Page 18 of The Chosen Two

Miranda

“Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck.”IcannotbelieveI am going along with this. What was I thinking? This kid shows me one moment of emotion at the mall yesterday, and I cave and let him blindfold and drive me to who the hell knows where?

“Will you please calm down? You can handle it. I know you can. That’s why we’re doing this! You need to prove to yourself that you can do this, and you are The Guardian. Because I’m sorry to say it, Sweetheart, but you are.” I can hear the smirk in his voice.

“Sweetheart? Really? I could be your mother!”

He releases a deep throaty laugh. “Nope. You couldn’t. No way.”

“Whatever. You seem to be driving very fast.”

“It just feels that way because you’re blindfolded. I promise you, I’m being perfectly safe.”

“Fine. Whatever.” I literally begin to twiddle my thumbs because what else can I do?

I don’t bother trying to keep track of the turns, and I have no idea how much time has gone by when he finally slides the car into park and turns off the engine. My heart is racing, and I think I’m definitely going to throw up. I hear him take a deep, shaky breath next to me.

This admittedly makes me freak out. “Hold on… Are you nervous? You’re not allowed to be nervous! You’re the one who brought me here. You’re the one saying I can do this. If you’re nervous, I’m fucked!”

“I’m not nervous. I know you’re the one. I know you can do this. I’m just… It’s still a new experience for me, okay?”

“Oh. Okay. Sure. That puts me totally at ease, George!”

I hear a chuckle before, “Let’s get this done so we can get some coffee.”

“Coffee? There’s coffee after this?” I would never have complained if I knew there was the promise of coffee. “Now you’re talking. Why didn’t you say so! Let’s go!”

“You know, I bet if a serial killer showed up to lure you into his van,, he’d have no problem so long as he had a pot of fresh coffee inside.” I can hear him shake his head right before I hear his car door open and close a moment later.

Alone in the car, I give myself a pep talk. “It’s cool, Miranda. You are amazing. You made four amazing little people. You can do anything. You can. You are definitely not going to die wherever we are and leave those four amazing people to get themselves home from school this afternoon. Not an option.”

And then my door is pulled open. I knew it was coming, but I still jump and give a little yip from the startle.

“You okay there?”

“Yup, yup. I’m grand.” My voice is shaking, but his is too. “Hey, George? Why is everything so…loud?”

“Is it? I guess when I blindfolded you, it awakened your super hearing.”

“Super hearing?”

But he’s done talking, and I am lifted to my feet. I hear my door close, and he is walking me into…something. Somewhere. I don’t hear a door open, but the atmosphere changes around me. The air feels a little colder and smells a little stale. The sound of my feet dragging against the smooth floor creates a bit of an echo with every step. I hear a big door being dragged closed behind me.

George walks me forward for a couple more minutes. I say a couple minutes, but I have no idea how long we’re walking. Time has no meaning, and we’re making so many turns, left and right and right and left, that I wouldn’t be able to keep track if I’d wanted to. Maybe your average young lady Chosen One could. But not me!

He puts something in my hand, something heavy and awkward and dangerous. I swallow hard.

“Okay. There’s your protection. I’m going to walk away now.” With his hands on my shoulders, he speaks into my ear quietly from behind. “Count to one hundred, and then you can take off your blindfold.”

I swallow hard again and nod. I count out loud but quietly, because if I try to do it in my head, I’ll lose count. Once at one hundred my empty, shaking hand raises to remove my blindfold. I struggle with the knot for a few seconds before getting frustrated and just pulling the whole thing up and off my head.

I’m inside what looks like a dark warehouse, but I can still see as if I am outside on a bright summer day. It’s a strange feeling, and I wonder if this enhanced vision is something I just have now, like my new super hearing. If it is, will I ever get used to it? Of course, all I can see anyway are boxes stacked to twice my height. Paths on both sides of me twist around corners to who knows where. I can sense someone running on the far side of the space to my left. I stand still and close my eyes, tracing their path around the room with my hearing, like some freakish bat lady. Whoever, or whatever, that is, they have entered the maze.

Damn it! Enhanced hearing is not something I need with the way my kids whine...

Quite frankly, this entire situation is utter bullshit, but if I need to listen to my kids fighting on eleven now too, I’d rather just use this machete thing to stab myself right here and be done with it. Machete thing? Is that what this is? Why do I know that, and why do I have this? What am I doing in here that I need a fucking machete?

I can make out the ragged breathing of whatever is in here with me. It’s somewhere behind me and sounds like it holds a whole lotta breath. I’m not ready to turn around, but I can tell it’s getting closer.

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