Episode 37

Episode 37

Hoping Thea was sleeping off some of the high, we both agreed it was best to park up by Lark's room and leave her to... do whatever she needed to do. Hopefully, get that crap outta her system. To our surprise, both Gran and Thea were sitting at the table, sipping some tea as we walked in. Granny smiled warmly and gestured for us to sit on the beds. I noticed Thea shivered when we passed her but never looked up from her mug. The fresh scent of toasted almonds and cinnamon swirled in with the fresh autumn air we brought inside and invaded my senses. My nose sucked in a deep breath gladly, and my eyes fell shut as I plopped down on the bed. Just seeing her made my mind wander through all the possible ways she was pleasing herself while we were gone. The smell didn't help any.

Mmmm.

"Didn't expect you to be awake so soon, Thea. You were up late last night... or early this morning? However, you want to look at it." He chuckled silently to himself. I peeked through slits to find Lark wearing that overly confident smile on his face as he spoke. Thea mumbled something inaudible in response. A long sigh from her soon followed. Her demeanor had shifted into unknown territory. It was palpable.

Granny cleared her throat, "If you could afford me your attention." She said as she tapped her cane on the bottom of my shoe. I opened my eyes reluctantly and sat up. Gran waited before continuing, "Miss Thea has filled me in on your late-night escapades, her unfortunate condition, and our new pursuers." She paused as she went around giving us each a good look over. She gave that knowing look she gets when she's put pieces together with minimal information. "I had hoped to have more time to rest, but it is time to get goin'. Now that you both are back, y'all better get your rears packin'." I groaned, and she quickly shushed me. "Child, please. Imma need you to get it together. You and I will be doing the driving today."

"What?!" I heard Lark's voice meld with mine as we both spoke simultaneously. My eyes widened, and slowly, a sick feeling crept into my stomach.

Me drive? I don't drive.

Even though I'd slept some and felt decently rested, it suddenly seemed like it wasn't nearly enough. I'm not behind the wheel enough to be confident traveling outside the safe zone. Roads get rough, and help is always between far and near non-existent.

"Hold up. You? Gran, I don't even know when you last drove. Ryn? She doesn't drive ever. Ever." Lark had set to plead his case before I had time to get another word in, and I wondered if he'd poked his nose in my head again. He didn't fight this battle for me, though. There was a bit of panic in his voice. Anyone who knew Lark well knew that Jeep was his baby.

"Well, I'm not going anywhere with you behind the wheel in this state, son! She's got her license. She's competent. As am I! I'm not sure what you're fussing about, really... the roads were gonna be traveling? There's hardly any traffic these days." She turned to me to reiterate, "You, my dear, are completely capable and probably the most rested of the four of us." She winked and nodded toward me. I knew then that trying to argue with Granny would be pointless. When she was set on something, she was dead set. That simple smirk and wink said it all. She wasn't backing down.

As much as I didn't like it, she was right. Lark's slightly purple bags under his eyes had bags of their own now. It would be stupid to let him drive any kind of length. No one seem to notice that I'd gotten up and headed toward the exit. I could still hear the two bickering as I shut the door behind me. It was pointless for me to be present. Lark and Gran are both as stubborn as can be. That conversation might've continued for a while, and time isn't on our side. I never understood why he didn't know when to throw in the towel with her. Honestly, I think he does, but he just likes testing her patience.

Thea's footsteps fell in time with mine beside me. Oddly, I could feel her presence long before she caught up to me. Each of her steps was eerily quiet. Much quieter than should be possible at the speed of this gate. Her verbal silence matched her step, and I appreciated it. Driving was not a strong suit of mine, and it's been over a year since I last drove. I couldn't help but be nervous, even with an enormous distraction right next to me. I went to the classes, practiced, took the test, passed, and that was it. There were already so many vehicles on the roads, and Collingwood was small. It didn't make much sense when I had Lark or could walk to where I wanted. My heart started to pick up its pace. I could hear its pounding beat in my ears. My body was so far into panic mode and well switched onto autopilot that I realized we'd already made it to the room. I went straight to brushing my teeth and packing as I went. It wasn't very effective, but my brain wasn't accepting only one task to complete at a time.

I was startled out of my thoughts by Thea clearing her throat. "Ryn?" I didn't notice she'd said my name a few times beforehand, so the sudden crescendo of her voice caused me to ram my knee into the dresser drawer. She neglected to take note of this, other than me being more mentally present. This was made apparent as she continued talking like nothing happened, "You being swift is extremely wise. While your elder's protections are fairly strong, they will not hold for much longer."

