“I can’t know that,” he whispered, closing his eyes. “Why did I just call them? I can’t possibly know any of that.”
Henry stood near him, his face a study in guilt. “What should I do?”
Nikki shook her head, unsure. Then, a simple thought occurred to her. “Just tell him he was right,’ she said. “Tell him he helped Emilio. From there, all we can do is hope.”
17
And For Us, Someday
Nikki sat facing the others, where they’d gathered around a table on the Halfway House veranda. “So, that’s what we have,” she said. “I know it’s not much but we didn’t have a whole lot of time to work with.”
Nikki didn’t add that the only time left now was the future they’d experienced three times while remaining helpless witnesses. Tomorrow, that event would actually take place and they’d have minutes, at best, to try affecting the outcome.
“It’s night now on Earth,” Henry said. “We left around sunset.”
Even as he said it, the light around them started to change, the trees throwing shadows and the sky darkening. It only took that much sometimes, for them all to envision the same thing while gathered together. Nikki knew it would be night here too within minutes. Not that it was a bad thing since they should try, as much as possible, to remain on the Earth’s schedule. They should rest now while those in the other realm also slept. One of them would have to keep watch, though.
As if reading Nikki’s mind, Simon said, “I just took a nap a while ago. I’m fine. I’ll keep going online to watch the time.”
“Are you sure?” Nikki said.
Simon’s eyes met Nikki’s, in them a world of worry. “You guys have been crossing over a lot. You can’t risk ghosting out.”
“I’m in too,” Naomi said. “Fresh as a daisy. You guys get some rest.”
“Maybe we could hang out together,” Simon said.
Naomi lifted an eyebrow. “Are you thinking I might bake something?”
Simon shrugged. “Well, that did occur to me.”
“Apple crumble?”
Simon’s eyes lit up. “Ooh! Love the apple crumble.”
Naomi rolled her eyes but also smiled. “Yep, staying up won’t be an issue. What’s the plan for the morning?”
“Maybe try with each of them again?” Jamie said.
Nikki looked to Henry. His instincts on something like this were probably the best.
Henry hunched forward to address the group, taking a moment to make eye contact with each of them. “As far as I can tell, we don’t have any other options. At the same time, my gut on this is that Ian’s mother won’t trust that feeling again. She’ll ignore it since nothing happened last time. The same for Mr. Posten. I don’t think it’s likely he’ll make another call or anything like that. He thought he was going insane.”
“What about the psychic lady you told us about?” Naomi said. “You said she knew you were there.”
“She did,” Henry said. “There’s no doubt about it. But I’m not sure what she could actually do. She barely knows Ian and he’s already dismissed her.”
Silence followed as the five of them stared down at the table. Nikki knew Henry was right, so she waited to see what he’d say next.
“I think it’s going to come down to the moment itself,” Henry said. “And the only chance we have is for all of us to be there together.”
“We’ll all be there,” Naomi said.
“Damn straight,” Simon said. “Now, go get some rest, you lot. We’re on top of things. No worries.”
Jamie yawned, stretched, then got up from the table. “Just a nap,” he said. “That’s all I need.”
Henry’s eyes met Nikki’s—the message clear. We should talk. They both lingered and a few minutes later Naomi and Simon wandered off –Naomi to start baking and Simon to grab his laptop from his room.
A moment passed with neither of them saying anything, then Henry surprised Nikki by cracking a smile. “Did we really just leave Simon to keep an eye on the internet?”
Nikki couldn’t help laugh. “Right. Well, it’s all incoming here.”
Henry nodded. “There’s that. But that includes YouTube. Think he can resist watching his own antics long enough?”
Not long ago, Nikki would have doubted it. Lately, though, she felt differently. It seemed strange to think it but Simon seemed to be growing up, just a little, day by day. And, sure, maybe those days were months or even years on Earth, but either way he was starting to change too. How was it possible, especially after all this time when almost nothing had changed for them? Nikki imagined hearing Martha’s voice, just a whisper. Because you’ll soon be ready. But did she imagine it? Nikki wasn’t sure.
