by Jus Accardo
I was racing against the winner of the last race.
“On your mark…” the man in the yellow suit said.
The previous winner stepped up to the rope. I stayed several feet back.
“Get set…”
The other man grabbed the rope, tugging several times before turning to glare at me. I had a feeling he was trying to be intimidating, but really, he simply looked like he had to use the restroom.
“Go!”
I ran at the wall, leaping and placing my right foot against it. The shoes Dez had bought for me—Vans, she called them—were an excellent source of traction. I was able to scale the wall with ease, grabbing the rope at the top for the added momentum to swing myself over the edge.
From the corner of my eye, I saw a familiar form and a flash of white. Twisting as I neared the tube opening, I glanced out over the crowd but saw nothing. Paranoia. That’s all. When things seemed to be going well—when I felt most happy—that’s when it crept in. Surely something had to be on the verge of going wrong, because someone like me did not deserve this…
I pushed it aside. Through the tube and onto the thin wooden beam. I sprinted forward and across the beam without slowing. From the crowd, I could hear Dez’s voice cheering me on. It pushed my silly paranoia to the back of my mind and urged me forward.
I could see the end of the course. Seven feet. Ten tops. Screams of encouragement drifted from the crowd and it was hard not to smile. Me. They were cheering for me.
The energy of the crowd was intoxicating. So much so that I almost missed the flash of white on the edge of the crowd. I was sure this time it wasn’t simply my imagination. I’d seen it. I wasn’t sure what it was, but I’d seen it. I slowed, coming to a stop a few feet from the painted line on the ground that said Finish. Frantic, I scanned the crowd but saw nothing on first pass. On the second, however, something caught my eye.
Someone.
“Hurry!” Dez called. “Cross the finish line!”
A quick look over my shoulder, and I saw the other man, huffing and puffing—and a shade much redder than before—lumbering toward me. I took three steps and crossed the finish line to a chorus of cheers and excited screams.
From the right, I could see Dez and Kiernan making their way toward me. Instead of circling to meet them, I passed through the exit and crossed back to the waiting area where I’d seen it. Seen him. It had been a man—that I was sure of. Something on the edge of my mind tugged at a memory. Something that didn’t want to be uncovered.
I turned around just in time for Dez to collided with me, wrapping her arms around my neck and planting tiny kisses up and down the side of my face. I encircled her waist, lifting her feet from the ground, and twirled her once. “I did okay?”
“Okay?” Kiernan breathed. “I’ve never seen anyone move like that! I think I’m in love…”
I squeezed Dez once more, then set her down. I didn’t want to hurt the girl’s feelings, but she needed to know the truth. “I’m sorry…I love Dez.”
Dez laughed and took my hand.
“You—huh?” Blinking several times, she shrugged and waved us forward. “Whatever. Come on. Let’s go check on the Jipsey.”
…
“This is Madame Jewel,” Kiernan said, stepping into the room.
She greeted the old woman—who reminded me a lot of Ginger, my grandmother—with a hug.
“She’s been here forever. Used to work with my mom.”
Jewel gestured to the two seats across from her and sank down into her own. “You’re here for a reading?”
“Dez and Kale are new friends of mine. We’re hanging out, trying to get to know each other, and we thought it’d be cool to have readings done.”
Jewel smiled. Wrinkled lips parted to reveal several large gaps. Missing teeth. She must have gotten into a fight at some point—and lost. “Of course. Anything for you, dahling.” She turned to Kale. “You first, handsome. Take a seat and fork over them digits.”
I sank into the chair but wasn’t sure what to do from there. I didn’t know what numbers she was asking for, and I felt stupid asking.
Dez took the seat beside me and held out her hand. “Me first.”
Ah. Now I understood. The woman had wanted my hand.
She looked at me, then turned to Dez and shrugged. Taking Dez’s hand, the woman closed her eyes, and Dez held back a laugh. I guessed she didn’t like playing pretend any more than I did.
