The Lost Prince Read online

  “Field house? Where— do I know you?” Neka frowned.

  “No, but I know you. Now, go!” Gripping the pistol by its butt, he let it rest near his thigh as she followed his command. Neka shot a confused frown over her shoulder before disappearing into the wooded area where Nashota waited.

  “Okay… you know I can see you, right?” The tall figure stood over him, huge, muddy sneakers plastered with leaves and wet grass. The size alone scared him into a trance-like stillness. “I’m not gonna hurt you.” The shoes and the pitch of the voice didn’t add up, and though he still feared the speaker wearing those sneakers, he threw his cape off as he rolled out from beneath the Juniper to stand.

  A heavy breath filled his lungs.

  “What’s your name? And don’t tell me it’s Batman because he wouldn’t be all stuck up under that tree afraid of my shoes!”

  He frowned. The voice above him knew of Batman?

  His eyes shifted upward, but his neck straightened at the waist before bending backward to peer up. Afraid to look further, he stared at the waist. He exhaled. Whoever this person was could probably pound him with a hammer fist into the soggy ground like a steel post— in one whack.

  Batman would not be afraid.

  Batman wasn’t real, either.

  He’d already been overly afraid once, and too slow. He cringed at the memory.

  Never again.

  Face your fears.

  His eyes roamed from mid-trunk upward. Paintbrush ends of blonde braids rested at eye level. This was the tallest girl he’d ever seen, and that included any past college basketball players whose autographs he collected when his dad took him to home games. This girl had to be almost eight foot tall!

  A satisfied smile crinkled her downturned face doing nothing to stifle the shock in his eyes. “Wow!” he mouthed.

  “Yeah, yeah, I know. I’m the tallest girl you’ve ever seen. I hear it all the time. No, I never played basketball, and I don’t have an interest in it, either. You might want to close your mouth. A fly just flew in there and came back out. Out of toothpaste?”

  When he didn’t comply, she bent her elbow and gently forced his chin upward with her index finger. His jaw fell slack again when she let go.

  “Sheez! You’re making me uncomfortable!”

  As she thought about smacking his cheek, his jaw snapped shut and he frowned up at her, “You were gonna slap me?”

  “How’d you know that?”

  Realizing he’d given up his secret to a stranger, he turned away nervously, “I— I felt it.”

  “Huh, you must have known you needed it. Come on. Let’s get out of here before we get caught. There’s a house nearby, a big farm. Maybe we can find you something to wear besides that terrific costume. You kind of draw attention, you know?”

  “Me?” Eyes wide, he tapped the muscular plastic chest of his costume with his thumb.

  A deep laugh filtered down as the girl turned away. He trailed her long stride, two steps to her one, water pooling in the fresh indentations left behind by her gigantic shoes.

  “Where did you get that? Who gave it to you? Someone from ‘round here?” Carmen reached for the delicate, yellowing paper, but the strange boy pulled it away.

  “Nah, you aren’t takin’ this. I’ve had this for… well, as I don’t actually remember. It belonged to… somebody I knew.” Brows furrowed, Simon gently folded the paper.

  “They’re… they’re identical…” Carmen whispered, her eyes turned to the image above her.

  “I know. When did you draw that? Why? Have you seen it before?”

  “Yes, in the book… I memorized it from a book… the book with my favorite fairytale in it… the one my mom read to me ev—”

  “Every night? Wait! Like clockwork? The same time every night… the same story… I’m starting to remember…”

  “What’s wrong with you? Are you okay?”

  “I just… can’t remember…”

  “Wait? Do you know your name?”

  “Simon… I think. At least, that’s the name on this paper.” He lifted the folded paper by a corner and waved it toward her.

  “You don’t know? Do you like, have amnesia or something?” Carmen sat back, eyes watching his every move.

  “What are you talking about?” Simon’s confusion caused her concern. Her mother had been a nurse before… Carmen learned about concussions and malnutrition. “Have you ever heard of a place called Paradise?”

  “It sounds like I should know it, but I just don’t—” Simon tilted an ear toward the ceiling as if listening to voices.

