Aspen and the Dream Walkers (18 page)

Once she’d grabbed a laundry bag and shoved a
few jeans and T-shirts into it, she placed her dad’s photo on top
and pulled the drawstring closed. The sound of Stephan’s motorcycle
roaring into the driveway made her freeze.

“Keep on packing!” Leeman shouted from
downstairs. “I’ve got it covered.”

With a beating heart, she reached for her
shoes under the bed. What was going to happen now? She winced as
Stephan’s loud voice boomed in the living room. The two men shouted
at each other, but she continued to pack.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Aspen nearly keeled over with fright. Miriam
stood in the doorway with red cheeks and a scowl plastered on her
face.

“We’re leaving,” she said without emotion.
Her hands were shaking as she walked over to the chest of drawers
and scooped up the Mickey Mouse clock.

“Says who?” Miriam said snidely.

“You can’t stop us. My uncle has come to get
us, so I’m not going to be your scapegoat anymore.”

The sounds of the men arguing downstairs
became louder, and a sudden bang made the two of them look at the
door simultaneously.

“Dad!” Miriam cried out. She left her
stepsister and charged down the staircase.

Aspen glanced around her room for the last
time and then dragged the stuffed laundry bag and her school
backpack behind her. After grabbing her toothbrush and towel from
the bathroom, she made her way downstairs.

“What did you do to my dad?” Miriam cried in
a shrill voice as she entered the living room. Stephan was
unconscious on the floor, and his daughter sat next to him on her
knees.

Leeman walked past the two, carrying Norma’s
bags out to the car. He grabbed Aspen’s bags as well. “Go and help
your mom in the kitchen.” He nodded his head toward the other room
and then walked outside.

A low groan left Stephan’s mouth, and
Miriam’s face darkened as she rose to confront Aspen. “This is your
fault. You’re a useless, skinny piece of trash.” She seized Aspen’s
arm and twisted it backward.

Pain exploded in Aspen’s shoulder and she
gasped. Without thinking, she pointed her free hand at Miriam and
blasted her with a powerful blue current. Her stepsister sailed
through the air and landed in a heap on the floor.

Norma chose that moment to enter the room. A
perfect
O
formed on her lips, and her eyes widened.

“It’s not what you think, Mom,” Aspen tried
to explain. Her eyes tingled, and she flinched as her mother moved
away from her in fear.

Leeman marched inside and snatched a box of
kitchenware from Norma’s hands. A panicked look crossed her face
and she cringed in fright. “Let’s go,” he said. “I’ll tell you
everything later.”

Touching her arm gently, Aspen tried to
reassure her. “It’s still me, I haven’t changed.”

“W-what did you do to Stephan?” she
stuttered, then looked to Aspen. “And to Miriam?”

“They’ve just had a mild shock. They’ll wake
up in a minute or two.”

Stephan groaned again and Norma pressed her
lips together, then nodded her head as if she’d come to a
decision.

“They’ll be fine, Mom,” Aspen promised. “And
so will we. You’ll see.”

“Okay, but you’ve got a lot of explaining to
do, young lady,” her mother said as she followed them to the
car.

Second Move

Leeman’s house was bigger than expected. He hadn’t
exaggerated about the amount of bedrooms; there were eight in
total. Aspen had been told to pick a room, and she’d walked through
each one before carefully choosing a large corner room upstairs
with massive windows that faced the south. It had plush carpets and
pale curtains. The bed could accommodate two people comfortably,
and a door led from her room into a private bathroom all her
own.

She sank back on the soft quilt that covered
the bed and sighed in contentment. The house overlooked the
playground she was so fond of visiting.

Warm rays of afternoon sun heated her skin
pleasantly, and she could smell the meat stew her mother was
cooking for dinner. Her stomach growled in anticipation, and she
rolled off the bed to follow the aroma.

The kitchen matched the rest of the house in
size. A sturdy table and chairs stood in the middle of the room,
and modern appliances graced the counters. Norma stirred a pot on
the gas stove, and Leeman sat at the table with his hands wrapped
around a mug of coffee.

He glanced at Aspen as she entered. “Do you
like the room you’ve picked?” he asked.

“It’s fantastic.” Aspen grinned. “It’s the
biggest room I’ve ever had. I’ve even got my own bathroom.”

