would wear a ski mask, but the thrill I felt at possibly having my identity discovered prompted me to choose a baseball cap pulled low over my face.
I left the Tracker with his friends and shook my head to clear it after tonight’s exertion. Despite my evening activities, I was eager to get on with my plans. I would need to rest up for my next step. It would take a lot of energy to get through the minds of hardened cops and the other criminals in holding where my prey was being kept. I felt a smile on my face as I once again anticipated the thrill of the hunt, made even more exhilarating by the threat of discovery. It would be the Tracker's first view of me, and I wanted to be able to leave a message for him.
THIRTEEN
Jason
Alice and Hannah looked at me in horror. "Jason, you were with us. You interacted with everyone and ate with us. Are you telling me you can't remember any of tonight?" Alice asked. Hannah just stared on in wordless concern.
I simply shook my head. "There's nothing. I remember flattening the dirt outside my window, and then nothing until we pulled into the driveway." I could feel the fear and apprehension building up as I realized. "I blacked out again, but…"
"But this time you were acting normal," Hannah finished for me as I trailed off uncertainly. "How can that be? Every other time you were just out of it."
"Not before we left," Alice countered. "He'd blacked out upstairs and ended up down in his room." She frowned thoughtfully. "It doesn't sound like normal blackouts."
I gave a short laugh. "What are 'normal blackouts' exactly? Please tell me, Alice, I'd really like to know!"—my voice rose anxiously—"What is going on with me, Alice? I want to know what's happening!"
"Jason, calm down. We'll figure it out. Let's go in and we can call Dustin. If he's the one you're going to talk to, then he'll want to know what happened tonight," Hannah said calmly. How she could be so calm with what was going on was beyond me. But she was right. Although I was hesitant to call Dustin after our fight, I knew in light of this new development, he'd want to come.
I swayed slightly as I got out of the car, fighting the wave of dizziness that had come over me. Hannah and Alice were getting out of the car and didn't notice, so I steadied myself and walked to the house, the girls following. If Dustin came, I would tell him about the momentary dizziness. Until then it didn't really matter.
"Jase, you seem pale. You should lie down until Dustin gets here," Hannah noticed when she turned on the lights. "I'll call him right now."
I nodded and headed unsteadily down the stairs to my room, and almost collapsed onto my bed. Whatever had caused this blackout to be different had wiped me out, and I was out as soon as my body hit the bed.
"He's really out; maybe this should wait until morning." Hannah's voice; coming from inside my room.
I groaned. "I'm awake," I mumbled. My room was nearly pitch-black, the only light coming from the hall light through the now open door. I could see Hannah and Dustin only by silhouette as they discussed whether to wake me or not. "How long was I out?"
"About an hour. It took a while for me to get here," Dustin said; his voice calm. None of his earlier anger showed. "I needed to look up some information about treating blackouts caused by Post-Traumatic stress, but based on what Hannah told me, this is unlike anything recorded. I've never heard of a situation where the person blacking out is still able to interact normally with people."
Hannah shushed him. "Give him a minute to wake up before you start in on him."
"Sorry," he said sheepishly. "We'll give you a minute."
"No problem. I'm awake," I said more clearly as I sat up rubbing my eyes. "I'm sorry about before, Dustin. I…"—glancing at Hannah, I stopped—"Hannah, could you…" I gestured vaguely at the door.
"Oh, right," she said. "I guess you guys need to talk. Okay. I'll see you later then." She left the room,
I left the Tracker with his friends and shook my head to clear it after tonight’s exertion. Despite my evening activities, I was eager to get on with my plans. I would need to rest up for my next step. It would take a lot of energy to get through the minds of hardened cops and the other criminals in holding where my prey was being kept. I felt a smile on my face as I once again anticipated the thrill of the hunt, made even more exhilarating by the threat of discovery. It would be the Tracker's first view of me, and I wanted to be able to leave a message for him.
THIRTEEN
Jason
Alice and Hannah looked at me in horror. "Jason, you were with us. You interacted with everyone and ate with us. Are you telling me you can't remember any of tonight?" Alice asked. Hannah just stared on in wordless concern.
I simply shook my head. "There's nothing. I remember flattening the dirt outside my window, and then nothing until we pulled into the driveway." I could feel the fear and apprehension building up as I realized. "I blacked out again, but…"
"But this time you were acting normal," Hannah finished for me as I trailed off uncertainly. "How can that be? Every other time you were just out of it."
"Not before we left," Alice countered. "He'd blacked out upstairs and ended up down in his room." She frowned thoughtfully. "It doesn't sound like normal blackouts."
I gave a short laugh. "What are 'normal blackouts' exactly? Please tell me, Alice, I'd really like to know!"—my voice rose anxiously—"What is going on with me, Alice? I want to know what's happening!"
"Jason, calm down. We'll figure it out. Let's go in and we can call Dustin. If he's the one you're going to talk to, then he'll want to know what happened tonight," Hannah said calmly. How she could be so calm with what was going on was beyond me. But she was right. Although I was hesitant to call Dustin after our fight, I knew in light of this new development, he'd want to come.
I swayed slightly as I got out of the car, fighting the wave of dizziness that had come over me. Hannah and Alice were getting out of the car and didn't notice, so I steadied myself and walked to the house, the girls following. If Dustin came, I would tell him about the momentary dizziness. Until then it didn't really matter.
"Jase, you seem pale. You should lie down until Dustin gets here," Hannah noticed when she turned on the lights. "I'll call him right now."
I nodded and headed unsteadily down the stairs to my room, and almost collapsed onto my bed. Whatever had caused this blackout to be different had wiped me out, and I was out as soon as my body hit the bed.
"He's really out; maybe this should wait until morning." Hannah's voice; coming from inside my room.
I groaned. "I'm awake," I mumbled. My room was nearly pitch-black, the only light coming from the hall light through the now open door. I could see Hannah and Dustin only by silhouette as they discussed whether to wake me or not. "How long was I out?"
"About an hour. It took a while for me to get here," Dustin said; his voice calm. None of his earlier anger showed. "I needed to look up some information about treating blackouts caused by Post-Traumatic stress, but based on what Hannah told me, this is unlike anything recorded. I've never heard of a situation where the person blacking out is still able to interact normally with people."
Hannah shushed him. "Give him a minute to wake up before you start in on him."
"Sorry," he said sheepishly. "We'll give you a minute."
"No problem. I'm awake," I said more clearly as I sat up rubbing my eyes. "I'm sorry about before, Dustin. I…"—glancing at Hannah, I stopped—"Hannah, could you…" I gestured vaguely at the door.
"Oh, right," she said. "I guess you guys need to talk. Okay. I'll see you later then." She left the room,
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