The Riser Saga

by Becca C. Smith

  Yeeks. “Let’s just hope you don’t have to do that,” I said, wanting to focus on getting the vial so that Max’s real body could be saved. All this transferring-spirits-clone-crap was a little too much on the black-magic-sci-fi-creepy side for me.

  Grams got the hint. “We’re putting together a rescue team. Isabelle will be leading. I can’t go with them because of Elisha’s power. I’ll need both your help to prep Isabelle. There’s one more thing I should tell you.” Roberta looked pensive.

  Uh, oh.

  “What?” Even the oak forest couldn’t calm me down. I somehow knew what she was going to say.

  “It’s about Ryan,” Roberta continued, “Elisha took him. She left Turner and I, but she took Ryan and Harry.”

  I froze.

  Ryan was back where I was, and I had left him. Was he being tortured like me? Was he even alive?

  Max grabbed onto both my hands now, warning urgently, “Chelsan, you’re slipping.”

  I couldn’t seem to stop it. My hold on Max was growing weaker and weaker the more I thought about Ryan alone and hurt.

  “Chelsan!” Max’s hands fell through mine like he was solid and I was a ghost.

  Oh no.

  I felt myself flying out of Roberta’s head like a snapped rubber band. I flew backwards in the air watching the scenery in a blur of motion until…

  …SLAM!

  I was back in my body.

  I held in my groans as every fiber of my body screamed in pain.

  Elisha was arguing with Fortski while Eva watched.

  Elisha roared, “You said you’d have the prototype ready! Look at my arms!”

  Her arms were smeared red from where I had burrowed her skin cells. There were patches of blood all over her face. Her legs were injured as well, I could tell from the blood seeping through her jeans. I felt almost relieved seeing her so outraged because I knew she was fine, only a few minor scrapes. And the damage to Eva wasn’t nearly as bad.

  Fortski’s face was wide-eyed with fear. “It’s almost done, Elisha. Within the hour, I promise you – but I won’t have enough for both of you. Just a few drops.”

  Not true. He had a whole bottle. I had to respect the guy, he knew what to lie about to save his skin. Elisha would want more of the formula before she killed him.

  “That’s not what you promised!” Elisha screamed. “I need to test it out on Eva first to make sure it won’t kill me!”

  Eva didn’t even flinch at that.

  That’s when Elisha’s eyes met mine and she snarled, “You’re back, are you?”

  “You’re face is looking kind of blotchy,” I smiled. What was I thinking? I just couldn’t seem to stop myself.

  Elisha shrieked from rage. She picked up the metal pipe Eva had tried to hit me with earlier. “Until I can figure out how to control you…”

  WHACK!

  Everything went black.

  It is very surreal to wake up in total darkness. Then I realized Max was next to me. He was holding my hand like he was a vise. “I pulled you out when you were unconscious. We’re in Isabelle’s head.”

  “We don’t have to be in the dark,” I said and called out, “Isabelle!”

  Isabelle popped into view, a confused expression on her face. “This is weird.”

  “I know, but we need to see and only you can make that happen for us.” I felt like I was becoming an expert at this head-jumping thing.

  “Roberta told me, I just don’t know how.” Isabelle shrugged.

  Roberta popped in. “Good. We’re all here.” Then I heard her in my head only, Do not tell Isabelle about the formula.

  I jumped from the surprise of it. Max had the same expression on his face so I knew she had communicated the same message to him. We both gave her barely perceptible nods of acknowledgement. I knew my grandparents’ distrust for Harry’s team and, frankly, I trusted Grams more than Isabelle at this point.

  Isabelle did not seem happy at all to see three people she hardly knew standing in what was essentially her brain. “Can we just make this snappy so you can all leave.”

  Roberta motioned for Isabelle to come over to us. “Take our hands, Isabelle. Chelsan and Max will re-create the building she’s being held in so you’ll be able to access it like a memory. It’ll feel like you’ve been there before.” Roberta turned to Max and me. “Concentrate on every last detail of the building. Max you’ve done more exploring than Chelsan, so give Isabelle anything and everything you can remember.”

