Dissolve (6 page)

“What?” she replied, uncomprehending my confession.

“I dreamt I was a purple butterfly floating in the summer breeze. Then I woke up in a field of tall grass in the dirt.”

Her features crumpled and she threw her arms around me. “Oh Cora, that must have been awful. How did you manage to get back here? You didn’t walk back naked I hope. We don’t need the attention.”

“Luckily I was just off not far from the hotel. I used the dandelion trick and floated back on the warm air. After reforming, I got dressed and slid back into bed. I was too freaked to wake you up,” I confessed.

“This does throw a wrench in our travel plans. We are going to have to sleep in shifts. I can’t afford to lose you one night to your new power. That’s scary and I don’t want to wake up and find you missing,” she paused. “Mainly, I don’t want to wake up and find myself all alone. I don’t think I can take it.”

“Okay, I think that is a smart idea. I don’t like the idea of getting lost and wandering around a foreign town naked,” I admitted in agreement with her.

“Well take a quick shower and we will get back on the road. It is already after nine and I want to be on the road as soon as possible. We aren’t too far from Florida and we haven’t even talked about what we are going to do once we get there,” Nessa said tucking back her new honey blond hair.

Fifteen minutes later, I was dressed in the same clothes from the day before and wringing the water from my damp hair. We really needed to find a laundry mat at some point soon. I shook out my short wet hair and looked up at Nessa. She had the bag packed and was snacking on some little cookie bits, no doubt from the vending machine. We also really needed to find some real food.

“All packed up, are you ready?” Nessa asked.

“Yeah, no time like the present,” I replied grabbing the bag.

“Let’s rock and roll.”

“Roger that,” I said taking one last look around the room and then following her out into the sunny morning.

The sun was a brilliant yellow and the heat emanating from it was intense. I tossed my sunglasses over my squinting eyes and threw the bag in the back seat before falling into the passenger seat. I shot Nessa a crooked smile and the engine thrummed to life. I relaxed a little after we made it to the highway and were clear of the motel.

Safe or not, it was still a chance staying any place. There hadn’t been any televisions in the rooms and we didn’t know if they were looking for us or not. It left me unsettled and a little fearful.

I was the first to broach the conversation. “So where do we go in Florida? We need somewhere to blend in with lots of tourists.”

“I don’t know about you, but I love a good beach. I think we could go along the gulf coast and spend some time working on our tans. It is the best way to change our appearance and look sexy.”

“What about Tom? How are we going to find his murderer?” I asked.

“Honey, I think we are in bigger trouble than just Tom. We both have superpowers and are being followed by a strange tall dark and handsome. I think we are in enough trouble ourselves,” Nessa answered pointedly.

“Ok, you are right I guess. Just the thought of that guy gives me the chills. I wish I knew why this happened to us.”

Lost in thought, I peered out the window and observed the scenery as it changed drastically entering Florida. That was when I saw him, a hitchhiker. Soon a hint of an idea began to form.

“Nessa, quick, pull over. We need to pick up that hitchhiker.”

“Why would we do that? We have to draw little attention to ourselves. We need to error on the side of caution.”

“True, but it is brilliant. Look at him; he is wearing khakis and a polo tee. He doesn’t look like a normal hitchhiker. Also, they are looking for the two of us. If we pick him up, it will be three of us and we might be better off. Please Nessa, pull over.”

“Fine, but if he murders us, just remember that this was your idea,” she resigned as she pulled the car to the side of the highway and waited for the hitchhiker to catch up to us.

I studied him in the rear view mirror as he approached. He had short messy brown hair and he had piercing brown eyes. I would admit that he was definitely attractive. I just knew in my gut that picking him up was the right thing to do. He reached my window and leaned in.

“Thanks so much for stopping. It is getting really hot out here. Where are you headed?” he asked.

“We are headed to Florida, down the west coast, how about you?” I asked peering into those piercing brown eyes.

“Sarasota eventually, I sure could use a ride. I wouldn’t be any trouble. I have money and can help out,” he offered.

I looked at Nessa and she gave a reluctant nod. We needed more money and he would help us with our cover. It truly was a brilliant idea. I nodded to the mystery hitchhiker, and then stepped out of the car. I was surprised when he threw his arms around me in thanks before letting himself into the backseat with haste. I reentered the car and we headed back on the road towards Florida.

“So, this is Nessa and I am Cora. What shall we call you?” I asked with a light laugh.

“My name is Noah. I can’t thank you enough for picking me up and taking a gamble on me. I promise I am not a killer or anything.”

“Okay Noah, how did you end up in this predicament?” Nessa asked still skeptical.

“My car broke down in Tennessee and I had to hitchhike to get down here.”

“What happened to your other ride?” I asked.

He put his head down in disgust as if he was fishing for the right words. “He was some creepy guy. He kept buying me drinks at the gas stations and insisting I keep hydrated. I don’t know why, but he was off. I wasn’t feeling too well and it was like he was pleased by it. At the last gas station, I made a point to lose him.”

Alarm coursed through me and I could tell that one look at Nessa confirmed her suspicions as well. This guy had been with the guy who set this in motion. My guard went on high alert and I stared at Noah more intently. I tried not to let on that the wan look my skin was taking on and the sickness I felt at the mere thought of the creepy man.

“Was he tall, dark and handsome?” I asked.

Noah’s eyebrows shot up at that. “Yeah I guess, I don’t really check out other guys. How did you know? Do you know him?”

“Not exactly, but I have a theory. How are you feeling now?”

“Do you have a headache or any sweating?” Nessa interjected as she followed my line of questioning, interested now.