Leeman smiled broadly. “I’ve just boiled
water. You’ll find cocoa in the middle cabinet and milk in the
fridge.” He pointed to the massive stainless steel double-door
fridge behind her.

“Thank you. Can I get you a cup, Mom?”

“No thanks, honey. Uncle Leeman already
offered.”

Her mom seemed more relaxed than when she’d
first arrived. She’d chosen a room close to her daughter and had
unpacked her meager belongings quickly before she’d rushed down to
make a meal. She hadn’t mentioned the scene with Stephan and Miriam
yet.

Aspen poured hot water into a mug of hot
chocolate and laced it liberally with milk. She stirred three
spoons of sugar into the brew and swallowed noisily.

“Sorry about the sound effects.” She smiled.
“It’s just so good.”

Norma placed the wooden spoon on a dish next
to the stove and planted a kiss on Aspen’s forehead.

“Don’t worry, sweetie, no one is going to
moan about that here.” She stood back thoughtfully. “This feels so
different. I can hug and kiss you without being shouted at.”

Leeman fisted his hand, and the knuckles on
his fingers turned white. “I should’ve hit him harder,” he said
with a scowl.

“Don’t worry, Uncle Leeman, you were
fantastic. Thank you for bringing us here. I’ve never been so happy
in my whole life.” Aspen’s face was radiant.

His eyes softened as he looked at her. “Sorry
it took so long, Princess. I didn’t know. You didn’t tell me your
life was so bad.”

Norma looked at the two and frowned, probably
wondering why Leeman would say that since he’d supposedly never met
Aspen before.

Aspen glanced nervously at her mom and
wondered how to distract her. “Will I have time for a quick bath
before dinner, Mom?”

“Absolutely, honey. The stew will hold till
then.”

“Thanks, I’ll be back soon.” She washed her
cup, dried it, and darted out of the room.

After running a deep bath, Aspen lay back and
soaked in the hot foamy water. The bathroom was light and airy,
with white tile and chrome finishes. There was a wide sink in the
corner, and an enormous shower stood next to the tub. It felt
strange not to bathe in shallow cold water. Miriam normally used
all the hot water in their dingy old bathroom, and Aspen had to
hurry whenever it was her turn.

Now, the warm water relaxed her muscles and
she breathed in the rose-scented bath salts she’d sprinkled into
the tub with a contented sigh. A motorcycle spluttered and roared
outside, and the sound made her sit up instantly.

That had to be Stephan’s bike; the sound was
unmistakable.

She reached for a plush towel and dried
herself quickly, her calmness forgotten. After throwing on a clean
pair of jeans and a T-shirt, she ran downstairs in her slippers as
fast as she could. A tiny drop of moisture from her ponytail
splashed on the floor as she wrung it out in the kitchen.

“Uncle Leeman. Is that Stephan outside?”

“Relax, Princess. He doesn’t know where we
are. He’s just riding up and down the street because he doesn’t
know what else to do. Our SUV is in the garage, and there’s a high
wall out front with a locked wooden gate.”

She trembled slightly but forced herself to
be calm. Stephan wasn’t as strong as she was, and he couldn’t hurt
her anyway.

Her mother stood nervously in the kitchen
with a wooden spoon in her hand, her eyes wide with fear.

“Mom, I’m starving. When do we eat?”
Hopefully that would distract her.

“Supper is ready, sweetie. Can you help me
set the table, please?”

While they all tried to ignore the drone of
the motorcycle’s engine, Leeman opened the cutlery drawer and
showed Aspen where everything was stored. He then reached for three
plates and placed them on the tablecloth between the knives and
forks she’d arranged in a
U
formation around the table.

Norma spooned rice on each plate and ladled
steaming meat stew over it.

“Hmm, it smells great.” Aspen sniffed
appreciatively.

Her mom smiled. “Dig in, sweetie, before it
gets cold.”

Without hesitation, Aspen loaded a fork with
rice and meat, then blew at the steam that rose from it. She
crammed the food into her mouth and repeated the process until her
plate was empty. No longer able to hear the motorcycle, she relaxed
and finished her supper.

“Wow, looks like you were really hungry.”
Norma grinned.

“Absolutely famished.”

Leeman scraped his plate and wiped his mouth
with the back of his hand. “We need napkins. If you keep cooking
like that, I’m going to embarrass myself and lick the plate.” He
chuckled.

