by D. B. Green
“What’s wrong?” Maz’s eyes glow blue, just like Candy’s earlier at school. Sparkling like blue diamonds.
My heart thumps in my chest. I turn away and rub my head as the dull pain from earlier matches my heart rate, beat for beat.
“Bit tired,” I say, rubbing my eyes. “It’s been quite a day.”
Maz stares at the steering wheel, then at me. Her eyes are normal again. “You sure you’re OK to drive?”
“Yeah, I’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”
“OK, see you tomorrow then,” she says, closing the door.
I lean across and wind down the window. “That Porsche. Was it yours?”
Maz stops still on the gravel. Her arms fall by her side. She turns, nodding her head. “It was until this morning. How did you know?”
“Lucky guess.”
16:03 GMT-4
THE HARRISON ESTATE | MERIDIA FALLS
The truck’s headlights cut through the swirling mist on the horizon like a lighthouse on a foggy night. I brake at a sudden flash of light in the distance. It’s another car on the drive. Anne’s silver Mercedes. Her chauffeur, Ellis, tips his hat as I drive past, smirking in the flickering light from his cell phone screen. I circle the fountain and park in front of him, under my bedroom window.
I step out of my truck just as Harmony walks out of the house. Her afro-puff ponytail bounces over her shoulder as she walks down the stone path.
“Logan, I thought I would miss you today.” She flings her arms out and smiles, pulling me in for a hug. “Happy birthday.” She glances at the front door of the house. “I left you a card and a gift inside.”
“You didn’t have to get me anything,” I say. “You got me out of Serenity Grove. That takes care of your gift quota… for like, forever.”
“Don’t be daft.” She laughs as she slides her hands into a pair of leather gloves. “Did you have a good first day at school?”
“It was… interesting,” I say.
Her eyes narrow. “No panic attacks?” She swings a scarf over her shivering shoulders.
She’s asked me that every day since getting me out of Serenity Grove.
“I’m sorry to keep asking,” she says. “I just want you to know you can tell me if anything troubles you.”
Danger. Penny’s warning flashes in my mind. “I’m fine, Harmony. You worry too much,” I say, my breath swirling in the icy mist. “I’ve not had a panic attack in weeks.” The lie makes my heart race.
Harmony pulls a fur lined hat over her head. “What about the school kids? No one said anything about your past, did they?”
I walk with her to the Mercedes. “Anne’s got my back,” I say. “She’s a friend of the principal.”
Harmony half-smiles. “Just take care, Logan. We both want it work out for you here.”
“I did meet a couple girls… friends.”
Her left eyebrow raises and she laughs. “Oh, girlfriends… You sure don’t waste time!” She glances at the Mercedes. “Ellis is taking me out tonight. Wish me luck.”
“You caved in?”
She looks back at the house. “Kind of.”
Ellis gets out of the Mercedes and opens the door for her. She glares at him. “How many times…? Just for Anne, not for me.”
Ellis directs her into the back seat. He exaggerates tipping his hat and grins. “When I’m on the clock, I open doors for everyone.”
Harmony pulls me in for another hug and her hat tickles my cold cheek. “Get inside, Logan. You’re freezing.”
I close her door as Ellis slides into the driver’s seat. “Happy birthday, kid.” He winks before closing the door.
“I’m not a kid, Ellis,” I whisper, as the Mercedes crunches over the gravel. Harmony waves through the rear window as the car disappears into the dark mist.
My first sight of Harmony flashes through my mind. She seemed like an angel standing at the end of my bed. Her faith in me was better than any drug Serenity Grove could offer. She saved my life, getting me out of that hospital. Mom would have left me in there to rot. I owe a lot to Harmony. I should have told her about the weird things that happened at school, but I don’t want to put her at risk. I need to see Penny first and figure this out before I say anything. Opening my mouth is what landed me in Serenity Grove in the first place.
Something brushes against my leg. It’s the cat from this morning, Izzy. I bend down and stroke her head. She’s freezing cold, too. I pick her up and carry her to the back porch. She purrs and rubs against my gloves, tugging at a loose strand of wool. I push open the door with my boot.
