Stutters and stumbles come out of my mouth, but I just can’t find the right words. What should I tell them? The truth? My mind races to come up with a more believable story, but I can’t think straight.
Another voice cuts through the darkness. “Is this where the party is?”
The girls squeal and scurry away from the bushes.
Marcus steps out of the darkness wearing his wise-ass smile, as usual.
“Man! You want to give us a heart attack?” I’m pissed that the loudmouth is here, as I’m sure Mom will hear his booming voice. But at the same time, he brings a sense of normalcy to my messed up world.
“Sorry,” Marcus says with a shrug. “I saw these two chicks sneak around back. Couldn’t help myself, man.”
“Marcus, you’re an ass.” Cadence punches his shoulder.
I point toward the gate. “Let’s take this around front.”
My mother’s window sits twenty feet away. She probably can’t hear us while her TV is on, but if I can’t keep them quiet, she’s bound to catch us all out here.
We exit through the open chain link fence entrance, and I latch it back in place. Mom never locks it.
Cadence grabs my arm and swings me around. “Answers! Now! My mom said you might be involved with that weird cult. That better not be true.”
I take a deep breath and hold it for a second before letting it out. I’m staring at their eager faces, but I don’t know what to tell them. The story goes through my mind, the events bouncing around out of order as I’m trying to figure out what I should share with them. The cops didn’t believe me, and my fear is that my friends won’t either.
“You all know me. I don’t know what rumors are flying around, but I did not hurt Tarick. And I’m sure not part of any cult. The cops are on my ass because I’m the only witness, but you have to believe me. I would never hurt my best friend.”
Lisa takes hold of my hand. “Of course you’d never do anything to hurt Tarick. But we need to know what did happen.”
Against my better judgment, I decide to tell them everything. From beginning to end. I don’t leave out one detail. As I’m talking, I can’t tell what Lisa, Cadence, or even Marcus are thinking. They shake their heads, but I don’t know if it’s because they think I’m lying to them or if my story is just too crazy for them to even believe.
My story ends with the visit from Detective Jennings today. All three of them look completely lost, and now I regret telling them the truth. I wouldn’t believe me either. Five minutes must have gone by when Marcus finally opens his big mouth.
“You’ve gotta be kiddin’ me.” Marcus looks down at the grass in bewilderment. “So these two had black demon eyes?”
I turn to Cadence who has tears streaming down her face. She looks like she’s just about ready to burst. I’m waiting for her to start screaming at me, but she sobs silently while keeping her arms folded tightly.
Their silence eats at me, as if pieces of my sanity slowly escape with each breath. “I wish I was lying. I wish I was making it up. I saw it with my own eyes, guys. Tarick is gone, and there was nothing I could do. I know I’d be dead too if it wasn’t for that freaky girl setting me free.”
“And the police didn’t believe you?” Lisa asks.
“Why should they? This is some crazy-ass crap that’s happened. They didn’t believe one word that came out of my mouth. Even though I was tested for drugs at the hospital, they still think me and Tarick were on crack or bath salts or something, which led to something bad happening.”
“So what are the police doing now?” Marcus asks.
“I don’t know. My mom won’t let me watch TV or anything, since I’m sure the story is all over the local news. The detective said that they’re searching for Tarick, but they didn’t find anything. Like I said, I took the cops straight back to the exact spot where I saw Tarick’s body, and he was gone. Those black-eyed freaks moved him.”
Cadence looks like she’s going to faint, and she sits down in the grass. Her crying gets to me. It’s all my fault.
Now I’m starting to lose it. Guilt overcomes me, and I don’t care if I look like a sissy crying in front of them. My hands cover my face and I turn away. Lisa’s fragrant hand rests on my shoulder, but there’s nothing that can comfort me right now.
Her touch disappears, and I swivel around to see Lisa crouch down to where Cadence sits. Lisa wraps her arm around her and tries her best to console her. Marcus looks uncomfortable as he stands dumbfounded, unsure of what to do.
