I heard the storm door creak and turned to see Storm coming out of Nic's house. “See what I mean?” Grey said.
“I do, look at O'Connor” I said. Pointing to O'Connor leaning on the car with his arms crossed. “He's giving me the same evil eye.” Grey looked over at him and laughed. “Tell Storm you need to talk to me on official business and we'll get this done now.” I said a little more professional like. I liked Grey and if I was going to have dreams that come true and people getting hurt in them, he would be a great ally to have. Plus, I don’t think I wanted to be brought down to the station for questioning.
Storm shook his uncle's hand and they chatted a bit. “Storm, I need to ask Addie a few questions, official business, and then I need to get going. Do you mind?” Grey asked. I got a little look from Storm but he left.
“Are you familiar with the neighborhood behind you? You’re separated by fields, ravines and several acres...”
I interrupted. “Yes, I actually know it well, my cousin Peyton lives over there and I've hiked back there several times.”
My cousin and I were always friends but I remember the day we became kindred friends. Both our families belonged to the same club and this helped us get into trouble. Stealing golf carts was one of our favorite things to do among other things, until this one incident. Peyton stole, well borrowed, a golf cart and I jumped into the passenger seat. We took off fast and went for a joy ride. If you have ever been on a golf course you know there are hills, ravines, sand traps, water and wooded areas. Well, when we went speeding down a steep hill and took a sharp turn it rocked the cart onto two wheels and I started slipping off the seat, the green grass was so close to me I thought I was going to eat it. Peyton tried grabbing my arm as she jerked the wheel the other way as my arm and leg were dragging on the ground. As she jerked it back, I hit my head on the back of the cart. The cart bobbled back and forth when it rocked back in my direction she let go of my arm and I fell out of the cart and rolled halfway down the hill before I could stop myself. I lay there still, feeling the cool cut grass all around me. I thought that was a good sign, feeling the grass. But could I move?
Peyton, came running down the hill completely panicked, her face all pale. I have never seen such a panic stricken look on anyone before. I looked down at my body, but all my pieces were still attached and I saw no blood. I looked back at her face and she still looked filled with horror, very grim. I tried to laugh, although just for a second I was momentarily paralyzed and couldn't.
Peyton had long brown wavy hair, she was adventurous and very, very social. She was just as popular as Tori if not more so. She’s older than we are, but we all still got along. We used to be on swim team together. She had beautiful white, soft, skin and never got too tan and had these beautiful blue eyes. All the boys were always after her and my sister.
Years ago her brother was almost paralyzed from a senseless accident, and I saw that panic written all over her face. So I forced a laugh that came out horse at first. I wiggled my feet and legs they were fine, I started to sit up – everything felt okay. And Peyton began to laugh with me with tears in her eyes. It was much scarier than it sounds. Anyway, as soon as I was able to get up and walk, and it did take me a couple of minutes, we snuck the cart back and never took another one. Peyton and I had a closer relationship from then on. We had formed a bond that could never be broken. Like I said, some memories just stick.
Grey went on “There is a girl missing, only since this morning, but she's only ten. Her parents are friends of my boss. Can you ask your source?”
“Huhhh” I breathed in making a noise and held my chest. I remembered I dreamt running up and down hills, maybe it was our ravines! I looked down to the left and then to the right and up as if I were watching them run.
“You have got to be kidding me, you think you're a psychic?” He threw his hands up and turned his back on me.
“Hell no!” I replied, and laughed a little. “I mean no, I'm not a psychic. I was just thinking…” I exclaimed and immediately calmed myself. Nic and I rehearsed how I would react and what I'd say if someone ever asked. I calmly said “I do know a psychic, one just moved into the back of the Richfield Reading and Speech Center if you want one.”
He turned around and looked a little aggravated. “I don't want a psychic. She isn’t your source is she?” he said shaking his head.
“No” I replied and almost too quickly.
“...and you say you aren't one?”
