The Remembered Read online

  Ms. Abagail whirled on Wyatt. "Now! We need to leave now. I don't care how we got here—you need to get me out of here now."

  Wyatt was taken aback. "I...uh, well, I can't. Only Lucy can, I think."

  Ms. Abagail looked at Julia and started sobbing, again covering her mouth and turning back toward the road.

  Wyatt drew closer to her, standing at her elbow. "Ms. Abagail..."

  "I can't be here," she said, words muffled by her tears and hands. "I have to go."

  A sound like a single thunderclap rang out behind them. "Abagail Maegan Miller!" a female voice shouted, the name echoing off the distant hills. "You get in here, this instant!"

  Wyatt looked back at the house to see a woman standing in front of the open front door. At the distance, it was difficult to see her clearly, but her voice sent chills up Wyatt's spine.

  "Oh my God," Ms. Abagail said from Wyatt's side. She'd turned as well, looking at the woman. "This can't be happening. This can't be real."

  "I said get in here!" the woman shouted again. "If I have to come and get you, there will be hell to pay! As God is my witness, there will be hell to pay, Abagail!"

  "Uh, Ms. Abagail, is that..." Wyatt said.

  Ms. Abagail's eyes were darting back and forth between the woman and the dirt road. Then she whirled on Julia, who seemed preoccupied with the clouds, only jerking back to attention when Ms. Abagail grabbed her by the shoulders. "Lucy, you need to get us out of here. Now."

  "Uh..." Wyatt began to say.

  Julia scrunched up her face in the way she often did. "I'll ask her when she gets back, if you want. She's still pouting."

  Ms. Abagail stared at the girl for a long moment and Wyatt wondered if she would strike her, shake her, or just scream. It looked like she might do all three. Instead, she let go of Julia's shoulders and let her arms fall limp. She glanced briefly at Wyatt, seeming a shell of her former self, then turned and trudged toward the house.

  Wyatt bolted to her side. "Hey, I don't know what's going on here, but I don't think we should go to her."

  "We have to," Ms. Abagail said, still walking. Her shoulders were slumped and her arms listless at her sides.

  Wyatt surged ahead to block her path, holding up his hands. "No, we don't. I'm beginning to think Lucy's power can do more than just take us between worlds. She said she dreams places, but I think this is actually a memory or something. Yours. And if—"

  Something pulled sharply on Wyatt's ear, breaking off his concentration and forcing him to spin around. The woman from the house had him by the ear. She was wiry, but dragged him along with inhuman strength. Wyatt grabbed the woman's arm and tried to extricate himself, but found her far stronger than him.

  "Hey, let go!" Wyatt protested. He tried digging in his heels and holding his ground, but the woman gave a sharp tug and forced him to walk again lest he fall.

  "You're lucky I don't paint your backside red for what you've done," the woman said.

  "Ms. Abagail," Wyatt pleaded, looking at his protector.

  She walked at his side, utterly dejected. "Don't fight," she said softly. "It will only make it worse."

  "Julia!" he yelled instead, trying to locate her. They had nearly reached the house. The open front door loomed like a dragon's mouth, ready to swallow them should they draw too near, and fit to burn them alive if they attempted to flee.

  "Yeah, Dumb-name?" Julia asked from the side of Wyatt opposite Ms. Abagail.

  He couldn't turn to see her, but was thankful she was at least following. He couldn't lose her. "Help a guy out?" he asked.

  "Oh, I don't know, Dumb-name," she responded. "She reminds me of Mrs. Devereux and you never fight Mrs. Devereux. Unless you want a good spanking. You should know that."

  The woman dragged Wyatt into the dimly lit house, muttering under her breath as she went. Ms. Abagail shuffled close at hand, while Julia hummed as she brought up the rear. Wyatt had trouble discerning any detail of the house as the woman continued to lead him onward. By the time his eyes adjusted, he was released with a sharp push that sent him sprawling to a carpeted floor.

  He immediately spun and rolled into a crouch, fists clenched. "All right, let's do this," he shouted, ready to fight.

  "It's no use," Ms. Abagail said. She crossed the cramped bedroom they were in and sat on a small bed.

  The audible sound of a padlock being fastened sounded from the other side of the closed door. He surged at it and set to pounding it with his fists.

  "I don't think you can break it," Julia said from his side.

