I'm trying to keep my feet on the ground
I'm getting to like this feeling I've found
I'm getting to love
The thought of having you around
--from Never Let You Down by Verve Pipe
The next morning, all affairs had been arranged. Gabe had wheeled a sleepy Micah to the driveway, where they both waited for Edith with their suitcases.
"Garrett said he'd be here by nine," Gabe said cheerily. "It's 8:50 now, so when Edith gets out here with the bags, we can be in the van and ready to go." Micah rubbed at his eyes wearily. Sleep had not come easily last night, and it was much earlier than he usually woke up.
"You are such a morning person," he grumbled. Gabe just snickered and ruffled his hair happily.
"I know! And all this energy without a drop of coffee." She pressed a light kiss to the top of his head.
"It's sickening," Micah muttered, but he smiled anyway. The front door banged open; there was Edith, three or four suitcases in her arms. She was a big woman, but it was still quite funny to see her thundering out of the house carrying as much luggage as an airport baggage cart.
"Ready to go?" she called merrily. Gabe straightened, placing a hand lightly on the back of Micah's neck.
"Yes. Garrett should be here any minute. Micah--" She glanced down at him and chewed her lower lip worriedly. "--are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine," he said, and smiled to emphasize the words.
(Of course I'm fine. I'm not in Hemmingford yet.)
Edith rumbled towards the van and tossed the bags unceremoniously into the back.
"All right, everybody," she shouted. "Into the van." Micah looked helplessly up to Gabe.
"I'm so tired," he said softly. "Can you help me with the--"
"Yes, sweetheart." She smiled gently, running her hand over his black hair. "I'll help you with the lift." Micah gave her a meek grin.
"Thanks." Gabe wheeled him slowly over to the van. In a matter of minutes, the lift was secured and the chair was situated; she patted his shoulder reassuringly, then dodged over the other side of the van.
"Do you need anything, sweetheart?" she asked gently. Micah rubbed again at his eyes.
"My CD player, maybe," he murmured. Gabe retrieved it immediately and dug around in the back.
"What do you want to listen to?"
"Ah--" Micah glanced in the rearview mirror. Edith was fussing around with the few bags she hadn't loaded yet, and there was the cherry red car pulling slowly into the driveway behind the van. He swallowed hard. This was it -- no turning back. "--how about the CD you made for me?"
"Micah's Party Mix?" Gabe snickered, and handed it over. "Sure thing." He took it, absently fitting it into the player.
"I really wish you hadn't called it that."
"I like it," she said cheerfully. Gabe was searching under her seat for something. "It sounds festive."
"Festive my ass," he said with a playful sneer. "It sounds homosexual." She found what she was looking for; a Stephen King book. It seemed to Micah that she was never without a book by the so-called 'Master of Horror'.
"Such language." Gabe raised her eyebrows and flipped to the spot she had marked with a wrinkled napkin.
"Very funny." He situated the headphones over his ears. "What dark, morbid, and twisted book have you got this time?" She sat back in her seat comfortably.
" 'Needful Things'. Pretty thick, but I'll get through it in time." Micah glanced at the rearview mirror again. Garret and Company was sitting impatiently in their fancy red car. He looked quickly back to his lap, where the CD player rested.
"Enjoy," he said absently. "I'm going to listen to music, n'kay?"
"N'kay," she agreed, and smiled. "I'll let you know when we're gonna stop."
"Sure thing." Micah pressed play, then sat back just as Edith hurried into the front seat.
"Let's roll," she said cheerfully, and they were on their way.
In Micah's ears, Verve Pipe was proclaiming their loyalty and devotion to some unknown source.
I'm trying to keep my feet on the ground
I'm getting to like this feeling I've found
I'm getting to love
The thought of having you around
He shot a sideways glance at Gabe, who had her nose buried in her book. They'd only been on the road for half an hour and she'd finished five chapters.
(I'm certainly loving the thought of having you around, Gabe.)
The thought brought an unconscious smile to his face, and she looked briefly up to him.
"What are you grinning about?" Gabe asked. Micah slid off the headphones.
"Oh, nothing," he said lightly. She grinned herself and closed the book, folding the napkin as a bookmark.
"It seems you've finally woken up." Gabe paused, then carefully brushed some hair away from his face. "For a while, you were so dizzy I was beginning to expect you were on crack." He stuck his tongue out at her.
"Funny. Very funny. I can't help it if I'm not a morning person."
"Yeah, yeah." Gabe cracked a grin and gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze. "You gonna fall asleep again? You look pretty tired." Micah shook his head a little.
"Nah." He paused, then glanced ahead of their van. The Garretts' car was leading the way to Hemmingford. "I'm good." Gabe's fingers crept behind his neck.
"I know this probably sounds funny... but you're looking kind of pale," she murmured. Micah smiled wryly.
"Smart ass."
"No, really!" Gabe kneaded the back of his neck idly. "What's that one old song...? 'Whiter Shade of Pale.' " Micah's dry smile turned into a dark smirk.
"Yeah, that's me," he murmured. She rolled her eyes, grin widening.
"Such a cynic," she said mildly, and lightly tickled the back of his neck. Micah jerked away with a smothered laugh.
"That's not fair!" He pressed his body against the wall of the van. "I've got nowhere else to go!"
"Which makes it all the more fun," Gabe declared, but let him off with a playful tousle of his hair. Micah grinned and repositioned the headphones over his ears.
