Dead Spots

by Rhiannon Frater

  Whipping open the door, Grant bounded onto the porch, his rifle at the ready. Mackenzie stepped into the parlor and moved to one of the front windows. She lifted her hand and drew back the curtain to see five people running toward the house. A long-legged young woman in a cheerleader uniform ran ahead of the others while dragging a much shorter woman by the hand. Three men ran behind them, armed with hunting rifles. A creature the size of an elephant with fiery red eyes and glinting razor claws pursued them. It appeared to be shaped out of black mist and it was closing in, its feet tearing up the ground with each lope.

  Reaching the yard, the cheerleader shoved open the gate and raced up the walkway. The woman with her lost her footing and sprawled across the ground with a cry. The teenager turned to help her. Grant hurried out, pushed the teenager toward the house, and leaned over the fallen woman. The girl hesitated, obviously reluctant to leave the other female behind. The pursuing creature roared and that was enough to prompt the teen girl to lunge toward the house.

  Mackenzie hurried out of the parlor to the entry hall just in time to see the girl leap into the house. Her dark skin shimmered with sweat and her French-braided hair glistened with moisture. Grant half-carried the second woman through the door. The smaller woman was gasping for breath and sobbing. The teenager darted forward and claimed her from Grant.

  “I’ve got you, Grace!”

  The second woman was probably in her early thirties, but she clung to the teenager like a frightened child. “It’s scary, Dawn!”

  “Come in here,” Mackenzie said, waving toward the parlor.

  Dawn helped the overwhelmed woman into the room, tossing Mackenzie a grateful look. The bark of the rifles firing was followed by a great roar. The clatter of footsteps heralded the arrival of the last of the party and Grant banged the door shut as soon as the three men cleared the stoop.

  “Holy shit!” The youngest of the men looked to be a few years younger than Mackenzie, in his early twenties, and was still wearing a pizza delivery uniform. His blond hair was cut close to his head and his body was lean and lightly muscled. He was rather plain-faced, but he was a bit charming when he grinned with euphoria. “We kicked that fucker’s ass!”

  One of the other men threw him an annoyed look. “Language, Brian!” It sounded like he chastised the younger man quite often from the exasperated inflection of his voice. He was shorter than the other two, probably in his late thirties. His skin was deeply tanned and his light brown hair shimmered with strands bleached by the sun. He reminded her a little of one of her teachers in the sixth grade. His rolled-up sleeves and khakis rounded out the teacher look.

  “Let it go, Ted,” the last member of their party said between gasps for breath. He was probably the oldest, in his late forties, with skin darker than the cheerleader’s and light brown eyes. He, too, wore khakis and a polo shirt drenched in perspiration.

  “Fine,” Ted answered, obviously too tired to argue. He looked around the parlor at his crew, then the people who had let them into the house. “Thanks for taking us in.”

  “It’s not a problem,” Grant assured him.

  Brian hurried over to where Dawn was comforting Grace. “You okay, Dawn?”

  “I’m fine. Grace is just winded.”

  The young man lightly touched Dawn’s cheek in a sweet gesture, but Dawn was concentrating on the slightly wheezing woman, rubbing her back to console her, and seemed not to take notice. It was fairly clear there was a bad case of unrequited love happening between the two. Brian awkwardly lingered at Dawn’s side while the teenager calmed the older woman down.

  “When I saw the porch light I couldn’t believe it. This house is always messed up when we’re in this area,” Ted said. “It was like seeing the Red Sea part. We were aiming for a hotel in the area, but got cut off by that thing. We thought we’d given it the slip by cutting this way, but then it got a whiff of us again just a half mile down the road. We were hoping to shape this dead spot and hunker down for the rest of the night. It was a great relief to see it already restored. We’re exhausted. Anyway, I guess I should introduce our motley crew. I’m Ted, the pizza boy is Brian, the cheerleader is Dawn, the lady in pink is Grace, and this slacker is Jared.”

  The other man scoffed at his friend. “If anyone is a slacker, it’s you, my brother.”

  Ted smirked, lightly clapping Jared on the shoulder. “We all know better.”