  The scenery around us swirled and spun until it became the outside of the building I was being held in. Just like when Roberta created the oak forest, Max and I imagined Elisha’s location into being.

  Isabelle was a bit taken aback by everything that was happening. Even though she had super-crazy powers, apparently she was like I used to be and the whole mojo-astral-magic-thing was beyond her scope of reality. But she was taking it like a trooper at this point. I could tell she was making mental notes on all the building’s entrances and exits. Once we were inside, Max took over and led us through every nook and cranny of the entire compound.

  We passed by quite a few shut doors where we assumed prisoners were being held. Namely Ryan and Harry. I could tell Isabelle was way more concerned about Harry and I couldn’t blame her. They’d been working together for hundreds of years and I was sure their bond was tighter than ever. After all, she’d accepted his faith in Elisha over my word, which ultimately put us in this situation, but I wasn’t going to point fingers. As long as Isabelle’s team rescued Ryan I didn’t care what she thought. As far as I was concerned I’d be happy if I never saw Harry and his assassin squad again.

  When Isabelle was sure she knew the building and the surrounding area to her satisfaction, we all jumped out of her head.

  Max and I were floaties, but Roberta was standing in front of Isabelle in person. Turner had joined them while we were in Isabelle’s head.

  Roberta talked to the air, knowing we were there. “You two go back to the compound. If Isabelle needs help, I’ll contact you and you can jump in her head.”

  Isabelle was adamant when she said, “That won’t be necessary. I don’t want anyone in my brain, thank you very much.”

  Roberta looked right at me, like she could see me and gave me a quick glance that suggested that I should completely ignore Isabelle. I was a little mixed on the topic. I wanted to respect Isabelle’s wishes, but I didn’t trust her completely either. More importantly, I didn’t trust her to keep Ryan as a priority. She was objective girl and to her that meant save Harry, Fortski, me and then Ryan, in that order. Ryan and I were definitely last on the list of Isabelle’s priorities.

  “Ready to go back to the compound?” I asked Max.

  Max nodded and the two of us flew out of Population Control to return to my torture chamber. It’s amazing how fast travel is when you’re not in an actual body. I knew it was going to be at least a half hour before Isabelle and her team would arrive. The hover trip itself was only about ten minutes, but to break into the building? I wasn’t sure. I knew Isabelle was good, but none of us knew how good Elisha’s security team was, either.

  Elisha and Eva were nowhere to be found. We needed to locate them for Isabelle. I knew she didn’t want any head-jumping going on, but information on where the bad guys were seemed pretty important.

  Still, I could understand Isabelle’s reluctance. Elisha and Roberta had brainknapped me enough times to learn how to train myself to keep people out. Roberta and now Max were the only people I let in. I’m sure Elisha tried every day, but so far I’d been able to build a mental wall against her. If Elisha could jump in my head she’d probably try and convince me to kill myself to complete the ritual. But the more I thought about it, the less likely that would be. Elisha needed to perform the spell herself: that meant being completely in her own body. She wouldn’t want to risk it going wrong.

  Max and I were floating near my tortured body. It was hard to even recognize myself. I was seriously
messed up. If I didn’t have some of Fortski’s potion soon I wasn’t sure if I’d survive.

  Reality set in.

  I was outside my body.

  Max was in a coma and outside his body.

  We were practically dead already.

  Max held on to me tightly, his face worried. “You’re slipping again. What’s happening?”

  “I… I…” I was panicking. I was seriously panicking. I pointed at my body hung like a piece of meat on a hook. “That’s me,” was all I could spit out.

  Max held onto my arms and stared me in the eye. “Yes, and the more you freak out, the more you’ll be pulled back in. So calm down, I need you out here with me.”

  I took small comfort in his gaze. If I could have taken a breath I would have. Then the thought that I wasn’t breathing sent me into another tizzy.

  My hands were becoming less substantial, like before. Max grabbed me and held me close, but my body was starting to pull through him. I was going back to my body.

  “Chelsan, we need to find Ryan.” Max said the only thing that he knew would keep me grounded.

  Ryan.

