The Suicide Forest (The River Book 5) (9 page)

“So they want Robbie,” Steven said. “What will they do to
him?”

“They’ll kill him just before the markings flip,” Judith
said. “That’s when they’re most potent and attractive. If they wait too long
and they flip, he’ll become like you, and the markings will repel them instead
of attract. So they’ll cut the markings out of his hands, or if they’re in a
hurry they’ll just cut off the hands entirely.”

“Christ,” Roy said. “How do we stop them?”

“You can’t,” Judith said. “The best you’ll do is annoy them,
or get someone like the grandmother killed. The boy has to get rid of them
himself.”

“How?” Steven asked. “I don’t think he has any idea how to
use the gift.”

“Normally,” Judith said, “a parent who has a marked child ushers
the child through the process, protecting them from those who would take the
child’s power. In this case, his mother has left him wide open to attack. It’s
almost as though she knows the child is at risk, and she’s doing nothing about
it. Perhaps she wants the attacks to occur.”

“Why would she want that?” Steven asked. “It seems inhuman.”

“Could be any number of reasons,” Judith said. “She might
have made a deal that involved the powers of the child as payback. It’s hard to
say. In any event, to get rid of the demons pestering the child, the boy will
have to develop some control over them. You say he’s not been trained at all?”

“No,” Steven said, “I don’t think so. She supposedly
renounced the gift, so she wouldn’t have trained him, and his grandfather died
before he was born.”

“He must be scared out of his wits,” Judith said. “Poor
child.”

Clara returned with the tea, and Judith insisted that Roy and
Steven each try some. Steven took a sip. It tasted like the lining of a shoe.

“I didn’t say it was tasty,” Judith said, observing his
reaction. “It is, however, quite good for you.”

“What can we do with Robbie?” Roy asked. “If he has to deal
with these demons himself, how do we help him?”

“You’ll need to get him someplace safe, so you can work with
him,” Judith said. “Let him borrow the token, and then take him out on Dixon’s
boat. The demons won’t follow you there. While you have him over water,
instruct him on how to trap the demons in a mirror. Any mirror will do, so long
as it’s one you can carry around, because when you’re done, you’ll bring it
back to me so I can show you how to store it permanently.”

“I’ve never done anything like that,” Roy said, “so I’m not
sure how to teach him.”

“Oh, it’s quite easy,” Judith said, “if you’ve practiced it.
I’ll show you.”

June had arranged a three-hour window for them. Roy figured
they could pick up Robbie, drive him to Ballard and Dixon’s boat, then get out
on the water for a solid hour before having to come back and shuttle him home.

When they pulled up to June’s house, Robbie came bounding out
the front door, a small backpack on his back and his palms pressed together. His
finger had a large white bandage at the end. Roy got out of the passenger’s
side and opened the door to the back seat for him, then reminded Robbie not to
drop the token while he buckled Robbie’s seat belt.

“We’re going on a boat!” Robbie said, bouncing up and down.

“You promise you won’t tell your mother about this?” Steven
said.

“No, I won‘t,” Robbie said. “She never lets me do anything.”

“Well, if you mention any of this to her,” Steven said,
“we’ll never be able to take you again, so let’s keep it secret, OK?”

“Absolutely,” Robbie said, still bouncing. “Can I go
fishing?”

“Sure,” Roy said. “We’ll all fish. How’s your finger?”

“It hurts,” Robbie said. “Maybe I’ll catch a shark! It’s
shark week!”

“Shark week?” Roy said, turning to Steven.

“It’s a TV thing,” Steven said.

They talked about sharks and TV as they maneuvered the
Seattle streets, winding up at the docks in Ballard where Dixon’s boat was
moored. Robbie was fascinated by the boats they passed.

Once they arrived at Dixon’s boat, introductions were made.
Roy told Robbie he’d hold onto the token for safekeeping, and Dixon tried a
life preserver on Robbie for size.

“Can’t remember the last time a kid was on this boat,” Dixon
said, laughing.

“Can I drive it?” Robbie asked.

“Well, that depends,” Dixon said, taking the life preserver
off Robbie. “Are you a captain?”

“Yes!” Robbie said enthusiastically.

“Once we’re out to sea, we’ll see about you driving,” Dixon
said. “Now let me get things started. I know we’re on a timetable.”

Dixon left the three of them in the main room of his boat,
and they heard the engine roar to life. Slowly the boat backed out of its
berth.

“Cool!” Robbie said, running to the windows to watch.

“How soon before we start?” Steven asked Roy.

“Well, we’re on water now,” Roy said. “We might as well. We
only have an hour.”

“Let him watch a couple of minutes more,” Steven said.