  “I’m Mackenzie. This is Grant,” she said, her fingers lightly playing with her bathrobe belt. She felt awkward in the presence of the newcomers. After her experience with Tildy she wasn’t sure how she should even interact with other people anymore. The additional stress of her strangely erotic dream that ended with Grant in her bed wasn’t helping matters either. She wasn’t sure it was her exhaustion or the anxieties connected to the events of the day, but she felt off-kilter.

  Grant shook the hands of the newcomers. “It’s not an issue. I’m just glad we’re here.”

  “Seriously, man, thanks for letting us in,” Ted said earnestly. “That thing has been hunting us since this morning. It nearly had us a few times.”

  “It’s no trouble.” Grant gave them his kindest, most charming smile. Something about it made Mackenzie flush.

  Outside, the creature howled in anger. Sweeping the curtain aside, she saw it was pacing before the house. “What is it?” Mackenzie asked. The smoky edges of the creature swirled in agitation and it was difficult to discern its true form.

  “Fear manifested,” Jared answered. He joined her at the window and watched the thing prowling around the edges of the fence.

  “Did one of you—” Mackenzie faltered.

  “Maybe.” He glanced significantly at the two women huddled on the couch. “Maybe.”

  “Don’t start on that again,” Brian said with annoyance. “We’re in the fucking world of dreams and nightmares and yeah, Ted, I know, language.”

  Mackenzie stepped away from the window and sat on the edge of a heavy mesquite end table. She adjusted her robe and looked toward Grant. He was rebuilding the barricade with Ted’s help.

  “We’ve had a rough day and these people were kind enough to take us in. Let’s not bring our troubles into their safe haven.” Ted was obviously the group’s leader.

  “Not safe haven. Dream castle,” Grace whispered, lifting her head. “They’re called dream castles, right? I want to go to one. They’re pretty, right?”

  Mackenzie peered at the woman curiously. Her voice sounded childlike and slightly confused. Grace’s dark curly hair was very short and her skin was tanned, but it was hard to determine if it was from the sun. She had the sort of features that could be from a variety of ethnic groups and there was nothing particularly distinctive about her. As she was dressed simply in jeans, a pink Hello Kitty T-shirt, and sneakers, there was a disconnect between her clothing and her physical appearance.

  “I’m sure the dream castles are very pretty, Grace,” Dawn said, her delicate fingers squeezing the woman’s hands. From the tilt of her head, to the kindness in her face, to the elegant way she held herself, she gave the impression of a very well-mannered young woman.

  “Do you think they’re pink?” Grace wondered.

  “I’m sure some of them are,” Dawn replied, smiling.

  “Can we make one?”

  Dawn’s smile faded slightly, and then she ramped it back up to full. “Maybe one day.”

  “Fat chance,” Jared grumbled.

  “Would you like something to eat?” Grant asked, obviously trying to break the growing aura of hostility in the room.

  “I want a grilled cheese! Or peanut butter and butter with no crusts!” Grace gripped the arm of the sofa, staring at Mackenzie anxiously. “Can I have that?”

  “I think we can find something.” Mackenzie cast a questioning look at Ted, who merely sighed.

  “She’s a little special.” Dawn gently combed her long fingers through the other woman’s thick curls. “Aren’t you, Grace?”

 
“My mom says I’m special. That is why I go to the special school on the special bus,” Grace said triumphantly.

  “Exactly!” Dawn patted Grace’s head, then stood up. “I’m going to go find us some food. You sit right there.”

  “Oh, television!” Grace snatched the remote and turned it on.

  The noise from a commercial about feminine hygiene subdued the growls coming from the creature outside.

  “Dawn, stay with Grace. I’ll get something for you,” Ted said, motioning for her to sit. “She needs you.”

  “Thanks, Ted,” Dawn said, gratefully.

  “I could definitely do with some food. And a beer, if you have some.” Jared pushed a chair that had been used in the barricade into the parlor and sat down heavily. “I think my legs are going to fall off. Will you glue them back on, brother?”

  Ted grinned. “After I glue on my own. Grant, Mackenzie, is there a bathroom we can use to clean up? We’ve been running for our lives all day.”

  “Sure thing. There is one at the top of the stairs.” Grant motioned with one hand. “Please, be our guest.”

  Mackenzie arched an eyebrow at him.