Nikki looked into Henry’s brown eyes, seeing warmth there, as always. And, of course, concern. Henry almost always seemed to care about others more than himself. “So, what do you have for me, River Rat?”
Henry ran his hand through his hair and it fell down around his face again. “I think we both know.”
Nikki looked out past the rooftops to where the sun had almost disappeared behind the trees. “Yeah, not good,” she said.
Henry spoke softly. “Probably not.”
Nikki waited a moment. “Do you think there’s a chance?”
Henry nodded. “I like to think there’s always a chance. I’m not anywhere near giving up.”
“But you’re wondering what will happen if we fail and someone dies there tomorrow.”
Henry gazed out at the sunset too. “Sorry. Yeah, I am.”
Nikki almost stopped herself from reaching across the table. But she didn’t and Henry seemed fine with her hand resting on top of his. “It’s almost like you’re going through it twice, isn’t it?”
Henry spoke softly. “It is. But this time, I feel more helpless. I don’t know. Maybe I was just new then on this side. Like, somehow, because I didn’t know better we managed to make it happen even when it wasn’t supposed to. Does that make any sense?”
“Somehow it does. It’s almost like we pulled it off because we didn’t know any better.”
“Exactly,” Henry said. “This time it feels like stuff keeps stacking up against us. Like what’s going to happen is meant to happen. Or, that at least something is supposed to happen, for some reason we can’t know. That, either way, the outcome is going to be really bad.”
Nikki glanced at the sky, where stars were starting to appear. “But couldn’t the same be said for what almost happened to Bethany?”
“I’ve been thinking about that,” Henry said. “Do you suppose it’s possible that what was meant to happen to Bethany did happen?”
That had never occurred to Nikki before. Still, she didn’t want to think it might be true. “No, I think it could have been way worse. That it would have been way worse. You know that, Henry. She would have died if we hadn’t been there.”
Henry didn’t respond right away and Nikki wondered if he was going to keep his thoughts to himself. Finally, he said, “It’s possible they wouldn’t have overdosed her if we hadn’t been there. Maybe they would have just gotten their ransom and let her go.”
Nikki shook her head. “No. Then they would have gotten away with it.”
Henry nodded. “Yes, they might have.”
“And they might have gone on to hurt someone else.”
Again, Henry nodded. “That did occur to me.”
“Then please don’t ever think you didn’t help her. You got us to do that with you, Henry, and it changed everything. And it’s no different whether you’re still from that realm or not—people can cause good or bad things to happen by becoming involved. You never know exactly how things are going to work out but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. We have to. And, thanks to you, we know we at least have a chance.”
After a moment, Henry looked over at her and smiled. “Thanks.”
Nikki kept her eyes on his. “Feel better now?”
“Actually, I do.”
Nikki
wanted to tell him everything would be fine. In a sense, she knew that to be true. If what they saw was truly meant to happen—if there was no way for them to stop it—it only meant that Ian would end up like them again. Quite possibly with them, given their connection. Then there was the woman who’d gotten shot the third time. That had been the most recent experience, so did that make it how things were now most likely to unfold? Both outcomes were tragic, whether a teenager or a young mother was shot down. Still, Nikki couldn’t help think it even if she didn’t want to—either way, eventually they’d end up on this side again.
As if Henry read her mind, he said, “Their lives seem so short, don’t they? I mean, even if Ian doesn’t Transition tomorrow.”
Nikki felt pretty sure she knew what was on his mind. Bethany was now in her forties. The same would be true for his brother, of course, and his parents had to be well into their sixties. “Just to us,” she said. “To them, hopefully the years feel long. I mean, in a good way—happy and full of changes.”
A moment passed before Henry said, “Do I hear a note of curiosity there?”
Nikki almost defaulted to her usual wiseass mode and shot off a quip. But sooner or later she had to open up to someone. Who better than Henry? “Maybe just a little,” she admitted. “More and more lately, to be honest. What about you?”
