A/n Still not mine, still would love to know Cajun. Maybe I'll pick up a Cajun dictionary one of these days...

This should put the story over 50K now. Holy cow! Um there's some M rating in the cane fields. So if you're reading this and you're under age, skip that part.

Enjoy!

I stood, dazed, envisioning the devastation of the future I had set in motion. My friends, all of my friends slowly starving to death, all my fault.

Jack stood in front of me gripping my shoulders shaking me a little, "Evangeline, snap out of it."

I looked up at him, my face awash with tears. My voice was weak with tears when I whispered, "What have I done?"

"Evie, bebe, calme-toi, it'll be alright. You told me you weren't even sure if it would happen tomorrow or next month or-"

"No! It's tomorrow night! I know it is! And all those people are gonna starve Jack, but they were gonna die and I couldn't just let them, not if I could do something..."

"It'll be alright. We'll figure something out." He was pacing around like a caged lion and I was thinking I needed to know what to do now that I'd messed up everyone's future...

future.

I knew someone who knew the future.

"Jack, I need to make a call. I'll be right back. I'm going to go to the barn. Wait here, alright?"

"Evie, what-"

"I have an idea, just wait here and I'll run it by you when I get back."

I ran to the barn, dashing inside and closing the doors behind me. When I opened the door, the horses nickered a welcome. Well, all of them except for my sweet old nag Allegra—named before the allergy medicine had taken off; she snored.

I dashed through the wide center aisle to the office in the back. When I got there I closed that door too and checked my phone. Two AM. Too late to call Matthew.

Crap!

I yelled. "Matthew! Matthew! I've got to talk to you! Please!" My nose tingled. For once I was actually happy about the headache about to come on. I sagged against the post behind me as the barn office faded away into Matthew's basement Star War's playroom.

He smiled at me. "Empress called?" He sounded so pleased!

"Yes! Hi Matthew. Thanks!" I was so relieved, but still upset and now I had a headache too. "I think I messed up big time. I warned a bunch of friends to stay in their cellars tomorrow night, but now I'm worried they won't have enough food and I'll have to watch them all starve to death after the Flash. What can I do?"

Matthew...smiled?! What the hell? "Empress has a sense of humor this time." Uh, again...

"So if there's a joke, could you clue me in on it, because I'm kind of lost here." Not to mention my head hurt really bad. Ever try to take a test with a migraine? I was always glad to talk to Matthew these days, but the visions always hurt. Like an ice pick being shoved into my head.

"Empress, what is my power?"

"You see the past, present, future and you can send visions."

"Empress, what is your power?"

"Um...plants...?" He cocked his head to the side, brows raised and looked at me as though waiting for a particularly stupid child to grasp an incredibly simple concept.

Plants.

Food grew on plants.

Oh my Tarot Empress card with food growing in abundance on it...I slapped my head on my forehead. I was stupid. Bless Matthew for putting up with me.

In my own defense, 24 out of 26 of my dreams had been an evil red witch using plants to kill and/or torture people. 25 had been Death or other Arcana cards. 26 had actually been plants growing, but not a person growing plants, just plants growing on their own.

"So I can grow food for them after the flash? I can keep my friends from starving?"

"Yes. But most important to develop arsenal, allies. Keep watch for foes."

"Thanks Matthew. You're the best!"

"Never fail you, Evie."

My eyes watered. Why was I his only friend. Why did I have his loyalty? "Matthew? I'll try to never let you down either. I know I'm just learning all this stuff, so I probably don't seem very smart, but I've got your back too. Ok?"

His eyes were bright. "Thank you Empress." He gave mea grave nod and then he was gone.

My nose was running. I wiped it. My tongue swiped my upper lip and I tasted iron. Nosebleed. Darn it! Jackson was out there waiting and he was going to see this! I opened to door of the office, intending to go to the sink out in the main area of the barn...and ran into a hard chest.

Jackson. Shoot!

I kept my head down and wiped my face one more time. Still bleeding. Ugh. I held my hand to my nose.

"Evie. Who were you talking to? Who did you call?"

"Um..." I kept my head lowered and side stepped trying to move around him. He gripped my arms, ducking his head and stepping back a little, trying to look at my face. No, no, no. I averted my head, down and to the side, still covering my lower face with a hand.

"Evie, what's wrong?"

"Um...I just need to wash up for a minute."

