Free Accordance by Shelly Crane Page A

smiled.
    “Anything else?”
    “No. Thank you.”
    “You sure, you look kind of...upset.”
    “I’m fine. Thank you though.”
    “Ok. Have a nice night, miss.”
    I scoffed at miss. I couldn’t be more than a year older than him and he called me miss. It was the ascension’s fault that I looked different.
    I went to a table and sat down. My phone sat on the table in front of me. I had two more texts from Bish and Caleb called me three times. Then one missed call from Dad already. Great.
    I pushed it aside and ate a spoonful of the gooey goodness in front of me. I was winding down now. Thinking I had overreacted now that I had a chance to really think about it. But I didn’t! They were the ones acting crazy.
    They bowed. Bowed to me!
    After all my ice cream was gone, I threw my cup away and decided to walk around. I know, it was dark and late, in California no less, but I couldn’t go back in the Jeep and head back to the house yet. In fact, I was sure I couldn’t even remember how to get to the beach house again.
    I saw a cleared area set off to the side of the stand, like it was important. As I got closer I saw it was a small enclave of big rocks in a circle. The sign said it was a memorial to the men and woman who’d served our country. I sat there on a bench in the middle of those rocks, in the dark and cried. I cried for everything, all the right reasons and even the wrong ones. The petty and silly ones. I was already going so I might as well get it all out.
    I felt terrible. My heart was fluttering uncomfortably with aching for Caleb but I tried to breath through it so he wouldn’t think I was in trouble. I decided to see him and make sure he was ok. I focused on him and saw he was sitting on the front porch steps, phone in hand. His hands were shaking slightly. He reached one up to rub his heart and he sighed harshly, wincing. I knew he was hurting like me, worse than me. It made me feel horrible but I stayed put.
    He jumped when the phone rang.
    “Maggie!” he said in panic. “Oh, Dad, yeah, she’s still gone.” Peter said something and Caleb grimaced. “No. She’s blocking me. I can’t get through to her and she won’t answer her phone.” A pause and he scrubbed his face with his hand. “I know that, Dad, ok? I know I messed up but I can’t fix it until she talks to me now can I?...Yes, I’m sure she’s the Visionary, she has the mark and she told us she had a vision...I know...She’s my number one priority, I could care less about this Visionary crap right now, all I care about is getting her back here safe...No. It’s like I was under a spell or something. I was in complete awe. It was strange, like I couldn’t control myself...I know that, Dad, but she’s my significant, first, before anything else. I don’t care if we’re married or not. She’s mine to protect and that’s more important that any of this other stuff. Everyone else can go to hell for all I care if they think I’m gonna step back and let them come in and take her from me. Who better to take care of her than me?” he said in a vehement and upset tone. Then, “Yes, I know, I screwed up already but I won’t again. When she comes back I’ll...I’ll...I don’t know. I’ll do something. I’ll fix it.” Then he hung up and beat his fist on the porch steps rail.
    I wanted to squeeze him to me, hug him until it all went away but I couldn’t move, not yet. There seemed to be something I needed to do first.
    Caleb sat up straight and sucked in a quick breath.
    “Maggie?”
    I watched in awe. Could he feel me there watching?
“Maggie, come back. I’m sorry. Please, baby,” he pleaded. “I’m dying here not knowing where you are.”
    I yanked away before he could read me and figure out where I was. I looked around me to the big stones and saw a figure coming my way. The ice cream guy.
    “Hey, what are you doing out here?”
    “Just sitting.”
    “Well, it’s not really safe for a girl to be alone at night out