They sat like that for a moment, maybe two, before Jewel’s eyes flashed open. “Sixes?”
Dez pulled her hand away and jumped to her feet. I did the same, tense and ready to fight.
The old woman rolled her eyes. “Sit down. We’re sisters, you and I.”
Was she kidding? “No, you’re not. First of all, you’re far too old to—”
Dez smiled. “She means she’s a Six, too, Kale.”
“You can see the future,” I said, understanding now. I turned to Kiernan, who was standing to the side, grinning. “The real deal?”
She nodded.
Jewel snapped her fingers to get our attention. Yes. She definitely reminded me of Ginger. “The three of you must leave here. You’re in danger.”
Dez stomped her foot and blew at a stray hair that had fallen into her eyes. “What else is new? Can you elaborate? Is this danger in the form of a stuffy lawyer-wanna-be with a receding hairline and seriously questionable morals?”
Instead of answering Dez, she turned to me. “He is coming.”
Dez leaned forward. She said something to Jewel—something about Denazen—but I wasn’t paying attention.
He is coming.
Such a simple statement—it could have meant anything. Dez’s cousin, Brandt. Possibly even our friend Dax. He knew where we were. We’d been checking in with Dez’s mom, Sue, regularly. But danger? That meant Denazen.
“He?” I asked. My throat felt dry, and everything had gone cold and flat. Like soda without the bubbles…
“Kale?” Dez asked. There was worry in her voice. She turned to Jewel. “Who are you talking about—my father?”
Jewel kept her eyes on mine and laughed. “Your father? No, child. He is nothing compared to this man.”
“That’s a little vague…” Dez grumbled.
“I cannot give you specific details without touching Kale’s skin…” The old woman winked. “And we both know I can’t do that.”
Kiernan stepped up to the table. “So they’re on the level?”
Jewel nodded. “They are. You should go with them. I don’t know when they’ll arrive. It could be today, it could be tomorrow.” She held out her hand. “Let me do a quick read for you. Maybe I can—”
Kiernan shook her head and stumbled away. “No—I’m good.”
Jewel didn’t say anything. She only watched the purple-haired girl with an odd expression.
“You still haven’t told us who is coming,” Dez said, standing.
Jewel sighed as she stood and turned her back on us. After a moment, she made her way to the other side of the room, pushing through a thin black curtain. Over her shoulder, just as she disappeared from view, she said, “The nightmare man. The nightmare man is coming—and he has plans for you both.”
6
Kiernan rolled her eyes. “Well, all righty, then. Have a nice day to you, too, Jewel…”
“So should we go?” Dez leaned back against the table, craning her neck to see out the windows. I knew what she was looking for. Agents.
“What was she talking about? What’s a nightmare man? Is that a Denazen thing?”
“I can’t be sure,” I said, trying to process the thoughts in my head. I was sure, though. The thought had been there all along. The watched sensation back at Kiernan’s. The white flashes in the crowd. The man… He was here. In the back of my mind, I’d known.
“But you have an idea,” Dez said. She pushed away from the table and came to stand in front of me, resting a hand against my cheek. Some of the tension ease
d at her touch. She wanted to ask me questions but kept them to herself, knowing I didn’t like to talk about certain things.
If possible, it made me love her more.
“I think we should go.” I turned to Kiernan. “Have you made a decision? Are you coming back with us?”
She nodded. “I told you, I’ve heard some stuff about these Denazen people. As long as you guys are on the up, then count me in.”
I nodded and moved closer to the door. “We can take your truck. I don’t think it’s a good idea to go back for your things or Ginger’s car. At least not now. Maybe in a week or so…”
Dez frowned and grabbed my hand. “Hang on. We should still hit at least one coaster on the way out. This was supposed to be like a mini vacation.”
I frowned. I hated to see her disappointed, but it wasn’t worth the chance. “What did Sue say to us before we left? About time?”
