never felt alone around him. He could convince you of almost anything.”
Intrigued and disconcerted, I watched as she did little doodle designs.
Turning back to me, she rinsed the brush, dipping it in blue. “Can you draw strength? I mean pure force, raw muscle?” She pressed her lips together, making a popping sound with her mouth. “Obviously that was Reed. Nothing could stop him.” She painted a long strip of blue onto the canvas. Stepping in front of me, she reached the brush into the air, pretending she was drawing a design. “Wait…that’s you, not me.” Holding the brush out to me, she waited.
Cautiously, I took it, unsure if she would try to hurt me or something. But she let it go and stepped back, shoving her hands into her jean pockets and turning for the door.
I didn’t want to ask, but I couldn’t stop myself. I wanted to know. Even though I knew in some ways it would hurt to know. “And Karen?”
Stopping, Marsha didn’t turn. She shook her head, mumbling, “She wants to know. The Chosen One wants to know.” Jerking around, she glared at me, holding my gaze for a second longer than I was comfortable with. “Knowledge, brilliance, peace.”
Sadness—deep sadness seemed to wash over her face and I felt myself start to grow very cold inside. I looked down and the lily next to my foot disappeared.
Marsha followed my gaze to the floor and glared at me, her green eyes wild and piercing in authority. “You understand death, don’t you?”
I felt like I couldn’t swallow and started coughing—images of dead animals melting to ash flashed into my mind.
Pouncing toward me, she raged into the air. “Oh—he didn’t tell you that part , did he?”
I couldn’t stop coughing and turned away from her—I didn’t understand.
“Each day brings us closer to the Equinox,” Marsha said. “And that…brings us closer to our death.”
Episode 9: The Spy
“Don’t give me that look—it’s not like cold pizza will kill you.” Rob tossed the box on the table and then waited, searching my face. “What?”
I dropped my backpack on the floor and slouched into the retro-looking metal kitchen chair that had come with the rest of the dated furniture in the apartment. I tried to hold back the annoyance that I was feeling. “They’re dying.”
Quizzically, he raised his eyebrows. “What do you mean?”
I laid my head on the table. “I thought they just wanted their powers back because…they wanted them back. I didn’t realize they were dying. Marsha told me that if they don’t get their powers back by the Equinox…they will die.” Flashing waves of forest green mixed with a deep steel color etched around the front of my head. I reached up and ripped off my bandage. “Ouch.”
Rob leaned against the fridge in curiosity. “What do they know about the Equinox?”
I thought of Marsha’s superior eyes. It had been like she was almost happy to tell me they were dying. I stood, picking up my backpack, and headed for my room. “I don’t know.”
Sighing loudly, Rob followed me. “You can’t just walk away from a conversation like this. Did you ask Jake?”
Jake—he’d insisted on giving me a ride home when he found me after school. “No, I didn’t ask.”
Rob propped his elbow against the doorframe. “I doubt they’re dying. That’s a little dramatic, don’t you think? Why didn’t you ask Jake?”
I shrugged, not wanting to admit that I wasn’t ready to ask him.
Squinting in thought, Rob put his finger in the air. “All we know is that it all happens during the Equinox. We need to find out how.”
I pulled my painter’s smock around my clothes, tying it on the side and pulling it closer around the front.
My mom had sewn this smock for me. She’d sewn dozens for me. I thought of her soft, white face in the morning before she’d put on her make up.
I turned to Rob. “I want her safe, Rob. I just want her safe, and I want…” I dropped the paintbrush I’d soaked
Intrigued and disconcerted, I watched as she did little doodle designs.
Turning back to me, she rinsed the brush, dipping it in blue. “Can you draw strength? I mean pure force, raw muscle?” She pressed her lips together, making a popping sound with her mouth. “Obviously that was Reed. Nothing could stop him.” She painted a long strip of blue onto the canvas. Stepping in front of me, she reached the brush into the air, pretending she was drawing a design. “Wait…that’s you, not me.” Holding the brush out to me, she waited.
Cautiously, I took it, unsure if she would try to hurt me or something. But she let it go and stepped back, shoving her hands into her jean pockets and turning for the door.
I didn’t want to ask, but I couldn’t stop myself. I wanted to know. Even though I knew in some ways it would hurt to know. “And Karen?”
Stopping, Marsha didn’t turn. She shook her head, mumbling, “She wants to know. The Chosen One wants to know.” Jerking around, she glared at me, holding my gaze for a second longer than I was comfortable with. “Knowledge, brilliance, peace.”
Sadness—deep sadness seemed to wash over her face and I felt myself start to grow very cold inside. I looked down and the lily next to my foot disappeared.
Marsha followed my gaze to the floor and glared at me, her green eyes wild and piercing in authority. “You understand death, don’t you?”
I felt like I couldn’t swallow and started coughing—images of dead animals melting to ash flashed into my mind.
Pouncing toward me, she raged into the air. “Oh—he didn’t tell you that part , did he?”
I couldn’t stop coughing and turned away from her—I didn’t understand.
“Each day brings us closer to the Equinox,” Marsha said. “And that…brings us closer to our death.”
Episode 9: The Spy
“Don’t give me that look—it’s not like cold pizza will kill you.” Rob tossed the box on the table and then waited, searching my face. “What?”
I dropped my backpack on the floor and slouched into the retro-looking metal kitchen chair that had come with the rest of the dated furniture in the apartment. I tried to hold back the annoyance that I was feeling. “They’re dying.”
Quizzically, he raised his eyebrows. “What do you mean?”
I laid my head on the table. “I thought they just wanted their powers back because…they wanted them back. I didn’t realize they were dying. Marsha told me that if they don’t get their powers back by the Equinox…they will die.” Flashing waves of forest green mixed with a deep steel color etched around the front of my head. I reached up and ripped off my bandage. “Ouch.”
Rob leaned against the fridge in curiosity. “What do they know about the Equinox?”
I thought of Marsha’s superior eyes. It had been like she was almost happy to tell me they were dying. I stood, picking up my backpack, and headed for my room. “I don’t know.”
Sighing loudly, Rob followed me. “You can’t just walk away from a conversation like this. Did you ask Jake?”
Jake—he’d insisted on giving me a ride home when he found me after school. “No, I didn’t ask.”
Rob propped his elbow against the doorframe. “I doubt they’re dying. That’s a little dramatic, don’t you think? Why didn’t you ask Jake?”
I shrugged, not wanting to admit that I wasn’t ready to ask him.
Squinting in thought, Rob put his finger in the air. “All we know is that it all happens during the Equinox. We need to find out how.”
I pulled my painter’s smock around my clothes, tying it on the side and pulling it closer around the front.
My mom had sewn this smock for me. She’d sewn dozens for me. I thought of her soft, white face in the morning before she’d put on her make up.
I turned to Rob. “I want her safe, Rob. I just want her safe, and I want…” I dropped the paintbrush I’d soaked
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