  My ghost form solidified instantly and our grip on each other was solid once more.

  I couldn’t let that happen again.

  It couldn’t be good to be out of my body for this long, but being sucked back into my wrecked form wasn’t an option.

  “Let’s check those closed doors you saw,” I suggested.

  The door in the room we were in clanked open.

  “CHELSAN!” Elisha’s voice reverberated through the room and through my brain.

  She was sending a psychic all-points bulletin to wherever I was. Elisha had no idea I was floating above my own body. If she wanted my attention, though, that couldn’t be good.

  Eva walked in after Elisha and she was holding a handcuffed…

  Ryan.

  Thank goodness he wasn’t hurt. Yet. Oh man.

  When Ryan saw my ruined form hanging from the hook, his whole face fell. He shrugged off Eva and ran to my body before she could stop him. “CHELSAN!” Ryan screamed and my heart ached to tell him I was okay. “CHELSAN!” He thought I was dead.

  “She’s still alive,” Elisha walked up behind him.

  “YOU BITCH!” Ryan turned and head-butted Elisha to the ground.

  Go Ryan!

  Eva kicked Ryan in the groin and he went down for the count.

  “You’re slipping!” Max hissed.

  I wanted to jump into my body and make the two of them pay.

  Elisha stood up, brushing herself off and staring down at Ryan with fury. Ryan was balled up on the floor, but he was going to be okay.

  I calmed myself enough to keep ahold of Max.

  Elisha spoke out loud with her psychic-megaphone voice. It must have been some kind of spell. “Chelsan, if you don’t return to your body, I’m going to kill your boyfriend.”

  Elisha nodded to Eva. Eva pulled out a knife and placed it against Ryan’s throat.

  Max held me tighter. “She won’t. Don’t fall for it.”

  “She won’t? Are you joking? Of course she will!” I yelled at Max.

  I could never live with myself if Ryan died. I wouldn’t want to.

  I turned to Max, “I’m sorry.”

  I let go.

  I watched Max’s expression turn to horror as I was sucked back in my body.

  I groaned in agony. Even though it had only been a short time since I was last in the chamber of pain known as my body, every moment away was like harmonious peace. Now, back inside, every nerve was on fire like my cells were stinging.

  I managed to croak out, “Stop Elisha. I’m here.”

  Eva pulled away the knife and forced Ryan to his feet. The three of them walked around to face me.

  Elisha warned, “You try any more tricks and he’s dead. I can still slit his throat when I’m writhing in pain, you understand?”

  I nodded or at least I think I did. It was hard to tell since every ounce of my body ached uncontrollably.

  “Chelsan, don’t do anything she says. You can’t let her use us like this!” Ryan pleaded, but he had to know I wouldn’t listen to him. I’d never let Elisha hurt him if I could help it.

  That’s when I heard Roberta’s voice in my head, Oh dear, back in your body I see. Isabelle, Dean and Terence are there. They have Harry and Fortski and should be on their way to you now. Fortski doesn’t know that the formula was buried he still thinks he has it in his leg. He hasn’t mentioned the serum to Harry yet, either. Let’s hope he keeps his mouth shut. I told Isabelle you were the priority, but she doesn’t care. Roberta sounded pissed.

  Elisha calmly spoke to me, unaware of the goings-on elsewhere in the building. “You know what I want, Chelsan. You just have to agree to kill yourself so we can complete the ritual.”

  “NO!” Ryan roared. “NEVER! Chelsan, I’d die first!”

  Elisha slapped him, then turned to me, “You are going to die, so the only thing you have to ask yourself is: Do I kill Ryan first or let him live?”

  “Live. Live. I agree. I’ll do it.” I had no intention of doing it, but I needed to give Isabelle more time. Who knows, maybe Dean was in the room right now. Please. Please.

  Chelsan! They’re leaving! They have Harry and Fortski and they’re leaving you there! I knew we shouldn’t have trusted them! I’m sending a new team! Just hold on!

  Wait, what?