I couldn't really see him in the dark of the barn, which meant he couldn't see me either. He dragged me over to the window inside the office and tore my hand away from my face.

"Mon Dieu! Evangeline! What the hell! You're bleeding! He tore his shirt off to hold it to my face, tilting my head back.

"I'll be fine! I just need to wash up. There's a sink in the main barn."

"Just shut up for a second. You can wash up when you're done bleeding like a stuck pig." He leaned me back against his bare chest and tilted my head back, holding his shirt to my nose with one hand, his other arm solidly around my waist, holding me close. I couldn't help but admit to myself, he felt really nice. Warm. Hard but comfortable too. His shirt against my nose smelled really good and I liked the way my head nestled just right into the crook where his neck and shoulder met.

After a bit he asked me, "You want to tell me who Matthew is and why he's the best?" He sounded pretty angry. Uh oh. That conversation had been pretty incriminating.

"How much did you hear?"

"I heard you yelling so I thought I'd come check things out. I got here in time to hear you tell him that. Just how many men are you stringing along fille?" Yeah, definitely angry.

I pushed away from Jackson. "I think the bleeding's stopped. I'm going to go wash up."

"You goan to answer me?" His tone was belligerent as he followed.

"You should know that I've never even met Matthew. It's not like that with us. We're more...phone buddies or pen pals. I only really spoke to him for the first time a few days ago."

"So why did you need to call him then? What was so important that you had to talk to him right now?"

"He knows stuff." I turned on the water and began scrubbing dried blood off my hands.

"He knows stuff?"

"Yeah."

"So what did he tell you then."

"That we'll be able to grow crops here after the flash. Enough to feed anyone who comes. No one we warn will starve. So warn everyone you can tomorrow Jackson." I washed my face and chin.

"People can grow crops after the flash?"

"Matthew didn't say that. Matthew said we can grow crops at Haven."

"What makes Haven so special?"

Haven's not special. The Empress is the one who can grow crops...some how and she's the one at Haven. Not that I'm telling Jackson that.

I wiped water off my face and started scrubbing his shirt with cold water. Fortunately it was black. I used lots of soap. I grabbed one of the stiff brushes near by and used it too. Hopefully I could fix his shirt...

Jackson grabbed my hands. "Evie, forget the shirt. What makes Haven so special?"

Matthew didn't say what made Haven special." That's actually true... "He just said we'd be able to feed everyone. Okay?"

"Alright cher. Let's grab those blankets you wanted."

I wrung out his shirt and left it hanging in the sink to drain there, promising myself I'd wash and get it back to him tomorrow, then helped him get a couple horse blankets from the office, and we left the barn, Jackson grabbing his bike from where he'd left it beside the barn door to walk it with us. We passed by Mom's silver Mercedes SUV that was parked out front.

As we walked back down the oystershell drive, then down a dirt path through one of the cane fields, I dragged my splayed hands through the stalks, relishing the safety I felt. Though I was safe with Jackson, I was even safer among the cane. I soaked up the sultry air, savoring the insect chatter, the sweet smell of dew, the animals at play all around us. Everything was so alive, teeming with life. I sighed, my lids going half-masted.

"Drole fille," Jackson chuckled. In proper French, drole meant funny. In Cajun? Weird.

"Why do you say that?"

"It's a foggy night and we're walking by these rustling canes. A p'tee fille like you strolling along without a care in the world? Shouldn't you be hanging on to my arm?

"Not hardly. Remember, I grew up here, running amongst the cane fields as a child." I wanted him to see the cane fields as I did. "They stand tall like soldiers, you can smell the dew in the air, hear the raccoons or mice running around, the insects chittering at night, the birds chirping. It just sounds like home to me."

We left the house behind but Jackson turned and stood to look at it one more time. I did too, trying to look at it through his eyes. He'd visited during the day, but it looked different at night. The gaslights flickered over the twelve proud columns. Night-blooming jasmine ascended the many trellises, forever reaching for the grand old house as if with lust. Those majestic oaks had already caught it; they encircled the structure protectively.

"You know what I think?" he finally said. "I think you are just like this house, Evangeline. Rich and fine on the outside, but no one's got a clue what's going on inside."

"You've been inside our house a time or two Jack, and you've seen my sketches."

"Exactly. Folks would never guess at what you hide inside yourself, you hide it so well."

Not knowing what to make of that I shrugged it off and kept walking away. If he knew what I really hid inside me, he probably wouldn't want anything to do with me. He followed, catching up.