  Wyatt turned on her. "You know, I really wish my sister was here and not you."

  Julia's cheerful mask broke and crumbled into a pout. She crossed her arms and stomped to the bed. She sat next to Ms. Abagail and said, "You don't need to be so mean, Jerk-face."

  "Oh, great," Wyatt retorted. "A new name."

  "If you're not quiet, we won't get dinner," Ms. Abagail said.

  "What is this?" Wyatt asked. "Was that your mom? Is this your house?"

  Ms. Abagail moved further onto the bed, braced her back against the wall, and brought her knees to her chest. She nodded.

  Wyatt leaned against the door and ran his hands through his hair. "This isn't good."

  "Why did you do this?" Ms. Abagail asked.

  Wyatt looked at her incredulously. "I didn't do anything. It was Lucy."

  "This can't be happening," Ms. Abagail said. She looked like she was just a short step from going comatose.

  "I think...I think maybe Lucy's power isn't quite the same as mine," Wyatt said.

  Ms. Abagail looked at him, but didn't say anything.

  "I think...well, I could cross between worlds, which obviously she can do too, but I think she can also cross into—this is going to sound crazy—but memories. We sort of did it last night, I think. I thought it was a dream, then it felt like a memory and that made sense at the time, but then we woke up and I thought it really was just a dream. I haven't had a chance to ask Lucy about it, though."

  "You were here last night?" Ms. Abagail asked.

  Wyatt shook his head. "No, we were...in one of Athena's memories. I think. And we were younger, too, but not now."

  Ms. Abagail just stared.

  "I know, I know," Wyatt said as he began to pace in front of the bed. "Well, we had thought that memories played some part in the Realms. I mean, after all, Lucy said herself that she sent her own memories there, both good and bad, but I thought it was just her memories. And maybe mine. But now..."

  "It's mine, too..." Ms. Abagail said airily.

  "And Athena's," Wyatt added. "Oh, this isn't good. That totally messes up what we thought about, well, fixing things, or whatever. If it's not just Lucy's and my memories..."

  "Oh God," Ms. Abagail said.

  Wyatt stopped pacing. "I'm sorry," he said. "I think we're all a part of this world now. And I'm beginning to think I was wrong about Lucy being the Mother, too. Don't think she made the world. And whatever power she has, she either can't control it yet, or it's changing, or—"

  "We need to get out," Ms. Abagail said.

  "Well, this is your memory. Any ideas?"

  Ms. Abagail wiped the tears from her face and took a deep breath. She looked around the room and fresh tears broke down her cheeks. She stifled a sob and shook her head.

  Wyatt felt his chest tighten at seeing Ms. Abagail in such a state. He turned away and steeled himself. He didn't have his Druid power anymore, but he could still help set things right. He could still be the leader he had failed at being before. He walked to the only window in the room and looked out into the yard and the dirt road that seemed miles away now. He tried to open the window but it didn't yield.

  "It's nailed shut," Ms. Abagail said.

  "We can break the glass," Wyatt said, looking for something to do it with.

  "You can try," Ms. Abagail said, her tone suggesting the likely outcome.

  Wyatt turned in a tight circle. The only thing in the room was the bed
and simple dresser. He had been so flabbergasted on first arrival that he had failed to notice the complete state of the tiny room.

  "It's like the Shepherd's Crook," he said. "A prison cell."

  "That's the point," Ms. Abagail said.

  He looked at her and felt his heart break again. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean..."

  "It's okay," she said. "It's just so...I mean, I haven't...I still can't believe this is real. It feels just like it did then."

  Wyatt couldn't begin to understand what the memory meant to Ms. Abagail, and he wasn't about to pry. Instead, he approached the bed and sat next to her. "Well, you're not alone this time. You got me and Lu—Julia," he said.

  Ms. Abagail smiled for a fraction of a second before the mask of pain slid back into place. Julia scooted up against Ms. Abagail and patted her leg. "Don't you worry, Ms. Abagail, me and Dumb-name-jerk-face are good at saving things. Aren't we?" Julia looked at Wyatt, her mischievous grin back on her face.

  Wyatt nodded firmly. "Yep. Though I don't suppose you have a keycard that can get through that door, huh?"

  "Don't be dumb," Julia chided. "It's not that kind of door."

