by C. M. Fenn
We pass another room that’s filled with every type of musical instrument you can think of. The walls are lined with floor-to-ceiling mirrors, and right in the middle of the room is a dark cherry grand piano. I see electric guitars, acoustic guitars, even an electric-acoustic guitar. There are amps and microphones and a drum set. I see cases along the wall that are in the shapes of a various stringed instruments. There’s a beautiful pearl-colored full-sized harp. I laugh when I see there is even a didgeridoo and wonder if Mel had anything to do with that.
We stop when we reach an area that branches off into three different hallways. There’s one directly ahead and one off to my left and one to my right. Ember points to the right hallway.
“My room is down this way. There aren’t any vacant rooms down here now, but if you like, Angel can build you one later.”
“Whoa. What?” I ask not sure I heard her correctly.
“Well, not physically. We don’t run on child labor here,” she snorts. “Manipulating and expanding the space here in the Calms is a mental ability. Angel’s the only one of us who can do that right now.” My head spins as I try to understand. “It’s all right. You’ll get it later. Anyway, we have spare rooms down either of the other halls. Take your pick.”
“Uh,” I hesitate. I point to the middle hall at random. “This works.”
The first empty room is the second on the left. Inside, the walls are a crisp, fresh yellow. “This is perfect! Matches your aura!”
Ember motions to the dresser in the room. “There are some pretty standard clothes in here to hold you over for now. Girls’ clothes are on the right. Pajamas should be in the top drawer. Once you’re changed and cleaned up, go ahead and lay down. I won’t wake you up top-side for another twenty minutes to make sure you’ve had enough time. Everything sound okay?”
“Yeah, sounds good.” I’m surprised I’m still alive.
“You did really great tonight, Addy. I’m proud of you. See you in a few.” Ember heads out and I close my door behind her. I find the pajamas where she said I would. The layout of this room is nearly identical to the one I stayed in last night at Minor Calm. The only differences are the colors on the walls and the bedspread.
I wash dried blood off me in the bathroom and change into the clean, comfortable pajamas. I figure it’s been nearly twenty minutes, so I climb under the covers and take deep breaths, trying to relax. My eyelids droop suddenly, and I find I can’t possibly keep them open another second.
Chapter 13
I open my eyes to see Ember smiling down at me. There’s something exhilarating about waking up and realizing I have this incredible secret! And better yet, I get to share this experience with my best friends. The sun is shining through my bedroom window and birds are chirping in my front yard. It’s a startlingly cheery atmosphere compared to the terrifying ordeal I went through last night. I turn and look at my alarm clock. Seven thirty-two a.m.
I sit up and take inventory of my body parts, double checking they are all present and in working order. Everything feels great. My palms are completely healed and covered with my “initiation” scars, which might be difficult to explain to my mom and sister. I’ll have to keep my bandages on for the next week or so.
I’m feeling surprisingly well after the events of last night. Shouldn’t I be exhausted? I haven’t actually slept for the last forty-eight hours or so, and the amount of physical and emotional energy I’ve exerted should have left me a mess.
“How does my body rest?” I ask. “I don’t feel tired at all!”
Ember smirks knowingly. “Pretty crazy, huh?”
“Definitely crazy.”
“If you think about it, it makes sense. Your body’s in two planes of existence. When you’re in Earth Realm, your Chaos Realm body is resting, and vice versa. Your body actually is getting the sleep it needs. It’s your conscious mind that can’t rest,” she explains.
“So … that can’t be good right? Even our minds need sleep, don’t they?”
“Normal minds, yes. The rules of reality in Chaos are different from the ones here. Chaos does something to us physically. It changes our minds, expands them, so we can adapt to the demanding lifestyle. It’s pretty cool. Without it, we’d probably all go mad.” She says this so casually I can’t help but laugh.
“Maybe you are all mad!” I tease. “So, is that also how you can make fire? Because of the different rules in Chaos?”