"You're really planning to sleep out here in the fields tonight?"

"That's right."

When we came to the stop at a hidden dirt square between a patch of cane fields we stopped, both of us seeming to agree this looked like a good spot for me to camp out for the night. Mom wouldn't find me here. The paths of dirt were staggered like on a tile floor where large and small tiles mixed and we stood on the small square tile of dirt, the large tiles being the cane fields.

Jack parked his bike and I laid out the blankets, shaking them out to lay flat on the dirt. He walked closer, wrapping his arms around me again. "You're really not scared of being alone out here then?"

I liked being in his arms. He felt warm. "Really not scared. Maybe a little cold though. You're warm."

"He wrapped me up tighter, dropping a kiss on my head. "Want me to stay and keep you warm tonight Evie?"

"You'd do that? Stay out all night with a girl you barely know to keep her safe?"

"Depends on the girl. If the girl looks like you? Sans doute." -without a doubt. Belly wosh. Unfortunately, also another tally mark in the cajun player column.

"There are plenty of girls that look like me at school. There are even a couple other blond cheerleaders. Why not chase one of them? Why pick me to stare at, flirt with, and walk home with tonight?"

"C'est vrai." -That's true "There are plenty of other pretty blonds at school, some are even cheerleaders like you. You dance better than them. You understand me when I speak Francais Cadien. You were friendly to Clotile this week from day one, and all my other podna's, when most of the other coo-yon's at that rich school looked at us like something they'd like to scrape off their boots. You see visions out windows and in dreams and you look to me to help you figure out what that means when you doan even tell your mere or your best friend, who you told me was like a soeur to you." -sister.

"You are the biggest puzzle I ever come across belle fille, and I aim to figure you out."

I shivered with a sudden ominous foreboding. What if when Jack fit all the puzzle pieces together, he didn't like the final picture he'd put together? If I was the Empress, with rose thorn nails like the Red Witch of my nightmares, I might not like who I had to become one day either. I was turning into a freak, someone with powers that scared me, that horrified me. I didn't want to kill people.

Not to mention, that if Jack valued traits like those of Robinson Crusoe, I probably scored zero out of ten. I didn't know how to cook, sew, repair, hunt; in this brave new world we were headed into, my value was probably nil. The one value I did have I was going to have to disguise. A Catholic boy like Jack, he'd probably think I was possessed by a demon. He'd want nothing to do with a freak like me. I was totally sure of it.

I looked away across the fields frowning, suddenly filled with a sense of despair.

"Bebe, quoi y a?" -Baby, what's wrong? He turned my face back to him, frowning down at me.

"Sometimes the puzzle pieces are interesting, but once you put it together...it's not a good picture."

"You got ugly secrets, cher?"

"Doesn't everyone?"

"Ouais, but somehow I have a feeling that yours are a bit different than most."

Perceptive Jackson.

Deciding to change the subject, I looked down and said, "I think I'm ready to call it a night. It had to be after 2:30 or 3 by now. We were on the edge of a cane field where no one would see us come morning. I laid down between the blankets while Jack parked his bike closer beside the blanket. He came around to the other side forcing me between him and the bike so I was surrounded on three sides by the bike, the cane and Jackson. The narrow dirt lanes had cane on the other sides so really, all around, surrounded. Totally safe.

I laid down on my stomach and side, propping my head up on my elbow and hand to look over at Jackson. Was he just naturally protective or did he do this stuff on purpose? And why did it make my belly flutter when he was protective? Shouldn't I be more...self-reliant?

He propped himself up, mirroring me. "What're you thinking so hard about bebe?"

"The things you do, the way you act, with me."

His face turned inscrutable. "What about it, exactly?"

"You've parked your bike on one side of me, and you on the other with the cane on the third. Are you naturally protective or do you do these things on purpose?"

"If I'm with you tonight, then it's my responsibility to look out for you. Ain't nothin' goan to happen to you while you're with me Evie. That's a promise. I spent my whole life watchin' my six, so it's part instinct, ain't no one goan to get the drop on me. Yes you better believe I do that shit on purpose."

I broke out in goose bumps. Nothing would happen to me while I was with him, and that was a promise. For a girl who had nightmares of Death threatening to kill her, who'd almost been killed by lightning tonight, those words struck a chord somewhere deep inside me.

