Authors: Rhiannon Frater
“Dawn, you know how much I care about you and Brian. Grace is a harder pill to swallow at times, but I do care about her, too.”
“You want to leave her alone! How is that caring about her?” Dawn set her hands on her hips and glowered.
Ted stared at the girl, obviously unsure how to respond.
“I thought so.” Dawn joined Grant at the counter. “If you give me Grace's sandwich, I'll take it to her. She's really into the movie she's watching.”
Grant carefully sliced off the crusts and laid two sandwiches on a plate. “Peanut butter and butter with no crusts per her order. I'll make her a grilled cheese if this doesn't fill her up.”
A sweet smile settled on Dawn's lips. “You're a nice man.”
Grant shrugged. “I try.”
Mackenzie opened the refrigerator, grabbed the milk jug, and poured some frothy liquid into a glass. She handed it to Dawn. “Here you go. She does like milk, right?”
“She loves it. If it was chocolate milk, she'd love it even more.”
“I'll look for some chocolate mix.” Once the teenager was gone, Mackenzie focused on Ted. “You'd really turn Grace out?” Maybe she had misread the man's comment. The whole scenario made her uncomfortable. She couldn't imagine Grace wandering alone through the world looking for pink dream castles while monsters stalked her.
Ted rested his hip against the sink, his arms folded over his chest. He averted his eyes, but his voice was sincerely tortured when he answered. “Yes.”
“Has Grace died?” Grant asked pointedly.
Ted shook his head. “No, no. Dawn and Brian always keep her safe. We've been dying protecting her.”
There were heavy footfalls in the hall, then Jared entered the kitchen. “Dawn came back mad. I guess you told them about Grace?”
Ted nodded. “I thought they should know since this isn't a permanent safe haven.”
“They won't get in,” Grant said confidently. “Mackenzie is fresh to this world. Strong. And I've been in here long enough to know that Grace is probably not your problem. Your fears are.”
Jared wagged his head, agitated. “You don't know what we've been through.”
“Yes, I do.” Grant handed over several sandwiches to Ted and Jared. “I've been in here a long time and I traveled with someone who was in here even longer. How long have you been here?”
“2005,” they chorused.
“We were on a field trip with our classes,” Ted started.
“We stopped in a ghost town in Arizona for a picnic,” Jared continued. “We got it into our heads that it would be fun to check out one of the old buildings.”
“It went really, really wrong. We ended up in a dead spot. Like a dumb-ass, I died right away. I got shot by a cowboy.” Ted flinched before biting into his sandwich.
“And the rest of your group?” Mackenzie pointed to the milk jug and poured them glasses when they both nodded in the affirmative.
“Dawn is from 1998. Brian is from 2000. Grace came over last year.” Jared gratefully took the serving of milk when Mackenzie handed it to him. “Things were fine at first. We felt like a family.”
“Then it went really wrong.” Ted tore hungrily into his sandwich.
“Dawn seems so unaffected by it all. She doesn't seem afraid. Just protective of Grace,” Mackenzie decided, a little in awe of the younger woman.
“That girl is made of steel. She's the sweetest, nicest kid, but she will break your spine if she has to,” Jared said, admiration in his voice. “She reminds me of my little sister.”
Grant passed Mackenzie a sandwich. She was worried it was a peanut butter and butter sandwich until she saw the jelly oozing around the edges. She gratefully smiled at him and his lips turned up at the corner. It was foolish to believe a dream could affect her so deeply, but she felt as though they were closer now. Realizing how ludicrous that was, she shoved the uncomfortable thought away. Sitting at the kitchen table, she poured herself a glass of milk and nibbled on the edge of her sandwich.
“That's the thing about this world,” Ted said gravely. “You have to be strong, or it eats you alive.”
“Hell, it will eat you alive even if you are strong,” Jared pointed out. “You're one of the toughest people I know and it's done plenty to you.”
Ted slumped into a chair. “A tender heart can get you killed.”
