Insight (5 page)

“Is it big? I mean, how do you know where to go?” I asked. Details, Dad, I need details.

His eyes danced over my face as his smile widened. “There are three traits that define a ‘traveler’,” he said. “Seeing the passages is only one. Another is that travelers have the ability to feel their way home. Everyone has their own way of using that feeling to navigate. For me, I would picture my dimension in my mind, then visualize the paths to where I needed to go.”

I looked at him like he was crazy. That didn’t make any sense. I knew where my house was, but that didn’t mean I’d always be able to find my way home.

“You’ll see,” he said, laughing at my incredulous expression.

“What is the third trait?” I asked hungry to know everything.

“It’s the ability to understand every language.”

“All of them?” I asked, astonished. That would have made the three foreign language classes I’d taken easier. Not that they were all that hard in the first place. I just hated all the rules in the written part of it.

He nodded. “That one is very important. You see, travelers do more than just pass through the string. We also learn about all the cultures and help the person who is searching to abide by them.”

“What do you mean?”

He laughed at the eagerness in my voice. “If you take someone to a dimension, they have to understand what is customary for the time that they live there. We teach them everything they need to know, then get them settled.”

“Settled? You don’t just leave when they find someone?” I asked. That revelation was not helping my short window of time.

“It just depends. In some dimensions, a fast courtship is customary. In others, it could last years. When I knew I was coming to this dimension, Infante, I planned to stay for at least a year, and if your mother had not wanted to leave, I would have stayed here for the rest of my life.”

“So you would have left everything and everyone you loved?” I asked with wide-eyes knowing I was way more selfish than that.

“When you find your soul mate, you find the person that completes you. They are everything and everyone you love.” He paused. “I’m eager for you to meet your grandparents, though,” he said, raising his chin slightly.

My mouth dropped open. I didn’t know I had any living grandparents. My mother’s parents had died before I was born, and my father had told me that his parents were in a beautiful place. I had taken that as Heaven, not another dimension.

“Why have I not met them before?”

“My mother, Rose, feared that if she came to Infante, your hiding spot would be revealed. She and my father, Karsten, just wanted you safe.”

I looked down, suddenly realizing that my family had made a lot of sacrifices on my account. My father glanced down at my tattoo, then back at me.

“You have never told me what your nightmares involve,” he said softly.

I traced the star with my finger, remembering the dark figure and the sensation of his touch before it burned me. “I help someone, then I see a dark figure.”

“Every time?” he asked. I nodded. “Is that figure the only one you dream of?”

I looked up at him, feeling his concern beginning to build. “I dream good dreams every night,” I answered evasively.

My father’s emotion moved to relief, then he looked down, avoiding my eyes.

“Are you sure you can get Libby to Chara safely?” I asked. “I don’t want her in danger because of me.”

My father nodded, and I felt his confidence build. “Ashten said that they’d discovered new passages the storms have made. They are trying to find a way home without passing the Esterious dimension.”

I took in his confidence and let it calm me. Feeling a sense of relief. I knew that I’d now be able to ask for help with my gift. I’d even be able to explore it more.

“Do you want to ask me anything else?” he asked clearly wondering why I was being so calm about this. It was the shock, but I wasn’t going to tell him that. He already looked too worried.

“So, Chara is only different because of the culture? Do I need to learn anything before I go there?” Seemed like an obvious question.

He smiled widely at me and beamed with pride. “Different cultures have come together as soul mates, leaving a perfect blend of harmony in their wake.” He stared at me for a second, then went on. “We have a simple faith. Life itself is a gift from above, and love is the most powerful thing in the universe.”

“It sounds too perfect,” I said, trying to see it in my mind. The evil place in my nightmares would not let me hold any serene image.

“You will be happy there. I promise,” my father said quietly. He looked so tired. “Tomorrow, just have fun with your friends. It may be a few months before I feel safe enough for you to come visit,” he said as he stood and began to walk back down the stairs.

