Adventures of Alexis Davenport Series Page 3

  Catelyn is the girl in the JC Penney commercials. Alex groaned. That’s just great. The most popular girl in school hates my guts. She wanted to get on a bus bound for anywhere far from Grand Junction.

  “Don’t let her get to you, Alex. Hey, want to get together this weekend? We can work on our English project.”

  “Sure.” Alex forced a smile.

  Alex, Simon, and Jennifer walked to the buses. Simon and Jennifer got on the same bus. They must live in the same neighborhood or something. Feeling a little lonely, Alex sat down in an empty seat and tried to forget about Catelyn Montgomery and the strange girl who kept appearing in mirrors.

  Her mother was not home yet, so Alex sat at the dining room table to finish a short take-home quiz for history. She knew the material without having to use the internet, as the instructor advised.

  Alex waited until almost seven o’clock before finally fixing herself a sandwich. She called C.C. from the intercom and was told that both her mother and Karen would be closing the store and not to wait up. She took her sandwich and water to the living room. She aimlessly changed channels, never settling down on one thing for long. She turned off the TV and decided to get ready for bed. I can read the next chapter of history.

  Alex brushed her teeth and changed into her PJs. As she was putting her clothes in the hamper, she stopped and stared at her reflection in the full-length mirror hanging on the wall. Alex hated looking at herself in the mirror.

  Catelyn’s figure was flawless, while her own was too large in all of the wrong places, and lacking womanly curves. She thought her hips were too wide, her arms were too long, her hands were too large, and her feet were too big. Beau will never notice me with her around. Alex turned this way and that, trying to find some redeeming quality in her reflection, anything that would make Beau notice her, but she couldn’t find anything worthwhile staring back at her. She pulled her hair up and tried several poses, even going so far as to pout her lips like she had seen the girls do in fashion magazines. I look ridiculous!

  She flung her arms down in disgust, letting her hair fall limply to her shoulders.

  Alex gasped as the image in the mirror shifted. Oh God, not again! The same dirty girl was there and her black hair was even more disheveled than last time and looking as though it was falling forward. She had her hands to her mouth and her blue eyes stared into Alex’s hazel ones with alarming intensity.

  Why is her hair coming toward the mirror like that? Alex felt like giggling at such a lame question. And why is there blue sky in the background? Alex knew it was the sky because she could see billowy clouds floating by.

  She is kneeling on the ground or something. Alex was surprised at how part of her brain seemed to be working on a logical level, while the other was gibbering in terror. The reflection did not seem to be rippling like it had before.

  Is this what it feels like to go crazy? She wanted to run but she found herself moving toward the mirror as if her legs had a mind of their own. The girl took her hands from her mouth and reached toward the mirror. Her tears made clean tracks in her dirty face. Alex raised her arm, hand reaching toward the glass. This isn’t happening. This isn’t happening. Her own voice babbled madly in her mind. Why can’t I stop this?

  When their eyes met, a spark of recognition ignited. Even though their features were different, their spirit, their essence was the same. Alex knew this as surely as she knew that the girl in the mirror was kneeling on the ground, hand reaching forward. She lost herself in those blue eyes, eyes that were strange and at the same time as familiar as her own.

  Alex’s fingers were mere inches from the mirror. She tried to stop her fingers from moving, but she couldn’t. Something is making this happen! It isn’t me! Her arm shook with tension and tears of frustration and fear poured from her eyes. It was as if someone of immense strength was pulling her arm forward, and she was as powerless as a baby to stop it.

  When she touched the glass, it felt wrong. It was squishy and wet, like thickened water. She gasped as she felt a spasm of pain. She opened her mouth to scream but no sound came out. The last thing she remembered seeing before blacking out was the face of the girl in the mirror, her mouth open in her own silent scream.

  CHAPTER 4

  MAX PODER STOOD watching the young man kneeling next to the lake, motionless, staring into the water. He smiled and closed his eyes, savoring the waves of power he felt oozing out of the young man. Max was also delighted to sense the kernel of evil lurking in the boy.

