In the back was a barn, as well as a bunkhouse where he and the other dregs slept. Usually they could be found outside with their tutor, Mr. Sicamore, or baling hay, mowing and scooping manure into a wheelbarrow for fertilizer. The chores were meant to help them learn the importance of hard work and responsibility. Only taught them to hate work, if you asked Aden.
Thankfully today was everyones day off. As he strode past the gate, no one was out and about.
Youre right that she could have lived in a different town at the same time as me, though the odds of that are pretty bad. Still, I promise you, I never saw her, really saw her, until today, Aden said, picking up their conversation where theyd left off. If he and Mary Ann had crossed paths before, he would have experienced that sweet silence. That was not something he would have forgotten.
Caleb laughed, though there was a sharp edge to his amusement. You keep your head down and your eyes averted everywhere you go. You could have met your mother and you wouldnt have known it.
True. But Ive been shuffled from one mental institution to another, and even juvie, where no girls were allowed. This is the first time Ive really been out in public, no matter what town Ive been in. Where would I have met her?
Eves breathy sigh drifted through his head. I dont know.
I still think you should stay away from her, Elijah said solemnly.
Why? Had the psychic already divined Mary Anns death and now hoped to save him from the heartache of her loss? Aden fought a rush of dread. When Elijah told him when and how someone was going to die, that someone died, exactly as Elijah had said. No exceptions. Why? he rasped again.
Justbecause.
Why! he insisted, the question harsher than hed intended. He needed a good reason or hed be hunting her down at the first opportunity. Anything for another taste of that silence.
Well, I for one dont like how powerless I feel when youre around her, Julian said.
Elijah? Aden insisted.
I just dont like her, the psychic grumbled. All right? Happy now?
No impending death, then. Thank God.
Aden tripped as one of Dans dogs, Sophia, a black-and-white Border collie, tangled around his ankles, barking for attention. He petted her head and she continued to dance around him. As he stood there, an idea took root in his mind. He didnt speak it, not yet. But he did say, Well, I do like her, and I wantneedto spend more time with her.
Then youre going to have to find a way to set us free, Elijah said. Any more time in that black hole and Ill go insane.
How? Theyd already tried a thousand different ways. Exorcism, spells, prayer. Nothing had worked. And with his own death looming, he was becoming desperate. Not just for the peace it would give him these last yearsmonths? weeks? of his life, but because he didnt want his only friends dying with him. He wanted them to have lives of their own. The lives theyd always craved.
Lets say we did find a way out. Eve paused. Wed then need bodies, living bodies, or I fear well be as insubstantial as ghosts.
True. But bodies arent something we can order online, Julian said.
Aden will find a way, Caleb replied, confident.
Impossible, Aden wanted to say, but didnt. No reason to destroy their hope. When he reached the main house, he muttered, Well finish this conversation later, and meshed his lips together. All the lights were dimmed, no shuffling feet or banging pots echoing. Still. No telling who lurked where.
He knocked on the front door. Waited a while. Knocked again. Waited even longer. No one appeared. His shoulders sagged in disappointment. He really wanted to talk to Dan and put his as yet unspoken idea in motion.
Sighing, he made the trek to the bunkhouse. Sophia barked and finally raced off. Inside, the warm but fresh breeze died, air thickening with dust. Hed shower, change, maybe grab a bite to eat, then head back to the house. If Dan wasnt back by then, hed have to wait until next week to talk to him. He hadnt forgotten that the poison even now swimming through his veins was going to start pummeling him in the next few hours, at which point hed be no good to anyone.
This was just the calm before the storm.
There was a murmur of voices in the background, and Aden tried to tiptoe to his room. But a floorboard creaked, and a second later, a familiar voice was calling, Hey, schizo. Cmere.
He paused, staring at the fat wooden beams stretching across the ceiling and wondering if he should just sneak out. He and Ozzie had never gotten along. Maybe because every word out of the guys mouth was an insult. But still. Any more fights, verbal or otherwise, and hed be kicked out. Hed already been warned.
Yo, schizo. Dont make me come after you.
A round of laughter.