"Woohoo!" I cut her off as she began to say something else. My patience was wearing thin, and I was getting more and more irritated the longer people stood around waiting for something to happen. "Wow, Thea! I can sense and understand when a conversation is going nowhere. I know how to remain productive, and to keep the ball rolling. Whoopty freaking do!"

Her brows scrunched, and she cocked her head at me in confusion. I turned away, but she grabbed my arm and gently tugged it to get me to look at her, "Make it small if you wish. Turn it into something microscopic if that's what you wish, but do not patronize yourself and belittle your intelligence. Knowing when and when not to move or fight is basic strategizing. The ability to do so is not something all are equipped with or have the capacity to learn."

I pulled my arm from her grip, "Some ability. I can use my brain? Thanks, Thea." I shook my head and turned back away from her. Her touch always lingered on my skin. It was starting to unnerve me. I could feel her gray-blue eyes on my back. "Do me a favor? Stop touching me. And seeing as we're both smart enough to be aware that moving our asses is the right action, how about you be helpful instead?

Do

something."

Besides standing there like a gorgeous work of art.

My heart, at this point, was beating so loudly in my ears that I could hardly hear my own voice when I spoke. It bounced violently into my ribcage. I went to continue what I was doing but suddenly felt very dizzy. This quickly turned to nausea. I needed to sit down.

You're weak.

My body stiffened. I leaned against the wall for momentary support, and with my eyes closed, I could feel Thea's presence draw closer. "I can help it, you know? To feel better..." She said softly as she placed her hand on my shoulder. I didn't flinch or tense at her touch, and for some reason, I was getting mad at myself for it. Angry for letting her in and so close to me. The anger didn't last. Warmth slowly spread from her hand into my body, and it was effortlessly dissolved.

"I don't need any more gifts. Thank you. Please get away from me." My voice came out short and cold. Sharper than I intended it to be. She removed her hand, but her warmth remained.

Though further away, she still spoke quietly. Somehow, her delicate voice had made her sound so small when it came out, "I apologize." No more words followed. The beating in my ears began to quiet, and my heart calmed. I opened my eyes as she stepped further away. She nodded to me and smiled slightly. The storm of panic had been muffled, and along with it, my lingering irritation left. I watched her for a moment as she turned away and began packing the tiny bit of belongings she had accumulated. Soon, I followed her lead. Once again, I found the thought reentering my brain:

She's not at all what I imagined an Ancient would be.

After only a minute or so of instruction from Lark before we took off, driving returned fairly quickly. Even with Lark on one thousand percent, I remembered to turn on the air purifier before we left the barrier

and

all my signaling without being told first. Daddy would be proud. He was the one who taught me how to do it in the first place. We were close, me and him. Thinking about him made me want to sink back into that 'what if' pit of doom. It didn't help that my mind kept fitting him into the past tense. It hurt every time, and a stinging sensation in my heart would remain. Making it back to them was my drive and fight. I needed to hold onto the hope that we'd all be back together again one day.

Though I was incredibly nervous, Gran was right. There weren't many other cars on the road at all. It was festival season, though. Almost everyone who traveled to participate probably stayed there and would stay for at least a week or two. I had thought about coming quite a few times once I turned eighteen, just to check it out. No one likes a sexual tourist, though, browsing and shopping among crowded streets of people. Maybe it was my growing senses, but the absence of life in the nearby vicinity was noticeable after being in Redding.

Soon, I remembered the real reason I hated driving. The Jeep rattled and bounced over every bump and pothole, making the steering wheel feel like it was fighting me every step of the way. Gran had been insistent, though, and there was no arguing with her--not when she gave me that look. It made you feel two inches tall no matter how old you were.

Still, I would've preferred her sharp commands to the silence I was stuck with now. Thea sat beside me, quiet and composed as always, her presence as heavy as a storm cloud. I could feel her watching me, even though I kept my eyes glued to the road. My grip on the wheel tightened until my knuckles turned white.

"You know," she said finally, her voice soft but carrying just enough weight to make me flinch, "you drive like someone trying to outrun something."

The words hit harder than they should've, but I kept my face blank. "Maybe I am," I muttered.

Her head tilted slightly, and I could feel her curiosity, sharp and probing. "And what would that be?"

My heart gave a traitorous flutter, and I bit the inside of my cheek to steady myself. The answer came too easily:

You.

But I shoved it down. No way I was going there. Instead, I forced out a sharper reply. "Could be the things chasing us. Could be you."

To my irritation, she chuckled--low, quiet, and far too amused. "Me? Am I that terrifying?"

"No." The word came out too fast, too defensive. I scowled, trying to cover the stumble. "Infuriating? Definitely."

