My body feels rested but still a little drained. I decide to seek Maverick out. His emotions beckon me, almost as powerful a feeling as the energy pull from his body. Maybe I can help him. He’s not responsible for his friend’s death, despite his guilty feelings, and maybe I can clear his conscience and ease his suffering.
I retrace my earlier steps and easily find Maverick’s house. I sense his mother inside, sleeping. Maverick is in his room awake. I connect with him, and I’m lost in his thoughts. He paces, his mind still racing from this evening’s events.
He knows I was at the barn.
As he nears his window, I creep closer. I hesitate to knock as I’m sure he will be terrified, but he must know the truth. His suffering is unbearable, and I nearly buckle under the weight of his anguish.
I raise my hand to the glass and hold my breath, but before I can tap on the window, another presence surges from behind me. I haven’t been careful, having been too focused on Maverick. I turn and come face to face with the girl named Lisa.
9
MAVERICK
I NEVER UNDERSTOOD why adults paced until now. My footsteps are soft, but rapid. My mind feels like it’s racing a billion miles an hour, and the pacing helps me keep from losing it.
One of those black-eyed kids was there at the barn, I’m sure of it. Was it the evil boy one, or the girl that let me go? Before I can explore that thought, frantic knocking at my window startles me again.
There’s no buzzing in my head, so I assume it’s safe. When I reach my window, I see Lisa’s fearful face on the other side of the glass. I slide my window open and she practically falls into my arms as she climbs inside.
“I saw…” she sputters as her chest heaves.
I cover her mouth with my hand in an attempt to quiet her down. Otherwise, Mom will wake up for sure. “Not so loud, okay?”
Lisa wiggles out of my grasp and shuts the window. She locks the latch, draws the blinds, and drops to the floor with her hands above her head like she’s waiting for a tornado to blow my house down.
“What is it?”
Lisa lifts her head up towards me. “I believe you.”
I’m relieved that she’s the first to actually admit it, but that doesn’t explain the urgency on Lisa’s face. She’s turned pale, and she looks like she’s fighting off a panic attack.
“That means a lot to me, but what is wrong with you? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“I saw her. I saw the black-eyed girl you told us about.”
I feel the little hairs on the back of my neck prick up. “Where? I thought you were heading home after you dropped me off.”
“She was at your window. I wanted to…well, I wanted to tell you something and decided to come to your window again, but she was standing there.”
“Are you serious?” I check to make sure Lisa locked my window. I peer through the blinds and scan the dark yard towards the tree line. “Are you sure? I didn’t hear that bee buzzing in my head, did you?”
“I did. She was here, I swear it. In the dark. I just saw the back of her while she stood near your window. At first, I thought maybe it was Cadence, even though that seems illogical to me now, since I only just dropped her off. But when I got closer, I knew it wasn’t her. When I came up, the girl stared at me with her big black eyes. Scared the hell out of me. Before I could scream, she ran away. She was so fast.”
“She ran off? Just like that?” I remember how she and the boy moved like lightning. It was unsettling.
Tears fall down her cheeks and she wipes them away. “I’ve never been more frightened in my life, Mav…never. I’ll never forget those eyes.”
“Maverick?” Mom yells from down the hall.
The sound of footsteps approach. There’s no time for Lisa to climb back out my window, and I doubt she’d be willing to go back out there anyway. I jump up and go to the door before Mom can touch the doorknob.
“Yeah, Mom.” I crack the door open. “Something wrong?”
Mom’s eyes are bloodshot. “I was about to ask you the same thing. What was that noise I heard?”
“I’m okay. I just fell out of bed. Sorry.”
“Nightmares?”
I nod. “I’ll be fine. Go back to sleep, Mom. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Alright. Goodnight.” She flashes me a smile with a trace of concern and heads back to her bedroom.
I shut the door and allow myself to breathe. When I turn around to face Lisa, she’s gone from her spot next to the window. She’s sitting on my bed, and as terrified as I am of the black-eyed freaks waiting for us outside my window, I’m in shock that Lisa is actually in my room...on my bed. I had dreamed of this moment for years, but under much different circumstances.
“I’m sorry, Mav, but I’m too afraid to leave,” she whispers.
“I know.”
I sit next to her. Lisa rests her head on my shoulder, and I put my arm around her. She quivers under my touch. We sit like this for a long time until her shaking stops.
“What was she going to do, Mav? Was she coming back to kill you too?”
“I don’t know.”
Maybe the girl regrets letting me go, but I don’t think so. Something tells me that she didn’t come back to kill me. I should know better, but I can’t ignore my gut feeling that she’s not like the boy.
I ask her, “Are you sure she was alone? You didn’t see the boy?”
Lisa shakes her head. “Just her, but that was enough.” She starts to shake nervously again. “She’s not human. Her black eyes make her look like a monster. And when she took off, she was a blur. But the worst was that feeling of dread. I thought I was going to die. And that loud buzzing in my head. Horrible.”
“I know that feeling all too well.”
