by Teya Tapler
He stopped and looked through the window still keeping at a safe distance.
The voice said, “It is me Evan. I’m sorry about what happened in there. I need to talk to you.”
“Say what you want but don’t get into the car,” Emil’s voice came through the communicator.
Znader didn’t move.
The car hummed.
Evan said, “Please get in. I need to talk with you.”
“Say what you want but do not get into the car!” Emil shouted through the communicator. Zander might have turned it on accidentally while running. He switched the communicator off again, rolled his jacket collar down and got into the car. It was a nice, pre-loved little car. Not too small, not too big, just right. He pushed the seat further back, buckled up and looked at Evan.
She saw his red cheek in the door light and touched it to sooth the pain. Her cold fingers eased the pain and he felt how gentle the hand that had left the red mark could be. Evan looked him in the eyes and said, ”I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have hit you.” Then she looked at the road and shifted in gear.
“What do you want to talk about?” Zander asked.
“Why did you come back?” Evan quickly fired a question. ”And be honest! Please be brutally honest with me. I’m older now and can handle the truth,“ she said eyes focused on the road.
“We need your help,” he said almost immediately.
“If you needed my help, why didn’t you use the phone or come to my apartment like everyone else?” Evan yelled without looking at him. “Why did you have to do this tonight, at the party in the country club? Why did you have to be all masked and dressed up?”
“We didn’t know where else to find you,” he tried to defend himself. It felt easier to achieve world piece that to calm her down.
Evan hit the steering wheel with two hands and the car veered into the opposite lane. Zander didn’t say anything. He didn’t move to grab the steering wheel. In that long second he wondered if he was the reason for her crash. Was he the reason for her death?
Her anger passed quickly and she grabbed the wheel and corrected the direction.
“Where’re you going?” Zander asked.
“I’m going somewhere where you’re not!” Evan said and stopped the car in the middle of the lane, right after a turn. She unplugged his safety belt, pushed him in the chest and shouted at him, “Get of the car!”
He opened the door with his right hand and looked outside. There were only bushes at his side of the road.
“Get of the car!” Evan pushed him with both hands and his torso moved towards the opened door while his legs were still inside the car. She realized what might happen, she simply wanted him out of her car - not hurt, and tried to catch the fronts of his half unzipped jacket. Her hand slipped and caught something that moved from under his shirt. She held it strong and pulled him back. The momentum had been reversed and Zander was pulled back into the car. Evan took a deep calming breath and opened her hand. She was holding the ice cream spoon she had given him before he left three years ago.
“You’ve kept it,” she looked at him.
“We’re at the location,” Emil’s voice came into Zander’s ear, ”where are you? What’s going on?”
“Yeah, I did,” Zander said.
They stood in the car, in the right lane, motor humming, lights on, looking at each other trying to find out what to say next.
“And I thought that-” she didn’t finish.
“Yeah, you are the reason why I am here now,” he started. ”If you haven’t enchanted me the way you did we might’ve never seen each other again.”
The lights of an approaching vehicle shone at them through the back window. Behind the wheel of an eighteen-wheeler Ollie, still in full clown makeup and dressed in his costume, was pressing the gas pedal with all his strength. He had to find Evan’s car and complete his task once and for all. The Chancellor was right, she didn’t deserve to live. What a better way to get rid of her than to smash her like the little bug she was
“We’d better get going,” Evan said and shifted into gear. Zander closed the door and buckled up.
A smile came to Ollie’s face when he spotted their car. Seeing two silhouettes inside made him even happier. He would get rid of Alex at the same time. Ollie swiftly swirled the steering wheel making sure that he hit the stopped car with all the power of the huge vehicle he was driving.
The truck didn’t stop. It plowed thought them as if the driver didn’t even see them.
There wasn’t enough time. There wasn’t enough time for Evan to move the car. The truck hit them in the back and their car got airborne. It flipped in midair and fell on its side then rolled down to the bottom of the hill among the bushes. The truck didn’t stop, didn’t even slow down; for it they were just a bump on the road.
Evan was first to open her eyes. She had a terrible headache and felt the blood going in her head. The car had landed upside down, the motor was still running and the front wheels were rolling. The roof was surprisingly close to her head but was still holding on. She looked for Zander. He was there next to her, hanging upside down too, streak of blood coming down the side of his face. His side of the car was badly damaged. They must have hit it hard. Evan caressed his face to wake him up. He opened his eyes and moaned.
“We got hit,” she said. “We’re off the road down the hill somewhere.”
It wasn’t very comfortable to sit in the upside-down position. Evan tried her seatbelt - it was jammed. She tried to release it frantically three more times, still nothing. The she tried his. Pushed it hard, over and over, it didn’t release.
“Yeah, I guess we’re stuck here,” Zander tried to joke with the situation.
“Are you okay?” Evan asked the question that had an obvious answer.
“My right arm’s broken.” He put his left index finger on her lips to stop her from saying anything. A fire burning somewhere in the car was making a low crackling noise. They knew what it meant; the car would explode anytime soon.