“Yeah, how did you know? I think I might have a migraine. Do you have any ibuprofen?”

“Oh hell, this is so not good,” Nessa said.

“Do you think he is going to be like us?” I asked Nessa.

“Like you how?” Noah said on guard now.

“That creepy man has been following us. I don’t know why us, but he has been for a while now. Are you sure he didn’t send you here to us?” Nessa explained.

“I swear I am just an innocent bystander. He picked me up just outside Nashville. I didn’t know him from Adam. Why is he following you?”

“We don’t know, but he is extremely creepy. That I do agree with,” I answered.

My suspicion soon dissipated and I began to pity Noah. He was going to be like us and he didn’t even know the half of it yet. It was a good thing I convinced Nessa to pick him up. He was safer with us than alone. I reached in the bag and grabbed some aspirin for him and a bottle of water.

“Here, hope this helps,” I offered.

“Thanks. It seems to be getting worse by the minute,” he said as he swallowed the aspirin and downed the water in a few gulps.

Nessa shot me an unsettling look then returned to driving mutely. I knew she was thinking the same as me and was totally freaking out. This man was mutating us into super humans and we had no idea why or just how many of us this had happened to. Tom was just a small piece to this grueling puzzle we had yet to put together.

I tried to shake it off and turned up the stereo on as I sank back and tried to calm myself in silence. Noah fell asleep and was to the point of snoring, causing Nessa and I to let a little giggle to escape.

Nearly two hours later we rolled into the gas station and Noah stirred. He handed Nessa a fifty and told her to fill up the tank. She thanked him and pumped our gas without hesitation. We were down to a measly six hundred bucks and since we had no end in sight, reserving as much as possible was a good thing.

I turned to Noah before opening the car door. “I am going inside for a restroom break and to get some snacks. Do you want anything?”

“A Gatorade and any granola bar you can find would be great. I still don’t feel great,” Noah said.

“Okay, be back in a jiff,” I told him before shutting the door.

Nessa finished pumping gas and followed me inside. Once out of earshot, she paid for the gas and grabbed me by the arm as I was getting snacks.

“What the hell are we going to do Cora?”

“Let things unfold as they did with us. Did you read anything from him?”

“He is telling the truth. He is going to see his brother in Sarasota, and his car really broke down. The thoughts of the creepy man were accurate. This is not good,” she whispered.

“I know. We can’t just come out and tell him, he wouldn’t believe us. We need to let it happen and be there for him when he does. We will be stronger together and he will help us blend in. We need him Nessa, and apparently he needs us too.”

“He is helping with funds which is much needed too, don’t forget,” I added.

“Okay, I guess you are right. It is just scary. How many more of us are there? What will he turn out to be? It is just a lot to take in.”

“I agree, but we might need him. Don’t forget that. Let’s get some food and get the heck out of here,” I said pulling Nessa toward the food and grabbing the necessary items.

We paid for the snacks and took turns using the restroom before heading back to the purple mustang. Noah was still there thankfully, but he was looking worse. His skin had gone pasty and he looked one step away from death.

“Here is your granola bar and Gatorade. Are you sure you are alright? Is the ibuprofen helping your migraine?” I asked him.

He placed his fingers on his temples and shook his head just slightly. “No, my head is still throbbing. I am sure I am just dehydrated and hungry. Maybe it will dissipate once I eat my granola bar and drink my Gatorade. Thanks so much for getting them for me.”

“No problem, thanks for paying for the gas. Speaking of that, you may want to pull out your daily limit in cash at the ATM just in case that creepy man comes back. We are about an hour from Panama City. Then you can relax and rest, maybe you will feel better once we get there.”

“Thanks,” he said. “That is a great idea. I will be right back.”

He returned quickly and relaxed into the back seat before leaning back and closing his eyes, using the bags for pillows.

Nessa and I turned the radio on low and found a station playing some pop crap and soon we drifted into a comfortable silence. Noah was beginning to look worse and we tried to ignore the panic building up inside us. I think we were more afraid of the unknown than anything. I dissolved, and Nessa read minds. There was no telling what Noah would develop and how things would develop.

Chapter 6:

We got to Panama City and looked for a hotel. It was only a little after noon, but we needed to get settled and keep an eye on our newest member of our little freak club. Once we slowed to a crawl in traffic, Noah stirred.

“Are we here already?”

“Yeah, how do you feel about a cheap motel for the day so you can get some rest?”

“I would say thank you. I wish I felt better. Maybe later we can hit the beach after a nap,” Noah said optimistically.

After fifteen minutes of slowly driving down the strip, Nessa pulled off and parked in another motel parking lot. It was not the best, but better than the past ones we stayed at previously. Then she turned to Noah with a sparkle in her eye.

“Hey Noah, do you feel well enough to get the room? Just say it is a single, one of us will sleep on the floor.”

His eyebrows shot up in suspicion, but he felt too terrible to question it and nodded. This motel was just as run down as the others we had been at upon second look. The paint on the building had faded and the exterior needed a major overhaul. Some doors looked like they had been kicked in and there was debris everywhere. It made me shiver in revulsion as I thought about what the inside might look like.

As soon as he entered the motel, I turned to Nessa. “He looks awful. We should keep an eye on him for a while. The change could happen anytime and there is no telling what it will be. It looks like it will be a day in the motel.”

“I agree. Maybe I can find a laundry mat nearby and get our clothes washed while he is sleeping. I trust you to stay with him. He doesn’t have any intention of harming either of us. He is just grateful mainly,” Nessa replied.

“I don’t know Nessa, I still don’t know if I am comfortable with that.”

“Come on Cora, you are the one who convinced me to pick him up,” she said.