A flush of color tinged Norma’s normally pale
skin. She hadn’t been complimented much in the past, and she
obviously didn’t know how to react.

“I’m glad you liked it,” Norma said shyly. “I
raided your fridge and whipped up whatever I could find.”

“That was really awesome. We’ll go shopping
tomorrow and you can buy whatever else you need.”

“Thanks.” She smiled. “I’ve made dessert too.
I don’t know if you want some just yet, but I’ve baked an apple
pie.”

“Norma, that’s the best news I’ve heard all
week.” Leeman smiled at her lazily and she blushed again. “But
first, I have something to show you.” Pushing his chair back, he
motioned for them to precede him to the kitchen door. He led the
two women out into the huge backyard. Maple and oak trees lined the
enclosed garden, and a long wooden garage was tucked behind the
house to the left. Wild roses curled along the side of the garage
wall.

Aspen followed them curiously. Once they’d
reached the garage, he opened the doors and escorted the two of
them inside. It was dark in the room, and he felt for the light
switch.

As the fluorescent light flickered to life,
Aspen saw a late-model white Honda compact. The car stood in the
middle of the floor, and she rushed up to it and ran her fingers
along the sleek metal surface.

“I’d like you to have this car,” Leeman said
and touched Norma’s shoulder.

She gasped in surprise and shook her head.
“Is this for me?”

He nodded and pushed her gently toward the
vehicle. It took a moment before she walked up to it and stroked
the hood reverently.

Aspen opened the door and slid into the
passenger seat. The car smelled of new leather, and she sank back
into the upholstered seats.

“No, this isn’t possible. This can’t be
true.” Norma stared in wonder at Leeman. Her face crumpled suddenly
and tears rolled down her cheeks. “This . . . this is too
much,” she said as she sobbed.

Leeman walked up to her and enfolded her in a
bear hug. “It’s okay, Norma. You deserve to be spoiled. This is
just the beginning.”

“Wow, Mom, now you can teach me how to
drive.” Aspen laughed as she climbed out of the car.

Her mother smiled and wiped her eyes. “I
promise I’ll teach you soon.” She studied the car while Leeman kept
his arm draped across her shoulder.

“Didn’t you say there was dessert?”

Norma beamed up at him. “I’ll make you the
best dessert every night.”

Leeman walked Norma back to the kitchen as
Aspen closed the garage door and switched off the light. Her
mother’s face was so animated, and she couldn’t be happier for
her.

Once they were inside, her mom asked them to
sit at the table and then dished up the pie. She placed a portion
in front of each person, along with a small fork for each. Aspen
jumped up and filled their glasses with juice before they began to
eat. She sipped her drink and licked the tines of the fork slowly,
savoring the sweetness of the pie.

Minutes of absolute bliss passed, and she
couldn’t remember when last she’d been so happy. With a sigh, she
pushed back her chair and said, “I’ve had too much to eat. Thanks,
Mom, that was delicious.”

Leeman agreed. “Yes, thanks, Norma.” He
leaned back and rubbed his stomach. One of his shirt buttons had
come undone, and Norma noticed the dream catcher as it gleamed
against his skin.

“Hey, you’ve got the same necklace as I
have.” She pulled her dream catcher free and held the disk up in
the air. The ridges reflected light in soft waves. “It’s so pretty.
Aspen has one as well. Did Roman give it to you too?”

Leeman and Aspen remained silent and looked
at each other warily.

“Did I say something wrong?” she asked.

“No, Mom, it’s all good,” Aspen reassured
her. “Uncle Leeman, I think it’s time that you tell Mom what we
are.”

Rather than argue, he reached for his dream
catcher. It glittered magically.

“What do you mean?” Norma asked. “Aspen,
you’re scaring me. Does this have something to do with what
happened to Stephan earlier?”

“Mom, relax.” She placed her hand on her
mother’s arm.

“It’s okay, Norma. Aspen and I have a secret
that we need to tell you.”

Norma covered her daughter’s hand with her
own.

“My surname is Walker, right?”

Norma nodded her head.

“Roman comes from a long line of
Walkers—Dream Walkers. Dream Walkers have been on this earth for
centuries. We live in a plane parallel to Earth.”

Aspen could feel her mother tense up, and she
gripped her hand tightly.