“Sure, I think about it,” he said. “From time to time. Is that why you were crossing over to check on Ian?”
Nikki thought about lying but knew it would be pointless. He knew, she could tell. “I kept thinking things would go well for him. After all, he totally deserved a happy life. You know?”
Henry glanced up at the stars. “He seems really happy in this life. Our Curtis. Who would have thought?”
Without thinking about it, Nikki rested her head against Henry’s shoulder. “I thought our Curtis was going to keep being happy. Stay in love. Even get married and have kids. Just, you know, live a good life.”
“Happy years full of changes,” Henry said softly.
“Exactly.” Nikki willed herself not to tear up. Despite her best attempts, she felt her eyes start to fill. “I really want that for him.”
Henry put his arm around her like it was the most natural thing in the world. At any other time, Nikki might have pulled away. But in that moment, she needed nothing more than to be held.
“And for us,” Henry said. “Someday.”
Nikki supposed he meant to say “for each of us” but that wasn’t what he’d said. He’d said, “for us.” Was something like that possible? Nikki had learned this much from her time in this realm—even while that other realm remained more of a mystery in many ways—anything was possible. She knew only that much.
The sun was gone now, the day over. Lights shone from other houses in the neighborhood. Music played and people laughed. Cars drove along streets nearby but forever distant. Nikki knew she could only experience that much of those lives—those afterlives—playing out next to theirs. All the same, the sounds were comforting. At some point, all of those souls—those spirits—would return and experience a new life, each with the possibility of happy years full of changes. But what mattered most right now was being in this moment with Henry, his arm around her as she imagined a new future.
She closed her eyes and whispered, “Let’s see what we can do.”
“Absolutely,” Henry said. “Let’s see what we can do.”
~~~
At first, Nikki wasn’t sure why she woke up. After all, she’d gone to bed exhausted, knowing at best she’d be able to rest for a couple of hours. She stared at the ceiling for a few moments, thinking about the things she’d talked about with Henry, smiling as she recalled the peace she’d felt resting her head against his shoulder. Then, something started to nag at her, an uneasiness telling her she wasn’t alone. She looked across the room.
Curtis stood by the window, looking back at her.
Nikki sat up in bed. “Curtis? Can you hear me?”
Curtis flickered and faded. Nikki’s heart jumped when Ian appeared in his place. He took a step toward her, then another, his eyes boring into hers. “Why didn’t you help me? Nikki, why didn’t you stop it from happening?”
Something rapped against her door and Nikki’s eyes shot open. She searched the room, her breath coming in short gasps.
“Nikki, time to get up!” Naomi said, knocking again. “We need to get moving!”
Nikki searched the room one last time, thinking Naomi wasn’t the only one these days having nightmares. She’d almost regained her voice to let Naomi know she was awake when her eyes caught the nearly transparent image of Ian as he faded out entirely.
18
Waking Up From a Restless Night
Sleeping had never been a problem for Ian. In fact, both his friends and family often poked fun at him for being able to go comatose pretty much anywhere when he felt tired. Car, bus, couch during a party, even classroom—although that had been a problem more than a few times. Pretty much, you name it and Ian could manage to conk out there if his body demanded sleep. Not last night, though, for some reason he couldn’t possibly wrap his brain around. Sure, there had been that weird half hour or so he’d spent in Julie’s apartment. God, he still couldn’t believe he’d put himself in that position, but that really hadn’t been that big of a deal. So, she was a little on the woo-woo side—okay, maybe seriously bent on the woo-woo side—but it wasn’t like the experience had been scary or threatening. The rest of the day had gone fine and last night he’d watched movies with his family. Margo had joined them and she’d seemed like her old self, relaxed and happy. In fact, Ian recalled drifting off to sleep feeling content and optimistic.