That was exactly how I felt when the knocks came at Tarick’s door. Without even coming face to face with the black-eyed kid, a strange and heavy feeling that I was going to die took hold of me. Froze me with fear. I swear Tarick was somehow under the boy’s control, as if the monster could mess with our minds. That’s why I think the girl doesn’t want to kill me. If she wanted to, I’m sure she could take over my brain and I’d be dead like Tarick.
“They really killed Tarick, didn’t they?” she asks.
“Yes.”
“What are they?”
“I don’t know.”
We sit in silence for a moment, and Lisa’s head leaves my shoulder.
“Vampires?” she speculates. “That boy actually asked to come in the house, right? He didn’t try to just break in or anything.”
“Yes, but I don’t think they’re vampires.” I smile, thinking of that stupid movie we all saw a couple of years ago. It was so cheesy. “They didn’t sparkle.”
She punches my chest. “Be serious, Mav.”
“He didn’t go for our throats or anything,” I say. “If they wanted to kill us, why didn’t they just break down the door or something? Don’t vampires have super-strength?”
“Maybe they are demons,” she says.
“Like from Hell?” I can’t help but chuckle. I stifle a louder laugh. “Demons. Really, Lisa?”
“Come to take your souls,” she insists. “Poor Tarick.”
“There’s no way. Can’t be.”
“Why not? Demons have freaky eyes and their evil presence scares the living crap out of us.”
I can tell that Lisa’s not joking, so I try to look serious. “I guess I never really believed in Hell or demons. Just sounds so out there, but then again, this whole thing is pretty screwed up.”
“One thing’s for sure, Mav. They are not human.”
I agree with Lisa on that one. “I thought they were just doped up druggies. But I know the boy was able to control Tarick’s mind. Once Tarick opened the door, there was nothing we could do. It was like he had a spell over us. It took all I had to try to protect baby Cally. But Tarick looked like a zombie.”
Lisa touches my arm, and I hope she needs me to hold
her again. “Demons. I’m telling you. We need to do some research.”
Although Lisa’s theory sounds absurd, I still can’t dismiss it so easily. Can’t dismiss anything at this point. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe they are evil demons. I should start going to church.”
I’M NOT A DEMON! The voice in my head rattles my brain. I press my hands over my ears, and Lisa is too terrified to even scream.
10
ASTID
THE WORDS INVADED their minds before I could think twice about releasing them. Never before have I attempted to communicate with two minds at once. It wasn’t as difficult as I had expected.
I immediately regret coming back to Maverick’s house. Terror fills Maverick and Lisa while they’re wondering if they had just imagined my voice in their heads. I’m about to start for his window, but I decide that I should remain in the shadows of the trees.
Maverick speaks out loud, but he’s trying to push his thoughts out to me. I can easily sense his emotions, and I can almost hear his words. His effort surprises me. I didn’t know humans were capable of telepathic thought. I don’t hear his words clearly, but I can sense what he’s asking. I think he’s asking if I can hear him.
Yes, I can hear you. I project to both of them. I have never before interacted with humans at this level. And I am not a demon.
Both of them look out of the window. Maverick lingers while Lisa remains on the bed. They are both afraid, but Lisa is absolutely terrified. Maverick’s desire for the truth outweighs his fear.
His tenacity amazes me.
I can hear everything you think, I reply as I step out from the trees by the fence so he can see me. Maverick backs away from the window. I mean you no harm.
I should call the cops, Maverick thinks to himself.
They would not be able to find me, and they will not believe you.
Lisa also receives my projected thoughts, and her panic blocks her mind from being able to communicate directly with me. Maverick continues to try to send his words, and his ability to concentrate strengthens.
You killed Tarick! The intensity of his emotions knock me backwards. Where is he?
I still can’t believe I’m sending thoughts back and forth like this with a mere human. Kren killed him. I had nothing to do with his death. I want so badly to join them inside Maverick’s room, but I know that Lisa would become hysterical if I came to his window. In the barn, I could have killed you. I let you go, remember?
Lisa wants to wake Maverick’s mother.
Tell Lisa not to get your mother. She is very tired and needs her rest.
Maverick does as instructed, and he remains at the window looking in my direction. What do you want? Why are you here?
I came to tell you the truth. I can feel Maverick’s despair, but there’s a sliver of hope in all of that darkness. I am sorry for what happened to your friend.
Where is Tarick? Where is his body?
This has been a mistake. I should never have come here. I can’t tell him what I am. He would never accept me. The truth is too horrible. I am sorry. I cannot help you.
I turn and run into the woods until I am far enough away that I can no longer hear him. I should leave town before Kren finds me. I’m running blindly until I stop to find myself in the middle of the forest.
Despite being out of range, Maverick’s grief lingers in my mind. It is too much to bear, and it’s difficult to understand how humans can feel like this and yet maintain their sanity. It’s too much. Maybe Maverick is right.
Maybe I am a monster.
11
MAVERICK
THE LIGHT SEEPS into the room and brightens the gloom with each passing moment. I begin to wonder if time moves more quickly now, or perhaps with everything that’s been happening, it just feels that way.
Did Lisa stay the night with me? I bolt out of bed, thinking everything last night could have been just a dream, but no. Lisa stands at the window, looking out into the yard.