  "I was just—never mind. Julia, we really need to find a way out of here and back to Sanctuary. And to do that, we need Lucy's help. Unless you can use her magic amulet."

  Julia frowned. "Oh, she doesn't even let me play with it. Said it's too dangerous. Makes people remember things. Bad things."

  "Oh God," Ms. Abagail moaned.

  "I wish one of you would have bothered to say that before, but whatever. Julia, can you get Lucy here?" Wyatt said, fighting to keep his emotions in check. He felt twitchy, on the verge of jumping out of his skin.

  "Maybe. But she's really good at hiding."

  "Well, try," Wyatt said.

  Julia shrugged and bounced off the bed. "Okey-dokey."

  Wyatt turned his attention back to Ms. Abagail. She was staring straight ahead, eyes glazed over. "Ms. Abagail?"

  She twitched and looked at him.

  "It's none of my business," he said. "But this is your memory. Maybe you can help somehow. What did...when this..." Wyatt felt the words jumble together in his head. He felt out of place, like an intruder. I shouldn't be here, he thought, not in something so personal. He forced a cough. "What did you do to get through...well, this." Wyatt waved his arms at the room as if to further illustrate his clumsy point.

  "Wait. Quietly," Ms. Abagail said.

  Behind him, Wyatt could hear Julia wandering around the room whispering Lucy's name. He didn't hold much hope that she would be any help anytime soon.

  "And what else?" he asked.

  Ms. Abagail looked into her lap without responding. She was fidgeting with something.

  Wyatt leaned forward to get a better look, but couldn't see what she had. "What's that?" he asked cautiously. Everything about their situation seemed volatile, fit to explode at any moment.

  "It's a picture of my dad," she said. "The only one my mom didn't destroy. I found it in the attic, and he's just a kid in it, but I would stare at it for hours, wishing I was someplace else."

  Wyatt didn't see how that could help them escape, but he didn't say anything. If it kept Ms. Abagail lucid, it was enough.

  Ms. Abagail looked up and made an obvious attempt at gathering herself. "Sorry," she said. "I shouldn't be talking to you about it. It's not right."

  "You're not really my staff anymore," he said. "But I won't ask you. I was just hoping you would have an idea of how to get us out of here."

  "It just feels weird."

  "What does?" Wyatt asked.

  "All of this. Everything. I know this isn't real, not really, but I can't help but feel like I did then. All I want to do is curl up and wish he had taken me with him."

  "Your dad?"

  Ms. Abagail nodded. "I wish I could just will it all away. Then and now. Why is this happening?"

  "I don't know. It's the Realms. It's like the world wants us to remember stuff we'd rather forget..." He glanced at Julia. "...or can't remember."

  "But I do remember," Ms. Abagail said. "This is just cruel. I knew it was a mistake to come with you. This is crazy." She surged off the bed and went to the door.

  "Unless you know a trick—"

  "Let us out!" Ms. Abagail screamed. She pounded on the door. Then she kicked it. And then she went at it with a panicked fervor.

  When she finally stopped, the door remained as it was, but Ms. Abagail was panting. Her hands were red and shaking.

  Something rattled on the other side of the door, followed by the sound of a padlock popping open.

  "Hey, you did it," Wyatt said, popping up off the bed.

  The door blew open, knocking Ms. Abagail backward, where she collided with Wyatt. They both fell to the floor.

  Ms. Abagail's mother loomed in the doorway, eyes black and unseeing, hair drifting around a head that looked like a corpse's. She took a single step into the room and jabbed a finger at them, the nail hooked and sharpened to a fine point. Wyatt could see it growing.

  "Just who do you think you are?" she bellowed, her voice rising to an inhuman volume, enough to be felt. She looked more creature than woman. "You filthy whore. Jezebel. You did it. It was your fault."

  Ms. Abagail shuddered against Wyatt, neither having found the courage to move.

  "Vei culege ce ai semănat."

  Not being able to understand the words she was speaking, Wyatt found life in his limbs and leapt to his feet. "You can't hurt her," he said, moving between Ms. Abagail and her mother.

  The twisted visage of a woman leered and flicked her wrist to the side. An invisible force flung Wyatt across the room to collide with the wall. He fell amid a thin cloud of plaster dust. He shook his head, trying to get the room to cease spinning.