So Ozzies sheep were there, as well.
Leave. I cant deal with another upset today, Julian said.
Walk away and theyll think youre weak. The pronouncement came from Elijah, therefore had a greater chance of being true. Then youll never have a moments peace.
Wrong. Go to the woods and you can have peace right now, Caleb said. Besides, you cant fight them in your condition.
Just get it over with. Eves determination made her voice harsh. Otherwise youll worry about being ambushed all night. And sick as youll be, you dont need that on your mind.
Jaw clenched, he stalked to his room, tossed down his backpack and then crossed the hall into Ozzies room.
You always listen to Eve, Julian whined.
Because hes smart, Eve said.
Because hes a teenager and youre a female, Caleb muttered.
Youve never complained about my being female before.
When Aden appeared in the doorway, a grinning Ozzie looked him up and down. The grin soon became a sneer. What have you been doing? Making out with the vacuum since no ones desperate enough to actually touch you? Or maybe you and one of your invisible friends hooked up. Was it a guy or a girl this time?
The rest of the dregs snickered.
It was a girl, Aden said. Shed just left you, so she was desperate enough.
Burned, the other dregs laughed.
Ozzie stilled. His eyes narrowed.
Ozzie had been here a little over a year, which was months longer than everyone else. From what Aden had gathered, hed gotten busted for drugs and shoplifting on more than one occasion and his parents had finally washed their hands of him.
Im outta here, Aden said.
Stay right there. Ozzie held up a half-smoked joint. His blond hair was spiked, as if hed tangled his hands in it one too many times. Youre gonna take a drag. You need help with your crazy.
More laughter.
No, thanks. He didnt need drug use added to his already-lengthy record.
I wasnt asking you, Ozzie snapped. Smoke. Now.
No. Thanks. Aden studied the bedroom. It was a mirror image of his own. Plain white walls, a bunk bed with matching brown comforters on both the top and the bottom, a dresser and a desk. Nothing extra. No wall hangings or framed photos. To help them forget the past and concentrate on the future, Dan liked to say about the lack of frills. Aden suspected it was because dregs came and went so quickly.
Come on, m-man. Just d-do it. Shannon, black and the biggest of them all, lounged on the pillows theyd strewn across the floor. His green eyes were red-rimmed, one of them swollen. From a recent fight? Probably. Usually, he would stutter, the dregs would make fun of him, and then hed lash out. Why he still chose to hang with them, Aden didnt know. Y-you could forget what a nut j-job you are.
Seth, Terry and Brian nodded in agreement. The three of them could have passed for brothers. Each had dark hair, dark eyes and similar boyish faces. Their individual styles set them apart, though. Seth colored thick red streaks in his hair and had a snake tattooed on the inside of one wrist. Terry wore his hair long and shaggy and dressed in baggy clothes. Brian was all smooth polish.
Saying no again was hard. Especially when it would help dull the pain he knew was coming. But he did it. If he got high, hed forget more than who he was; he would forget about talking to Dan. And he had to talk to Dan. If Dan agreed to Adens plan, Aden would get to see a lot more of Mary Ann.
With that kind of incentive, hed give up anything, everything.
Whatever, man. Ozzies cheeks hollowed as he inhaled, and smoke wafted around his face. I knew you were pathetic.
Do not react. Wheres Ryder? The sixth member of their crew.
Dan found a bag in his roomempty, of course, or hed be outand took him into town for drug testing, Seth said. Theyll be gone for hours. Hence the party.
Parties are like cupcakes, Terry said with a grin.
Uh, what?
No, parties are like peeing in a cup, Brian said and everyone burst into loud guffaws as if the funniest joke ever had just been dropped.
Had he been this stupid the few times hed gotten high? Aden wondered.
A knock suddenly sounded at the front door, followed by a creak of hinges.
Were back, Ryder called nervously. He must have known what they were doing.
Gone for hours, huh? Aden said.
Ozzie cursed and scrambled to hide the joint, tossing it inside a metal container. He slammed the lid over it to contain the smoke.