“Could you reach at the back of my jeans?” He asked and noticing her puzzled look explained,” I’ve a transcaster gun there. We can safely get out.”
“The blue light gun,” she said and slowly sneaked her hand behind his back. He wiggled as much as he could and she easily pulled the weapon out. It was much heavier that she expected.
“What’s next?” Evan asked.
“Press the big button on the right side of the handle and tell me what the dial on the holo-screen reads,” he said.
Evan followed his instructions and soon a 2 by 4 inch holographic screen popped up, turning the antique looking gun into a modern weapon. Ten green digits were flashing in the middle.
“0630270525” Evan read the numbers.
“Could you show me the whole screen?” Zander asked and checked the rest of the location settings on the flickering display.
“And?” Evan asked.
“The settings are correct to bring both of us in the time and at place I came from,” he said.
Evan was silent. She thought of her father and that she could not make him suffer another loss.
“Can we just go outside the car?” Evan asked.
“I need both hands to set it up.” Zander tuck his injured right arm under the seatbelt. She noticed that his fingers were smashed.
“Can you teach me how to do it? I’m a quick learner.” Evan smiled encouragingly.
“I could but the gun doesn’t have your organic signature in and will only let you pull the trigger.”
“Could we go to your time and then come back?”
“We can, but we shouldn’t,” he said. “You see the truck that pushed us of the road does the same thing to your car as you’re driving two blocks further down and then you die. I came back to take you with me, before you die, while you’re still alive. Yes, we do need your help, but I would’ve come anyway.”
The spoon rolled over his face and dangled on his forehead.
�
�I went and talked to your father on November 1st 2007. He and Allie were doing okay and they gave me all your diaries without me even asking for them.”
“My-my diaries,” she stuttered. “D-did you read them?”
“Just the last entry,” Zander said fading away.
Evan shook him and looked deep into his eyes to verify whether he was telling the truth. It was hard to tell as she was also becoming dizzy from hanging head down for too long.
“Yeah. I needed to know how to find you,” he slowly lost consciousness.
Evan didn’t have enough strength to call for help. She tried releasing his seatbelt, then hers.
Then she thought of probably sending Zander back to his time so that he could survive, but the thought of her father and sister being devastated of her loss stopped her. Evan knew that if she and Zander go together she would be able to come back and leave a sign to her family that she was okay. She didn’t think of transcasting only herself. It was unthinkable to leave the person she loved. She couldn’t do that now when they were back together. The thought of Alex didn’t even cross her mind. She listened to the car fire then took Zander’s hand in hers, squeezed it as hard as she could, and shot herself in the thigh with the transcaster gun.
Zander was right - transcasting didn’t hurt.
When the blue haze disappeared she was lying, next to Zander, on the floor of something like a living room office. There were too many holographic screens humming around to call that simply a living room. Evan didn’t know where they were. There were no windows to look outside. On what looked like a coffee table next to the sofa, she saw the pink polka dot box with all her diaries. At the corner of the box was her silver necklace. She pulled it up and the blue bead slipped out of the box and dangled at the end of the chain. Evan smiled and put it around her neck.
She sat with her back at the wall and pulled her knees to her chest.
Evan felt safe.
She closed her eyes and tried to rest.
Chapter 19
The waiting room in the hospital was well lit and scarcely furnished. Despite of the advances in medicine that area of the hospitals hadn’t changed much since the 21sts century. It still had the type of furniture that tended to become uncomfortable after a few hours of nervous waiting to hear the prognosis about one’s friends and family.
Evan was brought to the hospital immediately after Emil, Peter and Mary transcasted back to the team base. She was still dazed from the change of her surroundings when the ambulance came and took her and Zander. There she was thoroughly examined for any broken bones, untreated infections, parasites brought from the 21st century and concussion before she was given a clean bill of health. By that time Mary, Peter and Emil had taken care of her registration into the hospital system and the service reimbursement.
Now Evan was curled up on one of the armchairs, hugging her knees. She looked like a frightened bird perched on a tree waiting for the hunter to deliver its deadly shot; tense and nervous, eyes browsing around and not focusing on anything longer than a few seconds.
Emil, Peter and Mary spoke quietly in the corridor looking at her from behind the one-way viewing screen.
“We’ve to tell her,” Mary insisted, “she needs to know everything.”
“Don’t you think that might taint the pearls destruction?” Peter looked at Emil.
Emil focused on his shoes. He moved one of his feet around then said, ”It’d be okay. After all, the connection’s been made, the emotions had been passed to the items and she’s here now. Her present feelings should only enhance not negatively impact all that.”
“I can’t look at her any more. I’m going in,” before anyone could stop her Mary entered the waiting room, approached Evan and touched her shoulder. She jumped startled from the unexpected contact.
“Hey!” Mary smiled. “How are you doing?” She asked in a soft voice and sat down on the chair opposite Evan.
Evan moved her eyes on Mary’s face and Mary saw the tears coming up.
“How is….he?” Evan asked, not even being able to mention Zander’s name.
“He’ll get better,” Mary started on a positive note.
“When?”
