by Lysa Daley
“No!” I can’t believe.
Jax raises his hands in mock surrender. “Take it up with Fitz. Not me.”
I feel anger rising. “But I want to go back to Oakdale Prep. I mean I know a bunch of stuff has happened, but when this all blows over—”
“Astrid, I don’t think it’s going to blow over,” Jax cuts me off.
“Why not?”
“Didn’t you just burn down the gym?” he asks.
“Technically, that was Meegan McGovern,” I answer.
“Anyway, since we don't know how long you'll be here, Fitz figured it probably made sense.”
I don't know how I feel about this. I mean, I suspected I was never going back to Oakdale prep, but I sure didn't think that I would be starting in a new school right away.
“What about Ruby?”
“We gave her a choice,” he says. “And she said that she would do whatever you’re doing.”
That's Ruby for you. The most supportive friend ever. Hey, you have to hit the road and go into hiding because it turns out you're actually an alien with intergalactic shapeshifting bounty hunters after you, Ruby will stay by your side. You have to enroll in some weird school out in the forests of Oregon, Ruby will come to class with you.
Who could possibly ask for a more supportive friend?
As we cross the street, I hesitate to ask the one thing I really want to know. “Has there been any word on Chad?”
A shadow crosses his face. “Being captured by the Horlocks was an unfortunate turn of events.”
“Obviously,” I snap back. “Did someone talk to his family?”
“I'm sure someone did.”
“What would they say? How do you explain something like that?”
“I don't know. But I'm sure there's some protocol they follow. Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time this has happened.”
“So then there’s got to be some sort of standard operating procedure to rescue captives from the Horlocks, right?”
“Unfortunately, no one has ever been recovered,” he says, looking away. “Once the Horlocks have you, there’s no going back. They change you. Permanently.”
“That can’t be true,” I say, shaking my head, refusing to believe him.
“I’m sorry, Astrid.”
“I can't stand the fact that it’s all my fault Chad was captured. And that Ruby has to go into hiding with me.” I’m on the verge of tears. “The guilt is crushing me. I’m sure both of their families are worried sick and brokenhearted. And it’s all my fault.”
“No, it’s not your fault.” Jax stops in the middle of the sidewalk.
“Then who’s fault is it?”
“It’s the Draconians’ fault,” he says firmly. “They’re the monsters to blame for all of this. You didn’t start this. The Draconians did.”
I burst into tears.
“It’s okay, Astrid.” He pulls me into an embrace, wrapping his strong arms around me. His warm body feels comforting against the crisp night air. “It’s all going to be okay. I promise.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I do,” he replies. “This will all be okay.”
Hot tears stream down my face, and my shoulders shudder as I begin to sob. Jax just stands there with me and lets me cry.
Chapter 18
After I finally pull myself together and wipe away my tears, Jax escorts me the rest of the way to my new home. Warm light seeps out from inside the glass double doors of a three-story brick building. A mosaic tile sign above a stone transom reads “Van Dainken Hall.”
“All students over the age of thirteen live here,” Jax tells me, pushing through the front door. “The little guys - the younger kids - live across the street in Tsoukalos Hall with the monks and the nuns.”
“Where do you live?”
“There’s faculty housing behind the Eye in the Sky building.”
“I don't quite understand why the Catholic Church is part of all of this?”
“It’s only a very small, very select part of the church. The larger official church doesn’t have a clue. Mostly because they aren't aware how serious these alien threats have become. Still, it's safe to say that we fly under the radar out here.”
I've never lived in a dorm except for two weeks one summer at science camp. I stayed in the dormitory of a private college. (Naturally, my over-protective uncle stayed in a hotel a block away.)
This place looks like any other dorm. It's not exactly Hogwarts with the harsh florescent lights, beige linoleum floors and gray walls that look like they haven’t been painted in this century.
We take the elevator up to the third floor, passing a cluster of students here and there. My fellow residents seem like an odd blend of kids. There's something almost quaintly old fashion about them. They're all wholesome and a little bit out of date.
In my life, I’ve attended eleven schools ranging from big cities, to small towns, to flat-out the middle of nowhere. And these kids don't look like any of the kids I’ve been to school with before.
But I can't quite put my finger on it.
Emerging from the elevator, I follow Jax down a long narrow hallway, lined with identical wooden dorm room doors covered with photos and cheery decorations.
Halfway down the corridor, we stop at Room 303. The only door in the hallway with no decorations.
“This is it.” Jax knocks.
“Come in!” Ruby calls from inside.
We enter to find her flopped on one of the two twin beds talking to a strange boy wearing baggy khaki overalls and an over-sized flannel shirt, leaning on the window sill. His flat cropped hair and innocent face makes him look like a farm boy from the Great Depression.
The two of them are in the middle of an animated conversation. Ruby’s all giggles and smiles. Oh boy. She’s smitten.
She manages to tear herself away from their conversation to say, “Oh hey. How's your uncle?”
“Resting comfortably,” I reply not wanting to tell her that Dr. Maggie is worried.
“This is Waylon,” Ruby introduces the boy. “He's a senior here and was kind enough to show me to my room and explain how things work.”
