Foretell

by Belle Malory

  “You sure you still want to do this?” Lina whispered nervously. She confronted me as soon as Lola and Gabe went inside, moving to sit next to me. I glanced over at Rex, who was currently extinguishing the bonfire, worried that he might have heard Lina. Thankfully, it appeared as if he wasn’t paying any attention to us.

  “Yes,” I whispered back. “I’m leaving as soon as everyone falls asleep.”

  “Okay,” she murmured, sighing. “But I was sort of hoping you’d change your mind.”

  “I have to, Lina. Besides, it will be easier on my own. There will be just one mind to read and track, instead of five.”

  She took my hand, squeezing it. “Please be safe.”

  I smiled. “I will.”

  “I’ll watch your future to ensure you make it. If anything goes wrong, I can let you know.”

  “Thanks, Lina.”

  “You’re welcome,” she replied. “Just don’t make me regret it.” She stood to leave, taking her empty plate with her.

  After she’d gone, I gathered my courage for one last task. There was one more thing I needed to do before leaving. I had to face Rex.

  I needed to tell him how I felt.

  I wished it wasn’t so important to me. In fact, I really wished it wasn’t. But there was some part of me that wanted him to know, especially after how I’d treated him on the hike back down the mountain. And truthfully, if I could ever get rid of this curse, this horrible thing looming over my life, well then, I wanted to be a part of Rex’s life. And I was determined for him to make room for me.

  I took a deep breath and approached him by the fire. “Rex, I need to talk to you.”

  He finished pouring the last of the dirt onto the flickering flames before giving me his attention.

  “Is everything okay?”

  “Yeah, of course,” I assured him. “It’s just. . .there’s something I need to tell you.”

  “Okay,” he said. “What’s up?”

  “There’s no easy way to say this.” I wrung my hands together nervously. “And I really don’t exactly know where to start. I’m not really good at this, you know.”

  He crossed his arms over his chest, waiting impatiently. “Get to the point, Spence. Or do you plan to beat around the bush all night?”

  “Right,” I said. “The point. The point is. . .oh geez, I’m just going to come right out and say it.”

  “Sounds like a great plan.”

  The words tumbled out of my mouth before I could take them back. “I like you, Rex.”

  There. It was said. No taking it back now.

  I held my breath in anticipation. Rex grinned. “Thanks, Spence. You’re not so bad yourself.”

  “No, I mean really like you,” I explained. “Like in the romantic sense.”

  He stared at me intently. “So you changed your mind about the casual sex?”

  I groaned, mortified. “You’re not understanding me, Rex. I’m trying to tell you that I have feelings for you.”

  He stepped back. An opulent silence hovered between us as the full realization of my words hit him. “Are you being serious right now?”

  I nodded. “Completely.”

  His lips parted just slightly; I thought I might have shocked him.

  “Stop it right now!” he shouted.

  I startled, and asked, “Stop what?”

  “Stop liking me.” He said the word as if it paralyzed him with fear.

  I frowned, not expecting such a strong reaction from him. “I can’t help it,” I said. “I know you’re an ass, but I can see beyond all that. Turns out, you’re actually a decent human being.”

  Rex grimaced at my words.

  I crossed my arms over my chest, annoyed now. He couldn’t at least feel complemented by my confession? “Believe me, it shocked the hell out of me too.”

  “Spencer, this isn’t funny. You shouldn’t be telling me this.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because you don’t want to get your feelings hurt. I don’t like you, not in that way.”

  I shrugged uncaringly.

  He seemed to grow agitated, and raised a brow. “You seem rather nonchalant, what, with harboring all these so called feelings towards me.”

  “I don’t believe you,” I replied casually.

  There was a slight intake of his breath. His fist curled into a ball at his side. It was obvious my words had angered him.

  “I’m not kidding, Spence. I can cut you into tears easily. You don’t want to go there with me. I don’t like you like that, so knock it off and find someone else to crush on.”

