She shook her head and closed her eyes, certain that she must be hallucinating, but when she opened her eyes again, she saw that the sunroom remained and she wasn’t alone. Her companions from her dream were there. They sat on white wicker sofas, across from her. A guy with sandy, brown hair stood behind a girl with long, black hair. His back was to her as he talked to one of the birds, so she couldn’t see his face. The group laughed when the parrot responded to him.
When another girl laughed, Grace realized that, beside her on the wicker sofa, sat a young woman who appeared to be in her early twenties. She had shoulder-length auburn hair and striking, crystal green eyes. Even though Grace didn’t recognize her, the knowledge suddenly hit her that they were friends. She closed her eyes in concentration, in an attempt to recall her name. When she opened her eyes a moment later, the girl had disappeared, and the bright red numbers on her clock stared at her. It was four o’clock.
It had all been another dream—another dream that had seemed all too real. No time to dwell on it though. If she was going to make it to the airport on time, she would have to leave by five-thirty. She had less than two hours to shower and pack. She argued with herself that she wanted to go back to sleep but she knew it wasn’t going to happen. As much as she didn’t want to go on the band trip and celebrate with a group of cheerful teenagers, she knew that she was headed to the airport to meet them, though for the life of her, she had no idea why.
*****
As she made the long hike toward her terminal, Grace’s hesitation to go on the band trip continued to nag at her. She felt like she was dragging her feet, awaiting any excuse not to go. With two hours before her flight’s scheduled departure, she decided that, rather than going directly to meet Derek and the rest of her classmates, she would stop at a restaurant to get breakfast.
Seated at a tall, round table, she watched travelers hustle by. Some struggled with suitcases and strollers; others wandered slowly to pass the time before their flight’s departure. Then her thoughts wandered to her present situation. She couldn’t let go of the feeling that her presence at the airport had nothing to do with a band trip. She wished that her internal voice, the one that had so vehemently urged her out of bed during the wee hours of the morning, would turn itself back on and tell her what to do. It remained silent, however. So she sat and waited, waited for…for some sort of an answer that would explain everything.
Overcome with a sudden urge to turn around, goose bumps rose on her arms the moment Grace swiveled in her chair and noticed the woman in line. She couldn’t see her face, but she didn’t have to. The shoulder-length auburn hair said it all. It was the woman from her dream.
Twisted sideways in her chair, Grace’s gaze remained transfixed to the woman as she walked through the line, paid for her food, and then followed an older man and woman to a table.
The woman took a bite of her food and appeared to listen to the older couple in conversation. And then, as though she'd sensed a watchful eye, she looked up and met Grace’s stare. They held eye contact for a moment, and then she turned her attention back to her companions.
Grace pretended to return her attention to her apple-raisin oatmeal, while she carefully watched the woman out of the corner of her eye. Twice, she noticed that the auburn-haired woman looked her way, but Grace pretended not to notice.
When the woman stood and walked toward the restroom, across from the restaurant, Grace recognized her opportunity. It was now or never. She didn’t want to follow too closely but she also wanted to ensure that she got her chance to talk to her. She hadn’t planned what to say but knew that she would have to say something; their simultaneous presence at the airport was no mere coincidence.
Feeling much like a stalker, Grace stood in front of a mirror and pretended to fuss with her long, blond hair while she waited for the woman to exit the stall. It was with luck that she chose to wash her hands at the sink next to Grace.
Grace turned to introduce herself and was taken aback when the woman spoke first. “Um, this might sound strange,” she said, “but I think you might know some friends of mine. Is your name Grace?”
Stunned, Grace froze, momentarily speechless. She must have appeared disconcerted because the woman immediately followed up with, “I’m so sorry! It was a silly idea.” She shook her head. “I don’t know what I was thinking. I thought that you might have been Grace, but of course you aren’t. I’m so sorry!”
