Harbinger (The Bleeding Worlds) (3 page)

“Go home.” A voice whispered.

The cashier remained buried in his magazine and oblivious to the store. Gwynn edged to the end of the aisle and peeked down one, then the other, but there was no sign of anyone else. In one of the security mirrors placed in a corner of the store, he caught sight of dark hair dashing just outside of view. He spun, again taking in the store. No matter what he heard, or thought he saw, he seemed alone with the clerk.

Gwynn took a deep breath, counted one, two, three, four, five, and let it out slow.
I am losing my mind
.

Before any phantom voices agreed, a roaring engine and thumping bass outside shattered the quiet. The sound even made the cashier bother to lift his head.

Outside, a black car pulled up—some type of sports car, though Gwynn had no idea what—having never been much interested. The door opened, and some person Gwynn recognized from school hopped out. Gwynn waited for the pointing and laughing, but it didn’t happen. Instead, his schoolmate turned and popped the front seat forward so someone could climb out of the back. Gwynn caught sight of blond curls and for the first time that day, his stomach settled. His heart beat harder than usual with a joyful rhythm.

“Go home now.” The phantom voice said in a growled whisper. He ignored it. It must be his nagging doubts and insecurities trying to hold him back. It sucked being alone. He didn’t want to feel separate and detached. He wanted grounding, to have something warm and meaningful to root him to the world. He wanted to be the one to make Sophia smile.

Sophia got out of the car, searching the area. Gwynn raised his hand in a shy wave. When she caught sight of him, she gave a wide grin and bounced into the store.

“Hey!”

“Hi Sophia.”

Her eyes got serious and her bottom lip pouted. “Sorry we’re late. Eric
had
to get gas. You haven’t been waiting long, have you?”

Gwynn deflated at hearing Haze’s name, but when she grabbed his hand, a surge of invulnerability struck through.

“Come on.” She said with a laugh. She nudged him out of the store to the waiting car.

The guy who had let her out still stood holding the front seat down. He gave Gwynn an obligatory “hey” as he came out of the store. Sophia gave Gwynn a shove into the back seat and then hopped into the seat next to him.

The “doorman” let the seat go and it sprung back with a thwump. He flopped in and pulled the door shut behind him.

From the front, Eric turned around with his hyena grin. Gwynn never liked seeing Haze smile. Not a hyena tonight, more like a shark admiring his dinner.

“Hey Gwynn.” He drawled, having to shout over the blasting volume of the music. Gwynn couldn’t even make out the song; the pounding bass obliterated all sense of melody. “Hope you’re ready. We’re going to have an awesome night.”

The sound of screeching rubber accompanied the car peeling away. With Eric’s driving, the night could be dangerous.

Sophia thrashed in her seat to the beat of the music. She laughed wild and high. “Isn’t this great? I
love
this song!”

She seemed out of character, as if she forced a happy face on.

Nerves?
Gwynn wondered. No. Sophia nervous of being around a loser like him? Maybe
that
was the issue. Maybe she regretted asking him out and worried about what her friends thought. Cold doubt strummed his heart with its icy touch. Maybe this had been a mistake.

Gwynn took a deep breath, and counted before releasing. Some random therapist in the past had taught him about breathing and counting. While he generally regarded therapy as useless quackery, he’d found use for the breathing techniques. It quieted his mind and helped bring things into focus.

The car made an abrupt illegal U–turn and banked to the left, heading west on Williams.

“So where are we going?” Gwynn asked more to Sophia, but loud enough that he might get a response from anyone.

Sophia continued to thrash away to the pounding bass. Eric yelled from the front seat, “Big surprise, Gwynn. We’re meeting with some more people at the coffee shop on Kennedy and then everyone’s following us to our, uh, final destination.” Eric raised a hand, which his buddy high–fived with a laugh.

“So am I the only one who has no idea where we’re going?” Gwynn started thinking exit strategies.

“Nah. Me and Mike are the only two who know. That’s why we’re meeting up with everyone else, so they can follow. Even Sophia doesn’t know what we’re up to.”

Gwynn found that hard to believe. Sophia never struck him as being the type to relinquish so much control. “Really?”

She smiled and shook her head. “Not a clue. They’ve been keeping it to themselves for weeks.”

“So why didn’t I just meet you guys at Kennedy with everyone else?”

“I knew the 7/11 was closer to your house. We had to drive this way, so I thought it would be easier.” Sophia said.

