Nightmare se-2

by Steven Harper

  A door popped open further up the hall, and Willa poked her head into the hallway. She looked sleepy. "What’s going on?" she yawned.

  Without stopping to explain, Ben shoved past her and into her room. She squeaked in protest as he bolted past her bed toward the door that lead out onto her balcony. Adrenaline singing in his veins, he yanked it open and shot out onto the shared balcony. He ran down to Jeren’s room. The lights were on, and through the clear panel of the door he could see Jeren lying on his bed. His hands were folded over his stomach and a slight smile twisted his lips. Ben tried the door, but it was also locked. With chilly fingers, he pulled his shirt over his head and wrapped it around one arm. Then he rammed into the door.

  More pain pulsed at his shoulder. The door didn’t break, or even budge. He tried twice more with no effect. Jeren continued to smile.

  Jeren raised the shotgun and pointed it straight at Kendi. Kendi swallowed and strained against the vines, but they were tough as steel. Ara’s face was gray, but she was somehow still conscious. Her torn arm lay a little ways away. Jeren finger tightened on the trigger, and Kendi wondered if it would hurt.

  "Cole!"

  Jeren jerked his head sideways. Kendi followed his gaze. Dorna stood a few meters away. Her face was pale and waxen beneath dark curls. The vines tightened around Kendi’s body and his ribs creaked.

  "You can’t do it, Cole," she said. "It isn’t fair."

  "Shut up," Jeren-Cole-snarled. "You do what I tell you."

  "If you kill Ara now, I won’t be able to get her finger. She isn’t on Bellerophon, remember?" Dorna said. "I have an unbroken line all the way back to Mom and past her to Mrs. Garvin. You can’t kill her." Her voice dropped in pitch, became more intense. Kendi stared. "You can’t kill her, Cole. I won’t let you."

  "I told you to shut the fuck up!" He swung the shotgun around and pointed it at her.

  "If you try to kill her here, we won’t help you anymore," Dorna said flatly. "And we’ll stop you."

  Cole laughed. "Who?"

  The Dream rippled and a wave of nausea washed over Kendi. A moment later, a group of people stood behind Dorna. Kendi recognized the old woman Zelda and Buck in his blue coveralls. A short blond girl with downcast eyes and violets in her hair stood just behind the latter. A dozen others were there as well, both male and female. All of them were staring at Cole.

  "We will," they said in one voice.

  Ben looked frantically around the balcony. Willa stood in the doorway to her room, looking frightened. "Ben," she said. "What’s going on?"

  Ben’s eye fell on one of the rope swings dangling from the branch above. He snatched it up and jumped onto the balcony rail. Clinging to it like a monkey, he kicked backward and sailed out over dark and empty space. A moment later he swung forward, heels pointed straight toward Jeren’s door. He hit the panel hard, but it still didn’t break. Jeren continued to smile.

  Cole laughed. "Look at you," he sneered. "Just can’t keep it together, can you, Sis?" He pointed the shotgun back at Kendi. "He’ll be first. Then I junk Ara."

  With an animal howl that chilled Kendi straight through, the multitude lunged forward. Cole spun, surprised, but only for an instant. The shotgun in his hands changed shape. Cole pointed the machine gun at the advancing horde and fired. The gun made a hoarse coughing sound, and blood poured from a thousand wounds. People fell like mown grass, their bodies vanishing the moment they touched the ground. Zelda dropped and vanished, as did Buck and Violet. In the end, only Dorna was left standing. Her cheek bled scarlet from a near miss and she looked dazed. Cole raised the gun.

  Ben hit the door again. The shock traveled all the way up his body and seemed to fuse his spine. A thin crack appeared. He kicked back, swung over empty space and, ignoring the pain in heels and knees, hit the door yet again and again and again.

  "You won’t," Dorna whispered.

  "I will," Cole said, and fired. Dorna staggered backward, blood gushing from her chest and stomach. She made a low choking noise and dropped to her knees. Then she disappeared.

  "You shit!" Kendi said, struggling against the vines. Ara didn’t move, but she must still be conscious if she was in the Dream. Or had she already died and was Cole keeping her image here?

  "You’re dead, Kendi," Cole said with a too-wide grin. "Sorry. It was nice knowing you." He pointed the machine gun.

