Erasing: Shadows (The Erasing Series) (16 page)

“Good, I’m glad you’re feelin’ better than before, that means I won’t have to do as much work.” Ada Jo laughed.

“Oh, I’m sorry I caused problems,” said Mira.

“It’s okay, Mira, really,” said Ada Jo. “Sometimes I think that’s what I’m here for—people like you.” Then she turned serious. “But Mira, there’s some reason you are twelve and not in the Circle of Lost Children. We have to find that out eventually, and it might be…hard.”

“I understand,” said Mira. “Oh my gosh, I might be old! Like twenty!”

“You never know.” But first,” said Ada Jo, all seriousness gone from her voice. “My place and teacakes!”

Past the World of Illusion, a little farther down the footpath was Ada Jo’s circle. Unlike the others, her circle did not have noticeable borders, but she assured Mira that should anything unwanted try to get in, they would get the shock of their lives. Inside her area was a lovely gingerbread looking house with a garden outside and flowers everywhere. There were also little garden statues and a watering can sitting in the corner next to what looked like a pond, only the pond was self-filling and moved like it had current.

Ada Jo saw Mira’s amazed expression and pointed to her own head. “It’s amazing what you can do when you put your mind to it,” she reminded Mira.

Mira was speechless. Inside the little house were a comfortable sofa and dining table and chairs and another room she assumed was a bedroom. There was also a loft and peering down from the loft was a tabby cat. “That’s Whiskers,” said Ada Jo. “He likes company.” Sure enough, Whiskers jumped down from the loft ladder right into Mira’s lap. Mira had never petted an astral cat before.
It was like something was kinda there and kinda not.
She tried to stroke where she thought the cat was.

Ada Jo went to get the teacakes from a little kitchen on the side. She came back with an overflowing tray of all kinds of cakes and cookies and bottles of water for both her and Mira. She was careful to move one side of the tray toward Mira and gave her one of the bottles. “You eat from that side,” she said. “They are imported.”

“Imported?” Mira was at a loss again.

“From your world, silly!” laughed Ada Jo. “They will give you some energy; my side is from here and wouldn’t do you much good, but I love them.”

‘Oh!” said Mira. There was so much to all this multiple world business. Yet, to another part of her, it all seemed familiar.

***

Michael and Jonathan, now having an easier time of it, had made it to the main road and stopped at the re-materialized McArthur house for some water. Luckily, some of the refreshments were left from the previous get together there. Dusty, but real. The brothers wolfed them down. Then they had a decision to make.

“I know you will feel more where Mira might be—” started Jonathan

“Actually,” said Michael, “I don’t have a clue.. I thought I sensed her presence earlier, but not anymore—nothing.’”

“Well, as uncomfortable as that is, it makes what I am about to tell you a little bit easier,” confessed Jonathan.

“What is it?” asked Michael, prepared for anything after all they’d been through.

“I can tell you where we cannot go, and I can assure you that Mira isn’t in any of those places, but I can’t give you any reasonable explanation as to why I know,” said Jonathan.

“Because Stu told you,” guessed Michael.

Jonathan wolfed down more crackers. “Yeths,” he said, mouth full. “But you have to believe me.”

“I do, Jon. I know Stu is advanced. If he says not to go somewhere, I am sure there is good reason.”

“There is,” said Jonathan. “The circles are bad places. If you’re not there already, you shouldn’t be there, simple as that. But we do need to watch ourselves as we pass by them.”

“Are we even passing by them? Which way are we even going?” Michael thought a minute then continued, “I think our best bet is to go to Mira’s family farm, maybe then to the Emergency Meeting Place. If we don’t run into Mira on this whole trek around, then my guess is she will be at one of those places. I have nothing to go on, just a feeling.”

“Hey, bro, that’s as good as it gets sometimes,” said Jonathan.

The brothers took the remaining bottles of water with them and set off again. Crossing Main Street, they looked at two circles in the distance. “Want to steer clear—” Jonathan started to say, but they had missed the obvious—Michael stepped a foot, just one foot, in a non-descript circle near them. It was the Nothing Circle. “Michael!” screamed Jonathan. In an instant, Michael was sucked into the Nothingness.