I needed to kiss this boy, who made me feel safer than anyone ever had. Here, surrounded by my soldiers 10,000 strong, Jack still made me feel protected. I didn't know how I was supposed to control the soldiers. Jack had promised to protect me though. And didn't that deserve a kiss?

I moved to my stomach and elbows and edged closer, my face close to his, my hands brushing his chest and bicep of the arm holding him up. His eyes met mine. My tongue peeked out to wet my lips and his eyes fastened on it. I moved closer and gently touched my lips to his.

So not tired anymore. Heat and fire mixed as our lips met. He opened and his tongue came out to sweep into my mouth. I met him, welcoming him in, and as I did, his hand came behind my head and tilted my head for a better angle, pressing me closer at the same time.

He fell to his back, an arm around my waist pulling me with him, pressing me against his side as he made hot love to my mouth. His tongue seemed to mimic what I imagined sex to be, thrusting, parrying, sweeping. His teeth, made little nips at my lips before he sucked at them with his mouth, kissing them better. I moaned with delight. This was like a drug! I'd asked him to keep me warm, but I hadn't imagined catching on fire. I felt like I was flying.

My hands swept into his hair searching for an anchor, and the texture was heaven. Heavy silk glided between my fingers. I gently teased his scalp with my nails, combing his hair with my fingers. He moaned and shivered. Good. I just wished there was more hair for me to play with. It was so beautiful.

The hand on my waist swept long strokes, his hands splayed. He went under my shirt, his calloused, firm hands feeling the skin of my back, the side curves of my breasts where they were pressed against his chest. The underneath curve where they met my ribcage. Down to grip my ass, where he gripped me and shifted me fully on top of him, arranging my legs to fall on either side of him, then caressing my thighs in teasing strokes and circles. When I squirmed and wriggled away, shifting my legs more together because that was just too much, he brought his hands back up to my head, combing my hair, letting it fall over my bare shoulders. No wonder people loved halter tops. So sensual. His kisses were drugging. His fingers were at my nape.

Suddenly, he rolled us over, he was over me, between my legs, hard pressure there, grinding as he kissed me. I couldn't hold back the moans and I practically writhed beneath him, my hips arching into his. Now I could touch all of his hair, his shoulders, his back, arms. He was so strong.

"I can't believe you taste even sweeter than you smell. You're like a drug Evie. Your secrets, your perfume. Honey and honeysuckle. You drive me mad." He told me between kisses. He'd untied the halter pulling it away from my neck to lay nips and sucks on my jaw and throat. One hand reached down to pull my knee up...oh that was better, he ground again and it felt even better. How was it getting even better?

"Evie? I want to take this off. Do you want more?"

"What?" I felt like I must be stoned. I was nearly out of my mind.

He grinned, pleased about something. "Feeling good bebe?" He rolled his hips against me.

"Amazing!" I was flushed and grinding on him, breathing hard.

"I bet I could make you come just like this." His eyes were wicked. Calculating.

"Come? Where're we goin'?" So confused. Wanted more."

"Let me move your shirt down Bebe. I promise I'll make you feel even better. Let me give you a little more." He kissed my neck, thrusting his hips, fingers teasing circles on my thigh. I was panting, dizzy.

"Jack!"

"Say yes Bebe."

"Yes, Jack. Please!"

"Ma bonne fille." He pushed my shirt around my waist and his hands pushed my breasts up. "You're so gorgeous cher." His thumbs and fingers pinched the tips, rolling them lightly between his fingers. I nearly shrieked, my hips jerking against his. His head dipped down, pulling one into his mouth, sucking hard, nipping, sucking, lapping while his hand pulled, pinched and rolled the other.

Something inside me snapped, "Jack!" My fingers gripped his shoulders as I tensed, pleasure shooting throughout me, before I relaxed beneath him, weightless. "Jack." I whispered, stunned.

His hands gentled on me, hand covering my breast possessively instead of pinching now, his head rising to stare fiercely into my face. He kissed me with a hunger that nearly dwarfed his earlier kisses. "Your fire, your passion. I burn with wanting for you."

His hands moved on my breasts, pinching, pulling, teasing, rolling. His hips stroked mine. "Tell me you want more!"

There was more of this? More kisses?" "More! Please!"

"Bien!" He pulled away. No! Cold. And then...was that a zipper? He came back holding up ...a condom?! "I'm goan to take good care of you, Bebe."