A hazardous right turn and they were heading north on Kennedy toward some no name coffee shop that managed to survive the chains through the generous support of cheap students who enjoyed paying half the price for coffee and doughnuts. It also helped that they had a huge parking lot and never attempted to clear the dozens of kids that hung out there.

Eric wrenched the car into the lot, causing a half dozen of his classmates to scatter for safety. A who’s who of the popular kids from North Field High had congregated. At least two–thirds of the football team, almost as much of the cheerleading squad, and some mix of the basketball team were present. Even their championship volleyball team was there. In all, there had to be thirty or more kids hanging out in the parking lot. This wasn’t Gwynn’s crowd. In truth, he didn’t have a crowd. It made him wonder how many levels of hell he’d see on this date with Sophia.

The car stopped and Eric turned it off. The sudden silence seemed odd and out of place. Haze jumped out and his friend Mike stopped just long enough to pop the seat forward to allow Gwynn and Sophia to clamber out. Gwynn expected Sophia to dash off and start talking with the other groups of girls. Instead, she turned, her face apologetic.

“I’m sorry I dragged you into this. We should’ve gone to see a good horror movie instead.”

“It’s okay.” Gwynn inspected the gathering of people with trepidation. Did any of them know him? He knew all of them by reputation. His mind started working and he couldn’t resist the question it kept asking. “Why
did
you ask me to come along?”

If the question surprised her, she didn’t show it. She gave the asphalt an absent–minded kick. “Honestly?”

“Yes. Please.”

“I hate it when all these people get together. There’s never enough room for everyone and their egos. You’ve always struck me as being kinda cool. You seem like you don’t need to get involved in all the games of who’s popular, who’s got the best car or clothes or make–up.”

“Yeah well, I’m sure I could use some make–up, but my skin’s too sensitive.”

Sophia laughed. Music to Gwynn.

“See what I mean. You’re just… You. You don’t need to play all the games these people do. I just wanted someone…real. Guess it was kinda selfish. Sorry if you’re having a miserable time.” Her eyes locked on his, filled with a desperate hope that he was not as miserable as she suspected.

“It’s fine. If we survive tonight, we’ll do a movie next time, okay?”

“What do you mean survive tonight?” She sounded panicked.

Gwynn laughed. “Seriously? Haven’t you been paying attention to Eric’s driving?”

Sophia laughed, though it sounded nervous and relieved, as though she had avoided an untouchable subject.

Eric approached with Mike. The two of them were slapping each other on the back, their smiles full of conspiracy.

“Okay.” Eric said, “We’re good to go. Sophia, Gwynn, back in the car. We’re on our way to the night’s main event.”

The assembled masses made for their cars. He gave Sophia a small shrug and opened the door for her with a slight bow. “After you Milady.”

She gave him a smile and dropped into her seat.

When all four were in the car, Eric headed out. This time, he kept to the limit, allowing the vehicles behind to keep pace. They headed north on Kennedy, heading toward the city outskirts. The subdivisions passed, their streets emptying of sugar giddy trick–or–treaters. It was almost eight. By now, Gwynn figured the ones left in the streets would be the kids that were too old to be seeking candy.

Mayfield road formed a near magical boundary. On the South side, the suburbs with their houses and convenience stores surged like a wave right to the lakeshore. On the North side, farmland and wooded areas stretched out. If they continued driving north, they would not hit another city for about twenty–five minutes. In time, supposed “progress” would storm the boundaries and tear them down. Green fields and tall ancient trees would fall to bulldozers and be buried beneath concrete.

They drove for another five minutes then turned east on a small side road that Gwynn didn’t catch the name of. There were no streetlights, but the near–full moon washed the open lane way in ashen white light.

Sophia shifted in her seat. Her eyes darted about and she gave her nails a nervous chewing. Eric and Mike were talking up front, so Gwynn moved a little closer to Sophia and kept his voice hushed.

“What’s wrong?”

Fear filled her eyes. “We’re getting close.”

“Where?”

Sophia, wide eyed, just shook her head and drew her legs up against herself.

“’Kay.
We’re here.” Eric bellowed from the front seat.