Seth grabbed a can of air freshener and sprayed in a circle. Terry tossed the pillows back onto the bed. Brian scrambled around, looking for a way out. And Shannon remained in place, resting his head in his upraised hands. Then Ryder was striding inside the room, red hair standing on end, lips peeled back in a scowl.
Dan was right behind him. He stopped in the doorway beside Aden, thumbs hooked in his belt loop, baseball cap low on his head. Disapproval clouded his deeply tanned features as he sniffed the air.
Im trying to save your lives, boys. You know that, dont you?
A few of the dregs gazed down at their feet in shame. Ozzie just smirked. No one spoke.
Finish cleaning up and then I want you to do something useful. In fact, each of you will pick a book from the box I gave you last week and read at least five chapters. Youll tell me what you read tomorrow morning at breakfast.
Groans erupted.
None of that, now. Dan studied each of their faces, one by one. When he reached Aden, he blinked in surprise, as if he hadnt realized Aden was there. Lets take a walk, he said. He didnt wait for Adens reply, but pounded out of the bunkhouse, the door slamming shut behind him.
Tell him where my stash is, Ozzie growled at him, and Ill cut your throat.
Try, Aden said, and pivoted on his heel.
Did you have to antagonize him? Eve asked, clearly frustrated.
Yes. He didnt react well to threats.
Outside, clean air once again enveloped him, and he breathed deeply. The sun had fallen some more, casting a gloomy haze around him. It was the perfect contrast to his suddenly bright mood. For the first time in perhaps forever, Aden was hopeful his life could change for the better.
Dan was a few feet ahead, strolling toward the north pasture, and Aden rushed to catch up with him. Even though Aden was just above six feet, Dan towered over him.
A few times over the past week, when Aden thought no one inside his head was paying attention, hed pretended Dan was his dad. They certainly looked like they could be related. Both of them had pale hair (when Aden didnt dye his to stop the blond jokes), lips almost too full for a boy and square jaws. When hed realized what he was doing, though, hed forced himself to stop. Surprisingly, stopping had made him depressed.
What did his real father look like? Aden didnt have any pictures. Didnt even have memories of him. Only thing he knew about the man was that hed given Aden up. Which meant, he, too, had considered Aden a freak. At least Dan didnt treat him like a mentally unstable child in need of confinement.
Lets get to the heart of the matter, shall we? Dan said when Aden reached him. He tipped his hat for a better view of the land. What have you been up to today?
Aden gulped. Hed expected the question, had even planned his answer. But the only word he could force out of his mouth was, Nothing. He hated lying to Dan, but it couldnt be helped. Who would believe hed been battling corpses?
Nothing, huh? Dan arched a brow in disbelief. Nothing is the reason your face is smeared with gunk and your neck is eaten up with bite marks? Nothing is the reason youve been gone all day? You know you have to keep me informed.
I left a note telling you I was exploring the town. There. Truth. He had explored. Wasnt his fault hed stumbled upon the living dead. I didnt do anything illegal or hurt anyone. Again, truth. There was no law against killing people who were already dead, and you couldnt hurt a corpse. You have my word.
Dan removed a toothpick from his shirt pocket and anchored it between his teeth. Exploring on your day off is fine, encouraged, even, if you gain my permission first. You didnt. I would have sent my cell phone with you, so I would be able to get a hold of you if necessary. But you didnt give me the opportunity. You dropped the note on my kitchen counter and snuck out. I could call your caseworker and have you picked up for this.
His caseworker, Ms. Killerman, was the reason Aden was here. She was hellishly old, probably thirtysomething like Dan, and struck Aden as, well, cold. Shed been assigned to him while hed been wasting away in the last institution. Hed had a tutor, of course, but he hadnt been able to leave the grounds.
Hed complained. When Killerman told him about the D and M and placed a request for his admittance, hed been shocked. And when a spot had finally opened up, hed been overjoyed. To think that he could now lose that spot as hed feared earlier, without Dan even seeing that decimated graveyard
Aden. Are you listening to me? Dan asked. I said I could call your caseworker about this.
I know. He peeked up at Dan, whose features were hidden in shadow. Are you?
