thought about all that water running while I was gone, probably breaking fourteen California laws on conservation. I stood to plug the drain and turn off the water. The water in the basin shimmered in the candlelight.
It was magical. Elemental. A dance of fire and water.
I caught a ripple passing across the mirror behind the sink and looked up to see myself fade.
Weird.
I glided downstairs, past my dad and Sylvia. They tidied the kitchen while discussing me and Will. I wanted to hear the conversation, but I wanted to get to Will more. Dad opened the sliding glass door, and I dashed outside, relieved I didn’t have to try walking through walls at the moment.
Passing invisibly down the dilapidated highway towards Will’s house, I saw pairs of nocturnal eyes flicker my direction before taking flight. Did they sense a disturbance as I passed? I laughed. Without a mouth. Strange—no wonder animals ran from me.
As I neared the Baker’s cabin, I began to have second thoughts about knocking on their door. They could be sleeping. They could be packing. And how the heck was I planning to force them to stay? The thought of Mickie’s temper made me want to run back home.
I saw lights on inside and heard voices in the yard out back. I ghosted behind the old house and saw Mickie, standing where the houselights cast a glow upon her. She glared at her younger brother. I pulled back into the shadows, all thoughts of rematerializing gone for the moment.
Gazing past the siblings into the cottage-sized dwelling, I saw stacked boxes. They were moving. I felt a deep ache inside, even without a body.
“I won’t go,” Will said. He was turned from me, but I could imagine the stubborn
expression playing across his face.
“You damned well aren’t staying,” Mick replied.
“I’m eighteen. You can’t force me to go anywhere. Not if I don’t want to.”
“Is this about her?”
“That’s none of your business.”
My heart squeezed.
“You know how complicated our lives are right now,” said Mickie. “This is not the time
—it wouldn’t be fair to her.”
“I’m not having this conversation with you. Even if there were anything to talk about.”
Mickie let loose a string of highly uncomplimentary adjectives ending with the word
“idiot.”
Neither spoke for over a minute.
“Aw, Mick, don’t.” Will moved closer to his sister. “Don’t cry.”
She was crying?
“Listen.” He spoke gently. “There’s been no sign that we’re being tracked. It’s been almost two years since the Pfeffer disappeared. Maybe we’re safe now, Mick.”
Mickie sat down on a large log. She drew in a long and shaky breath. Will sat down
beside her and cautiously put one arm over her shoulder.
“There’s something I haven’t told you,” Mickie said, her voice flat, dull. “Three
researchers who studied Helmann’s Disease just died from a gas leak. They studied
Helmann’s , Will; not even Rippler’s Syndrome. Things are escalating.”
Chapter Seven
OVERHEARD
A shiver ran along my spine. It took me a moment to realize what that meant—that I had a solid spine again. The shadows hid me as I listened.
“I read it in the Fresno Bee. Two days ago. I didn’t know how to tell you or what we should do about it. I hoped time hiking in the Park would help me clear my mind.” Mickie sniffled, passing the back of her hand across her nose. “And I wanted to give you a nice memory to keep of your new friend. Will, I was thinking about moving already, even before finding out there’s another rippler in this town.”
“How do you know they were killed? Did the paper say it was murder?”
“Will, come on. Gas leaks ? It’s like whoever’s behind this isn’t even worried about covering their tracks.”
“You’re telling me the truth, Mick? This isn’t some crazy way to get me in the Jeep right now?”
“Like I’d make this stuff up?”
“You hid this from me.”
“I hid it so the news wouldn’t wreck
It was magical. Elemental. A dance of fire and water.
I caught a ripple passing across the mirror behind the sink and looked up to see myself fade.
Weird.
I glided downstairs, past my dad and Sylvia. They tidied the kitchen while discussing me and Will. I wanted to hear the conversation, but I wanted to get to Will more. Dad opened the sliding glass door, and I dashed outside, relieved I didn’t have to try walking through walls at the moment.
Passing invisibly down the dilapidated highway towards Will’s house, I saw pairs of nocturnal eyes flicker my direction before taking flight. Did they sense a disturbance as I passed? I laughed. Without a mouth. Strange—no wonder animals ran from me.
As I neared the Baker’s cabin, I began to have second thoughts about knocking on their door. They could be sleeping. They could be packing. And how the heck was I planning to force them to stay? The thought of Mickie’s temper made me want to run back home.
I saw lights on inside and heard voices in the yard out back. I ghosted behind the old house and saw Mickie, standing where the houselights cast a glow upon her. She glared at her younger brother. I pulled back into the shadows, all thoughts of rematerializing gone for the moment.
Gazing past the siblings into the cottage-sized dwelling, I saw stacked boxes. They were moving. I felt a deep ache inside, even without a body.
“I won’t go,” Will said. He was turned from me, but I could imagine the stubborn
expression playing across his face.
“You damned well aren’t staying,” Mick replied.
“I’m eighteen. You can’t force me to go anywhere. Not if I don’t want to.”
“Is this about her?”
“That’s none of your business.”
My heart squeezed.
“You know how complicated our lives are right now,” said Mickie. “This is not the time
—it wouldn’t be fair to her.”
“I’m not having this conversation with you. Even if there were anything to talk about.”
Mickie let loose a string of highly uncomplimentary adjectives ending with the word
“idiot.”
Neither spoke for over a minute.
“Aw, Mick, don’t.” Will moved closer to his sister. “Don’t cry.”
She was crying?
“Listen.” He spoke gently. “There’s been no sign that we’re being tracked. It’s been almost two years since the Pfeffer disappeared. Maybe we’re safe now, Mick.”
Mickie sat down on a large log. She drew in a long and shaky breath. Will sat down
beside her and cautiously put one arm over her shoulder.
“There’s something I haven’t told you,” Mickie said, her voice flat, dull. “Three
researchers who studied Helmann’s Disease just died from a gas leak. They studied
Helmann’s , Will; not even Rippler’s Syndrome. Things are escalating.”
Chapter Seven
OVERHEARD
A shiver ran along my spine. It took me a moment to realize what that meant—that I had a solid spine again. The shadows hid me as I listened.
“I read it in the Fresno Bee. Two days ago. I didn’t know how to tell you or what we should do about it. I hoped time hiking in the Park would help me clear my mind.” Mickie sniffled, passing the back of her hand across her nose. “And I wanted to give you a nice memory to keep of your new friend. Will, I was thinking about moving already, even before finding out there’s another rippler in this town.”
“How do you know they were killed? Did the paper say it was murder?”
“Will, come on. Gas leaks ? It’s like whoever’s behind this isn’t even worried about covering their tracks.”
“You’re telling me the truth, Mick? This isn’t some crazy way to get me in the Jeep right now?”
“Like I’d make this stuff up?”
“You hid this from me.”
“I hid it so the news wouldn’t wreck
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