AIR Series Box Set

by Amanda Booloodian

  I knelt down next to Vincent by the backpacks and looked around. “Where’s Ethan?”

  Vincent pointed up. A rope dangled in the air and as I followed it up, I saw Ethan lying out on a large branch.

  “How did he even get up there?” I asked.

  “He was there before I realized what he was doing. Take this,” Vincent handed me the end of a rope, “hold it here and here.”

  Holding the line, I watched Vincent make a strange knot. That was followed by three more. Soon, Ethan was out of the tree. Our backpacks were dangling from branches and Rider had our hammock stretched tightly between trees.

  “I’ve never camped without a tent,” Ethan said, walking up behind me and putting his arms around me.

  Leaning back into him, relishing in the closeness, I eyed my bed for the night, which was about chest-height off the ground.

  “I’ve never camped with a tent,” I said.

  “Not once?” Ethan asked.

  “Well, Gran set one up in her backyard once,” I said. “And we spent part of the night out there. I’m not sure that counts, though.”

  “Probably not,” Ethan said.

  I could hear the laughter that he was holding back in his voice. I nudged him in the ribs with my elbow, and he let out a chuckle.

  “Next time, we’ll try a tent.” He hugged me closer from behind and spoke low into my ear. “We can share a sleeping bag.”

  “There are four sleeping bags.” Rider sounded sincere in his statement. “You will not have to share.”

  Luckily, it was dark because my face turned four different shades of red. Ethan seemed as tongue-tied as I was.

  I heard a muffled voice and turned to see Vincent talking to Rider.

  Rider’s face creased in confusion. “I do not understand. We slept with each other the last time we spent the night outside, and we did not share sleeping bags.”

  Ethan went very still.

  “No,” I said, pulling out of Ethan’s arms and turning to Rider, though my words were more for Ethan’s sake. “We slept next to each other, not with each other. There is a distinct difference.”

  Vincent was whispering once again to Rider, and I crossed my arms, glaring at the two.

  “Oh, that is very different.” Rider said. He was quieter this time, but we could still hear him clearly. “Should I get rid of one of the sleeping bags?”

  Closing my eyes, I rubbed my forehead and tried to wish myself far away. Then I realized that Vincent had not replied. Looking up, I could see that they were waiting for an answer from Ethan or me.

  What on earth are they thinking?

  “That’s a nice offer, Rider.” I worked to keep my voice level and not look at Ethan. “But I think we’re okay.”

  Rider shrugged and turned back to his hammock.

  Finally, I bit my lip and looked at Ethan. He was grinning and shaking his head.

  Relief washed over me, but I tried not to let it show. There were so many ways for Ethan to take the conversation. Amused wasn’t what I had expected.

  I put my hand on my hip in feigned accusation. “What are you smiling about?”

  He wrapped an arm around me and kissed me in reply. “This is going to be an interesting vacation.” Louder, he added, “I can take first watch if you all would like.”

  I hadn’t even thought of watches, but I kept my mouth shut, not wanting to admit the mental slip.

  “It’s going to be a short night. We probably only need two,” Vincent said. “I’ll take the second.”

  “Wake me if you need me,” Rider said.

  “Same here,” I said.

  It took ages for me to fall asleep. On the plus side, the nightmares that had been plaguing me for what seemed like weeks didn’t have time to set in before Vincent woke. We were in a hurry, but before he woke us up, he had boiled water for coffee, for which everyone was grateful. I wouldn’t say that it perked us up, but it had us back on the search, Rider leading the way.

  Fog filled the mountains, chilling the air and making the predawn light even dimmer than you’d expect. Mentally, I blamed my shorter legs for falling behind the others, but I kept someone in sight, even if it meant speed walking off and on.

  When the sun crested the horizon, causing a pale yellow glow, Rider stopped. “The trail ends here,” he said.

  “There’s no house here,” I said, stating the obvious. “Does the smell change here?”

  “No,” Rider said.

  “The fog is covering a lot,” Vincent said. “Fan out and look around. Don’t go far.”