Obviously embarrassed, the auburn-haired woman turned to walk away. Grace regained her composure and called out, “Wait! Don’t go. My name is Grace.”
She swiveled on her heel and stared, unblinking. After an awkward moment of silence, she said, “You’re Grace? I mean…really? I thought you might have been, but then, I thought I was just delusional.”
“I know you,” Grace told her. “I mean, I don’t know you, but I’ve seen you before. Please don’t think I’m crazy. I don’t know how else to say this, so I’m just going to say it. I had a dream last night, and you were in it…That sounds crazy, doesn’t it?”
The woman shook her head. “Not so crazy…no. No more crazy than a voice in my head telling me that you were Grace. I’ve heard a lot of crazy things lately, and I think I’m just starting to believe them. I met some interesting people yesterday. They told me that they were on their way to find a girl named Grace, in Salt Lake. Then, when I saw you back there in the restaurant, a voice in my head told me that you were the girl they were looking for. So no, I don’t think you sound crazy at all. If anything, I’m probably the one who sounds crazy.”
With raised eyebrows, Grace slowly shook her head. “Wait, there are people looking for me? Who?”
“A few different people…some good, some not so good. Do you have time to talk? My name is Sarah, by the way.”
Grace glanced at the time on her cell phone and saw that she still had an hour before her flight would board. It was then that the realization hit her. She hadn’t come to the airport for a band trip; she had come to meet Sarah. “Sure,” Grace said. “I think we should talk.”
Sarah returned to the restaurant so that she could excuse herself from her travel companions while Grace waited inside a nearby bookstore and inattentively flipped through a magazine. Sarah found her a few minutes later. Together, they found a quiet bench where they could sit and talk.
Grace explained how she had seen Sarah in her dream and how she had eventually decided to come to the airport. Then she blinked in speechless, confused awe after Sarah finished her story. When her brain was finally able to formulate words, Grace looked at Sarah and said, “I’m coming with you.”
Sarah frowned. “Are you sure?”
“Yep. No one ever has to know. I wonder how difficult it would be to get my ticket switched.”
“Hmmm, I don’t know. I know that airlines often make special exceptions for people in cases of funerals and things like that….Let’s go find out.”
*****
“This ticket is nonrefundable.” The ticket agent tapped her red, polished fingernails, impatiently, on the computer keyboard. Her tight, severe bun revealed a hint of gray roots, and the dark circles under her eyes said that she was tired of working and had little patience to deal with demanding passengers.
Grace cast a worried look toward Sarah, who patted her arm in reassurance and then faced the ticket agent with an air of authoritative confidence. “I know that, Ma’am, but surely there is something that you can do. My sister isn’t asking for a refund, just a destination change. A ticket to Arizona has to cost a lot less than a ticket to Florida. Our grandfather just passed away, and we need to get to Arizona to be with our family.”
“Well, we do make exceptions when there is a death in the family, but we would need to get your parents’ approval to change the ticket. Give me just a moment. Let me go speak with my supervisor.”
The ticket agent strode toward the end of the long counter and spoke with another woman who scowled and appeared less than thrilled to deal with ano
ther problem.
“I hope this works, Grace. That lady doesn’t look too friendly.”
Grace eyed the supervisor, who frowned and shook her head while the ticket agent spoke to her. “Don’t worry. I can convince her. Along with hearing prophetic voices in my head, I can also influence others.”
“What do you mean?”
“Shh,” Grace whispered, “they’re coming back. Just continue to play along.”
When the stocky supervisor approached the counter, it became apparent that the days of tall, skinny flight attendants were long gone. The bulging, shiny gold buttons of her navy blue jacket appeared ready to pop. The ticket agent stepped back to allow her supervisor to take over. Sarah glanced at Grace with a look that said, Are you sure about this?
Grace smiled with reassurance. It had been a while since she'd had used her special talents to influence someone, but she was confident that it wouldn’t be too difficult.
