Order and Chaos Read online

  "Maybe we should tell the doctor," the first one said.

  Yes, yes, tell him. Tell him, please!

  "It doesn’t mean anything. There's nothing unusual with tears rolling from her eyes," the second one said. "The eye is just cleaning itself. It doesn’t mean there is any brain activity."

  No. No. It means I am here. I am awake, and I am scared and sad, and you should just…

  Jazmine felt something being pressed against her skin and then the tears were wiped away.

  "There. Now she's all cleaned up," the nurse said, sounding very satisfied. "Just in time for the doctor's rounds."

  Chapter Nine

  "She's awake."

  Amy called me early the next morning and woke me up.

  "Who? What?" I asked and sat up in bed trying to get back to reality after the strange dream I had. I had been with Jazmine trapped inside of her body, inside a deep darkness and I had felt such deep fear.

  "She's awake. My mom called the hospital a few minutes ago to hear how she was doing, and they told her she had just woken up."

  I opened my eyes wide. "Ruelle?"

  "Yes, Ruelle. Who did you think I was talking about? Geez, Robyn, you gotta keep up."

  "I was sleeping," I argued. "I was dreaming."

  "Well, stop that. We need to help Jayden," Amy said.

  "How? What can we do?" I asked, puzzled.

  "We need to find out where he is," she said.

  "Don't you think the police are asking Ruelle about that as we speak?" I asked. "I mean Jayden's dad is the sheriff in case you forgot."

  "And you think she's just going to tell? Just like that?" Amy asked. "You really are naïve, Robyn. She's not gonna say a darn thing. Especially not if she killed him."

  "Please, don't say that," I said, my stomach clenching into knots. "I can't bear the thought."

  "Okay, I won't. But mark my words. She'll find a way out of having to tell. She's tricky like that."

  "What do you think she was doing in the abandoned house?" I asked.

  With the phone clutched to my ear, I walked to the window and looked down at the street. In the distance, I could see the old dark house towering. I had always felt like the house was alive and like I could hear its heartbeat when walking past it. I couldn't stop thinking about the story and the boy that went missing. Timmy was his name, as far as I remembered. Timmy Reynolds. He had been only seven years old when he disappeared. The story went that he had heard noises at night and then gone into the living room to see what it was. No one had seen him since. That was twenty-five years ago. But my question was always how did people know? How could the parents know that the boy had heard noises if they were asleep? Just because he had heard them before and asked them about them? There had to be more to that story and to the house, and somewhere out there was the solution.

  "I dunno," Amy answered. "But I would like to know if she's kept Jayden in there."

  "So, you think we should try and go in…again?" I asked.

  "I was thinking about it," she said.

  "We'll just end up getting lost again," I said. "It wasn't exactly a pleasant experience the last time."

  "I know. Maybe it's stupid."

  "Besides, according to where they found Jayden's phone—and Alyssa's dead body—she took him out of town. I hardly think she would have brought him back. Wouldn't that be too risky?"

  "So, you're thinking that maybe she was just in the abandoned house because she had something she needed to do in there?" Amy asked.

  "Maybe. But it also means she must know how to break the spell."

  "True," Amy said, then groaned and puffed. "Oh, crap."

  "What?"

  "I gotta go, Robyn."

  "What? Why?"

  "I just set the curtains on fire…again. My mom's gonna kill me. She loved these new ones. Here comes Melanie with the extinguisher. Talk to you later!"

  She hung up, and I chuckled while I kept looking at the big black house on the horizon. There was something about that old story that I simply couldn't let go.

  Chapter Ten

  I spent the rest of the Saturday unable to find rest. Somehow, my mom persuaded me to go running with her around the lake. I guess I said yes because I believed it might help get rid of all my worry and restlessness. But it didn't. It made me tired, yes, but the gloomy weather and dark low-hanging clouds just made me more depressed and sad.

  As I got back home and took a shower, there was a knock on our door. I went downstairs to open it, but my mom beat me to it.

