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Authors: Taryn A. Taylor
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in yellow, splattering paint all over the carpet. “Arr…” Leaning over, I picked up the paintbrush and glared up at Rob, my voice pleading. “Why would they need their powers to live? It doesn’t make sense to me.”
Rob didn’t speak for a minute, then he stepped inside and sat on my bed. “Lanie—we don’t know that you’ll die if you don’t have your powers. We don’t know that.”
I threw my brush down and buried my face in my hands. The emotion that had been welling inside my chest all afternoon finally unleashed. “I just want it gone. I just want these stupid powers gone. I want mom better. I want dad…”
Rob picked me up and placed me gently on the bed, sitting beside me and holding me. “I know. I know…me too. I wish it would all go back to the way it was.” He hummed the Star Wars theme song as he swept his hand down my hair.
It was his nervous hum and I couldn’t help but smile a little.
Rob pulled away. “What?”
I straightened, wiping my nose. “You—that song.”
Rob flushed with embarrassment, but smiled at me. “What? It’s a soothing song.”
I stood up, the sad moment over. “It’s not a soothing song—it’s…it’s—”
Rob stood, backing out of my room and motioning me to follow him. “It’s triumphant—that’s what it is. You know good will triumph over evil when you hear that song.”
When I didn’t move to follow him, he reached forward and took my hand, pulling me behind him down the hall.
“Come on—we’ve got somewhere to go.”
I pulled my hand back, but kept following. “Where?”
Taking his keys off the hook, he threw my jacket at me. “It’s time I did some recon work. It’s just strange they all live out there in that big warehouse anyway, but it’ll give me a chance to see what they’re up to. ”
Fifteen minutes later, Rob’s Jeep tumbled onto the dirt road leading to the house they all shared.
“I don’t think this is a good idea.”
Rob shrugged, fixing the overhead mirror so he could see his own reflection in it. “It’s been awhile since I’ve done it, but I’m not worried. I’ll pull over up here and just run the rest of the way.” Turning onto a small side road, he parked the Jeep so it would be camouflaged by the trees.
I leaned back into the seat. “What if they find out?”
Rob laughed and yanked his hood over his head. “They won’t find out.”
I sighed, not wanting to start a fight. “Let me come.”
Rolling his eyes, he turned off the engine. “We talked about this. I’m faster without you. And I’ll be quick—just do a little checking, rummage through some of their stuff. Think of it as a simple fact-finding mission. I’ll be invisible. What can go wrong?”
An hour later my phone buzzed. It was a text from Jake: ‘I found something that belongs to you.’
Fear beat through me. I hopped over the stick shift and put the Jeep in gear, backing up to the road and heading to the house.
When I pulled up, Jake stood on the deck. The lights from the house shone brightly behind him, illuminating the lines of his face. He didn’t have a coat on and I could see his breath coming out in white puffs. His hands were stuffed in his jean pockets. The familiar pull to him swept over me. I’d been trying to pretend I couldn’t feel it. But now—was he dying?
I killed the engine and took a breath, trying to calm myself. I had to play it cool for Rob’s sake. I got out of the Jeep and turned to Jake, not knowing what to say. “Hey—got your text.”
Jake didn’t move and I noticed the tightness in his jaw.
I tried not to seem nervous. I walked up the steps slowly, scanning for Rob. A fire was burning in a metal pit with chairs surrounding it, but no one else was around. “Where’s Rob?”
Jake nodded to the Jeep. “You got here pretty quick.”
Something wasn’t right. “I was in the neighborhood. Where is he?”
Motioning with a nod of his head to the house, he then stepped in front of me,
Rob didn’t speak for a minute, then he stepped inside and sat on my bed. “Lanie—we don’t know that you’ll die if you don’t have your powers. We don’t know that.”
I threw my brush down and buried my face in my hands. The emotion that had been welling inside my chest all afternoon finally unleashed. “I just want it gone. I just want these stupid powers gone. I want mom better. I want dad…”
Rob picked me up and placed me gently on the bed, sitting beside me and holding me. “I know. I know…me too. I wish it would all go back to the way it was.” He hummed the Star Wars theme song as he swept his hand down my hair.
It was his nervous hum and I couldn’t help but smile a little.
Rob pulled away. “What?”
I straightened, wiping my nose. “You—that song.”
Rob flushed with embarrassment, but smiled at me. “What? It’s a soothing song.”
I stood up, the sad moment over. “It’s not a soothing song—it’s…it’s—”
Rob stood, backing out of my room and motioning me to follow him. “It’s triumphant—that’s what it is. You know good will triumph over evil when you hear that song.”
When I didn’t move to follow him, he reached forward and took my hand, pulling me behind him down the hall.
“Come on—we’ve got somewhere to go.”
I pulled my hand back, but kept following. “Where?”
Taking his keys off the hook, he threw my jacket at me. “It’s time I did some recon work. It’s just strange they all live out there in that big warehouse anyway, but it’ll give me a chance to see what they’re up to. ”
Fifteen minutes later, Rob’s Jeep tumbled onto the dirt road leading to the house they all shared.
“I don’t think this is a good idea.”
Rob shrugged, fixing the overhead mirror so he could see his own reflection in it. “It’s been awhile since I’ve done it, but I’m not worried. I’ll pull over up here and just run the rest of the way.” Turning onto a small side road, he parked the Jeep so it would be camouflaged by the trees.
I leaned back into the seat. “What if they find out?”
Rob laughed and yanked his hood over his head. “They won’t find out.”
I sighed, not wanting to start a fight. “Let me come.”
Rolling his eyes, he turned off the engine. “We talked about this. I’m faster without you. And I’ll be quick—just do a little checking, rummage through some of their stuff. Think of it as a simple fact-finding mission. I’ll be invisible. What can go wrong?”
An hour later my phone buzzed. It was a text from Jake: ‘I found something that belongs to you.’
Fear beat through me. I hopped over the stick shift and put the Jeep in gear, backing up to the road and heading to the house.
When I pulled up, Jake stood on the deck. The lights from the house shone brightly behind him, illuminating the lines of his face. He didn’t have a coat on and I could see his breath coming out in white puffs. His hands were stuffed in his jean pockets. The familiar pull to him swept over me. I’d been trying to pretend I couldn’t feel it. But now—was he dying?
I killed the engine and took a breath, trying to calm myself. I had to play it cool for Rob’s sake. I got out of the Jeep and turned to Jake, not knowing what to say. “Hey—got your text.”
Jake didn’t move and I noticed the tightness in his jaw.
I tried not to seem nervous. I walked up the steps slowly, scanning for Rob. A fire was burning in a metal pit with chairs surrounding it, but no one else was around. “Where’s Rob?”
Jake nodded to the Jeep. “You got here pretty quick.”
Something wasn’t right. “I was in the neighborhood. Where is he?”
Motioning with a nod of his head to the house, he then stepped in front of me,
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