“Girls, I understand that your grandfather has passed away. I’m so sorry for your loss,” the supervisor began.
As the memory of her own recent loss flooded her emotions, a surge of tears reached her eyes, and she allowed them to flow freely. Her apparent inability to speak would allow her time to focus her energy on the supervisor.
With an unwavering, rigid stare, the supervisor continued, “But this is a nonrefundable ticket, and with that comes strict guidelines. Now, we do make exceptions for a loss in the family, but we will need your parents’ consent to change the ticket.”
“I understand that, but our parents aren’t here,” Sarah told her. “They flew to Arizona to be with our grandfather before he passed away.”
“Perhaps we could talk to your mother or father on the phone.”
While Sarah kept her talking, Grace began to channel positive energy toward the stocky woman behind the counter. The woman’s defensive aura slowly faded and then gradually grew warmer. When her aura visibly reached out toward Grace, she knew that she had a solid connection with the woman’s energy and was ready to speak.
She eyed the supervisor’s nametag. “Donna,” Grace began, “please, is there any way that you can help me?” She wiped away a tear. “The next flight to Arizona leaves soon, and we need to get there to be with my family. My sister is over eighteen. Can’t she act in place of my mother?”
Grace continued to pour on the positive energy, and the supervisor’s mood seemed to visibly transform. Her stern scowl was replaced by an expression of soft concern.
Donna turned to Sarah. “You’re over eighteen?”
“I’m twenty. Would you like to see my ID?”
With a surprising smile, Donna said, “No, that’s not necessary. Let’s see what we can do to get everything arranged for you.” Her fingernails clicked on the keyboard, for a few moments, and then she said, “It looks like our flight is almost full, but I was able to get you seats next to each other.”
A few more clicks of the keyboard and Donna handed Grace the revised ticket off of the printer. “Your flight boards in thirty minutes, ladies. My condolences to your family.”
“Thank you.” With a sincere smile, Grace accepted the ticket.
As soon as they were out of earshot from the ticket counter, Sarah turned to Grace. “That was amazing. What did you do back there? It’s like that woman’s mood shifted from night to day.”
“It’s something that I learned to do when I was little. When I realized that I could see auras, I learned everything I could about them. Auras are a reflection of a person’s energy. I discovered that energy is something that can be manipulated, and energy has a direct connection to a person’s mood and thoughts. So, with a little practice, I learned how to manipulate a person’s mood.” Grace shrugged. “It’s simple, really.”
Sarah laughed. “Okay. If you say so.”
*****
Seated in the hard, black, vinyl chairs, next to the boarding gate, Sarah recounted everything she knew about Eddie and Liliana. Then, she went on to describe her experience with the black car that had followed her on the road to Granite Falls.
Grace bit her lower lip and looked around nervously as though she would recognize the potential kidnappers if she saw them. “Do you think that the people who followed you will come after you again?”
Before Sarah could respond, they were interrupted by a woman in a bright purple sweater. “There you are, dear! Who’s your friend?” she asked, indicating Grace.
Sarah looked up and smiled at their visitors. “Hi there! Bonnie, Chuck, this is my…cousin, Grace. She’s flying down to Arizona for the family reunion. We weren’t supposed to be on the same flight, but since our flight got canceled last night, and we got laid over, our paths ending up crossing after all, so we get to fly down together.”
“Well, isn’t that nice,” said the heavyset, balding man, Sarah had introduced as Chuck. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Grace.”
Grace shook his outstretched hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“We flew in last night from Seattle,” Sarah explained to Grace. “We were supposed to catch a connecting flight last night at ten, but it was cancelled, so they switched us to the first flight out this morning.”
Bonnie groaned and shook her head. “Looks like we aren’t having the best travelling luck. Take a look at the board; looks like our flight has been delayed, again.”
Grace eyed the departure board and saw that their flight was indeed delayed for an additional two hours. “Well, Sarah, I’m glad that your flight was cancelled last night. I guess everything happens for a reason, huh?” With raised eyebrows and a look that said, Who are they? she glanced inconspicuously from Sarah, to her two traveling companions.