  Ted saw it and misread the gesture. “If we’re putting you out—”

  “No, no!” Mackenzie felt her skin flush in embarrassment. “We just had a bad experience with someone recently and I just thought Grant wouldn’t let anyone else get close to us after she turned into a wraith.”

  “Ouch. A wraith!” Ted shivered visibly. “Those are messed up. We had one of our own go that way. I can see why you might be nervous about us joining you.”

  “I think Mackenzie assumed I would keep us hidden away,” Grant said, winking at her playfully.

  The gesture sent shivers of delight through her and she felt strangely vulnerable beneath his gaze. It was disconcerting, but she was still glad that things seemed fine between them. Rolling her eyes, Mackenzie joined in with his teasing. “Sort of.”

  “I know it’s risky every time you join up with people.” Ted glanced at his group that was getting comfortable in front of the television. “It’s always dangerous.”

  “The woman Mackenzie took in was on the verge of turning.” Grant gently rested his arm around her shoulders, squeezing her lightly. “I could see it in her eyes, but Mackenzie couldn’t. Mackenzie is new. She just arrived.”

  “Wow.” Ted studied her thoughtfully. “Wow. Then you did all this by yourself?” He indicated their surroundings. “It didn’t take both of you?”

  “She took full control of the dead spot just before we arrived earlier today.” Grant gave her a proud look.

  Again, Mackenzie experienced a rush of pleasure that made her uneasy. What was wrong with her? Why was the dream affecting her this way?

  “So this isn’t a real safe haven?” Ted appeared a little disappointed.

  “It’s temporary, but real. She can hold it,” Grant assured him.

  Their wording confused Mackenzie a little, but she didn’t want to expose her naiveté in front of the others.

  “That creature isn’t getting in. It would have already if the defenses were weak.” Jared had obviously been listening. “Even if we … have an issue.”

  “What do you mean?” Mackenzie asked.

  The tension in the room was building again. Brian, seated with Dawn and Grace, looked sharply at Jared.

  “Nothing,” Jared said, shrugging.

  “How about that food?” Ted asked in a deliberately vivacious voice. “I’m so hungry I could eat that monster outside.”

  CHAPTER 18

  After Ted dispatched Brian to take a shower and left the rest of his group watching television, he joined Mackenzie and Grant in the kitchen. He thoroughly washed his hands and face at the sink while Grant pulled out sandwich makings from the refrigerator and Mackenzie gathered plates and glasses.

  “I can’t thank you enough for taking us in.” Ted dried off with a towel he found under the sink. The redness in his cheeks from physical exertion was fading and he looked a bit more relaxed now that he was away from the others.

  “I’m glad we did,” Mackenzie assured him though she wasn’t really certain anymore. After hearing the odd exchanges and witnessing the knowing looks among the newcomers, she wondered about the dynamics of the group.

  Ted threw the towel in the laundry bin near the washing machine and dryer tucked into an alcove. With a sigh, he said, “I know you noticed the tension among us. It’s difficult right now. We’ve been experiencing a lot of attacks. Almost nonstop. Every place where we seek shelter ends up compromised. It’s been growing steadily worse. Jared and I think Grace is causing it. She’s simpleminded. She doesn’t understand what’s really happening. When we originally joined up with Brian, Dawn, and Grace, it was fine. In fact, things were really a lot better for us for a while. We’ve been traveling together for some time. But now”—Ted set his hands on his waist and exhaled slowly—“we’ve lost some of our ability to manipulate the dead spots.”

  “You’ve been dying.” Mackenzie glanced at Grant with concern, but he either ignored her or didn’t see her as he set about making sandwiches.

  “Yeah. A bit more than I would like. Well, not that I’d want to die at all. It’s getting harder for us even as a group to keep a dead spot under control. At first we all thought it was because we’re losing our life spark. But Jared and I now think Grace is poking holes in our defenses.”

  “Can she do that here?” Mackenzie was aghast at the thought. There were so many monsters outside.

  “You have it under control,” Grant said firmly, finally looking at her. “All night there have been things roaming around and you have kept us safe. Even if Grace tries to bring one in, I don’t think she can. And honestly, I don’t think she’s doing it.”

  Ted gave Grant a sharp look. “Oh?”