  The door shattered. Falling shards made ribbons of Ben’s trousers and sliced his legs, but he scarcely noticed. He landed on his back, slid partway across the floor, and fetched up against Jeren’s bed. Heedless of the sharp polymer pieces all around him, Ben scrambled to his feet. Without thinking, he snatched up a paperweight from the desk and brought it down hard on Jeren Drew’s head.

  Cole stiffened. He made a small sound in the back of his throat. Then he vanished. Kendi’s vines instantly disappeared, as did the ones binding Mother Ara. She lay ashen-faced on the ground, her arm lying a step away like a grotesque stick of firewood. Blood was pouring from her shoulder again. Kendi knelt beside her and patted her face.

  "Mother Ara," he said. "Mother Ara. You have to leave the Dream. Can you do it?"

  She opened her eyes, but they didn’t focus. Her mouth moved, but no sound emerged. She was dying, that was plain. The fact that she was still alive mystified Kendi. She had lost far more blood than any human could survive. Of course, this was the Dream, and if Mother Ara had decided she wasn’t dead yet, she wouldn’t be. But Cole’s attack had hurt her, and she was rapidly losing her hold on life. Instinct told Kendi that she needed something to hold onto, something that would help her heal the damage. Kendi looked at the severed arm for only a split-second before catching it up. It was heavier that he had expected, and bits of flesh hung from the tattered end. Kendi held the arm to its rightful place at Mother Ara’s shoulder.

  "You can’t do it," Mother Ara croaked.

  "I can," Kendi said to her. "My people are renowned for their healing."

  Mother Ara made a choking sound that Kendi realized was a sort of laugh. "Tell Ben I love him."

  Kendi looked down at her, uncertain what to do. If Mother Ara didn’t believe he could heal her, he wouldn’t be able to do it. He wasn’t skilled enough in the Dream yet to force his will upon her. He had to prove that he could heal her so that she would believe it and heal herself.

  Except the only way to do that would be to heal her, Kendi thought. Tears sprang to his eyes. He had to find a way to make her believe. He had to-

  A tiny meeping sound made him turn. The sound came from the falcon. He had forgotten about her. Kendi dashed over and picked her up. Her pain washed over him, merged with him. It staggered him for a moment, but then his health merged her wounds and overcame them. She was wounded, but he wanted her to be healthy. She would be healthy now. Kendi spun and held her out so Mother Ara could see.

  "All life!" he cried, and flung the falcon skyward. She faltered a moment, the flapped strong, wide wings and ascended to the sky.

  Mother Ara closed her eyes. Her body flickered like a hologram with a virus. Kendi dropped beside her again and held the arm in place. Tears ran down his face but he forced his voice to remain steady.

  "I call upon the blood of my ancestors," he said. "Heal this woman who is my teacher and restore her to health!" Mother Ara was wounded, but he wanted her to be healed. She would be healed now.

  Nothing happened. Mother Ara’s body flickered again, stabilized, faltered. A tear fell from Kendi’s eye and dropped through her to land on the sandy Outback soil. Then she vanished.

  A low sound escaped Kendi’s throat, but before he could react further, the earth rippled and Mother Ara reappeared with a splash of Dream energy. Her face was pale, but her arm was firmly back in place. She sat up and looked down at herself as if surprised. Kendi stared.

  "It worked," he said. "All life, it worked." With a wild whoop he flung his arms around her. Mother Ara winced.

  "Careful," she said. "The arm, the arm."

  Kend
i released her. "Sorry. You’re all right then?"

  "A little sore, but otherwise fine." Mother Ara flexed her arm in wonder. "Thank you, Kendi."

  "You’re welcome, Mother," he said.

  No further words were needed. Both gathered their concentration and vanished from the Dream.

  Kendi opened his eyes onto darkness. Night insects chirped and a cool breeze washed over him. He wasn’t standing up-he was lying crumpled in a heap on a hard surface. Cautiously he sat up. What the hell? Where was his spear? How had he-?

  Frantic footsteps barreled around the corner. Startled, Kendi leaped to his feet, then staggered dizzily under a sudden headache. Too many Dream drugs in one day. A strong, solid arm went around his shoulders and steadied him.

  "Are you okay?" Ben asked. "Is Mom okay?"

  "She’s all right," Kendi said muzzily. "Where the hell am I?"

