The Hunting (33 page)

‘Stay safe,’ she called out in case it was still nearby. She buttoned up her coat again, just slightly regretting that she’d only had a pencil to capture the scene; the golden light had been so beautiful and the fur so luminous.

She bent down to pick up the basket and saw the snow was settling fast. She liked snow. At least the first fall. Not if it lingered for weeks and grew ugly, but the first day of a snowfall she loved the total transformation of everything.

She hefted the heavy basket, heaving it up on to her shoulder, the way Marshall had taught her to carry it. She imagined herself as an old-fashioned Christmas card. The peasant women bringing home the firewood in the deep snow in winter. It put a happy smile on her face.

That’s when she saw the blood. A body lying impaled on a sharp tree stump. She stood absolutely still and blinked. It looked a lot like Cary. She inhaled sharply, took a step towards him and it was gone. She blinked again, breathing heavily, her heart thumping loudly in her chest. There was nothing. Just the forest. No blood. Nothing. Just silent snow falling on cedar. A vision. She carried on walking. She’d had no visions since she had arrived. She didn’t know whether to be scared or relieved that her gift hadn’t completely abandoned her. Nevertheless – why now? Why had it returned now? Her heart began to beat nervously.

She emerged from the forest on to the narrow path that ran behind the small settlement – remnants of a holiday resort that had long ago gone broke in the sixties. Her boots were crunching crisp fresh snow underfoot. It was settling well – this snow was here to stay. She was thinking that everyone would be real pleased to see the fire tonight.

She frowned as she considered the bloody vision. The body impaled on a tree stump. A warning, clearly. She’d have to ask Cary what he was doing. He’d been so secretive of late. Ever since he’d joined the science club. Their tutor, Mr Briskin, looked like a spy. He walked on his toes and seemed suspicious of everything. He’d be a joke if he weren’t so revered by the science geeks, who sang his praises all the time. He’d had no time for Genie at all. She was ‘scientifically illiterate’ apparently. She didn’t care.

If what Cary was doing was dangerous, she had to stop him. He would have to listen. He knew her gifts. Surely he would listen.

She heard a dog bark in someone’s backyard and the hairs on her neck rose just a little. It sounded so like Moucher and tugged at her heart. She looked back – had a bad feeling now. Something was about to happen. She needed to be inside.

Her cabin fence was just fifty metres ahead now. There was nothing to fear. Just spooked herself with the vision, that’s all.

Renée was suddenly standing at the gate looking for her – no coat. She seemed to be anxious, waiting for her. She was staring up at the snow in wonder.

‘Hi. You’re home early. I haven’t got the fire going yet,’ Genie called out.

Renée looked pale, definitely worried.

‘What? Something’s happened, hasn’t it?’

‘It’s Cary. He’s been hurt. He’s been taken to Nanaimo General.’

Genie set down the basket and Renée took the other side.

‘How? When?’

‘He was flying. Don’t ask me. A kid told me and said it was a secret. He was injured flying.’

‘Flying? And you believed that?’ It sounded preposterous, but then again, hadn’t she just seen him lying in a pool of blood?

‘Why would anyone make it up? He’s hurt, Genie. I tried calling the hospital but they wouldn’t tell me anything. They didn’t seem to have heard of him even. I know he went there.’

Genie lifted the basket with Renée and they carried it into the house together. She was thinking about her vision again. Cary impaled upon a tree.

‘Where was he hurt?’

‘Back of the school, in the woods. The kid said there was a lot of blood. Rian’s gone to find out more. Said we have to stay here. He’ll phone.’

Genie nodded. She set the basket down, nearly slipping as she was off balance. She felt annoyed with herself. That vision had come late. What use a vision that comes after the event? Absolutely pointless if you can’t warn someone.

‘I’m sorry, Renée. You must be really upset.’

Renée shrugged. ‘It’s not like before, y’know, but I’m worried for him, not knowing, right? You OK? You look pale.’

‘Help me make the fire, all right?’

Renée nodded. ‘You do look really spooked, though.’

‘Just cold, that’s all. Hadn’t realized how long I’d been out there. Flying, huh?’ Genie asked. ‘You didn’t know anything about it?’

Renée shrugged. ‘Well, he hasn’t grown wings. I think we might have noticed.’