  I turned back the way we came, but I didn’t go anywhere. The sound of twigs breaking and leaves rustling announced the others leaving. Once the sound turned pillowy, I closed my eyes and stretched for the Path.

  I could have done this while they were here, but I didn’t want to contradict Vincent. Why he hadn’t suggested I look was a mystery to me.

  Vivid, robust color entered my world again. The roar was stronger this time, since I wasn’t able to hold back as much power as I had yesterday. The fog was making things interesting. Where the clouds shifted and twirled, a secondary layer moved with it, like a couple dancing.

  Mesmerized, I watched the fog with its shimmering partner until I caught sight of the Path we had been following. I followed it back to where Rider stopped. He wasn’t wrong. If this was Harry, he was here, and then he wasn’t.

  Above us, the treetops were visible as the fog started to burn away. There were no limbs or branches to jump to, so Harry didn’t go up. If he had died, either his body would be here, or the Path of his body would be. That only left one direction.

  I slid off my backpack before bending over and dragging my fingers across the ground. It was dirt and grass, like you would expect, but when I tried to scrape up some soil, it didn’t budge. Moving my hands around the forest floor, I searched for the spots where the ground was different. It didn’t take long to find what I was looking for. A tree root, which you would expect to be immovable, but in this case, was a handle.

  “I think I’ve found it,” I called to the others. It crossed my mind that I could dig a little further, make sure it was a trap door, and even open it up. But what if Harry wasn’t the only person who lived there? Or what if someone else moved in after he had left?

  Besides, when I tried to lift it, it didn’t move, even when I put some strength behind it.

  When all three had come back into view, I pointed out what I suspected was Harry’s door.

  Rider dumped his backpack and pulled the root. It swung up, taking a large chunk of the ground with it. Below was a large hole, with a ladder dropping straight into darkness. What I had come to think of as Harry’s Path went down. With that confirmed, I closed my eyes and pushed the Path away. This time, it fell away with no effort.

  “Nice work, Cass,” Vincent said. He took a flashlight out of his backpack and shined it into the gloom. The rock wall of the hole glittered as the light struck it, but I didn’t see the ground.

  “Well,” Ethan said, “the ladder has to lead somewhere.” He set aside his pack and took out a headlamp and another flashlight. “Might as well make myself useful. I’ll go first.”

  “Are you sure?” I asked before I could stop myself.

  Ethan only smiled at me and winked. Turning to the others, he asked, “Did this guy have any pets or anything?”

  “Not that we are aware of,” Vincent said. He was using a careful tone and I could see the unease in the corners of his eyes.

  “Should we all go down?” I asked.

  “No,” Vincent said.

  “After I’ve checked out where this thing lands, I’ll holler up.” Ethan put the flashlight in his back pocket.

  “Wait.” Vincent leaned over Harry’s entrance and yelled into the hole. “Harry, you in there?” He paused. “Anyone?” Pause. “Okay, we’re friendly, and we’re coming down.” Turning to Ethan, he asked, “Are you armed?”

  Ethan patted his hip where his concealed hols
ter rested. “I am.”

  “Good, run if you have to, but don’t shoot anything.”

  Ethan was scrambling down the ladder faster than I had anticipated.

  “If it’s clear,” Vincent said, “one of you needs to wait up here with the bags.”

  “I will stay,” Rider said.

  Vincent nodded. “Are you two armed?”

  “Yes,” Rider said.

  They both looked at me. “I was on vacation.” It was my only defense and I was grabbing onto it.

  Twinges of aggravation leapt off Vincent’s face. I wasn’t sure if Rider could see them, but to me, they were obvious.

  “You,” Vincent said, “of all people, should be carrying a weapon at all times.”

  “I have a knife.” It was lame, but at least I had something. A part of me wanted to argue that the Path could be my weapon if I needed it, but they knew what that did to me, and they knew it wouldn’t last.

  “I’ve found the bottom.” Ethan’s voice echoed up the hole.

