Windswept Read online

  I wouldn’t have minded if it happened again.

  When I got to the bottom floor, Levi wasn’t in his usual spot waiting for me.

  “Levi?”

  I waited to hear the rattling of his metal tags, but it never came. I knew I hadn’t left him outside all night. I walked toward the kitchen in search of him.

  There was movement outside and I saw Levi—someone was with him. At first, I thought he was attacking an intruder, but as I rushed to the door, I realized he was playing with the person. He was playing with Reid.

  Reid had his arms out wide and was half-crouched, getting Levi all riled up. Reid’s hair was crazy, like he’d been caught in a bad wind, and one of his shoes was untied. I smiled at the sight.

  I stepped outside and Levi ran toward me. Reid straightened, giving me a smile in return.

  “Hey,” I said, petting Levi.

  “Hey. Sorry if this is weird. I was waiting on your patio and your dog looked like he wanted to come out.”

  “No, it’s fine. You’re just here . . . early,” I said.

  “You said soon, didn’t you?” He tried another smile, like he wasn’t sure if he should.

  “Well, yeah, but it’s like . . .” I said, narrowing my eyes, “early, early.”

  Reid’s smile slowly disappeared. “Sorry, was this not okay? Do you want me to go?”

  “No.” I shook my head. “I don’t want you to go. Come inside.”

  “Are you feeling all right?” he asked, walking past me through the door. “You don’t look so good.”

  “Oh, I’ve had a couple of rough nights. My stomach has been acting up lately. I think I might be getting the flu.”

  His shoulders lowered, and he asked, “So I’ll take it you don’t want to go anywhere today?”

  I did, more than anything, but I knew I shouldn’t. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “Yeah, probably not.” Reid glanced around the room, looking like he was unsure he should be there.

  “Stay here with me. We can watch a movie or something.” I smiled as I thought of another idea. “You can even make me soup to help me feel better.”

  He lit up, happy he had a reason to stay. “I would love to.”

  Within the next hour, we both sat on the couch watching (me rewatching) the first couple episodes of Stranger Things because Reid had never seen it, and a piece of toast had safely settled in my stomach. Reid lounged next to me, wearing a black T-shirt that fit his upper body all too perfectly. I still couldn’t believe he had agreed to stay with me. He could go anywhere in the world, and yet he was here with me on my couch watching TV.

  “Do you want more toast?”

  I shook my head. “I think that’s enough for now.”

  “All right.” He rose from the couch, taking my plate with him, and disappeared into the kitchen. I heard the faucet turn on. Then I realized he was actually washing my plate.

  “You don’t have to do that,” I called.

  “I know, but it’s been a while since I’ve washed dishes.” After a pause, he said quietly—like he wasn’t sure he wanted to say it aloud—“It makes me feel normal.”

  I thought about where Reid lived and what the last few years must have been like for him, and I got an ache in my stomach. It wasn’t a sickness ache; it was a longing. A lingering emotion that I had about him. It was a strange feeling.

  Someone knocked on the door, and this time I knew it wasn’t Reid. Because he’s in my house. I smiled at the thought as I got up. When I opened the door, Nella greeted me with a grin.

  “Let’s watch movies,” she said. “I’m done with homework, and I have nothing else to do.”

  “Oh, well . . .” I hesitated and didn’t know how to respond. I glanced over my shoulder quickly, seeing if Reid was still in the kitchen.

  Nella narrowed her eyes, knowing something was up. “What’s going on? You’re acting weird.”

  “It’s nothing. I just haven’t been feeling well.”

  “Well, do you want to watch a movie?”

  I hesitated again and she caught on.

  “Sam, what’s going on? You’re acting like there’s a boy in there somewhere that you don’t want me to find out about.” When I didn’t come up with a snarky comeback fast enough, her eyes grew wide. “Oh, my gosh, there’s a boy in there and you didn’t want me to find out.”

  I couldn’t lie to her.

