by Allegra Skye
She thought she saw Amanda’s eyelids flutter for a split second.
“People miss you, Amanda. I miss you, Tom misses you. You matter to so many.” Keira desperately wanted to draw her sister back to life.
Then, finally, Keira began to see it: the indigo light. It appeared over Amanda’s head, then over her own.
Deep within her own mind, Keira heard Amanda respond.
I can’t come back. I’m trapped.
Keira was startled.
“You’re not! It’s just a dream.
Wake up, Amanda!”
I can’t. I need your help.
Keira realized that Amanda was floating on the bridge between awake and asleep, dreams and reality.
“I want you back, I want you back,” Keira was pleading with her. “How can I help?”
I don’t want to die. Please help.
“Amanda,” Keira begged, “please. Tell me what to do! “
But there was no response. Keira focused harder, tried to summon the answer. But it wasn’t coming.
Then, suddenly, Keira watched the indigo light slowly filter down, over her own head, then down towards her hands. It broke off into two small globes, and they stopped in Keira’s palms.
Keira felt them there, like two, soft, warm clouds, throbbing in her palms. They were soothing, and suddenly, Keira realized what she had to do.
Keira reached over and placed her hands on Amanda’s forehead. As she did, the indigo light covered her head, and she felt her hands grow warmer and warmer.
Amanda’s head grew really warm, as Keira focused on sending her love, and healing.
Keira felt the tears pouring down her cheeks, as she used her newfound power, as she prayed and prayed for Amanda to come back.
Suddenly, Amanda’s eyelids fluttered.
Something is happening, thought Keira. I feel it.
Keira removed her hands and leaned back, shocked at her own power.
“Come back, Amanda,” she kept repeating urgently in her mind.
Amanda’s eyelids fluttered more strongly this time, as Keira felt waves of heat come to her from her sister.
I’m trying, I’m trying, I’ve been trapped for so long.
“You’re not trapped, Amanda. No one is trapped,” Keira felt as though she were calling to her sister across vast chasms of time and space. “You’re only dreaming that you’re trapped. You can wake up and live any time you choose to.”
Deep inside her Keira felt Amanda struggle, toss and reach for the light. Then she heard her heave a deep sigh. Her breath was returning. Her pulse was stronger.
I love you, I love you, I’m so sorry. For everything. Amanda cried in Keira’s mind.
“I love you too,” Keira called back.” .
Very, slowly then, Keira watched Amanda’s eyes open, at first, barely a crack. Like the walls of an ancient cavern parting. Slowly they let in the light.
Keira stood in awe, watching the miracle. Her sister was returning to the land of the living.
Then, suddenly, the door burst open, and in rushed her mother.
“What are you doing here? Who let you in?” she snapped at Keira.
Then, her Mom looked down at Amanda and saw her opened eyes. She let out a cry and rushed over to her. .
“Amanda!” she cried, “My baby! You’re back!”
Keira backed away slowly, feeling her heart welling with a joy she hadn’t ever felt before. It spilled out of her heart, all through her body, lifting her into another plane. Even the sight of her mother, fawning over Amanda, couldn’t spoil her happiness. .
Keira let herself slowly out of the room. Amanda didn’t need her now; little by little her eyes would open more and more. She would find her way back into this world. Keira felt as if she had repaired something deep in the universe, and deep in her relationship with her sister. She was also certain now that she had received some powers, was becoming stronger than she ever imagined she could be. Why was this happening? She had no idea.
She walked out of the hospital knowing that anything was possible. And that no one was ever trapped.
CHAPTER 17
Keira walked out of the hospital feeling good for the first time in a long time. She walked and walked, couldn’t stand the idea of going back home. She had no idea where she was going—it just felt good to walk.
Keira walked along the empty streets, out of the neighborhood, up past Junction 101.
As she walked, the streets turned residential, with smaller, more unkempt houses and lawns. Still, big trees lined the streets.
A part of her desperately wanted to get in touch with Cooper, but he didn’t have a phone.. Besides, after what happened, she felt as if whatever they had was over. Another part of her really didn’t want to talk to him. And clearly, he didn’t want to talk to her either.
Obviously, her mother had gone mad. It was as if something horrible had taken her over and all the thoughts and feelings she’d kept bottled up inside were now pouring out. She had no control over anything. Keira knew couldn’t live in the same house with her anymore. .Before, her mother never liked her; but now, she’d become her enemy.
How wonderful it would be if Cooper could come and be with her now. But Keira knew that was just a fantasy. She had to stop thinking that way.
As Keira walked down the dark streets, she thought she saw something out of the corner of her eye. She looked over, and there, rustling high up in the branches, was that horrible pair of yellow eyes. They watched her as she walked.
Keira felt her heart start to pound. As she listened, she began to hear an odd sound, like the sound of cicadas the sound of a thousand wings fluttering, in vibration. It grew louder and louder, and as she looked to her other side, she saw another pair of yellow eyes.