  Leaning over, I could see his light moving in a circle.

  Vincent shook his head. “Stick to one of us at all times.”

  My eyes narrowed automatically.

  “Please,” Vincent added before I could say anything.

  I rolled my eyes and shook my head. “It’s not like I’m going to run off into the woods on my own.”

  “It’s all clear,” Ethan yelled.

  “Ladies first,” Vincent said.

  When was the last time I had been on a ladder? How had Ethan gotten onto the thing?

  I sat down and swung my legs into the empty air, feeling around until I found the ladder. Vincent held out his hand and I wordlessly grabbed it and lowered myself into the hole. The rungs of the ladder were cold metal. It didn’t take long for me to wish I had turned on my headlamp before starting down. Looking up, I saw Vincent following me, and then I looked down, which was a mistake. Nothing was below and my head felt like it was slowly starting to spin.

  Chapter 5

  Closing my eyes, I took a few steadying breaths. There was no way I could stop here. Ethan was below me; Vincent was above me. It was okay. I was all right.

  It’s not as though I was afraid of the dark, but it changes things when you know what could be lurking in the unknown.

  When I opened my eyes, I almost looked down again, but I caught myself in time. Concentrating on the rung in front of me, I went down. With each step, I told myself there was a bottom to this ladder. Ethan wouldn’t have lied about that. My hands were starting to get stiff. How was I going to get back up this thing?

  My foot struck dirt instead of another rung and I looked around. The glow of Ethan’s flashlight wasn’t far off, but was pointed in another direction. I flipped on my headlamp and looked up. No problem, I told myself. That was easy. Going up would be a piece of cake.

  I stepped out of Vincent’s way and looked around at the rough stone walls.

  “This isn’t your usual cave,” I said, running my hand over the rock.

  “You’re right about that,” Ethan said, taking my hand. He looked like a kid on Christmas morning. “You’ve gotta see this.”

  Ethan led me down the hall. Vincent didn’t follow right away. I saw his flashlight checking the shadows before turning to join us. We reached a corner and Ethan pointed his light down another passageway.

  Except it was a hallway. The stone had been chiseled to this point. Once you turned down the hall, it was as smooth as glass. Our lights glinted off the surface. There was a wooden door set into the wall at the end. At least it looked like wood. It was, in fact, carved to look like a tree that happened to hold a doorway.

  “Wait,” Vincent said, catching up to us.

  I hadn’t even realized I was walking towards the door. “What?”

  “Harry apparently discouraged visitors,” Vincent said. “There may be traps through here.”

  “I checked the hallway,” Ethan said. “It looks like he did set one, but it had already been sprung. The door looks amazing, but I have no idea how to tell if it's booby trapped or not. It looks like it leads to Narnia, not someone’s home.”

  I chuckled. It really was a beautiful door, and it was entirely out of place.

  Vincent frowned. “Cass, what do you see?”

  The carving of the tree seemed to sing out to me, but Vincent was right. I closed my eyes and jumped into the Path. The dim cave was now brightly lit for my eyes. Ignoring Ethan and Vincent, I found Harry’s Path and followed it. Unfortunately, it headed in the opposite direction of the tree. Around another small, tight corner, there was door set into the stone.

  “I wonder what he has behind the other door.” I said.

  “Let’s not find out,” Ethan said.

  Vincent knocked before opening the door. He had to duck before going through, as did Ethan. After pushing the Path away, I walked into Harry’s home.

  You could tell it was a home. The ceilings were high and a few pieces of wooden furniture had makeshift cushions that looked like they had been woven out of vines. Unfortunately, what could pass as a chair was turned over, and in the corner, it looked like something had been set on fire.

  There were only four rooms, and we cleared them quickly. Once we knew we were alone, we began a more thorough inspection. Harry had one wall that had been full of books, but they were mostly littered around on the floor now. I stooped and picked one up. The green cloth cover was ripped, but the book was largely intact. It was a small volume and the cover was unreadable. Opening to the first page, I found the title, Hamlet.