I'd planned to wait to have sex until I was 16 and in a committed relationship with my boyfriend. Then I realized that I should really try to add love and chemistry to that equation.

Jack and I only had chemistry. I might could fall in love with him, but I wasn't yet. I didn't even trust the boy or know for sure if he was playing me. We weren't in a relationship. I'd just gotten out of one. No way were we having sex tonight!

"I'm not having sex with you!" His head snapped to me and anger seared his expression.

"Why are you actin' like sex with me is such a fool idea? You said you wanted more!"

"More kisses, more...stuff. Not sex!"

He sat away from me, one leg cocked up and ran his hand through his hair in frustration. I pulled my knees up to my naked chest and wrapped my arms around them.

"So I'm good enough to fool around with, good enough to make you come for the first time, just not good enough to take all the way? Is that how it is? Why's that Evie?"

"Because I'm not just going to give my first time away to just anyone. It has to be someone special." Uh...too late I heard how that must have sounded to him.

"Right. Brandon would have been good enough because he was rich, and a quarterback and I'm not because I'm Cajun and poor. Is that it?"

I was stunned speechless. Is that how he saw me? That shallow? Was that how he saw himself? As not good enough? I spoke too late, "N...no."

"Forget it. I'm goan for a walk. Cool off. Go to sleep princess."

He stalked off, taking a deep drink from his flask. I pulled up my halter-top and retied it, then laid down and pulled the blanket over me thinking, "That could have gone better."

I wiped a few tears away and shivered in the cool night air. As I replayed what we'd said and done, I didn't understand how things had gone so quickly. Why had Jackson skipped over so many of the bases I'd thought to expect and jumped straight to sex? Maybe Mel would know.

I drifted off before he came back, but in my sleep I felt warmth at my back. I woke a bit, realizing Jackson had come back. He was laying on his back, hands behind his head, his leather jacket a pillow. Why did I like this boy so much? Something about him called to me. Giving in to the impulse, since he was asleep and I didn't know when I'd ever have the chance again, I tentatively scooted closer, resting my head on his bicep and my arm around his bare chest. After a moment, I twined one leg around his, then moved the blanket a bit, making sure he was covered well too.

The next morning I woke with the dawn. Even when staying up late, something about being outside means you wake with the dawn. Jackson had shifted so he lay on his side and I lay on my back. He had one leg draped over both of mine and one arm possessively wrapped around my waist. His arm was still behind my neck. I smiled, drifting off again. I was a cuddler, but since Mom and I were on the outs and Mel wasn't much of a cuddler, that just left Brandon. Since I had been in avoidance mode with him, it had been a long while since I'd gotten any good cuddles. I wiggled a smidge closer to his torso and wrapped my arms around Jack's arm at my waist, relishing the closeness, and drifted off again, smiling.

I woke feeling as though I was being watched. I lay still and controlled my breathing, trying to see if I could sense what was going on. I wasn't in Jack's arms anymore. Alone. Had he left? If he had, it could be an enemy, one of those three kids from last night or maybe Death for real in the Cane fields? Suddenly filled with adrenaline and panicked I rushed to my feet and stood, running for the cane and not stopping until I was three rows in before turning and standing to see who was there.

Jack.

Crap.

He was sitting on his bike staring at me with that look on his face like he'd found another puzzle piece and was trying to figure out where this one fit in.

I slowly walked out of the cane, feeling really really stupid. To give myself something to do I picked up a blanket and folded it, saying, "Thank you for staying with me last night. I slept well." I had too. No evil red witch dreams. I folded the other blanket. It had been ages since I'd dreamed without nightmares. Just green, growing plants last night, the dreams I dreamed when I was happy.

He studied me before giving me a nod. "I've got to be goan."

And he'd waited to go until I woke...why? So he could protect me? Stare at me while I slept? Probably both.

"Thanks for everything." I hugged the blankets. Why did this feel so final. So...wrong? "See you soon?"

"Ouais." He came closer, studying my face, looking for something, I didn't know what. Then he lifted my chin and gave me a kiss. Long, lingering. As though he was telling me something without words.

When he got on his bike I told him, "Jack?" I waited until he looked at me, then said, "Stay safe tonight."

"You too Evangeline." He put on his helmet and jacket over his bare chest, and then he took off. I walked back home.

That morning I crept into the house. Mom didn't hear me come in, talking on the phone to some farmer about the drought. As I got undressed my phone fell out of my boot.