  "Claire?" my mom asked, surprised and a little hesitant. "W-what are you doing here?"

  "I need to talk to you."

  My mom hesitated for a few seconds, then let her inside. They sat in the kitchen, and I stayed on the stairs, listening in on their conversation. My mom and Jayden's mom in the same kitchen, alone, talking. That had to be interesting.

  My mom served her a glass of cauliflower smoothie that she had made for Veronika and me earlier. As a healthy snack, she said. We drank ours while fighting not to spit it back out.

  "Thanks," Claire said, hardly even looking at the glass.

  "Good for the complexion," my mom said. "You need it."

  My mom, master at offending people and yet making it sound like she's trying to be nice.

  "Oh, well…" Claire said sounding confused.

  "What can I do for you, Claire?" my mom asked. "Is there any news?"

  "She woke up this morning, and Ben has been interrogating her all afternoon, even though the doctors tell him he ought to wait till they're done with their tests."

  "But there is no time to waste," my mom said. "Surely, the doctor must understand that."

  "You'd think," Claire said.

  "And what has she told them thus far?" my mom asked.

  Claire sighed. "Nothing. Can you believe it? According to the doctor, she has amnesia. She doesn’t remember a single thing from the past several weeks."

  "Amnesia?" my mom squealed. "How convenient."

  Claire chortled. "You can say that again. Ben has tried all day to get her to remember what she did to Jayden, but she has given him nothing."

  "Why…I never…"

  "I know. I don't know what to do. That's why I’m coming to you," Claire said. "I know that your people, at least some are…capable of…"

  My mom sensed where the conversation was going. She shook her head. "No, Claire. It's too dangerous. With the times we live in now, if they find out…"

  "Do you…can you…do that persuasion thing or hypnotizing or whatever you call it?" she asked.

  My mom scratched her forehead, then shook her head. "No. I never got that…talent."

  "Oh," Claire said, disappointed. "I am sorry. I just assumed you…"

  "Well, I don't," she said with a snort.

  "Oh…okay," Claire said and got up from her chair. "I just thought it might be worth a try. It was good to see you again, Camille. Thanks for the…drink."

  My mom closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead as Claire started to walk away, then turned around on her high heel.

  "Claire, wait."

  Jayden's mom stopped.

  "I might know someone who can help," my mom said with a deep exhale.

  Claire's face lit up. "Really?"

  "Yes," she said. "My mom. And lucky for you, she's in town these days."

  Chapter Eleven

  Ruelle was sitting up in her bed when we entered the hospital room. The place was packed with police and Ben was waiting by her bedside and smiled when he saw my mom and Grams walk in. My mom shuddered nervously when seeing the number of police.

  "Camille," he said and walked toward her. "Thank you so much for coming."

  Amy was with me, and we had taken Amy's truck, following close behind Claire, who took my mom and grandmother.

  As soon as I realized what was about to happen, I had called Amy and told her about it. She had then convinced me we should go too. I had to admit I was curious, and I wanted to see Ruel
le and hear what she had to say for herself. I didn't even ask my mom if we could go. We just went. I could sense that my mom was nervous since she hardly even winced when she realized we had followed them there.

  "Jayden's our friend," I told her when she gave me a look in the lobby. "I want to know what happened to him."

  She answered with a grunt, then guided Grams to the elevator, and we followed close behind, trying to stay out of their way.

  "Do you think you can help?" Sheriff Smith now asked in a low voice.

  My mom shook her head, then pushed my grandmother forward. "She can. But you have to make sure no one sees her do it; you hear me? No one must see it."

  My mother's voice was shaking lightly, and I realized she was worried about my grandmother.

  Ben nodded seriously, then turned around and told all his deputies to leave the room. Amy and I hid in the corner and hoped no one would notice we were still there. Ruelle's parents were sitting by her bedside, holding each other's hands. Ruelle was crying and shaking her head.