  “Alas, poor Yorick,” I mumbled and closed the book. A deep sadness welled up. This was the middle of nowhere. Harry lived out here, alone, not bothering anyone. Alone with his massive collection of books, and someone came and tried to track him like an animal.

  Why?

  Because he was different. One of the Lost from another dimension, living here, and trying to make a life for himself. My job was to keep him and all the others like him, safe and hidden from the world, but someone stumbled onto a bigfoot, and now Harry was running for his life.

  “Cass?”

  Sniffing, I turned to see Vincent and Ethan watching me. “Sorry, I’m fine. We need to get moving.”

  They didn’t budge and continued to stare.

  “What?” I asked. An uneasy feeling was creeping up. I had sniffed a few times, but it’s not as though I had been crying or making a spectacle of myself.

  “You were, well, whistling, I guess,” Ethan said, a worried look on his face.

  “Was I?” I asked. Then I crossed my arms. “So what?”

  “It was sad, but…” Ethan trailed off, so I turned to Vincent.

  He was doing his best to keep a blank look on his face.

  “What?” I asked, louder this time.

  “It wasn’t you,” Vincent said.

  “What does that mean?” I asked.

  Vincent looked leery. “It doesn’t matter right now. There’s another exit. Rider is bringing our bags down. We’ll leave from here.”

  When Vincent stepped out of the room I was left with Ethan, his eyes still wide.

  I glared at him before looking away and pretending to concentrate on books. Ethan took his time, but he moved over to me and took my hand.

  “Everything okay?” he asked.

  “You tell me.”

  He shook his head. “It must be the way the room made you sound. It was… well, it wasn’t normal.”

  “What’s normal?” I muttered.

  A low ominous growl rumbled through the room and echoed, making it sound like it was coming from everywhere at once. The hairs on the back of my neck rose as the noise sunk into me and I froze on the spot.

  “Rider?” It was half a question and half a yell from Vincent.

  Slowly, I turned, not wanting to make any sudden movements. Ethan stood in my way, but I could see around him to where Vincent stood in front of Rider. In the dim light I could see Rider’s dark eyes
staring menacingly in my direction.

  Nothing moved in those hollowed-out rooms as we stared at each other.

  “Enough!” Vincent yelled. When he looked at each of us in turn I saw that his eyes were black. “We don’t have time for this.”

  Rider rolled his shoulders and looked away.

  “What the hell was that about?” Ethan asked.

  I glanced at Rider and shook my head. What had happened? Since I didn’t know, there was nothing for me to say.

  Rider picked up two bags and stalked out of the room.

  “We need to move,” Vincent said, not looking at anyone. “I’ve got your bag, Cass, let’s go.”

  He didn’t wait for a reply and walked out. I started to follow him, but Ethan took my arm.

  “What was that?” Ethan asked.

  Even without the Path I could sense his indignation building.

  “I don’t know,” I snapped, pulling away.

  “Is he dangerous?” Ethan asked.

  “Rider? He’s not going to hurt us. It’s probably some sort of werewolf thing.”

  Ethan looked like he was thinking that over.

  “We really need to go,” I said.

  In a huff, Ethan picked up his bag and left, with me following behind. There was another passage out, and we weren’t able to catch up to Vincent and Rider until the cave opened to the forest.

  Great, I thought while looking at the others, I’m stuck in the woods with a werewolf, a Walker, and a boyfriend, each of them pissed off. And me? Now that I didn’t feel the need to check the shadows for the boogeyman, I didn’t know what to think.

  No one said a word, but Vincent handed me my pack and Rider shoved a boulder back into its spot blocking the cave. Then we picked up the trail again.

  The fog was gone and the sun was beating down with the promise of heat later in the day. Even with no one talking, the air crackled around the men, as though charged. There was nothing I could think of to say that would lighten the mood, so I kept quiet.

  The pace Rider held was brisk, but no one voiced any complaints. They seemed too agitated, but I was feeling the press of urgency. When my stomach started growling, I ignored it, not wanting to stall our progress.