“Cadence, I’m sorry. I…” I don’t know what to say to ease her pain, and I know she blames me for Tarick’s death.
She wipes her face with her arm. “I want to see it.”
“See what?” I ask.
“I want to see the barn. I want to see where Tarick was.” Her words are shaky, and she has to spit them out one at a time. “I have to see it for myself.”
It’s a terrible idea, but maybe it’ll help her. I need some allies right now, and I’m hoping for a miracle that we find some kind of clue as to where Tarick’s body is.
“Okay, you know where it is,” I say. “Down the road that leads to the Tower, only you don’t go all the way to the end.”
“No.” Cadence gets to her feet. “I want to see it now and I want you to take me there.”
I want to take her, but it’s too risky. I’m uneasy about Mom finding me missing again, but I’m more terrified of those black-eyed kids being there. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea. Can’t we wait until tomorrow morning?”
Cadence lunges towards me and I wince. I’m sure she’s going to punch me. Instead, she grabs me by my shoulders. “You owe it to me, Mav. Take me to the barn.”
Marcus asks the question that’s weighing on my mind. “What if the black-eyed weirdos are there?”
“There’s four of us and two of them,” Cadence argues. “I was raised to be a good Christian, but if they’re in that barn, I will kill them.”
Lisa and I exchange nervous looks, and I know I’m going to regret what I’m about to say. “I’ll take you to the barn, but if the black-eyed kids are there, you have to promise me that you won’t do anything stupid.”
She immediately refuses with an abrupt shake of her head.
I pull away and break from her grip. “Cadence, promise me you won’t go all ape crazy on them. Trust me on this one. They’re not normal. The guy was able to really screw with my mind. Not even Tarick could defend himself with whatever power the black-eyed boy had.”
I’m relieved when Lisa says, “We’ll call 911 instead.”
“I’m a varsity wrestler,” Marcus boasts. “Don’t worry, guys. If that demon-jackass is there, I will kick his ass and hand him over to the cops.”
Even if we had M-16s, I know it wouldn’t be enough against the black-eyed boy.
I lean towards Cadence when her face softens. “Promise. Nothing stupid, okay?”
Without saying a word, Cadence nods and allows herself to be led to Lisa’s Mustang, which is parked at the end of the block. We all pile in, and I decide to take the tiny backseat with Marcus.
The ride is short and quiet. Even Marcus remains silent, which is way out of character. I look down at the floorboard for a weapon, but I only spot a small umbrella.
“It’s blocked,” Lisa says as we near the entrance to the barn. The stupid gate is usually open.
I crane my neck to see. “The cops must have closed it. Just pull up and leave your headlights on.”
Lisa brings her Mustang right up to the gate. She puts the car in park and kills the engine. Cadence opens her door and steps out. I’m about to yell after her, but Lisa jumps out and chases her. Marcus and I struggle to squeeze out from the back of the car, and then we sprint to catch up with the girls.
The fence isn’t hard to get over, even for the girls, but it’s locked with a chain and padlock. Once we’re over, we walk the dirt road toward the barn. Police crime scene tape surrounds the open part of the barn wi
th one torn end that flaps in the wind.
Using the lights from Lisa’s car, I get my bearings and point to the edge of the barn. I jog to the right spot. “Tarick was right here.”
The others huddle around me and stare at the damp grass. We’re silent for several moments, as if we’re holding a memorial for Tarick. Every once in a while, I look up and stare at the dark barn, half expecting the black-eyed boy to step out and fry our brains.
“Creepy, man,” Marcus says, breaking the solemn silence.
Cadence breaks down again, and Lisa holds her up. I can’t watch her cry anymore, so I turn to the barn again. I’m drawn back inside, but I stop short of crossing the barn’s rotted threshold. Marcus comes up from behind me.
“This is where you were tied up?” he asks.
Without turning around, I reply, “Yeah. Right in there, under that sink.” I push forward through the open police tape. A cold shiver travels up my neck when a gust of wind blows.
