Do you visualize anything when you listen to particular shortwave radio frequencies? If you do, welcome to the club! After the phone call that changed my life, I not only learned I could do that, but I also learned what I was possibly seeing.
…
“Hey, so when are you picking me up?” I asked.
“Sorry, Dez, I won’t be able to.”
“Ashley! I’ve been waiting for this concert for months!”
“I know, I’m sorry. I really want to, but I’m going to be pulling an all-nighter. I’ve got a deadline and I’ve procrastinated too long.”
“That isn’t my fault!”
“I know, I’m really sorry. But it’s not too late to find someone else.”
“You know my parents only trust you, Miss Goody Two-Shoes.”
“Then why don’t you ask one of them to go with you?”
I scoffed. “This concert was an excuse to escape their suffocating overprotectiveness.”
“They’re only worried about you.”
“Whatever. Just go finish your super important work.”
“Yea, I should. I hope you enjoy the concert!”
“I’m not going. Bye.”
I hung up and plopped on my bed with an irritated sigh. I didn’t get moments like this often. And when I did, it took a lot of cajoling and making promises to my parents to get them to agree. And now Ashley’s crappy time management ruined it all.
My ringtone chimed, and I answered before my phone announced the caller, hoping it was Ashley. “Hello, Ash?”
“Hey, Deedee.”
My hope deflated. “Oh, hey mom.”
“Why were you expecting Ashley? Did she not pick you up yet? Did you decide not to go to the concert? Should we come home?”
I sighed. “No, mom, I’m not a baby. You and mum go enjoy your dinner and movie.”
“If you’re going to be home alone, we can—”
I sat up. “No, no, Ashley’s coming very soon. Actually, I think I even hear her in the driveway.”
“Okay, that’s good. Just keep us in the loop. Enjoy the concert, sweetie!”
“Thanks, mom. Catch you later.”
After blowing me a kiss, she hung up, and I shoved my phone in my pocket. I may be missing the concert, but I wasn’t going to waste a blissful few hours of solitude. Sighing, I grabbed my cane and tapped my way to the kitchen, hoping we still had beer in the fridge. After grabbing a can, I sat in the living room, listening to my favorite band as I moped over not being able to see them live.
My phone rang again, and again, and I answered before it announced the caller. “Hello, Ash?”
There was no vocal reply. Instead, I got an earful of static. Not five seconds later, the call dropped, and I frowned as I checked the call information. The number was unknown, and I shrugged. If it was important, they’d call again.
Around thirty minutes later, my phone rang yet again, and even though the concert had already started by now, I still answered with hope. “Hello, Ash?”
“No,” a harried male voice replied. “Did you receive a call half an hour ago from an unknown number?”
“Oh, yea, I did. Was that you?”
“No. Did you answer the call?”
“Yes, but it was static.”
“Okay, Desiree, I need you to listen to me carefully.”
I sat up, frowning. “How do you know my name? Who are you?”
“I’m Evan, and I need you and everyone living with you to get out of your house right away. There’s a convenience store two blocks East of your house. Meet me there. I’ll be in a grey SUV.”
I blinked, baffled. “Wait, why? How do you know all this?”
“The call you received wasn’t meant for you and there are people coming after you. Get out, now.”
“But it was static!”
“Not to them.”
“What does that mean? Who are you? How can I trust you?”
“I’m trying to help you. I’ll explain everything later. Don’t waste time.”
I jumped up, grabbing my cane as a surge of fear and excitement flowed through me. “Okay, but I’m blind, I won’t know which car is yours.”
“I’ll find you. Just meet me in front of the store.”
He hung up, and I grabbed my bag and rushed out the door. My mind was running a mile a minute, racing my pulse as I made my way down the sidewalk. I knew I should be afraid, whether the stranger was truthful or whether he was manipulating me, but I couldn’t help but relish the thrill. This was a welcome splash in my stagnant life.
After I crossed the first street, a car zoomed by, screeching as it turned the corner and headed towards my house. Was this who the guy was talking about? Spurred by the thought, I picked up my pace, sliding my cane left and right as I hustled towards the store. Once I got there, I stood still, turning my head as I tried to pick up anyone calling my name.
“Desiree?”
I jumped and faced the voice walking up to me. “Yes. Evan?”
“Yes. No one else is at your house?”
“No, my parents are on a date.”
“Okay, good, come,” he said, pulling my arm.
“Hey, wait!” I said, pulling back. “You said you’d explain everything first!”