  “I’ve been in here nearly sixty years. If you’re all pooling your energy to secure a place and you have doubts about your companions, things are going to get in. Because that’s what you fear. Don’t you understand?” Grant met Ted’s gaze for a long moment, then returned to slathering peanut butter on a slice of bread.

  “I understand what you’re saying, but you haven’t been going through the troubles we have,” Ted said defensively.

  “She’s not doing it,” Dawn said from the doorway. Her heart-shaped face wore a dour expression, and her pointed chin was set defiantly. “She’s not doing it. I don’t know how many times Brian and I have to tell you that.”

  “Dawn, you know how much I care about you and Brian. Grace is a harder pill to swallow at times, but I do care about her, too.”

  “You want to leave her alone! How is that caring about her?” Dawn set her hands on her hips and glowered.

  Ted stared at the girl, obviously unsure how to respond.

  “I thought so.” Dawn joined Grant at the counter. “If you give me Grace’s sandwich, I’ll take it to her. She’s really into the movie she’s watching.”

  Grant carefully sliced off the crusts and laid two sandwiches on a plate. “Peanut butter and butter with no crusts per her order. I’ll make her a grilled cheese if this doesn’t fill her up.”

  A sweet smile settled on Dawn’s lips. “You’re a nice man.”

  Grant shrugged. “I try.”

  Mackenzie opened the refrigerator, grabbed the milk jug, and poured some frothy liquid into a glass. She handed it to Dawn. “Here you go. She does like milk, right?”

  “She loves it. If it was chocolate milk, she’d love it even more.”

  “I’ll look for some chocolate mix.” Once the teenager was gone, Mackenzie focused on Ted. “You’d really turn Grace out?” Maybe she had misread the man’s comment. The whole scenario made her uncomfortable. She couldn’t imagine Grace wandering alone through the world looking for pink dream castles while monsters stalked her.

  Ted rested his hip against the sink, his arms folded over his chest. He averted his eyes, but his voice was sincerely tortured when he answ
ered. “Yes.”

  “Has Grace died?” Grant asked pointedly.

  Ted shook his head. “No, no. Dawn and Brian always keep her safe. We’ve been dying protecting her.”

  There were heavy footfalls in the hall, then Jared entered the kitchen. “Dawn came back mad. I guess you told them about Grace?”

  Ted nodded. “I thought they should know since this isn’t a permanent safe haven.”

  “They won’t get in,” Grant said confidently. “Mackenzie is fresh to this world. Strong. And I’ve been in here long enough to know that Grace is probably not your problem. Your fears are.”

  Jared wagged his head, agitated. “You don’t know what we’ve been through.”

  “Yes, I do.” Grant handed over several sandwiches to Ted and Jared. “I’ve been in here a long time and I traveled with someone who was in here even longer. How long have you been here?”

  “2005,” they chorused.

  “We were on a field trip with our classes,” Ted started.

  “We stopped in a ghost town in Arizona for a picnic,” Jared continued. “We got it into our heads that it would be fun to check out one of the old buildings.”

  “It went really, really wrong. We ended up in a dead spot. Like a dumb-ass, I died right away. I got shot by a cowboy.” Ted flinched before biting into his sandwich.

  “And the rest of your group?” Mackenzie pointed to the milk jug and poured them glasses when they both nodded in the affirmative.

  “Dawn is from 1998. Brian is from 2000. Grace came over last year.” Jared gratefully took the serving of milk when Mackenzie handed it to him. “Things were fine at first. We felt like a family.”

  “Then it went really wrong.” Ted tore hungrily into his sandwich.

  “Dawn seems so unaffected by it all. She doesn’t seem afraid. Just protective of Grace,” Mackenzie decided, a little in awe of the younger woman.

  “That girl is made of steel. She’s the sweetest, nicest kid, but she will break your spine if she has to,” Jared said, admiration in his voice. “She reminds me of my little sister.”

  Grant passed Mackenzie a sandwich. She was worried it was a peanut butter and butter sandwich until she saw the jelly oozing around the edges. She gratefully smiled at him and his lips turned up at the corner. It was foolish to believe a dream could affect her so deeply, but she felt as though they were closer now. Realizing how ludicrous that was, she shoved the uncomfortable thought away. Sitting at the kitchen table, she poured herself a glass of milk and nibbled on the edge of her sandwich.