  I swallowed, feeling his words bite me, but reminded myself they were only words. I knew it wasn’t how he truly felt. So I stood up to my full height, not allowing him to intimidate me anymore. His eyes glowed like dark embers, burning into me menacingly. On some subconscious level, I was prepared to deal with this side of him. If he was determined to put up a wall, then I was determined to knock it down.

  Somehow, I needed to show him that he cared about me too.

  “You’ve made me cry twice since I’ve met you. The first time, you felt horrible about it, because you were being purposefully hurtful, and you know it. The second time was out of sheer happiness, which believe me, when people talk about crying tears of joy, I’d always assumed it was complete bullshit. But it turns out that such a thing happens, as crazy as that sounds.”

  I searched his expression. His jaw was still hardened into tight, angry lines. I wasn’t sure if what I said had any effect on him.

  “As for liking me,” I continued warily. “You may not realize it yet, but you do. I may be naïve and sheltered when it comes to this world, but I’m not stupid. I know people. And you, Rex Constantin, like me.”

  Rex’s face was still made of stone. I had no idea what he was thinking. His mouth twitched, as if he were holding himself back from saying something. I waited, desperate for him to say something, anything.

  Finally he spoke in a low, menacing voice. “What you thought was something more, was actually only friendship, little girl. Which, by the way, is now ruined.”

  I nodded, accepting his stubbornness for what it was. “Okay,” I said quietly. “You can have it your way. For now.”

  “What do you mean for now?”

  I hesitated for a moment, wondering if I should say anything else. Should I really put myself out there? I could still pretend it was all a joke. He’d probably laugh it off, feeling relieved as hell.

  But I just couldn’t.

  “Well. . .one day, I’m going to melt the ice surrounding your heart. I’m going to erase the blonde woman from your mind, and perhaps from your portfolio too. One day you’ll be so filled with love that you won’t even know how to say something horrible or get angry with me. You’ll be happy, Rex. Completely and utterly happy.”

  He walked away. More like stormed away. I flinched as he kicked the pot he’d used to extinguish the fire. The noise rang loudly in my ear.

  I thought it would hurt me badly, if he rejected me. I thought I’d be a mess. But there was anger in his rejection; that had to mean something.

  Fifteen

  Proud of myself for sneaking away undetected, I managed to locate the SUV, find my way out of the campground and drive to the nearest major highway without incident. I’d traced the easiest route to Vancouver on the map, and was following it perfectly. After all was said and done, I was really doing this. I wished it sunk in sooner. I suppose I should’ve had more faith in myself long ago.

  The early morning sun rose along the horizon, its glorious rays highlighting the path to my freedom. I slid on my sunglasses, enjoying the beauty of the bright morning. I always loved sunrises. There was something so freshly warm and radiant about them, an inspiration for the rest of the day.

  Indie always raved about the sunsets. She ran outside every evening to watch the oranges and reds burn out as the sun tucked under the horizon. Dozens of sunsets spent with her and I couldn’t recall a single shared sunr
ise. Waking up early wasn’t her thing.

  The day wore on and I drove for an endless amount of hours. I planned to drive straight into Vancouver without stopping for anything other than gas and coffee. If the mind readers were out there listening, I didn’t want to make it easy for them to track my thoughts. I needed to stay energized and on the move. Also, the time spent driving was a good chance to think of what I would say to Marcellus once I found him. It was difficult to think of a suitable apology for the wrong I couldn’t remember doing. Somehow though, I had to make him forgive me. He needed to know he wasn’t only punishing me, but so many other people as well.

  I exited the freeway just north of Portland for gas. Immediately after I pulled out of the gas station, I ran straight over a rocky pothole. The car jerked me up and down several times only to do it again when the back dropped in too.

  Smaller, successive thumps jolted the car as I drove. I didn’t know a lot about cars, but I was pretty sure that wasn’t a good sound.

  I carefully pulled the vehicle into the emergency lane, then stepped out to investigate. As I suspected, the front passenger tire had gone flat, completely torn into shreds.