  "Let’s get home," Ben said. His arm still lay warm across Kendi’s shoulder, and Kendi found it comforting. "I’ll explain, and then you can tell your side. Are you sure you’re all right?" His voice thickened. "I was …I was worried."

  Kendi looked at him. His eyes had adjusted well enough to see Ben’s face, but he couldn’t read his expression. "I’m fine, Ben. I’m fine with everything. I really, really am."

  And then Ben was kissing him.

  EPILOGUE

  Sometimes you need to talk about what happened with someone who’s been there too.

  — Irfan Qasad

  Kendi and Ben waited at the edge of the landing field as Mother Ara and Inspector Tan disembarked from the ship. Ben’s hand lay tentatively in Kendi’s, as if he might snatch it away at any moment. Kendi didn’t push the matter, letting Ben set the pace, though he did give Ben’s hand a reassuring squeeze. Ben flashed a brief smile at him, and Kendi was sure his heart would dissolve into a helpless mess and puddle up somewhere around his feet.

  The landing field of the spaceport was surrounded by an almost invisible fence of wire polymer to keep the dinosaurs out. Talltrees loomed beyond it, high as skyscrapers. It felt strange to look at them from the vantage point of the ground. Humans, Ched-Balaar, and other aliens moved about the airfield and the port building, creating a strange mixture of voices, clattering teeth, and other noises. Mother Ara’s left arm was in a sling, and Kendi caught the metallic gleam of a heal splint beneath the cloth. It surprised him how glad he was to see her again. The final confrontation with Cole/Jeren had only taken place three days ago, but it felt like a month had passed. Ara looked a little pale, but her step was firm. Inspector Tan came beside her, crisp and pressed as always. As they drew closer, Ben’s hand quivered slightly in Kendi’s, but he didn’t let go. It occurred to Kendi that in some ways facing a murderer in the Dream was easier. At least you knew what the killer was going to do.

  Mother Ara caught sight of them and her step quickened with a smile. When she was only a few steps away, she noticed that her student was holding hands with her son. She halted, looking confused. Kendi’s heart skipped, and Ben’s fair complexion went a shade paler. Then she burst out laughing and, stepping between them, put an arm around Ben’s shoulder.

  "That explains a few things," she said, and kissed him on the cheek. Tan watched impassively.

  "Mom," Ben protested. "We’re in public."

  "You can hold his hand but you can’t kiss your mother," Mother Ara observed with a shake of her head. "What did I do to deserve a teenage boy?" Then she sighed. "I want to get home. We’ll have a home-cooked meal from Maureen’s and exchange stories. Inspector Tan is paying."

  "Oh?" Tan raised an eyebrow.

  "The Guardians owe me that much," Mother Ara said firmly.

  "She’s been saying that all the way here," Tan groused to Kendi. " ‘Get me something to drink, the Guardians owe me that much.’ ‘I get the bigger sleeping room, the Guardians owe me that much.’ "

  "And don’t forget my exorbitant consulting fee," Mother Ara added as they walked into the spaceport building and headed for customs. "I’m thinking it’s time for some serious house redecoration."

  Some time later, they were all sitting around the dining room table. Tan had begged off after paying for the food, claiming she wanted to get a head start on writing reports. Mother Ara, meanwhile, refused to let anyone talk about Jeren/Cole or Dorna during the meal, citing a desire to eat, not throw up. Eventually, the table held nothing but dirty plates and empty take-out packets.

  "Excellent," Mother Ara sighed, brushing a stray crumb from her sling. "Just like Mom used to buy."

  Kendi looked at her, chin in his hand. "You’re certainly in a good mood."

  "It’s something to do between nightmares," Mother Ara said frankly.

  "Kendi told me what Jeren did to your arm and all the …all the rest of it," Ben said. "Scary, huh?"

  Mother Ara nodded. "I haven’t gone into the Dream since then. Not even once. It’ll take me a while, I think, but I’ll manage eventually."

  "Ben’s a hero, did you know that?" Kendi said, clapping him on the shoulder. "I didn’t even know until I got out of the Dream. He was pretty amazing."

  Ben blushed and stared down at the table.

  "Oh? What happened?" Mother Ara demanded.

  Kendi explained, exaggerating only a little. Ben’s flush deepened until his face matched his hair. Mother Ara looked at him.

  "So you saved my life, did you?" She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. Impulsively, Kendi did the same thing. Ben jumped, then looked like he wanted nothing more than to slide under the table and disappear.