“Nice to meet you, Miss Astrid. Ruby’s told me all about you,” he nods politely. “Nice to see you too, Dr. J.”
My head whips around. “Doctor? You’re a medical doctor?”
“No, not like Dr. Maggie,” he says, brushing off the comment. “She’s one of a kind. Okay, I want to let you get settled. But I'll see you tomorrow, and we can start training.”
“Training?”
“We have a great gym here, and Fitz wants us to sharpen up your skills. Bring BrightSky.”
I usually object to more martial arts classes. I’ve only been forced to do them for my entire life. But now that I’ve seen the horrifying baddies that are after me, I know I must continue my training. Whether I want to or not.
“Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow. I’ll bring BrightSky.”
“Alright then.” Jax seems surprised I’m not putting up a fight. “Have a good night then.”
As soon as Jax leaves, Ruby and I turn to Waylon demanding that he tell us what kind of doctor Jax is.
“No sir, ladies,” he chuckles. “If Dr. J didn't want to tell you himself, then I probably shouldn't either.”
“Waylon!” Ruby protests coyly.
“If you're here long enough,” he nods. “I’m sure you'll find out.”
Ruby walks Waylon out. I’m surprised that she’s all googly eyed over him. Retro farmboy has never really been her type.
But, hey, love’s a crazy thing.
When she comes back, I try to play it casual. “So… he seems nice.”
Ruby immediately starts swooning. “Oh my gosh, he's so cute! And sweet. And he has such a tragic past. His mom disappeared, like five years ago. And I guess there’s no dad in the picture.”
“His mom disappeared? Like ran away?”
“Well…” she hesitates. “I know it's cra
zy, but he thinks she was abducted by aliens.”
“Yeah, actually that doesn't sound so crazy to me at this point.”
“Hey, check it out. They sent us a bunch of new clothes and stuff.” Ruby spends the next twenty minutes showing me the dorm and all our new gear.
They've outfitted us with a basic supply of jeans, tee shirts, pajamas and sneakers. Apparently, they're going to let us pick out some stuff online, too.
It’s not exactly high fashion, but it’ll do.
After that, I take an amazing hot shower. It feels so good to wash my hair, wash my face and brush my teeth.
We've already missed dinner down in the first-floor cafeteria, but the chef sent up two huge pieces of lasagna, some salad along with a big slice of chocolate cake.
Ruby must be starving because she eats everything including the cake. Trust me; she is not a girl who usually does carbs.
After that, we’re both exhausted. Ruby climbs into bed and almost instantly fall to sleep.
In the dim light of our new room, I walk over to the wide double-hung paned window that looks out over a lit walking path that edges along the forest.
I spot something moving near an opening in the woods. A shaggy brown bear is scratching his back on a tree.
The bear sees me looking at him. Through his thick fur, I spot a flash of the red leather collar. It's Tom.
Well, what do you know? He hasn't run away, after all.
“G’night, Tom,” I whisper under my breath as he turns and ambles off into the dark forest.
Chapter 19
“Wow,” Ruby frowns at the note in her hand. “They sure aren’t wasting any time.”
Ruby and I have been told to report to the headmaster’s office at Saint Benedict’s Academy at 8 a.m.
She continues, “We don’t even get a long weekend and wham, bam, back-to-school, ma’am.”
“Please,” I sniff, shaking my head. “This is the story of my life. I’ve bounced from school to school, and I never get a break.”
I didn’t sleep very well, so I got up early to visit my still unconscious uncle. The nurse on duty said his condition remains stable. Not better, but not worse.
For now, I can live with - not worse.
“While you were out, one of the nuns brought us a few school uniforms,” Ruby tells me.
“Uniforms?” I ask, fearing the worst.
“Oh, yes.” Ruby walks to the closed closet and says, “And they’re as bad as you’re imagining.”
We saw girls walking around yesterday in terrible sack-like jumpers, made from burgundy and gray plaid wool, over starched white blouses complete with a round Peter Pan collars.
Dowdy is the nicest word that springs to mind.
Ruby slings open the closet door revealing four of that exact uniform hanging on hangers.
“Great.” I hold up one of the amorphous sack dresses. “This makes our Oakdale Prep blazer and skirt look like it walked straight off the Paris runway.”
We get changed and head over to the school.
The entire Academy part of the compound lives in an old brick and stone mansion across the street from the dorms.
It may be the prettiest school I’ve ever attended. The wide hallways are planked in rich dark wood. Decorative molding and carved cornices line the tall coved ceilings.
We make our way through the crowded corridors to the Head Master’s office. I take a good look at Ruby, who walks half a step in front of me. It’s hard not to feel annoyed when she somehow makes our dreadful new uniform look good.
“Hello ladies, I’m Brother Carlyle. I’m the principal around these parts,” says a distinguished man in a blue blazer who looks like he really belongs in a chemistry lab. “Technically I’m the headmaster, but that sounds so stuffy.”
His office with its heavy built-in bookshelves filled with leather bound books resembles someone’s posh private study more than a school administrator’s office.