“I will, in the car. I’m not going to hurt you. Hurry. When they don’t find you at home they’re going to start looking around.”
Against my better judgement, I sat in the passenger seat and folded up my cane as he started the engine and took off.
“Okay, start talking,” I said, crossing my arms.
“The call you—”
I gasped as the car lurched forward, and Evan cursed as I heard him shift the gear stick. “Damn it, they must’ve followed you. I told you to hurry! Buckle up.”
I fumbled with the belt, my pulse racing. “You can’t blame me for not immediately believing a strange man!” The car swerved, and I grunted as I bashed against the door. “What do they want from me?”
“The call you received had a message. These guys want that message and—”
“There was no message! I told you, it was just static! Tell them that!”
Evan swerved the car again. “The message is in the static.”
“What!” I grabbed the door handle as we wove through traffic. “But I didn’t notice any message!”
“Are you blind!”
I frowned. “Yes, I told you I was. What does that have to do with anything?”
“What? Oh, shit, sorry. No, no, this guy cut me off, but I shouldn’t have said that.”
His reply, oddly enough, put me at ease despite our situation. Apologetic, considerate, trying to save my life, and forgot I had a visual impairment? It was a welcome change. Now I just had to figure out what I ended up involved in.
“I didn’t notice a message, can’t we tell them that?”
“It’s a bit more complicated than that.” Evan cursed as metal scraped and the car jerked. “Shit, they’re trying to ram me off the road.”
Tires squealed and I bounced in my seat, gripping the handle tight. “Did you just run over something?”
“I drove over the divider, but they’re still after us.” The car turned right before immediately swerving back. “Crap, that road has construction. We need to lose them.”
“Where are we? I can help.”
I half-expected him to scoff, but he didn’t as he told me the street names we were racing past. A crazy thought came to mind and rummaged inside my bag.
“We’re not far from the stadium,” I said, pulling out two tickets. “There’s a concert there and I have passes! They can’t follow us in!”
He didn’t hesitate to ask his phone for directions, and soon I could hear echoes as we entered the underground parking. Evan’s window hummed, and after the ticket meter beeped, tires squealed as we zoomed inside.
“Shit, they’re still following us,” Evan said, his voice tight. “It’s packed, I can’t find parking!”
“Go one floor down, there’s always a few spots near the back.”
He didn’t question my advice, and as soon as he found a place at the far end, he held my hand as we made a mad dash to the doors. I hugged my bag as we ran, still teetering between fear and the thrill of it all. This was just like those action movies I’d listen to with my parents, except I was finally the star.
Once we made it indoors, a guard stopped us. “Sorry, you can’t come in. Concert’s already started.”
“Please,” I said, panting. “I’m blind and misplaced the tickets but we found them and got here as fast as we could!”
I held up the tickets, and I let out a breath of relief when I heard a sigh and the double beep of the guard’s scanner.
“Thank you!” I said.
“Your tickets are for the pit,” he said. “Follow the signs. Uh, er, I mean—”
“I can see, I’ll find our way,” Evan said. “Thank you.”
I could feel the beat of the music rumbling in my chest as we hustled around the perimeter, the smell of beer, popcorn, and nachos filling the air.
“Are they following us?” I asked, trying to keep up with Evan’s pace.
“No, the guard didn’t let the guy through,” he replied. “We need to find another exit, I’m calling my brother to— … oh shit.”
I tightened my grip on his hand. “What?”
“Turn, turn, one of the guys made it through a side door. He’s heading right for us. Run, careful, this way.”
“Where are we going?”
“I don’t know, I’m just trying to lose him.”
“Wait, let’s go in the concert!”
“What?”
“They won’t find us in the crowd!”
Holding my arm with a firm grip, he took a sharp right turn, and a door’s squeak was taken over by a wave of thunderous music. The sound filled me with excitement, and I clutched Evan’s sleeve as he led me down a couple of stairs. Once we started walking on flat ground again, I could feel it thudding.
“Where are we now?” I yelled over the music. “Are we in the pit?”
“Yes.”
“Great! Let’s go in!” I pulled his arm as I followed the cheers. “We’ll hide between everyone.”
He seemed reluctant, but he let me guide him as I used my hand to carve out my path. Once the music seemed centered, I stopped, turning to Evan as I unzipped my hoodie.
“Here!” I yelled, holding it out to him. “Wear this!”
“What?” he yelled back, taking it.
I adjusted my camisole and reached up to tie my wild hair into a bun. “We need to change our appearance so they don’t recognize us! And dance!”
