Read Online Solstice - Of The Heart by John Blenkush - Free Book Online

headed into town.
    “Where’re we going?” I asked, as
Cherrie turned down a side street.
    “Al’s Auto Supplies. He has a sale on
power steering fluid.”
    “Why don’t you just get it
fixed?”
    “You been to a repair shop
lately?”
    Cherrie knew the answer without me
telling her.
    “Cost more to replace the steering
pump than what this car is worth, so grandpa says.”
    “Might save us from driving over a
cliff again.”
    “That was operator error.”
    “Yeah. Thanks for the vote of
confidence. So what do you think? Did Aaron pull us off the
cliff?”
    “That what he told you at
lunch?”
    “No. But I saw the way he looked on
Bunny Flat after we drove back on the road. Spent.”
    “He had just climbed a mountain. I’d
think you’d give him some slack. And by the way, I don’t remember
seeing him anywhere near the car when we went off the
embankment.”
    “Yes. But I saw him with his arms
raised.”
    “And that means what? He’s part
tractor beam?”
    I shrugged my shoulders, shook my
head.
    “You know,” Cherrie said, “a tractor
beam like the Borg Cube on Star Trek.”
    “Sounds like science
fiction.”
    “Now you got it.”
    “Well then you explain it. How’d the
LC get back on the road?”
    Cherrie pointed. “See this letter R
here. Stands for reverse. You take this,” she pulled on the stick
shift, “and put it...”
    “You don’t really believe we backed
out of there, do you?”
    Cherrie grunted as she cranked the
wheel and turned onto Main Street. “You have a better
idea?”
    “No. But I don’t believe this tank
backed out of there without help.”
    “You know what? I don’t care how it
happened. I’m just glad we weren’t killed. You know. If you want to
believe the Delmons had something to do with it, fine by
me.”
    I sank back in the seat and relaxed.
“Not them. Not the Delmons. Aaron is the only one who reacted. And
now I think he’s in trouble because he helped.”
    “Why’s that?”
    “You don’t really want to
know.”
    “Humor me.”
    “Didn’t you see them at
lunch?”
    “Yes, I did. Caught a glimpse of their
shirt tails as they ran away.”
    “That’s what I’m saying. Aaron and I
were good until I mentioned Shasta.”
    Another corner. More
grunting.
    “I’ll play along. What’d you say to
piss them off?”
    “I thanked Aaron for saving
us.”
    “You didn’t.”
    “Yes. And he didn’t deny
it.”
    “So why’d he run away?”
    “Told you. The twins didn’t like us
talking about it.”
    “Okay. Think I got it now. Aaron saves
us from certain death. But his buddies would rather see us dead.
Right?”
    “Don’t know what they’re thinking.
They didn’t say much.”
    “Told you...”
    “I know. Antisocial. Didn’t you see
the bumps on their heads?”
    “I’m beginning to think you’ve got a
bump on your head.”
    “Maybe, but not like
theirs.”
    “Like the Klingons on Star
Trek.”
    “Course not. These are small. The size
of a walnut. I read it’s an organ which allows the Lemurians to
communicate with each other through extra-sensory
perception.”
    “Ahh, here we go. And you think the
Delmons are Lemurians.”
    “They fit the description.”
    “There are more than a few people in
this world who would fit the description of having a bump on their
head and lifting cars. They’re called drug addicts jacked up on the
latest mind bender.”
    “They don’t seem the type who would do
drugs.”
    “How would you know? I told you the
Delmons are a strange family, weird in many ways.”
    Cherrie cranked the LC into Al’s Auto
Supplies’ parking lot.
    I looked down the street. There were a
number of SHS students walking through downtown. One in particular
caught my eye.
    “There’s Aaron.”
    Cherrie looked as we got out of the
car. “Yeah. He works at the Fifth Season.”
    “And you didn’t tell me!”
    “What’s there to tell? He’s got a
life, something you should seriously think about
getting.”
    I watched as Aaron