by Alexie Aaron
“Excuse me, son. Can I help you?”
“I’ve come to see Kim.”
“That isn’t Kim in there, and the lady wishes you to leave.”
“Sorry, sir,” the boy said and left.
Tom tapped on the door. “Audrey, it’s Tom.”
Audrey opened her door. “Come on in.”
“He was a teenager. He left.”
Audrey explained what had happened. “He wouldn’t leave. He called me Kim.”
“Maybe it was a stunt. You should see the stuff Big Bear Lake deals with when it’s football season.” Tom took in Audrey’s nervous stance. “How about I hang here for a little while? Just to make sure he doesn’t come back.”
“Could you? Thanks.”
Jerry looked at the room and waited for the guy to leave. He sensed a cop vibe and realized that he had missed his opportunity. He faded back into the woods. He would return tomorrow.
~
CRASH!
The house shook. Mia launched out of her bed and ran full out to Mike’s room. She jumped in his bed and plastered herself against his body.
“Don’t let them take me,” she pleaded.
Mike turned and groaned. “Mia, you can’t do this to me. You can’t be in here.”
“Don’t let them take me, Mike,” she repeated.
Mike sat up. She was genuinely terrified. She was sweat-soaked and her expression was frantic.
He reached over and turned on the bedside lamp. The power was out. “Mia, who is going to take you?”
“They came in the night and took Billy and Lobo. They came with the lightning. They took them. The next morning I found them, dead. Their heads were twisted around the wrong way. They came with the lightning,” Mia said again, her eyes wild. “The next time the lightning hit, they came again and dragged me away. I fought them. I bit and scratched, and they hit me hard. A police siren went off nearby. They left me but took Yann with them. I found him the next morning, impaled on the iron fence outside.”
“How horrible for you.” Mike took her in his arms.
“They’ll find and kill me. I have to watch the lightning. Never be alone, hold on tight.”
Mike had never seen Mia this way. Did Ted have to deal with this with every storm? He had a suspicion that, by him pushing Mia this afternoon to relate who were her two other lovers, she had opened up a door long closed. She now remembered and understood why lightning frightened her.
“Mia,” he said, holding her face, looking into her eyes. “You have to calm down. I’m going to get some candles. I’ll be right outside the door. Stay here,” he said firmly.
He grabbed three candles and placed them around his room.
“Mia, light these,” he ordered, and she did without a word.
He sat in the chair, exhausted. “We have to talk about this. But you’re in my room. Let’s move someplace neutral. The hallway perhaps.”
Mia got up and walked into the hall, snagging a candle as she passed.
Mike prayed there wouldn’t be another lightning crash. He knew his control was all but gone, and Mia would hate herself if anything happened between them.
Mia sat dangling her feet through the spindles on the landing. She was looking down at the first floor, keeping a wary eye on the front door. Mike sat down next to her. He had gotten completely dressed.
“I’m sorry I pushed you into telling me things you’d buried. I’m a bully. But now that the door has been opened, I think I caused a bigger problem. You’re going to have to tell me about it, and let me help you sort this out.”
Mia nodded. She stared off into space and started speaking, “Lobo found me outside a comedy club. It was three in the morning, and I was leaning against the wall trying to sleep. I hadn’t eaten in days and didn’t want to go back to the dive I was crashing in. He picked me up and carried me to his home. It was an old warehouse. In those days, a warehouse was a warehouse and not a loft. I remember him setting me down on a cot and covering me up. The next day, I awoke to find myself in a room of computers. The screens were old TVs, and most of the computers looked like they were put together from scraps. The keyboards were backlit, and it was amazing. It looked like a control room for NASA to me. I had to pee and was directed to an old bathroom. I was ordered to take a shower because I smelled like stale cigarettes, booze and the streets.”
“After, I sat and watched as these dozen guys and two girls worked on code. My rescuer was a short, strong guy with thick glasses. Lobo was his handle. He showed me around and said I could stay there if I would do the food runs. Everyone else was involved in a big project. I did. It was a few months before Lobo took me to bed, both of us virgins. We pretty much fumbled around, but we got better at it. I felt loved and proud to be Lobo’s girlfriend. He called me wife. He was attentive and kind, and I loved him.”
“Billy was the first to hack into inner space. He thought it was a dimensional portal of some kind. I know now that it wasn’t. I suspect it was a vortex to a private demon spur of a ley line, but in those days, I hadn’t a clue about the many layers of worlds there are, here on this planet. But Billy had cracked it. It opened up in the basement. Lobo and Billy put a rope around themselves, and we held on as they entered the vortex. They came back with stuff, old artifacts and gold, they had found.”
“The idiots must have ended up in a vault of some kind. They picked up what they assumed was treasure and brought it back with them. They continued these raids, alternating between Billy, Lobo and Yann. I would take the stuff to a fence and bring back money which we lived on. It was working out fine until that night of the electrical storm.”
“What we didn’t know was, the demons found out they had been robbed. They followed the trail but couldn’t cross over into our world. That was until the night of the thunderstorm. You see, demons draw power from storms, much like Murphy does from the energon cubes.”