Months. Good. He planned to get me past this Blue Moon.

He glanced up at me and smiled. I smiled back then stood to climb the stairs, trying not to think about leaving my friends. Right now, I just needed to make sure that my family got to Chara safely. If evil was coming for me I didn’t want them in the crossfire.

Chapter Three

This dream was different. It was not the sweet place that I always go to, or even that dreadful nightmare. I was standing next to a large white windmill in the middle of a field. In the distance, I could see a beautiful home. There were gorgeous flowers of every color throughout the field. I knelt down to get a closer look and saw that the petals on the flowers were all different. Some looked like roses, others looked like daisies…it was as if they coexisted, but had no knowledge of one another. Ironic.

Next to me, I found a flower more unique than the others. The petals were deep blue with emerald green tracing through the center. The colors were separate, yet one. I stared in awe as I glanced across the field at the other flowers; they began to sway with a breeze that brushed through the field.

I stood slowly, wanting to explore, when all at once I felt a pull from behind me, the same way I felt when I touch one of my images.

A rush of love, passion, and excitement absorbed my soul.

Nervously I glanced over my shoulder, and there behind me, my blue-eyed boy stood. As I looked in his eyes, I could feel his disbelief. He stepped closer to me and reached his arms out.

I lost my focus and woke without warning.

I cursed under my breath as soon as I figured out I was pulled away from him.

I laid in my bed, trying to find my way back to my dream, but my effort was hopeless. The daylight peered through my open drapes. I sat up and grabbed my sketchpad out of the tote bag beside my bed, then turned to a clean sheet and began to sketch as quickly as I could. I was afraid my memory would leave me before I could call back the details. I sketched the beautiful field and the flowers, highlighting the most unique flower, the blue and green one, by making it larger than the others. I made a mental note to add the color later, hoping that I’d be able to find blue and green paint that would do justice to the colors in my dream.

My mind drifted to my blue-eyed boy. I wanted him to have a name, to hear his voice. Most of all, I wanted to find him. I decided to sketch his addictive image. I guess I thought in someway that it would make him more real. That it would bring me closer to understanding how I knew that someone I had never met belonged to me.

I almost felt normal as I gazed into the sketch that was coming to life. I did not want to wait two years to find him. I didn’t want to face what was in front of me without him. I even halfway feared that if I didn’t sleep right here in this bed that I would never dream of him again. That hurt. The idea of never seeing him again was more than I could take. Which was beyond ridiculous. I’m just not that type of girl. Love sick and pathetic.

I could hear my sister and mother giggling in the bathroom next to my room, so I placed my sketchbook in my tote bag and pulled my robe on as I walked to the bathroom.

“What’s so funny this early in the morning?”

“Look at this bathing suit I found for Libby,” Mom answered.

It was bright yellow with a big smiley face on the front and a sad face on the back.

“It makes sense: happy to see you come, sad to see ya go,” I said, teasing Libby.

“I thought it was perfect when I saw it,” my mother said, looking me over and sizing up my night of sleep.

“I get to go swimming today, Willow!” Libby exclaimed.

“You do? Where?” I asked.

“I’m going over to Abby’s grandmother’s house again.”

“So, I assume you’re still going to the lake with everyone today?” Mom asked.

I nodded, remembering that this would be the last day I would be with them for a while. Good thing shock was still seizing my emotions.

“I told everyone that I talked to that we were just taking a trip to Paris to see the school and look for a place. They think we’ll be back in a few weeks,” my mother explained.

I looked down at Libby, trying to judge her response to my mom’s words. “Libby is very excited about our trip,” Mom said. As she finished pulling her hair back into a ponytail, Libby smiled up at me, then left the bathroom and went to her room to get her sandals.

“Willow, I promise…we did not keep this from you to be spiteful. We have always had your best interests in mind.”