  “Maybe?” I winced for the coming wrath. Before she could open her mouth, the door opened wider and Reid appeared beside me. Nella’s eyes somehow opened even more at the sight of him.

  “Nella, this is Reid.”

  She stared numbly at him as he shook her hand.

  “It’s nice to meet you,” he said.

  “Yeah—” Her eyes traveled back to mine, and I tried to give her a smile. She would drill me later, and by the look in her eyes, it wasn’t going to be a good conversation, either. “So . . . I guess I’ll see you later?”

  “Yeah, did you want to meet up after school?”

  “That’s fine.” Her eyes flickered to Reid, like she still couldn’t believe he was standing there. Then she nodded once before leaving in an awkward silence. She was probably screaming inside; her responses were too simple and every one of them was left hanging. Very unlike Nella.

  I watched her car pull away. The sky had become overcast with heavy clouds at some point, and I could hear the faint sound of thunder over the city noise.

  “When do your parents get home?” Reid asked, his voice so close that it made me shiver—and not from the cold.

  “They said it would be Tuesday.” I shut the door, blocking out the late fall air. “Why?”

  Reid shrugged and scratched the back of his head. “I don’t know. Being here without them knowing kind of makes it feel like I’m doing something wrong.”

  “Oh.” That was all I could say, half because it was true and half because I didn’t want him to go. My parents had never set any house rules, probably because I’d never brought anyone home before.

  “Do you want me to go?” he asked quietly.

  “No.”

  “Then what should we do?”

  I thought of something that would solve both problems. “Take me somewhere.”

  “But you’re sick. Shouldn’t you stay home?”

  “I don’t care,” I said, shaking my head. “I don’t want to spend the day inside, especially if it’s going to rain and you’re not going to be here.”

  He thought about it.

  I asked, “Did you already have plans today?” I waited for his answer, holding my breath.

  Reid looked up and laughed once. “No, I don’t have plans. I was thinking about where we should go.”

  I smiled, unable to contain my excitement. “You think on that while I get ready.”

  I made sure Levi had food and water and then I disappeared upstairs for a few minutes to change into something more appropriate than my old sweatpants and T-shirt. Just when I was ready, I heard Reid talking to someone downstairs.

  The voices were muffled, and when I got to the bottom floor, I saw that he was talking to his friend, Jake, in the kitchen. I didn’t remember what he looked like, but his accent was hard to miss. I stopped at the bottom of the stairs, looking into the kitchen. I could just see both of them—well, Jake and half of Reid.

  “Don’t get me wrong, mate,” Jake said. “I think it’s great that you’re seeing someone, but you’ve got to think about something besides yourself this time. People are missing.”

  “Think about something besides myself this time?” Reid repeated incredulously. Jake had clearly hit a nerve. “How can you come here and say that to me? You always said I didn’t take care of myself or do enough for myself, and now, for the first time, I’m actually taking your advice and then you come here to make me feel guilty for it?”

  Jake’s expression softened. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just that if we don’t figure this out, there’s no s
aying where or when it’ll end. You need to come. Please.”

  Jake caught sight of me near the stairs then, and Reid turned, following his gaze. He wasn’t happy anymore, and his eyes had a hint of defeat in them. He turned back to Jake and nodded. “Fine. I’ll be there, just give me a few minutes.”

  His friend left without another word. I eyed Levi, lying nearby, and was surprised he hadn’t reacted at all. He just continued to watch Reid. Maybe our dog really was a dud.

  “I take it you have plans?” I asked.

  He nodded, not meeting my eyes for long. “I’m sorry. Some things came up and they need my help.”

  “Does it have to do with the sliders?”

  “Yeah . . . at least, we think so.” He grabbed his coat from the kitchen chair and pulled it on. “I promise I’ll explain everything later, but Jake will come looking for me if I don’t meet up with him.”

