When They Fade

by Jeyn Roberts

  “I’ve put you in danger,” Tatum says. “This is all my fault.”

  “Not even close,” I say. “Now come on. Let’s go.”

  Something inside me wants to break. Poor, trusting Tatum. Even though Claudette has shown her true colors, put her through months of torment, told a terrible lie to save her own skin, and probably a lot more…after all that pain and betrayal, Tatum still wants to believe her former friend isn’t that bad. I get that, I really do. For two days I sat tied up in the barn, bleeding, at first begging for my life to a man I still thought would change his mind and set me free. I didn’t believe Walter would really kill me either.

  Sometimes it’s easier to keep the faith than lose trust.

  “Come on,” I say. “We’ve got to get you out of here.” I turn toward Scott. “What happened to him?”

  “He got hit on the back of the head,” Tatum says. “I’m not sure if he’s okay. He hasn’t said anything since we got here.”

  I see the blood shiny and sticky in his hair. His eyelashes flutter when he hears Tatum’s voice. That gives me hope. If I can get them into a car, maybe she can drive straight to a hospital.

  “Where’s your car?”

  “Not here,” Tatum says. “They brought us here.”

  That’s not good. Maybe if we can get to a road, we can flag someone down. I pause, looking around, trying to figure out where we are.

  Then I see the barn.

  I freeze.

  I remember being locked in there for days, tied to the wooden post, watching my bodily fluids slowly gathering by my feet. By the end my wrists were rubbed raw, almost down to the bone, blood and skin stuck to the coarse rope that kept me tightly bound.

  The barn door is open, and I stare at the blackness, half expecting to see Walter step out any second with a knife in his hand, motioning to me to come back inside.

  I can’t do this. Not this place. Not here.

  Memories hit me like rocks.

  “You know where we are.” Tatum’s voice reaches my ears, but she sounds a million miles away.

  “I know,” I say.

  “Come on,” Tatum says. “Don’t go back there. Not just yet. Stay with me.”

  But the barn is mocking me. It looks different from the last time I was here. Worn down as if nature’s been reclaiming it bit by bit. I’m surprised it’s still intact. If I were the farmer who owned it, I would have torn it down ages ago. How could anyone continue to live beside such a monstrosity? The ghosts that haunt this place are very different from the ones at my lake.

  “Molly!”

  I snap back to reality as Claudette tackles me from the side. Her pant leg is singed. Her eyes are focused on mine, and I swear I can recognize the uncertainty. She’s crossed the line and part of her knows it. But she’s come this far; she’s not going back until she’s finished.

  “Who the hell are you?” she asks. “This is a private party.”

  I can’t stop looking past Claudette’s shoulder, where the barn looms over me. Tatum’s voice breaks my trance, calling my name over and over like a broken record. My mind begins to clear.

  “Really?” I give Claudette a strong shove and knock her off my chest. She falls back, stumbling. We both climb to our feet and the standoff begins. “That’s the best you can do? You and I both know that Tatum doesn’t deserve this. Any of this. She’s innocent.”

  Claudette frowns. “What has the bitch told you? She’s lying. She’s a lying bitch.”

  “Keep telling yourself that. Stop, Claudette. Stay out of the darkness. You have a choice.”

  Something grabs me from behind and spins me around. I’m face to nonexistent face with a Remnant. And it’s wearing a corset.

  “Why?” I whisper. “You knew I’d come. You’ve been tracking me.”

  A whisper fills my ears. The creature that used to be Mary is able to talk. The spot where her mouth used to be vibrates in and out of focus. “Spirits need to stay dead.”

  “I am dead.”

  “You don’t belong in this world, ghost.”

  “I don’t belong anywhere.”

  The Remnant hisses. It might be laughter, though; I’m not fully sure. Energy begins to spread across its skin, moving through the air like invisible tentacles. I feel a jolt of electricity against my arm. I jerk back in pain; the touch is like silver fire.

  “So now we steal your soul as a warning to those who come next.”