  "I didn't hurt him, Dad. I promise you. I don't understand how you would think so. I would never hurt Jayden," she said.

  "Just tell them the truth, honey," her mother said. "No more lies."

  "This is the truth. Why won't you believe me?"

  Her parents answered by shaking their heads, her mother sobbing helplessly. Ben walked up behind them and cleared his throat.

  "Mr. and Mrs. Loup? She's here."

  The parents looked up at Grams, who gave them a sympathetic smile. They got up and moved away from the bed and let my grandmother get close to Ruelle. She leaned forward and wiped a tear from her cheek. Ruelle looked up at her, then into her eyes. Then Grams grabbed Ruelle's hands between hers and sat down in front of her, still looking into her eyes. Ruelle didn't even try to look away; it was like her eyes were fixated, like she couldn't remove them from my grandmother's even if she wanted to. And then it was like her face changed somehow. She stopped crying, and her look became empty like she was voided of emotion of any sort.

  "What happened to Jayden, Ruelle?" my grandmother asked. "Where is he?"

  Ruelle stared at Grams, her eyes distant and not blinking. Then her lips moved, and she spoke with a still, monotonous voice.

  "He's in the car."

  Ben exchanged a look with my mom.

  "And where is that car?" my grandmother asked.

  "In the parking lot."

  "And where is that parking lot?"

  "Behind the Cinemax. We went there to watch The Shape of Water. We made out in the car afterward." Ruelle gasped. " Jayden told me he loved me. I didn't say it back. I never had the chance."

  "Why didn't you get to say it back?" my grandmother asked.

  "Because someone is there. Someone is by the window, someone…"

  Ruelle stopped talking, and now she was shivering all over. Finally, she opened her mouth and let out a scream so ear-piercing it went through every bone in my body.

  Chapter Twelve

  Grams moved her hand in front of Ruelle's face, and her expression changed again. The screaming stopped. As she came back to herself, she took one look at all of us, then started to cry again.

  "I am so confused," she said.

  "She's telling the truth," Grams said and got up from the bed. "No human can lie under my persuasion."

  "But…but that date was two months ago," Claire said, her voice shivering. She looked at her husband briefly, then back at my grandmother.

  "I remember it like it was yesterday. Jayden came home and told me he didn't like the movie much. That's not even when she saw him last. They dated several times a week over the past month. They were constantly together."

  "But that is the last time she remembers seeing him," Grams said.

  "She's lying. She must be lying."

  My grandmother shook her head. "I don't know what to tell you. She's genuine. She truly believes Jayden is in that parking lot. That was where she saw him last."

  "It can't be," Claire said, shaking her head desperately while looking to my grandmother for answers. "It simply can't be."

  "The doctor did say she had amnesia," my mom said. "Maybe she really doesn't remember, Claire."

  "But…but…" Claire looked at her husband, who shrugged. Then she looked down, tears piling up in her eyes.

  "It's possible, Claire," he said.

  "But the…dog and Alyssa Heckler?" Claire asked.

  "I…I don't know what to tell you," her husband said. "We need to investigate more to get to the bottom of this."

  "Could something else have happened to Jayden?" my mom asked.

  Meanwhile, Amy and I shared a glance. I felt a knot growing in the pit of my stomach. I knew exactly what date Ruelle was talking about. An idea, a thought was shaping in my mind, and I didn't like one bit of it.

  "Like what?" Ben asked.

  My mom moved her fingers to make them look like spiders running, and Ben understood. He sighed and sat in the chair next to Ruelle, hiding his face between his hands.

  "I don't know how to deal with this anymore," he said. "I just want my son back."

  My heart sank when watching Jayden's dad sit there, all out of it. He had been through so much this past several months. Losing Logan, amnesia…

  Amnesia?

  "Jazmine's mom," I muttered under my breath.

  "What's that?" Amy asked.

  I looked at her. "Jazmine's mom didn't remember anything either. Just like Jayden's dad."