  I nodded, trying to hide my disappointment. Reid seemed as though he wanted to say something else, but neither of us spoke, and after a while, he said, “I’ll see you later.”

  He left before I had the chance to say anything, leaving me to stare at the wisps of air and feel the soft breeze blow across my skin. Levi nudged my hand with his nose, and I petted him without thinking.

  The rain started up outside and I went upstairs to change back into my sweatpants.

  I forced myself to go to bed early, abandoning my movie and dinner, with a dull aching in my stomach that I knew would get worse if I stayed awake. I hoped sleep would take it all away.

  I was wrong.

  I had nothing to take my mind off my own thoughts and dreams. Images swarmed my mind, and it became hard to concentrate on anything else as the night went on. Long after I climbed into bed, everything became worse. I even started to doubt my own sanity. My mind was a slideshow of images, flipping from one to the other like someone was clicking the button. Click. Click. Click.

  Paris, Iceland, Mongolia, the middle of the ocean, the top of a building in Tokyo.

  Every time the picture changed, the headache became worse. It pounded the back of my skull like the worst migraine imaginable. There came a point when all I could do was shake. I curled up in my bed with my arms wrapped around my legs, wishing for it all to stop. The pain from my stomach seemed to be spreading everywhere, and even my breathing was uneven and labored. I didn’t know how much longer I could take it.

  Should I go to the hospital? Would they believe me about what I was seeing?

  I glanced at the clock; it was only a little after midnight. Thunder continued outside as rain pelted the window. My room was dark and shadowy around me. I couldn’t focus on anything specific. The images, the lightning, and trying to distinguish reality was overwhelming.

  I grabbed for my phone, thinking maybe I should call Mom or Dad.

  A dark shadow passed in front of the window and Reid came into view. Relief coursed through me. I wasn’t alone anymore.

  He sat down on the edge of my bed and stretched a hand toward my face, but his fingers stopped short, only inches away.

  “Are you sick again? I thought you were getting better.” He pulled his hand away like he wasn’t sure if he should touch me, like he was doing something wrong. Maybe worried he would catch whatever I had.

  “It always gets worse at night. I don’t know why. I think I might have a fever. Is it cold in here?”

  He reached his hand toward me again and lightly touched my cheek. “No, you’re the one that’s cold. Really cold actually.”

  Reid stood and walked around to the other side of my bed to turn on the nightstand light. He hesitated there, seeing the paper elephant he made sitting next to the lamp. I would have given anything to know his thoughts just then.

  When he sat down on the edge of my bed, he brought the scent of grass with him.

  “Where did Jake take you?” I asked.

  “Upstate New York. I’m sorry I couldn’t get back any earlier.”

  I sat up and leaned against the headboard. With Reid there, it seemed my stomach calmed, and I was able to focus on one thing at a time. Just the smell of the wind he brought put me at ease; it was something easy to focus on.

  “When did you start getting sick?” he asked.

  “A few days ago, but it wasn’t this bad . . . it’s getting worse.” I didn’t think it was the flu any longer.

  “It’s been getting worse?” I nodded and he thought more. “What does it feel like?”

  “It just feels like I’m getting sick. Weaker. But it’s not so bad when you’re here when I can take my mind off it.” Reid was staring at me oddly, like I was telling him something he’d never expected.

  “What do you mean by that?” he asked.

  I looked down, hesitant to say what was going on with me. It was something not normal. I was afraid to tell him in case he thought I was crazy.

  “You can tell me. I promise I’ll believe you.” There was a short pause. “I need to know, Sam.”

  At those last words, I looked up, hearing something different in his voice.

  I could tell him. I could tell him that my mind had been giving me images that I’d never seen before, places I’d never been to. I could tell him that I thought my dreams and hallucinations were causing my sickness. I was almost sure of it, but how could that be true? And why? Those were the questions that I’d been ignoring for the last week. I was almost scared to know what was wrong with me.