Dez’s frown melted into a smile. “We’re young. We have plenty of time.” She brushed a quick kiss across my lips and suddenly I couldn’t remember what I’d been saying.
I sighed, contentment replacing the worry in my muscles. She had that effect on me. “You are far more dangerous than Denazen could ever be…”
She nipped at my bottom lip and winked. “You know you love it.”
And she was right. I did.
“Huh,” Kiernan said. “What’s up with those guys?”
I turned to see what she was referring to and the air froze in my lungs. Grabbing Dez’s hand, I hissed, “Move. Back the way we came.”
Dez didn’t look around. She didn’t stop and ask questions. Kiernan, on the other hand, did. “What? What gives?”
Dez took her hand and yanked her forward. “It’s them. They’re here.”
The girl’s eyes widened. “Them, as in—”
“Denazen,” I spat. The word tasted bitter. “Lead the way. We should move calmly but quickly, through the park to the entrance where we came in. Attract as little attention as possible.”
Kiernan nodded, her expression finally showing fear. Good. I needed her to take this seriously. I didn’t think the agents had seen us, so our chances of slipping away unnoticed were still better than average.
“No good.” Dez stopped short, turning to examine a large blue bear to our right. “There are two a little down that way. See them? By the guy with the big mallet?”
“I see them.” I turned and scanned the area. “What’s down that alley? Behind the blue building across from us?”
“Um.” Kiernan looked nervous. “I think it’s all maintenance stuff. Where they keep the cleaning supplies and extra equipment.”
“Perfect. Wait until they turn, then cross the path. We go one by one. Try and stay with the crowd.” I peered around the large blue toy. “Okay, Kiernan. Go!”
She hesitated but then thankfully moved into action, stepping into the crowd and weaving through to the other side. When she ducked behind the edge of the building, I ran a finger along the edge of Dez’s cheek. “Be careful.”
She kissed me and was gone, the cold lingering in her wake almost painful. As she weaved in and out of the crowd, I watched with breath held until I saw her arrive safely on the other side.
My turn. I stepped onto the path, moving between a man carrying a handful of balloons and another wheeling a cart filled with what looked like jewelry. “Okay,” I said to Kiernan after reaching the other side. “Which way is the front entrance?”
“Going? Already? It’s not on my account, is it?” a voice said from behind us.
I froze. As much as my brain rebelled against the possibility, I knew that voice. Cold and devoid of all redeeming human qualities, it was a piece of my past I could never erase.
“Down. Everyone look down!” I hissed.
Beside me, Dez stilled and dropped her gaze to the ground without question. From the corner of my eye, I saw Kiernan do the same.
I didn’t need to see the man to know what he looked like. He was tall, with broad shoulders and silver white hair. On his face would be the sickest, most disturbing smile I’d ever seen. Eyes, soulless and dark, with a small scar above the right one—put there by me—and another, larger scar across the back of his left hand. He would walk with the slightest of limps. An old injury from war, he’d once said. From the days of being a soldier.
His name spilled from my lips. “Samsen…”
The name, like the voice, chilled me to the core. In an instant, I was a child again, alone and helpless, and at the mercy and sick whims of a madman.
Head still down, I searched the space beside me until I found Dez’s hand and wound my fingers tightly through hers. “Don’t look into his eyes.”
Kiernan tilted her head toward me, confused. “Why are we not looking at him?”
With a chuckle, Samsen answered for me. “I’m what Denazen calls a Charmer—Samsen Cain, at your service. Miss McGuire, correct? We’ve been looking for you.”
Kiernan thrust her hands into her pockets, never looking up. “Yeah? Seems like I’m pretty popular today.”
“We’re not here to hurt you—quite the opposite. We want to place you under our protection.” His polished shoes glinted in the sun as he took another step closer.
“Thanks for the offer, but think I’m gonna pass.” Kiernan backed away until she was standing beside Dez. “They asked first.”
