by Lynne Ewing
“Never again,” Vanessa whimpered. “I am never doing this again.”
“You’re being optimistic,” Catty tried to joke in spite of her rising fear. “You think we get another chance?”
The Follower with the thick mustache reached out to touch Catty. A flurry of blue sparks shot in the air like miniature forked lightning bolts.
“I’m sorry, Vanessa,” Catty sighed. “So sorry.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
ABRUPTLY, VANESSA wrapped her arms around Catty.
“Relax,” she ordered.
“Right.”
Catty’s molecules began spreading outward, and she watched in wonder as her body started to dissolve. Instantly Catty and Vanessa were both invisible, rising above the hallway. They drifted over the heads of the Followers, and continued in an easy flow up the stairwell, through the brightly polished upstairs corridors and then out into the hot afternoon.
Vanessa didn’t make them visible again until they were in the back of the building near the freeway, then they became whole. Catty tumbled to the ground.
“Can you take us back now?” Vanessa seemed nervous and tired.
“Sure.” Catty stood slowly and smoothed her hands down her body. Her skin still prickled and she felt shaky. She had almost forgotten the manuscript. She picked it off the ground. “How did you make us invisible?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Vanessa grumbled.
“Tell me.” Catty offered Vanessa a hand and pulled her up.
“Okay, but it doesn’t mean anything.” Vanessa hesitated a moment. “I thought of Michael.”
“What?” Catty smirked. “I thought you were through with him.”
“I told you it doesn’t mean anything,” Vanessa argued, but Catty wondered if she was just trying to convince herself. “Just take us back, okay?”
Catty nodded and concentrated. She held the manuscript in one hand and Vanessa’s hand in the other. She could feel her power growing. At once the hot afternoon burst away and they were falling into cool blackness. It took a few seconds for Catty’s eyes to adjust and by then it was time to fall back into the present. They landed in Catty’s backyard.
Catty glanced at her watch. “Sorry. School’s over. I hope you didn’t have anything important today.”
Vanessa lay in the grass with her arms spread. “I don’t care right now. I’ve never been so grateful to be back in the present,” she paused. “Those Followers were the creepiest we’ve ever come across. Why didn’t our powers work against them?”
Catty waved the manuscript over her.
Vanessa blinked. “What’s that?” She stood and brushed her hands through her hair.
“Come inside, and I’ll show you.” Catty started across the patio. She opened the sliding glass door and they stepped into the kitchen.
Catty set the manuscript in the middle of the kitchen table. She and Vanessa leaned over it and studied the rich illuminated borders, the enlarged first letter ornamented with interlaced patterns in gold, red, and blue and the detailed miniature within the first letter of someone locking the jaws of hell. The figure looked like a goddess, but there was something disturbing about her eyes. They looked phosphorescent, like the eyes of a Follower in moonlight.
“What does it say?” Vanessa wondered.
Catty ran her finger along the words and tried to translate the Latin. When she couldn’t, she looked at Vanessa. “I don’t get it. We can speak and understand Latin, so why can’t I read it?”
Vanessa pointed to the framed medieval manuscript page that hung on the wall between two of Catty’s watercolors. It was Kendra’s prized possession. Even though it wasn’t a valuable piece, Kendra loved the old Latin script.
“Remember what Kendra said? Old Latin manuscripts are difficult to translate even for scholars because the scribes had their own personal quirks and distinct way of writing, and different regions had their own types of script.”
Catty remembered how Kendra became frustrated with the translations until she could get used to each scribe’s individual style. But that was also what Kendra liked about translating the old documents; she felt as if she got to know the scribe’s personality after studying his work. “I guess it’s no wonder I can’t read it.”
“Hey, maybe Kendra will do it for us,” Vanessa suggested.
“Kendra will do what for you?” Kendra walked into the kitchen, holding a pile of newspapers. She dumped them in the paper recycle bin. She was wearing a black sports bra and leggings.
