Memories from a Different Future: Jump When Ready, Book 2 (7 page)

The Need

It was the last thing in the world they wanted to do, but
all they could think of was jumping forward again to the day of Ian’s death.
Those moments had happened incredibly fast and there hadn’t been time to change
anything. Still, at least this time they’d know what was about to happen. Maybe
they could think of some way to stop the event from taking place. First, they
had to find Ian again.

This time they joined him as he left an apartment
building. They followed as he got into his car and glanced up at the building
he’d just left. A woman looked out the window, just briefly, before stepping
back and disappearing from view.

“What the hell was all that about?” Ian muttered. As soon
as he started the car, a screen lit up on the dashboard. A voice asked, “Visual
or audio?”

“How about off?” Ian said, obviously annoyed. “Let’s
start with that for an option.”

“Whoa, check it out,” Jamie said. “Cars have computers in
them now.”

“Where have you been?” Nikki said.

Jamie turned to Henry and rolled his eyes. “
Where have
you been?
” he mimicked. Without changing his imitative tone, he added, “
I
don’t know, maybe dead?
”

“Try getting out more,” Nikki said. “I, for one, am over
the Cure, just so you know.”

Jamie’s eyes became slits. “The Cure rules. Forever.”

Henry laughed. “One thing seems the same. Computers are
still bugging the crap out of people.”

Nikki checked Ian’s expression. “They appear to have made
an art out of it. But there’s more going on here. Give me a sec.” She closed
her eyes and listened to Ian’s thoughts, which remained on the woman he’d just
seen staring down at him.

Nikki opened her eyes again. “That woman who just looked
out at us. Okay, not us. Ian. She’s psychic.”

“For real?” Jamie looked back up at the window.

“Seriously?” Henry said, “I’ve never met a psychic.”

Nikki smirked. “Why do you two sound so impressed? One of
you can talk inside people’s heads and the other can suddenly appear out of
thin air.”

“Good point,” Jamie said. “Still, I’ve never been sure
either.”

Nikki gestured at Ian. “Neither is he but that’s why he
went there. I didn’t get what it was about but right now he’s wondering why she
wouldn’t answer her door.”

Ian pulled away from the curb and started driving.

“Okay, let’s do this.” Nikki reached out just to be sure,
grabbing on to Henry’s and Jamie’s arms again. She closed her eyes and a moment
later they stood watching as Ian walked toward the doors of the shopping mall.

“I don’t know if I can handle this again,” Jamie said.

Henry started walking. “We don’t have a choice.”

So like Henry, Nikki thought, that willingness to take on
hard things and not flinch. Nikki also felt nervous about witnessing the
shooting again, while she was unsure she could keep them there long enough to
have an effect. Last time, it felt like a cord was about to snap during the
entire experience. Now, she wondered if knowing the outcome might weaken that
cord even more. She’d never done anything like this before—never even dreamed
it possible—so she couldn’t begin to guess. Strangely, though, she dreaded
seeing the trapped look in that kid’s eyes almost as much as she feared
watching Ian get shot again. That had been over almost before she’d turned to
look. And then they’d been gone, suddenly back in their realm as if waking from
a nightmare. On the other hand, the kid’s terror at what he’d created—at the
certainty of his own resulting doom—had kept haunting her thoughts.

“So, what’s the plan?” Nikki said. “We only have a few
minutes. I’m guessing three at the most.”

“I don’t know,” Jamie said. “How about I emerge in front
of the cop? Try to get his attention so he doesn’t freak the kid out.”

Nikki nodded. “Good idea. Maybe that kid can just escape
without shooting anyone.”

“I’ll try speaking to Ian,” Henry said. “See if I can get
him to run out of the way.”

“Yeah, definitely.” Nikki wasn’t sure what she could do.
Reading people took time and had no direct influence. She’d never admit it to
either of them but, without someone having those other abilities, sometimes her
own felt worthless. Then again, she’d gotten them here. She instinctively knew
that neither Henry’s or Jamie’s skills would allow them to pull off a move like
jumping them forward.

“I’ll try reading the kid,” she said. “Maybe I can get
something to one of you guys in time.”

