The Memory Keeper

Chapter 6

Perhaps that was how Peter would think he made it back to Coldton. Bitterly, she marched over and slapped the ticket onto the window sill, leaning her forehead to the cool pane. "You are a moron, miss Gorman," she told herself. "Get yourself together."

***

The next morning, while Natalie swept the front of her office building, she paused to rest her cheek to the handle and looked up at the sky. It was still dark out, and clouds dipped in silver wafted over the moon, bringing with it fog from around every corner. If Natalie had tried to peer down the blackened alleyway to her right, she would not have seen anything, perhaps not even a lantern if one were to be lit. To her left was the fork that sped from the train station to Piper's neighborhood, past Coldton's palace, always lit like a star, and would then fork off again, leading to the main road toward the other towns, if taking the fork, or leading to downtown if remaining on Coldton's main path.

Some mornings, Natalie wanted to bolt onto Coldton's cobblestone street and take off running. Nowhere to be, no responsibilities, no rules. No strings holding her back, like Colette's. If she were a proper mind weaver she would not feel this way about Colette, but a proper mind weaver wanted to wear the white robes of one and haunt the icy castle in Cape Colette like ghosts.

The thought always made her shiver.

In the gloom straight ahead, a light bobbed and swayed. Natalie watched, moving the handle to her other cheek. The fog seemed to thicken by the minute as the little ball of light grew in size, until she could see the rain drop shape of the glass around it, the hand on its handle.

"You exceed a friend's expectations sometimes," Natalie called, a smile warming her cheeks.

Under the nearest sphere shaped lamp, the shaft revealed Piper. Natalie's beautiful, dark haired friend. She brushed off Natalie's compliment with a playful eye roll and made it to the steps beside her, a little paper bag in her free hand. Though Piper was not easily bothered by Coldton's insistent chill, she wore her favorite dark red capelet coat, black faux fur at the hem of the little cape, sleeve bottoms, and inside the neck. "I live just a few minutes down the road."

Natalie reached for the bag, but Piper held it away, and Natalie pouted.

"I had these sleeping capsules made already, just added a little touch. I was up all night, but I will not give them to you on a whim like before. You owe me this time."

Natalie's jaw dropped.

Piper sniffed, lifting her chin. "That's right."

Shaking her head, a smile of disbelief, Natalie's eyes drifted up to the sky. "What do I owe, then, Piper?" The clouds continued sailing across the moon, but with them, a little shade of blue, and an even smaller shade of red.

"You will stop the sessions with Mr. Sheinfeld."

Natalie shook her head, without a moment's consideration.

"Fine, then, I guess you don't truly need these." Piper started to turn, but Natalie snatched her shoulder.

"You cannot take away the most exciting thing that has ever happened to me."

"What, the both of you going insane?"

"I can handle the mind weaving. It's not so hard. If all else fails..." She looked both ways, and swallowed, "I could always keep them for myself."

Piper looked puzzled for a moment, and then, "No. You cannot do that. Colette said--,"

Natalie laughed bitterly. "And how will she find out? Will you march over to Cape Colette and tell on me?"