I didn’t show any expression on my face. The whole thing had left me confused and exhausted. Libby charged back into the bathroom, dancing in place while waiting for my mother.

“Come here, munchkin, and give me a hug. I love you. Have lots of fun today,” I said, looking down at Libby.

Libby wrapped her arms around my waist. “Miss you,” she whispered.

Mom kissed me goodbye. I turned and went back into my room and closed the door behind me. All I wanted to do was go back to sleep, but I knew I’d have to find a way to wear myself down in order for that to happen. I went to my closet and pulled out a few luggage bags, then rushed around my room, going through all of my stuff and deciding what could stay for now. No matter how much I tried, I couldn’t stop thinking about those blue eyes.

Monica called, saying she would be there around eleven instead of noon. We were going to pick up Hannah, Jessica, and Olivia. After packing my bags, I dressed for the lake, covering my burgundy bikini with a black sundress. I was sure to get a dirty look from Monica when she picked me up. She hated it when I wore dark colors.

My father’s study is by the front door. I could feel him in there as I climbed down the stairs. He felt nervous. At first, I didn’t realize he was on the phone, but as I landed on the bottom step I heard him say, “I agree, we will take those precautions. I will head out first thing in the morning.”

I walked to his study, wondering what had upset him. When he saw me, he said, “Okay, Ashten, I have to go. Willow is on her way out for the day…yeah…no…okay… tomorrow.”

Dad hung up the phone and smiled at me. He was nervous and trying to hide it.

“What’s going on?”

“Nothing…um, we’re just going to alter our story a little bit.”

“Why?”

“It’s nothing. I’m going to leave in the morning and tell everyone that I’m going to Washington to help an old colleague. Then we’ll tell them that you guys are going to wait for me in New York.”

“Why? Where are we leaving from anyway?”

“We’re going to leave from Montana…look, Willow, we’re about to disappear, we kind of need to confuse our path so no one will worry. Just don’t be very conversational about what we’re doing. Let them assume.”

I grinned from ear to ear. I have never been very conversational. I liked being mysterious.

“Yeah, that shouldn’t be too hard for you,” he commented as his stare captured me. He was still seeing me as his little girl, but trying to force himself to see me as a young adult. At least he was trying to do that. I had to admit I felt the same way he did. I wanted to stay innocent and blind, but life was waiting, and the nest I had grown up in was forced to push me out into an unknown world.

Hearing Monica honk her horn outside, I pulled my big, dark sunglasses over my eyes and smiled at my dad.

“Let the mystery begin,” I said. When he hugged me goodbye, he seemed to ease up on his mood, but he was still nervous.

Monica was shaking her head at me as I climbed into her car. She loved to wear vibrant colors, and today she was wearing a bright yellow dress and make up. She must really like this new guy, Drake.

“Ya know we’re going to the lake, not a funeral.”

“Would you like me to stay here?”

“Yeah, right, this is your last day here. You’re not sulking alone. I knew you were good, but Paris—geeze. I bet you never come back from there.”

I was glad I was wearing my sunglasses. They had never seen me cry, and I didn’t want them to start now. I would miss Monica. I would miss all of them.

We picked up Hannah and Olivia first. Olivia climbed into the back seat with a huge book in her hand. I had to grin. Monica and Hannah looked at each other and rolled their eyes. Secretly, Olivia and I loved to drive them crazy by being unconventional.

We picked up Jessica next. I could feel how sad she was as she walked toward the car. I stepped out to hug her, and she was taken back for a moment. I wasn’t really a hugger.

“Can we please cry later? We’re burning daylight here,” Monica yelled through the window. The lake was only thirty minutes from Jessica’s house. Once we were on the highway, Monica turned down the radio and said, “Okay, ladies, I really think this new guy is the one.” Everyone laughed out loud.

“Stop! I’m serious, wait until you meet him. He, like, has a magnetic force of his own,” Monica continued.