Sarah peeked at the couple in question. They were momentarily occupied with a disagreement about the weight of a certain carry-on bag. She rolled her eyes and smiled.
“Bonnie and Chuck happened to be leaving for the airport when I was, and they were kind enough to give me a ride. As luck would have it, they were actually heading for Arizona, too. So I’ve had the pleasure of their company on this trip.”
Grace glanced at the couple. Their auras consisted of an oddly tinged hue she couldn’t quite place, but she chalked it up to their argument and flared tempers with each other.
They continued to argue about the necessity of items in the woman’s large, flowered, carry-on. Grace turned away and pretended to scrutinize the flight departure board. The momentary distraction allowed her time to mask her impending laughter. With regained composure, she turned back to Sarah and smiled. “It sounds like you found each other at the right time. That certainly was lucky, wasn’t it?”
“Wasn’t it though?” Sarah returned the knowing smile.
“Is someone going to meet you girls at the airport when you get to Phoenix?” Chuck asked.
“Um, no, I don’t think so,” Sarah told him. “I think we’ll just rent a car and head up to Flagstaff. The rest of our…family is already up there.”
Bonnie nudged her husband. “We should give them a ride. It seems silly for them to rent a car when we could just drive them.”
“That’s not a bad idea,” Chuck said. “What do ya say, girls? How would you like to put up with us for a little while longer? We’d be happy to take you up north, once we get to town. That’ll save you a little bit of money, at least.”
Sarah glanced at Grace, who returned the look with an expression that said, They’re your friends, not mine.
“Um, that’s really kind,” Sarah began, “but…we wouldn’t want to inconvenience you. It’s a long trip, and I’m sure the last thing that you’re going to want to do is drive three hours out of your way. Didn’t you say that you live in the Phoenix area?”
“Yep, but it wouldn’t be an inconvenience at all. Our daughter lives up in Flagstaff, and we had planned to go up there for a little visit. It’ll be the perfect excuse. We wouldn’t hear of you renting a car when we can take you. So it’s settled then. You just get to put up with us for a little w
hile longer. Isn’t that great?”
“That’s…great,” Sarah said with a forced smile.
“Great,” Grace responded with an inward sigh.
*****
Grace watched Bonnie and Chuck, who stood up ahead, already in the boarding line. Though undeniably annoying, they seemed sweet enough; and yet, something about them seemed peculiar. Luckily, they were seated at the rear of the plane, and she and Sarah had been assigned to the front, so they would at least have privacy to talk, away from the couple.
Grace squinted in concentration as she continued to observe them. In a controlled battle for energy, their auras shifted back and forth during their continued argument. While both sets of auras were mostly red, which complemented their argument, their auras were also rimmed with a large amount of gray. She found this discovery to be puzzling because gray indicated dark thoughts or unclear intentions, and it seemed to be contradictory to the bubbly personalities they had displayed.
“Sarah, do you trust them?”
The ticket agent called for the next group of passengers to board, and Sarah turned to her as they took their place in line. “Bonnie and Chuck? Yeah I mean, they seem harmless enough. Why do you ask?”
“I don’t know.” Grace squinted at them, again. “I agree. They do seem harmless. It’s just…something about their auras doesn’t seem right.”
“Maybe it’s just because they’re mad at each other…you think?”
“Maybe…I don’t know.” Grace shook her head. “Just be careful what you say around them. I’m sure they are nice enough, but right now it’s probably safe to assume that we shouldn’t trust anyone.”
“I agree with you there. Until we know what this whole thing is all about and we know who’s after us, we probably shouldn’t trust anyone.”
CHAPTER 11: TOBY
From somewhere nearby, a man called out, “Hey, Henry, you there?” The voice sounded vaguely familiar, but Toby couldn’t place it.
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