Everlost (Skinjacker 1)

Had she lived, she most certainly would have had her learner’s permit by now, but things being what they were, when she started the Porsche, it was the first time she had ever turned a key in a car ignition. It was also a stick shift, and although Allie knew something about gears and the working of a clutch, she had no practical experience. Just pulling out of the parking lot became a nerve-racking experience of sudden starts, stops, and loudly grinding gears.

—My car! My car!— cried the jogger girl from deep inside. — What are you doing to my car!— Allie ignored her, determined to tool around side streets until she got a hang of it.

Driving, however, was not as easy as she thought, and “getting a hang of it,”

was going to take much longer than Allie realized. It was past noon now, and Allie felt no closer to being capable of driving the Porsche than when she started. Allie supposed she could ditch the car, and find other transportation—a bus maybe, but then, all the buses from Atlantic City went to New York or Philly. None went down to Cape May.

—Please — said the jogger girl, much calmer now. —I’ve heard your thoughts and I know where you want to go. Let me have control of my arms and legs so I can drive — Distracted, Allie ran a red light, and slammed on the brakes, coming to a stop right in the middle of the intersection. Angry horns blared, and cars swerved around her.

—Please— said the jogger girl again. —Before you get us both killed— Since Allie had no desire to experience death again, she relented, and backed off—not entirely, but enough to let the girl control her arms and legs, so she could drive. To Allie’s relief the girl didn’t fight. She simply pulled the car out of the intersection, and headed back to the main road that would take them out of Atlantic City.

Allie relaxed, like the captain of a ship letting the first mate navigate.

“Thank you,” she told the jogger girl. The jogger girl said nothing.

All was fine until they reached the bridge that connected Atlantic City with the mainland. Halfway across the bridge, the first mate mutinied. The jogger girl launched a sudden mental offensive that caught Allie completely off guard.

—Steal my body, will you? Invade my space? I DON’T THINK SO!— Then the jogger girl began to push—but she wasn’t pushing down, she was pushing out! Allie felt herself being hurled out of the girl’s body like a bad buffet lunch. She couldn’t feel a heartbeat anymore, or air moving in and out of her lungs. She was disconnected, and losing her grip.

Allie fought back, hoping it wasn’t too late, trying to dig her spirit in like a grappling hook, refusing to be cast off. She pulled herself back inside, and as they fought for control, the car began to swerve wildly on the bridge.

o;What time is it?” asked a boy who looked curiously like a shark.

“Time to go home,” she told him, then she called out to the crowd. “Listen to me, everyone. We have much to do. I know some of you have been imprisoned for a very long time, but now you’re free—and I have a wonderful place for you!

There’s room for everyone, and you’ll never have to suffer again!”

“Are you the Sky Witch?” asked a small girl, no older than five.

Mary smiled, and knelt down to her. “Of course not,” she said. “There’s no such thing.”

“All right,” said Nick, “let’s form a single line right here—and line up by the numbers on your chest, so we know we’re not missing anyone!” The kids began to rearrange themselves, like it was a game. “No pushing—there’s room for everyone!”

Mary smiled. She and Nick were a team now. She could get used to this.

“Hey!” someone called. “Look what I got!”

They both turned to see Lief struggling with a heavy bucket. While the others went off chasing Mikey, Lief had gone back on board the Sulphur Queen. “The McGill left his safe open! I got the McGill’s treasure!”

Mary took the bucket from Lief. It was full of old, faceless coins.

“Some treasure,” mumbled Nick.

“It’s a wonderful treasure,” Mary said, and gave Nick a wink. “There’s enough here for everyone to get a wish at the fountain.” A few kids tried to look inside, but Mary held the bucket away from them.

They returned to the job at hand. The kids were still rearranging themselves into a line, trying to read their numbers, which were all written upside down.

Some kids stood back, not getting in line, not certain if they should—and so those were the kids Mary went to.

She handed Nick the bucket. “Hold this,” she said. “Make sure you keep it away from them until we’re at the fountain.” Then she went off to talk to the kids who were reluctant to get in line. In the end, with Mary’s kindness and charm, there wasn’t a single Afterlight who didn’t want to come.

So concerned was Mary with making sure that every Afterlight was accounted for, that there was one she forgot. It wasn’t until they were airborne and gently gliding north, thousands of feet above the shoreline, that Mary realized it.

“Where’s Vari?”

She turned to Nick, who just shrugged. “I haven’t seen him at all.”

Mary searched the airship—the cabins, corridors, and the catwalks up in the ship’s infrastructure. Vari was nowhere on board. Somehow they had left him behind.