  “Look, I think you might have a concussion or something? Were you hit in the head recently? Is it okay if I feel around your skull?”

  “I don’t know, but yeah, sure.” He blinked several times. “Paradise?” He whispered, bending his head forward as her fingers gently slipped through his hair.

  “I want to say it’s in some kind of story? A story that… Ouch!” He yelped as her fingers slid over, stopped, and lightly pressed on an egg sized lump.

  “Great! Starved and injured… how did you get the goose egg?” Carmen tilted his chin upward and turned his head toward the sun lit opening of her hovel. She slid her right palm over first one eye then the other, paused after each, and let her hand fall away checking the reaction of each of his pupils.

  Simon searched his hands, his lap, “I’m sorry, a… a goose egg?”

  “The lump on your head, Jack!” Carmen had no patience. Time was not on her side in the matter of her mother, and this problem took more time from her.

  “Oh, I don’t know… I don’t remember… I…”

  Carmen huffed. “It’ll come back to you. Finish your broth.” She crossed her legs, a frown creasing her brow.

  “It’s Simon, not Jack. I think.” Simon swallowed and watched her puzzle over his comment before chuckling. “I guess we both have stuff to figure out.”

  “Well, Simon it is, for now. Yeah, we’ll figure it out.” Carmen shoved a few items in her real bag and rolled out of the box. “But I will tear down that ceiling before we go anywhere. You stay here. You need more food and some ice for that head.” She called back.

  “No, wait. I’m fine. Let me go, too. I’ll find food later.” When he moved, dizziness overtook him.

  “Ha, not funny. ‘Less you got some money you don’t remember having.” Carmen turned toward him walking backward, palms out.

  “Uh, no. I don’t have any money. I don’t think…” Simon patted his pockets.

  “Just wait here. There’s a dumpster around the corner— behind a restaurant. Sometimes, they throw away orders that ain’t been picked up. Not often, but sometimes. I’ll be back.” Carmen promised.

  “A dumpster? Yuck!”

  “When you’re homeless and hungry, you don’t care where your food comes from.” Carmen turned toward him and shrugged.

  “How do I know you’ll come back? You’re taking your bag with you.”

  “It’s my bag and you are nosey. I’ll be back. Ain’t gonna let you starve to death. I’ll help you rest up and get well, then I’ll split!” Carmen yelled before disappearing around the corner.

  “A dumpster? Really?” Simon shook his head until a sharp pain pierced his skull. His nose wrinkled and he cringed. “Am I that hungry?” Leaning into the cardboard box, his head spun and he balanced in a squat, flat palms and feet on the ground, before resting against the cold, cardboard covered bricks, “I think I’d rather die. Or, did I die? Why do I think I died?” He took in the interior of the scant shack, then turned his attention back to the spiral.

  “S’up? Ya’ find anything? A way in?” Cai poked Thad in the shoulder after rounding the corner of another dilapidated barn. With all the rotten wood, she thought, there should be an easy way in.

  Thad’s thumb pressed into the cool teardrop shaped object in his pocket, his head snapped up and he peered into the woods. Should he tell her?

  “It amazes me how sometimes your min
d can be completely blank like that! How do you do that? Ever since we learned to hear thoughts, I’ve been able to tap into the others whenever I want, but you… there are times you seem just blank. Nobody’s mind is ever blank, Thad.

  “Hey, are you listening to me, Thad?” Cai’s hand squeezed his shoulder.

  Pulling his own hands free, he glanced at her and pointed to the fresh footsteps near his feet, reluctant to share the discovery with her, “Look. They came out here, but there’s no door there.” He nodded toward the cracked wood of the barn wall.

  Cai’s eyes followed his finger up. She frowned. “One of us?” she wondered. “Or… one of them?”

  “And look out here—” Thad followed the footprints toward the woods, “—one set from the barn, then two here, facing each other.”

  “Hey, guys! I found some tire tracks over here! Footprints, too!”

  Thad glanced at Cai, “Go. I’ll follow these tracks.”

  “No, wait until we get back. The door’s probably over there where Jaz found the tracks.”

  “Okay, but that doesn’t tell us how this person came through that wall.”