The words struck a nerve. Mackenzie tilted her head to watch Grant at the kitchen counter. He was screwing the lids back on the jars and a large pile of sandwiches sat on a plate next to him. She saw the tightening of his shoulders and his spine straightening. While the other men ate, Grant stored away the food items, then set the plate of sandwiches on the table, leaving servings aside for Brian and Dawn.
“I have no regrets helping Mackenzie,” Grant said at last, his eyes meeting hers in a steady gaze. “Or taking you in tonight.”
“For which we are very grateful,” Jared said around a mouthful of food.
Ted sighed. “It's difficult to do the Christian thing in here.”
“This is hell after all.” Jared cast a defiant look in Ted's direction.
Ted appeared vexed by the comment. “You know I don't believe that.”
“Just because you were a deacon in your church doesn't mean you have an automatic ticket to heaven, my brother.” Jared smirked, obviously needling Ted.
“Ah, shut up.”
Mackenzie liked the camaraderie between the two men. They were obviously good friends, but their presence in the kitchen while the other three remained elsewhere in the house showed a clear schism in the group.
Brian appeared with his hair wet, wrapped in one of the big robes from the linen closet in the bathroom. His clothes were tucked under one arm. “Mind if I do laundry?”
“I think all of us should do that,” Ted answered. “Toss it in the washer and once the last of us is done in the shower, we'll run it.”
“Okay.” Brian did as he was told before claiming two of the plates and the glasses of milk. Balancing the load on his arms, he carefully plodded through the hallway to the living room.
“Are you going to split up?” Grant asked, cutting through the silence that lingered after Brian departed.
Ted rotated his empty plate in a slow circle with his fingertips while Jared ate another sandwich. After a few seconds of Ted remaining silent, Jared answered with the nod of his head.
“But you haven't told the others?” Mackenzie could see the guilt in their faces.
“I don't want to lose my soul in here,” Ted said finally. “The longer we stay with Grace, the more likely that's going to happen. I don't want to be a wraith.”
“When will you do it?” Mackenzie set her partially eaten sandwich on the plate, the desire to eat leaving her. She could understand both sides of the argument and sympathized with each.
Ted and Jared glanced at each other, then Jared said, “We planned to leave today, but things went really wrong.”
“So probably tomorrow.” Ted took the dirty plates to the sink, obviously uncomfortable with the confession.
“When will you tell them?” There was an odd sound in Grant's voice that Mackenzie could not decipher.
“Tomorrow morning.” Jared snagged more sandwiches. “This isn't easy, you know.”
“I wish they would see it and come with us.” The agony of the decision the two friends had come to was written all over Ted's face.
“And leave Grace behind?” Mackenzie cast a worried look at the hallway, afraid the others would overhear.
“She's a liability in this world,” Jared said simply. “I wish we could just find a nice dream castle for her to live her life in, but she'd ruin it.”
“You keep mentioning dream castles and safe havens. Tildy mentioned a dream palace. What are they?” Mackenzie pushed her plate away, half her sandwich uneaten.
Without a word, Grant slid the plate right back to her. Frowning at him, she gave in, picking up the sandwich and nibbling on the corner.
“It's a dead spot that someone has taken control of completely,” Jared said around a mouthful of a new sandwich. “And not just restoring it to how it looked in the other world. We're talking a complete alteration to fit the shaper's will.”
Ted returned to the table and reclaimed his chair. “We did see one that looked like a big pink castle. Massive and extremely detailed. It belonged to a young teenage girl out near the Houston area.”
“It even had unicorns.” Jared smirked.
“I thought you said I couldn't do that.” Mackenzie twisted about on her chair to stare at Grant. “You said I can only restore dead spots to what they once were.”
“Right now that is all you can do. I didn't want to add pressure. Dream constructs are not easy to create or maintain at first. The longer the shaper believes in it, the stronger it becomes.” Grant's blue eyes implored her to understand. “I have been trying to gently guide you in this world. I'm trying not to overwhelm you.”
Mackenzie rolled her eyes. “I don't think that's possible.”
“There are dream palaces and nightmare palaces. The person who takes control decides which it will be.” Jared nodded to Ted. “Remember that
Star Wars
one?”
“That one was weird.” Ted grimaced. “All the women were Leia in a slave outfit and the shaper had them on leashes.”
