Torn (6 page)

I knew there was something different about me. I felt stronger. I felt faster. And, oh yeah, I could fix broken trees and recall sunken pebbles from underwater.
Weird.

An ever-closer danger that I needed to face filled the silence. I knew Lucas wasn’t what he appeared to be. I’d known him my whole life. He was my best friend but I couldn’t help but feel he was becoming something more, something different. And the farther away we got from the day I first dreamt of the box, I couldn’t help but feel that Ethan had changed, too.

Once carefree and fun, Lucas had slowly morphed into a responsible leader in constant sync with some set of rules that I didn’t quite understand but had never questioned. He was quick to demand knowledge of my whereabouts, like I was going anywhere, anyway. Planning and discussion had replaced his usually spontaneous personality.

There were other times I caught myself daydreaming about Ethan, who had never shown concrete romantic interest in me. But, for some reason, I felt like there was something between us that, if explored, would be combustible. Almost as if it would be the most amazing experience ever—if it worked out. And if it didn’t, it would be more explosive than a nuke. The butterflies I felt for Lucas all growing up had settled over the years into something more comfortable. I like it. With Ethan, it wasn’t so
much
butterflies as it was a category four churning in my belly.

All the secrecy and whispers was irritating. I didn’t quite know what was in store for me, as I had yet to be privy to the information. And anger at my ignorance overcame any immediate trust I once felt. Sure, I knew Ethan and Lucas only had my best interests at heart but it was high time I stepped up and took some control back.

Samantha, run
!
Now
!

Yanking my ear buds out of my ears, I whipped my head around. While I was throwing myself an amazing pity party, an unnatural darkness had rolled in. I hadn’t heard the hum begin or felt the wind pick up. My self-absorption was all consuming, at least until I’d heard that voice. I tried to peer into the growing darkness.

Not now.
Adrenaline pumped through my veins. My surroundings swam and my vision lost focus.

Run
!

My legs wouldn’t allow me to run. All I could do was stand and brace myself for whatever was coming. I needed to get the hell out of there, but for some reason, I couldn’t. The strange darkness slunk through the trees and pulsed menacingly. Wind screamed at me, fierce and angry, sending leaves scurrying and bending whole trees as they keeled over in defense. I should’ve been frightened out of my skin, but I was only half so. Instead I was in awe.

Focus slowly returned when I heard footsteps running toward me. “Sam! Sam! Where are you?”

“Here, Ethan! I’m here. Something’s happening.”

Ethan came bursting out of the trees, his hand reaching for me. “I know. I know. We have to get back to the house! Let’s go!”

I stood my ground in spite of what was happening around me. My previous anger at the two of them returned with a vengeance. The darkness enveloped us as the hum took over. And, suddenly, the earth groaned as towering trees ripped out of the ground and slammed down around us, roots flailing helplessly in the wind.

Still, I stood defiant. “No. I won’t come with you unless you promise to tell me what’s happening! Ethan, I know something’s going on. Just look around us, for Christ’s sake! I need to know!”

Run
!

The wind howled, as darkness drew ever closer, not even a sliver of early morning light remained. The clouds thickened and I swore my hearing had gotten ten times better despite the deafening hum. There was no shrinking away from the fear that was coming. I could feel it. It was the kind of fear that would consume me, destroy me. I embraced it and at the same time I was utterly repulsed by it.

Now, Samantha. Run
!

My head turned in every direction as I searched for the source of the voice.
Dad?
Was that my dad telling me to run?

Ethan pleaded, “I will, I swear. You just have to come with me now. It isn’t safe here. I know you think you’re ready. I know we haven’t been fair by keeping the truth from you. But we’ll tell you, I swear to God. You have to take my hand and come with me. Now, Sam.”

His shouts were drowned out under the low reverberations that shuddered through the woods. I followed his lead and we ran back toward the house. Something was following us. Something was trying to get inside me, as if it was trying to rip me open. The noise was terrible. Trees continued to explode from the earth all around us. I was just about to turn around when I heard my dad’s voice again.

