Chapter Seven
And in his car, was Paul Slater, looking intently at me from his rear view mirror.
Oh well. A confrontation.
Paul got out of his car. Jesse got out too, looking extremely distrusting.
"So," Paul said, "going back to the past to help this one? That's what I thought. But as I said, Suze, you belong to me, and I can't let you go with him."
Jesse, still looking at Paul, shouted, "Susannah, now!" And we both ran up to my room.
Paul, stunned, waited for a second before continuing his chase.
Jesse and I got there first, and I quickly held Jesse hand and shifted. I looked down at Jesse's dark, confident gaze in the miniature. Then I closed my eyes and pictured him… pictured Jesse in this very room, only not looking as it did now, with a frilly canopy bed and princess phone (thanks to you, mom).
No, instead I pictured it as it must have looked 150 years ago. No ruffled white curtains over the bay window. No window seat scattered with fluffy pillows. No carpet over the wood floor. No—eew!—bathroom, but maybe one of those, what were they called? Oh yeah, outhouses.
No bikes. No telephones. No laptops. No toasters. No oven. No fridges. No. TVs. No walkmans. No helicopters. No antibiotics.
Just plants. Plants and horses and wooden coaches and mud and wheelbarrows and…
And I opened my eyes.
And I was there. With Jesse
Only, it turned out, with Paul as well.
Paul had not spent the past minute idly sitting eating bonbons while I was shifting. Oh no. He was leaning at the doorway, one hand clutching my tool belt. So he was transported with us too.
I looked around. It was night, but there was a light shining in a nearby barn.
"Quick," I said, "to the barn."
Jesse and I ran stealthily down to the barn. Paul, however, wouldn't let go of my belt.
"Suze," he was saying, and loudly too, "you cannot—"
And then he let go, because Jesse's fist had swung into his face, colliding with his nose. He stifled a muffled cry. Alas, I think the boarders are stirring already.
Anyway, we made it to the barn. Paul was staggering, but I doubt he'll make it. Jesse promised me he'll stop Paul.
"Go, quickly. Tell Susannah that I'd rather die than never meet her." Jesse looked at Paul, and just waved a hand. He was flipped over like a rag doll. It must be cool having telekinesis.
I nodded and climbed up the ladders of the barn. As soon as my head got there, everybody froze. Mainly, Susannah, Diego, and Paul. Hector was too busy preventing Diego from plunging a knife into his heart. I had just arrived in time.
Hector, taking advantage of Diego's shock, broke his grip on him. Hector twisted the arm that held the knife until Diego, with a cry of shock and pain, let go. Hector then hauled off and struck Diego with a blow to the face that sent him reeling—
Right over the ledge, breaking neck bones.
I had, of course, not sat idly by watching them. No, I was trying to save Susannah (let's call me Suze so as to not confuse both of us), who was too shocked staring at me through the smoke and fire (she knocked a lantern over, and it's catching) to save herself.
Paul just stared at us and went, "Susannahs, I'll meet you on the other side." And he shifted.
Well. I grabbed a horse blanket and charged through the fire. I couldn't let ourselves get burnt to a crisp, could I?
Hector, who was turning victoriously to save Susannah, jumped a mile when he saw me. Then he looked at Susannah. And back to me. He blinked, as though the smoke had made his eyesight blurry. I pulled Susannah to her feet.
"Who are you?" she asked me.
"Let's get you outta here first," I said. As she's still weak from all the shock and smoke, it was easy getting her under the blanket, then charging out together.
We looked a sight (OK, Susannah looked a sight, what with a face black with ash and all. But since we're the same person, I bet I looked like that too).
"Quick," I told Susannah, "shift back with Hector!"
"Why?" she asked.
"Just do it! I came from the future to make sure you did it!" I snapped. If they don't hurry up, Jesse might die. "I'll tell you later, OK?" I said.
Susannah, finally!, took Jesse's hand and they shifted. Which is just as well, since a second later, the Paul Slater I knew entered.
Where's my Jesse?