Farsighted (Farsighted Series) (27 page)

But what if I’m like you? What if I never get better? What if you die?
I want to argue, but there’s no point.

***

Dad calls again the next day to see if I have anything new to offer. He calls the day after that, too, but I quit picking up. I refuse to talk until I’ve got an answer other than “nope.”

“Maybe the risk has passed. Some other version of the future has won out,” Miss Teak offers, trying to make me feel better, but even she doesn’t believe it.

“Do you think more time will help you to find this guy? His name is Dax, right?” Shapri asks one day in chem class. This is the first time she’s ever brought the topic up voluntarily.

“More time would be good, but that’s impossible,” I answer with exasperation.

“Not necessarily. You just need to come at this from a different angle. Come with me to my locker after class,” she whispers, stopping as Dr. Brown arrives in front of our worktable, our cue to be quiet and pay attention.

When the bell rings, I follow Shapri to her locker. Simmi comes with us, too.

“Here,” Shapri says, placing an extra-long pop can in my hand.

“Monster?” Simmi takes the can from my hand and sniffs it. “How can this
possibly
be a good thing?”

“It’s a new pop flavor with a little more caffeine than usual,” Shapri says as Simmi returns the can to my hand. “I think Alex will like it.” She pinches my arm as if to confirm this miracle drink will do the impossible—give me more time. “I’ll bring more tomorrow. If you like it.”

I give the drink a try after our afternoon session at the Oracles’. The thing is disgusting, like cold syrup mixed with Sprite. I cough as it hits my tongue and spit it back out. Uck. Well, if I can handle Mom’s vanilla cardboard diet shake, I can handle this. Mustering up every ounce of determination, I plug my nose and chug.

The first thing I feel is sick to my stomach from drinking it way too fast. Soon, it’s replaced with the sensation of flying—flying while standing on the ground. My heart drums along at a new tempo. My mind races, and my feet want to join. Shapri’s right. If I can’t get more time, at least I can get more energy. Liquid energy. I’m definitely going to get more of this from her tomorrow.

Returning to my room, my hand reaches for my bracelet. Zoom, zoom, zoom—it spins, bringing visions with it faster than ever. Dax walking through an empty street. Dax climbing a fence. Dax breaking into a house. Dax running. Is this all one vision or lots of little ones? I can’t focus on a single thought long enough to decide.

“What are you still doing up?” Mom demands. I didn’t even notice her come in.

“Sorry,” I say, all the while twitching. Got to keep it together.

“Go to bed,” she says, shutting the door behind her.

“Kay. Kay. I’m going.”

Mom leaves, and I swallow a couple pills. Otherwise, I’d never fall to sleep. Takes longer than usual, but my brain shuts down at last, and I sleep. Except the nightmares are back.

***

Shapri brings four more cans of Monster to school for me the next day.

“Just don’t drink
too
much,” she warns.

I limit myself to two per day, and it’s enough to keep me up through the entire night. I don’t need to sleep at all, which means I don’t need to worry about night terrors. I’ve got unlimited amounts of time to figure all this Dax stuff out.

Simmi gave me the bracelet to enter a trance state—and I have the runes, too—but this drink is even better. Like spinach to Popeye. Yeah. It doesn’t clear my mind; rather, it makes my mind so busy, it can’t get distracted. Each thought comes and goes, nothing staying for long. The hard part is slowing down enough to pay attention whenever I have a vision. It takes me two nights, but I get there.

I sit on my computer chair and spin myself round and round looking for Dax. All of a sudden, he’s right before me. For the first time ever, I pick up his scent. Some kind of fancy cologne, almost like berries.
What’s he doing?
I ask myself, trying to force focus.

He’s searching for something
, I answer back. He’s going through papers and drawers. He seems stressed. Do I smell pizza? No. Just his cologne. Where is he? What other clues can I pick up?

“Who’s there?” Dax asks in alarm. That’s funny. I didn’t notice anyone else come in. Gotta focus.