Marcus follows me in, but we only take three or four steps inside. Eventually, Lisa and Cadence join us. We stand in silence for a few minutes. The girls stay close together, and it feels like they’re waiting for me to say something important. Lisa’s headlights barely penetrate the thick darkness, and I can’t see anything beyond the sink. Darkness veils the corners, and that makes me über nervous. I notice that Marcus has dropped into his wrestler’s stance, which makes him look like he’s going to take a crap.
“Are you ready to go?” I finally ask.
Lisa nods and tries to lead Cadence away, but she’s hesitant to leave. The girls are the first to step outside, while Marcus and I bring up the rear. I’m reluctant to turn my back on the barn, but I just want to get out of here.
“Do you hear that?” Lisa’s head turns toward the dark woods.
The alarm in her voice makes my heart stop. “Hear what?” I stop to listen, but I hear nothing.
Even in the darkness, I can see Lisa’s wide eyes. “All of the bugs…stopped.”
A deafening silence surrounds us. She’s right. Not one cricket chirps. No mosquitoes zing by our ears. This is summertime in South Florida. This isn’t right, and full-blown panic threatens to take over my body. We all stop and scan the area, but it’s too dark to see anything. I wish I had one of those infrared goggles those ghost hunters use.
The air feels heavy. Something bad is about to happen.
“Let’s get to the car.” My senses are on overload, and I can feel that something is out there in the dark stalking us. We hasten our steps, and I catch a rustling of bushes behind us.
“Holy shiitake!” Marcus bumps into me when the sound of feet stepping in mud grows louder.
Just as we reach the fence, the swarm of bees invade my brain. My hands go to my ears, and their buzzing nearly brings me to my knees. The others must be feeling it, too. They’re all stumbling, overcome by the droning of a billion bees filling up our heads. Marcus and I practically throw the girls over the fence, and somehow, we manage to will our muscles to climb over.
The world is still spinning when we reach Lisa’s car. We all jump in. Cadence screams for her to get it started, and I’m relieved to be able to hear the engine come to life. The buzzing has already started to dissipate. Lisa backs the Mustang up so fast, we nearly go into a ditch. She throws the car into drive and slams on the gas. After just a mile, the bees are gone.
By the time we reach my house, even Marcus is quiet. I know they believe me now, just as I know a black-eyed kid was coming for us.
8
ASTID
TWO MINDS CLOSE in around Maverick’s house, then a third. I was just about to start for his window when his friends came from the sidewalk.
The minds of the girls are constantly busy, and they both think about several things at once. The third mind, Marcus, is more simple with a single thought lingering.
Strong emotions swirl around the girl with tan skin…Cadence. She was connected to the boy Kren consumed. I have to concentrate to make sense of all that is going on in her mind. She is torn. The girl blames Maverick and believes he’s hiding something. Part of her thinks that Maverick killed Tarick.
I sense Maverick’s mind inside his room. I pity him. So much fear grips him. His friends tap on his window, and the first thought that comes to him is that Kren or I have come to kill him. It’s strange seeing my face in the mind of another, like I’m looking in the dreaded mirror and seeing my reflection. I don’t like how Maverick fears me.
He believes I am a monster.
Maverick jumps out of his window. While he recounts his story to the others, the emotions from the group churn like a dark storm. Confusion. Sadness. Anger. Hurt.
Cadence is upset that she could not be with Tarick during his last moments. I want to turn and run, never to look back on this scene again. The sensations hit me so intensely that I start to cry. Is this what it’s like to be human?
When Maverick finishes telling them about Tarick, I’m thankful—and drained. I want to collapse here on the dirt and sleep, but I shouldn’t. They want to go back to the barn.
As they argue among themselves, I decide to leave and head towards the abandoned farm. Maybe I can confront them there and help Maverick understand what happened to his friend.
The bare woods smell of wet dirt, and Kren isn’t within range. Neither are the others. They should all be heading back home by now. I know Kren will be angry. A part of me still wonders if he will abandon common sense and stay to search for me.