“I’m not dancing!”
“We have to fit in! They’ll notice the only person not dancing!” I reached for him, my fingers grazing a scar above his wrist before I grabbed his hand. “Do what I’m doing!”
I began to jump to the beat, mimicking the bouncing shoulders around me, and I smiled when I felt Evan doing the same. Forgetting the world, I gave into this perfect moment as I sang along to my favorite band, letting the music take over.
After a few songs, the singer hit us with a soulful ballad, and I stopped jumping, a grin on my sweaty face. I got to attend my favorite band’s concert after all, but instead of Ashely, I had a cute-sounding guy by my side who helped me successfully dodge the mysterious baddies chasing me. This wasn’t like the action movies. This was so much better.
I could feel those around us moving side to side to the melody, so I did the same, nudging Evan as I said, “Sway.”
“Couples are dancing together,” he said.
I turned to him in surprise. “Do you want to?”
“To fit in. If you want to.”
I chuckled, pretty sure there were others there dancing alone. “I don’t mind.”
He stood behind me and wrapped his arms around my body, his hands overlapping my stomach, his chin beside my ear. It was intimate, yet respectful, and I found it sweet. It’d been a while since I’d been touched in this way.
“Most are waving their lit phones around,” he said, swaying.
I swayed to his rhythm as I held up my phone, imagining how beautiful the sight must be. Like a sea of stars. It was moments like this when I missed my vision the most.
Halfway through the song, I felt his pocket vibrate, and he let me go so he could text. “That was my brother,” he said. “He’s going to pick us up after the concert so we can stay hidden in the crowd.”
“Great!”
The remainder of the concert was a blast, and I was riding high on elation as we funneled our way out the door with the rest of the chaotic fans. Evan held me tight against his body, and I hugged him, clutching his shirt as people jostled us from all angles. The echoes dissipated as we made it outside, and Evan kept us in the crowd as I felt his head looking around.
“That idiot came in his classic?” Evan said, annoyed. “Come, hurry.”
We hustled a few meters before Evan ushered me inside a car, and my senses glitched for a second as the outdoor sounds weren’t dulled. I must be in a convertible. Evan got in the passenger seat, and he began berating his brother the moment we took off.
“Why’d you come in this car! We need to blend in! And put the top up!”
“The top’s broken, still haven’t had time to fix it. And relax, this is the last thing they’d expect to be your getaway car. But the real question is, why are you wearing a turban?”
“It’s a disguise,” Evan said, and I flinched as I felt him place my hoodie on my lap. “Thanks for letting me borrow it, Desiree. And thanks for the concert.”
“You’re welcome, and you can call me Dez.”
“Hey, Dez,” the brother said. “Sorry you got stuck with Freckles here, but you’re in good hands now. I’m Craig.”
Evan scoffed, and I said, “I’m glad I was stuck with him. And he stuck with me too in the concert, even though it wasn’t his plan.”
“Oh, yea, I bet he really stuck with you, didn’t you, Freckles.”
“Shut up,” Evan said as I heard the sound of a punch.
“Hehey, I’m just saying, I can smell her perfume on you. I bet she smells like you too. Is that why you slipped away to a concert instead of calling the cops on those guys?”
Craig wasn’t making a good impression on me, and Evan didn’t seem to like him much either as he said, “I smell like millions of people’s perfumes and sweat, we were basically in a mosh pit. And the concert was a great way to hide. We couldn’t guarantee the cops would’ve shown up in time.”
“Methinks Freckles doth protest too much,” Craig said, chuckling.
“Asshole, just drive and make sure we aren’t being followed.”
His words reminded me of how all this started, and I asked, “I’d like to know what’s going on.”
“Didn’t Freckles tell you?” Craig asked.
“He told me the phone call I got had a message in the static and the people after me want it. I said I didn’t notice a message so why can’t we tell them that, but he said it’s a bit more complicated than that.”
Craig chuckled. “Oh yea, it’s definitely more complicated.”
“Okay, I’m listening.”
“I’ll keep it simple for you. We study ghosts. We record ghosts talking with a device. The device glitched and sent a recording to you. Other people who study ghosts want it.”
“What?” I asked, not sure I heard him right.
“I don’t think I can make it any simpler, sweetheart.”
I scowled. “I don’t want simpler, sweetheart, I want more details.”
Evan chuckled for the first time since I’d met him. “Ignore him. Let me start at the beginning. So, there are places on Earth where the veil between the living and the dead is thin, and our grandma’s paranormal research group found one five decades ago. A cave where spirit signals are strong.”
