Chapter 16 - Waverly
I sit in one of the courtyards of Crestwood alone, without a weapon, and I feel at peace. It is the first time in a long while that I have felt so at ease. The wind blows softly through the streets and the voices of people and children pass through the alleys and lanes without a care. But the clouds that fill the sky make me think only of the storm to come. I think of that moment when Gilbert commits a final heroic act. I just can’t see how it is all supposed to happen. I want to try and stop it, but I don’t know how. And I’m beginning to think that I won’t be able to.
I see someone to my right and I smile when I notice that it’s Ethan. He looks nice after a fresh shower. He has shaved and his dark hair is combed to the side.
“You look like a real gentleman,” I say.
He grins at me. “And you, Miss Waverly, look stunning as usual.”
“How are you liking your new place?” I ask.
“It’s not bad. Has everything I need. I’ve stayed in much worse, I can tell you that.” He sits next to me on the bench and I scoot over a few inches.
“Have you gotten to know anyone yet?” he asks.
I shake my head. “I’ve only talked to the supply lady. She seemed real nice. Other than that I’ve just been keeping to myself. Enjoying my freedom a bit.”
“I hear you.”
“What about you?”
“Oh, I’ve talked to a few people,” he says. “There was a couple that has been here about a year now. They seem to like it okay. The word around town is that someone was banished from here not too long ago. Maybe a couple of days.”
“Hmm.”
“Yeah. I don’t know. I didn’t ask really.”
“Keep to ourselves and stay out of trouble,” I say. “That’s the best way to be allowed to stick around.”
“I just think it’s kind of weird,” he says. “I can’t really explain it.”
“The banishing?”
“No, just being here,” he says. “I really hope we can be a part of something. I don’t want to just survive. I’ve been surviving for the past three years. Now I want to help.”
“I’m certain that time will come,” I say. “For now, just enjoy the new freedom.”
He nods at me and smiles. “You holding up okay?”
“It’s been five days since Lucas died,” I say. “I hate it. He would have liked it here.”
“Lucas died doing a brave thing,” Ethan says. “I firmly believe that if he hadn’t done what he did, we would all be dead in that crummy little town.”
“Maybe so. I just… I don’t know. I thought things were going to be different. I thought we would survive this. I thought he and I were untouchable. He…he promised.”
“What did he promise?”
“I don’t know,” I say. I feel dumb for letting the words come out.
“You can tell me,” he says. “I’m not Gilbert.”
“How is he liking it?” I ask.
Ethan shrugs. “I haven’t really talked to him since we got here. I’m sure he’s glad to have his own place. That’s where he is all the time.” He clears his throat. “You uh…you were going to say…”
“Lucas promised me that we would survive this thing together. It’s stupid.”
“It’s not stupid,” Ethan says.
“Those raiders made a liar out of him.”
“No they didn’t. He didn’t lie to you. In a way, he still survives…with you. You still love him. Use that love to help you carry on. Just because he passed, doesn’t mean you have to forget him. But most of all don’t be angry with him. And don’t let him die in vain by thinking of him as a liar or that he broke promises. He died to protect you. That is the highest honor he could give you.”
I don’t know what it is - his words, his look of sincerity - but for a brief second I see Ethan in a different light. More than a friend. I like the picture, but I’m having trouble believing it could be real. He is much like Lucas in the way that he seems to care for me without even knowing me that well, but he is a different person entirely.
“Thank you,” I say.
He shakes his head. “We’re a team. I don’t really know if Gilbert is on it, but with the town of Crestwood, our team just got a bit bigger.”
“I think Gilbert is on team Gilbert,” I say.
“He hasn’t left his apartment since he got here,” Ethan says. “I think you really spooked him the other day with your little vision thing.”
I was afraid the conversation would come to that.
“I know you probably don’t want to tell me about it,” he says. “I can respect that. But you have to admit, it seemed a little crazy.”
“What I saw was crazy.”
Ethan looks at me, his face still and his voice, quiet.