  I will help the seed to grow and flourish.

  Suddenly, the young man gasped and fell backward. When he caught sight of movement out of his peripheral vision, he jumped.

  “Who are you? How long have you been standing there?” The young man stood on wobbly legs, frightened and yet defiant.

  Max decided he liked that trait.

  “My name is Max Poder. I was merely out for a stroll. Lovely day, isn’t it?”

  “I guess so.” The boy gathered his fishing pole and slung it over his shoulder.

  Max noticed the lack of bait or lure. He fought the urge to grin.

  “Catch anything?”

  “Why? You with the state or something? I have a license, ya know.” The boy stood staring at Max, unwilling to back down.

  Tread carefully, Max.

  “I was out looking for you actually.”

  The boy stiffened and his posture was such that Max feared the boy was about to bolt.

  “Please, don’t be alarmed. I’m here to help you. You see, I know what you are.”

  The young man stopped his backward momentum, alarmed, yet curious at the same time.

  “Please. I just want to talk. Can we at least do that? There’s an ice cream shop not far from here. Let’s go get something to eat and I will explain.” Max held his breath. He needed this boy. Everything depended on it.

  “Are you one of those guys that like little boys? Cuz I heard about you on TV. I ain’t interested in any funny stuff.”

  Max held up his hands, and roared with laughter. “I can see where you might think that! But no, I simply wish to speak to you about your gift.”

  He watched the play of emotions tangling the boy’s features. I have him.

  “I guess I could stay for a little while.” The boy mumbled.

  The unlikely pair walked away from the lake and made their way through the tall grass and trees, heading for the quiet little road leading to Lakeside, Montana.

  “By the way, what’s your name?”

  The boy didn’t answer right away. “My dad calls me Drifter because I can’t seem to focus on anything for very long.”

  Max knew that it would take more time to gain the trust of this boy. “Drifter it is then.”

  They arrived at the small ice cream shop and found a table in the far corner. Drifter focused all of his attention on his chocolate cone, unwilling to make eye contact with Max.

  Max sipped his soft drink and waited for Drifter to finish. He needed to compose his thoughts. He was about to rattle this young man and he needed to be careful not to scare him away. Or worse, scare him badly enough that he felt he needed to tell someone.

  “I think it’s time we talk about what you were doing at the lake.”

  “I was fishin’.” His tone was sullen.

  “I think you were doing something much more amazing than merely fishing,” Max winked at Drifter. “Listen, I can help you with your gift. But you have to trust me. You are very important and very special.”

  Drifter toyed with the paper that had wrapped his cone, tearing it slowly in tiny strips. Max could almost hear the internal monologue, the arguing and the trying to decide if he was to be trusted.

  “What gift do you think I have?”

  “I have the gift as well. I found out when I was about your age. It was strange at first, but then it became something fun and exciting, thinking that I was the only one with the power to travel back in time.”

  Drifter jumped and looked arou
nd, checking to see that no one had overheard Max. “You really do know, don’t you?” He relaxed and the words began pouring out in a rush, as if a dam had broken. “I always had dreams, ya know? Dreams where I would be inside the body of someone from the past. And then one day, I saw something in my mirror at home. I thought I was crazy. But then I switched places with that guy I saw, and then I really thought I was crazy.”

  Max nodded. The young man was describing almost exactly what he himself had felt the first time he realized there was something different about him.

  “I wondered if maybe I didn’t have a tumor or something. But I felt fine. So what exactly is this?”

  Max looked deep into the boy’s brown eyes, eyes that begged for answers.

  “I’m here to help you. When travelers like us reach a certain age, it is up to us to train the next generation. But you must do what I tell you, without hesitation, is that clear?”

  Drifter nodded emphatically. He opened his mouth, then closed it with a snap, face reddening.

  “What is it?”

  “Nothin’.”

  “If we are to work together, you must be honest with me. You can tell me anything.”

