by T. S. Hall
Allora was pulled inward and reappeared in the field behind her house. The nightmare was over. She was home.
Twenty-Five
BEGINNING
A searing pain greeted Allora as she sluggishly entered the hallway, still in her pajamas. Every time she moved, her muscles fought back. The bruises on her body were becoming much more accentuated, and she could still feel the stinging cuts littering her torso. Her legs were stiff, which made walking out to the living room difficult.
Katie sat up on the couch, wiping the sleep from her eyes. Allora searched through the couch and found the TV remote between the cushions. Aunt May entered the living room as Allora turned on the television. Milly was nowhere to be seen, which was strange because she was always the first one awake, making coffee.
“May, where’s Mom?” Allora asked her aunt.
“She had to run out to take care of a few things,” Aunt May replied.
Allora turned on the morning news and listened to the report.
“Thanks, Jim. In Sandy, police found Barbara and Randy Nelson deceased in their home. The couple allegedly kept to themselves, and initial reports claimed the couple died from an apparent gas leak during the night. Sources report that they didn’t have any children or close relatives,” the woman said.
“So unfortunate, Mary. In other local news, the Sandy High School Pioneers will be playing on a new field sooner than they thought, and all students will be able to take advantage of a new gymnasium. It is unclear whether this has anything to do with the state soccer championship, but the project was originally slated to break ground at the end of the school year. Principal Jodie Winters says other factors have enabled it to start ahead of schedule, but the remodel will not affect graduation. Now, let’s take it to Pete for a weather report.”
Aunt May disappeared into the kitchen without looking at her niece.
Rushing to follow, Allora winced at the pain her steps caused. “How is that possible?” Allora asked.
May started to answer, but Milly came trudging through the back door, took off her shoes, and went straight to the kitchen.
“So I’m guessing you saw the news,” Milly said, preparing her morning coffee.
“Mom, how did you do that?” Allora asked, completely flabbergasted by the cover-up. “The field was destroyed, not to mention the Nelson house.”
Milly poured water into the coffee machine, then directed Allora into the living room, where Katie, Dax, and Tanner were now wide awake. Sunlight beamed through the window, casting a yellow glow over the living room. Allora sat down to wait on her mother and took another look at the paintings that adorned the wall. They each seemed to take on a new shape, as if they were no longer far-off lands but portraits of a world that seemed closer than ever.
Milly patiently sat down in her armchair and took her time to sip at the warm coffee. “First of all, I’m so glad you four are all right. Luckily, Katie called me before she got there.” Milly paused. “I thought the worst when I heard you scream, Allora. We must have gotten to the Nelsons’ when you killed that shifter. I’m honestly very proud of all of you. Not many can take on a shifter, let alone a wraith and a rover at the same time. I knew this day would come, but I was dreading it all the while.” Milly changed her focus to Allora. “I guess it’s time for me to start treating you more like an adult now. You will always be my baby though.” Milly blinked quickly against the tears that were forming in her eyes.
“Mom…”
“Sorry.” Milly pulled her tears in and rubbed her eyes. “We have contingency plans in place for this kind of incident, as similar things have happened before, albeit not this… brazen.” Milly paused, wondering if it was going to get worse. She already knew the answer, but she didn’t want it to be true. Forces in Sonora had no care for order and peace. They wanted Earth for their own, and they would stop at nothing to conquer all.
“What about Jenny? Is she okay?” asked Allora.
“She’s in the hospital, but only as a precaution,” Milly explained, glad to be distracted from her ominous thought. “The doctor says she’ll be fine. I was just there.”
“You know, she saw almost everything,” Allora said. “How did you—”
“Keep her quiet?” Milly said, interrupting her daughter. “Sheriff Newton took care of it. We have methods to keep humans from knowing the truth.”
Allora looked to Tanner, who seemed to be thinking the same thing. “Can we go see her?”
“You should,” Milly said. “She’s probably pretty upset right now.”
Allora quickly went to change.
“Take my car,” Milly said, tossing him the keys. “Remember, Allora, you can’t let Jenny think you know more than you do.”
Allora nodded, and they left the house. Tanner had borrowed some of Allora’s uncle’s clothes, as the shredded tuxedo would have looked bad. He almost looked like Uncle Ben in the oversized sweatshirt, baggy, ripped jeans, and well-worn baseball hat. They hopped in the minivan and took off to the hospital.