  "What are you talking about?" Amy asked again.

  I nodded pensively. "I don't know exactly yet, but I have a feeling I need to find out."

  I sent Amy a look; then my mom spotted a spider sitting on the ceiling looking down at them. A big fat tarantula.

  "SPIDER!" my mom screamed and pointed.

  After that, there was nothing but panic.

  Chapter Thirteen

  She couldn't believe it. Carina Robinson was walking through the park alone while wondering about Bruce and thinking about all the wonderful dates they had been on together.

  They had been dating for two years now, and Carina had started to think of him as a possible future husband. Granted, she was only eighteen years old, so it was early, too early, her mother said, but love didn't know any age, did it? It didn't when it came to Carina and Bruce.

  They had met at a party, but at first sight, Carina hadn't liked him. He had been insistent, though, and kept approaching her at the party, wanting to talk to her, and finally, she had agreed to dance with him. After that, she had fallen for him completely. It was something in his eyes, the way he looked at her, the way he treated her like only a true gentleman would. He was always holding the door for her, putting a jacket over her shoulders when she was cold, and always paid for her no matter what she wanted to do. She had believed he worshipped the ground she walked on. It had seemed like he did. And he was all she could talk about to her friends at school.

  But Bruce was four years older than her, and that had Carina's mom worried quite a bit.

  "It's just four years," Carina had argued.

  "He's in a completely different place in his life than you," her mom had said. "He's almost done with college, and he will want things to get more serious soon."

  But her mother had been wrong. Bruce had wanted to be with her, yes, but he didn't care about marriage or children yet. He never spoke about it and, as Carina kept dating him, she realized they were more in the same place than any of the other boys her own age that she had dated.

  At least she had thought so.

  Tonight, he had shown another side to himself, one that made Carina start to cry again now that she thought about it.

  Carina thought she heard a noise and rushed through the park till she reached the lake where she stopped for a few seconds, looking at her own reflection in the moonlit waters.

  It was dark and way too late for her to be out, but she didn't want to go home; she didn't want to have to face her mother's smirk wh
en she realized she had been right. She hadn't been completely right about Bruce, but she had told her that it wouldn't last.

  That part she was right about.

  Tonight, when Carina had entered his apartment downtown, he hadn't been alone. With him, in his bed, was Carina's best friend, Lilly. When he realized she was there, he had told her it was her own fault for not letting him know she was coming and that they had never promised each other they were exclusive, that they had agreed they didn't want to be serious.

  "I texted you," had been her only answer, the only one she could think to say. Like she was the one who had to defend herself.

  "You idiot," she mumbled at her own reflection, then sniffled.

  She heard a rustle behind her once again, then decided to leave. This was no time to be walking in the park. This was the time the creatures of the night came out; her mother had often warned her.

  Much to her surprise, Carina was once again about to learn a hard lesson in life.

  You should always listen to your mother.

  Chapter Fourteen

  I couldn't sleep. Of course, I couldn't. It wasn't the darn full moon that kept me awake, nor was it the strange sounds coming from owls or stray dogs barking in the distance. It was my thoughts that kept spinning around. No matter how hard I tried to ignore them, they wouldn't let me rest.

  Finally, I sat up and looked out the window. It was past midnight, and yet no one left Jayden's house to go hunting, nor did anyone leave our house anymore. Not even my cousins. My mom had prohibited them from doing so and told them she'd personally rip their arms off if they did.

  We all knew she would.

  In the distance, by house number three, I saw the spider-men in the front yard. Two new ones were arriving by motorcycle and walking up to the front door, where three other spider-men greeted them.

  Then the door was closed as they all disappeared inside, swaying along on their long, thin legs. I shivered when thinking about them and how they had tried to kill Amy. It made my heart throb again. I worried about my family and my friends. Especially Amy. She still couldn't control her dragon very well, and I feared she would be the first to be discovered. If anything happened to her, I would never forgive myself.