He smiles warmly at us. “Have a seat, and let’s chat.”
We spend fifteen minutes talking about our crazy adventure. He’s very sympathetic to Ruby being separated from her family.
“I have two boys of my own, and I can tell you that I’d be distraught if this happened to them, so I want you to know that we’re going to make sure that you have the best experience possible while you’re with us.”
Ruby, who’s held it together incredibly well so far, finally cracks and wipes away a tear. “I appreciate that.”
“So I bet bright girls like you two are wondering why there’s a boarding school at a monastery in the middle of an immense forest that also happens to house a massive telescope and a hospital for sick aliens?”
Ruby and I exchange looks.
“It crossed our minds,” I say.
He leans back in his chair and gives us a wry smile. “We are a highly unique institution. The vast majority of our students come from different…. Let’s just say eras.”
“What exactly does that mean?” Ruby pointedly asks.
“For the last 70 or so years, the incidents of alien abductions on this planet has sky-rocketed,” he says matter-a-factly. “We know that the Greys, an evil alien race who are the most powerful ally of the Draconians, are behind more than 95% of all Earthly abductions.”
“Are Greys those big almond-shaped eyed, hairless aliens with bulbous football shaped heads?” Ruby asks. “Like the ones on the stickers and tee shirts?”
“There are a few variations,” he nods. “But, basically, yes that’s them. We believe that they’ve been mapping our genes and running experiments on their captives. It’s all quite disturbing. We have thousands of accounts of these abductions.”
“And our government knows all this?” I ask.
“Every government knows this,” he replies.“The United States recovered a crashed alien spacecraft at Roswell in the 1950s and held two Greys captive for many years. As you know, parts of our own government have even been infiltrated with Horlocks, who are nothing more than agents working for and controlled by the Greys. So far the government has been powerless to rid themselves of the influences we now call the Grey Menace.”
“What does this have to do with your school?” Ruby isn’t following his logic.
“Usually, a subject is abducted and returned within a few hours. Their memories are almost always erased. However, it’s not uncommon for abductees to be gone for longer periods of time - weeks, months. Sometimes, even years.”
“Years?” I ask. “How many years?”
“Forty-four years is the longest we have on record. But, of course, we can’t verify that this is actually the longest abduction. In fact, I’d be shocked to discover that it was.”
Completely freaked out, Ruby and I sit quietly listening.
“Frequently, when an abductee returns, they haven’t aged. You can imagine how difficult it would be to be returned five, ten, twenty years after you’ve been abducted to find you’re the same, but everyone you love is different.
“The families of the victims often find it challenging to cope with this information, and the abductees themselves have an extremely hard time re-entering society. So that’s where we come in. We’re more than just a school. We specifically assist children who’ve returned after many years of being held by the Greys.”
Now I understand why the kids here seem so different. They are literally living out of time and place.
“How terrible,” Ruby says. “To be taken and held so long that your own family can’t deal with you when you return.” She says this with a quaver in her voice like perhaps she’s afraid this might happen to her, that her family won’t want her back.
“It’s not that the families don’t want them, Ruby,” Brother Carlyle says gently. “It’s more that they are unable to effectively handle with the trauma that the victim has experience. And, by the way, frequently we are eventually able to reunite the families.”
“Do they remember what happened to them while they were held capt
ive?” I ask, thinking about my uncle’s experiences with the Horlocks.
“Not if they’re lucky,” Brother Carlyle replies. “Some have been experimented on, while others have been subjected to bizarre mental interrogations. They almost universally have no, or very limited, memories of what they experienced. From what we know, this is surely a blessing.”
“We’re able to give them the therapy they need, as well as getting them up to speed on how the 21st-century works.” He pauses, then changes direction. “Of course, we do have a few students who’ve been orphaned because the rest of their family has been abducted, and they’ve been left behind.”
“Why would the Greys take a whole family except one member?” I ask.
“It could be for any number of contributing factors. But we keep those kids here in the hopes that their families will soon be returned, and they’ll be able to go home.”
“Waylon?” Ruby asks as it occurs to her that this might be the case for her new crush. “He was abducted?”
Brother Carlyle nods. “He’s one of our veterans. He was taken when he was six-years-old and returned almost forty years later having only aged five years. He’s been living with us since he was eleven-years-old.”
Ruby’s face falls. “The poor guy.”
Brother Carlyle claps his hands and sits forward in this chair resting his elbows on the desk. “Alright ladies, now that you understand the lay of the land, let’s talk about what we’re going to do with you. We received copies of your transcripts today.”
“Hold up.” Ruby cuts him off. “Our school sent them to you this fast?”
This is an excellent question because that would mean the nice folks at Oakdale Prep in Ocean Grove would know what happened and where we are, all of which I thought was supposed to be some big hairy secret.
“Not exactly.” He turns around and picks up two folders sitting on the credenza behind him. “We snuck in through a proverbial backdoor and located them.” Then he turns his focus to me. “Astrid, I see by your transcript that you’ve done biology a couple of times already.”
“Three times.”
“Is that because you enjoy science or was it just a coincidence?”