“No.” I said sternly, but then decided to try and lighten the subject. Thank goodness I didn't tell him, I almost decided to in the car. “I'm not a psychic, I'm a medium... just kidding! I'll ask my source if they know anything and I'll get back to you.” We stood there in a bit of an awkward silence.
“Okay…” He said, sounding disappointed and took a deep breath. “Yeah that's fine, but the sooner the better.” He replied pointing to me and in such a way that I think he didn't believe me, but he handed me another one of his business cards.
All in all it had been a good night. Topher hung around part of the time at the dance. Nic said she was glad for some of his absences; it gave her time to breath. But, as soon as he walked in her front door, she was there in a flash.
Nic's party was a blast, I can't believe that so many students can stay out past midnight. Topher stayed and helped us cleanup which took us an hour or so, but we weren't in a hurry either. After, the bulk of everything was cleaned up, I excused myself.
It was 2:15 when I got to Nic's room, exhaustion started to set in. I don't remember trying to fall asleep, I think I passed out as soon as my head hit the pillow. When I woke I was sitting straight up in bed. The bright fluorescent green clock screamed 3:22am at me. I put my hands to my face and rubbed and mumbled “thank goodness”, at least it wasn't 3:17a.m. Hopefully this dream won't come true.... I must have woken Nic. I thought she and Topher would have still been sucking face. “What are you doing up?” I asked her.
She replied “I could ask you the same. Did you have another dream?”
“Yeah, but it's 3:22 so I'm not sure it counts,” I whispered back to her.
She fell back into her pillow “My clock is five minutes fast.”
I jumped out of bed and dialed Peyton immediately. “Thank God you answered, I'm at Nic's, can you come pick me up – it's an emergency.” I hung up and found my satchel from that night. “Watch your eyes.” I said to Nic, I had to turn on the light to read the numbers. “Detective Grey please. Yes, this is an emergency, I'll hold.”
“What are you doing?” Nic asked.
“Do you remember the mud pit Tori got stuck in when she lost her boot?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, there’s a missing girl from that neighborhood. I had a dream and at first I thought I was just remembering what happened to Tori… but she’s just a little girl I gotta check it out.” I said as I was pulling my jeans on, with the phone tucked between my shoulder and ear.
“Grey, this is Addie Gellar, it's an emergency, meet us behind 2711 South Point Dr. Yes, now and go behind the house.” I hung up the phone as he was saying something but there was no time for questioning me now.
Nic rolled out of bed and started dressing too. “I guess we can always sleep tomorrow.....I'll tell my mom we forgot to TP a football players house.” I saw headlights flash through the bedroom window. “We need all the bandanas and flashlights you can find.”
In the past, not all the neighborhood kids were ever ready to go hiking all at once, so we would tie a bandana on a tree to lead them to our location. If this girl was stuck we needed to find her fast and I wasn't going to wait for Grey to get there.
Nic and I piled in the front seat of Peyton's car, she was in her jammies and boots. We explained the situation to her and she sped the whole way back to her house. Everyone had paths in the back of their houses that lead into the ravines. We started at the one in Peyton's back yard. I drew a quick map in the dirt while Nic held the flashlight; I wanted to
make sure we headed in the right direction. As it was I think we were closer to the pit from Peyton's house than mine. We tied off a bandana on the tree by the path and left one flashlight on pointing back at the house so Grey could find us and we headed off.
It was hard to navigate in the dark even though we had flashlights. I got hit it the face a few times by branches I just couldn’t see – I tried to make sure they didn’t fling back at Nic and Peyton but when you’re in a hurry it’s not that easy to do. I heard a few nasty comments from behind… Twenty minutes in we started yelling “Is anyone here?” I didn't remember Grey telling us her name. Just as dawn was breaking I knew we were in close proximity to the mud pit – visibility was still not good. I had to watch where I stepped. I turned around and fell to my knees, but no sign of a girl.
Peyton and Nic were back a few paces, I held the flashlight in the path to get to me.
“You found her!” Nic yelled and started running toward me. “What? Where?” I put the flashlight down and started patting the ground. I screamed. I felt her arm and it was stone cold. I started digging and digging, “Get help!” Peyton turned and ran, Nic and I dug and dug. “Is she dead?”