“That’s exactly how. Think of it like this: Imagine the fabric of reality. In Earth Realm, it’s solid, immovable, and impenetrable. It has strict rules that must be followed. For some reason, the fabric in Chaos is different. It’s like putty. We can shape it, manipulate it, and control it. There are fewer rules. Once we learn how it’s done in Chaos, we can do the same thing here, in Earth Realm. But since the fabric here is still tough, it’s a little more difficult to manipulate, even though we know how. The result is our abilities are never quite as strong here as they are there,” she explains.
“But you can definitely still use them. I’ve seen it.”
“Right!” Ember seems glad she was able to get her meaning across. I’m still marveling over the fact that I’m not even tired. Actually, I’m feeling invigorated, even giddy! And … FAMISHED. My stomach growls intensely as if to accentuate the point. Ember’s rubbing her own stomach too.
“Well, what are we doing in here? Let’s go eat!” I say as I throw back the covers. As we leave my room, I also realize how badly I need to tend to other bodily functions, and I make a detour to the restroom. As I’m washing my hands, I wonder if the Walkers ever use the bathrooms in the Calms or if that would only create embarrassing problems for your body back in Earth Realm.
As I’m waiting for Ember to take her turn in the bathroom, I glance down the hall at the guest room’s closed door. My stomach gets a funny, tight knot in it.
I wonder if Sam is up yet, and if not, I try to imagine what he’s doing in Chaos. As I think of seeing him again this morning, I’m surprised at how much I’m looking forward to it. I mean, I only left him about thirty minutes ago. I guess there’s just something about having him here, at my own house.
Ember startles me out of my musings when she opens the bathroom door. “I’ve got an idea!” she says as we head toward the kitchen. “Let’s make breakfast for everyone.” Jana’s still asleep and I can hear my mom’s shower running.
“Sounds like we’re the only ones up anyway, so we might as well.” I look around for something quick and easy. I feel like I haven’t eaten in days! We decide on biscuits from a can and sausage and gravy. We split up the process and soon the kitchen is filled with mouth-watering aromas. The smell works like a charm because first, out comes my mom, soon followed by a sleepy-eyed Jana. Like moths to a flame.
Ember insists they take a seat at the table while the two of us serve. As we’re setting the table, I hear the guest room door open, then the bathroom door close. My pulse picks up a little. What’s my problem? It’s just Sam.
I’m not the only one looking forward to seeing him I notice as Jana gets up and moves to the other side of the table, leaving an open chair next to her. I roll my eyes at her and she sticks her tongue out at me. When Ember and I walk back to get the orange juice and milk from the fridge, we both giggle at Jana’s maneuvering.
Ember takes the pitchers to the table, and as I get the glasses, a thought crosses my mind. Jana’s gorgeous. Sam wouldn’t be completely out of his mind if he fell for her. They aren’t too far apart in age—at least not enough to deter Jana.
I can hear him out there greeting everyone. My stomach twists around a little. Ugh! What’s wrong with me? I decide the best way to get past this bizarre reaction is to face it head on. I scoop up the cups and march, head held high, out of the kitchen, around the corner, and WHAM! I collide right into Sam.
We both fumble quickly to try and catch all of the tumbling glasses. Thanks to his incredible reflexes, we manage to save them all. We’re standing awkwardly cl
ose, holding the glasses in place between us. I feel like a fool when I look up into his face because my cheeks are burning and I know I’m blushing. So much for facing my fears.
He smiles down at me like an old friend.
“Morning,” he says simply.
“Good morning! And good save!” I pray he doesn’t pick up on my nervousness. We juggle the glasses around between us so that I’m carrying two and he has three. We set one down in front of each place setting and settle in to eat.
Everyone thanks the master chefs and the rest of breakfast is spent with lighthearted chatter. Jana tells my mom that her friend Katie is coming over to hang out today. I have my own suspicions why, but I don’t say anything.
“So what do you guys plan on doing the rest of the day?” Mom asks us.
We all look around at each other. We hadn’t really planned anything. I’m not even sure how long they’re able to stay. Sam has a pretty demanding job. I’m sure he’s expected back soon. Other than the concert tonight, I have no idea what they had in mind.