Later with still no news from Rian, Genie sat by her log fire warming her toes. Renée had prepared something for supper, now slowly baking under the fire grate. They hadn’t really talked much about Cary at all, which Genie found strange. They still didn’t know anything and she knew Renée cared for Cary, or at least used to. Cary, like Rian with herself, had neglected Renée for weeks, but … maybe she was just worried. Renée sometimes liked to share, sometimes liked to be quiet.

Genie took out her sketchbook and appraised her afternoon’s work. The wolf looked so real, so intense, and so curious. The background still needed filling in; however, she felt she’d captured it just right as it stared at her. It made her feel she had at least accomplished something with her day.

She wanted to send it to Marshall. He’d like it. She hated not being able to communicate with the one person she could trust. It was frustrating.

It was ridiculous to feel so alone when she had Rian lying beside her every night. It had been her dream for a whole year to be able to do just that. Now she was living with him. She had everything she wanted.

But.

There should be no buts
.

But – sometimes, quite often now, she wondered if he still loved her.

‘Your cell’s ringing,’ Genie called out to Renée.

‘I left it in the bathroom,’ she yelled, dashing out of the kitchen. ‘Are the potatoes ready?’ she called back.

Genie poked at the potatoes wrapped in tin foil under the fire grate with the veggie casserole. Another cost saving. They baked potatoes and just about anything they could under the fire grate now. That first utility bill had been painful and taken most of their money.

Renée came back with the phone and handed it to her. ‘For you.’

‘Another half-hour for the potatoes, I think,’ Genie said. ‘Ri?’

‘Chandra. Who’s Ri?’

‘Oh hi.’ Her buddy, her mentor, her pain in the butt.

‘You still don’t have your own phone?’ Chandra asked.

‘Just trying to save the environment one phone at a time, Chandra. You hear anything about … er … Chris?’ (She nearly said ‘Cary’ and bit on her lip; when was she going to remember their fake names?)

‘That the kid who got injured today?’

‘Yeah.’

‘No. I heard he flew right through the science-lab window.’

Genie’s eyebrows almost flipped. ‘Flew through a window?’

‘Principal is mad as hell. It’s Governor’s Day next month and that stupid window is like an antique or something.’

‘It is? Uh – what exactly is Governor’s Day?’

‘Oh yeah, you don’t know. Well, every year they invite the school governor into the school to give prizes and scholarships for university and stuff. I’m giving a speech. Dad said I have to make sure they notice me.’

Genie had already noted that Chandra did everything her father told her to do.

‘What’s the speech about?’

‘The importance of observation.’

‘Huh?’

‘In science.’

‘Oh yeah, science.’

‘So, like, who was the most important – I mean, the most famous person who used observation? I just don’t know who to—’

‘Chandra, you’re not thinking. Darwin. You can’t go wrong.’

Chandra squealed with delight. ‘Darwin, you’re right, you’re right, natural selection. Thank you, Rhiannon, thank you. You’re the best.’ She rang off.

It was at that precise moment that Genie realized that Chandra had no friends. If she was willing to call
her
for advice, she couldn’t have any friends at all.

‘What?’ Renée asked.

‘Cary flew out of a window. The science-lab window.’

Renée stared at her with astonishment. ‘Ouch. That was stained glass, right?’ Genie nodded. ‘Not any more.’

Renée felt dizzy. Cary was not going to be OK. She’d almost dismissed this flying story as nonsense, but it was now looking true.

‘What was he working on, Renée? Is it such a secret?’

‘He didn’t want anyone to know. But he and the team were working on—’

The front door slammed open and Rian was standing there, covered from head to foot in snow.

‘Anti-gravity,’ Rian said, letting a flurry of snow in with him. ‘He was working on anti-gravity.’

R
ian sat opposite her in front of the log fire, his wet socks steaming as they hung from a peg from the mantelpiece. She looked at him, wishing she could read his thoughts. He’d had a haircut, really short now – all the basketball team had the same cut with a V cut into the back: their tag. She missed his messy blond hair, she missed almost everything about him now. Cobble Hill seemed to have changed him so much in such a short time. He’d grown so serious. She massaged his ice-cold feet; he’d walked miles from the highway to get back home – his ride wouldn’t risk driving on the snow-covered side road in case they got stuck.