I could feel that she was serious, but there was no way Olivia, Hannah, or Jessica would be convinced she was sincere. All guys Monica liked had something she found alluring about them, something the rest of us could never clearly see.

Monica pulled up in front of one of the trucks that lined the shoreline. I could see Josh and Chase unloading their jet skis. Everyone but Olivia and I rushed to claim a spot on one of the tailgates. I leaned on the side of the car and watched all my friends, trying to burn the memory of their faces and emotions inside me. Olivia leaned up against the car beside me and opened her book to a marked page.

“Good book?” I mocked.

“It’s better than those three,” she said, shaking her head. “It’s going to be a blast when you’re gone.”

“What do you want me to do, stuff you in my suitcase?” I asked, halfway considering asking my father if that were a possibility. It felt so wrong to leave her behind and I couldn’t understand why I felt that way.

Just then, a rather large, very nice red Jeep pulled up to where the other trucks were parked. Chase jumped on the bed of his truck, waving the Jeep in.

“That must be the new guy. Looks like he has money. Hot, too,” Olivia commented in her trademark I’m not impressed tone.

I didn’t answer her, simply because I was perplexed. I couldn’t feel a single thing coming from the Jeep. It was a void, like it was driving itself. I could feel the excitement coming from my friends as they waited for him to park and get out. I squinted my eyes to get a closer look.

I drew a short breath as he stepped out of his jeep and sunlight hit his face. He was extremely hot, tall, and lean built. His dark brown hair was swooshed back out of his face, and his eyes were as black as coal. His best feature was his dominant profile. In real life I’d never met someone as sure of himself as he seemed to be.

Drake walked over to Josh and Chase. Monica peeked through the cab of the truck where she was to gauge my expression. I quickly changed it from perplexed to boredom. She then smiled and turned forward, stretching out and posing, as Drake got closer to her. Through my dark glasses, I followed Drake as he walked, checking with my senses each person that he passed. With him, it was empty. First time for everything I guess.

“What do you suppose he did to his arm?” Olivia asked.

I had not noticed the brace on his right arm; it was very white against his tan skin. He was wearing a black sleeveless shirt and white swim trunks. He looked so strong, so… so familiar.

“Come on, let’s go watch Monica make a fool of herself,” Olivia whispered.

“No, I want to stay here.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I just…I don’t know.” My stomach was tying itself in knots. I had never felt so uneasy around anyone.

“Okay, I can look mysterious, too,” Olivia said as she pulled down her sunglasses, opening her book again.

Chase and Josh were very different from Dane. They were teenage boys who were only interested in one thing. I’d managed to dodge Chase’s annoying emotions throughout high school. When Dane was around, Chase behaved, but when he wasn’t, Chase took every opportunity to annoy me, so I would have to suffer until Dane got here. Fantastic.

Chase stood on his tailgate, looked me up and down, and yelled in my direction, “Willow, baby, would you like to join us sometime today?”

I was glad I couldn’t read minds. His was sure to make me sick to my stomach. Olivia rolled her eyes and threw her book through the open window of the car. She knew she’d have to play Dane’s part until he got there.

“So, have you talked to Dane since they told you that you were leaving?” Olivia asked with a hint of disdain in her voice.

“Yeah, he’ll be all right. And so will you,” I said, still staring at Drake, trying to figure out why he was blank.

“Come on, one day you might miss being annoyed by Chase,” Olivia said, pulling my arm toward the others.

I could feel how excited Chase was. He whispered something to Drake as I walked closer. Drake just stared at me as if the others had disappeared. I felt my heart beating through my chest. I could barely breathe. The gift that had brought me so much grief was instantly missed around this Drake guy. I felt blind. Not a good feeling to have. Not at this point in my life.

“Baby, this is Drake,” Chase said as he put his arm around me.

I pulled my sunglasses on top of my head so Chase would get the full effect of my glare. I heard the girls giggle. Chase let his arm drop and looked at Drake.