Extraordinary (11 page)

“Umm, yeah. I think this should do it.”

“Easy Mac and cereal? That’s your choices?”

“I got other things too! You just have to cook them. Sometimes I don’t feel like cooking. Stop judging.”

Sadie threw worried looks my way as we stood in line at the checkout, leading me to ditch my turtle-paced movements. We had enough on our plates without dealing with my silly anxiety. Though, I was grateful my weirdness diverted her attention away from the cute guy. I was in no mood to flirt. In fact, that mood had never struck me.

On the trip home, I gave the best distraction and performance I could think of. I sang one of my favorite songs at the top of my lungs. For three minutes and three seconds we either were or, at least, pretended to be normal.

“I love this song!” Sadie said. “Even if I don’t have a clue what Santeria is.”

“I don’t have a clue about any of it. It’s just fun to sing.”

I explained to Sadie that this wasn't just any song to me. At a No Doubt concert, (Go figure.) Kate and I waited between acts in the sweltering July heat. Though we were under the outdoor amphitheater’s large roof, the temperature was unbearable. I knew once No Doubt came on stage inspired us all to bounce around with them, I would surely die of a heat stroke.

The minutes crept by. The crowd became restless. Sweat trickled from everyone’s foreheads and no one had managed to keep the hairstyle they arrived with. We were all drippy messes. Music played through the speakers, no genre in particular, and none that provided any source of entertainment because most were not well known. Then, it began. Through the speakers, the Sublime tune rang out and the once agitated amphitheater belted out every word.

I sat amazed that everyone knew the words and that I didn’t. Though I could not join in the moment personally, it inspired me to ignore the heat and vow to learn the song as soon as I got home. Three minutes and three seconds later, the crowd was refreshed. No Doubt emerged from behind the curtain and we bounced with no heat strokes in sight.

“I’ll bet that was so fun!” Sadie yelped as she exited the Jeep. “We should go to a show sometime; I’d like to see that side of you.”

“That doesn’t happen very often.”

“Well, it should. Have some fun sometimes!”

“What do you mean by that?” I asked, insulted. “That’s like the third time you’ve said that.”

“I just mean you should relax more. Be that girl more often.”

Sadie had known me a few days and had already discovered my uptight tendencies. Her words were something that had paraded around my brain for years, but personalities were a tough thing to adjust. Most of my life was spent dwelling within the confines of my mind. It was safer there.

“Is that why you’ve never had a boyfriend?” Sadie asked, placing the groceries on the kitchen countertop. “Taking the safe route and only having one in your dreams?”

“Ah!” I snorted.

Did she read my mind?

I knew she was right. But that was a can of worms I was not ready to open.

Put the can opener away.

“Can you cook?” I asked, changing the subject.

“I can burn or I can microwave. Which would you prefer?”

“Neither! Here’s your chance to learn. Mom taught me, now I’ll teach you.”

Aside from life, love, and super-powered abilities, my Mom also gave me the gift of culinary knowledge. I wanted to know how to prepare meals so if one day I had a family of my own, they would not be forced to rely on take-out. Mom wanted to teach me should something happen to her, I would not starve or have to live on Mike’s nachos.

Every Saturday we would choose a recipe that I would prepare and cook by myself. Mom would “supervise,” as she called it. Thankfully, following directions was like breathing to me so I never found it difficult to do solo. Though my culinary knowledge became extensive, I still lived on Mike's nachos.

“I don’t know, Alex. I’m hungry and I would very much appreciate my meal to be edible.”

“Where is that positive outlook? If you can read and follow directions, you can cook. Plus, its just spaghetti, you can’t really mess it up.”

With a grunt, she slid off her stool and tied her hair back into a tiny, messy bun that curled up at the base of her hairline with an elastic band she kept on her wrist at all times. A thin, black elastic was about as close to jewelry as I was willing to go. We both sported hair ties on our wrists. It was an odd trait to share especially since my hair was long and thick and often annoyed me and Sadie's was much shorter and tidier. I supposed we all were capable of hair emergencies.

“All right, where do I start?”

In no time at all the hamburger was sizzling in the pan, the noodles were boiling, and the garlic bread was golden brown. Sadie's self-doubt had vanished around the time her bread buttering skills were solidified, thereby confirming my teaching abilities. Before us sat a beautifully cooked meal that smelled as appetizing as it looked.

“It’s not burned!” Sadie said. “It really looks great!”

Her animated hand gestures tipped over a glass of sweet tea sending ice cubes sliding across the countertop and sticky sweet liquid dripping onto the floor. Even this did not sway her happy moment. Her excitement was contagious and I was equally pleased about accomplishing our task.

“See you can boil noodles,” I said. “You’re evolving.”

In that moment, I wondered if Mom could see us—her daughters, together, sitting down to enjoy a meal that we prepared ourselves. Although the reasons for our separation were still hard to fathom, I knew Mom would have given anything to share the moment with us.

After our meal, Sadie nominated herself to wash the dishes. I was not the least bit disappointed. I hated washing dishes and was looking forward to a long, hot bath. With all the commotion, I was thankful I managed to find time to shower at all.

“If you’re sure you don’t need—“ I saw the bright flashes began. I lunged for the stair rail but collapsed before my hands could reach it. Gripping my head, I rolled side-to-side wishing the ride to end.

I could sense Sadie nearby but I could not see or hear her. In frustrated anger, I slammed each hand onto the floor and lay still. The images immediately became one decipherable vision and then vanished.

I had done it. I had controlled the madness.