Screaming again, he knew it was useless. Michael would already be inside. He wished Stu were here. Jonathan thought for a minute.
Is it better if I get lost in there too, looking for my brother or stay out here, trusting that Michael will figure a way out.
He searched his soul and put his trust in his brother. Michael would figure it out, and Jonathan would be here waiting for him. He planted himself on the grass and looked at the sky. It was starting to get dark. Another day was going by. He knew Mira didn’t have many left.

***

“Here, I want to show you something,” said Ada Jo after she and Mira had their fill of teacakes. Mira wiped off crumbs from her chin. Whiskers seemed to lap them up, though she wasn’t entirely sure how. She followed Ada Jo outside to her window boxes and gardens of flowers all around. Ada Jo pointed at a flower near her door. “Touch the flower.”

Mira bent over and picked the flower, but before it was even half-way out she heard Ada Jo scream and—
was it possible
— she heard that
eeeek
in her head again.

Ada Jo grabbed the flower out of Mira’s hand. “I didn’t mean for you to pick it!” She was upset. Mira looked at her blankly.

“Okay,” said Ada Jo, calming down. “Give me a minute here. I have to put things right.” She bent over the ground where the flower came from, and Mira couldn’t tell what she was doing but it sounded like—
was she talking to the flower and the ground? Yes, she was sure that’s what Ada Jo was doing, but she couldn’t hear what she said.

Mira was looking the whole time but would swear she didn’t see it. The flower once again was in the ground right where it was before, as if nothing had happened. Ada Jo said to her, “It knows your action wasn’t intentionally hurtful. Nevertheless, I don’t think I’m going to be able to show you what I wanted. Now they’re all wary of you. I guess I can show you another way.”

Mira wondered, even with all she’d seen, if Ada Jo was all there.
I mean, she thought, what was wary of her? The flowers? As if they were little people?

To answer what she knew Mira was thinking and to continue with her demonstration, Ada Jo walked Mira over to another part of the yard with different flowers. “Now,” she said, her voice stern, “don’t
pick
the flower. Just reach over and see if you can brush it with two of your fingers.”

Mira stood, feet planted in awkward positions, and bent her knees. She took her right hand and reaching with two fingers tried to touch one of the flowers. It moved away.

Mira looked up.
Was there a breeze?
She looked at the sky; it was getting toward evening. But no breeze. She tried again. Again, the flower moved away. As soon as she took her fingers away, the flower moved back to center. She tried one more time.
The flower, did it hesitate?
It seemed to dawdle a moment and then moved away.

Ada Jo smiled for the first time since the first flower had been pulled. “Well, you almost gained its trust. They hold grudges, plants do. It’s because they’re so fragile,” she continued. “Mankind is always stomping all over hurting them, even without meaning to. Do you understand now?”

Mira was trying to think what all this meant, but it was so bizarre. She shook her head no.

“Everything has a consciousness, Mira. Even the flowers. Here, even more so. In my world, and even in the rest of this world outside my circle, everything is alive. That is why it is all affected so easily by your own thoughts and energies and” she added, “those of others.”

Mira sat down where she was and pondered this.

“That grass you just sat on likes you,” said Ada Jo.

This was almost too much for Mira.

“Don’t think about it anymore,” said Ada Jo. “It will give you a headache. It’s just something to store away that’s good to know. Besides, it’s getting dark. You’ll spend the night here; you can sleep in the loft. Whiskers will be glad for the company.”

Mira smiled.

“Then tomorrow, Mira…” Ada Jo’s voice trailed off.

Mira looked up at Ada Jo’s face; it was serious again.

“Tomorrow we will go to another set of buildings, and we’ll finish the astral tour.”

“You’re not saying something,” said Mira, who had grown to read this little girl who was wise beyond her years.

Ada Jo looked at her with compassion. “Tomorrow, you will figure out who you are and what you’re gonna do. One way or another, you will. Tomorrow.”

It sounded ominous to Mira.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be there.” Ada Jo was smiling again, as if she had just thought of something, but said no more.

“Okay,” said Mira and both girls went in. It had been a long day. Both were asleep in minutes, Mira with Whiskers at her feet. Something about the cat at her feet made her feel at home.