Phone.

Matthew.

Mom.

As I showered quickly I thought, Does Matthew's Mom even know what's going to happen? Can she comprehend what's going to happen through all his cryptic speech that the world is about to change forever?

I dressed quickly and grabbed my phone, pushing speed dial ten for Matthew. Rachael answered.

"Hi, Mrs. Dixon, this is Evie."

"Evie! Hi. Did you want to speak with Matthew?"

"I do, but I'll want to talk with you next if that's ok."

"Oh. Sure thing. Just a minute dear."

"Hi Empress. Are you prepared?

"I'm working on it but my mom isn't and I can't talk to her about this stuff and here's why. She had me committed this summer because of all the visions. She thought I was insane. So I haven't been able to tell her about any of this. I want to but I have to have credibility and I don't. Regardless, I'll get her, me and Mel in our cellar tonight."

"But I just wanted to ask you, does your Mom know what's going to happen tonight?"

"I warn. Prepare. Speak Louder. She can't hear. Can't listen. Muggle."

I took that to mean that she couldn't receive Matthew's visions and didn't get his lingo.

"I'd like to tell her for you in muggle speak. Is that alright?"

"Empress is Matthew's friend. Thank you Evie."

"Sure Matthew. Thanks for everything.

"Hi Evie, it's Rachael. What did you want to tell me?"

"First could I exchange some information real quick? I'd like to give you my address and get yours. I know you live near Huntsville Alabama and I think I remember the street name..."

Rachael gave her the info Evie quickly wrote it on the back of Matthew's picture.

"Do you have a pen?"

"Um...Yes. Go ahead." Rachael wrote without comment until Evie told her she was in Sterling Louisiana.

"Louisiana? How do you know Matthew? I thought you said you were friends? That he'd asked you to call him several times."

"I'm about to tell you something Mrs. Dixon and it's going to be very hard for you to believe. Your son is very special. And when I say special, I mean that he's been talking to me, without using a phone. He's been speaking to me through visions. He started doing this as far back as last Christmas. I thought at first that I was going crazy. I finally asked Matthew a few days ago if he was real, if he really existed. He showed me a vision of him standing in a yard at a barbecue. He was standing alone all by himself. The other kids wouldn't talk to him. He was wearing a shirt that said HUNTSVILLE SPACE CAMP and a rocket launched into the sky. I asked for his phone number. He showed a vision of the paperwork for the space camp and I memorized your number. That was the night I first called you."

"Evie...what you're saying...I'm sorry-

"I can prove it!" I interrupted. I'd take the migraine. Anything to prove it. "Write something down on paper. Matthew can send me a vision and show it to me. I'll read it off. I swear to you this is real and it's more important than you can know because I need to tell you something and you have to believe me so let me prove this to you." My voice was full of fire. I had to make her believe me!

My nose tingled and the car disappeared but I knew I was still holding my phone and sitting on my bed. Now it looked like I was in the living room of Matthew's house. Rachael Dixon had a cute southern place, quilts, china on the walls, rustic and antiques, lots of things that wouldn't look out of place in a Cracker Barrel. Rachael Dixon sat on a blue couch, the phone on a wooden end table next to her, a pad of paper and pen on her lap. Matthew was standing in front of her, arms crossed, focused and assured, a fireplace, mantle and mirror behind him, pictures of him and Rachael together sitting on the mantle. Matthew had placed me sitting on the couch next to his mom.

"Hi Matthew." Matthew just nodded at the pad Rachael was writing on as she held the phone next to her ear.

"Rachael, as you're writing on your pad of paper, "This is the worst hoax ever three exclamation points, sixteen thousand one hundred eighty four point seven seven seven you are sitting on a blue couch next to a wooden table with Matthew standing in front of you with his arms crossed...and he's looking rather smug at the moment...and your mouth is gaping open Oh, no, Mrs. Dixon no! Don't cry! Matthew! Hug your mother right now!"

Matthew gave her a confused look but walked forward and bent over a bit, awkwardly hugging her shoulders.

"Kneel down silly boy and give her a proper hug." He obeyed. "There you go. Rub her back a little."

Mrs. Dixon had her head buried in Matthew's neck and one hand on his head, but her other hand still pressed the phone to her ear. While she calmed down I commented on how cute Matthew was growing up. "Awww, look at you on that rocking horse! How old was he?"

"18 months."