  “It’s just...well, I have sort of figured out that I am supposed to somehow fix something in the past that is wrong. But I was wondering... is it possible...I mean, can we ever, well...you know...” he looked around and leaned forward, brown eyes alight with the question burning in his mind. “Can we change the past?”

  It took all of Max’s strength of will to keep from standing and cheering in triumph. All his life, he had been searching for a young man or woman to be his student. But his student had to be someone very special, someone with a mind-set much like his own.

  “I will teach you everything you need to know about your gift. From now on, you may call me Master.”

  ***

  Max Poder sat in his chair with a cigar between his thin lips, tendrils of smoke swirling around his head as he smiled at the memory of his first meeting with Drifter. As a young man, he had been so angry. As an adult, Drifter was still angry but that anger had been honed sharp as steel and given a purpose.

  I hope that anger helps him complete the mission.

  CHAPTER 5

  ALEX OPENED HER EYES, squinting at the brightness. Why did mom turn the light on? She groaned and rolled over, thinking she was going to be burying her head into her pillow and sucked in a breath when her face scraped on hard packed dirt. She slowly pushed up, certain that she would wake any second now to find herself safe in her own room. She tried to stand but her legs wouldn’t hold her and she collapsed. A wave of nausea struck.

  She ran her hands over her rough spun wool dress, and absently noticed that her bare feet were inches from a pond. Alex crawled to the edge of the pond and stared at her reflection in the water.

  The face she saw was the strange girl with blue eyes. Alex raised her hand and touched her face.

  This has got to be a dream. Alex pinched her calf and winced in pain. This is real. Oh my God this is real! Alex’s throat tightened and she could not draw a breath.

  Darkness enveloped her.

  ***

  Alex awoke with a start and sat up, fumbling and reaching for the lamp on her nightstand. She gave a yelp as she fell out of the bed and onto the hard wooden floor. Wood? My room has carpet. She whimpered in terror as she crawled on the floor in circles, fear taking every coherent thought from her mind.

  “Aine, love?” A woman with salt and pepper hair came rushing in, carrying a lamp. Her blue eyes were wide with fright and worry. She knelt next to Alex and tried to put her arms around her, but Alex backed away in terror.

  “What’s the fuss?” A man entered in a dirty white frock, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

  “I think those devil dreams are at her again.”

  “Who are you? How did I get here?” Alex’s voice sounded strange to her ears. Why am I speaking with an Irish accent? What is happening? Where am I? She wanted to ask the questions aloud but she could do nothing more than whimper.

  “Ach, Aine! ‘tis us, Ma and Da! You must have taken a knock to the head. We found you layin’ next to the pond and brought you back here.” The woman gave Alex a helpless look.

  Alex allowed the strange woman to help her back into the tiny bed.

  “Ach! I thought she was done with those ‘oul dreams.” The man waved his hands and wandered out of the room, muttering to himself.

  The woman looked at the man with fear in her eyes. “Aine, you must try to get control of yourself. If word of this gets out, the story will grow arms and legs until they say the devil himself comes to meet you every night!”

  Alex bit the inside of her cheek to keep from wailing in terror. I have to find my way home!

  “You just lie here and close your eyes. The mornin’ will be here soon. Your dad will expect you to do your work, devil dreams or no. Try to sleep.” She kissed Alex on the forehead and for just a moment, Alex could see her mother’s spirit behind the woman’s blue eyes.

  Alex nodded, trying to soothe the woman’s fears and even managed to close her eyes, though it frightened her to do so. The woman left the room, taking the lamp with her. Alex had to fight the urge to ask her to please leave it behind to keep the dark at bay.

  Get a grip, Alex! You are Alex Davenport and you have recently moved into your aunt’s guesthouse. Alex closed her eyes and concentrated on slowing her galloping heart. You are Alex Davenport, and you love history, and Beau Johnson. You are Alex Davenport and you hate living in Grand Junction.