Chapter Sixteen

Trina

Trina had been waiting for what seemed like forever when Lu showed up. Stu had called Lu, and she made a fast hike to the Emergency Meeting Place. Trina and Lu hugged as much as a real person and an astral body could hug, for Lu had come in her real body. Even though Stu had relayed the danger, she didn’t plan to be here that long and could come back in her astral body if she needed to. She was just so glad to see Trina. Trina and Lu were both crying and hugging when Stu showed up.

Normally, he would have let the girls have their moment, but there was no time to waste. Before he could say anything, Zac and Onie appeared out of nowhere.

“I can’t believe all this is going on, and no one told us!” said Onie, hands on hips.

Stu muttered something about time.

“And what about Jonathan and Michael? We could have been helping them!” said Zac.

Trina was the voice of reason. “I don’t have much time left. Stu is trying to help. Please let him.”

With that, the rest of the gang shut up and turned the floor over to Stu.

Stu had brought with him a large duffle sack. In front of everyone, he pulled out of it what looked like a body, only it was translucent and pliable, almost like a doll. It was a figure of Ed.

The gang looked aghast.

Stu looked back at them squarely. “This is the only plan to save Trina.”

The gang looked aghast and relieved at the same time.

Trina was staring at the Ed figure. “Oh my God.”

***

Madison knocked on Mrs. Ross’s bedroom door. She had Brandon with her. Brandon had wanted to see G’ama. When she opened the door a crack she could see Mrs. Ross laying down in a deep sleep. She opened her eyes at the intrusion. “Sweetie, Grandma needs a long private nap, but I have a few hours until I need another one,” she said with a strange look in her eye.

“Grandma can play with Brandon!” Brandon clapped his hands.

“Madison,” she asked.

“Yes, Grandma?”

“In a few hours I will need to take another nap and not be disturbed. Can you and Morgan look after Brandon then? Michael is out, as you know.”

“Morgan is at softball practice, but I can look after him. I know,” she said, smiling at Brandon, who was bouncing on his grandmother’s knee. “We’ll make cookies!”

“That sounds good dear. Just don’t make a mess.” Then Mrs. Ross laughed. “As if that is possible with a three-year-old.”

Madison looked at her grandmother. Lately she had seemed, well, less uptight. Madison liked this new attitude.

“Okay, Grandma, just let me know when you want me to take him,” said Madison. Then she left the room.

But Mrs. Ross wasn’t done. “Now Brandon,” she said sternly, once the door was closed. “Grandma is busy today, and you cannot travel
out
. Do you understand? No following Stu, no other house, no following me. If you’re a good boy, Madison will make cookies with you.”

Brandon understood the word cookie. “Cookies!” He laughed.

“But no
out,
understand?” repeated Mrs. Ross.

“No
out,
” Brandon repeated after her.

“That’s right,” said Mrs. Ross. “
Stay
here
today. Grandma will take you to the park later.”

“Park!” Brandon clapped his hands.

“That’s right, but only if you’re a good boy!”

Brandon hugged G’ama. “Brandon good boy!” he said with enthusiasm.

***

Stu snapped his fingers, and a bench appeared. The gang gasped. He had learned a few tricks since his meeting with Mrs. Ross in the empty room, but he couldn’t tell them that. He just let them think he was advanced. He laid out the lifeless figure of Ed on the bench. The look of it made Onie want to retch. Stu said, “Don’t think of it as a corpse, it’s not. Think of it as a suit. You put it on, you’re inside. That’s what Trina is going to do.”

Trina looked dubious. Then immediately said, “The tingling in my hands and feet is getting worse.”

Lu furrowed her brow and looked at Stu. “What haven’t you told us?”

Stu sighed, exasperated.
This was exactly why he hadn’t wanted anyone here. They were a hindrance not a help
.

But Trina came to his rescue. “Guys, please! Stu is doing his job, and I would just as soon do this in private. Assuming it even works.”

“Even me?” asked Lu, hurt.

“Sugar, please. This is a delicate procedure. I don’t need distractions of any kind,” said Trina.

The gang moved back. One by one, they hugged Trina and walked away toward the Thomas Farm. They would wait there until news of some kind.

Stu and Trina were left staring at a lifeless Ed on the bench.

“Okay,” said Stu. “This is how it works. Currently, Ed is attached to me. I made him from my energy. His form exists because it is basically my energy put together into that form.”