Page 9 of Eye on the Ball

“Part-time is perfect! My grandparents are helping me go to college. It’s online, so I only need to go to campus a few days per semester, but I’ll need time to study. They won’t let me pay them rent or anything, but I want to buy my own books and pitch in on groceries. The shirts would be helpful, too. Thanks!”

“That’s great! We’ll absolutely work around your schedule. What are you studying?”

“I’m actually going for a double major in history and business.”

“I love history. Talk to me about anything you study, if you want. I mean that. But now I need to get back to it and help Eleanor.” I stood and smiled at her. She jumped up out of her chair and, before I could stop her, grabbed my hands in excitement.

And then I had to watch her die.

* * *

It was nighttime. We were in a large bedroom, and two people—a man and a woman—were asleep in a king-sized bed. As usual in a vision, I couldn’t move from my spot in the corner of the room, and of course I couldn’t speak. I’d once tried to call out, but it didn’t work. I was only ever a silent spectator.

The man turned over in his sleep and put an arm around the woman’s shoulders. I saw a wedding ring glint on his hand. Both of them were very old. I looked around, wondering where Tina was, but then the woman in the bed let out a sort of sighing gasp and sat up, her hand, which also wore a wedding ring, going to her chest. She turned to her husband and grabbed his hand, waking him.

“Honey?”

“I think it’s my heart again,” she whispered. “I love you.”

“I love you so much,” he said, sitting up and frantically reaching for his phone. “I’m calling 911.”

But it was too late. Tina smiled at him, and then she was gone.

* * *

“Tess?”

I opened my eyes to see a many-decades-younger Tina staring at me in alarm.

“Are you okay? You went funny for a second.”

With almost no effort, I smiled at her. “I’m fine. A touch of vertigo, I think. My sinuses have been acting up,” I lied. One thing I never, ever do is tell the people in my visions anything about them. Nobody should know how or when they’re going to die, and I haven’t been alive long enough to know if they all will come true or not.

I’d had so much—too much—proof that theywouldcome true, dating back to the first time a vision struck. But maybe they wouldn’t all come true. After a few of the particularly terrible deaths I’d seen, I had to cling to that hope.

On the bright side, I’d learned over the years to control the physical reaction I had to the visions. To the peaceful ones, at least. The scary and dangerous deaths were harder on me, but they all used to be so intense that I would collapse. That’s one reason I didn’t touch people. Mostly, though, I didn’t want to know how anybody was going to die.

“You’re sure you’re okay?”

“Oh, yeah. Perfectly fine. I just need lunch. Can you come in Monday morning and do the paperwork with me? You can start Tuesday.”

“Yes. Absolutely. Oh, thank you. Thank you so much!”

I finally got her to stop thanking me and go on her way, and I got straight to work helping with the Friday rush. Just before noon, things slowed a bit, and Eleanor studied my face.

“What happened?”

“I hired her.”

Eleanor sighed. “Softy. Okay, I’ll help train her and keep an eye on her.”

“Thanks. You’re the best employee I’ve ever had.”

“I’m the only employee you’ve ever had. Until now. But quit trying to distract me. What happened? You’re pale.”

“I saw her die,” I admitted.

“Oh, honey.” Eleanor hugged me, which was absolutely fine, because I’d hugged her before and never seen her death. The rule seemed to be I only saw deaths the first time someone touched me, if I saw them at all. Some people were, thankfully, a closed book to me.

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