“Ah, Logan. I’m glad I got back before you,” Anne says, as I step into the kitchen. She’s baking again – thankfully, not apple pie. Whatever it is, it smells gorgeous. Izzy’s nose searches for the source of the smell. “Did you get my message?”
“Yeah, I dropped into the bakery and picked up my keys.”
She rubs her head, leaving a smear of flour on her cheek. “I didn’t think I’d be back before you got home. Last-minute errands.”
“More apple pie?” I ask.
“Something like that.” She laughs. “Did you catch Harmony?”
“Yeah, I just saw her outside.”
Anne smiles. “I’ve sorted out the contractor for the garage. He’s starting tomorrow.” She closes the kitchen door. “You will have a dry space to park your… truck… by the weekend.”
I place Izzy on the floor and get some milk from the fridge. She follows me, rubbing between my legs.
“Who do we have here?” Anne says, bending down to stroke her.
I grab a small bowl and pour out the milk. Izzy laps it up. “I found her in the garden this morning.” I jingle the bell on her collar. “She’s called Isabel.” Izzy looks up at the mention of her name, milk dripping from her chin. “It looks like she’s been here all day.” Izzy meows, as if confirming the fact. “Do you know who she belongs to?”
Anne shakes her head. She bends down and strokes Izzy gain. “We can’t throw her out in the cold. Let’s keep her here tonight, and then I’ll ask around town in the morning.” She opens the fridge and takes out a foil wrapped plate from the bottom shelf. “Salmon?” Izzy’s ears prick up. Anne laughs. “I guess that’s a yes.” She forks a few salmon slices onto a small plate and puts it next to the milk.
“Thanks, Anne.”
“So, how was school?” she asks.
“It went OK,” I say, wiping the flour from her cheek with a tissue.
“Any friend material?”
“One or two,” I say. “In fact, I’m meeting one later, after dinner.”
“That’s great. What’s his name?”
“Penny.”
“Oh, I see.” Anne’s smiles, her face turning red.
“My history assignment is to research her family tree,” I say, before Anne can mention anything about a date. Her smile gets even wider. I’m not sure she believes my homework excuse.
“Harmony left you a birthday gift.” Anne indicates to a silver bag next to a white box on the kitchen table.
I untie the silver bow on the top of the bag. Inside, there’s a card and a small box. I open the card first.
Happy birthday, Logan.
Please use your gift, and I mean REALLY use it.
Love
Harmony x
“Intriguing.” I show Anne the card. Her lip curls into a smile as she reads it.
“You know what it is, don’t you?” I say.
She holds up her hands. “It was Harmony’s idea. You know what she’s like.”
I open the box. Inside there’s a silver signet ring with an etched spiral on the surface. I read the hand-written tag tied to it.
Open me.
“Open me?” I say, showing Anne the tag. She nods at the ring, her eyes opening wide. I rub my thumb over the spiral. There’s a tiny lip on the edge of the ring. A pill ring. I saw similar ones at Serenity Grove. I flip open the spiral lid to reveal a tiny recess just big enough to store a pill
. “This is Harmony. Right down to a tee.”
Anne smiles. “She wants you to stay safe. We both do.”
I slip the ring on my pinkie finger. It fits perfect. “At least I won’t have to rummage through my bag like a madman in class… if I need my medication.”
Anne’s eyes narrow.
I reach for my rucksack and pull out the bottle of Roaxatol. I pop off the lid and take out a pill. “Just the right size,” I say, as I drop the pill into the ring’s recess. I snap it shut and then check the time.
Anne smiles at the sight of her birthday present. “So, you don’t want any of this tourtière?” she asks, opening the oven door. The pie smells gorgeous. “As you’ve got a hot birthday date tonight.”
“I think I can make time to eat before I leave.” My nose follows the warm smell coming from the oven. “And it’s not a date. She’s just a friend.”
Anne raises both eyebrows and her lip curls into a small smile. “Why don’t you invite her over for dinner? she says. “I need someone to test these new Thanksgiving pies out before they go to the bakery.”