“That night, they came when there were only the four of us. The rest had gone home. Because of the storm, there were far too many power surges to work. The risk to the computers was too great. The group couldn’t work, so they went back to wherever they called home. It was just us four hanging around. The first night, they took Lobo and Billy. They broke their necks and left them as a warning to the others.”
“Yann wanted revenge. He went into the portal and stole the rest of the treasure. That night, they came for the rest of us. I fought them, but Yann was taken and ended up dead. The next day, I stole as much of the stuff from the fence as I could. I tossed it in the portal before I destroyed the computers and left. I left town. I’ve never been sure if they’re still looking for me or not. I made sure I didn’t have a computer. I feared that somehow they would find me through one.”
“So when the lightning crashes…”
“I fear they are going to walk out, find me and kill me and those I love.”
“So when your grandmother warned you about the Others…”
“It was after she found out about Lobo, Billy and Yann. She felt I had been noticed by the wrong sort.”
“Oh my god, Mia,” Mike said.
“Some goody two-shoes,” Mia said. She got up and messed up Mike’s hair. “Sorry about making you feel uncomfortable. I’m going to try and get some sleep.”
Mike walked down the stairs, grabbed a beer out of the refrigerator and walked back upstairs. He listened at Mia’s door and heard her even breathing. He went into his room and closed the door.
~
The early morning light was coming through the blinds. Audrey had been up working since a half an hour before. She yawned and pondered whether Burt was awake and had set up his coffee pot.
She put on her shoes, took her key and walked out the door. She walked down the sidewalk and turned towards Burt and Tom’s cabin.
In front of her was Jerry.
“Hi, Kim,” he said.
“Excuse me,” Audrey said, brushing by him.
He caught her arm and spun her around.
&nbs
p; “Kim, I must insist you talk to me. There isn’t much time left.”
Curious, Audrey gave him her attention.
“It’s about the homecoming dance.”
“And…” Audrey led.
“Kim, I’ve decided to ask Becky.”
“Becky is a lucky girl,” Audrey said, feeling funny.
Jerry walked Audrey towards the woods. “I need you to talk to her. She’s going to need advice about what to wear.”
“I’ll do my best…”
Cid tapped on Audrey’s door. There wasn’t an answer. Maybe she had gone to Burt’s for coffee. He walked around the corner and could have sworn he saw Audrey walking on the path into the woods with a teenager. He took off running, but by the time he got to the path, she was gone. He shook it off and jogged back to Burt’s cabin. He knocked. A very alert Tom answered the door. “Is Audrey here?” Cid asked.
“No. Why?”
“I could have sworn I saw her on the path with a kid…”
“Teen?”
“Yes.”
Tom took off running. Cid caught up.
“A kid was bothering her last night. We have to find her!”
They searched the woods and came up empty. They walked back to the cabins, and Tom walked into his.
A woman screamed. “Get out, get out!”
“What the…? This is my cabin.”
“Get out! Harvey, there are two men in here!”
A very large man walked out of the bathroom. He narrowed his eyes.
“I’m sorry, I thought this was my cabin,” Tom said.
Cid pulled him out. “Let’s go to… Where is the truck?”
Tom looked around. Not only the PEEPs command vehicle was gone but the van too. Cid walked down, opened up his cabin, and it was empty.
“We’re caught up in it,” Cid said. “Look at those cars.”
“They’re all vintage autos,” Tom said.
“Think again. That’s original paint on the Chrysler,” Cid said. “We seem to have gone back in time. We have to go back into the woods and come out at the right spot.”
“How will we do that?”
“I’m hoping, with my ears and your sight, that we will be able to find our way out.”
~
Mia smiled as she listened to Mike’s radio. They were speeding towards Rock Island. The site of the abductions was east of the river. She and Mike had awoken, ate the pancakes he made, and Mia cleaned the house while Mike loaded the car. He was pleased to see some color back in Mia’s cheeks. Last night had been a trial for both of them. His mother came home in time to get a hug from Mia and one from her son before they took off.
There were no furtive looks nor blushes when she asked what the two of them had been doing last night.
“Mike helped me to understand my fear of lightning,” Mia said honestly.
“Ma, we have to get going.” He kissed her and dropped a note in her pocket that he and Mia had composed together at the breakfast table.
Dear Glenda (Mom),
Thank you for your hospitality. I owe you a weekend at the farm. You are a wonderful friend, and your son was a fine host while you were away.
Kind Regards
Mia
P.S. I’m sorry I broke Mike’s penis.
“Do you think we should have been a bit more specific on the penis break?” Mia asked Mike.
“No, there are two ways she could understand it. Either we made love until you broke it, or you were defending yourself and broke it.”
“You’re a genius.”
“I know. Mia, we came dangerously close to messing up our lives.”
“Yes, you have to learn to knock,” Mia said.
“You have to keep your hands off of me,” Mike stressed.
“You’re right. Thank you again for last night. Now that I know why I’m like this, I can work on the problem.”
“You loved this Lobo, didn’t you?”
“Yes, Mike. I think Burt and Ted kind of remind me of him. I didn’t realize it until now.”
“Maybe you have a type. You’re attracted to smart guys.”
