Page 20 of Medium
“I’ll turn the lights on as soon as you’re at the gate.” The older man put his hand over the switch plate.
I took a deep breath before opening the back door. The lights went out, and I ran. The ghosts zipped ahead of me, and their faint translucence provided a small bit of light for me to see by. I crossed the putting green in three strides, then I ran through the grass.
Pia, who’d seemed so light when I’d picked her up, was getting heavier.
“The key!” Grandfather cried out.
Fuck. The key was in my pocket. My left pocket. I’d have to put Pia down. Unless.
“Pia, when we stop at the gate, the first one’s unlocked, but I have a key to the second one. Can you reach into my pants pocket with your right hand? I don’t want to have to put you down.”
She nodded.
I skidded to a stop next to the gate, and I loosened my hold on Pia and slid her to my left so she could reach into my pocket more easily. Then she turned in my arms and reached through the knotted tablecloth to turn the handle on the first gate. That done, she held the key out toward the lock on the second one.
“Good idea,” I praised. I held her so she could reach the lock, and she had no trouble turning the key. We were through in an instant, and Pia pulled it shut and locked it behind us.
“Garfield, should I put the key back where I got it or take it?” I was too tired and stressed to decide for myself.
“Take it. You’ll lose too much time putting it back, and these rich assholes can get another made easily enough.”
Nodding, I ran around the pool. Pia opened the side gate for us, and I bolted as fast as I could down the driveway.
Grandfather shouted, “No one’s on the street. The car’s clear!”
I ran to the SUV. Thanking the manufacturer for keyless entry, I still winced at the beeping sound as the doors unlocked. I put Pia on the floor behind the driver’s seat. “Hang tight. We’ll get out of here then figure out where we’re going next.”
I sure as fuck couldn’t take her back to my apartment building with its dozens of security cameras.
I whipped off the tablecloth and threw it on the passenger seat as I got in. I had the car in gear and moving before I’d put on my seat belt. Mindful of the security guards who roamed River Oaks, I made sure my headlights were on and I was traveling just above the speed limit. Grandfather commandeered the front passenger seat, with the other three ghosts in the back with Pia.
“Okay, Lorraine, what does Pia need? Where can I take her?”
“She needs trees, plants, but not a park or anywhere random people will go. Even a potted plant will help right now.”
Mercy said, “Is there a Wonder rescue here? Or who’s the District Monitor?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know what any of those words mean.” Then I saw something. I turned off my headlights and pulled over to the curb. “Hang on.” I flipped off the interior lights and got out of the car, leaving my door open for a quick getaway.
I ran around the rear of the SUV to the curb. There, flanking the white brick mailbox, were two topiaries pruned into weird spirals about four feet high. Muttering, “Sorry,” I grabbed the nearest one and opened the rear passenger door to shove it into the footwell. It was heavier than I’d expectedsince the pot turned out to have been made of concrete. After shutting the door as quietly as I could, I ran back to the driver’s side and jumped in. I peeled away from the curb with a squeal of my tires, only turning my headlights back on when I’d turned the corner.
I heard rustling leaves. “Did that help?” I glanced over my shoulder, but I couldn’t see down onto the floor.
Pia didn’t reply, but Lorraine said, “Yes. The plant is helping renew her magic. Thank you.”
“Good. Um, Mercy, can you explain what you were saying a few minutes ago? Something about a District? Can we go there?” It was past 1am, but I’d wake up the entire city to get Pia the help she needed.
Mercy appeared next to me, sitting in Grandfather’s lap.
“I say!” he harumphed.
She ignored him. “You’re not part of the campaign?”
I stopped at a light and turned to stare at her. “What campaign?”
“Crap. I’m from Canada, but I’m sure the campaign exists down here too.”
Garfield asked, “Did you have a District Monitor up there? Maybe Rory can call them for help.”
