INK: Abstraction (12 page)

“What?”
Carl is shocked. “How can that be?” He stands to review
the data for himself.

“What is an
ec-ten—” I start to ask.

“Ectenic
particles,” McNab corrects, “are particles that make up
ectoplasm and can sometimes drive paranormal activity.”

I look at him, still
bewildered. “I’m not following.”

McNab crosses the room
back to my bed and sits at the end. “Okay, you’ve seen
Star Wars
?”

Weird question, but,
“Yes.”

“I’m
sure
you’re a purist, and bearing that in mind, please forgive the
reference. Ectenic particles are the midi-chlorians of the paranormal
world.” He says it simply.

“Oh, okay.”
I actually completely understand.

“Really, you
understand what he just said? Because that doesn’t sound like
English.” Eli doubts my understanding.

“Yeah, I do,”
I answer, offended.

“She’s a
badass comic book chick that loves all things geek-dom. Of course she
knows what a midi-chlorian is. Don’t you?” Carl looks at
Eli like he’s an idiot.

“Oh, it’s a
geek thing?” Eli asks.

I’m slightly
offended, and from the look on McNab’s face, he may be too.
“You don’t know what you’re missing.”

“So back to the
ghostbusters shit.” I draw McNab’s attention back to the
conversation. It’s strange, he’s usually not so
distractible. “What does it all mean?”

“It means that
those panels were drawn with ink infused with paranormal particles.
It was specifically conjured.” He says it as though it should
make perfect sense.

“I’m
flippin’ the switch, but the light’s just not coming on.
Break it down for me slower, McNab.” I know that Eli
appreciates it since he’s probably more lost than I am. I’ve
at least watched McNab’s show.

“The ink from
your panels doesn’t match the ones that were delivered to Eli’s
house.” He’s looking for me to catch on. “Meaning
that your ink is normal; there’s nothing extraordinary about
it.” He quickly adds, “Until you create amazing scenes
with it.”

“Okay, and?”
Eli doesn’t get it either.

“When the panels
changed at Eli’s house after Nigel left, it was because of the
nature of the ink used to create them.” He’s really
trying to go slow, just not slow enough.

“What McNab is
trying to say is that the panels that were delivered, that were not
drawn by you, were created using a conjured ink. The ink on those was
made to change the image on the page. So we can rule out the ink
being the issue with
your
comics,” Carl answers. I’m
still not completely following. I don’t know anything about
changing images.

“So basically
what you are saying is the ‘magical’ things Shay’s
art is doing is different from the ‘magic’ those did.”
Eli surprises me. Could he possibly be accepting something outside of
a concrete explanation? He’s growing as a person.

“You get a star,
Eli,” McNab condescends.

“But I’m
not sure what you mean about the panels changing. You’ve lost
me on that.” It feels silly being more lost than Eli on this
stuff.

“While you were
in the void, those panels that you took were delivered to Eli’s.
When Nigel left and Trish showed up the panel changed from an image
of Nigel to an image of Trish,” Carl says.

“Whoa, that’s
nuts.” Wait, what? “What the fuck was Nigel doing there?”
I’m instantly pissed off thinking of that little weasel.

“He says that
Aiden tried to kill him.” Eli huffs out a breath. “And
McNab here insisted that I let him come to the house. But when he saw
the pictures he bolted. Then the panel changed.”

“What?” I
had pushed Aiden out of my thoughts. My heart ticks a painful beat
when Eli says his name. “Did he try to kill Nigel?”

“No, he didn’t,”
McNab answers. Carl’s expression darkens at the prospect of the
direction of this conversation.

“Back to the
panels.” McNab is masterful at steering the conversation.
“Which means that someone, a person, specifically drew these
and sent them to Eli’s.”

“Could there be
another explanation?” Eli asks, raising an eyebrow as though
McNab is crazy.

“Many, but this
means the Specter is working with someone else.” Carl stands to
his feet at the revelation.

McNab puts one finger
on his nose and points at Carl with his other. “You got it.
We’ve got another player in the mix.”

“So there’s
someone else whose art is being manipulated by the Specter?” I
ask.

“No, this is
different, kid. Your
art
is being manipulated by the Specter.
This other
artist
is being manipulated by the Specter. Do you
see the difference?”

