Meridia Falls Series 1 Books 1 & 2: The Spark & Sunburst (Meridia Falls Boxsets)

by D. B. Green

  My neck burns for a second, like I’ve got a bad case of whiplash. Candy points at Maz, mouthing the word ‘later.’ Then she joins her friends at the next block of lockers.

  “She’s not wrong; this is definitely becoming a habit,” Maz says. “Thanks, Newb.”

  I gasp for air; my heart is racing faster than Candy’s Porsche. The pendant. “Do you have a diamond pendant?” I ask.

  “Yeah,” she says, as she straightens her denim jacket. “It was my grandmother’s… my dad’s mother’s.” She narrows her eyes. “Why do you ask?”

  I hold up my finger. “Give me one second.”

  I sneak up behind Candy. She stands with her arms on her hips, recounting a different story about breakfast to her friends. I slowly slide my hand into her jeans pocket. It’s tight, but I wrap my fingers around the pendant chain. I pull it out just as she realizes where my hand is. “This doesn’t belong to you,” I say. She spins around, her pink fringe whipping across her shocked, wide open eyes.

  “You bitch!” Maz says, as I hand over her pendant.

  “She was going to sell it to buy a new cell phone after school.”

  Maz clenches her fist and punches Candy in the face.

  Candy stumbles back into her friends. It’s like a strike in bowling; they all clatter to the floor in a pile of legs and boots. A collective laugh rings out through the corridor. I guess Candy’s pissed off quite a few other kids too. She gets back to her feet, blood oozing from a cut on her cheek. It drips onto her pink T-shirt. She wipes her cheek, smearing the blood. She looks lost and bewildered for a second, then she scrunches up her nose and starts forward, ready to retaliate. But she lowers her arm as Mr. Jefferson charges over to investigate.

  “Is everything OK here?” he asks, narrowing his eyes at Candy.

  She pushes her lips tight together. “I’m fine. I just hit my head on the locker door.”

  He leans forward and examines her cut. “You’d better go to the nurse’s room,” he says. “You can miss homeroom registration.”

  Candy saunters off down the corridor. She stops and stares straight at me, giving me the middle finger, then she draws her finger slowly across her throat. A wry smile spreads across her face. She spins on the spot, flicking her hair over her shoulder as she heads down the corridor.

  Maz grabs my jacket sleeve, turning me around. She dangles the pendant in front of my eyes. It twinkles as she turns it, reflecting light against the lockers, reminding me of the diamond gloves from the crypt. “How the hell did you know Candy had this?” she says, narrowing her eyes. “And how the hell did you know she was going to sell it?”

  I check the time. Eight forty-four. “Do your chaperone duties still allow us to miss homeroom registration?”

  “I guess so.” She nods. “Why?”

  “We need somewhere quiet to talk.”

  “Follow me.” She turns and heads down the corridor, the same way Candy went.

  How am I going to explain this? Even I don’t know what’s going on. Maz will think I’m a freak.

  “In here,” Maz says, pointing at the girls’ bathroom. “We’ll be fine. Everyone will be on their way to homeroom registration.”

  She pushes open the door and a strong smell of disinfectant blows out. It’s like a locker room on the inside. I sit down on a wooden bench. Maz stands, leaning against the white tiled wall with her arms crossed.

  “It started yesterday, in the nurse’s room,” I say. “After they gave us the vaccinations.”

  “Sunburst. The experiment you mentioned.”

  “Yes, I think so. When I kissed Penny, we kind of connected. Her entire life flashed through my mind, like I was seeing it though her eyes. It was the same for her. She witnessed my life, too.”

  Maz drops next to me on the bench. “So, you’re saying the same thing happened with Candy.” She screws up her face. “But you didn’t kiss her.”

  “No, it’s different with everyone else.” I pull up my jacket sleeve and run my finger down my arm to the bandage. “It’s skin-to-skin contact. When I touch someone, or they touch me, I witness - experience - whatever thoughts are in their head at the time. That’s how I knew Candy had your pendant… And that’s how I knew she had your car.”

  Maz stands, thrusting her hands against her hips. “Wait a freakin’ minute - you did it to me too? You read my mind?”

  “No, it was just the thought you had in that moment,” I say. “I couldn’t help it. I didn’t know how to control it.”