“I know you’re there.” Wow, he must have super senses, because even I couldn’t pick up on anyone else being there.

“Alex,” Mom calls from the kitchen. I block her out so as not to break the vision. Monster makes it easy.

“Alex?” Dax repeats. I gasp, unable to believe what I just heard.

“Ah, Alex. That’s your name, is it?” Dax’s voice is like a spider web, pulling me in. I can’t escape. “One question for you, Alex. You think it’s okay to stalk people?”

I don’t answer him; I just jolt out of the vision as fast as possible.

Chapter 22

The traveler must connect with the land to achieve new physical and spiritual ground. Be warned, just as the land provides sustenance, it can also overtake us.

The telepathic conversation I had with Dax totally freaked me out. At first, I tried to explain it away as a hallucination created by the energy drink. Maybe my future self was present in the scene, and that’s who Dax was talking to. But the next time I enter a caffeine-induced trance, there he is again.

“Obsessed much?” Dax sneers. “If you keep following me like this, eventually I’m going to have to come find you. And I don’t think you’d like that very much.”

I take a risk and talk back, disguising my voice as I do. “I’m not following you. I’m lost. Could you tell me where I am?”

“Ha, nice try. You think I’m an imbecile?”

“No, of course not, sir,” I say politely in my false voice. “Please, might I trouble you for the date?”

Dax groans. “If I tell you, will you go away? It’s March twenty-second. Now leave me alone already.”

I end the vision. Today’s March twenty-second. Unless the vision takes place in a different year, which I really doubt since I’m able to talk to Dax, I think we’ve got enough to pinpoint him. Between Dad’s legwork in New York and my ability to spy on Dax at will, it’s only a matter of time until we get him. The time has come for me to fight my giant.

***

Dad is psyched about my latest ability. “Get Oleta to bring you to New York. I think we’ve got enough to find this kid and put an end to whatever he’s got planned. Er, or might plan, you know, in the future.”

I go through another day of school. A day that could very well be my last. It’s funny how normal it is. Brady comes up behind me in the cafeteria and musses up my hair aggressively, making some lame joke that his cronies find hilarious. My teachers drone on about the importance of history, math, and literature. Nobody has the slightest hint of what’s at stake—nobody except for Simmi and Shapri.

Afterward, I take the routine walk to Oracles’ with the girls. I let them yammer on about their days. I don’t want them knowing about my shiny new gift and the fast-approaching trip. I don’t want them to insist on tagging along and putting themselves in danger.

At the shop, I wait patiently as Simmi does her exercises, listen as Shapri complains—I do my thing with the runes even though I’ve mastered it, then leave early, saying I’m going to go help Mom at Sweet Blossoms. The girls both volunteer to assist, clinging to me like prickly burrs. Mom keeps them busy with setting flowers and sweeping floors, allowing me to escape back to Miss Teak’s.

I push the door open. A gust of wind enters behind me. A new incense stick is burning in the shop today—a combination of wood and cherries. Miss Teak is in the front of the shop, sorting through a stack of papers.

“The inner sanctum,” I command. “Close the door.”

She follows me into the privacy chamber without asking a single question. I begin to tell her about the latest developments and Dad’s instructions to meet him in New York, but she stops me.

“I’ve already been told. We’ll leave tomorrow morning,” she says, sounding like her old phony self again, probably trying to capitalize on the voodoo-strangeness of the situation.

***

Dad handles Mom over the phone, leaving me to pack for my journey but with no idea how long I’ll be gone. I grab a stack of clothes from my closet and shove them into my backpack. It has to be enough.

I wake up with my alarm the next morning and go through the motions of getting ready for school, even though I’m actually preparing for something much bigger. Unluckily for me, it’s Friday, which means if I make it out of this alive, I’ll only have gotten a free pass on a single day. The doorbell rings while I’m in the shower. Miss Teak, the horsewoman of my own personal apocalypse, has arrived. Mom lets her in. Their voices mix with the pitter-patter of the showerhead.