◊

“Try again,” Roy said. “See how fast you can do it.”

Robbie closed his eyes. Steven, who was already in the River,
watched as the child concentrated on the mirror. For a moment he saw it start
to glow, but it faded before it reached the blinding white light that Judith
required.

“What’s wrong?” Roy asked Robbie.

“It won’t work,” Robbie replied.

“You have to concentrate,” Roy said. “Forget about fishing
and the boat for a moment. This is more important. Put all of that out of your
mind.”

Robbie tried again. The mirror began to glow, better than
before, but still sputtered out before reaching a state that would trap an
entity.

“I want you to think about how those demons have been scaring
you,” Roy said. “How they made you bite your finger. The hands in your bed at
night. You hate all that, right?”

“Yes,” Robbie said. “I do.”

“Then try again, and direct all that hate at the mirror,” Roy
said. “Don’t think about anything other than how much you hate them.”

Steven watched as the mirror glowed and then sustained. Then
it grew in intensity until it seemed to explode in a blinding white flash. “He
did it!” Steven said.

“Do it again,” Roy said. “Practice. We have to make sure you
can do it.”

Robbie concentrated again, and the mirror repeated the flash,
more quickly than before.

 “He’s activating it,” Steven said, “no question. Just as
Judith described.”

“Is it hard to do?” Roy asked Robbie.

“No, it’s not hard,” Robbie said.

“One more time then,” Roy said.

Robbie closed his eyes and the mirror flashed almost instantaneously.

“He’s got it,” Steven said, leaving the flow.

“We’re going to put this mirror in your backpack,” Roy said.
“Once you get home, I want you to take it out and put it on the floor in your
room. Make sure you don’t break it.”

“I’m not allowed to have mirrors,” Robbie said.

Roy and Steven exchanged a glance. “Doesn’t surprise me,” Roy
said. He turned back to Robbie. “You’ll keep this one private. In fact, keep it
in your backpack until you’re sure no one will come into your room. Then take
it out.”

“What do I do with it?” Robbie asked.

“Once you’re sure they’re in the room with you,” Roy said,
“you activate the mirror the same way I taught you, just like you’ve been
doing. It’ll trap them in the mirror. Then you tell your grandma you did it,
and she’ll call us. We’ll come take the mirror. It’s very important that you do
not break it.”

“I think it’s going to make them mad,” Robbie said, a little
frightened.

“If you trap them,” Roy said, “they won’t be able to do
anything. They’ll be stuck in the mirror, and then we’ll come take them away.
You’ll be free of them.”

“What happens if I break the mirror?” Robbie asked.

“Then they will get back out,” Steven said.

“And they’ll be mad,” Robbie added.

“Yes, probably,” Roy said. “So don’t break it, got it?”

“Got it,” Robbie said. “Can I go up on deck?”

“Sure,” Roy said. Robbie smiled and bounced out of the room.

“I think that’s about as good as we can make it,” Roy said.
“How did it look to you?”

“The last time he tried, he activated it within seconds,”
Steven said. “So he knows how to do it.”

“I’m glad this process is so simple,” Roy said. “If he had to
force them into the mirror or something like that, I’d be worried. But the
mirror does all the work.”

“Let’s just hope he doesn’t drop it or crack it somehow,”
Steven said. “I’d hate to find out how they’d react.”

“Come on, let’s go up top,” Roy said. “Looks like Dixon is
pulling back into the marina.”

They all watched from the top deck as Dixon pulled his boat
back into the berth and shut down the engine. Then Dixon joined them on the
gangway.

“One hour on the dot!” Dixon said, helping them off the boat.

“I didn’t get to drive!” Robbie said.

“You had to get your sea legs first,” Dixon said. “Did you
get your sea legs?”

“I don’t feel dizzy at all!” Robbie said, stepping off the
boat with Steven.

“Then the next time you come,” Dixon said, “we’ll put you
behind the wheel.”

“Alright!” Robbie said. “Thank you!”

“You’re welcome,” Dixon said. Robbie and Steven turned to
walk down the quay.

“Thanks again,” Roy said to Dixon. “Sorry for the short
notice.”

“Not a problem,” Dixon said. “I’m worried about him though.”

“The boy?” Roy said, looking at Steven and Robbie walking
away from them.

“Yeah, the boy,” Dixon said. “He’s powerful, but he’s in a
heap of trouble. He’s lucky you two are on his case.”

“If we can get these demons off his back,” Roy said, “he’ll
be OK.”

“I don’t know,” Dixon said. “It’s awfully dark around him.
You best be careful yourself.”

“I better catch up with them,” Roy said. “We gotta get the
boy back.”