I am here, Samantha. Listen to Ethan. I’ll do what I can from here.

I stopped running and yelled into the wind, “Dad! Where are you?”

Just go. I will keep you safe.

The sky lit up for a split second and an enormous boom of thunder followed almost immediately. I could see the wind whipping around us but, for some reason, it didn’t touch us as we ran. Silence surrounded us like a bubble though I knew beyond our cocoon the noise was deafening. I sprinted faster than I’d ever had. Logs and trees fell to block my path and I
hurdled
them easily. Enormous sinkholes appeared as the ground opened up, trying to swallow me, but I flew over them. Trees and branches reached out to snare me, tearing at my skin and shredding my clothes, trying to slow me down.

As we burst out of the park into the neighborhood, I slowed for a minute. None of the other houses were subjected to the assault. I stopped running and stood in front of an old colonial just a block down from my home. There was no sign the damaging winds were affecting it.

“Sam!
Duck!”

Ethan grabbed me and we hit the sidewalk as a tree branch slipped through the protective bubble that surrounded us.

“What the hell?”

“Not now, Sam. Move. Get back to the house.”

As we ran, Ethan tripped and fell. “Just go Samantha!”

I bounded up the porch steps and saw Lucas, hands outstretched, yelling into the fury. Ethan was rushing to join us. Behind him, a whirl of darkness and a glow of light tangled together like a pair of cyclones. Trees uprooted and crashed into each other in mid-air. Ethan made it onto the porch just as a flash of light dropped us to the ground and our three bodies slammed against the front door. The darkness became still and silent. Ethan shielded me with his body while Lucas shielded Ethan with his. A massive tree hit the ground right in front of the house and probably would’ve crushed us had it been any closer. We were covered in leaves and grass but, other than a few bumps and bruises, were almost entirely unscathed. Another crack of thunder had me scrambling to my feet. Silent darkness descended around us.

We tore into the house and slammed the door shut. Out of breath, we slowly sank to the floor, our backs against the steel paneled entrance. For a few minutes we just sat there, huddled together, trying to ward off a chill that had seeped into our bones.

CHAPTER 5

Antsy, I untangled myself from our huddle and shakily walked into the kitchen. My throat felt like a dry sponge and the cold water I gulped down did nothing to moisten it. Standing at the sink, I peered through the window into the darkness that had refused to recede. It looked like a tornado had blown through my yard and had missed the rest of the houses in the neighborhood.

Examining myself for injuries, I was amazed to find I had none. Trees had fallen everywhere. I could feel a barrier protecting us just as I could feel whatever else was out there was stalking us, lying in wait.
Waiting to pounce.

Though a light rain had begun to fall, the sun was trying it’s best to break through the clouds. I knew it was my dad who kept me safe. Yet I also knew it was impossible.
He’s dead, Sam
.

“Sam,” Ethan began. “Are you okay?”

My eyes remained fixated on the destruction outside and I answered in a barely audible whisper.
“Yeah.
Are you?”

With a smirk, Ethan tried to lighten the mood, “Yeah. You know me, Sam.
Indestructible.”

“I really don’t think any of this is funny, Ethan.”

“I know, Sam. I know.” Ethan sighed. “I’ve been rehearsing this conversation and I still can’t get it right.”

Whirling around to face him, my words came out poisonous. “Why don’t you start by answering a few questions? What was that, Ethan?” I yelled, pointing at the window. “What was happening out there? I was afraid but I felt that I was supposed to fight whatever was coming. And when we ran back to the house, I out ran you. For the first time,
you, Ace,
couldn’t keep up with
me
. What the hell’s happening? What was that God awful noise and why the hell is my father, who is dead, by the way, telling me to run?”

Lucas came into the kitchen, his voice rough, “Calm down.”

“Screw you, Lucas!”

“You really need to calm down.
Now.”
Lucas reached out and grabbed my arm as he spoke. His face twisted for just a moment into something I didn’t recognize. A weird dark energy suddenly surged around him then dissipated just as quickly. It was as if I’d never seen him before.