Oh my God, Keira thought and broke into a run and As she ran she spotted a big, old church with rows of narrow steps leading to the main door. She ran up the steps and tugged on the door.
Locked. Of course.
She pulled again, and then her eye caught something.
A homeless man was laying there, a few steps down, stretched out on the step, looking up at her.
“Hey honey,” he called, “come on over here and keep me warm.”
Keira shuddered. He was raggy, and filthy, but looked big and strong. She decided to ignore him, and turned away.
That didn’t work. He stood up slowly, grinned at her, and began to lumber up the stairs, in her direction.
Keira moved fast to the edge of the steps. He moved faster, blocking her.
“Get out of my way!” she yelled at him.
“Make me,” he grinned. He was huge and ugly with a bloated face and matted hair. And he was enjoying every moment of this.
Keira tried to outmaneuver him, to get away, but he was fast on his feet. Finally, he came up closer. Keira smelled his heavy, sour breath and saw his arms reaching to grab her.
The fire rose in Keira’s heart again. “I’m warning, you,” she shouted, as a bolt of strength came upon her.
He laughed.
There was a flash of thunder. They hadn’t predicted a storm. That startled the bum for a moment.
“I hate you!” Keira yelled at him.
“Don’t make any difference to me, baby,” he muttered. “My mother hated me from the day I was born.”
Keira felt nauseous. “I hate you,” she yelled more loudly.
“Couldn’t care less,” he muttered, and grabbed at her again. “Just better get over here and give me what I want.”
Keira felt as though she would vomit. He was bigger and faster and she didn’t see how she could get away.
“Help!” Keira called out desperately into the dark night.
“Give in!” he mumbled, rubbing his face along her cheek. “It’ll be better for both of us that way.”
Suddenly, Keira felt a fury overcome her, and felt her entire body growing warm. She saw the indigo light, bigger than ever, floating over them both, and felt the power inside her
grow and grow, until she could barely contain it. .
She reached out and shoved the man, and to her amazement, this time, he went flying backwards, several feet, landing on the ground.
He looked up at her, shocked.
She was shocked, too—shocked by her own strength.
But soon his look of shock turned into one of anger and humiliation.
He reached down and yanked out the belt from his pants and held it threateningly.
“I’ll show you,” he snarled, as he charged right for her.
Suddenly, a man appeared behind him, reached over and grabbed him by the throat, in a choke hold.
The bum froze in his tracks, his eyes open wide, struggling for air, and seconds later, he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Keira looked over in shock.
It was Cooper.
CHAPTER 18
Cooper quickly pulled her to him, and kissed her on the top of her forehead.
Oh my God, thought Keira. How did he know I needed him?
She was sure now that there was something wildly different about him. It was just too coincidental that he appeared the minute she needed him. Who was he, anyway? Or, rather, what was he?
Despite herself, she began to cry, so happy to be in his arms, so happy to have one person in the world she could turn to.
“Don’t cry,” he kissed her eyes, “it kills me.”
She pulled him closer and he hugged her. Nothing in the world ever felt so good. Nothing in the world could ever part them, she thought.
I love you so much, Keira wanted to say, but was afraid.
Finally, when they stopped hugging, she managed to talk.
“How did you know I needed you?”
But he just turned then and scoured the trees and branches as if he were hunting for something
Suddenly, Keira remembered. The yellow eyes.
Did he see them, too?
“It’s not safe here,” he said, swiftly. “I’ll walk you home.”
“I can’t go home,” she said.
He paused and looked somber.
“Then where will you go?” he asked.
Keira shrugged. “I don’t know.”
He stood there, statuesque in the silence, thinking.
Finally, he said, “You can come home with me.”
She looked up at him. Did he really mean it?
“I’ll sleep on the floor,” Cooper said, “you can sleep in my bed.”
Keira melted. Sleep in his bed, on the same sheets he slept on. She couldn’t think of anything more wonderful. She wanted nothing more than to sleep where he slept, put her head on his pillow.
“But only for tonight,” he said.
She wondered why. Were his parents coming home? But she was grateful for what she had..
“There’s no one at your house, tonight?” she finally asked sheepishly.
“My father’s away, traveling,” he said, abruptly.
“Thank you,” she said.
And before she could say another word, he took her hand and swept her away.
CHAPTER 19
Keira didn’t want to sleep alone in Cooper’s room; she wanted to curl up in his arms and be close to him all night long. Driving in his car now to his place, she wondered how it would be possible to stay even one room away.
They drove for what seemed like a long time. The car wound on a back road, through a wooded patch, up a little hill and on a lane with high trees on either side. The road ended at the lake. The same lake they had been to before.
At the end of the lane was a small house. The moon, through the trees, shone on it, giving it an eerie glow, all lit up by the lake. It looked as if it were from a still life photograph taken hundreds of years ago.
Cooper pulled up and parked the car next to the house.
She looked at him, surprised. “You live here? In the woods? On the lake?”