“I saw him die,” I say. “I had only expected to see a few minutes into the future, but I saw days apparently.”
“Were you and I there?”
“We were,” I say. “I don’t really want to talk about it.”
“But if you see it,” Ethan presses, “can’t you change it?”
“That’s what I tried with Hank,” I say. “But it didn’t work. I don’t know how it works. The only way I control it is by touching someone. That’s it. I can’t tell what I’m going to see. I can’t pick where in someone’s future. It just happens. Truth is, I don’t know if changing it is possible. I don't know why this has happened to me. I wish it would go away."
Ethan looks at me as though he is scared. “Are we at Crestwood when it happens?”
“No, but like I said, I don’t want to talk about it. I don’t know any more than that. It’s as much of a mystery to me as it is to you. I’m still trying to figure out a way to keep Gilbert alive.”
“Sorry I pressed you,” Ethan says sincerely. “It’s just crazy to me is all.”
“You and me both,” I say. “I didn’t ask for this. I’d like to know why it is happening at all. It makes me feel strange. Like an outsider.”
“Well, that’s why we have to keep it a secret,” Ethan says. “You’re no outsider to me, but this is the kind of thing that if word got out, people would flock to you to see what their future is. People used to pay for this kind of stuff.”
“I suppose I could get pretty rich off of it,” I say.
“Well, I don’t know about that. You might not make a good living giving people bad news all the time.”
I don’t know why, but this makes me laugh. It feels nice.
“I don’t know much about you,” I say.
The smile fades from his face and he looks away. “There’s not much to know,” he says. “I’ve lost the same as everyone else. Family. Friends. I’m all that’s left.”
I nod, knowing that going into details isn’t necessary. We all really have the same story, don’t we?
“But Crestwood will give us a bright future,” he says.
I just have to figure out how to keep Gilbert from dying.
My eyes feel so groggy when I hear a knock at my apartment door in the middle of the night. Actually it’s more like a pounding than a knock. At first, I think that it might be Ethan coming to tell me something is wrong, but when I unlock the door, it’s Gabe. My heart begins to pound at the sight of him. Every time I see his face, I can’t help but think of the vision I had before. His coming in the middle of the night can only be bad news.
“Paxton has ordered me to bring you to him,” he says. “I don’t know what it’s about, but he says it’s urgent.”
“Can’t it wait until morning?” I start to shut the door, but Gabe plants his foot at the bottom.
“I’m sorry,” he says. “He’s ordered it.”
I take my time getting my shoes and coat, all the while my mind reeling about what this could mean. I look at the clock above the kitchen stove and see that it’s still a couple of hours before dawn.
The cold night air bites at any exposed skin as I follow Gabe across the street to the building labeled Headquarters. The bell jingles at the front door as we walk into a room filled with chairs. It looks like it used to be one of those old-fashioned diners. He leads me up a flight of stairs to the second floor where I see Ethan and Gilbert sitting in front of a large desk. The two of them look as disheveled as I feel. There is an empty chair next to Ethan, and Gabe instructs me to take a seat and wait for Paxton to come down. Once I sit, I turn my head and look at the back of the room. Gabe stands with four other armed guards who never let their eyes leave us.
“What’s going on?” I ask, turning to Ethan and Gilbert.
Gilbert shrugs and Ethan shakes his head. “We know about as much as you. They came and got us a few minutes ago.”
The sound of slow footsteps echoes in the stairwell. I turn back to look through the door and see Paxton staring at the ground as he approaches us.
“What’s this about?” Gilbert says, as Paxton rounds the desk and sits across from us.
“Why don’t you tell me, Gilbert?” Paxton says, staring at the desk. It’s almost as if he doesn’t want to give us eye contact.
“What do you mean? I’ve barely left my apartment the past couple of days.”
“Well, I know that isn’t true,” he says. “For any of you.”
“Some things have gone missing from our storerooms,” Paxton says. His voice is barely above a whisper. “Guns. Food. General supplies.”