“Maybe another time.” The smile vanishes from her face. She looks hurt. “But do you have any birthday cake that needs testing, too.” I quickly add.
She glances at the white box on the table. “Maybe,” she says, as her smile returns.
Izzy meows offering her testing services. Anne laughs. “Of course, you can have some too.” She bends down and strokes her head.
I know Anne means well, but I need to see Penny on my own. I press my hand to the Polaroid in my pocket. Butterflies suddenly surge through my stomach at the thought of seeing her again.
18:28 GMT-4
MAIN STREET | MERIDIA FALLS
The Meridian Cinema sign flickers like a lightbulb about to blow. The triangular sign sticks out over the doors, the name showing on two sides in yellow and orange lights. The restaurant sign underneath glows bright, unaffected by the flickering. I guess they left the cinema sign up as a nod to the past. The sign flickers again and the ‘A’ goes dark on the side nearest me, leaving rest of the sign to glow steadily again in the misty darkness.
“I should have told Harmony and Anne what happened at school.” I tap my open wallet against my knee. Cassie’s photo stares back. “That definitely constitutes the kind of panic-attack-inducing weird shit Harmony would want to know about.” I flip up the spiral lid on my signet ring and close it in one movement of my thumb. It makes a satisfying snapping noise. “And what about Penny? What I saw when we kissed?”
My phone beeps, making me jump. I flip it open. It’s a message from Penny.
You don’t have to wait outside.
The door’s unlocked. You can come in.
Penny xx
I push open the truck door and step out into the cold. It’s quiet. Darkness and mist have settled in for the evening. The dull glow from the overnight store next to the cinema shines on the sidewalk like a soft neon light.
“Jesus Christ.” A cry comes from further down Main Street. The coffee shop at the bakery is still open, I can just make out the freezing breath of a man standing outside. “It’s still freezing,” he says, as a woman joins him. She pulls a hood over her head and they walk down Main Street together, disappearing into the swirling mist.
I lean back into the truck and grab Penny’s birthday card and orchid, then head across to the cinema, avoiding the shiny patches of unsalted ice on the sidewalk. Whoever turned this place into a restaurant sure wanted to keep the cinema vibe. Next to the menu displays on the wall are posters for old movies. Classic black-and-white ones. Casablanca and It’s a Wonderful Life.
The metal trellis security door opens with a heavy click, making me jump. “Come in, Logan.” Penny stands in the doorway smiling. She’s changed her clothes. Now she’s wearing a tight purple top and tight black jeans. They seem to accentuate her already perfect, slender figure. The soft light from inside illuminates her outline, making her glow like an angel. My heart melts. I never knew what that phrase meant… until now.
She looks up and down the street, then closes the trellis door, then the heavy duty main doors. Sliding across a thick bolt, she then reaches down to three large brass keys. “Better to be safe than sorry.” She struggles with the last key. I reach out to help her, but she yanks her hand away and points at her eyes. “Sorry. It’s skin-to-skin contact that sets off the visions. I’ve been a little jumpy all afternoon.”
I turn the cold brass key and the lock clicks. I tug at the door. It’s well and truly locked. Turning to Penny, I stare into her big eyes. “I don’t know why, but I’ve got this overwhelming desire to—”
“—kiss you?” She finishes my sentence. “Oh my god, I know. It’s like a drug addiction.” She smiles. “I’m not saying you’re like a drug, mind.”
She tentatively reaches out a hand and strokes the side of my face, running her fingers softly across my cheek. Nothing happens, just a warm butterfly sensation in my stomach. No visions. Penny shudders. “Anything?” I ask.
She smiles and rubs her stomach. “Just a… nice feeling in here.” Her eyes settle on the vanilla orchid I’m holding. “Is that for me?”
I hand it over with the card. “Happy birthday.”
She peels back the plastic wrapping to smell the orchid inside.
“I couldn’t believe the flower store had one,” I say, as a wide smile spreads across her face. “Vanilla is a scent that means so much to me.” I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Her perfume is as alluring as ever. “And, I guess you like it too.”