  "Don't," Ms. Abagail said, coming shakily to her feet.

  The woman cocked her head to the side in a way Wyatt had seen before. Oh no.

  "You dare talk back to me, foul beast?" the woman snarled.

  "Hey," Julia shouted, having found her way atop the bed. Wyatt cursed himself, having momentarily lost track of her despite the tight quarters. She was still his sister. Even if she didn't know it at the moment.

  The woman-creature turned to face Julia. "You shouldn't be here, small one," it hissed, spitting black vapor.

  "I know you," Julia challenged.

  "Leave her alone," Ms. Abagail said, her voice fuller than before.

  The creature held up a hand toward Ms. Abagail without turning from the bed. "Oh, do you?"

  Julia nodded. "You're the Bad Man. You're making Ms. Abagail remember scary things. Lucy told me all about you."

  Wyatt stepped forward. "Yeah, we know what you are."

  The thing whirled on Wyatt, but addressed Ms. Abagail with a wag of its finger. "You little slut. How dare you bring these things into my house." It turned its head toward Ms. Abagail. It no longer looked human, limbs elongating, bones snapping like kindling.

  Without warning, Julia flung herself from the bed and landed atop the creature's back. Both snarled, and Wyatt couldn't separate their voices. The creature jerked, snared Julia with its impossibly long fingers, and tossed her aside as if she were a doll. Wyatt attempted to catch her, but ended up falling under the weight.

  "You should not be here," the thing said, raising a clawed hand.

  Wyatt pulled Julia to his chest and braced for the next attack. They would have no chance of avoiding the strike. Not sprawled on the floor as they were and in such tight confines.

  "Don't you fucking touch them."

  The creature froze and slowly twisted around. Ms. Abagail loomed in the middle of the room, her hands still shaking at her side, but now they were clenched into fists and her eyes shone with tears beneath a furrowed brow.

  "You watch your tongue, whore." With a series of sickening cracks, the creature's arms reduced to their original size.

  "I won't let you hurt them," Ms. Abagail said.

  The
creature shuddered and became as it had been before—a slight woman with a sinewy frame and hard eyes. "Need I remind you who you are speaking to?"

  Ms. Abagail faltered a moment, but remained in place. "I'm not scared of you, Mom. You can't hurt—"

  With a quick twitch, Ms. Abagail's mother backhanded her across the face, sending her sprawling onto the bed. "The hell I can't. It's bad enough for you to throw yourself at every boy—or girl—that you see, but to stand here and talk back? I will not have it in my house. I will not stand for it!"

  Wyatt extricated himself from Julia and started to rise, but stopped when Ms. Abagail held up a hand toward him as she pushed herself off the bed. He wanted to intervene. He wanted to save her.

  "This is her fight," Julia whispered, grabbing his arm to further hold him in place.

  He glanced at her and saw a hard expression staring back. "Lucy?" he asked.

  She gave the smallest of nods.

  "This isn't your house," Ms. Abagail said, wiping blood from her lip. "It's Dad's."

  "Like hell," her mother said. "He left—"

  "He left because of you!" Ms. Abagail shouted.

  Her mother raised a hand, poised to strike again, but Ms. Abagail didn't cower. Instead, she stepped closer. "Go on," Ms. Abagail said. "Do it. Hit me. You can hit me all you want, but I will never fear you. Never again. And I won't let you blame Dad leaving on me anymore. It was your fault." Ms. Abagail jabbed a finger at her mother, nearly hitting the woman's nose. "You're nothing but a drunk and a monster. He left me because of what you did. You!"

  Wyatt thought for a moment that Ms. Abagail's mother was going to fall back or flee entirely. But she didn't. She struck, cuffing Ms. Abagail's ear. The sound of the strike echoed, but Ms. Abagail remained stalwart.

  "That all you got, Mom?" she asked.

  The woman visibly bristled and punched Ms. Abagail in the stomach, curling her over. Before Ms. Abagail could gather herself, her mother hit her again, this time in the back of the head. Ms. Abagail fell to her knees.

  Wyatt made to move again, but Ms. Abagail looked up and caught his eye. "Take your sister and get out of here," she said firmly, pointing at the open door as she stood once more.

  Wyatt shook his head as Ms. Abagail's mother backhanded her in the jaw.