“How do you know that?” I asked, skeptical. “Why do you think they’re spirits and not electromagnetic vibrations or random radio frequencies or something?”
“Funny you bring that up. When my grandma’s group recorded and tested those signals, they found out they were nearly identical to the static on a particular shortwave radio frequency.”
“So it is radio frequencies?”
“No, it’s just that this AM frequency happens to overlap the spirits’ frequency. And like I said, it’s nearly identical, but not exactly. So they compared the two, and they saw that when you isolate the differences, you end up with actual messages.”
I frowned, still skeptical. “Really?”
“Yes,” he said, enthusiasm seeping into his voice. “Our grandma’s team of linguists deciphered the leftover sounds and they actually figured out the language of the spirits.”
Tentative wonder took over. “What do they talk about?”
“The past, and the future.”
He was so earnest, I couldn’t help but to start believing him, each word piquing my curiosity. “The future? How?”
“We came up with the theory that the dead don’t abide by time like we do. Future spirits can talk with past ones, and vice versa.”
“That’s amazing!”
“I know!”
“But, how exactly does it work?” I asked, trying to get the full picture. “Why are the recordings different from the radio?”
“That’s too complicated to explain,” Craig said.
“Try me.”
“You don’t need to know these details.”
“But I want to.”
“And I’ll tell you,” Evan said. “It’s not even that complicated. Imagine you recorded someone whispering to you at the concert we just went to. You won’t be able to hear it very well, right?”
“Right.”
“And imagine later, you hear the same concert on the radio. So you record that, line up the audio, and cancel everything identical. You’re left with the whisper.”
I raised a quizzical eyebrow. “Is that how that works?”
“It’s just an example. The point is, the static is the noise of the spirits’ energy, or the ‘music’. Their conversations are the ‘whispers’. The radio doesn’t capture the ‘whispers’, but our device in the cave does, and we isolate them once the ‘music’ is cancelled out.”
“Wow. How long did it take you guys to figure all this out?”
“Years. But now it’s all automated. An AI does everything from comparing, to isolating, to translating.” He sighed. “Unfortunately, we never thought to update the device in the cave. It was working fine, until today.”
“Oh, is that when the glitch Craig mentioned happened?”
“Yes,” Craig said. “But there’s a whole lot more to it.”
“Let me guess, I won’t understand?”
“You said it, Dez, not me.”
“Don’t call me Dez. And just because I’m blind doesn’t mean I’m an idiot.”
“What the … you’re blind? Why didn’t either of you tell me?” He let out a relieved laugh. “And here I was thinking you were a lesbian!”
“Why?” Evan asked. “Because she wasn’t impressed by your ugly car or reacting to your stupid smirking and flexing?”
“At least I have muscles to flex.”
“Blind people can still be lesbians,” I said, scowling.
“That’s true, you did make out with Freckles.”
“We didn’t make out!” Evan said.
“That doesn’t even make sense,” I said, irritated by his teasing. “He’s a guy.”
“Wasn’t always,” Craig said before letting out an abrupt laugh. “Ow, ow! What?”
“You’re such an asshole,” Evan spat.
Craig was getting on my nerves. “You know what, Craig? I think even the most boy-crazy woman would be turned off by you.”
He laughed again. “My body count says otherwise. If you’re interested in knowing what you’re missing out on, let me know.”
I wrinkled my nose. “Evan, tell me more about the device before Craig makes me throw up.”
“Don’t throw up in my car,” Craig said, suddenly serious.
“Then stop talking.”
“You’ve got a real snotty attitude for someone we’re rescuing. You should be more thankful.”
“Thankful for what? Your jerkiness?”
“Why are we even doing this?” he asked Evan in a huff. “We should just leave the ungrateful bitch at some motel.”
“Then do it,” I said.
“I wasn’t talking to you.”
“Okay, enough!” Evan said. “Craig, just drive. Grandma said we bring her in, so we’re bringing her in. Dez, sorry, but we’re stuck with Craig until then.”
“They distract me by telling me more about the device in the cave,” I said.
“It records and sends the spirits’ signals to us. Back when my grandma’s group created it, there was no internet and they didn’t want to send anything by radio waves because they thought it’d affect the signals, so the device calls our grandma’s office answering machine.”
“Oh,” I said, the pieces coming together. “So when this device glitched, it sent the recording to my number instead of hers.”
“Exactly. But the truth is, the device glitched because our cousin tried to change the number to that of one of our competitors.”