  "No fair," he muttered. "Caught between my mom and my …my …"

  "Boyfriend," Kendi said. "The word you’re looking for is ‘boyfriend.’ " He shot Mother Ara a look. "So you’re okay with this? With Ben and me, I mean?"

  "I’m glad Ben’s found someone," she said, "and I’m not going to ask the various questions that spring to mind, since I don’t think I want to hear the answers. But I’m warning you, Kendi-you hurt my son and I’ll remove your lungs with a pair of chopsticks."

  "Mom," Ben protested, and Kendi laughed.

  "Deal," he said.

  "All right, then." Mother Ara pushed herself back from the table and fixed Kendi with a look he couldn’t read. "Kendi, I wanted to ask how you’ve been lately."

  "How do you mean?" he asked.

  "Have you been sleeping all right?"

  Ben opened his mouth to answer, but Kendi kicked him under the table and he clamped his mouth shut, though concern flashed in his blue eyes.

  "I’ve been having a few nightmares of my own," Kendi admitted. "It’s been …rough. I know what you’re going to say," he hastened to add before she could speak. "You want me to talk to someone."

  "Kendi, you can’t expect to-"

  "I was going to say I think you’re right," Kendi interrupted. "It’s too much shit to deal with on my own. Too much. And I don’t …I don’t …" He trailed off. Ben’s hand stole into his, and Kendi squeezed it.

  "You don’t what?" Mother Ara asked quietly.

  "I don’t want to end up like Jeren," he whispered.

  "I don’t think you would, Kendi," Mother Ara said. "No matter what happened to you. But for now-I know just the person for you to talk to. His name is Brother Kwan, and I think you’ll like him. How about I give him a call first thing in the morning?"

  As Kendi nodded, a knock came at the door. Mother Ara rose and admitted Inspector Tan. She carried a computer pad. After greetings and an offer of dessert-refused-Tan sat at the table with them and opened up a holographic screen display.

  "Thought you might want a report on Jeren or Cole or whatever the hell his name is," she rasped. "He’s still in the hospital. You clocked him a good one, Ben. He’s lucky to be alive."

  "I didn’t want to kill him," Ben said. He paused. "Well, maybe a little."

  "He was a monster," Tan said. "Whether he was made that way or born into it, I don’t know and don’t care. In any case, he’ll be spending the rest of hi
s life in the high-security psych unit at the med center. To tell you the truth, though, I don’t think he’s much danger to anyone."

  "How so?" Mother Ara asked.

  "He’s not Silent," Tan replied. "At least, not anymore."

  All three of them stared at her. Finally Kendi said, "What?"

  "Absolutely true," Tan said. "He’s awake and aware of his surroundings. He’s articulate and intelligent. His head wound has healed nicely, thank you. But he claims he can’t feel the Dream at all. Not even catch a whisper."

  "Like he’s never lied before," Kendi said.

  "When I touched him, no jolt," Tan said. "Not even a tingle. We had a whole bunch of Silent come in to touch him-human, Ched-Balaar, other aliens. No one felt a thing. We don’t know if he’s lost his Silence because Ben scrambled his brains or if it’s because he’s doing it to himself-won’t let himself enter the Dream because of what happened there. Genetically he’s Silent, but in practice, he isn’t."

  "How’s he taking it?" Mother Ara asked.

  Tan gave a wolfish grin. "Not well. He screams a lot. They had to put him in a sound-proof room so he won’t disturb the other patients."

  Kendi shifted uncomfortably. He didn’t know how to react to this news. Jeren had killed a lot of people, had tried to kill Mother Ara-not to mention Kendi himself. But after walking the Dream, Kendi couldn’t think of a worse punishment than no longer being able to visit it again, and he had only found the Dream a few weeks ago. Jeren had been actively Silent for years and years. Kendi shuddered. If Jeren hadn’t died, this was certainly the next best thing. He decided to change the subject.

  "There were tons of people at Dorna’s funeral," he said. "Word got around pretty quick who she was and what she’d been doing. It was gross. A lot of them just wanted to get a look at her. We didn’t stay long."

  "I don’t know how to feel about her," Ben said. "I mean, the stuff she must have gone through to become what she was-I can’t imagine it. But she helped Jeren kill all those women. Anytime she wanted, she could have told someone and saved a whole bunch of lives."