Catty glanced up, happy to see her. On Wednesdays she always closed the shop early. Catty held up the manuscript. “Maybe you can translate this for us.”
Kendra took the reading glasses hanging from the chain around her neck, slipped them on, and studied the manuscript. She was awestruck. “How did you get such a priceless piece of work?”
Catty told her about the mysterious stranger. Both Kendra and Vanessa were spellbound. When she finished, Kendra studied the manuscript again.
“This is highly unusual.” She took off her reading glasses and tapped them gently in the palm of her hand. “So often in medieval pieces the scribe’s work is mechanical, typical of the armies of transcribers who didn’t know Latin, but labored in the scriptoriums copying books word by word, letter by letter onto the parchment. But this manuscript is different. I think it might even be older than that.”
“What do you mean?” Catty asked.
“There’s a fluidity in the lettering at the beginning, but then toward the end, the writing looks more rushed.”
“Does it mention the moon?” Vanessa asked.
Kendra nodded. “Yes it does, and it also mentions a curse.”
Catty and Vanessa stared at each other. “A curse?” they said together.
Kendra nodded. “There’s a curse for anyone who holds the manuscript.” She put her reading glasses back on, then looked down and translated the warning. “To hold the manuscript is to capture misery and death.”
She continued translating the first line. “The Atrox arose from primal darkness.” She stopped and looked back at Catty and Vanessa. “What in the world is an Atrox?”
Vanessa and Catty exchanged frightened looks. Had the mystery man actually given her something dangerous?
“Atrox,” Kendra repeated. “It’s probably one of the scribe’s little quirks. Some word he either misspells or doesn’t know.” She glanced at the clock. “Time for my yoga. Will you excuse me?” No matter what was going on, Kendra always stopped for her yoga and meditation. It could be frustrating at times.
Catty waited until she heard Kendra rolling out her mats in the living room, then she turned to Vanessa. “I think we better call Serena and Jimena and take the manuscript to Maggie tomorrow.”
Vanessa nodded in agreement.
CHAPTER EIGHT
THE NEXT DAY after school, Catty crawled into the backseat of Jimena’s brother’s car. Jimena didn’t have her driver’s license yet but when her brother visited from San Diego, he let her use his ’81 Oldsmobile. She had learned how to drive when she was in a gang and jacking cars.
“Why are we going to Westwood?” Catty asked.
“Not Westwood,” Serena corrected from the passenger seat. “The Federal Building.”
Jimena gripped the steering wheel. “Maggie’s taking part in a demonstration,” she answered as she pulled away from the curb with a squeal of rubber.
“Yeah,” Serena winked. “She said she’d be in the crowd. Just find her.”
“What do you suppose she’s protesting?” Vanessa wondered.
Jimena zipped the car into the traffic on Doheny. The muffler rumbled against the street with a deep throaty sound that Catty liked.
“They protest everything there,” Catty put in. “It’s like a party. Kendra says it’s a great place to meet people.”
“Maybe Maggie’s getting lonely and wants to meet some guy,” Jimena added with a wry smile.
Serena shook her head. “Maggie’s upset that t
he tuna industry is still harming dolphins.”
Jimena eyed Catty in the rearview mirror. “Did you bring the manuscript?”
Catty nodded. “It’s in my messenger bag.”
“I can’t believe we’re treating a priceless manuscript like that.” Vanessa shook her head.
“We don’t know that it’s worth anything to anyone but the Atrox.” Catty pulled off her sunglasses and then she noticed something different about Vanessa. “You’re not wearing your moon amulet.”
Serena and Jimena both turned to look at Vanessa. Jimena’s eyes shifted back to the road. She buzzed around a bus, then made a sweeping left-hand turn.
Vanessa rubbed a rough patch of red skin on her chest. “It was giving me a rash. Mom said it probably wasn’t the amulet but some cream that reacted with the metal.”
“You never take it off.” Catty looked at her curiously.
Vanessa stared out the window as if she didn’t want to continue the conversation. “I know, but I couldn’t stand the itching.”