“Gee, then how do I explain you?”
Mike pulled over. “Get out!”
Mia did. She was laughing so hard she could hardly walk.
Mike pulled up. “Get in, Cooper.”
Mia hopped back in. “Honestly, I don’t know if I’m coming or going these days. Okay, I would like to thank you for taking care of me yesterday.”
“Thank you for taking me flying,” Mike said.
“Anytime, Dupree,” Mia said.
Mia listened to her phone and winced at the irritation in Ted’s voice. She shared Orion’s picture of Brian with Mike. Mia tried several times to contact Ted, but she was sent to voicemail.
“I wonder if they’re sitting in a dead zone?” she asked. She tried the rest of the group but couldn’t raise any of them.
“They could be having the storm we had?” Mike guessed.
“I hope so, or we’re in the shithouse. If so, how about living in France with me and Brian?”
“Sure.” Mike looked at her sideways. “You don’t have to ask twice.”
Mia smiled. “So my wings don’t put you off, Dupree?”
“Nope. The demon thing is a bit scary, but hey, I only live once.”
Mia started laughing. She turned up the music, leaned back in the luxury car and enjoyed the ride.
~
Mike turned off the highway, and Mia watched for the signs to the cabins. As he was about to pull in, she shouted, “Stop!”
He did. “What’s wrong?”
“I can see a distortion. Do you have a full-spectrum camera?”
“In the trunk.” Mike pulled the car over onto the verge and popped the trunk. Mia found the camera and encouraged Mike to look.
“Do you see the waves? It’s like the old house.”
“Yes, but I do see stable areas. Let’s see if I can move the car into these areas.”
“I’m game if you are,” Mia said.
He opened the sunroof, and Mia stood up and looked through the camera and directed him into the lot. The command center truck was in a stable area, so they parked alongside it.
The truck was locked up tight. Mike did have a set of keys for the back, but Mia wanted to find Ted first. She tried her phone again, but there was no answer. She walked over to the cabin that he said was theirs and knocked on the door. No answer. “Mike, I’m getting scared.”
Mike picked up the camera and walked in the unwavering path until he got to the cabin he was to share with Burt and knocked.
Ted opened the door.
“Mia, I found your husband!” he called.
Mia traced Mike’s footsteps and ran into Ted’s arms.
Mike walked in behind them to see Burt looking pretty panicked.
“They’re gone. We can’t find Audrey, Tom, Cid, or Murphy. Last night, a kid was knocking on Audrey’s door. He kept calling her Kim. Tom went over there and made him go away…” Burt explained the rest of the story.
“Mia found that there are waves, similar to the old house, all around this place.”
Burt nodded and explained, “Some kind of powerful force is dictating what it wants us to see.”
“We could follow the solid path and see if we can find the others,” Mia suggested.
“Ted, go with Mia to the truck. Get us all full-spectrum glasses. No matter what, you two stick together.”
“Yes, sir,” Ted said and took hold of Mia’s hand. She handed the camera to him and pointed out the safe areas to watch for.
Mike walked in and sat down. Burt looked at him with sympathy. “So how’d it go?”
“It was very illuminating.”
“You two didn’t?” he asked.
“No, give us some credit.”
“Damn, I owe Cid five bucks.”
“You bet Cid five dollars that I was going to bed his best friend’s wife?” Mike asked.
“
No, just that you would do something stupid.”
“I didn’t, unless letting Mia have three pain pills was stupid. She was a riot. Ma and I had a lot of fun watching her.”
“Well, I bet I had a lot more fun with her…”
“Don’t start. Burt, I did find out why Mia chose you over me though. She has a type.”
Burt frowned. “Do you want to explain that?”
“No,” he said, smiling. “Now show me the information you have, so I can help figure out how to find our guys.”
“You look pretty snazzy in that blazer,” Ted said.
“Thank you, Ted. Mike didn’t want it, and I was low on clothes.”
“So you didn’t have any trouble with Mike?”
“No. If anything, I may have made an ass out of myself when it started storming.”
“Oh dear.”
“He sat down with me, and we discussed it. He is very insightful,” Mia said. “It has to do with a trauma in my past.”
“Mike Dupree was helpful?” Ted asked skeptically.
“Shocked the hell out of me,” Mia replied.
Ted unlocked the door and helped Mia inside. She grabbed him just as he shut the door and kissed him long and hard. “Don’t you ever leave me again,” she said.
“Mia, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were hurting. I feel like a heel.”
“Don’t. I know I’m no peach when I’m injured.” Mia pulled her boots off and then her pants.
“Mia…”
“Burt said we should stick together. Don’t talk, love me,” she said, pulling him to her.
Ted smiled as he found the glasses. He also set up a portable Wi-Fi so they could communicate through the waves. Mia was still a bit drifty. She pulled on her boots, humming.
“If that’s the punishment I get for leaving you, I’m going to do it more often,” Ted said. He helped her put on her jacket. His hand was pulling up her hair when he asked, “What’s this?”
“I’m sorry? What?” Mia asked, panicked. Had Sariel’s mark come back?
“You had a leaf in your hair. I thought it was a bug.”