  She narrows her eyes. “Is it the same for Penny? Can she do the same shit, too?”

  “Yeah.”

  Maz slides her arm out of her jacket. She wiggles her fingers and stretches her arm out in front of me. “Go on then. What am I thinking about right now?”

  I press my palm to her soft skin. She tenses at my touch, frozen still. Just for a second, I’m staring at myself through her eyes. Then her memory washes over me. Steve is lying on her bed. I’m looking down at him. Straddling him. Maz’s hand comes up, popping open the buttons on her blouse.

  Stop. I don’t want to see this. “Stop.” I say, but the word comes out of Maz’s mouth. It feels like a slap to the face, breaking the connection. I can see through my own eyes again.

  Her eyes open wide. “Did you see…”

  “No, the vision stopped before you unbuttoned your top.”

  Maz glances down at her chest and then slumps back down onto the bench. “I didn’t mean to think of that. It just popped into my head. Like the marshmallow man in Ghostbusters.” She suddenly stands, spinning on her heels. “Damn. You could have some real fun with this”

  “So, you don’t think I’m a freak?”

  “You are, but you’re my kind of freak.” She smiles. “Don’t worry, Newb. You’re not gonna get rid of me that easily.” She slips her arm through mine, careful not to make skin contact. “Let’s get to class; I want to try you out on a few people.”

  “I’m not a toy.”

  “Chill, Newb, I’m only joking,” she says, with a mischievous glint in her eye.

  My phone suddenly rings, making me us both jump. “Crap. I forgot to turn off the ringer.”

  “Good thing we’re not in class,” Maz says. She nods at my phone. “Answer it, then.”

  I flip it open. “Hello,” I say, pressing it to my ear.

  “Logan.” The voice is husky and heavily laced with a deep Irish accent. Instantly recognizable. Not from memory - but from all the news reports. Dad. “Logan, it’s your father. The warden’s secretary gave me this number. She said you were allowing me to call you now.”

  Cassie’s scream suddenly rings through my mind. Her scared eyes burn through my soul as the memory of her being carried through the white door plays through my thoughts like a looped nightmare.

  “Are you there, Logan?”

  “Yes. I’m here.”

  “Son, it’s so good to hear your voice.”

  “I’m sorry, Dad. I’m so sorry I didn’t believe you.”

  Maz taps my sleeve. “Your dad,” she whispers, her eyes opening wide.

  “It was safer for you that you didn’t believe me, Logan. You’re a pawn in a much larger game.” The line goes quiet. A low hiss echoes in my ear.

  “Dad, are you still there?”

  “Logan, I know who took Cassie, but I can’t tell you over the phone.”

  Cassie.

  “I don’t have much time. There’s a visitation order waiting at the prison gates. It’s for four thirty tomorrow afternoon. Can you make it?”

  “I’ll be there,” I say.

  “Logan, I never stopped loving you.”

  The call disconnects before I can reply.

  Maz half-smiles and pulls a tissue from her pocket. She dabs at my face. “Don’t worry,” she says. “What did he say?”

  I wipe my eyes. “He wants to see me tomorrow. He knows who took Cassie.”

  09:24 GMT-4

  MERIDIA HIGH SCHOOL | MERIDIA FALLS

 
; Miss Slayter saunters through the classroom, dropping assignments on everyone’s desks. Just my luck. She’s covering history for Mr. Jefferson. She’s made no eye contact since we arrived in class - a definite change from yesterday. Her clothes are a definite change, too. She’s dressed conservatively, more like a teacher should be - black trousers and a (buttoned) white blouse - but after her revelation in the crypt, I know the sexy model look was just for my benefit. Agitated hormones. Even the heating is normal today.

  Maz leans across from her desk. “How the hell are you gonna get to Texas tomorrow?” She glances at Miss Slayter, checking her progress between the desks. “You’ll need to miss school.”

  “Yeah, I’ll have to miss a day. I can get a flight from Halifax tomorrow morning,” I say. My dad’s voice still tumbles through my mind. The unmistakable voice from all the news footage. A voice that went silent after the trial. Cassie. He knows what happened to her.

  Maz taps my desk. “Back on point, Newbie,” she says, nodding at Miss Slayter as she approaches our desks. “Hey, try your mind thing on her. We might find out some stuff about last night.”