"See why I sleep on most car trips? Otherwise, I get abused." Gabe raised her eyebrows.
"Abused?" she echoed, and wiggled her fingers threateningly. "Watch your mouth. I'm the one with the upper hand, Micah dear."
"Forgive me," he cried, leaning harder against the wall. "I repent! I repent!"
"You are forgiven," Gabe said with a smile, and reopened her book. Micah relaxed a bit.
"The things I put up with," he muttered with a smirk. Gabe looked up and dropped 'Needful Things' to the floor of the van.
"Oh, that's it." Micah knew what was coming before it even happened; he squeaked apprehensively and tried to pull away.
"No!" he cried. But Gabe didn't listen. She dug her fingers playfully into his sides and stomach, giggling to herself as he squirmed.
"Insult me, will you," she snickered. Micah laughed helplessly and twisted to get out of reach.
"Don't!" He laughed again, but Gabe didn't let up.
"Settle down, you two," Edith called over her shoulder. "You're distracting me from the road." Gabe tickled his sides a little longer, then stopped.
"You got off lucky this time." Micah's snickering eased; he relaxed back in his wheelchair.
"You're mean," he said, and stuck his tongue out at her. Gabe raised her eyebrows.
"My my my," she murmured, picking up her book again. "Someone's pushing their luck today." Micah readied his CD player.
"How do you think I get any exercise?" He smirked and pressed the 'play' button.
"Be good," Gabe warned, and smiled. "I'll let you know when we're stopping for lunch."
"N'kay," he agreed. Micah leaned his head back and let his eyes drift closed as the music began playing. Gabe said something that was inaudible, then stroked his cheek lightly. He felt a faint smile surface and leaned into her touch. "Love you," he murmured. Through Everclear's steady beat, Micah heard Gabe's reply: "Love you too." Then he drifted off into the music, forgetting everything around him -- except Gabe.
Death. All around him, there was death; the townspeople were burning, the Indian was bleeding, and a spear was heading straight for Mordechai. He watched in dull, helpless horror as the sharp point buried itself in the older boy's stomach and emerged from his back, dripping blood. Mordechai's blood. Mordechai, who had been his friend as long as he could remember; Mordechai, who had played tag and hide and seek and checkers; Mordechai, who was bleeding from the mouth and slowly dying. His heart cried, and it cried hard -- but He Who Walks Behind The Rows was not finished. His vessel was still strong, and He was going to use it.
"The blood of those that defileth the corn MUST flow into the earth!" he heard himself scream. "Kneel!" Garrett, Angela, Lacey, and Danny stood before him, but not for long; the Children shoved them to their knees when they refused to obey. "KNEEL!" he bellowed again. He raised the scythe to spill the blood that would nourish the corn. And then pain, pain as he had never felt before surged through him -- but it was followed by power. Immense, throbbing power, frightening in its intensity. He shrieked, simply because he felt he couldn't stand it, and the Beast could feel it too. The Beast shrieked along with him, but it was triumphant, even behind the pain. And while the power surged and the pain pulsed, the Harvester was gaining on them.
And suddenly, his screams turned very real.
The Harvester seized him from behind. His robe was caught, caught tightly; he screamed now in pain and terror. If the sudden surge of power had hurt, it was merely a pinprick now. He screamed again, throat burning with harsh sound. Mordechai lay dead on the ground a few feet away; his lips were stained with crimson blood, and his eyes were open, blank, glassy. He knew that soon -- he would be just like his friend, Mordechai.
Very soon.
He screamed again.
Micah jolted awake, able to repress the scream welling in his throat. He was grateful for that, too; it would be unthinkable to shriek in such a place. Trying to be quiet, he slipped the headphones from his ears.
"Gabe--" he began, and stopped. She was leaning comfortably back in her chair, cheek pressed against the seat headrest. Asleep. Micah smiled faintly, studying her face carefully. Gabe's blonde lashes rested lightly against her tanned cheeks, and her chest rose and fell slightly every time she inhaled. Her lips were parted just enough for him to hear Gabe's soft whispers of breath. He smiled involuntarily and touched her cheek very lightly. "Love you," he said softly, stroking her face with his fingertip. Gabe stirred a little. She mumbled something incoherently, then lapsed back into silent sleep. Micah pulled his finger away and smiled again. He really did love her, and ever since he had said it for the first time, he couldn't seem to say it enough.
"You awake, Micah?" Edith said, quiet enough so as not to wake Gabe.
"Yeah," he murmured. "I'm awake."
"Good." She glanced briefly over her shoulder and grinned. "We'll be in Hemmingford in another half hour or so. Mr. Garrett doesn't want to stop for lunch yet; do you think you can wait another 30 minutes?" Micah caught another glimpse of the red car, trying not to wince.
"Yeah, I'll be fine." He turned his gaze to the window and sighed softly. "Just fine." He stared at the passing cornfields and tried to keep his mind off of the dream, but somehow the images always drifted back, even when he closed his eyes. No matter how hard he squeezed them shut, his eyelids displayed Mordechai -- drowning in his own blood, clutching the spear in his stomach with surprised hands, slowly falling over and knowing that he was going to die. At last, Micah surrendered and opened his eyes to look at Gabe. She made him feel better, but only for a moment. Because it was at that moment he remembered -- they were going to Hemmingford.
And, as hard and long as he had kept it secret, she was going to know what happened there.