Gwynn peered out the window. They were in front of an old house. Though the windows and doors appeared intact, the oppressive darkness and stark loneliness spoke of abandonment. The old Cameron house. Gwynn had never seen it, but like every kid in town, he’d heard the stories. Urban legends always take on a life of their own. They always happen to a friend of a friend, or distant relative. Unlike
those
far–flung stories, the Cameron house sat right outside of town. Just a short drive away. A Bogeyman house, haunted by the angriest of spirits. The most recent story said that a group of kids went in ten years ago, and one came out. The boy’s hair had turned white and he never spoke of what happened up to the day they found him dead of an overdose. The note he left behind said, “I’m sorry. Destroy the house.” The house seemed to swallow every life associated with it. Who even owned it now? Whoever it was, they had fixed the windows and doors and started to renovate inside. Something must have scared them off because now the property stood waiting for the day a Wal–Mart or grocery store would consume it. Until then, the house stood as the ultimate dare. As Gwynn understood it, no one dared had lasted more than five minutes, but also no one had disappeared or been hurt. It surprised him that the windows were intact and the house free of graffiti. But he could see the reverence his classmates had about the place. No one would think of desecrating this building of myth.

Sophia brushed against him. She trembled. Though he had no idea why they were here, and had little fear of the house, his stomach still tied itself into a nauseas knot. Something tugged at him, drawing him toward the cold stare of the house. He took one step closer and the pull increased. His right arm throbbed like he’d pulled a muscle. His forward step made it worse.

“What the hell?” Gwynn wondered aloud.

“I don’t want to think about it.” Sophia groaned.

He leaned close to her, his question insistent. “What’s wrong?”

“I’ve had nightmares about this place. Now that I'm actually here, I'm just… Scared. .”

“Do you want to leave?”

Her eyes made it clear she did, but she shook her head. “No… I need to be here.”

“It’s not a big deal. We’ll ask someone else for a ride. I’m sure there’s other people who wouldn’t mind getting out of here.”

“But…”

“Look, blame it on me. You’re right; I don’t care what anyone thinks. Let them call me a coward. I don’t care.”

She placed her hand gently against his chest—the spot feeling just that bit warmer. “You’re sweet. But I can’t. Whatever happens here, I need to see it through to the end.”

Gwynn meant to say more to convince her. Something in the house reached out to him, whispering a louder call every second. But Eric came tromping toward them first.

“Come on. Awesome, right? Where better to come on Halloween?”

He took a deep breath. “Sure Eric, but what are we doing here?”

“We’re going to have a séance on the front lawn. Mike’s got a Ouija board and a bunch of other shit in the trunk of the car.”

Gwynn went to say Sophia had nothing to worry about; they would be staying outside with thirty or so people. Before he got the chance, Eric bellowed to the group.

“’Kay, before we get started with the main event, nobody comes to Cameron house without being issued The Challenge. So! Who’s got the balls to go inside?”

Eric turned his gaze on Gwynn, and he understood why Eric had dragged them out here and why so many people were present. The “big surprise” would be public humiliation. The back of his throat burned and he clenched his fists. He expected this from Eric, but Sophia acting as accomplice blindsided him.

He would answer Eric’s challenge, even if death waited for him inside.

Before he could, Sophia stepped in front of him and said in a shaky, yet firm, voice, “I’ll do it.”

Shock and unbridled anger filled Eric’s eyes.

Gwynn reached out and put his hand on Sophia’s shoulder. “You don’t have to do this.”

“Shut up.” Her voice sounded ragged and full of tears. “I told you I had to see this through to the end.”

She stormed up the lawn toward the house. She made a show of almost barreling Eric over as she went. When she reached the front door, her hand hesitated. Gwynn started moving after her. A dull ache had begun to accompany the throbbing in his arm and the tugging at his insides proved impossible to ignore. If he moved forward too fast, no question he would throw up. Sophia’s hand shook as she made a hesitant reach for the doorknob. Gwynn wanted to call out to her, but his throat went dry and stole his voice. He bit hard on his cheeks and tongue, trying to get any moisture possible. No one else made a move. No one else spoke. They all just gawked. Gwynn made silent pleas for them to call her back, for someone to tell Eric to end this stupid prank. Instead, nothing. They were thankful someone else had stepped forward. Some seemed confused. A few glanced to Gwynn and then up at Sophia, who still stood at the door. They had come to see
him
humiliated. The easy target. He belonged to no groups—no one would stand beside him. There would be no reprisals. Everyone could tell the tale and have a good laugh at his expense without worrying about consequences. He didn’t fit in, but he didn’t know it made him so disposable.