  The energy comes at me again, wrapping tightly around my wrist. Although the pain is burning, it’s cold too. Memories, mostly feelings, start to fade. All the things I’ve ever experienced are being erased one by one. My mind is becoming a blank slate, and something old and horrifying is taking over.

  Terror flows through me. I want to resist, but I can’t. There’s no fighting something this powerful. I can hear Tatum screaming my name, but I can’t see her. My eyes are fixated on the red barn and the horrors that were inside.

  Walter.

  Standing over me. A knife in his hand. Smiling with the same crazed smile I saw on Claudette just now. Steel slips into flesh so easily.

  I scream.

  Pain.

  Something else. A person standing in front of me. He’s reaching out toward me. The one who brought me to Walter.

  Julian.

  No. I’ve fought too hard and too long to keep him. He’s the one thing that’s given me hope over the years.

  No, that’s not right.

  Parker.

  I jerk backward, throwing the Remnant off guard. The energy around my wrist loosens, and I yank hard until I’m free.

  “You’re not getting me,” I say. “Not Parker, either.”

  I draw my hand back and make a fist. Just the way Marcus taught me when I was little. I catch the Remnant that used to be Mary right on the bridge of the nose, and it gasps and falls backward.

  The energy around my body disappears.

  I wait, my fists up to protect my face the way my brother showed me all those years ago. The Remnant of Mary climbs to its feet but doesn’t step forward to attack again. And although it no longer has a face, I swear it’s grinning at me. I brace myself for another attack.

  But instead of coming straight for me, the Remnant turns and shoves itself straight through the body of the closest unsuspecting teen. A boy with braces and bad acne stiffens as if he’s been doused in icy water. He sways back and forth on his feet for a few seconds before shaking his head slightly as if trying to clear his mind. Then, without warning, he turns and punches the person next to him.

  Uh-oh. That’s not good.

  It’s almost as if the Remnants were waiting for a sign. I spin around, scanning the crowd. More Remnants step through unsuspecting teenagers. Suddenly everyone is turning against each other, and the field goes from drunkfest to crime scene.

  I hear a branch crack behind me and turn in time to see the boy with braces coming toward me with his fists raised. I sidestep his advance, but he doesn’t seem to notice or care. Instead he slams right into Claudette, who screams and falls backward into the fire.

  I reach to grab Claudette, but Tatum beats me. She rushes bravely into the flames and pulls Claudette from the fire. Luckily, Tatum manages to get Claudette out before the inferno catches her clothing again. Claudette lies on the ground beside Scott, moaning slightly.

  Parker. I have to find him. I scan the crowd, but all hell seems to have broken loose. The group of teenagers has turned chaotic. They’re no longer standing around. They’re beating the crap out of each other instead. Whatever the Remnants have done, it’s made them hostile. But in the middle of their confusion, they’ve temporarily forgotten about Tatum.

  However, Claudette is attempting to finish things. There’s no thanks to Tatum for pulling her out of the fire. My words haven’t gotten through her thick skull. She grabs Tatum by the hair and drags her toward the few teens who aren’t fighting each other.

  “What are you idiots doing?” she screams at them. “We have a trial
to finish.”

  “But…” The red-haired girl stares at me. Whatever beer buzz she had is now gone. She’s not so sure now that they should continue. Not when everyone seems determined to beat each other to death. A murmur goes through the crowd. A few of the teens step backward. This no longer feels like a game to them.

  “This isn’t over until I say it’s over!” Claudette screams.

  If I had a few minutes, I could talk to Claudette and the others. I’m certain I could convince them to stop everything. The party is out of control. It’s time to go home.

  But time is not on my side. Not when the Remnants are closing in. They have their own game to finish. And, Lord help me, I don’t think I’m strong enough to fight them off again. Struggling with the one Remnant was by far the hardest thing I’ve had to do since I died. I barely managed to get free. There’s no way I’ll be able to do that again, especially if they all jump me at once.

  “Parker!”

  “Molly.” Parker brushes up against me. He’s got something heavy in his hands. A baseball bat. He throws a wild swing at the closest Remnant, sending it flying back to the ground, where the dirt begins to swallow it up.