“No.” Eli
answers for both of us.

“I believe we are
dealing with a willing participant. That’s the difference.”
Carl finishes for McNab.

“And I’d
bet dollars to doughnuts that the other artist was involved with your
abduction,” McNab says, pulling his lips to the side. “So
we’re definitely dealing with a person, not just the Specter.”

That realization comes
over me like a wave of understanding. My heart rate increases and my
hands go clammy. Eli looks at our intertwined hands that have gone
cold. “Glass.”

“What did you
say?” Eli asks.

“It was Glass,
he’s the one who took me.” The hysteria rises and tears
instantly are overflowing from my eyes. I’m writhing in the bed
trying to get away from the realization and I’m reliving
everything I’d been through.

“No, Shay,”
Eli says, wrapping his arms around me. “Shhhh, I’ve got
you.”

“I’m
telling you it was Glass. I saw him.
I saw him
. He was the one
that did this to me.” I’m screaming and shaking. My nose
is running and the words are coming from my mouth like food that I
nearly choked on.

“No honey, he’s
a cop. He wouldn’t do something like this.” Eli holds my
head to his chest trying to calm me. “He’s an asshole,
but he wouldn’t stoop to this level.”

My shrieks are bouncing
off the walls. I push Eli away and get out of the bed. “He’s
a dirty cop and he did this. Fuck you if you don’t want to
believe me. I’m telling you the truth.”

McNab comes to where
I’m standing. “I believe you, now please just calm down.”

“No, you don’t.
You don’t believe me; no one is going to believe me.” I’m
instantly tired and defeated knowing that everyone is going to feel
the same way that Eli does right now. Not one person is going to
believe me. I slide down the wall in the corner.

McNab kneels down close
to me. “Listen, kid, I believe you. But I need you to calm down
or Sally the syringe slinger is going to come in here and sedate you
again. I know you don’t want that.” He's trying to reason
with me. I don’t know whether he believes me or not.

“Eli, she’s
telling the truth. She saw him, he was there.” Carl looks Eli
in the eye.

“I’m not
saying I don’t believe her. But it’s going to be a hard
sell,” Eli says.

McNab hesitates. “Do
you need help back into the bed?”

I get up on my own to
spite him and purposefully brush against his shoulder hard with mine.
I get in the bed and pull the covers up to my waist while sitting up
in the bed not looking up. “And fuck you too, McNab, if you
don’t believe me.”

Carl looks at McNab
then back to me with a disapproving look. “McNab, are you
okay?” He's doubled over in pain, what the fuck? I didn’t
hit him that hard. McNab breathes out, “I’m okay.”
Carl helps him to the chair. He reaches into one of the pockets of
his black cargo pants and pulls something out and takes a bite from
it. He inhales a deep breath and blows it out.

“What was that?”
Eli asks. Thank goodness, since I’m speechless.

“Nothing, I’m
going to go for a while. I need to check in with Lori.” McNab
heads for the door.

“Do you want me
to stay here?” Carl asks with his forehead wrinkled with
concern.

“Yeah, keep an
eye on her.” He doesn’t look back and stops with his hand
on the door handle. “I do believe you, kid.”

“What the hell
happened?” I look Carl straight in the eye.

“You did,”
he scolds.

“What did you
do?” Eli asks accusingly.

“I didn’t
do anything.” I really am clueless here.

“Nobody touches
McNab,” Carl says simply as he gets up from the chair. “I’ll
be outside.”

Eli and I exchange a
look when the door closes. “I didn’t do anything. I mean,
all I did was bump his shoulder.” I feel about an inch tall. I
wasn’t trying to hurt him. Great, I’m the biggest bitch
on the planet.

“I have no idea
what just happened.” Eli runs his fingers through his hair.

I’m still pretty
wound up about the whole exchange, but I need to get back to Glass.
“Eli, you have to believe me. It was Glass who had me.”
I’m begging him to believe me. I’m holding his hand with
both of mine. I tell him everything that happened.

“It’s not
that I don’t believe you, Shay. All I’m saying is I’m
going to have a hard time convincing anyone to investigate him,”
he says in complete seriousness.