Silence. Dreadful silence.
Then Dan reached over and mussed his hair. Not this time. But Im not always going to be a pushover, you got me? I believe in you, Aden. I want good things for you. But you have to obey my rules.
The gesture was unexpected, the words wonderfully shocking. I believe in you. Something burned his eyes. Aden refused to believe it was tears, even when his chin started trembling. There might be a girl inside his head, but he wasnt a wimp.
Are you still taking your meds? Dan asked him.
Yes. Of course. A lie. Truth, half truths or even omissions wouldnt work this time. To Dan, admitting he flushed his pills down the toilet would be worse than sneaking into town. Besides, he didnt need the pills. They made him weak, tired, his mind foggy. Which he was starting to feel anyway, he realized, swaying as a wave of dizziness assaulted him. Stupid corpse poison. Still, with the dizziness came a sense of urgency. I actually came looking for you when I returned. II Do it, just say it. Put it out there. I want to go to public school. Crossroads High. There. Done. There would be no taking the words back.
Dans brow furrowed. Public school? Why?
There was only one explanation that sounded believable. Ive never been around normal, average kids my own age, and I think it could be good for me. I could watch them, interact with them, learn from them. Please. I havent missed a therapy session since I got here. Twice a week. Dr. Quine thinks Im doing good. Dr. Quine was the latest to try and fix him. Aden actually liked her; she truly seemed to care about him.
I know. She keeps me apprised.
Which was why Aden guarded his words around the well-meaning doctor, as well. Another wave of dizziness hit him, and he rubbed his temples. If youll just call Ms. Killerman, she can sign the necessary papers and I can be in class by next week. Ill only have missed the first month, and itll be the beginning of my new, normal life. A life you said you wanted for me.
Dan didnt even take a moment to think about it. Good in theory, butNo matter what you tell Dr. Quine, youre still having conversations with yourself. Dont try to deny it, because I heard you just this morning. You stare out at nothing for hours, disappear, and even though I just found you with the other boys, you were stiff and angry, so I know you havent made friends with them. Im sorry, kid, but my answer is no.
But
Nope. Thats my final verdict. In time, maybe.
I havent made friends because no one here is interested.
Maybe youre not trying hard enough.
Adens hands clenched at his sides, a red haze clouding his vision. He didnt know whether it was from the poison or his anger. Maybe he wasnt trying hard enough, but why should that matter? He didnt want to make friends with Ozzie and his sheep.
I know youre angry, but this is for the best. If you were to hurt one of the students, youd be incarcerated, no more chances. And like I said, I dont want that for you. Youre a good kid with a lot of potential. Lets give you a chance to reach that potential and shine. Okay?
Some of Adens anger drained. How could it not, in the face of Dans kindness? His determination, however, only strengthened. He had to attend that school, had to spend more time with Mary Ann. Yeah, he could accidentally run into her in town, but when? How often? School was in session five days a week, seven hours a day. There, hed have a better chance of learning about her, about how she, well, temporarily fixed him.
And, for those seven blessed hours, hed be at peace. For that, hed do anything. EvenHe gulped, not liking where the thought ended.
Are you sure? he asked, giving Dan one last chance.
Very.
Okay, then. Aden scanned the pasture, then glanced behind him to gauge just how well the dregs could see him from the bunkhouse if they happened to be watching from the windows. A direct view. That was unfortunate but couldnt be helped. Hopefully, if they were watching, they would assume the drug theyd just smoked was causing hallucinations.
Are you really going to do this? he asked himself. A million things could go wrong. People could learn the extent of his abilities, decide to test him, lock him away forever. A tremor slid the length of his spine, and he nervously licked his lips. Yes. Yes, he was. There was no other way, the outcome too important.
I know what youre planning, Ad, and its not a good idea. Had Caleb possessed a body of his own, he would have been gripping Adens shoulders and shaking. Actually, its a terrible idea. I dont have to be a psychic to know that.
Last time hed done something like this, hed spent a week in bed, cold, shaking, afraid of every noise, every touch against his skin too much for him to bear. And with the toxin even now traveling through him, the aftermath could be a thousand times worse.