There was another of him holding a Light saber in a brown robe with shaggy hair, just like a young Anakin. "You make such a cute Jedi Matthew!"

"That was Halloween. He was six." Matthew glared.

"What? You're adorable like that!"

He continued glaring and said. "Time is short."

"Yeah, you're right. Mrs. Dixon. I know this is huge and I can't imagine what is going through your mind so I'm just going to tell you what I know so far alright?" Rachael nodded into Matthew's neck.

"You just nodded." A sobbing laugh from Rachael.

"Evie, You have no idea how much it means to me that you're telling me this about my son.

Evie chuckled a bit. "Matthew has the ability to see the future and the present. Right Matthew?"

"And past."

"Oh! Past too. Ok! So then, Matthew has shown me that tonight there is going to be a major event. Tonight is the night of the full moon. There will be a thunderstorm, maybe rain. After that will come what will appear to be something like the Aurora Borealis or northern lights. People will be spellbound by the lights. Most who look at the lights will be turned to ash. Some will become … changed. Hideous creatures whose skin is wrinkled and they ooze and they crave blood, but in drought they crave water. What you need to do to be safe is to hide in a cellar or basement without windows until the lights are over."

"Once they're done, go out and raid for supplies. Matthew, will our cars work after?"

"Not until you fix them."

I don't know if phones will work after tonight, but I'll try and listen to you as well as I can, alright.

"Phones only work if safe with you. They'll work, but not call."

"Right. Move all electronics to the cellar pronto! You catch that Mrs. Dixon?"

"I did. Call me Rachael, Evie.

"Crap. And I can't call you on my phone right?"

"Not on phone, you call me, I hear you."

"Wait, what?"

"You call me, I hear you, we'll talk."

"Seriously?" When he nodded at her she grinned. "That's awesome! I'll still get to talk to you after the flash happens!"

He smiled at how happy she was at that. She'd have to put up with a migraine to talk with him, but whatever. Some things were worth it.

"Rachael, I just want you to know that Matthew talks to me a lot. And I can talk to him back. We're friends. I'll do anything for him and he'd do anything for me, right Matthew?"

"Empress is my only friend."

Rachael clarified,"So you're Empress and Evie?"

Evie answered, "That's right. See, I'm still learning about this myself, but as near as I can understand, this has something to do with the Tarot cards. Matthew is the Fool card and his power is seeing Past, Present, and Future. And I'm the Empress card with power over Plants. Each Major Arcana is a person with a Power. Some are bad cards and you need to avoid them at all costs, like the Lovers who will lead a huge army, El Diablo, who wants to eat people. It's strange and weird and I'm sorry it's so creepy. I have to admit I don't like it either."

Evie continued,"To sum up, Matthew is hard to understand, but he's brilliant and you have to learn to listen to him, and try to understand what he's trying to tell you because it will save your life. He's already saved mine. Is there anything you want to ask or say while I'm here?"

Rachael sounded so dazed. "I wish I could think of something, but my mind is so jumbled up. What do we do after the Flash? After tomorrow?"

Matthew took that one, "It Begins at the End."

Evie asked, "What Begins Matthew?"

"Arcana, Foes, Obstacles, Allies, Battles, Arsenal. Prepare Empress."

Rachael asked, "What does that mean Evie?"

I was afraid of what it meant. Someone had tried to kill me with lightning bolts last night. I had grown thorn claws in a dream and in real life. I wanted to be nothing like the red witch. Death had threatened to pierce me with his sword.

My voice shook, "Um, for now, go to the stores and buy everything Matthew tells you to. Call any family or friends and warn them to do the same Empty your bank account to do it. Tomorrow, go to the stores and take everything you can get your hands on that's left. Maybe look up a prepper list. Bullets Beans, Trust Matthew with your life. That's the most important thing. And I'll be in contact with him through visions so if he tells you I'm coming or that you need to go somewhere to meet me then you can believe him.

"Evie, you've been an absolute Godsend."

"Rachael?"

"Yes Evie?"

"Before you go," My voice was shaking. Was I going to do this? 10:00am. We still had time to prep. Yep. Too late to send me back to CLC. "Could you talk to my mother? She thinks I'm...delusional. She had me committed this summer...because of all the visions Matthew sent me." I couldn't hold back the tears and it was obvious. "I need you to talk to my mom, help referee a shared vision with the four of us, something, anything, help prove to Mom I'm not crazy so we can be prepared too. Please."

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