“And you think we took them?” Ethan asks. “We don’t even know where your storerooms are.”
A clap of thunder erupts outside.
It’s beginning!
I didn’t think I could possibly conceive of how the vision of Gilbert could come true, but now I start to see it. I sit in silence as my heart slowly pounds. I feel calm but scared. I’ve got to change this somehow.
“It was me,” I blurt out. I don’t know if this is the best way but it’s something.
Paxton finally looks up at me and he looks puzzled. Ethan and Gilbert also look at me with wide eyes.
“I was the one that took all the stuff,” I say. “Survival instinct."
Paxton looks to be at a loss for words, but he just shakes his head and shrugs. “Well, if one of you is responsible, then all of you are, and I can’t have you in my town.”
“You’re throwing us out?” Gilbert snaps.
“Gabe will take the three of you away from here just before dawn,” he says.
It didn’t work. What can I do to make him just take me away instead of the three of us? “Why would you punish them for something that I did?” I ask.
“Because for all I know, you’re covering for them,” Paxton answers back. “Better safe than sorry.” He waves for his guards to come in.
I look back at them as they approach and Gabe stands near the door. He seems angry. I suppose he doesn’t like it when people steal from his town. A firm hand grabs my arm and I snatch it away. “I can walk without you holding me,” I say.
Ethan walks behind me and when I look at his face, I can tell his mind is racing. This all seems so abrupt. Setting my vision aside, it makes no sense. Why would they think that we broke into their storerooms? There is no proof. It isn’t fair. But I have already confessed to no avail. I don’t know what to do now.
“Wait!” Gilbert yells out. “I have valuable information. I will tell you if you let me go.”
I grit my teeth when he says me instead of us. Here I am trying to save his life and he only thinks of himself.
Paxton tells the guards to hold off for a moment. “What is it then?”
“You asked me if I had any special abilities.” My stomach lurches when he says this.
“Yes?” Paxton says.
Gilbert points at me. “She’s got them,” he says.
“Shut up!” Ethan yells. He grabs Gilbert by the shirt and tries to shove him but the guards are already wedged between them.
“She can see the future,” Gilbert continues. “I don’t know how she did it, but she somehow used that to break into your storerooms.”
Paxton stares at me for a long moment. My eyes go to Ethan who is glaring at Gilbert.
“Is it true?” Paxton asks. “That you can see into the future?”
If I say yes, he might keep me here. If I say no, he’ll make me leave. “Yes,” I say.
He continues to stare at me until he sits back down and rakes his fingers through his hair. He seems conflicted, and I wish I could tell what he is thinking. This whole situation feels so random to me. We barely got into Crestwood before they decided to kick us out for something we didn’t do.
Finally, Paxton looks up at the guards and nods. “Take them away.”
“What was that about?” Ethan snaps at Gilbert.
We have all been brought to the same room where we were questioned a couple of days ago. We sit, waiting for Gabe to take us away. Ethan seems like he wants to tear out Gilbert’s throat. I’m not as angry as I should be, mostly because I’m still trying to figure everything out.
“I was just trying to buy us some time,” he says and looks at me. “Besides, you admitted to it.”
“I didn’t actually steal anything,” I say. “I was just trying to…” I let out a deep breath and look away from him, “to fix the situation. I thought that if I could take the blame then we wouldn’t all get kicked out.”
“Fine idea that was,” Gilbert says.
“It’s more than what you did,” Ethan says. “At least she was thinking about someone other than herself.”
“And what did you do, Ethan? You just sat there, quiet as usual. I didn’t see you try to do anything about it.”
“Maybe that’s the problem,” I say, though I didn’t know I said it out loud until both of them are looking at me, waiting for an explanation. “Just that, maybe we were trying too hard. He saw the desperation and wanted us out regardless.”
“Nah,” Gilbert says. “He seemed pretty set on getting us out of here. Something’s fishy if you ask me. Wakes us up in the middle of the night, gets us out of here before dawn - before anyone in the town might think to question the reasoning.” A door opens on the other end of the room and Gabe stands ready to take us out. “Isn’t that right, Gabe?” Gilbert sneers.