Ember speaks up. “We didn’t really have any specific plans. We were just thinking of hanging out, getting to know each other better.” She looks at me. “Maybe you can show us where kids around here go to hang when it’s a hundred degrees.”
“Oh yeah, I’ve got the perfect place!” I smile, grateful for the suggestion. This will get us out of the house and somewhere we can talk about Chaos without my family thinking we’re insane.
Sam clears his throat. “Mrs. Shepherd?”
“Oh please, Sam, call me Maggie!” Mom insists.
“Thank you, ma’am. Well, Ember and I wanted to know if we could take Addy with us to the concert tonight.” I turn to Sam, completely surprised. I look at Ember and she grins and winks at me. “We went ahead and got an extra ticket and were planning on asking her, but it’s in Phoenix, and I wanted to make sure you were comfortable with that.”
I turn to my mom and give her my best “desperate pleading” face as I bounce in my seat. She looks at me with her eyebrows raised as if she’s trying hard to suppress a smile. I take this as a positive sign.
“Mom?” I say as sweetly as I can. I’m smiling because I can already tell she’s going to give. “Mommy? Mommy dearest? Mother whom I love above all others?”
At this she starts laughing. “Oh I guess.” She draws it out dramatically.
“YES!” I turn and high five Ember. “Thanks guys!” Then feeling sheepish, I remember my mom. “Thanks Mom, you’re the best.” I’m so thrilled at the prospect of seeing a really good band in concert with two awesome people that even Jana’s surly, jealous expression can’t dampen the mood.
After breakfast, Mom refuses to let us help clean up. We take time to get ready for the day. Ember lets me use my room first and when I’m finished, I find Sam cornered in the front room by two very overly social girls.
Ember’s observing the scene from the living room, trying to hide a smile at the sight of Sam stuck on the couch between Jana and her friend Katie. I’m not as amused as Ember is. I decide the sooner we leave the better.
“Hi Katie. You’ve met Sam then?” She nods her head without even turning to look at me, keeping all of her attention on Sam. I’ve never disliked Katie but for some reason, this really irks me.
“This is Ember. Ember this is my sister’s friend Katie.” At least Katie has the decency to turn and wave at Ember before turning back to Sam and giggling at something he’s saying to Jana. Ember wiggles her eyebrows at me and goes to the back to get changed.
I actually look at Sam now. I don’t know what I was expecting. I thought I was beginning to understand him and his demeanor over the last few days. While he had shown kindness, he had been mostly assertive, serious, and reserved. I thought he would look bothered, stuck between these two silly girls chatting and flirting with him. If not bothered, then at least a little uncomfortable.
The reality is, he’s sitting there, grinning and talking very animatedly with them. He’s engaging them more openly than he had the Walkers. For some reason this, plus the fact that Katie and Jana were totally being rude to me, makes me even angrier.
I choke down the angry, sarcastic comments threatening to slip out of my mouth as Jana plays with a strand of her hair. They all start laughing at something, and Katie puts her hand on Sam’s arm as she leans toward him. That’s too much to bear anymore. I’m dizzy and a little nauseous, so I march out the front door without saying a word to anyone.
I walk out to the big tree in the center of my front yard. The morning air is warm and fresh, and I take deep breaths as I lean against the trunk of the elm. I close my eyes and rest my head back against the bark. I’m not being silly. I have a right to be upset, don’t I? Sam is supposed to be “family,” but he’s never been that open with me.
“Addy?”
I turn and see Sam standing a little ways off. He hardly ever calls me that. He looks worried and confused. It’s hard for me to look at him right now, so I close my eyes again and rest my head back. I concentrate on taking slow, deep breaths. I hear some leaves rustle nearby on the ground, and I feel goose bumps on my arm as I sense he’s moved closer.
“Are you upset?” he asks softly. He sounds sincerely worried and that makes me feel guilty. Here I was upset at some silly girls, and right now, I’m being the silly girl. I exhale deeply.