  Miss Slayter stops in front of us, waiting for Maz to move. She glares for a second and then whacks her arm out of the way with the stack of assignments. She drops one on Maz’s desk, then one on mine. Her hand drops on my shoulder. Not gently, like yesterday, but hard. She tenses her fingers. Polished red nails dig through my shirt into my skin, like the talons of a vulture ripping into its prey. “Did you enjoy your evening, Mr. Collins?” She hisses my name, like it’s poison on her tongue as she squeezes my shoulder even harder. It stings under the pressure. Any second, she’ll break the skin.

  “It was good,” I say, clenching my teeth. I clamp my good hand over hers, pulling it away from my shoulder. Instantly, I’m in her mind, seeing through her eyes. Time stops and I see my face concentrating on hers. My forehead creases from the pain of her claw-like grip. A luminous glow from her brown eyes reflects in my own sparkling eyes. She’s swamped with anger. Anger directed at me. Then, I’m in her apartment with a phone pressed to my ear. My hand grips a towel around my chest. Water drips from my skin, splashing onto the soft white rug. The voice on the phone speaks. “The police know about the crypt.” It sounds like the scientist from last night. “Those kids were there. They took a Sunburst file.”

  My heart pounds fast - or Miss Slayter’s does; it’s difficult to know which. My hand reaches up, pressing into the damp towel, pressing into my chest… her chest. It’s her heart, beating like a caged animal trying to escape. It’s like I am her. My hand moves slowly over her wet skin, my finger tracing a line up to her collarbone. It stops over a small lump. A scar. Anger suddenly explodes in her mind. All focused on me.

  Time moves again and I’m back in my own mind. Miss Slayter drags her hand away from my grip. “I’m sorry,” she says, wiggling her fingers. “I don’t know my own strength.” She nods at my bandaged hand and smirks. “You should be more careful, Mr. Collins.”

  Maz waits for her to move and she leans back over. “Well?”

  It’s definitely my heart pounding now. My lungs ache like I’ve just finished running a marathon. I take in a deep breath. “That felt different. More intense.” I tap my good hand against my chest. “I could feel everything… every thought… every touch. Like I was her.”

  Maz spins her hand around. “Skip to the end, Newb.”

  “They know.”

  Her eyes open wide. “What do you mean?”

  “They know we were in the crypt,” I say. “She got a call this morning from that scientist.”

  “Shit. What do we do?”

  The classroom door suddenly bursts open. It swings across and stops with a crunching sound, the handle leaving a dent in the drywall. Another teacher steps into the room. Oblivious to the damage he’s caused, he strides over to Miss Slayter at her desk, his shoulder-length blond hair flapping almost in slow motion behind him. He leans over her desk and they engage in a whispered conversation.

  Two girls in the next row waft themselves with their assignment papers. I guess he’s popular with the ladies.

  The teacher leans back from the desk. He straightens his gray jacket and then strides back over to the open door. He turns and glances at me, then at Maz. A blonde-haired girl sat in front turns and glares at Maz.

  Three static beeps suddenly come from public-address speaker above the door. “Marilyn Moreau and Logan Collins report to the principal’s office. Immediately.”

  A collective ‘ooh’ echoes through the classroom and all eyes turn on us. Candy rests her chin on her hands, shaking her head. Her satisfied smirk turns into a wide grin.

  “You do both know the meaning of the word immediately,” Miss Slayter says, pointing at the open classroom door.

  I grab my rucksack and tap Maz’s sleeve. “Come on.” She slowly stands and follows me, keeping her eyes fixed on her stepsister.

  Miss Slayter darts across, flinging her arm across the doorway. Her blouse stretches over her chest as she draws in a breath. The top button pops open, exposing her collarbone. The scar. There it is. “Don’t think you’re getting away from the assignment,” she says. Her face is like an angry storm ready to explode. She notices me staring at her scar and presses her hand to her blouse. “You can complete the assignment for homework.” She thrusts another copy of the paper in our hands. “Mr. Jefferson wants it finished by tomorrow.”

  Maz tilts her head and smiles sarcastically. She grabs my sleeve and drags me into the corridor. Miss Slayter slams the door behind us.