“Competitors?”
“There’s no need to go into all these details,” Craig said.
I dry-heaved at his voice, and I smiled as I heard Evan chuckle.
“Bitch,” Craig hissed.
“So, Evan,” I said, ignoring Craig. “Tell me about the competitors.”
“Alright, so there’s this global competition that encourages the advancement of paranormal research,” Evan said. “Back when it started, all the participants were good sports, but over the past few decades it began getting ugly.”
“Why?”
“Greed, unfortunately. The competition offers annual prizes that are very tempting. Some of us really want to solve paranormal mysteries, and since equipment is getting more expensive the more advanced we get, the money really helps. But some just want the cash. And possibly bragging rights.”
“How much is the prize?”
“Last year, first place was a million dollars.”
“A million dollars!”
“Yea. And every year since my grandma’s group joined five decades ago, we’ve won first place.”
“That’s amazing! Congratulations!”
“Thank you,” he said, a smile in his voice.
“Gold digger alert,” Craig said.
I dry-heaved again, exaggerating my retching.
“Stop!” Craig said, panicking.
“Craig, if you want to save your car, stop talking,” Evan said. “So, Dez, yes, it’s cool to win, but it unfortunately leads to jealousy. And we get targeted the most because we have total control over the cave, and this cave just so happens to pick up a lot of political afterlife chatter.”
“Like, dead leaders and stuff?” I asked.
“Yes. We aren’t sure why yet, but some areas attract like-minded spirits. For example, there’s a spot in Nepal that picks up classical composers. So, political news is a big deal, especially from the future, and we’ve got a monopoly. Others have tried to find our cave, but none could until one group managed to blackmail our cousin.”
“Oh, that’s horrible.”
“Yea. At least he had enough backbone to tell them he wouldn’t reveal its location. He offered to change the number, but he messed up and damaged the device. The message sent to you was the last one. We went through the device’s stored data, found your number, and tracked you down.”
“That explains you knowing about me, but how are the others tracking me down?”
“Our cousin told his blackmailers your number before we figured out what he’d done.”
“Why do the blackmailers want me?” I frowned in thought. “Come to think about it, why do you want me? Like I told you, I didn’t know there was a message in the static so I didn’t memorize anything. And even if I did, I’m not an answering machine. Do you expect me to recreate it?”
I began making rough hissing and buzzing noises, and Evan laughed. “Honestly, I think that message is lost for good. But our grandma doesn’t want anyone else to mess with you.”
“What do you mean?”
“So far, we haven’t figured out how to get a message out of memory, but that hasn’t stopped other groups from experimenting. They’re all trying to one-up our discoveries, and some aren’t afraid to use harsh techniques.”
“Has this happened before? The device glitching and calling random people?”
“No, but we’ve lost a few recordings when tech problems happen, so we’ve tried inducing mental memories of them, but it’s near impossible to recreate the static and all its nuances. So, we agreed that a message lost isn’t a big deal.”
“Okay, so, why do these guys want me if it isn’t a big deal?”
“Mostly because a living leader has been heard chattering recently. He said he was assassinated, and we’re hoping to catch him saying how and when, which is why everyone was looking forward to this next recording. And now we’re going to miss out on a lot of chatter while we fix the device.”
I sat up, enthralled. “Who is it?”
He told me the name, and I gasped. “Really?”
“Yes.”
“Will you try to stop the assassination?” I frowned. “No, wait. His spirit is already there, so he’s already dead. What happens if you stop it?”
“We’ve learned that whatever we do is part of the way it happens. If we try to stop the assassination, we’ll fail, or we might even inadvertently cause it.”
“Oh.”
“Yea, so we don’t bother anymore. But the information is still valuable. And since we share everything in an online forum, other groups know about this, and the guys after you seem pretty desperate. They might try anything to get the information out of you.”
“They might even torture you,” Craig said.
“Shut up!” Evan said. “Don’t worry, Dez, we won’t let them.”
I didn’t dry-heave at Craig’s remark as it sent a shiver down my spine. “Why can’t you post on the forum that the recording was lost? Or even make up something like it was about refugees or taxes?”
“Our grandma doesn’t want us to ‘mar our integrity ‘. It’s why she sent me to pick you up. We’ll keep you safe until we find out how to announce this.”
“What about my parents?” I asked, worried.
“Where are they now?”
I tapped my phone so it could tell me the time, and I realized I had twenty-seven missed calls from my moms. “Oh no, they’ve been trying to reach me.” My heart clenched. “I’m calling them, oh I hope nothing happened to them!”