  “Get them down!” Parker yells. “They can’t seem to get back up. It’s the only chance.”

  Easy for him to say when he’s holding a bat.

  “Tatum,” I say. “We need to work together. Parker and I can hold them off. You’ve got to get Scott to a car.”

  “We need keys. I think Levi has them.” She reaches down and tries to get Scott to his feet. Parker positions himself between the Remnants and the fire. He holds up the baseball bat, swinging whenever one of them gets too close.

  “There are too many of them!” Parker yells. Every time he knocks a Remnant back, two more get in closer for the kill. He kicks at one and it grabs hold of his foot. That same strange blurred energy whips around his leg, pulling him off balance.

  “Parker!”

  I rush toward him, trying to pull him back from the swarming Remnants. They’re closing in quickly now that they’ve got their opening. The baseball bat is torn from his hand as they bring him down. Hands wriggle around his neck. The skin around his mouth begins to blur.

  I can’t pull him back. The Remnants have him.

  “You can fight it!” I yell at him. “Don’t let them take away your memories.”

  A hand tries to snake around my wrist. I shake it away, determined to show Parker that he has the power to get free. I start pulling Remnants away from him, shoving them aside like they’re weaklings.

  “How?” Parker says. He’s weak. I can hear it in his voice. Soon he’ll be looking up at me and no longer recognizing my face.

  “Fight it,” I say again. “Look at me, Parker. Don’t look away. You are strong enough to beat this.” I shove one of them away, but not before it gets hold of the baseball bat. The Remnant holds it triumphantly above its head.

  Parker fights. Hands drop away from his body, but more replace them. There are just too many of them now. They’re not even going after me; the Remnants have made Parker their primary target. I suppose once he’s claimed, they’ll expect me to fall.

  I have to do something. I have to stop them before Parker disappears before my very eyes. I can’t lose him. Haven’t I lost enough? Not here. Not in this place, by this damned red barn, with its memories that will never go away, no matter how many Remnants try and break my will.

  I’ve been selfish, trying to sacrifice myself all along. I dragged Parker and Mary into my quest, and I’m not going to lose them both. Not when there’s still one more thing I can do. I know Parker will blame himself, but that’s something I’m going to have to live with. Or die with, as the case will probably be.

  My hands dive for Parker’s pants. No time for modesty now. Digging deep beneath the folds, I find it quickly. A small copper-colored pebble.

  “No,” Parker says. Suddenly he has renewed strength. He struggles again against the energy bands, but they’re not loosening. I can barely even see his face now through the blur.

  “I’m sorry,” I say.

  “Don’t you dare, Molly! Don’t let me go.”

  I turn my hand around and let the stone drop to the ground.

  “Goodbye, Parker,” I whisper.

  He Fades away. The energy around him shimmers before dissolving into nothingness.

  Parker is safe. My future is still uncertain.

  TATUM

  She manages to get Scott to the SUV, but of course it’s locked. She scans the clearing, hoping to see Levi, but there’s too much commotion. She can’t spot him in the crowd. But she can see Molly and Parker, and it’s not looking good for either of them. When Parker disappears, Molly stays down on her knees for far too long. From the way she’s being banged around, there have to be at least a dozen Remnants there.

  Is Parker gone? Claimed by the invisible creatures? Or did he manage to get back to wherever Molly and he exist? Tatum can’t tell, and she can’t see Molly’s face to be sure.

  She needs to help. But how can she fight something she can’t see?

  “Stay here,” she says to Scott.

  “I’m sorry,” Scott says. He reaches out and takes a few of her fingers in his hand. He squeezes loosely, showing Tatum just how much strength he’s lost.

  She looks at him in surprise. He’s finally coherent enough to talk.

  “It’s not your fault,” she says. “It’s mine.”

  Tatum tries to help him lean against the SUV, but it’s obvious he’s still in no condition to stand. All the moving around has reopened his wound, and blood is trickling down his neck.