Samsen clucked his tongue and pulled a tranquilizer gun from the holder on his belt. He made sure to wave it low enough so that I could see. “Asking was a courtesy. Think of it as my attempt to give you an easy way out. I could have 98 here hand you over if I wanted—isn’t that right?”
I dropped Dez’s hand and covered my ears. Knowing how Samsen’s mind worked, he likely figured I was the same pliable Resident as I’d been the last time we’d met.
He was wrong.
I searched the ground for signs of the other agents. The only shadow I saw was Samsen’s. I had a feeling his stumbling upon us had been purely by accident. He wouldn’t have come looking for us without backup.
My heart hammered in my chest. “Dez…” Hands still covering my ears, everything sounded far away and hollow. “I need you to scream. Loud.”
She wasted no time. A second later, the sound of her voice filled my ears. I dropped my hands and pulled off one of the gloves, trying to grab Samsen, but he jumped aside before my hand could make contact. I grabbed Dez’s hand and a handful of Kiernan’s sleeve and hauled them forward. “Move!”
We turned and ran from the alley, back onto the path. Dez’s screams had caught a lot of attention, but we were moving through the crowd so fast, it didn’t matter. All that mattered was that it was her voice I’d heard—not Samsen’s.
“In here!” Kiernan cried, skidding to a stop in front of a large building. The Statue Man’s face was on the front, only this time he had large fangs and an angry expression. Somehow, it suited him better than the eerie smile.
Dez was skeptical. “A haunted house?”
“There’s an employee door that opens close to the park entrance in the back. We can slip through in secret instead of running like crazy people through the crowd.”
I nodded, and Dez and I followed her up the steps.
Once inside, we had a choice of two doors. One said Hall of Reflection—Enter If You Dare and the other said Cemetery Street. I looked to Kiernan. “Which one?”
Without answering, she pushed through the one that said Cemetery Street.
The new room was pitch black. An occasional flash from the middle, as well as small lights sporadically lining the edges of the room, was enough to ensure we didn’t run into anything—or anyone.
“Stay close,” I said, and started forward.
I was beginning to hate amusement parks.
We’d gone exactly seventeen steps when I heard a crackling sound—like crumpling paper—and felt a slight disturbance in the air. Something rose from the ground to our right and rushed us. Elbowing Dez aside, my arm shot out and grabbed th
e approaching figure by the neck. I stepped away and spun him to the wall, and when he responded with an oddly pitched laugh and still-solid form, I knew something was wrong. He wasn’t real. It was nothing more than a statue. I released the fake man and stepped aside. “What is this place?”
“Haunted house,” Dez whispered.
I kicked the fake man aside. “This place is horrible.”
Kiernan snorted. “It’s an attraction. It’s awesome!”
I began moving again. Standing still made me uneasy. The sooner we found the exit and left the park, the better. “Attraction? What could possibly be considered attractive about this place?”
Dez took my hand. “People come here to be scared.”
“Why would someone want to be scared?”
Kiernan sighed. I didn’t turn around, but I was willing to bet she was rolling her eyes. “’Cause it’s fun?”
I stopped walking and turned. It was dark, but if Dez could see me, she’d say I had on my WTF face—whatever that meant. “It’s fun to ride in circles and fun to jump around in little plastic balls. Now you’re saying it’s fun to be scared?”
Kiernan took the lead. “Well, I mean not terrified or anything. It’s like pretend.”
“So people come here to pretend to be scared?” My head was starting to ache.
She sighed. “I’m explaining it the wrong way.”
“Maybe you’re not. Maybe it’s just stupid.”
Dez giggled and despite the situation, warmth raced through my body. “That’s my guy—always tellin’ it like it is.” Her fingers tightened around mine, and she tugged me a bit closer.
I was torn—she had that effect on me. Her nearness shattered my concentration and focus, while at the same time sharpened my senses and lit every one of my nerve endings on fire. I wanted to drag her close and lose myself, but the situation called for focus.