  “I think my hallucinations are making me sick,” I confessed. Reid stared back at me. “I feel like . . . I feel like I’m losing my mind and everything hurts.”

  “And when you feel sick, that gets worse when the images happen?”

  I nodded. Just thinking about it made my stomach turn again. I could feel it churning deep inside, distraction or not. I knew it was coming again soon. It was to the point where I couldn’t stop it. Flashes of different places touched the edges of my vision.

  “Do you feel it coming again now?”

  “Yes.” My voice was weak because I didn’t know how much more of it I could take. I just wanted relief and sleep and to have my mind back.

  “Sam . . .” He looked at me like he was seeing me for the first time all over again. “I know what’s wrong, but . . . Jesus, Sam, haven’t your parents told you about this? Don’t you realize what’s happening?”

  The images started coming again. I was on the brink of another wave and I felt like this time I was surely going to drown. My body broke into a cold sweat.

  “Told me what?” I asked, now totally confused. My heart raced like I was missing something huge. His words didn’t make any sense, and why had he mentioned my parents?

  Reid hesitated, gave me a weak smile, and then said, “You’re a drifter, Sam.”

  REID

  NEW YORK, UNITED STATES

  “YOU’RE A DRIFTER, SAM.” AS I SAID THE WORDS, her breath caught in her throat. I was stupid for not seeing the truth sooner. She’d acted so normal, had dismissed her sickness like it was just a small inconvenient thing. She had put on such a brave face that I had believed her.

  I should have dug deeper, should have known it was something more. Her body was slowly shutting down, and she hadn’t even known it. When I took her drifting, it must have delayed it; it would have relieved the symptoms but not for long.

  “How—how do you know?” Her voice was weak with dis-belief and her breathing was fast, like she was on the verge of panic. She bent over, hugging her stomach as if she were trying to hold her body together.

  I put my hand on her arm, trying to calm her.

  “Because we’re the same. For the past week, your body has been slowly shutting down because you haven’t drifted. Remember what I told you about what happens if I don’t drift? What would happen if I continued not to drift?”

  She barely nodded. “You’ll die.”

  “And remember what I said about what happens before? You’re at that point right now, and if you don’t drift, you’ll only get worse until y
ou die.”

  “But that doesn’t explain why I’m seeing things.”

  I was nodding before she ended her sentence. “You’re seeing those places because your body is trying to tell you to go there. And the longer you put it off, the worse it’ll get. It’s like a safety mechanism for your body; it’s telling you what it needs. Like someone being thirsty when they need to drink water.”

  “But the images are of places I’ve never seen or been to before.”

  “That’s exactly what happens,” I told her. “You can think of anywhere in the world, no matter if you’ve been there or not, and you’ll see it as it is, right at that moment.”

  She suddenly shook her head. “I’m not a drifter, Reid, you are! There’s no way this is true.”

  “I promise, it is. I don’t know how, but it is. You and I are drifters, Sam.”

  Sam looked away, trying to understand. I wondered why her parents hadn’t told her before now. Her skin was so pale, and she’d probably gotten little to no sleep. Something crossed her face as I looked at her and I knew the pain was coming back.

  And it would all go away as soon as she drifted.

  My heart raced as I realized that she was just like me. I’d never imagined it would turn out this way.

  “Why did you mention my parents?” she asked, uncertain.

  “Because it’s genetic. Drifting doesn’t come randomly. It runs in the family. I don’t know who your parents are, but one of them is a drifter.”

  “Does this mean my brother is, too?”

  I opened my mouth, only to pause. “I forgot you had a brother, but yes.”

  She sighed, dropping her head. “Why do you think they didn’t tell me about this? Especially if they knew I had it. It doesn’t make any sense.”

  “I don’t know.”

  Sam took a shaky breath. It wasn’t hard to guess what was going through her mind. In a matter of moments, she had been plunged into a world she knew nothing of other than the glimpses I had given her. It was a lot to take in.