They’d eaten in silence. He’d been too cold to say anything until he thawed out, and Renée had been upset that no one had thought to call her the moment Cary had the accident. She would like to have gone to the hospital too.

‘I don’t understand what happened, Ri, but I’m glad you went with him to the hospital. He must have been scared.’

Rian shrugged. ‘It was the teaching staff who were scared stiff – you just knew they were thinking about how much his father would be suing the academy for.’

Genie nodded. ‘He probably would, if he even knew Cary was alive.’

‘And that complicated things too,’ Rian explained. ‘They want to write to his parents. I don’t know what address they have. I think we said his parents were missionaries in Africa and couldn’t be reached, but I’m not sure. Denis handled that stuff. But they were relieved. It gives them time to think up a good story to give them.’

Genie frowned. ‘But what
is
that story, Ri?’

Renée came to join them, kneeling beside Genie and putting out her hands to warm them. It was cold in all the other rooms without heating. ‘Yeah, what is that story, Rian?’

Rian looked at her with surprise. ‘You’re his girlfriend – didn’t he tell you?’

Renée snorted. ‘I know you don’t pay much attention around here, but in case you haven’t noticed I sleep in my own room. Cary only used to come back to shower and he does that at school now. I haven’t seen him for over a week, at least. He was obsessed with winning the Governor’s Prize.’

Genie turned her head. ‘What is it with this Governor’s Day stuff? Why is everyone so worked up about it? I can’t believe how competitive this place is – it’s scary.’

Rian shrugged again, looking at her with an unfriendly gaze. ‘Maybe
you
should start taking things more seriously, Genie. It’s about scholarships, not prizes. Winning team gets a four-year scholarship to university – it’s worth thousands. Even the runners-up get a year paid.’ He looked at Genie directly. ‘I can’t believe you aren’t even in a team already. We’re at one of the best schools in B.C. It makes a difference – and you act like you don’t care.’

Genie poked at a log, watching a shower of sparks rise up the chimney.

‘We don’t need scholarships, do we? I thought we were just hiding out – playing safe. You said we mustn’t draw attention to ourselves. But – anti-gravity? You don’t think
that
will get someone’s attention?’

Rian pursed his lips. He didn’t like it when he had his own words quoted back at him.

‘Cary badly wanted a scholarship,’ Renée stated. ‘He wants a career in science. I thought he’d been superglued to the science lab. They’re all as obsessed as each other. I met them, all dysfunctional geeks who looked at me like I was an alien.’

‘You really think high-school kids can invent anti-gravity?’ Genie asked. ‘I mean – Cary’s smart but …’

Rian looked at her with a puzzled expression. ‘Cary’s probably a genius – so are the other kids. It’s not like Spurlake any more. We’re with the brightest kids in the country, Genie. If Cary says he did it, he did it.’

‘He did it?’ Renée queried. ‘You’re saying he did it?’

‘Two seconds. But it’s just a start.’

‘Wait? He spoke to you? When? I thought he was in a coma. You said a tree had punctured his chest and—’

Rian withdrew his feet from Genie and sat hunched over his knees. ‘He’s broken one arm and his left leg and he’s got serious puncture wounds from his chest down to his groin. You try falling from the top of a giant spruce and see what it feels like.’

It corresponded to her vision. Almost exactly. She’d seen where he’d fallen. So weird and so stupidly late, but then again how would she warn someone who no longer even talked to her.

‘He actually told you he’d done it?’ Genie asked.

‘In the ambulance – when they stabilized him. He said he was going to surprise everyone with the one thing every kid had ever wanted.’

‘What was that?’ Renée asked.

‘A hover board.’

Renée blinked, not understanding, but Genie got it – she laughed. ‘
Back to the Future Part Two
. Oh my God – a hover board? Anti-gravity. Now it makes sense.’

Rian nodded. ‘The team would make billions. Every kid in the world would want one.’

Renée couldn’t believe it. ‘Cary was obsessed by that film. I thought he wanted to invent a time-machine. It was the hover board he was interested in? What year was that supposed to be anyway?’

‘2015 – I saw all three films back to back when I was like ten and still can’t figure out how you run a car on old bananas,’ Genie said smiling. ‘But I
really
wanted a hover board.’

‘So you
did
know what he was working on,’ Rian pointed out to Renée. ‘You just didn’t ask the right questions.’