Aden, Eve begin, a lecture clearly imminent.
Im sorry, Dan, Aden saidjust before stepping into Dans body.
He screamed at the agonizing pain of morphing from solid mass to inconsequential mist, which in turn caused Dan to scream. They fell to their knees, dizzy. Colors were blurring together, the green of the grass with the brown of the cows, the bright red of the tractor with the yellow of the wheat. He was panting, sweating, his stomach threatening to revolt.
Deep breath in, deep breath out. Several minutes passed before he found a center of gravity. The pain ebbed, but only slightly.
Now youve gone and done it, Caleb snapped.
He wont remember this. It was weird, knowing he was talking but hearing a different voice come out. Well be fine. He hoped.
Well, do what you want to do and lets get the hell out of here, Julian said. God, I cant believe you sometimes.
Elijah moaned. If anyone ever learns youre capable of doing this
They wont. Again, he hoped. Aden forced Dans hand to dig into his pocket and remove his cell phone, as if the body were his own. The hand was shaking but he managed to scroll through the address book and find Tamera Killerman. Her number was on speed dial.
Gulping, nervous, Aden connected them.
Hello? his caseworker answered after three rings.
You can still walk away, honey. You dont have to do this, dont have to risk being found out.
Hi, Ms. Killerman. He experienced more of that dizziness, more of that churning in his stomach. Concentrate. This is AdDan Reeves.
A pause. A giggle.
A giggle? From calm and collected Killerman? Hed known her over a year, yet shed rarely even cracked a smile. Aden blinked in surprise.
Ms. Killerman, is it? There was a breathless quality to her voice that made Adens stomach curdle. Yesterday you called me sweetheart.
Iuh
So how are you, baby, and when will I get to see you again?
Baby? Why would sheRealization slammed into him, and he scowled, nearly overcome with disappointment and anger. Dan was married. Dan should only ever be called baby by his wife. A wife Aden liked. Meg Reeves cooked wonderful meals, had a smile for everyone and had never scolded him. She even hummed while she cleaned her house.
Just then, Aden wanted inside Dans memories; he wanted to know why the man would betray such a wonderful woman. But mind reading seemed like the only ability he didnt possess. Doesnt matter. Finish what you started before youre too sick. Listen, Ms. Killerman. I want to enroll Haden Stone in the local high school. Crossroads High.
Haden? Shock dripped from her now, and Aden imagined her pretty but cool face pinching in confusion. The schizophrenic? Why?
His teeth ground together in irritation. Im not schizophrenic! Interacting with the other students will be good for mhim. Besides, in the short amount of time hes been here, hes improved so much Im not even sure why hes here. Too much?
Thats great, but are you sure hes ready? When we talked yesterday you said he was progressing slowly.
He had, had he? Yesterday I wasnt talking about Aden. I was talking about Ozzie Harmon. Take that, dreg. Aden is totally ready.
Totally? She laughed again. Dan, are you all right? You sound a littleI dont know, unlike yourself.
He swayed, barely caught himself. Im fine. Just tired. Anyway, if you could set this into motion for me, Id really appreciate it. Surely that was something Dan would say. Okay?
Okay. I guess. But do you still want Shannon Ross to attend Crossroads, as well?
Shannon? Why Shannon? And why had no one been told? Yes. Talk to you later, he added before she could ask more questions. Baby.
Click.
For a long while, Aden stared down at the phone, struggling to breathe, his shaking intensified. Thankfully, Ms. Killerman never called back.
Later, when Dan was alone, hed remember his chat with Aden yet think hed made the phone call of his own volition. Hed wonder at his motives, but would not recall the way Aden had stepped inside him. They never did. Maybe because their minds couldnt process it. Maybe because Aden took the memory with him.
Either way, he wondered if Dan would call Killerman back and tell her that he changed his mind. And would Killerman follow through on her promise to set things into motion?
Only time would tell.
Now all Aden had to do was wait. That, and heal, he thought, as he and Dan hunched over and vomited. Great. His battle with the poison had finally begun.