Ian opened the mall doors and stepped inside to the music
and decorations. To Nikki, it felt like time slowed down as she looked around.
She saw details she hadn’t noticed before, wreaths hanging from the ceiling and
blinking white lights shaped like snowflakes. She noticed other shoppers nearby
this time. A young couple entered one of the nearby stores, already carrying
bulging bags of gifts. An old man took a seat on a bench nearby. A mother held
the hand of her toddler daughter as they walked toward the doors, smiling as
she said something Nikki couldn’t hear.

Just like before, the alarm split the air with a painful
electronic squeal.

Nikki had experienced many strange things in the time
she’d been on the other side, but one of the strangest things played out now as
she watched that same dark-haired kid race around the corner just as he had
before. The same terrified look in his eyes, the pumping arms and legs—all of
it like a movie being played back. But this wasn’t a movie. This time she flew
at the kid and closed her eyes as she tried to lock onto his thoughts. Nothing
came back at her. Not in the sense that she didn’t get much or received only a
scramble of confused thoughts. Literally, nothing. No images. No feelings. No
words. She tried again, this time passing through him—once, then again. Still,
nothing. Nikki opened her eyes.

The cop called out, “Police! Stop now!”

Henry strode alongside Ian, his face strained as he
yelled. Ian kept walking forward, oblivious to Henry, his eyes locked on
something else. Jamie stood in front of the police officer, a ridiculous,
invisible teenager from a past era, running back and forth, waving his arms.

“Drop your weapon!”

Nikki tracked Ian’s gaze to the woman she’d just noticed,
just as her daughter broke free and ran, eyes wide with fear and confusion. The
woman froze in surprise for barely a moment, then ran after her daughter,
calling out, her face a stretched mask of panic. Ian dashed toward her, arms
outstretched as the woman was about to cross in front of the kid’s raised
pistol.

The gun roared.

Ian lurched back, stumbling, his gaze fixed with shock.

People screamed, their voices nearly inaudible this time
as the cop fired his gun, one, twice, a third time.

The cord snapped.

~~~

For the first time in Nikki’s experience, Martha looked
upset. Not angry, just sad and flustered. Not quite sure what to offer for
advice.

“I should have known you’d try,” she said, “but I was really
hoping you wouldn’t.”

They sat on her sofas, still recovering from the trauma
they’d just shared again—for Nikki, this time possibly even worse—themselves
collectively also at a loss for words. Not much had been said when they’d found
themselves again back at Halfway House, just a mumbled agreement that they had
no choice this time but to seek advice.

Martha took a breath, collecting herself. “To be honest,
I didn’t think you could do it—jump forward, that is. At least, not yet.”
Martha locked her eyes on Nikki’s. “I’m assuming you were the one to make it
happen.”

Despite there being no accusation in Martha’s expression
or tone, Nikki couldn’t help feel defensive. Had she done something wrong?

Before Nikki spoke, Martha said, “No, it’s not like that.
First of all, you have every right to explore wherever you’d like. Please bear
in mind—and I realize I’ve said this before—that any warnings I give you are
intended for your own—”

“Well-being and continued development,” Nikki said, her
voice flat.

Martha paused, as if about to address Nikki’s evident
frustration. Instead, she nodded and said, “Exactly.”

Nikki wanted to pretend she didn’t know what was coming
next, but she did. And the fact was, she also knew it to be true.

“From this realm,” Martha said, “we see things from a
larger perspective, of course. I know you understand that even things that seem
profoundly painful and tragic on the other side are, in fact, just fleeting
moments in time. ”

“That still doesn’t make it okay,” Nikki said. It wasn’t
fair to just look away from what could have been Ian’s future. Even if that
very future was also fleeting in the grand scheme of things.

“I realize how unfair it seems but it’s all part of the
plan.” Martha waited and then made eye contact with each of them. “Yes, for
reasons that I don’t know. From what I’ve been told, if one even tried to leap
from one level of understanding to the next, it would be impossible to
comprehend. Just as you’ve experienced on this level, there are aspects that
seem completely alien to what you knew in the physical realm. So it goes for
each level. And I can still hear you thinking.” Martha smiled. “Not literally,
by the way. But what I strongly suspect you’re thinking is that I’ve
experienced more than you. Yes, that’s true but not really very much more. Time
is infinite, as are we. Even trying to wrap your brain around just that part
can be overwhelming. Regardless, what the three of you just experienced was a
glimpse of yet another level of being. And, what I was getting at before,
Nikki, was that I wasn’t sure any of you could bring yourselves to have that
kind of experience yet. Let alone, take others along with you.”

Nikki felt both a surge of pride and fear. Was it
possible she was approaching some sort of new level? What did that mean and how
did it tie in with the feelings she’d been having lately—that she might be
ready for some sort of change after all this time?

“Can you explain what happened?” Henry said. “I realize
we didn’t have much time, but nothing we did worked.”

“I was totally
invisible
,” Jamie added.

Nikki knew that part had confused all of them. Sure,
they’d only recently learned how to use their skills but they’d gone completely
unnoticed.

“Here’s why,” Martha said. “That moment hasn’t happened
yet. You can experience it because of your connection with Curtis. I mean, Ian.
Which is not the same as actually being in it. I know I said before that the
future and the past  are always happening, but Ian’s present life has its own
linear timeline as well since he’s in the physical realm. I realize that’s a
paradox and it’s difficult for us to comprehend. To put it simply, in that
moment, for those people, you don’t exist. Neither do they, in that moment. Not
yet. Not until it happens on the timeline of Ian’s present life.”

Nikki thought back to that feeling when they’d first
entered the mall again—as if she’d been watching a movie, something
horrifyingly real to experience but not truly happening. A representation of
something that had happened—or, in this case, something soon to happen. “So, we
can’t change it,” she said.

Martha finally sat back, allowing herself to rest against
her sofa. “Not until it happens in the physical realm.”

“But can we have an effect then?” Henry said.

Martha nodded, just slightly. “Theoretically, yes. But
it’s just a few minutes from start to finish. That’s all the time you’ll have.”