Jimena parked in the lot behind the Federal Building. The girls climbed out, and walked toward Wilshire Boulevard. Sunlight filtered through the smoky sky and cast a surreal orange glow across the hot afternoon.
A gathering of people lined the street protesting global warming, abortion, animal rights, and INS violations. A smaller group stood at the edge of the curb, waving placards at passing motorists. Maggie twirled a sign that read SAVE THE DOLPHINS. She was a thin short woman with long gray hair curled into a bun on top of her head. She wore dangling earrings, a flowing orange and purple dress, and a large canvas bag hung from her shoulder. Her temples were beaded with perspiration.
The girls approached her and she hugged each in turn. A man with a full beard stood next to her. He set down his sign and nodded at the girls in greeting.
“You have lovely granddaughters, Maggie.” He extended his hand to Catty. “I’m George.”
“George is a dear old friend.” Maggie looked at him with warm caring eyes. “You’ll excuse us for a moment, George?” She handed him her placard and he went back to the curb, holding both signs high in the air.
Maggie threaded through the other protesters. The girls followed after her.
Finally she stopped in the shade near the building. A security guard eyed them suspiciously.
“Now, my dears, what is going on?” Maggie took a Kleenex from her pocket and patted it across her forehead.
Catty opened her messenger bag and handed the manuscript to Maggie.
Maggie touched the brittle parchment reverentially. “The Secret Scroll,” she muttered with amazement.
“You recognize it?” Catty asked.
Maggie nodded, still too stunned to say more. When she was finally able to speak, her voice seemed filled with awe. “I had always thought the existence of the Secret Scroll was only a legend. I never imagined it was real. Tradition maintains that the manuscript was hidden to protect the ultimate secret forever.”
“What secret?” Serena asked.
Maggie hesitated. “The Path of the Manuscript,” she breathed. “It reveals how to destroy the Atrox.”
“How?” Vanessa asked and peered over Maggie’s shoulder as if she could read the spiraling script.
“That’s amazing,” Catty voiced the excitement for all of them.
“What do we do first?” Jimena asked eagerly.
“Have patience,” Maggie warned. “You must not rush forward. Every act has good and evil consequences. I need time to read the manuscript and consider all its possibilities.”
“Why was it given to me?” Catty wondered.
Maggie looked at her solemnly. “According to the legend, it would mean that you are the designated heir.” Her voice sounded filled with sadness and Catty wondered what Maggie wasn’t telling her. Maggie seemed to read her concern. “The heir is the one chosen to follow the Path of the Manuscript.”
Catty felt new anxiety take hold. “But how can I follow the Path when I can’t even read the manuscript?”
“Don’t worry, Catty.” Maggie touched her gently. “It wouldn’t have been given to you if you weren’t up to the task.”
The words provided little comfort. Catty knew Maggie was holding back.
“Tell Maggie about the Followers you saw,” Jimena reminded her.
Maggie looked up, her eyes questioning.
“They looked older than any Followers I’ve seen before and they were too perfect-looking,” Catty said.
Maggie glanced at her oddly. “What do you mean perfect-looking?”
“They looked like they’d just spent an hour in makeup on some movie set. You know, like politicians going on TV for a debate. Every hair in perfect order. Clothes perfectly pressed. They also had this strange electrical aura.”
Maggie raised a quizzical eyebrow.
“The room seemed to fill with an electrical charge when they came in,” Catty explained. “Their presence even affected the lights.”
Maggie nodded in understanding. “Don’t be deceived by their appearance. They weren’t Followers.”
“But I’m positive they were,” Catty answered.
“Me, too,” Vanessa agreed.
Maggie held up her hand. “They weren’t Followers. They were Regulators.”
“Regulators,” Serena repeated with a worried expression. She tried to hide her concern, but Catty knew it was there. Her relationship with Stanton was forbidden, and the Atrox punished Followers who violated the taboo by sending Regulators to terminate them. Stanton had been willing to risk everything for Serena until he realized he was also putting her in danger.
