I slide down in the backseat as the car inches closer to the hotel Asher's arranged for our stay, the sound of angry jeers surround the vehicle. Yeah, he was able to convince the mayor and other influential people -- ie, the money hungry people -- that this might draw in tourism and positive attention for the little backwater town. But, that didn't stop the protestors who would like to see us set on fire even more than they want us to turn around and leave.
The turnout of protestors doesn't surprise me. Even though Asher has an obsessive following, even more curses him for being the devil, especially from these smaller towns. "This is going to be a bloody good show," Asher says from the passenger seat, obviously relishing in the number of protesters that turned out this time. "Can't you just feel it. All of this is free publicity, and I'm bloody loving it."
"Do you think we'll have troubles with the locales once the production runs?" Harper asks, her gaze lingering on the crowd outside the vehicle.
"These idiots are giving us what we want. The more a town hates us, the more the audience loves us." Asher laughs, rapping his knuckles against the window. "This is going to cause a sensation. Oh yeah, people will definitely come. Even if it's just to curse at us, haven't you heard controversy is sure to double the ratings."
The car comes to a stop, and I waste no time in opening the door. "I'll see you back at the hotel later."
"Where do you think you're going?" Asher yells.
I ignore him as I throw off my seatbelt and dash from the car. I push through the crowd, holding my breath as pain assaults me in sporadic intervals as my skin brushes against the protestors. It would be easier to ignore these visions if Asher didn't force me to wear annoying dresses and other clothes that he says 'won't harm his image' if people see me with him.
Harper's voice sounds behind me, "Don't worry I'll follow her." She races from the car and falls into step beside me.
"I don't need a babysitter," I say, not taking my gaze away from where I'm going.
"I know," she says. "I just wanted to get away from that circus as well. And when was I just your babysitter?"
"I--" I'm cut off by a man spitting in my face.
"Evil is coming!" he screams. He's dressed in ragged and torn clothes with stubble creating dark shadows on his face. His hair looks like a greasy mop on his head. "We don't need that evil."
"Get out of this town," another voice screams and hands give me a hard shove from behind.
I stagger forward as more hands target me, screaming out profanities. Harper grabs me by the hand, her dark woollen glove itchy against my skin. With a yank, she drags me through the protestors who have turned their anger towards us. I'm starting to believe that getting out of the car was a bad idea.
My throat constricts as I suck in a breath. Intense bursts of pain come at staggered intervals with each person I knock into. Brief snippets of heart attacks, electric shocks, car wreckages and other various deaths engulf me.
Someone grabs my arm, digging their sharp nails into my cold skin. "We don't need you in this town."
The air rushes out of my lungs as if someone's punched me in the gut, and a hollow feeling washes over me. My knees buckle as I lurch forward. A burning sensation fills my throat as I gasp for breath.
"Let go." Harper hits the woman holding me and she pulls me out of the woman's grip. "Are you okay?"
I glance back at the woman, the one whose death felt like an endless void and feel my skin crawl as the dark shadow that usually stalks the person appears like a dark, murky cloud snaking around the woman's ankle, and moving up her body. I've never seen the shadow touch a person before, and now it hugs her whole body.
A shiver crawls up my spine as I tear my gaze away from the woman who feels like a walking corpse.
I urge my feet to move faster, away from the creepy woman, only one thought surging through my mind: It was a big mistake to come here.
* * *
I cradle my mocha between my hands and just stare at the dark brown liquid. After escaping from the horror of that mob, we found a coffee shop -- the only place in this town -- and I ordered something hot to get rid of the lingering hollow feeling.
"Are you going to tell me what happened back there?" Harper hisses, sitting across from me. "I've seen you after you've had visions before, and you looked even paler this time. Was it a nasty one?"
Sounds of chatter float around the nearly empty cafe. Most of the noise comes from one table containing a bunch of excitedly talking and cackling ladies who look like they're in their fifties and sixties. The table behind us only clicks and chimes from electronic devises sound as six teenagers, dressed all in black, have their gazes pasted to the screens in front of them. The only other full table is occupied by a family. The table is entirely silent with the parents drinking their coffee and the son consumed by a book that's resting on the table. I lean back in the wooden chair and take another sip of hot liquid. "How long are we going to be here?"
"Was it that bad?" she asks in a hushed voice, leaning across the table.
I shake my head. "That's the problem. I didn't have a vision. I have no idea what the hell I saw."
"What do you mean you didn't have a vision? Maybe she didn't really touch you."
"No, there was something." I take a deep breath and raise my gaze to meet Harper's. "There's something wrong here, and I think it is more than some fake exorcism can handle."
"I'm sure it's nothing. Maybe you just glitched."
I stare at Harper. "Are you saying I'm a machine?"