He nodded. Keira looked around in awe. It felt as though they had driven through a crack in the universe and landed on another planet. Everything was incredibly silent and still. The air seemed crisper, the trees taller, the shapes more in focus.
“It’s amazing,” she said, got out of the car slowly.
The two of them walked together towards the house. It was a small, clapboard house, with a shingled roof, small windows, a huge door with an old, iron clapper instead of a bell. A long cobblestone path led up to the front door. There were a few pots along the pathway, with tall, bamboo, winding plants.
He opened the door to the small house, and she followed.
The floor was covered with an odd kind of straw that made crunching sounds as she walked. It sounded like far away thunder, piercing through the silent night.
Cooper waited for her, a half smile on his face as she walked.
“Is it always this quiet here?” she asked.
“Not always,” he answered, smiling more. “In the day you can hear animals and birds.”
“You actually live here?” Keira murmured.
Cooper nodded as he took out his key and opened the door. Keira was surprised that he bothered to lock it at all. Who would ever find this place, anyway?
The door opened to a square living room. Cooper put on a small lamp that stood on a table near the door. Once the light was on she could see that the room had a dark, wood plank floor, and antique coach that looked as if it came from early America. There were a few wooden benches, covered with quilted cushions, a spinning wheel and small table under the windows in the back of the room. The walls were covered with odd wall hangings, a tapestry that Keira couldn’t make out, and two portraits of the Founding Fathers.
“Whew,” said Keira, “what an odd room.”
“Odd?” Cooper’s eyebrows rose.
“Different,” I mean, said Keira. “Fascinating, in its way.”
And it was. Keira had never been in a place that transported her so completely out of the daily life she was living. The room was filled with simplicity and memories of days gone by. The wood was thoroughly polished, the tapestry had clearly been woven with great care and attention to detail. It all definitely came from a different time.
There were so many answers she wanted.
“Why did you leave me the other day? Is it because deep down you don’t really want me?” she asked, sorrowfully.
For the first time she saw him alarmed.
“How can you say something like that?” he murmured.
“You like me one second then get disgusted the next?”
“No,” he cried out, “no, no, no.”
“So what is it?” Keira felt like shrieking. “What’s wrong with me?”
“Nothing,” he yelled out, in a fiercer voice than she’d ever heard him use. “Nothing. You’re wonderful. You’re beautiful. I told you before.”
“How did you know that I needed you tonight?”
He sighed, looking away.
“You called me,” he said simply, “and I heard. I’m different. And I sense that you’re different, too.”
Keira knew immediately that he was right.
“Tell me,” she said. “Please. How are you different? How am I?”
He sighed and looked away.
“I’ve said too much already,” he said.
“Please,” she said, pleading, grabbing his arm. “I need to know.”
He suddenly turned from her, and fled out the front door.
Keira wanted to die. She stood there staring through the open door, but couldn’t see where he’d gone to? Would he ever return? Would she have to find her way back home alone?
She turned sadly and went to the sofa, to sit down and rest. For such a stiff sofa it was extremely comfortable. She hadn’t realized how exhausted she was. She put her head back on the cushions, and to her surprise, fell right asleep.
*
When Keira opened her eyes, Cooper was standing over her, shaking her gently.
“Don’t sleep out here on the couch,” he was whispering. “Come on, go
inside and sleep on the bed. You’ll have a better rest.”
Keira rubbed her eyes.
Cooper leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. “I’m sorry I ran out like that.” His deep love for her flooded Keira’s heart. Nothing else but this mattered, she felt. It made everything else okay.
“At least you came back,” she whispered.
She got up from the couch, wobbly and tired. He put his arms around her and slowly led her to the bedroom. It was a small room on the side, empty, except for a bed, a few books and a chest in the corner. Cooper put his arms around her as he lowered her onto the bed. It felt wonderful to stretch out. Keira raised her arms to him, to come and lay down with her.
He shook his head.
“I’m sleeping on the couch,” he said.
Keira couldn’t bear it. Her entire body clenched with unfulfilled longing. She rolled over and buried her head in the pillows, as he walked out of the room.
CHAPTER 20
When Keira woke in the morning the bright light was shining in through the windows. She sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes, trying to put it all together. She was in Cooper’s home, had slept in his bed. He’d slept outside on the couch. That hurt her. At least he could have slept next to her.
She got up out of the bed and went to the small bathroom and washed up. She splashed water on her face, and looked into the cracked bathroom mirror. To her surprise, she looked really different. Her eyes were clear and shining. Her long, blonde hair hung gracefully, a lot like the way Amanda’s used to, rolling over her shoulders. Her skin was smoother and pinker. She stared at herself, wondering, what made her look this way?
As she inspected herself in the mirror, Cooper walked into the bathroom, came up close behind her. It was incredible to wake up and be with him, first thing in the morning.
“You look radiant,” he whispered in her ear.
They looked at each other in the mirror. The two of them fit so well together.
Keira realized she hadn’t been home all night. Her parents must be frantic.