“So why haven't you made one?” Mackenzie asked the men at the table.
“Not strong enough, sorry to say,” Ted replied. “Once you die in this world, you're tainted. It gets harder to be a shaper after each death.”
“We've lost too much of our life spark.” Jared's smile completely vanished and he studiously wiped off his plate with the crust of his bread, mopping up the last of the drops of jelly. “We've maintained safe havens for certain lengths of time, but to establish a permanent dream palace is something we haven't been able to do. Even with all of us trying.”
“Though you may be able to do it,” Ted pointed out. “You haven't died yet. You're strong enough to fix this house, so you might be able to create a safe place for yourself and Grant. But, you won't be able to take in people like us. Outsiders can compromise dream palaces. Though we're very grateful you took us in tonight, the reality is that if you ever build a dream palace, you can't let us in.”
It all made sense in a horrible way. It even explained Grant's paranoia about Tildy. He had recognized how close she was to her final death and transformation into a wraith. She had to wonder why Grant had allowed the others into the farmhouse though. It seemed out of character somehow, but she would have to wait to ask him until they had a moment alone.
Footsteps in the hallway alerted the group in the kitchen to the approach of the others. Dawn and Grace entered with their empty plates and glasses. Dawn gave them all a speculative look, but Grace promptly walked over to the kitchen windows, peeled back the curtains, and peered out. The dishes clinked together when Dawn set them inside the sink and turned on the faucet. It was a strangely comforting sound. Mackenzie scooted her chair away from the table, shielded the remains of her sandwich from Grant's watchful gaze, and joined Dawn. The young woman scrubbed away at the dishes, the foaming, hot water billowing up around her wrists.
“I can get that for you,” Dawn offered, extending a hand covered in soapy suds.
“Thanks.” Mackenzie handed her the plate, then awkwardly watched the younger woman, trying to think of a way to start a conversation. The kitchen was horribly quiet now that Grace had joined them. She was giggling at the window, obviously amused by something outside.
“Dawn, do you want to take your shower next?” Ted asked.
“Sure. I'll take Grace with me and get her cleaned up, too.”
“I don't want to go in the water!” Grace whipped about, her face darkening. “That nasty shark will get me!”
“I already told you that sharks are in the ocean, not in bathtubs,” Dawn answered calmly and with great patience.
“What got her stirred up?” Jared asked wearily.
“Brian is watching
Jaws
.” Dawn's brow furrowed. “He's being a dipshit because I was paying more attention to her.”
“He knows better!” Ted shot to his feet and scooted around the table.
Mackenzie shivered. The mere thought of sharks was enough to make her flinch.
Jaws
had traumatized her as a kid. She'd just been getting over her fear of sharks when she had visited her cousins in Galveston. They had spent an awesome day swimming and having fun in the high waves and bright sunlight. A day later her uncle had shown the kids an aerial photograph that had been taken while they had been at the beach. The sleek, frightening forms of sharks had been terrifyingly close to them, though no one had ever seen the predators. That was the last time Mackenzie ventured into the ocean.
“I told him to turn it off, but he says it's his favorite movie,” Dawn grumbled. “It got Grace all riled up.”
Jared followed Ted out of the room while Grant sat in silence eating his sandwich.
“The big fish was eating people,” Grace whispered to Mackenzie. “I don't like it. It's not nice like my goldfish at home.”
“It's just a movie. The shark was fake.” It was exactly what her mother had told Mackenzie every time she tried to cajole Mackenzie into the water on their vacations.
Grace regarded her with skepticism.
“You can take a shower instead of a bath.” Dawn finished washing the dishes and setting them in the drainer. “Is that fine?”
Scrunching up her face, Grace pondered the question before giving a short nod.
Smiling with relief, Dawn wiped her hands on a towel and extended her hand toward Grace. “Good. Now let's go get cleaned up so we can go to sleep in a nice comfy bed.”
Raised voices in the living room made Dawn pause. Mackenzie could see the indecision in her expression. Should she hurry Grace past the quarreling men, or wait it out and risk Grace rebelling?