  “Just wait here.”

  Thad did as Cai asked, but only to play the lame roll he’d always played. His fingers located the object in his pocket and he held it delicately between thumb and forefinger. “Oh, Mom, I miss you so much, but I cannot follow you to my death,” he whispered. Besides, he didn’t want the others to butt in on his thoughts of the girl in the woods. He knew everything about her, and he knew what he had to do if the opportunity arose.

  “Look, tracks all around the barn, but tire tracks here, leaving there. I think it might be in here, whatever they were looking for, and they found it,” Excitement flowed brought a tremble to Jaz’s words.

  “Maybe, but Thad found tracks back there, going toward the woods. It appears that they almost found another one of us, and then did. Funny thing is, the tracks that start toward the woods continue, and the other tracks come back here.”

  “Maybe the person in the vehicle found the tracks and then left?” Rebecca interjected.

  “Without following? Maybe. I’m gonna go back to the other tracks and follow them with Thad. You guys see if you can figure out how to get in this building.” Cai peered up toward the roof of the barn searching for windows.

  “I’ll go with you and Thad,” Jaz offered, leading the way around the barn, “just in case.”

  “Okay,” Nathan shrugged, reaching up to pull at a loose board. “We’re just gonna have to tear down a door. Sorry, Grandpa!” He called toward the clouds.

  “You are so weird,” Cheater worked her fingers into the cracks on either side of the board as he forced the hammer claw in, the loose board creaking with each push on the handle, nails popping loose from the worn wood.

  “Where are they?” The voice grumbled from behind the chair back, the speaker turned to the window view in the leather executive chair. He took in the cityscape beyond, clouds building to a coming storm. Just the way he liked it.

  “Still scattered, boss. We could round them up pretty easily now. They’re close.” The chair whirled. Hands slapped the desk. Stormy eyes pierced the assistant’s abdomen. Fingertips lifted from the edge of the mahogany desk, fading prints slowly dissipating.

  “No! I’m just getting impatient. I need them to be together. I need them to find it, open it. That’s when they will be at their weakest point, when they’re trying to figure it out.” He spun the chair toward the window again.

  “But, boss, their power grows as they unite, doesn’t it?”

  A long pause.

  A deep inhale.

  A frustrated sigh.

  “How many times do I have to explain?” His enraged voice reverberated through the nearly empty office space. He threw fists in the air and whirled the chair in rage as he rose, the handsome face twisted in ire; the dark eyes flashed.

  “They are nothing without their precious hand-me-downs, and I’ve already acquired most of them. I can use that to my advantage. Then, I will know every move they make, every thought they think…” he paused.

  “Still, they are so slow— stupid children! Patience was never to my credit. I’ve done everything possible to lead them to this point in time. Their powers belong to me, should have been given to me!”

  A long, deep inhale, “They are almost here. I can wait. My hope right now is the boy, the one on the inside. My plan cannot fail. One month from now, their power will be mine; this country, this world, will be mine. No one will be able to stop me.” A grin twisted his features and his eyes reddened behind the darkness. His aide winced, turned away to protect himself from the evil power leaking from every pore in his boss’s flawless features. “One month. I can wait. Let them gather at that dilapidated, stinking, old farm. As a matter of fact, call off the sheriff’s department and any other law enforcement we have leading them. I want them to find it without fear of being caught. I want them to get to know each other, let their powers grow and mingle.”

  “Uhm… you sure that’s such a good idea, boss? You don’t think they’ll suspect something if we suddenly stop looking for them?”

  “Ugh! Shut up! Get out! You cannot play devil’s advocate with the devil!” The tall man turned his back on the retreating servant. Lightning flashed behind the man, beyond the glass as the dark clouds roiled and pressed their way toward the city. He smiled at visions of destruction he created in his mind, tumbled buildings, fires and flying debris killing many who didn’t follow him. If that boy were here now, right now in this moment…

  “Yes, patience.” He nodded, glancing at the large, locked drawer of his desk.

  He sighed.

  “When their power is at maximum capacity, when they have lighted the way, I will rip out their strength and cast their weak, simple minded shells to the heavens! This is my world! Those silly women had no right to…” he calmed himself before he let the next words slip.