“No Nic, no, she can’t be! You get her under her arms, I'll find her legs.” My chin was sitting on top of the mud. I held my breath, turned my face sideways and pushed in the mud until I found her legs. “Pull!” I said. We did. Nic counted “1-2-3 pull, pulllll...” I felt something horrible and crunchy still in my grip, I felt it and it felt like bones from a squirrel, I panicked and shook them off my hand and wiped them on my jeans. I could see flashlights bouncing toward us in the distance and felt a little relief.
“We need water!” I yelled and one flashlight went the opposite way.
“Roll her on her side” I exclaimed. We swept fingers through her mouth, gave her a pat on the back a few times, rolled her back over and started CPR.
“Is she alive?” Nic exclaimed. I breathed in deeply and then exhaled into the lifeless soul below me. My hands were shaking uncontrollably, but my work and progress steady. Grey was there, flashlight in hand, asking “Is she all right?”
Nic started rattling off feebly “We found her only a few minutes ago. She's cold, not breathing and we couldn't feel a pulse,” and she broke down and started to sob.
Grey moved me out of the way to take over.
“Quiet.” I said to Nic who was sobbing “Quiet.” I said strongly. I put my ear to her mouth “I swear I felt warm air.....”
“I think I have a pulse.” Grey retorted. He scooped her up and started running back to Peyton's house, we followed. Firemen were flowing down the hill as we neared; they took her from Grey's arms.
Nic and I were sitting at the edge of Peyton's patio. Nic's head was on my shoulder and my arm was wrapped around her sharing a blanket when Grey came over. “They have her stabilized and on the way to the hospital. Do either of you need to be checked out by a paramedic?” I mumbled “no.”
“Are you two sure you're okay?” Grey asked.
“I'm fine.” I replied, having to clear my throat. “You?” I asked nodding at Nic, she shook her head.
Grey squatted in front of me; he had mud all down his front. “It's okay not to be fine, this is very traumatic, but you saved her you know. You saved Samantha.” He sat next to me “If it wasn't for the dirt on your face and the rivers running down it I may not have been able to tell you were crying...” He touched my cheek. And the river started again.
He came in for a group hug, it just made it worse. “She's fine, you're fine everyone's going to be fine.” He purred. “Just one question Addie, how did you know where she was?” I could tell he was asking on a personal level not a professional one. He let go. In all sincerity, I needed him to know, to help prevent bad things from happening, things like this. “Detective Grey...” I started.
“Go ahead.”
“Detective Grey, I'm exactly what you don't want me to be. I'm a freak, but I don’t care, I’ll tell you everything and you can believe me or not.” There was a very long period of silence before Nic nudged me. “I have dreams that come true, and not all them are nice and fuzzy dreams either, as you can see.”
He gave me another squeeze as he swiveled to sit next to me. “That doesn't make you a freak that just makes me a jerk for being closed minded that there is such a thing, someone who can foresee the future.”
“I haven't really told anyone else about it but Nic and I'd like to keep it that way.”
He smiled at me, not showing any teeth, rubbed my shoulder and said “I'm not sure anyone else would believe us anyway. We'll keep it between the three of us for now. Do you need another blanket?”
“I could use some water.”
“Girl you need more water than I could find.” Then he let go, holding his arms out looking down at his jacket and the two of us chuckled.
“I can clean up at Nic's.” Peyton came out of the house with glasses and a pitcher of water. She looked terrible. I could just imagine what we looked like.
CHAPTER 12
Life is good as long as we obey; in school, at home and in life. Otherwise, there are always consequences.
Just as Nic and I had finished mopped the mats and closed up the closet, Coach came up to see us and told us that he needed us to coordinate the 'Lil Sis Wrestling Program.' Then he turned around and asked for a volunteer from the wrestlers. No one moved a muscle, although not everyone was there yet. A few seconds passed and still no takers, until thankfully Storm volunteered and had to explain the program to us.