I recalled the terror and alarming message of the premonition and my celebration ended. Just as before the scene hid behind a brilliant light but the emotions involved were palpable. Fury and terror encircled me. Sounds of destruction played like perfectly timed background music. Something was coming and it was full of rage.

“We aren’t safe here,” I said.

Sadie was kneeling next to me with a look of pure elation that I was once again conscious. I watched her relief fade to fear as she comprehended my words.

“Why aren’t we safe?”

“We have to go now,” I said, scrambling to get to my feet.

“Go where? What is happening?”

“I don’t know, something is coming.”

“Alex, what did you see? You are scaring me.”

The panic in her voice mimicked the panic flooding my body. Every inch of my being was screaming to run but my comprehension was scatterbrained and the floor felt like quicksand. Sadie’s bony knees trembled as she waited for further instruction, yet I could provide no assistance. The two of us paced at the foot of the staircase like two insects trapped inside a jar.

“I don’t know what is coming. I couldn’t see anything I just felt it. It was bad, Sadie.”

“Then let’s go! Why are we just standing here?”

The sound of water splashing to the floor was just the reality check I needed to snap out of my trance. Sadie ran into the kitchen as the dishwater overflowed from the sink and onto the floor in a wave of soap bubbles.

“Where are my keys?” I yelled. “Where did I leave them?”

Calm was not a part of this scenario. I struggled to decide our next move and found it miraculous that I had managed to get this far. I was incapable of processing any further than locating my car keys. The vision had my brain going haywire in the painful fog of a migraine.

“Here they are,” Sadie said, tossing them to me with immaculate precision.

The keys landed in my palm as a brilliant glow illuminated the house. I prepared for another vision to begin but this time it wasn’t in my head.

****

Chapter Nine

Light radiated through every window like the sun had returned and was now hovering in my front yard. All movement and conversation halted while our terror escalated.

I looked to Sadie, who was motionless in the puddle of dishwater. The front door flew from its hinges and slammed into the side of the staircase that I was clinging to, shattering into millions of tiny splinters.

Sadie screamed as the back door crashed into the dining-room table and shoved it into the adjacent wall. Each chair scattered across the kitchen floor, sending Sadie into an immediate crouch position. I remained near the staircase, hiding as best I could in the corner.

The unmistakable sound of the windows shattering on the second floor cancelled any hope of finding solace upstairs. One after the other, as if perfectly timed, glass exploded from each frame and rained down on the unsuspecting bedrooms.

“What is happening?” Sadie screamed, peeking around the kitchen island.

Little did I know that the strong emotions in my vision would all be feelings of mine. Aside from the fear of what was causing this disaster, my heart broke for my home that was now destroyed.

A stray piece of wood pierced my right forearm. I plucked the large splinter without a flinch and silence fell on the house. Something told me it was not over. Sadie appeared on the other side of the island, terrified and borderline hysterical. Her mouth moved but no words could form.

“Get back down!” I screamed. The window breaking on the second floor had just completed its revolution. I suspected the downstairs would be next.

Pouncing into the kitchen, I tackled Sadie just as every window exploded. Shards of glass blasted throughout the house like sharpened confetti. Neither Sadie nor I said a word or moved an inch. We huddled together waiting for the storm to finish, happy to have each other to cling to.

The glass settled, the window frames were bare, and the haunting quiet set in. It had ended. We cowered together in total darkness. The shock of what happened and what was to come had paralyzed us both.

Broken glass crunched under out feet as I helped Sadie up. We gawked at the massive amount of damage the unknown force of nature had caused and I was just grateful I had put on sneakers. A hint of pain in my forearm reminded me of my injury. Upon evaluation, the wound was nowhere to be found. My home was in ruins but the place I pulled the splinter from contained nothing more than a splash of dried blood.

“Wait. Where did I hurt myself?”

"Alex..."

I recognized her tone. I gradually lifted my head, afraid of what Sadie had seen. A meddling, shadowy presence blocked what used to be the front door.

Only the outline of the figure’s flowing clothing and the glow of their piercing eyes were visible. The mere presence of the frightful being created full body shivers and wholehearted regret that we had not managed to escape in time.

“That’s the lights from the woods,” Sadie said as I pushed her behind me. “Who is that? What is that?”

“I don’t know but I felt better when I thought it was bugs.”

Sarcasm is a completely useless defense mechanism.

There was a squeaky voice coming from behind the figure. I could not see or understand them but I pictured a child.

Sadie peered from behind me, set on not missing a thing. The mysterious person lifted their hand. The hand was far too dainty to be male but ordinary intelligence had left me severely mistaken in the days before.

The hand began to move, swirling in a large clockwise motion. Simultaneous mumblings echoed all around us. Sadie and I darted our heads around in search of the source of the other voices but saw no one else.

“Porte cavadi,” the figure chanted. “Porte cavadi.”

The unknown language sent another chill down my spine and right into Sadie, who mirrored my quiver. A vertical swirl of energy swelled between our unwelcomed visitor and us.

“This can’t be good,” Sadie said.

I squirmed to devise a brilliant master plan, or just a plan of any variety. All ideas and thoughts evaporated at the sight of the sorcery brewing before us.

“Of course there’s a witch and a magic portal,” I said. “This must be the danger Mom was talking about.”

“How do you know it’s a portal?” Sadie asked.

“Really? That’s what you want to discuss right now?”

“You’re right, out the back,” Sadie said, grabbing my hand.

I was impressed by her initiative and shamed at my actions under pressure. Older siblings were supposed to protect their younger siblings. I had only been a big sister for a few days and I could state with great certainty that no amount of time could have prepared me for this. Still, I felt ashamed for being such a wimp.