“No.” I shake my head slightly. I open my eyes a little. “I needed some air I guess.”
Sam’s quiet for a while. He turns and leans against the side of the trunk next to me. Our arms are just touching, and I can feel the warmth of his skin through his shirt. I’m suddenly very aware of the fact that his hand is hanging mere inches from mine. He takes a breath like he’s going to say something but then stops. We stand in silence for a while, enjoying the moment.
Sam always seems to have a relaxing effect on me. I wonder briefly if this is natural or if he’s using his “mind persuasion” on me. That, however, seems manipulative, and I don’t think Sam would ever do that to me without my permission. Now that I’ve had a minute to calm down, I feel guilty for getting upset with Sam.
“You should get back in there.” I motion toward the door. “They’re probably waiting with bated breath for your return.”
He lets out a short bark of laughter. I turn my head and look up at him. He’s looking down at me with an amused look. “That’s what this is about?”
I make a face at him and turn away so that he can’t see my embarrassment. Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything.
“Hey,” he says plaintively and nudges my arm with his. I pull away slightly.
“Oh come on. I’m only keeping the peace here. If I get along with your family, then they don’t question the fact that they’ve let a perfect stranger into their home.”
“That’s what was happening? You were just ‘getting along’?” I say lamely. I know I’m being a brat but I can’t stop myself. I’m hurt that he could be so friendly to them and give me only his serious side.
“Come on, Addy.” He leans closer and lowers his voice. “That wasn’t really me in there. I’m acting. Your sister is nice and all, but she’s a bit …” He searches for a word.
“Silly?” I supply.
He laughs. “Very.”
“And desperate?” I add.
“Maybe a little,” he jokes.
“I could go on,” I offer.
Just then, the front door closes loudly and we both jump guiltily. We relax when we see it’s only Ember. She walks up to us grinning.
“Hey Romeo, you sure you don’t want to stay and visit with the fam longer?” she asks sarcastically.
“Don’t even start,” Sam says as we walk to his truck. “Let’s get out of here before those girls think of an excuse to come with us.”
Ember holds the passenger door open and waits for me to get in first, placing me in between the two of them. I swear I see her smirking as I climb in, but once we’re all buckled up, she seems normal.
/> “So where to?” Sam asks.
Chapter 14
I give Sam directions to a local ice-skating rink that opens early on Saturdays. They have a bunch of comfortable booths around the rink and a huge snack bar where we can grab some lunch. I figure it’s a cool place for us to sit and talk and escape the heat.
“So are we really going to the concert tonight?” I ask. I wasn’t sure if that was just some cover story.
“Oh, hell yes!” Ember says enthusiastically.
“Thanks guys! I’ve never been to a concert before.”
“Are you serious?” Ember looks scandalized.
“Well, not unless you count piano recitals when I was younger,” I say, feeling a little embarrassed.
“Um. No,” Ember says lamely. “I don’t count piano recitals.” She laughs. “Man we’re going to have SO much fun! We’re lucky such a good band happened to be in town this weekend.”
“So how long can you guys stay?” I ask. “Sam, you’ve got to work eventually, right? And you still have school for another week, don’t you?” I ask Ember.
“I have to be back at work Monday by ten A.M.” Sam says.
“Yeah, I’ll have to fly home tomorrow,” Ember says with a scowl. “One more week. Just one more week,” she chants.
We pull into the parking lot of the ice rink and get out of the truck. Before we head inside, Sam digs around behind his seat for a small black messenger bag.
The rink has only been open a half an hour, so there are only a couple of families around. We sit in one of the many empty booths, and Sam carefully empties the contents of his bag onto the tabletop. Out comes an array of small electronic devices. Among these, I recognize a couple of the latest smartphones and five watches, each a unique style. Sam slides me one of the phones.
“Here’s your new phone, courtesy of the Walker account. Everyone’s preprogrammed in. Make sure you have this phone on you at all times. Here.” He pushes the watches closer to me. “Choose one of these.”
