a fly stuck on glue
paper, it couldn’t move. After a moment, the light faded, and Leech
disappeared, its howls echoing in the still air. Jason forced himself to sit on
his elbows, staring into the fading light.
The piercing flute melody ceased. On the
roof of the house stood an old woman with steel-gray hair. She held a flute in
her hands, which she then lowered to her thighs, the sun glimmering off the
polished wood. Something about this woman looked strange, but Jason couldn’t
figure it out. He closed his eyes as a throbbing pain stabbed at the back of
his head. Hot blood thrummed in his temples.
He barely heard: “You okay?”
When he opened his eyes, they fluttered
around, haphazardly trying to find the voice’s owner. He searched the roof
again, but found no sign of the flute woman.
“Hey, down here, dumbass.” There, in the
yard, stood the woman. But she didn’t look like a woman. She did, but she
didn’t. “Come down so we can talk.”
Grunting, Jason sat up. He wiggled down
the windshield, hoping his weight wouldn’t crack it. Using the fender as a
stepping stool, he lowered himself down. Nothing seemed broken. He still felt
sore, and so gingered toward the woman. Up-close, Jason could see it: This
woman wasn’t a woman, but a girl about Jason’s age. With gray hair. He was too
tired to stop his mouth from gaping, which was about as much shock as he could
display. Even so, he quickly apologized: “Sorry, I don’t mean to stare.”
“It’s okay. Most people do.” She smiled,
and it was huge and sunny, catching Jason off-guard. Jason wished he could
return it.
“You helped me,” he said “Thanks. I
would’ve been dead without you.”
The girl shrugged. “No problem. My name’s
Len, by the by.”
“Len? Mine is—”
“Jason McKinney. Sorry, I’ve known for a
while.” She held the flute up, leaning it against her shoulder, as if holding a
dearly beloved. “I don’t mean to sound like a stalker, but I needed to know
your name.”
“Needed to know?” Jason crossed his arms.
With his plain, emotionless face, it may’ve looked like he was growing bored.
“Why would you need to know my name?”
“Well, this is going to sound super bad,
but I can’t tell you. Not yet. For now, you need to be told as little as
possible.” Before he could reply, Len pulled something from her jean pocket: a
key, the large, golden one that had been sitting next to the flowers. She held
it out to him. “Take this. You’ll need it.”
“Why?”
“I can’t tell you.”
“I don’t want the key. I want to know
what’s going on.”
“If you take the key, you’ll eventually
find out what’s going on. Trust me, I can tell you everything. Eventually.
Look, there are things I don’t know, either. But I know quite a bit about you.”
“What do you know?” This sounded more like
a curious child than someone who felt freaked out about someone he’d never met
knowing lots of things about him.
“Will you please take the key?”
Jason did, appearing more calm and relaxed
than he felt. That’s why, when he chucked the key over the van, Len’s eyes
widened.
“Wait! What the hell’re you doing?!”
“Exactly what I want to ask you. Showing
up out of nowhere. Saving my ass. You’ve been there before, haven’t you? The
other times Talshe came after me.”
“Talshe?”
“The giantess.”
Her eyes sparkled, as if he had just told
her what her Christmas present would be. Hands behind her back, she leaned in,
smiling wryly. “Oh, you don’t say. And how do you know this?”
“Just do.” And she gave him this look, her
lips pursed, brows cinched.
Before Len could say anything else, a
voice floated up from behind the van: “ Oooh ! A key!
Wonder what it unlocks?”
“Not sure,” said another voice. “Maybe
there’ll be treasure!”
“Or sweets!”
“Or boys!”
“Boys like him!”
“Boys like Jason!”
Len and Jason ran around to the front of
the van. Only a few feet
paper, it couldn’t move. After a moment, the light faded, and Leech
disappeared, its howls echoing in the still air. Jason forced himself to sit on
his elbows, staring into the fading light.
The piercing flute melody ceased. On the
roof of the house stood an old woman with steel-gray hair. She held a flute in
her hands, which she then lowered to her thighs, the sun glimmering off the
polished wood. Something about this woman looked strange, but Jason couldn’t
figure it out. He closed his eyes as a throbbing pain stabbed at the back of
his head. Hot blood thrummed in his temples.
He barely heard: “You okay?”
When he opened his eyes, they fluttered
around, haphazardly trying to find the voice’s owner. He searched the roof
again, but found no sign of the flute woman.
“Hey, down here, dumbass.” There, in the
yard, stood the woman. But she didn’t look like a woman. She did, but she
didn’t. “Come down so we can talk.”
Grunting, Jason sat up. He wiggled down
the windshield, hoping his weight wouldn’t crack it. Using the fender as a
stepping stool, he lowered himself down. Nothing seemed broken. He still felt
sore, and so gingered toward the woman. Up-close, Jason could see it: This
woman wasn’t a woman, but a girl about Jason’s age. With gray hair. He was too
tired to stop his mouth from gaping, which was about as much shock as he could
display. Even so, he quickly apologized: “Sorry, I don’t mean to stare.”
“It’s okay. Most people do.” She smiled,
and it was huge and sunny, catching Jason off-guard. Jason wished he could
return it.
“You helped me,” he said “Thanks. I
would’ve been dead without you.”
The girl shrugged. “No problem. My name’s
Len, by the by.”
“Len? Mine is—”
“Jason McKinney. Sorry, I’ve known for a
while.” She held the flute up, leaning it against her shoulder, as if holding a
dearly beloved. “I don’t mean to sound like a stalker, but I needed to know
your name.”
“Needed to know?” Jason crossed his arms.
With his plain, emotionless face, it may’ve looked like he was growing bored.
“Why would you need to know my name?”
“Well, this is going to sound super bad,
but I can’t tell you. Not yet. For now, you need to be told as little as
possible.” Before he could reply, Len pulled something from her jean pocket: a
key, the large, golden one that had been sitting next to the flowers. She held
it out to him. “Take this. You’ll need it.”
“Why?”
“I can’t tell you.”
“I don’t want the key. I want to know
what’s going on.”
“If you take the key, you’ll eventually
find out what’s going on. Trust me, I can tell you everything. Eventually.
Look, there are things I don’t know, either. But I know quite a bit about you.”
“What do you know?” This sounded more like
a curious child than someone who felt freaked out about someone he’d never met
knowing lots of things about him.
“Will you please take the key?”
Jason did, appearing more calm and relaxed
than he felt. That’s why, when he chucked the key over the van, Len’s eyes
widened.
“Wait! What the hell’re you doing?!”
“Exactly what I want to ask you. Showing
up out of nowhere. Saving my ass. You’ve been there before, haven’t you? The
other times Talshe came after me.”
“Talshe?”
“The giantess.”
Her eyes sparkled, as if he had just told
her what her Christmas present would be. Hands behind her back, she leaned in,
smiling wryly. “Oh, you don’t say. And how do you know this?”
“Just do.” And she gave him this look, her
lips pursed, brows cinched.
Before Len could say anything else, a
voice floated up from behind the van: “ Oooh ! A key!
Wonder what it unlocks?”
“Not sure,” said another voice. “Maybe
there’ll be treasure!”
“Or sweets!”
“Or boys!”
“Boys like him!”
“Boys like Jason!”
Len and Jason ran around to the front of
the van. Only a few feet
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