“Wherever they are, we can send someone to pick them up.”
I nodded, tense as I dialed my mum.
“Desiree!” she answered. “Where are you!”
Her voice was a heartbreaking mix of furious, terrified, and relieved, but I was just happy to hear her voice. “Mum! Are you and mom safe?”
“Yes! Are you? Why haven’t you been answering! We called Ashley and she told us she didn’t pick you up!”
“I know, I lied. I just wanted you to enjoy your date so I could enjoy some alone time. But then I got a call that wasn’t meant for me and people are after me now.”
“What!”
“Don’t worry! Evan warned me just in time and he’s taking me to a safe place at his grandma’s, and they’re sending people to take you and mom there too.”
“Who? Evan? His grandma? Who are they? What’s going on? Desiree!”
“Mum, don’t panic, it’ll be okay. Just get ready to go with … hang on. Hey, Evan, who’s picking them up?”
“I just texted my grandma,” he replied. “She’s sending my aunt and niece, Deborah and Lydia. They’ll be there in half an hour.”
“Did you hear that, mum?”
“I don’t understand, how did this happen?” she asked, crying.
“Mum, please don’t worry.” I blinked back tears. “It’ll be okay. I’m fine, I’m safe. Just get ready to meet Deborah and Lydia and I’ll meet you at the grandma’s and tell you everything. I love you.”
“We love you too. Oh, my heart, please be safe, baby.”
“You too, mum.” We hung up, and I sniffled. “Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it,” Evan said. “We can— … oh shit.”
I tensed up. “What is it?”
“I think we’re being followed.”
Craig scoffed. “You’re paranoid.”
“That car’s been behind us on the highway the entire time and it just took the same exit.”
“Wow, I didn’t know no one else was allowed to exit here.”
“Take a few random turns and see what it does.”
Craig scoffed again, but I felt the car turn and Evan didn’t complain, so he must’ve agreed. Gulping, I crossed my fingers, hoping Evan was wrong, but by the next turn his words quashed my hope.
“I told you. Lose them.”
“Damn it, how’d they find us?” Craig said.
“Because you chose the world’s most eye-catching convertible to pick us up in.”
I gripped the edge of the seat as Craig accelerated, and I gasped as the car lurched forward.
“Hey!” Craig yelled. “This is a classic, you braindead barbarians!”
“Dez, buckle up,” Evan said.
My panicking hands swept across the leather. “I can’t find it!”
“Because there aren’t any,” Craig said, making the car take a sharp left.
I skidded across the seat, crashing into the door as I held my bag tight. A car engine rumbled beside me, and I screamed as a hand grabbed my sleeve. I scratched at it and pulled away, and I gasped as metal crunched and the car skidded sideways, nearly tossing me out.
A terrifying whizzing sound followed a sharp crack, and my rabid heart hammered as I ducked. “They’re shooting at us!”
“Craig, lose them!” Evan yelled, his tense voice now closer to me.
“What do you think I’m doing!” Craig yelled as the car careened around a corner.
I fell to my side on the seat, and I flinched as I felt warmth above me. “Stay down,” Evan said, his tense breath puffing against my neck.
The car jolted upwards, and I bounced, crashing into Evan before falling back on the seat. Freaking out, I felt around until I found his arm and I held it tight, my thumb pressing the rough scar above his wrist. I wanted to ask him about it when I felt it at the concert. Now I probably never would.
“I bet they wanted to follow us to our headquarters!” Craig said. “We should’ve let them and had security deal with it!”
“Are you blaming me for this!” Evan yelled.
“Yes! Screw this. I’m calling the cops. It’s what you two should’ve done the moment they began following you instead of hiding in a concer—”
I screamed as the car lurched and gravity seemed to disappear. Airborne, I flailed my aimless limbs, the crunch of metal and shattering of glass filling the darkness. A brittle cushion broke my fall, and I lay there, stunned, my heart stuttering as I tried to reorient myself. With adrenaline pumping, I scrambled up, realizing I’d landed in a bush as my clothes and hair snagged on the branches.
“Evan!” I cried out, waving my arms in front of me. “Evan!”
The smell of gasoline hung in the air, and leaves crunched beneath my feet as I took anxious steps forward. I could hear rushing water, startled birds, and my hammering pulse, but no humans. I was hurt and lost, and I’d never felt more afraid in my life. Every last shred of thrill had vanished. I no longer wanted to be the main character in this cursed adventure.
Part 1 - Part 2
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