“I’m serious,” Dixon said. “Watch yourself.”

“I will,” Roy said, stepping off the boat. “And thanks
again.”

◊

They dropped Robbie off at his house, token firmly back in
hand. They reminded him of the steps to take, and sent him on his way. June
waved at them from the front door.

“Good kid,” Steven said, driving away. “He deserved to be
tutored.”

“Robbie picked up the mirror very quickly,” Roy said. “He’s a
natural. He’s got a lot of innate ability. There was something unusual about
him, about his ability.”

“What?”

“Don’t know for sure,” Roy said, “I was too concerned about
making sure he knew how to use the mirror. But when he activated it, part of
what was coming from him was different. Different than you and I.”

“Different?” Steven asked. “How?”

“Hard to say,” Roy said. “It had a different tone. I don’t
know what else to call it.”

“Maybe it has something to do with his markings,” Steven
said.

“Well, you have the same markings,” Roy said, “and your tone
is different than his. Yours, mine, Eliza’s, all the same. His is different. It
comes from a different place.”

“Perhaps that’s what draws the demons to him,” Steven said.

“Maybe,” Roy said. “It has that kind of feel to it.”

“Demonic?” Steven asked.

“Yeah,” Roy said. “Not all of it, just a part of it. Dixon
picked up on it too.”

“Interesting,” Steven said, wondering if part of his own “tone”
was demonic as well. Roy said it wasn’t, but he did share the same markings as
Robbie.

When Steven returned home it was beginning to get dark. There
was a message for him on his answering machine, from Jason:

“Dad, listen, I know you don’t want to talk about this, but I
need to. I had the same dream last night. And after I woke up, while I was
still in bed, I closed my eyes and found myself floating. I saw you and Grandpa
Roy, working together on something. I know you know what I’m talking about. So
I thought I’d call you and try again to get you to talk to me about it. Call
me.”

Steven sighed. He didn’t want to deal with Jason tonight. He
felt neck deep in June Williamson’s problem, and it was coming to a head.
I’ll
call him tomorrow
, Steven thought.

◊

Roy received the call from June the next morning. Steven made
a thermos of coffee, then drove over to Roy’s to pick him up. They were at
June’s within a half hour of her call.

“They’re both gone at the moment,” June said. “The mirror’s
there,” she said, pointing to the mirror on the sofa.

Roy picked up the mirror and tucked it under his arm.

“What did Robbie say?” Steven asked.

“Not much,” June said. “Just that they were in the mirror,
and to call Roy. Oh, and he said he loved the boat trip. He really wants to do
it again.”

“He knows not to tell Evie?” Roy asked.

“Yes,” June said, “he knows.”

“Alright,” Steven said. “Thank you. We need to get this
mirror out of here.”

“So the things that have been haunting the house are in the
mirror now?” June asked.

“Yes,” Steven said, “we think so.”

“Good,” June said. “And if you take the mirror out of the
house, they’ll go, too?”

“That’s the idea,” Roy said.

“Wonderful,” June said. “I can’t thank you enough.”

“Keep an eye on him,” Steven said, “and let us know if
anything changes. Good or bad.”

“Will do,” June said.

Roy tucked the mirror under his jacket and the two of them
said their goodbyes to June. Then they got back in Steven’s car and began the
drive to Gig Harbor.

“I hope this is the last time we have to deal with her,” Roy
said.

“Well,” Steven said, “I hope the problem’s resolved, but I
wouldn’t mind visiting them again sometime, Robbie especially.”

“No, not them,” Roy said. “
Her
. Cucumber lady.”

“Oh, Judith,” Steven said. “Well, hopefully. As soon as we
get this mirror resolved.”

“Tell you what,” Roy said. “I’ll tutor Robbie, if you start
tutoring Jason.”

“You’re not done tutoring
me
,” Steven said. “Besides,
Evie wouldn’t stand for it.”

“I’ll do it when Evie’s out, like yesterday. I like the boy.
He’s well-behaved, he’s fun, and he reminds me of you, when you were young.”

“Well, I can’t tell you what to do, but I would appreciate
learning how to do a proper trance, if you could spare the time.”

“It’s only because we’ve been so busy,” Roy said. “Seems like
ever since Oregon things have been non-stop.”

“After we’re finished with this,” Steven said, “when Robbie
is fine and the demons are gone, you show me how to trance, then I’ll take you
up on your offer.”

“So you’re ready to show Jason,” Roy said.

“He called me again last night, left a message. Another
dream. And I think he entered the River, without knowing what it was. Said he
saw us in it, god knows what we might have been doing at the time. He knows I
can help him. He’s insistent. You’re right, I’m not going to be successful
delaying him. He wants it now.”