~~~

Tears streamed down Naomi’s face as they sat together at the
kitchen table, for once her latest baking creation—chocolate chip brownies—left
ignored. “That’s just so
sad
,” she said. “When were you going to tell
us?”

“We just now had the chance,” Henry said. “We were trying
to think of something fast.”

“We’re really sorry,” Jamie said. “Basically, we just
found out ourselves.”

Naomi reached across the table and tore off a chunk of
brownie, then plopped it back down onto the plate. “None of it worked?”

Nikki shook her head. “No. We’ve been trying, believe
me.”

Naomi sniffed hard, then her eyes welled again. “Do you
think he’s really going to die? That’s just not fair!”

Simon touched the back of Naomi’s hand. “Well,
technically speaking, you’re already dead. Try to keep that in—”

“Between lives,” Naomi said.

Nikki narrowed her eyes. “
Simon!
”

Simon flinched. “What? I’m just trying to cheer her up.”

Jamie sighed and rolled his eyes. “I know that always
works for me when I’m down. All I have to do to cheer myself back up again is
remind myself that I’m—” He stopped, seeing Nikki’s stare. “—between lives.
Honestly, how cool is that?”

“I’m not stupid!” Naomi said. “I get it, you know. But I
don’t want Curtis to die again. I hate the dying part! It’s just awful. I still
have nightmares about it.”

“You do?” Nikki was honestly surprised. Naomi had never
mentioned it.

Nikki had noticed recently how Naomi seemed to be
changing too. While she remained basically a child in many ways, she also
seemed to be growing up. Just at a glacial crawl compared to how people changed
in the other realm. Still, there were small signs, like the baking she liked to
do these days when, before, Naomi could pass vast amounts of time just watching
cartoons or drawing and painting. To a tiny degree, she had started to assert
herself a little too, especially after discovering her ability to manifest.

“I just have bad dreams sometimes,” Naomi said. “In my
next life, I’m staying on the ground. I hate heights.”

Considering that Naomi had chased a butterfly off a cliff
in her last life, Nikki totally understood. She wondered if, when the time
came, Naomi might take that fear into her next life. Henry said that Curtis
told him—just before jumping back in again—how his mother in her present life
avoided driving because she’d died in a car crash. Nikki wondered if she
herself might have a fear of bikes, even though she rode one here. Or busy
streets. Impossible to say, although she supposed one thing definitely held
true—all of these things would change over time. It was dizzying to think about
how much might have come before or how much still might come. But, for now they
had to keep their head in this game.