“What?” he says. He looks like he hasn’t gotten any sleep in days.
“Something weird is happening,” Gilbert says. “You know we didn’t steal anything, don’t you?”
“Not right now,” Gabe says. “You can say what you want to when we’re in the car, but for now, keep quiet.”
The rain pelts us hard as Gabe leads us to a large SUV parked just inside the town gates. Streams flow into the storm drains next to the sidewalks and I have to sidestep a few puddles before we’re inside. Gabe drives, Gilbert sits up front, and Ethan and I sit in the back seat. Even though the heat is on in the vehicle, I can still see vapor every time one of us breathes.
“I’m not going to need to cuff any of you, am I?” Gabe asks. He gets no argument from us.
The gate opens in front of us and Gabe eases on the gas until we’re on the road. As we pass through the gate, I can’t help but feel sick at the thought of leaving already. The vision of Gilbert had seemed like an impossibility, but it was becoming a reality now, and so far I have failed at altering it.
I never see the sun come up because of the grey clouds above us, but the light still manages to illuminate the road ahead of us. We drive in silence for almost ten minutes before Gabe finally pulls the SUV over and stops on the side.
“What, you’re just going to drop us off here?” Gilbert says.
“Yes,” Gabe answers. “You were correct earlier when you said something wasn’t right.” He turns in his seat to look at each of us. “I don’t know what’s happening in Crestwood, but it’s not good. I’ve been trying to investigate it, but things have gotten a little dangerous.”
“With Paxton?” I ask.
He nods. “Not just him though. He answers to someone else. Goes by the name Shadowface. I’m trying to figure it all out.”
“Sounds dark,” Gilbert says, rolling his eyes.
Gabe ignores him. “Anyway, I think this Shadowface might have something to do with you leaving. I don’t know what it’s about, but I have it on good authority that you’ve got some raiders on your trail.”
“Scarecrow,” I whisper. I can feel my hands begin to tremble.
“Yeah, well, I’m supposed to drop you off at a warehouse just a few miles from here so this guy can capture you. He says you all have something of his.”
Ethan and I both look at Gilbert immediately and we can see the blood drain from his face.
“Do you still have the cylinder?” Ethan asks.
Gilbert reaches into his pocket and pulls it out. His lips move like he wants to say something, but the words can’t seem to form.
“Well,” Gabe says, “whatever that thing is, you took it from the wrong guy, and it’s my job to deliver you to him.”
“How do you know all this?” I ask. “Did Paxton tell you these things?”
“Did any of you hear about a banishment from a couple of days ago?” Gabe asks.
“Yeah,” Ethan says. “But we didn’t want to ask too many questions.”
“I didn’t hear about it,” Gilbert says.
“She has a special ability like you, Waverly,” Gabe says. “Or was that just something this jerk came up with?” He points a thumb at Gilbert.
“No,” I say. “It’s real.”
“Yeah, well,” Gabe says. “This girl overheard Paxton talking with the raider. She has some crazy ability to hear things from far away or something, I don’t know. I’m looking to get to the bottom of it all.”
“So what about us?” Ethan asks. “Won’t they find out when you haven’t dropped us off at the warehouse?”
“I’m giving you the SUV,” he says. “There are weapons and supplies in the trunk space. I’ll tell them you three jumped me and took it so I had to walk back. They won’t be able to argue with that.”
“And where do you suggest we go from here?” Gilbert asks.
A bullet smashing through the windshield is his answer. The four of us duck down as more bullets slam into the SUV, ripping holes through the metal. I throw open my door and duck down. I can see Gabe running toward the woods to our left and I follow him. Bullets whiz by my head and I’m almost to the edge of the woods when my foot catches a rock and I fall hard to the ground. I’m about to pull myself from the ground when I look up and see that Scarecrow and his men are right on top of me.