Harper flashes me a smile. "I didn't mean it that way. But you know Asher. What would you like me to do?"
Finishing my coffee, I stand up. "Can you try to talk him out of this crazy show idea?"
"I'll try." Harper stands. "But I don't think anything I say will have any influence on him. He's already got dollar symbols in his eyes."
We start to leave the cafe, but on the way out, I'm barrelled into from behind as the group of teenagers all decide to rush from the cafe at once, and I come crashing into the boy still reading at his table.
"Are you okay?" He asks as he helps me back to my feet.
All air leaves my lungs. Suffocating, I gasp for breath but I only breathe in the plastic bag placed over my head. Someone pulls the bag tighter, cutting into my neck. The black shadow circles, drawing closer as black dots paint my vision.
He helps me stand with gentle hands and gives me a smile.
I force myself not to slouch forward, even though my lungs scream for air and my knees tremble beneath my weight. I can only nod as I stare at him.
His baggy tee contains what looks like some band I've never heard of, and his jeans are torn. A mop of brown hair sits on his head, falling over his dark eyes. The dark shadowy figure holds its dark, claw-like fingers around his neck, indicating his death is near.
"Come on, Jeremy," his father says as both parents stand up. "We have to get going."
Jeremy nods and stands up. "Fine," he huffs. "Those idiots wouldn't care about anyone." He flashes me one more glance before following his parents out of the coffee shop while I'm still left standing, gawking after him and knowing the one thing he doesn't: he's about to die.
"Do I want to ask?" Harper hisses when Jeremy leaves the cafe.
"I think I just witness a murder," I whisper.
I rush from the cafe, with a sudden urge to warn the boy. As soon as I'm outside I stagger to a stop as I spot the teenagers who knocked me over just standing just meters away from the door, all their gazes fixed on me.
"Okay, maybe we do need to get out of here," Harper hisses in my ear and grabs my arm with her gloved hand and starts pulling me in the direction of the hotel.
"What do you think you're doing here?" One of the teenagers says with eyes the same colour as his dark hair, not taking his gaze off us.
"We're just leaving." Harper continues forward, without sparing a glance at the menacing teenagers.
One boy, with dirty blond hair cut short and styled with too much gel, moves to block our path. "You're a part of that freak show."
A shiver creeps up my spine as I notice the other teens also move to surround us, boxing us in. I reach a trembling hand into my pocket and clench my fingers around the handle of the pocketknife I stashed in there.
"Well then, it doesn't matter what we do to you then." The boy standing in front of us launches himself at me.
I squeeze the handle of the knife, but my hand's frozen and I can't pull it out.
"Get away from them," a voice calls out before a fist slams into our attacker's face.
The attacking boy stumbles back, hand pressing against his nose. Crimson liquid dribbles down his lip. He once again stands tall and glares at the new boy's face. "Leave this alone JC. This has nothing to do with you."
"Is that a way to treat visitors to this city?" The boy smiles as he pushes his wire-frame glasses up on his nose. He steps in front of Harper and me. "So, I'll give you two options; one, you can stand here and cause trouble, or two, I'll let you go without informing Dad of the trouble you're causing to his guests."
The black-dressed boy turns his gaze towards me and remains silent for a moment before finally spitting out, "Fine." Turning around, he storms away from us with the rest of his group in tow.
When the group of teenagers vanishes around the corner, the boy turns around and flashes a grin. "Sorry about that." He swipes the dark hair out of his blue eyes. "So, you must be Sera and Harper."
"Yeah," Harper says, uncertainty filling her voice as she steps in front of me. "I know I should be thanking you, but who exactly are you and where did you come from?"
"Oh yeah, I forgot to introduce myself." He shakes his hands in the pockets of his denim jacket and diverts his gaze to the ground. "My name is Johnathan Crandle Jr, or people around here just calls me JC. I'm the mayor's son, and they sent me to get you I suppose."
"We don't need a sitter," Harper mumbles. "I can't believe he doesn't trust us, but I guess we do owe you one."
"No... no, it was nothing." JC shakes his head. "Actually, it was also nothing like coming to look after you. I volunteered to come. They said you left before you arrived at the hotel and I guess I just wanted to meet you." He kicks at the dirt under his feet. "I thought I could show you around before taking you back."
"I know you got rid of those jerks and all, but how do we know you're telling the truth?" Harper crosses her arms.
"Can't you just give me the benefit of the doubt here?" He looks up and shoots us another smile.
"What do you think of this?" Harper asks, not taking her gaze off him.
I shrug. "What harm can it do? Do you even know which room Asher's staying in?"
"I guess you have a point there." Harper laughs.
"Great. Let's get going." JC turns around and starts walking down the street without even looking back to see if we're following. "I've got a lot to show you."