to stop him."
Erica let out all her pent up emotion. "No! You can't!"
Erica thought she had been back to full strength, but the shouting made her dizzy. She stumbled back over to the tree stump and sat down.
Ted seemed to consider comforting her before keeping a few feet of distance. "You think I'm not good enough or something?"
Erica tried to look up into his eyes, but they were pointed straight at her feet. "It's just too much power for one person to handle."
"Shouldn't I be the one to make that decision?"
Erica met Ted's sincere gaze. She knew he was hurt by her omissions, but there were some things more important than hurt feelings.
"The last time I let a living soul choose to take on all the power at once…."
Erica didn't want to continue.
Ted knelt down so he could look right at her. "Tell me."
It was about 40 Earth-years earlier when Erica was called on to help a living soul fight off some otherworldly trouble in Chicago. Adam was older than Ted by a few years, but he far surpassed the current living soul with his ability to fight. With a decade of martial arts training behind him, the addition of telekinetic powers allowed him to snuff out the situation almost single-handedly. Erica was in the body of an older woman who was much more of a mentor than a love interest. Adam impressed her with his desire to continue to grow and improve. Even though she was only supposed to teach Adam how to move things with his mind, she decided to go further. When she taught him the ability to control minds, she didn't expect that he'd use his newfound powers on her. While she was under Adam's thrall, she taught him abilities that were far too advanced for him. As he grew more powerful, the living soul started to go insane. Within a few weeks, he was plotting the end of humanity itself. Erica snapped out of it in the nick of time, gathering some help from Adam's group of friends to bring a half-finished building down on top of him. Since then, it'd been forbidden to let the living soul take on the full range of powers.