I could feel her shift, leaning closer, her presence brushing against me like a breath on the back of my neck. "Infuriating how?" she asked, her tone light but curious, like she already knew the answer and was just toying with me.

The Jeep jolted over a particularly nasty bump, and her hand shot out to steady herself, brushing against my arm. It was brief, just a flicker of contact, but it sent a jolt through me that I couldn't ignore. My stomach twisted, and I tightened my grip on the wheel, refusing to look at her.

"You don't like me much, do you?" she asked after a moment, her voice low but calm, as though the answer didn't matter to her at all. But I could feel her watching me, waiting.

"I don't trust you," I said finally, keeping my tone flat. "There's a difference."

"Ah," she said softly, dragging the word out like it was something she could taste. "Trust. Such a fragile thing for your kind."

Her calm tone, her casual words--they grated against my nerves. "You think you know so much about us, don't you?" I snapped. "But you're wrong."

Thea fell silent for a moment, but I didn't take the bait. I kept my eyes on the road, the wheel steady in my hands. When she finally spoke again, her voice was quieter, softer. "Am I? Then enlighten me."

I swallowed hard, my chest tightening. For a second, I thought about telling her. About spilling the mess of feelings I'd been holding back. The anger, the fear, the confusing pull toward her that I couldn't seem to shake. But what would be the point? Thea didn't live in the same world as the rest of us. She wouldn't understand.

"Forget it," I said finally, forcing my voice into something steady. "It doesn't matter."

Her silence stretched on again, but it wasn't empty. I could feel the weight of her gaze, heavy and knowing, like she could see straight through me. "You're a puzzle, Raelynn," she said softly. "I'm not sure if I want to solve you or leave you incomplete."

My breath hitched before I could stop it, and I clenched the wheel even tighter. My heart was pounding now, and it had nothing to do with the Jeep's bumpy ride. I glanced at her briefly, just long enough to catch the faintest hint of a smile tugging at her lips, and I hated the way it made something twist in my chest.

"Maybe you should focus on leaving me alone," I muttered, turning back to the road.

Her laugh was quiet, almost teasing. "If only you were so simple."

I bit my cheek harder, focusing on the road like my life depended on it. She didn't say anything else after that, but the silence wasn't comforting. It wasn't empty. It was filled with her, with everything she was and everything I didn't want to think about.

And I hated that a part of me didn't want it to stop.

Regardless, I drove on and pretended to admire the lush green forests along the way. Oak, sycamore, cottonwood, cedar, and buckeye all blended into a genuinely picturesque collection of nature. These seas of trees were all around Redding. A cozy quietness fell over us as I got further lost in them, and I was soon comforted by Lark's soft snoring. I peeked in the mirror to confirm they were both sleeping peacefully. Not that Gran absolutely needed the rest. But Lark? That man was dead on his feet, literally fighting to operate a motor vehicle, and he was the first one to konk out. I rolled my eyes internally at the thought before returning to sightseeing out the windows. Gradually, the seemingly endless forests began to thin, and hills could be seen in the distance. I watched mindlessly as the miles rolled by and the forests disappeared into those hills of tall grass speckled with a few trees. Some of them were completely loaded with wildflowers.

Thea, who had been slowly nodding off to join Gran and Lark in sleep, suddenly became very aware of her surroundings. Now sitting fully upright in her chair, I watched in my peripheral as she, too, started scanning the surrounding scenery. The tall grass had started getting gradually shorter the further we ventured. It was then I noticed it had been a while since I saw another car on the road. Wildlife was almost absent, and thick clouds littered the sky in the distance. The wildflowers quickly became scarce and then absent altogether. Now, not even birds sat on the looming light poles above or guard rails as we drove past.

The change became more drastic the longer we traveled. The grass that covered the landscape around us transitioned into withered patches, and roughly twenty or so more miles out, it was gone entirely. Trees in the distance were thinning until they were completely missing from view. The thick clouds, now much darker, threatened to touch the Earth on the horizon. The sun poked through in a haze. All was replaced by this barren wasteland.

Thea let out a quiet gasp, and I couldn't blame her. Imagining what it looked like the last time she was here was almost impossible. I liked to think that everywhere used to look like Redding and the other protected areas. From that to this? I don't know, but I know that this was worse than what had always been described to me growing up. Not even the photos in the textbooks could paint this picture. To be fair, though, few people ventured far from the protected areas. If they did, it wasn't for long.

At this point, I could feel a shift in Thea. Rage started building in her and then spread throughout the Jeep. There was something else underlying that anger, but what it was, I couldn't pick up on it. I tried my best not to let it come and take me over. Her power was overwhelming and just too strong for me to attempt to block for very long.