Maverick and his friends arrive moments after me. Cadence especially needs to see the place where Maverick found Tarick’s body. However, she hopes to find him alive.
Memories of that night haunt Maverick. The image of his dead friend plays over in his mind. I want to scream at them to leave. There’s nothing here for them. They will not find Tarick.
Even in the dark, they are as clear to me as if they were standing in front of me. My eyes prefer darkness.
Maverick and the others move silently, but their minds continue to be a tempest of fear and despair.
Another entity enters my mind field, one with more singular thoughts and purpose. It’s not human, but he’s hungry. It’s not Kren. This one is a stranger to me. He sees Maverick and his friends, and he moves toward them while remaining in the darkness.
My mind calls out to the stranger. Leave them alone.
I see him stop and turn to face me. Astid?
His energy is still unknown to me. Who are you?
I am Garn. Kren is looking for you, and he sent me to help search. Why do you remain here? It is time for you to return.
The humans’ only chance is for me to warn them. My mind extends its reach, stretching out to Maverick first, and then the others next.
Astid, what are you doing? Do not warn them of my presence.
I ignore him and continue to send fear into their minds. They run out of the barn and head for the car. I feel Garn’s fury. He comes towards me with death on his mind.
I was going to share. I know you particularly like the one named Maverick. You could have had him, and I would have consumed the others.
Leave here now, I command.
The car speeds off, and I’m relieved that Maverick and his friends are safe.
If I can’t feed, at least I can bring you to your brother. Kren is most concerned about your recent behavior. Your affinity for these humans sickens me.
Garn continues approaching until he is only five feet from me. He is shorter than I, but he is squarely built. His fists roll tight, and I can feel the rage simmering inside of him. I work to project calm confidence, but I feel my legs shaking.
Come with me. It would please your brother if you returned with the rest of us.
Any lingering doubt about my staying here disappears, and it’s replaced with determination. No. You tell my brother that I refuse.
Refuse? You can’t stay here. Especially if you won’t feed. You will die.
Garn is not worth the time it wo
uld take to explain. Go now.
You don’t control me. I don’t care if you have royal blood in your veins. All of that no longer matters. We are equals now. If you don’t come with me willingly, I will make you.
His power surges, so I reach deep and let my own body’s energy flow. You can try, Garn.
Garn’s knees bend before he leaps forward. He is fast, but I am faster. His arms reach out, but I have sidestepped out of the way. I draw back my hand and strike him in the back of the neck with the meat of my palm. He grunts and tumbles forward. While taking several steps backwards, I put my hands up in preparation for his next attack.
He swivels around, but reaches out with his mind instead. His mind force is powerful, but my defenses are too strong. I put up a mental block and deflect his intrusive reach. In frustration, he lunges at me again. This time he swings his large fist toward my face.
I parry his strike with my left forearm, but I stagger backwards from the strength of the blow. His left hand makes a grab for my neck, but I back away out of arm’s reach and grab his wrist instead. My mind sends a burst of energy into his arm and jolts his body. Garn’s defenses are down, and I penetrate his auric field.
His body weakens and collapses onto the ground. I let go of his wrist. I could have killed him, but I have vowed never to take another life. Even one as evil as Garn’s.
You leave now while you still can.
Garn rubs his injured wrist and struggles to his feet. You’re making a big mistake, Astid. Kren will not stand for this. This is the ultimate betrayal. He will find you, and then he will kill you.
Tell him that this is my wish. I will not spend another day in the darkness. I will spend the last of my days in the sunlight, up here on the surface. I am done. Now go before I change my mind about sparing you.
He turns and runs away. I remain still, making sure that he actually leaves. The fight has drained my energy, and I find a tree to sit under. I take deep breaths, trying to soothe my weary body.
TIME PASSES by slowly when I’m alone. This is the first time I’ve ever been alone for this length of time. We are always in pairs, but now I am on my own.
Black-Eyed Kids: The Complete Series Page 5