Realizing that she had provided the wrong answer Mary moved her chair closer and put her hands on Evan’s knees then looking her in the eye said softer than before, “Soon.”
Evan’s eyes overflowed and her tears slowly rolled down her cheeks. She sobbed and her voice echoed in the small room. She looked up searching for help, then sighed and returned her eyes to Mary’s face.
“I should’ve transcasted us before he fainted,” Evan was replaying the events in her mind; Zander’s kiss, her anger, the way she hit him, their conversation in the car, her happiness, the car accident, her sadness and the moment he told her he loved her. All that had happened just a few hours ago and yet Evan had hard time remembering any details. She couldn’t remember the costumes any of them were wearing on the party, or the food and beverages there, or even what was the present she brought for Brittany. Everything Evan remembered was anchored around Zander, his actions, his words. How he made her feel. How he said he loved her.
“I thought too long before I did it. I should’ve-” Evan’s voice became angrier.
“You didn’t do anything wrong.” Mary stoke gently Evan’s knees. “You did the right thing brining both of you here.”
Evan’s eyes begged for the truth but Mary looked down. She couldn’t continue saying that Zander’s condition was a result of him being transcasted while unconscious. It was going to devastate Evan and she had a lot of other things to take care off right now. They needed her to be strong physically, mentally and emotionally. It was her strength that would help them destroy the pearls. She was the one who was magically linked with the pearls, for they glowed only in her presence.
Evan stood motionless, the tears slowly filling up her eyes, overflowing and quietly rolling down her cheeks. She was still perched on the chair, hugging her knees, feeling all alone in that big new world. Her pale face was sad.
“You did the right thing!” Mary reinforced her statement and moved closer to hug Evan and prevent the inevitable trembling that was about the follow the silent tears. “You’ll stay with us and we’ll come visit Zander every day,” Mary cleaned some of Evan’s tears with her hands and continued. “The medicine is very advanced these days. It can do wonders compared with what you had seen in the 21st century.”
Evan looked at her thought the few tears still stuck at her eyelashes.
“You did the right thing sending both of you here. Remember this and never question your actions. You did the right thing,” Mary repeated focused on Evan’s eyes. Then the two of them hugged and remained quiet for a while.
Mary was not ready to share the whole truth with Evan. She hasn’t processed it yet herself and she couldn’t tell the lonely girl that the only person she cared about, in that big new world, may not even wake up and if he did wake up he may not be able to walk because of a spine injury during the car accident. Mary hugged Evan stronger, trying to make her feel safe and secure, relating the message that Evan could rely on her for anything.
Mary knew that what they were doing was dangerous but they never had an accident like that one, not at least since she had joined the team. The thought about such a possibility had periodically entered her mind, especially after she and Peter became more than colleagues and friends. She couldn’t imagine what she would do if that had happened to Peter.
After a while Mary felt being watched, Emil and Peter were observing them from the corridor. When their eyes met the guys gestured her to take Evan and join them. The doctors have left the room and now their small group was allowed to see Zander.
“We can go and see him now, if you want.” Mary gently stroke Evan’s pixie haircut and some golden sparkles, still left from her costume for Brittany’s party, fell on the floor.
Evan cleaned her tears, looked up and released herself from Mary’s hold. H
er face was red from the cry. Her eyelashes were all wet and clumped together tears hanging on some of them.
“I’m okay now. Thank you.” Evan got up and headed to the door without saying anything. Emil and Peter lead the way to Zander’s room with Evan and Mary trailing behind in each other’s arms.
Zander was in room 1096. Evan stopped at the entrance. She remembered that was the number of the locker she used while dressing up for the birthday party. It made her wonder if it was a coincidence that the party was held on day 1096 since Zander left for the first time. Wasn’t that a sign that he should have never left, a sign that he should have never returned to her or a sign that he should have taken her with him the very first time.
Emil and Peter were already in when Evan finally dared crossing the threshold.
The room, tastefully decorated in beige and cream, looked more like a tiny hotel room than a room in a medical facility. Opposite the bed, Evan saw a huge screen that looked like a wall-mounted TV. Zander laid on the bed, still, eyes closed, body covered with a thin blanket. He looked asleep.
Evan rushed to his side and touched his right arm before the others could stop her. She wasn’t going to wake him up, she was just glad to see him again. There was so much she wanted to tell him.
The big screen became alive, a low pitched, relatively quiet noise filled the room and a nurse materialized next to them. Evan got startled and stepped back. As she bumped into Mary, her new friend hugged her and whispered in her ear that everything was okay. Evan clutched Mary’s hands, eyes focused on Zander, her heart beating wildly.
“We’re sorry for the inconvenience.” Emil led the nurse outside.
Peter pressed a few of the invisible until then buttons on the headboard and the screen went to sleep again, “I forgot to tell you, that before you touch him you have to press this button,” he pointed to the light-switch next to the headboard. “It’ll switch off some of the monitoring and alert the system that readings from another being will be entering the area. Otherwise the system will consider him awake and will sound the alarm,” Peter continued as Evan knelt in front of the bed.