I get dressed as slowly as possible. Earlier this year, if somebody had told me I’d be going on a road trip with Miss Teak, I would’ve told them they’re nuts—maybe punched ’em, too, for good measure. I spray a mist of deodorant on my upper body. It’s a new one. Yuck, Axe. If I get out of this alive, I’ll need to explain to Mom why this particular brand is
not
okay.

“There you are, oak tree. Looking much bigger and braver than usual. Ready to take on the world?” Mom says as I step out of the bathroom. She piles a bunch of food onto my plate and hands me a glass of apple juice. Reading the expression on my face, she adds, “Hey, we agreed, no more worrying. Anyway, everything will be okay. Your father promised, and I don’t think he wants to risk what I’ll do to him if he doesn’t make sure of it. You’ll all be back at home in no time.” Her voice catches as she says this last part.

“Of course we will,” Simmi chimes in.

“Yeah, I guess,” Shapri says.

I’m pretty peeved that they’re here, especially when I went through all that trouble to keep them out of this.

“We need them,” Miss Teak says, as if she’s the one who can read minds in this quirky little posse.

“But—”

“They’ll be safer with you than without.”

“I brought more Monster,” Shapri teases, holding up an open can and swishing the liquid around inside.

“And I brought, well, I just brought me, but I’ll help in whatever way I can,” Simmi offers.

“Hurry up now, Alex. Eat your eggs and get out of here,” Mom chokes out, giving me a peck on the shoulder for good luck. Her tone lacks its usual pep.

There’s no arguing now. At least Mom isn’t coming with us. If something goes wrong,
one
of the people I care about will stay alive. What a comfort. We say our goodbyes and pile into Miss Teak’s sedan. I call shotgun.

“We’ve got fourteen hours between here and New York. That’s not including breaks. Shapri and I will take turns at the wheel. We should reach our destination before the day is over. Greg is waiting for us at a small hotel on Long Island,” Miss Teak says, pulling away from my house.

Shapri reaches between her mom and me to turn the dial of the radio. Jazzy beats permeate the vehicle’s interior. Grassy smells follow her as she leans back into her seat.

“What made you decide to come?” I ask Shapri.

“I didn’t. I’ve been forced,” Shapri pouts.

“This will be good for you,” Miss Teak says, but otherwise leaves us to our conversation.

“And why on Earth would you want to put yourself in the path of the raging bull when you’re so clearly wearing red?” I ask Simmi, delighted with my metaphor.

“It’s
my
life we’re fighting for. I want to join.”

“It’s too dangerous, Simmi. You shouldn’t be here,” I argue.

“Aww, thanks for worrying about me,” Shapri grumbles. “No, really. I’ll be fine. Thanks for asking.”

“We may need her gifts, Alex,” Miss Teak explains, and that’s the end of the conversation.

I sigh and slink back into my seat. Maybe I can sleep the whole way through this. Darn it, I forgot my pills.

Shapri kicks my seat from behind. “You’re not going to sleep. You need to hunt down that guy and figure out where he is, so we waste as little time as possible on this stupid trip.”

“I thought you didn’t believe,” I challenge.

“I don’t, but it’s easier to just go along with all of this craziness, so I can get back home and back to business as usual.”

“She’s right, Alex,” Simmi agrees. “You need to use this time to find Dax. Here, take my bracelet.” She passes the metal circle forward.

“No, that’s okay. I’ve got mine,” I say, holding my wrist up in display and flexing. “Anyway, that doesn’t always work for me. I’ve found it’s easier to have too many thoughts than to have none at all.”

“That’s right, my boy. Here’s some liquid energy to get the job done.” Shapri thrusts a cold can at me. I flip the tab and take a swig.

“Okay, but then none of you can talk or make fun of me later.”

They all agree.

“And no background noise,” I grope about until I find the radio dial and turn it off.

“Hey,” Shapri whines.

“Enough,” Miss Teak warns. “Give him the environment he needs.” I don’t hear anything more from my companions until we stop for lunch.