  “This way, Batman.”

  “I told you, stop calling me that! It’s just a comic con costume. My name is Jamie.”

  “Right. I’d go with Batman… or James. Well, hopefully you are about to get rid of that costume. Look straight through these trees.”

  Jamie peered through the thicket. An old barn leaned eastward, and around the barn door, two teenagers worked at loosening a board. “Do you know them?”

  “Uh, no! But look, he’s gotta be about your size. Where there’s a guy your size, there’s clothes your size, right?”

  “Maybe. But don’t you think they’ll report us to the cops or something?” Jamie frowned.

  “No, I don’t. I’ve been here before,” Lena paused. “You know how hard it is for someone my size to hide in the woods? Anyway, you should have seen the fight those six kids put up to take this farm. If I hadn’t been strong enough to push out of that cop’s trunk, I wouldn’t have seen it. I’d have drowned.”

  “Trunk? Drowned?” Jamie stared at the two kids. “Wait, you fit in a trunk?”

  “Yeah. It wasn’t easy for that cop, either. After I followed those kids here, I watched that guy right there heal a bullet wound in his leg.” She slipped the rifle scope from her back pocket. “Never had any use for guns, but this thing comes in handy. Took it off the cop’s rifle in the trunk.” She bounced it in her hand.

  “Where is here, anyway?”

  “An old farm in Paradise, Texas.”

  “Paradise... wait!” He whispered thoughtfully.

  “Yeah, does that mean something to you?” Lena glanced over at him.

  “Just reminds me of an old story.” Jamie frowned, remembering his mother’s voice. “Hey…” he paused, realizing he didn’t know her name.

  “Lena. That’s my name,” She looked down at his bat ears and frowned. “Yes, it’s the same old story my mother told me,” Lena nodded.

  “My mother used to tell me about twelve kids, a monster… w… are they… are we…” Jamie looked up at her.

  Lena n
odded. “You’re slow. Yes, they are and we are. That’s the story! Twelve Gifted Ones! I think so.” It was Lena’s turn to frown and sigh.

  Jamie turned his eyes back to the teens at the barn.

  “Yeah, we are. They are. We’ve arrived exactly where our lives have led us.” Sadness the realization filled each word Lena spoke before she jerked her head toward Cheater and Nathan. “I’ve been a little afraid to walk up on them alone.”

  Jamie gasped, “You? Afraid? Wow!” Jamie turned his attention back to Cheater and Nathan. “Wow!” he repeated.

  “Looks like they’re the only ones around. Think maybe they could use a little help with that door?” Lena asked.

  “You don’t think they’ll like, attack us or something?” Jamie stumbled along behind Lena as she crashed through the thicket making more noise than a bull moose in rut.

  “Yo, Gifted Ones!” Lena raised a hand. “Need some help?” Cheater and Nathan froze, their backs toward the newcomers. Slowly, they turned, their gazes leaving each other to focus on the two approaching.

  “The giant footprints,” Nathan whispered in awe.

  Darkness pushed back the blue above them as they sprinted toward the house, the heavy drops pinging metal roofs and siding.

  Cai pushed the door open as Jaz leaped over the steps to the threshold, “Find anything?”

  “No. Nothing.” He searched the room. “Where’s Cheater?”

  “Not back, yet. I hope they make it before the storm gets too bad. Those clouds are pretty ugly.” Cai peered up as lightning bolts spread across the horizon. “We didn’t find anything, either. I'm beginning to wonder if there really is something here for us to find. I mean, it would help if we knew what we were looking for.”

  “Yeah, what about you, Thad? Did the footprints lead to anything?” The three had split up to follow tracks through the pasture.

  Thad turned from the window, “No. Nothing. Nobody.”

  “I don’t like it. It’s just too easy. Nobody comes out here all of a sudden, no law… nobody. Why?” Jaz shook his head and turned toward the door, his concern for Cheater and Nathan apparent as he watched the back yard, especially after Nathan’s outburst earlier. He began to wish they’d stuck with Cai’s initial instinct of staying together.