CHAPTER 4
Aden spent the next six days in and out of consciousness. Several times he wanted to give up, just end it all and float away from the scalding mass of pain that was his body. But he didnt. He fought. Fought harder than hed ever fought for anything, one thought driving him: the peace that came with Mary Ann.
A few times, hed even hallucinated and thought he saw her hovering over him, that long dark hair tickling his chest. Or maybe Elijahs ability was expanding and hed had another non-death vision, catching glimpses of the future. Only, unlike in real life, her skin had been pale rather than sun kissed and as hot as a living flame. Whats more, her eyes had been bright blue rather than hazel.
There were a few explanations for the differences. Either his visions had never been of Mary Ann and he still had yet to truly meet his brunette or, sick as hed been, hed simply gotten the details wrong this time.
Both were entirely possible. Hed realized that while he had seen his brunette in the dark recesses of his mind too many times to count, hed never really retained knowledge about her actual facial features.
The face hed seen this week, well, he would not be forgetting.
Sleep, shed said, fingertips gently coasting over his brow and leaving a trail of fire in their wake. When you heal, there is much for us to discuss.
Like? hed managed to work past the rawness of his throat.
Like how you summoned my people. Like how I still feel the hum of you. Like how that hum stopped for a little bit of time. Like why you want us here. Like whether or not well allow you to live. We will talk, though, when your blood smells less like the living dead.
It was a conversation he couldnt even begin to explain.
Unlike his encounters with Mary Ann, he hadnt wanted to run from this apparition, nor had he wanted to hug her as he would a sister. He hadnt experienced that painful gust of wind, either. Hed wanted to tangle his hands in her hair, draw her close, so close, and drink in the scent of her. Honeysuckle and rose. Hed wanted to kiss her the way theyd kissed in the visions.
Eventually, though, the fever faded, and the hallucinations ended. His sweating ebbed and his muscles stopped seizing, leaving him weak and hungry.
Finally, Aden lumbered from his bed, his only clothing a pair of boxers that were sweat-dried to his skin. Hed hidden the worst of his pain, keeping his moans contained inside his head. Anything to avoid hospitals and doctors, pinching and poking and questions. God, the questions.
Hed been excused from tutoring sessions and barn duty all week. Dan had kept tabs on him, though, flittering in and out of his room, expression concerned yet somewhat suspicious. If theyd had a heart-to-heart about what was going on, Aden didnt remember it. Only thing he remembered was Dan asking if he knew anything about the desecration of the cemetery. Apparently several stations had blasted the story as hed feared. Hed had the presence of mind to say no.
He swiped up the peanut butter sandwich Dan had left him during his final visit this morning and downed it in three bites. Stomach calming, he quickly showered and changed into a pair of jeans and a plain gray T-shirt. Dan was taking him and Shannon shopping. That, too, he remembered. It was something the big guy had never done before and there was only one reason Aden could think of for such a trip: Dan was going to allow them to attend Crossroads High.
His relief was palpable. So many things could have gone wrong. Ms. Killerman could have changed her mind and opted not to follow Dans recommendation. Dan could have chalked the decision to let Aden loose on the public school system up to a moment of insanity and canceled the paperwork.
A hand slapped his open door frame, the loud boom jolting him, and then Shannon was peeking inside. His green eyes were devoid of emotion. T-time to g-go. Without waiting for Adens response, he pivoted and stalked away. Down the hall, the main door slammed shut.
One by one, the souls woke up, stretching and sighing. Great.
Whats going on? Eve asked sleepily.
School shopping, he muttered as he strode from his room. So well talk later. Okay?
Ozzie and Seth were standing in front of their bedroom door, arms crossed over their chests. Everyone had a roommate but Aden. No one wanted to share quarters with the schizo, and that was fine with him.
Talking to yourself again? Seth said with a laugh. Why? Its not like youre all that stimulating.
Aden raised his chin and tried to move past them.
Ozzie grabbed his arm, jerking him to a stop. Where do you think youre going, Crazy? Youve been hiding from me lately, and weve got a few things to discuss.