  “Well, that’s a stark contrast to yesterday,” Maz says. “I preferred it when she was trying to get into your pants.” A grin spreads across her face.

  “Maz, please,” I say. “Do you think this is Steve’s dad with the search warrant?”

  She nods. “Must be. Slayter didn’t think we’d be coming back to her class…” She pauses and glances down the corridor. “Unless we’re getting suspended.”

  I wave the assignment paper under her nose.

  “Oh yeah,” she says. “Must be Steve’s dad then. Come on, Newb. It’s time for your first visit to the principal’s office.”

  She leads me back to the entrance lobby. I keep my eyes fixed on Poseidon, half expecting the tall statue to change into a griffin again. Thankfully, it doesn’t.

  Maz taps my sleeve and narrows her eyes. “Stay on point, Newbie.” She leads me down a corridor behind the reception desk. The school secretary watches us all the way, her head turning like an owl. “Snooty cow.” Maz whispers under her breath.

  She stops outside a dark wooden door and points at a golden sign halfway up.

  Principal Dawson

  “Here we are.” She knocks on the door.

  “Enter,” a stern voice answers.

  Maz lets out a shallow breath and then opens the door. A middle-aged man shoots up from behind a curved desk. He pulls his jacket over his plump stomach. A beaming grin spreads over his face. “Ah, Logan,” He rushes forward with his arms out and grabs my good hand, shaking it vigorously. “I’ve heard so much about you.” He ignores Maz and wraps his arm over my shoulder, leading me to his desk. “I hoped to meet you in better circumstances than this,” he whispers. “I need to ask…”

  A cough comes from behind, interrupting him. A tall, athletic man stands next to the open door. He nods at Maz and rubs his finger over his dark mustache. Is this Steve’s dad, Sergeant Dillon? The embroidered name tag next to the RCMP badge on his black jacket is not needed. Shave off his mustache and he’d be the spitting image of Steve, albeit a few years older.

  Dawson sighs. “Sergeant Dillon has requested your help with a case he’s working on.” Dawson sits back down at his desk, reclining in a tall leather chair. “But he won’t tell me what it’s about.” He glances at me, then at Maz, finally acknowledging her presence in the room. “Do either of you have any idea?”

  Sergeant Dillon coughs before we can answer. “We need to get
going.” He opens the door and ushers us through. “I may need them all morning.”

  Dawson stands and spreads his hands over his desk. “Sure.” He stares out of the huge window to the right of his desk. “If you need them longer, it’s not a problem.” He turns and smiles. “I’m sure they can catch up tomorrow.”

  Sergeant Dillon escorts us out of Dawson’s office and back down the corridor to the lobby. “Miss Summers is meeting us at the university chapel,” he says, checking his watch. “Steve will meet us there too.” He glances over his shoulder. “I think you kids have stumbled into a case I’ve been working for a while. George Randall was my informer.”

  09:51 GMT-4

  MERIDIA UNIVERSITY | MERIDIA FALLS

  I keep close to Sergeant Dillon’s squad car as it rolls slowly onto the university grounds. The shadowy buildings from last night all gleam in the morning light. It looks a completely different place.

  Maz suddenly flings her arm out in front of my face. “See that five-story building on the right? That’s the library. Remember those books I had to carry up here?” She leans forward, rubbing the bottom of her back. “The elevators were down for maintenance. Top floor, they wanted them. Top freakin’ floor.”

  The library resembles a small pyramid, each floor smaller than the one underneath - like a huge flight of brown steps. It stands out between the rest of the shoebox-shaped campus buildings, looking like someone chiseled off the corners. Maz shakes her head as we pass the library. She holds out her hand. “Do you want to experience the memory,” she says. “Because the pain of it is running through my mind right now.”

  “No. I’ll pass on that one, if that’s OK.”

  Maz leans back into the seat. “Wise choice, Newbie.”

  I drive around the next corner and the chapel appears in the distance, sat alone in the center of a large, tree-lined square. The bell tower on top gleams like a cliff-top lighthouse on a sunny day. Sergeant Dillon pulls into a small parking lot opposite the chapel. Steve’s already there. He leans against the Horton Garage truck, kicking his heels against the back tire as I pull up next to him. There’s no sign of Penny.