Maggie looked at Serena as if she knew what she was thinking. “Yes, but I am confident that these Regulators are here for the manuscript. The Atrox wants it destroyed.”
“Are you sure?” Serena asked apprehensively.
“The Regulators Catty has described are the fiercest class,” Maggie continued. “They are so committed to the Atrox, that their very appearance becomes distorted and twisted by its evil until they look monstrous.”
“But they looked perfect.” Catty seemed confused.
“Yes, dear.” Maggie touched her arm gently. “They looked perfect because they can conceal their hideous appearance. Most choose to appear like distinguished adults because it is easier to gain trust that way. They can just as easily appear as a younger person. But altering their appearance takes tremendous energy and fortunately they are weaker when disguised.”
“But what about when they’re not disguised?” Jimena wondered.
Maggie sighed. “They are extremely powerful. Their greatest power is their ability to enter dreams.”
“Dreams?” Vanessa asked uneasily and pulled at a strand of hair.
Maggie nodded. “These Regulators are free to travel about the dreamland. Every night they scan the dreamscape, searching. In fact, most people have seen them in their dreams but they think they’ve only had a nightmare.”
Catty thought of the number of times she had awakened in the morning and found her lights still blazing because a nightmare had made her too afraid to sleep in the dark. Had the Regulators frightened her? Then she thought of Kendra’s dream and another chill passed through her.
“The dream realm is an easy way for the Regulators to find a person who is trying to escape the Atrox,” Maggie went on.
“How?” Serena asked uneasily.
“Once in a person’s dream, they can scan a person’s memories,” Maggie explained. “Memories are like fingerprints, unique to the individual, and an infallible way to identify someone. These Regulators can also use dreams to enter a person’s conscience and control them.”
Maggie studied the manuscript again. “I’m confident that the sudden arrival of these Regulators is somehow associated with the manuscript, even though all Regulators are terrified by it.”
“Why would they be afraid of it?” Vanessa asked.
“Because Regulators believe in the manuscript’s cu
rse, and yet their allegiance to the Atrox demands that they search for it and destroy it. I don’t need to remind you to be alert and careful. The Atrox will do anything to destroy the manuscript. We’ll meet after I’ve had a chance to study it.”
“Shouldn’t we follow the first step?” Jimena asked.
Maggie smiled. “I admire the way you are always ready to act. But let me spend some time with the manuscript first. After all, I had always believed it was only legend.”
Maggie stuffed the manuscript into her canvas bag. She walked away from them and didn’t look back.
Jimena sighed. “Let’s go over to Westwood and get something to eat.”
“I’ll catch up with you.” Catty suddenly remembered the moon amulet that had belonged to her mother. She ran after Maggie.
Maggie turned and placed a hand on Catty’s shoulder.
“I forgot to show you this,” Catty announced and pulled the amulet from her pocket. The metal was dull and blackened and didn’t reflect the light.
Maggie gasped and tried to cover her reaction.
“Well?” Catty asked impatiently.
“I’m afraid the amulet belongs to a Daughter who turned to the Atrox,” Maggie answered.
CHAPTER NINE
CATTY HURRIED AWAY, pushing into the crowd of protesters. She didn’t want Maggie to see the tears building in her eyes.
Maggie called after her but she pretended not to hear. When she was sure Maggie wasn’t following her, she stopped and glanced down at the amulet in her hand. Now more than ever she wanted to see her mother. She clenched the tarnished silver charm tightly. If she could find a way to go that far back in time, perhaps she could help her.
Catty made an effort to compose herself as she hurried toward Westwood Village below the UCLA campus. Normally she loved looking at the spires, domes, and minarets on the old buildings but right now she was too busy searching for her friends. She found them sitting around a table at a sidewalk cafe.
Jimena was adjusting her ankle bracelets. She looked unhappy. Serena sipped a glass of water, frowning in concentration. Vanessa nervously bit her fingernails.