  “Not that,” he says weakly. “You’re right. It is your fault. Sorry. Horrible joke. But aside from that. Me. I’m useless.”

  “You’re not,” she says. “But I’ve got to go help Molly.” She helps him slide down the side of the SUV until he’s sitting with his back against the passenger door. “Crawl underneath if you have to, but stay out of sight. I’ll be back.”

  “Be careful,” he says. “Kick that premonition’s ass.”

  She gets up after making sure Scott isn’t going to just fall over again, and she makes her way back to the fire. Molly seems to have gotten to her feet too; she’s moving toward the barn, maybe trying to lure the Remnants away. Whatever she’s facing, it’s clear she’s not going down without a fight.

  Claudette appears in front of Tatum. Her eyes are lit up in hatred. Graham and Juniper are behind her, along with a few of the other teenagers. The party has turned a whole new shade of weird. Levi, Tatum notices, is mysteriously absent. Maybe he’s off puking in the bushes.

  “Your freak-show friends aren’t going to help you,” Claudette says. Graham and Juniper and the others spread out, circling Tatum until she’s trapped. There’s nowhere to run. The showdown isn’t finished. Tatum glances around, looking for Molly, but the ghost is nowhere in sight. She’s too busy dealing with her own demons to help. Tatum is fully on her own.

  “Why are you doing this?” It’s the one question that keeps going around in her head. Why? Why everything? At what point will Claudette realize she’s reached the limit of horribleness?

  “You’re a psycho bitch.”

  Tatum decides she’s going about this wrong. Claudette isn’t going to listen. What she needs is someone else on her side. She looks over at Juniper and notices that the red-haired girl looks uncomfortable. Guilty.

  “You know,” Tatum says. “You know everything.”

  Juniper steps back, shaking her head. But Tatum can tell she’s lying.

  “We were friends,” Tatum continues. “You and me. How can you stand there when you know I’m telling the truth? How long have you known? From the very beginning? You could have helped me. What did Claudette have to do to buy your silence? Become your friend? Look at me. How long till you end up in my shoes?”

  “What’s she talking about?” Graham looks between Juniper and Claudette.

  “Nothing,” Claud
ette says. “Don’t listen to her. She’s a lying bitch.”

  “Help me,” Tatum says to Juniper.

  “Shut the fuck up!” Claudette screams. She pulls her arm back and slaps Tatum hard across the face. “You couldn’t stand that I was happy, could you? No, so you blabbed to the whole world. You tried to destroy me.”

  “I tried to help you. Oh God, Claudette. You weren’t yourself. You were…” She pauses, looking for the right word. She can taste blood in her mouth. “Obsessed.”

  “You ruined everything!”

  “So you have to destroy my life? Haven’t you done enough? Okay, fine. I messed up. Is that what you want to hear? I royally screwed everything. And I can’t take that back. I should have just left you alone and let you fuck up your life. Just let it go. Leave me alone.”

  “It’s too late for that.”

  She wonders if that’s true. Maybe. Have they come so far that there’s really no turning back? Tatum doesn’t think that’s true. But if anything, maybe she can get Claudette to pause enough for Tatum to get Scott to a hospital. Tomorrow, Claudette can continue her revenge rampage, but tonight they need to pause for station identification. Otherwise Scott might die.

  “Scott needs help,” Tatum says.

  “Oh, right. And then you’ll just blab to everyone. Fool me once, bitch. Not this time.”

  It’s become very quiet. Two of the others mumble something to each other and break from the group, walking away. After a moment, Juniper turns and follows them. Sadly, they don’t make an offer to take Tatum with them.

  “I have to get Scott to a doctor. Let us go. I won’t say a word to anyone this time. I promise. You owe me, Claudette. You owe me big-time. Remember all the things I ever did as your friend. Forget about Mr. Paracini and all that other shit. Do this and we’re even.” Tatum tries to stand up taller, to make herself look a lot tougher than she feels. “I need the keys.”

  Claudette lunges at her, and Tatum braces herself for another smack. But Graham steps between them and shoves Claudette back. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out the car keys.