  No wonder Isabelle didn’t want me in her head. She knew I’d see exactly what she was planning. She didn’t care about me or Ryan or anyone. She and Harry still saw me as the granddaughter of their worst enemy. Isabelle probably figured Elisha and I would take care of each other.

  No.

  I was not about to let that lame-ass-lying-bitch leave here without helping Ryan and me escape.

  And that’s when my fury took over.

  Nothing was going to stop me from saving Ryan.

  I flew out of my body without the help of Max. I don’t know how I did it, and I didn’t care. I aimed my focus on Isabelle and soared straight to her.

  SLAM!

  Right inside her head. I connected to Isabelle’s light spinning hole so fast, she actually stumbled a bit.

  Mine.

  I saw through her eyes and I could hear Isabelle’s thoughts shouting for control inside her mind. No way that was happening.

  Dean and Terence were following behind Isabelle and they all had almost exited the building, with Harry and Fortski in the lead.

  I made Isabelle speak, “We have to get Ryan and Chelsan now.”

  Harry whirled on her, “No, I’m not going to argue with you again, Turner will get them out and I don’t want to be anywhere near him when he does. We have Fortski, let’s get the hell out of here.”

  Well, at least it appeared she had tried to argue rescuing us before. Still wasn’t enough for me to let her go, though.

  “You can leave, I’m going back,” I made her say.

  “Me too,” Dean chimed in. He didn’t elaborate on his reasons, but I could tell he agreed with Isabelle… or me rather.

  Fortski wasn’t having it, “Now wait a minute. Elisha is going to kill me if I go back. We have to leave now!”

  Fortski was right, so I made Isabelle say, “Harry, Terence, you take Fortski out of here. Dean and I can handle this.” I didn’t really want them to have Fortski, but I wanted the poor guy to live more, so I decided to let him go. Besides I knew where the formula was, they didn’t, and there was enough to cure Max and me. We’d find Fortski later.

  Harry took a few moments before he finally nodded. “Fine. Meet back at the rendezvous point.”

  Like an annoying buzz in the back of my head, I could hear Isabelle trying to talk to me, but I was ignoring her before I lost my nerve.

  Dean turned to Isabelle and said, “You lead.”

  I made her nod and moved in front of him, heading straight for the torture room.

  Along the way there was a long string of dead
guards littering the hallways, a reminder to me of who I was body-jacking. This girl was a killer, maybe worse than Gramps or even Elisha. The fact was: I didn’t know Isabelle. There hadn’t been enough time. I just hoped she wouldn’t kill me as soon as I jumped out of her body. It was a chance I had to take.

  I started to worry about Ryan and leaving him like I did. Surely, Elisha knew I wasn’t in my body again. But I hadn’t heard any of her psychic-intercom-screaming yet, either. Maybe she was preparing the “power-transferring” ceremony.

  We weren’t far from the torture room: Isabelle had all the maps Max had given her right there in her head to reference. It really was more like a memory, as if I’d been to this place a million times. I couldn’t see Dean, he’d faded into the wall, I guess. Must be procedure for these guys.

  Arriving at the clunky door, I realized we were going to have to make some noise. Unavoidable. So I made Isabelle say to invisible Dean, “This door is loud. You go in and I’ll take care of the girls.”

  I realized as the words came out of my mouth that there was no way Isabelle could know that there were only the girls in there, but I hoped Dean didn’t notice.

  Time to play around with Isabelle’s power and see what she could do.

  I made Isabelle open the door fast. It was a lot lighter than I thought and clunked violently to slam against the wall. Walking in I could see my tortured body hanging from the hook – and Ryan, handcuffed, with Eva still holding a knife to his throat.

  Elisha had a gurney and table in front of her. Definitely preparing for the ritual. She looked at Isabelle with annoyance. “Shocker, the rescue team has arrived,” Elisha said angrily.

  I focused on Elisha’s heart, thinking this would connect me to Isabelle’s power.

  I wasn’t disappointed.

  I could literally see Elisha’s heart beating under her chest. It was similar to the way I saw swirling black holes. The movement had a trailing light effect, like a slug leaving a slime trail. I could see it in all our hearts, mine, Ryan’s and Eva’s as well.