Ethan
interrupted,
his voice calm. “I think you need to sit down, Samantha. We have a lot to talk about, a lot to explain. It’s time we told you. They found you, and we can no longer protect you without divulging everything. And we don’t have much time left. You need to be ready, and we haven’t been doing the best job of preparing you.” For an instant, before determination set itself in Ethan’s eyes, they softened as he looked at me.

“Who found me?
The people that killed my dad?”

“You need to listen. Ask as many questions as you want later but right now, you need to listen.”

My head high, I avoided eye contact with either of them as we walked to the kitchen table and sat down. I had no idea what they were going to tell me but I knew in my bones that it was going to change everything. A rise of jumbled emotions settled itself somewhere behind my rationality and I had to concentrate to tame it. Lucas took hold of my hand, for my comfort or his, I couldn’t really say. Either way, I pulled my hand away and placed it in my lap, my eyes daring them to try and weasel out of this yet again.

Ethan played with his bottom lip as he obviously tried to figure out how to begin.
Odd
.
Lately, he’d been so confident but I saw confusion setting in now.

“
It’s
okay, Ethan. I’m ready for whatever you have to tell me. And, after what I just saw outside, I don’t think much could shock me at this point.”

The look on his face filled me with the notion that I might be wrong and apprehension knotted in my belly. We all sat in silence for what seemed like hours though I knew the clock had only ticked away a few minutes. Lucas was alternating between bouncing his knees and drumming his fingers on the table, both of which were annoying. I quickly put my hand over his to quiet him. Ethan rubbed his hands over his eyes to ward off exhaustion. I was growing impatient, waiting for him to begin but he spoke before I could prompt him further.

“Sam, before we begin, I want to ask you a couple of questions. We might be able to explain some of the things you’ve been experiencing. Answer some of the questions you may have. But it’s important that we know exactly what you know and what you don’t. It will help us determine the right course of action. Only then will we be able to understand what happened today.”

I nodded and Ethan took a large breath that filled his cheeks. Blowing it out slowly, he looked at me, his eyes intense. I met his stare with one of incredulity.
Funny that I already didn’t believe him, even before he opened his mouth.

“What do you remember about your father?”

“What do I remember? You’re talking like he’s been gone for years. His funeral was just a few weeks ago, remember?”

“Please, Sam. Just answer the question.”

Surprise
tingled
my skin as my defiance continued to rise and there was nothing I could do to control it.
“My father?”
I knew the tone of my response was uncalled for. The shrill pitch alone had me cringing inwardly. I just couldn’t control any of it. Anger, rage, fury, and defiance—they were all minions, clearing the path for the darkness to set in.

Lucas answered softly, trying to defuse the irrational emotions pouring out of me. “We need to know what you remember. It will be easier to fill in the blanks that way. It’s important that you leave no detail out. You tell us all you remember and we will tell you all we know.”

Fair deal,
I supposed.

“Well,” I stammered and bit my lip. “Jeez, I mean, he was my dad. You knew him. He was the funniest person I knew.
Right?
No matter how bad of a day I had, he could always make me feel better. He was the best.”

They both watched me in silence, waiting for me to continue.

“He was a doctor, so he worked a lot, especially toward the end, always traveling out of the country to do charity work. He was shot by a group of men that were hijacking his van. They never caught the guys who did it. He loved his job but his job got him killed.” I still hadn’t had the chance to grieve the loss of my dad and here they were, making me relive that morning all over again. Anger bubbled through me and I clenched my hands to keep from slamming them against the table. “You guys know all this. Why do I have to explain all of this to you now? You’ve both known him forever. You’ve practically lived with us since Jack died. Sometimes I think you two knew him better than I did. It’s frustrating.”

The glance they shared pissed me off even more. The whole “dun, dun, dunnn...let’s look at each other for suspense” thing was really becoming old. But my annoyance was the only thing that kept me from falling to pieces.