The Lil Sis program is a group of girls we needed to put together, one girl per wrestler. Each girl makes their wrestler a snack before each wrestling meet. We could ask girls from any grade to sponsor a wrestler. They could bring any kind of treat they wanted, and they would give it to their wrestler Friday at school. It was up to each wrestler to decide when to eat it; most of them had to wait until after weigh-ins at the wrestling meet, since many of them were dieting to make their wrestling weight. Of course, the heavy weight didn't have to wait for weigh-ins so I thought it would be fun to get him; the whole program sounded fun. That was our project for the week. Nic, Storm and I wrote down a bunch of girls names we could ask. We would ask all the girls in all our classes, too.
Practice was starting, the whistle blew and Jett entered the room. The coach looked at him and yelled “You're lucky today boy, but next time you better be here before I blow the whistle!”
“Okay coach” he yelled and smiled his adorable little smile.
Nic looked at me and said “Do you need to go to the bathroom?”
“No, why?”
“Your face is all red.”
“Okay, I’ll go” I said. Sitting on the floor Nic gave me a hand and helped me up. “What is wrong with me, I can’t even look normal around him.” I rinsed my face and said “I'm ready to go back.”
“Really, because you don’t look ready.”
“Nic, it's obviously a crush and I know he's never going to ask me out. So I just need to regain composure and I’ll look for another boyfriend to keep me preoccupied. No biggy.”
We got back to the wrestling room and worked on our Lil Sis list a little more, which took up about twenty minutes. We drafted a flyer to post and hand out with the details about the program and how to sign up. That took another ten minutes.
“Nic, let's make a list of possible boyfriends for ourselves, I won't include Jett, I'll start fresh. What are your criteria?”
“Taller than me and funny.” Nic said.
“I'll say tall, dark and handsome, into sports…. “And I added “a sense of humor, no one too serious for me.” She gave me a seriously dirty look.
“Hey!” I said “Now I know what I like, I’ll just find it in my league.” So we wrote it down on the piece of paper. We doodled, checked out the wrestlers and every time my eyes went back to stare at Jett, Nic would ask me another question to break my trance. We kept ourselves pretty occupied and I think we
looked busy too.
I walked in the front door when I got home. My mom was sitting in the living room with a lady I didn't know, there were two huge bouquets of flowers and a box of chocolates on the table. As I was taking off my shoes and coat they both stood, and the lady just started crying. She came over to me and hugged me and didn't let go. I looked at my mom and she too started crying. I got all choked up myself. The lady said she couldn't thank me enough and how could she ever repay me. “I babysit” I replied, she laughed and let go. It was Samantha's mom, the girl I saved from the 'not quicksand' fiasco. She held me at arm’s length and smiled and replied all choked up “I could use a babysitter.” She pulled me back in for a hug. This time I reciprocated and told her I was glad to have helped, every action has reaction, consequences. And in that moment I knew I was placed on this earth with my dreams to help people.
Wednesday, Coach asked how our planning for the Lil Sis program was going and we told him we’d have plenty of girls making snacks by Friday. It was fun trying to find girls; I've even made a few new friends in the process. It was a good program just to get to know more people. The girls, I'm sure, do it to meet the guys.
By weeks end my embarrassment and heart flutters were manageable, but my heart still leapt every time Jett came into the room or looked my way. At the end of practice we pulled all the names for the Lil Sis program, Nic and I were both going to sponsor two boys because we didn't have enough girls for all the guys.
Nic was like the fifth name pulled and she got Storm, which I thought was convenient, and another boy named Ron. I, on the other hand, was called last; very convenient since I didn't remember hearing Jett's name called yet either. I felt something brewing, some shenanigans were definitely going on. The Coach had to be in on it to. I was conveniently the last Lil Sis pulled from the bucket and since I got two names I got Randy's and of course Jett's as the second one. I turned red when Jett's name was called. The team all gave out a little laugh, obviously, everyone knew I had a crush on him. So I decided to cheer and lifted my hands and said “Yes, I got the hot guy!” Everyone laughed a little harder.
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