Sheriff Newton was in the front entryway. He motioned them over, and whispered a story in their ear. Then, he left and the two headed into the hospital to the check-in area. Jenny was in intensive care on the second floor, and her parents were already in the room with her. Tanner gave them a hug, and then the adults left to give them some privacy.
Jenny was wearing a sullen, confused expression, and as soon as her parents were gone, she erupted with words. “I feel like I just woke up from a horrible nightmare.”
Allora began to say something, but Tanner took the lead. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Jenny answered. “A little sore, but I’ll live. How are you guys?”
“Recovering,” Allora said, trying to think of what to say next.
“Sheriff Newton told me what happened,” she said, glaring up at Tanner and Allora as they sat awkwardly on the bed.
Jenny sat up a little more. “I can’t believe we got into a car accident on the way to prom. And that Kim is dead! He said that Kim was driving us, and that she wasn’t paying attention and flipped her car.” They nodded. “I don’t understand why I can’t remember.”
“You hit your head pretty bad,” Tanner said.
Jenny stared back as if contemplating the plausibility of the explanation.
“It was awful,” Allora added.
They remained in the room for a few more minutes, discussing the fake car accident. Then, Tanner and Allora left the room, exhaling while they walked down the hospital hallway.
“Do you think she bought it?” Allora asked.
“I’m not sure,” Tanner responded. “I just can’t believe that they wiped her memory.”
When they got to Allora’s house, Milly let them know that Katie and Dax had gone home, and Tanner had to take off as well, since he hadn’t seen his aunt since the night before.
Once Tanner was gone, Allora confronted her mother. “This isn’t over, is it?” she asked, even though she already knew the answer.
“No, Allora, it’s not.” Milly placed her hand on her daughter’s shoulder.
Allora looked up from staring at the floor.
“I know I’ve been overly protective of you, and it pains me to say this, but you showed me last night that you can take care of yourself. I have never been more proud of you in my entire life. I can see this has been a tough transition for you. Most would have cracked under the pressures you’ve faced this year. I’ve always tried to shield you from this life because I’m painfully aware of the destructive powers that fight against us. I know now that I can’t shelter you from it any longer,” Milly said, embracing her daughter.
Allora had a deep respect for her mother, and the words were soothing. Even though they fought a lot, Allora always listened to what she had to say, knowing that Milly embodied wisdom beyond her years, something everyone sensed about her. Allora never questioned the idea that her mother was far more experienced and knowledgeable than anyone she knew.
&nb
sp; * * *
Weeks went by without incident, and all the students at school believed Principal Winters’ announcement about the renovations. Jenny continued ask questions, but she didn’t give any indication that she remembered the real events of the night.
Allora, Katie, Dax, and Tanner went to the graduation ceremony, reveling in the fact that they were now seniors. After graduation, they decided to pay Sas a visit. It took them a while because Sas’s cave was so far up the mountain, but when they finally arrived, they found him talking with Aunt May.
“Hi, guys and gals!” Sas said, running over to give them all a big hug all at once.
Squished together in his furry arms, the friends tried to reciprocate, but they couldn’t get their arms free.
Sas let go and stepped back.
“Nice to see you, too, ya big, furry ape,” Dax said, sucking in air.
“We just came up here to thank you for what you did the other night,” Allora said.
Sas’s mood changed when she said it, as if he was offended that they felt the need to thank him. “You four are like family to me, and I’d never be letting anything happen to you. I don’t think Aunt May would either.”
Leaning on her staff at the perch on a large boulder, Aunt May said in her usual monotone voice, smiling slightly, “You all performed brilliantly. I couldn’t have asked for any better.”
The six of them talked for a while as the sun dipped into the western sky. Tanner, Dax, Katie, and Allora hiked to the lookout at the top of Sas’s cave to watch the sunset. The four of them stared in silence at the beautiful landscape, relishing the peaceful serenity of the moment. The familiar orange orb dipped into the western horizon, and the warmth subsided. They knew there was a fight ahead, but somehow it seemed less scary knowing that they had each other.
The dying sunset glowed with a purple hue, soon replaced by a dark blue night sky. In the distance, they could see a dark cloud hanging low, like a spy waiting for the right moment to strike. Though the evening was clear and the storm had passed, another was brewing in the distance. It was a storm like no other, fueled by the events of the past and aimed at the unsuspecting town residing in peace at the base of the mountain.
THE END…