“The day is less scary, isn’t it, Mav?” she asks me while still gazing at the new day. “It’s impossible to be afraid when it’s so bright out.”
Lisa sends a text on her phone. “Cadence is just making sure I’m okay. She wants to see me ASAP.”
“What about your folks?” I ask. “They’re probably freaking out that you didn’t come home last night.”
“They think I’m at her house.”
The digital clock next to my bed blinks 7:30, and I know that Mom will be rising soon, if she’s not already awake. “Let’s get you home.”
I throw the covers back and unlock my door. I hear the sound of Mom in the shower. I motion for Lisa to follow me, and we tiptoe out the front door.
When we leave the house, I can’t help but look up and down the street for whatever may be lurking nearby. Do the black-eyed ghouls only come out at night? Maybe they avoid daylight just like vampires.
It’s quiet outside this early, with only the mockingbirds greeting us. I open her car door and check the inside. “All clear.”
Lisa stands in front of the open door and stares at me. Neither of us say a word, but her eyes speak volumes. It’s a little awkward to think that we actually spent the night together. Although nothing happened, this is one for the history books. She kisses my cheek and climbs into the Mustang.
Her car leaves the development. Despite all the freaky stuff that happened last night, at least I now have an ally. Lisa believes me and that makes the situation so much better.
It’s my only strand of hope.
“SCHOOL STARTS ON WEDNESDAY,” Mom says as she tidies up the kitchen after breakfast.
She only fixes breakfast for us on the weekends, since she’s off of work. Every weekday, it’s cereal. I finish scoffing down my second plateful of eggs.
“Do you think you’ll be ready to go?” she asks me.
The thought never crossed my mind. When I looked at myself in the mirror this morning, I looked like a grotesque monster with a battered face, now purplish in color. No wonder Lisa kissed my cheek. She pitied me.
“I’ll be fine.”
That’s a total lie. Facing all the other students who think I’m a killer scares the hell out of me.
“I’ll go shopping for you today, then.”
Mom is a saint. She knows how much I hate shopping, especially for clothes.
She asks, “Do you want anything special?”
“No. You know me.”
“Yes, I know you.” Her thin eyebrows form a knot as she lingers at the entrance to the kitchen.
I can tell she’s worried, as usual. “What?”
“Are you going to be all right here…alone?”
“Yes.” I want to scream No! Don’t leave me. They’ll come back. But I refuse to admit my fears.
Maybe I can call Lisa to come stay with me, but I think she might be more afraid of this house than I am. I can’t blame her. Now I have them coming to my window in the middle of the night.
“Okay. Then I guess I’ll see you a little later.” She turns to leave and then stops. “Call me if you need anything. I won’t go far.”
I nod, and then she heads down the hallway.
LISA DOESN’T ANSWER my calls, and she doesn’t return my messages. I pace up and down the hall wondering what I should do. Why is she ignoring me? I clear all of my other voice mails, not even listening to them. I delete all the texts I had received over the last couple of days too. I even go through my entire contacts and delete the people I no longer talk to. I’m done cleaning up my phone—now what?
Mom has only been gone an hour, and I’m already on the verge of a panic attack. I want to call her and ask her to come back. It’s not like I need any new school clothes. I have all that stuff from last year that fits perfectly fine.
I breathe in and out and think about the last time I was alone. It’s been a long time. I’m usually at Tarick’s, or he’s with me. The sad realization that I’m never going to see my best friend again hits me hard. I can’t even
imagine senior year without Tarick. This was supposed to be our year.
The Xbox remains unplayed, and I want to chuck it into the garbage. I don’t even remember what game me and Tarick were playing at his house, but just looking at that game console reminds me of that night.
After flipping through the billion channels that show absolutely nothing of interest, I glare at the pill bottle on the coffee table. It’s not the pain I want to escape, but the anxiety that forms in my stomach. I decide to take two, hoping it will knock me out for a while.
“MAVERICK, HONEY.”
Mom’s voice wakes me from a deep sleep. Her hand touches my temple and I open my eyes to see her looking down at me with concerned eyes. “How are you feeling?”
I sit up on the couch and see that the sunlight is faded outside. “What time is it?”
“It’s almost seven. When I got home you were sleeping, and I didn’t want to wake you.” She hands me a glass of water. “Why don’t you go and lie down in your bedroom for the night? Your body obviously needs the rest. And don’t forget to take your Prozac.”
“Okay.” I take the water and make my way down to my room. Grogginess floods my brain and all I want to do is rejoin my dreams. They seem to be less scary than my reality at the moment.
Maybe I should spend the rest of my life in a coma.
MOM STILL FEELS guilty that she didn’t tell me about scheduling a time for me to see a new therapist. She had woken me up to tell me that I’ve got an appointment first thing in the morning. I didn’t put up much of a fight since I was too tired to argue with her.
We sit in her car, just outside the doctor’s office.
“Maverick, I’m sorry. I should have told you last night, but you were so sleepy.”
Black-Eyed Kids: The Complete Series Page 6