So, how to explain the dream? Even now, Ian reminded himself that it had been just a dream, nothing more. There really hadn’t been that much to it—nothing frightening. Ian supposed he couldn’t stop thinking about it only because it had seemed so real—this strange moment when he’d suddenly found himself standing in a room, not sure where he was. Then he saw the girl staring at him. What had he seen in her eyes? Had it been fear? Not exactly. Not quite surprise either. What came back to him now was pity and regret. As if she’d somehow broken a promise.
Her words still echoed in his ears. Curtis? Can you hear me?
Ian pushed the dream from his consciousness, willing himself to erase it. A girl sitting up in bed, fully dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, staring at him. So what? If that was the worst his dreams had to deliver, then Ian supposed he was doing just fine and couldn’t imagine why it troubled him at all.
He opened his bedroom door and walked down the hall, telling himself that the voice whispering in his ear was nothing more than his imagination as well. He imagined hearing Henry again, the kid from the news article. No way, not going there, Ian told himself. He shook his head briskly and forced a song to mind, the one by that new band he kept hearing all over the place.
He went downstairs just as the shower came on. Margo must have gotten herself out of bed too. Earlier than usual. A good sign. He could already smell coffee from the kitchen and knew his parents would be waiting there to greet him, sitting at the counter or preparing breakfast. Sure enough, they both smiled as he entered the room. Was it his imagination or did both of them seem a little distracted, as if they had something on their minds? His mother, especially, with dark circles under her eyes, but his father too with his brow furrowed as if concentrating on some sort of problem.
Still, his father said, “Good morning. Sleep okay?”
“Coffee?” his mother said. “We just brewed a pot.”
“Slept fine,” Ian said. He saw no point in telling them otherwise.
He glanced out at the backyard, where what seemed like at least thirty butterflies had suddenly started swirling around. He blinked against the strange sight, knowing it shouldn’t be possible in the middle of winter. There was something dreamlike to the image and he turned to see if his parents had noticed.
“I was thinking of
making baked-stuffed shrimp tonight,” his mother said. “How does that sound?”
Ian smiled at her. “Sounds perfect.” She’d known what his answer would be, of course, since he loved her baked-stuff shrimp. He glanced at the yard again but the butterflies were gone. Maybe he’d imagined it—just his brain still climbing out of sleep mode or something.
“Then we have a plan,” she said. “Maybe with baked potatoes and a salad. Sound good?”
“I will definitely be joining you for this.” Ian grabbed a stool and clicked on one of the counter screens thinking he’d check the news, but that weird hacking thing was going on again. He shook his head, both amazed and amused. Damn, you definitely had to hand it to the guy. Why he’d chosen the whole sixties greaser thing was beyond him but Ian had to admit it wasn’t a bad touch. He turned the screen off again. Right now, he felt like spending time with his parents anyway. He figured he’d hang with them for a while, then finally get his shopping done.
~~~
Josh filled a mug with coffee and set it on the counter in front of his son. He guessed that others might think it a little over the top how happy he felt having Ian home this week, given that he lived just a few miles away. At the same time, he knew his experience wasn’t all that different from that of his friends whose kids went to school out of state. The fact was, Ian remained much too busy these days—with his classes, his friends and with Lisa—to come around much. Most of the time it boiled down to a call on the weekends or a few texts here and there. He might as well be hundreds of miles away.
Josh watched as Ian poured milk into his coffee and swirled the mug. Funny how they’d come to share small mannerisms, since that’s exactly what he did himself as if he didn’t have time to stir with a spoon. Clara had always said Ian looked more like him than her although Josh hadn’t really been able to see it before. But something in Ian had changed recently. Hard to believe, but he really was starting to look like a man. Josh had to admit Ian did look a lot like himself. Good luck with the thinning hair, he thought, but Ian probably had a long time before that might even be an issue. God, though, hadn’t he been a little boy like ten minutes ago? Their first child in those happy, amazing years after he’d met Clara.
Memories from a Different Future: Jump When Ready, Book 2 Page 15