“But you believe
me?” I ask, because right now that’s all I need is for
him to trust what I’m saying. The rest will fall into place
after that.

“Yes I do.”

“So you’ll
go to his house and see if he has a garden shed?” I insist more
than ask.

“Yes I will.”
Eli looks me in the eye to drive home his seriousness.

“Promise me.”

“I promise.”

Shay

My
eyes open to the dim blue light filtering through the window. The sun
will crest the horizon any minute. I smile at the sight of Eli lying
across my stomach sleeping with his arm draped over me, holding my
hand. He’s so sweet. I stroke his hair gently, marveling at his
kind face. Knowing that he loves me, knowing how lucky I am to have
him, goes a long way in trying to heal from all of this.

No dreams last night,
and for that I’m thankful. Now I don’t have to consider
or analyze anything that I saw or felt. Carl is asleep in the chair
next to the bed on my right. Even though I’ve been sleeping, I
still feel completely exhausted. The red lines down my arms catch my
eye. I study them closely. It doesn’t matter how many times I
try to crawl into Glass’ brain to figure out what the hell he
was doing, I just won’t understand. It’s clear he wasn’t
trying to actually hurt me.
What was he trying to do?

There’s a slight
tap on the door and Carl stirs as the nurse comes in. “Good
morning. I’m Rebecca and I’ll be your nurse today.”
She stops and looks at Eli laying over me, and she responds with a
warm smile. “He sure isn’t going to be letting you go any
time soon, is he?”

“I hope not,”
I whisper, mostly out of uncertainty.

“I need to check
your vitals.” She takes my temperature trying to maneuver
around Carl and Eli and pushes a button on the blood pressure machine
that I’m already hooked up to. “Everything looks great.
I’m going to bring you in some fresh ice water, fluids are very
important right now, and your breakfast will be here in about an
hour. Do you need anything else?”

“No, thank you,
Rebecca.” I force a smile.

“Okay, hon. If
you change your mind, just push the call button. I'll be back in a
bit to change the dressing on your wounds.” She leaves the
room, closing the door lightly behind her.

I’m really hoping
to go home today, or at least back to Eli’s. I don’t like
it here, I feel so vulnerable. They could have a hundred guards
outside the door and that wouldn’t be enough to make me feel
safe.

“
I’ll
keep you safe, my love.
” The Specter’s voice sounds
in my head. I brush it off like I don’t hear it.

Doctor Green, the
shrink, came in for five minutes last night just to introduce himself
and let me know he was going to be back today to chat. I know that I
have some issues, but honestly, I don’t think a few “chats”
from my hospital bed are going to be sufficient. This is something I
have to come back from myself.

I’m working on
not freaking out every time Eli leaves my side. The poor guy should
be allowed to take a piss. He’s been by my side the whole time.
Eventually he'll need to leave the room. He’s got to go to
work, but I’m so afraid that if he leaves, the paint will peel
and I’ll be sitting smack in the middle of a nightmare. I need
to pull myself together, I’ve got to regain my sense of
security. It just feels like my whole world has been pulled out from
under me. But today, I make progress.

“
You are never
alone.
” The Specter is tormenting me, but I still don’t
know if it’s real or not. I pretend I don’t hear it.
Although, I don’t know who I’m kidding. I’m the
only one who can hear it. Carl is still sleeping soundly in the
chair. I wish he would wake up and make it stop. I don’t
understand how he can make me stop dreaming but can’t stop the
Specter from talking to me.

McNab hasn’t been
back since the “shoulder bump.” I’m worried what
the hell all of that was about. I swear I didn’t hit him hard;
it was more of a brush than a bump. Carl says that he had some
things to take care of in L.A. and he’d be back in a few days.
Carl has been very quiet; I can tell he’s upset with me. I feel
like I’m being scolded constantly.

Dad says that I was
going to have to talk to the police today, but Eli’s trying to
put it off until he can see if Glass at least has a garden shed. He
sent Jerry out there, but I doubt Jerry went. I’m going to have
to let Eli go to check. I’m just worried about being alone, and
being without him. I guess this would be a good time to start my
progress.

“
You don’t
need him, my love.
” It’s an audible whisper in my
ear. The Specter’s breath brushes against me.