“Yes. It’s a scent that reminds me of safety and—”
“—joy,” I say, finishing her sentence.
“I’ve got a card for you upstairs, too.” She glances over her shoulder. “Eyes,” she says. The word pops out, like a forgotten answer to a quiz question. “Did you see any glowing eyes this afternoon, like mine?”
“Candy’s sparkled blue,” I say. “Maz’s did too… when I touched her skin.”
Penny’s eyes open wide. “You were in Candy’s mind. That must have been one hell of an empty space to get lost in.” She bursts out laughing and I can’t stop myself joining in. Our laughter echoes through the lobby
“I thought I was hallucinating.” I rub my thumb over my signet ring. “If it wasn’t for your Polaroid photo, I would have probably had a major panic attack this afternoon.”
“I’m so sorry for running out on you.” She flicks on a light switch. “Come with me and I’ll try an explain what I know… and give you a head start on your history assignment.”
“How did you know I got you?”
She smiles and taps the side of her head. “Your memories.” Then she grabs my hand and leads me through the movie-memorabilia-filled lobby. Posters, costumes, and props stand behind dust-covered glass display cases.
We walk under draped curtains and into the restaurant. It’s impressive; maintaining the classic movie vibe with an art deco design. We weave between sheet-covered tables and past a bar set out like a cinema screen. I brush my hand over the brown velvet curtains next to it. “Someone sure loved the movies,” I say.
“Yeah.” Penny nods. “There was a flood fifteen years ago. It devastated the town and wrecked the cinema,” she says. “My Grandad owned the building and rather than lose it, he turned it into a restaurant… A successful restaurant.” She stops at the bottom of a sweeping staircase at the back of the room and strokes her hand over the banister. “He died a couple of weeks ago. Mom closed this place and put the building up for sale. Straight away.”
The overwhelming sadness in the vision at school now makes sense. “I’m sorry,” I say, as we climb the stairs.
“I’m fine. It’s not like we didn’t know it was coming.” She half-smiles. “Grandad let me use one of apartments upstairs when I needed a… break. And since mom put this place up for sale, I kind of moved in as a protest…” She pauses. “But, mom wants me out by the end of the week. She’s accepted an offer on th
e building.”
We reach the top of the stairs and she opens a door marked ‘Private’. It leads into a corridor full of golden doors. Cassie. The Polaroid in my pocket suddenly feels like a brick. I let go of Penny’s hand and take out the photo. “You said this door was real.”
She puts a finger to my lips. “Soon.”
Taking my hand again, she leads me down the corridor. Her touch sets off more butterflies in my stomach as the recurring dream of her leading me through the forest flashes in my mind. I don’t fear it now.
She pushes open the gold-painted door at the end of the corridor. It leads into a darkened room. A small lamp on a desk at the back is the only source of light. She flicks a switch next to the door and an elaborate chandelier lights up. Clothes lay across an old sofa. Mugs and pizza boxes litter a small coffee table, and several computers hide under mounds of papers on the desk against the far wall. A notice board hangs at an angle above the desk. Maps cover the wall next to it while heavy red curtains hide four tall windows opposite. Three matching red filing cabinets stand next to them.
Penny indicates to the sofa. “Make yourself at home, while you can.”
I move aside a pile of clothes and sit down. It’s like a student’s apartment. “You definitely made this place your own,” I say.
“Yeah, I suppose I have.” She carefully positions the vanilla orchid on the coffee table and then leans across, snatching her purple bra from my hand.
“Sorry.”
Her perfume tickles my senses as she piles up her clothes. “I don’t have many guests,” she says. “I should have tidied before bringing you up here.”
She opens a door hiding behind the maps on the wall next to the desk. I can just make out the outline of a bed in the darkness. She throws the clothes inside and closes the door. “Coffee?”
“Thanks,” I say. “Black, no sugar.”
She smiles as she pours. “Just like mine.” She hands over the coffee and a white envelope. “Happy birthday.”