  So if I am still Alex, then whose body am I in? And why don’t I know a thing about this other girl?

  Alex stared at the room, faint moonlight filtering in through cracks in the wall.

  This is real, Alex. You gotta deal.

  The logical voice in her head helped to calm her down. I must have somehow been transported into this other girl or something.

  Aine.

  Alex forced herself to say the girl’s name. She must be ready to answer to Aine, not Alex while she was stuck here.

  If only I knew where here was!

  Alex remembered hearing herself speak in what sounded like an Irish accent. So maybe I’m in Ireland or something.

  She lay in bed, trying to work through what had happened. All Alex knew was that she had somehow been transported into this other girl’s body and that she retained all the memories of herself and where she came from. I have to stay calm so I can figure out a way to get back to my own body.

  The first rays of sunshine came through the cracks in the walls. She heard movement in the rest of the house and bit her lip. I should get up. I don’t want to make that man angry.

  Alex stood slowly, weak from exhaustion and fear, and looked around the meager room. Her bed was so small her feet hung off the end if she lay flat on her back. There was a small chest at the foot of the bed for her clothing. There were no windows or decorations adorning the pale wood walls.

  She took a breath to steady her shaking hands and galloping heart and opened the door. The smell of cooking pork assailed her nostrils. Her belly gave a loud rumble and she wondered exactly how long it had been since she had eaten. The woman was dressed in a drab brown dress and her hair was a rat’s nest. She turned when she heard Alex emerge and gave her a small smile.

  “You’d best be about your duties. The egg basket is there by the door. Breakfast will be on the table by the time you’re done.” The woman turned back to the hearth.

  Alex found the basket near the door and left, wondering how one was to go about collecting eggs. She had never even seen it done before. The panic rose in her once again and tears of frustration began to fall. What in the world am I doing here?

  The sky was a pale blue, but she could see thunderheads building far off in the distance. There was a small barn to the left and chickens ran freely about the yard, which was enclosed by low stone walls. Other than the meager farm, there was nothing to be seen save for rolli
ng hills of emerald green.

  Alex walked to the wall. She was surprised to find herself moving with confidence to the hens sitting on their nests. The lazy birds barely moved as she reached beneath them to find the warm eggs underneath.

  I must have some of this girl’s memories or something. How else would I know how to collect eggs? So why don’t I know anything else about this girl?

  She brought the nearly full basket into the house and set them on the table. The woman came to inspect them.

  “There’s good laying this year. We have enough to take to town to sell,” She beamed at Alex, who blushed at the praise. “Come, Aine. It is time to eat. We must be off to town soon.”

  Alex sat down and the woman brought her a plate with cooked pork and some sort of tubers. She wolfed the food down so quickly she barely tasted it, which surprised her. Normally, Alex was a fussy eater and preferred to eat fish and chicken as opposed to red meat. When it came to vegetables, Alex would just as soon not even see them on her plate. Maybe I am eating with the other girl’s appetite.

  “Where is Da?”

  “He’s out plowing. We won’t be seein’ him till after dark. Now, get yer good shoes on. We need to get on the road. The market will be black with people today.”

  Alex found her shoes in her room tucked neatly under her bed. She found wool stockings in her chest. The shoes were heavy and rough. I bet I get a blister walking in these things. Alex hoped the town was not far.

  As the pair walked down the dirt road, she had time to think about her situation. She wondered if the other girl was in her body back home, trying to make sense of where she was and all of the strange new things. Alex wondered why she was here and how she was going to get back home. A wave of sadness washed over her. She did not want to spend the rest of her life as some dirty peasant. She wanted to finish high school, go to college, and eventually become curator of the Smithsonian. What did I do to deserve this?

  They reached the town just before midday. It was loud, dirty, and stinky. In just a short time, Alex’s shoes were covered in mud and filth. Her stomach heaved every time she took a breath. The air was a mix of cooking food, rotting food, and human and animal waste that she was certain was adding to the muddy mess of the road.