  “It’s okay,” I said aloud. “I’m sure there’s a spare.”

  I walked around to the rear of the vehicle and noticed the back passenger tire had gone flat as well. Two flat tires. Awesome.

  I clenched my hands and beat the hood several times out of frustration.

  Almost in sync with my mood, the sky and clouds darkened. A low rumble of thunder sounded from somewhere far away.

  Trying my best to calm down, I took several deep breaths. Everything would be fine. Just change the front tire and get a patch for the rear. Simple.

  I headed back towards the gas station. The attendant was a friendly elderly man, who followed me back to the car to take a look.

  “I can help you put the spare on the front, but the back won’t fix with a patch. You might as well purchase two new tires, especially if you’re traveling a long ways.”

  Glumly, I asked, “Is there a place nearby?”

  “There’s a tire store just there.” He pointed down the street. “Next to the pawnshop. It’ll probably run you about a buck fifty for used or three hundred for new ones.”

  I swallowed, wondering how I was going to come up with that much money. “Thanks for your help,” I said, trying to manage a smile.

  “Chin up, doll face,” he said. “It happens to the best of us.”

  He walked away, and I opened the car door to grab my purse. I rifled through it to see how much money I’d brought with me. I frowned, realizing I was just shy by fifty dollars. It certainly wouldn’t be enough to buy the tires. I guess I hadn’t realized how much I’d been spending on gas.

  I slid the visa card out off my wallet, wondering if I should take the risk to use it. Could the police track me if I did? And if they could, would I have enough time to get away before they located me? It was so tempting.

  As I was debating, I caught sight of the pawnshop in the distance. An idea occurred to me as I fingered the diamond earrings I was wearing. They’d been a gift, but only a hand-me-down. Indie would probably never notice. I locked up the car and headed in the direction of the pawnshop. This could be perfect, I mused.

  I pushed my way through the door, bells jingling to announce my entrance. I crinkled my nose from some musty aroma as I walked into the darkly lit shop. I looked around, my eyes adjusting to the lighting, seeing every inch of wall space was covered with what looked to be a bunch of old junk.

  I found my way to the cashier’s desk, separated from the rest of the shop by a pane of glass. A middle-aged woman with teased blonde hair and bright pink lips looked up, smiling with crooked teeth. She greeted me in a raspy voice.

  “Hi there,” I said. “I was wondering how much I could get for these?” I handed the lady my earrings.

  She inspected them carefully, marveling over the craftsmanship with a sly smile. “These are precious,” she stated. “I’ll give you two hundred bucks.”

  “Seriously?” I asked. “They’re worth at least ten grand.”

  Did this lady not recognize that each earring held a two-carat flawless diamond, and were crafted by a well-known designer? She had to think I was an idiot, offering me only two hundred dollars.

  She gave me back the earrings, frowning. “And what, you think I keep that kind of money lying around?”

  I gestured to my surroundings. “Isn’t this supposed to be a pawnshop?”

  “This is a small town, little girl. I don’t have many dealings with many fancyschmancy people. But I tell you what, I’ll offer you two-fifty since I’m in a good mood. That’s my absolute, final offer.”

  “Forget it,” I groaned.

  “Run along then,” she said. “I don’t have time for unnecessary squabbles.”

  I was the only other person in her tiny, stinky, run-down, little shop. “I’m your only customer,” I pointed out.

  “I have paperwork to do,” she said, a bit rudely.

  I swung around, heading back towards the exit.

  “Wait,” the lady called me just as I reached for the doorknob. “Three hundred,” she said. “But not a penny more.”

  “No, thanks,” I said, just as rudely as she spoken to me. I presented her with a tight-lipped smile, then walked out of the shop.

  No big deal, I assured myself. I wouldn’t dare get upset over her.

  Time to move on to Plan B.

  I headed back towards the direction of the car just as lighting illuminated the dreary gray sky. Raindrops began falling, each one coming down faster and harder than the last.

  I ran, hoping to reach the car before the rain completely drenched my hair and clothes. I rummaged through my purse for my keys with no luck.

  I checked my pockets, front and back. They weren’t there either.

  They weren’t inside the car. Couldn’t be locked inside. Wincing, I braved a glance through the window.

  There they were, inconveniently lying on the driver’s seat. I tested the door for good measure.

  “That’s just perfect!” I growled up at the sky. “Icing on the cake!”

  I squinted through the needling rain, looking for the nearest shelter. I could’ve walked back to the gas station and waited out the storm there. Instead, I found myself being drawn towards a lone phone booth that was planted near the station.

  Closing the door behind me, I sighed dismally. The day started off with so much promise, so much hope, and then came crashing down around me. I really thought I could do this on my own. I guess I’d been wrong though.

  While staring intensely at the phone, I did something peculiar.

  I picked it up.

  After hearing the dial tone ringing in my ear, I mindlessly began dialing a familiar set of numbers, as if in a trance. My mind and body became separate, and somewhere from a distance I watched myself make the phone call.

  “Hello?” My mother’s rich, sugary voice sounded normal, the same way it always had.

  I didn’t say anything, just stood there like an idiot, waiting to hear her voice again.

  I heard a slight intake of her breath. “That’s you, isn’t it Estelle?”

  I swallowed. “Yes, it’s me, Mom.”

  She paused for a moment, then asked, “Where are you?”

  “I-I’m…nowhere. I just called to let you know that I’m fine, in case you were worried or anything.”

  “I need you to come home, Es.”

  “I can’t right now, Mom.”

  She sucked in her breath again. “How could you be so selfish?” she asked me. “Leaving without saying anything and putting yourself in danger?”

  For a moment, it sounded as if she really was concerned. I almost broke into tears right then, wishing she’d come get me out of this awful mess I’d found myself in.

  “How could you do this to Indie?” she continued. “Do you realize how many opportunities she’s lost because you’re not
here to direct her? You tell me where you are this instant, Estelle. This is not the kind of stunt one pulls on their family.”

  I bit down on my lip, fighting the tears. Through determination, I was able to speak, and at the same time, I kept my voice from cracking. “Goodbye, Rachel.”

  I slammed the phone down.

  The storm raged for what felt like hours. I didn’t feel like leaving the small shelter the phone booth provided. I was too numb and too out of it. Instead, I slowly lowered myself to the ground, using the directory as a cushion to sit on. I sat there, quietly staring out into the murky storm, waiting for it to end.

  Despite everything, I didn’t want to give up on finding Marcellus. I knew that much. I would fight this not for me, but for everyone I’d affected through the use of this curse. I didn’t know the extent of it. Not even sure what happened or who I may have hurt in my past lives. For that matter, I wasn’t sure of how I could wield its power in the future. That’s why it needed to end, whatever that took. I would walk to Vancouver if that’s what it came down to. I owed it to Lola, Gabe, Zetta, and everyone to at least try. A bad day was no reason to give up. It wouldn’t be fair to them after they’d tried so hard to protect me.

  Eventually, the storm began to dissipate, morphing into a light drizzle and the sun’s rays began to shine through the rainclouds.

  I felt a little better, calmer. I was about to abandon my phone booth, when the door jerked open unexpectedly. My eyes shot up to the figure looming over me.

  I wanted to cry of relief when I saw Rex’s beautiful face.

  His expression held traces of worry. He clenched his jaw, swallowing back his fear as relief swept over him.

  I might have imagined that but I didn’t care.

  I threw my arms around his shoulders, hugging him tightly. “Thank you for finding me,” I breathed.

  He stood there stiffly for a moment, not knowing how to react. After a moment, his arms encircled me, hugging back. “I thought I’d lost you,” he whispered. “Never do that to me again.”

  I shook my head, not ready to let go of him. “I won’t.”