SAVANTS

Chapture 42's

"Well, that was really it." said Sally, returning home in a huff. ''Doesn't anyone at Wrickenridge think they know better than us?''

"I'm sorry you had to sit down and look at things like that, baby." Simon ruffled my hair. "I think they mean well."

''At the moment Las Vegas looks very tempting, '' Sally added.

Simon's eyes flashed, like a driver who saw a gap in traffic in rush hour, knowing that he could take a chance on it. ''Then I will tell Mrs Toscana a news, see what we can fix.''

I don't want their feisty attitude to fade away because of me, I want time to adjust to the time I made myself here.

I want some time to figure out what's going on between Zed and me. And for all this I need my mind back to the right place.

I closed the piano. ''Can we not think for a moment about what Mr and Mrs Benedict have said? Maybe they can help.''

''Sorry Sky, I don't want to make you sick anymore." Simon flips through business cards until he finds one for a hotel in Vegas. ''Being entangled in their family business has been a disaster. We don't mind if you see Zed here, but you can't go to his house. You make progress now, we don't want any setbacks.I'll just call.''

I have little energy to fight at the moment so I don't make promises, just get up, say that I'm going to go to sleep.

I could hear Simon talking excitedly to his new contacts, mentioning what weekends we had free time and how much we wanted to visit him. I have no desire to return to Vegas; why should I? Everything I want is here.

°°°

I sat at the end of my bed looking out the window, long after my parents had slept for the night. The sky was bright, the moon's shadow turned the snow into a bright blue. Winter has come, it's snowing, preparing to stay until spring.

The thermometer was well below freezing, ice dripping from the roof, extending daily. I rubbed my arm. I can't bear this. I wanted to scream, hit my head to get my mind back into shape.

I tried so hard to pretend that I was getting better but actually I felt like I was getting worse.

I suddenly stood up and walked towards the window, fists clenched. I have to do something. There was only one place I could think of to go to prevent my mind damage from spreading.

Grabbing my clothes, I opened the window.I know what I think is crazy, but then again I think I'm crazy, so what the hell. Regretting that my snow boots were under - I didn't want to risk building up my parents about my plan - I went up to the roof of the patio, slid to the edge and fell to the ground that was on the snow blanket. My soft shoes were instantly soaked but now I feel too encouraged by the belief that this is my only last hope to care.

I began to run down the street, my feet crunching over the snowflakes. I traveled every step of the way, the cold becoming imperceptible.

Passing a car parked by the side of the road , I wished that I had taken the opportunity of the Color Act and allowed sixteen-year-olds to drive - Zed once said he would teach me a lesson but we never did. Never mind, it's only a few miles across town. I-i can.

I was walking as I turned onto the steep road behind the ski lodge that led to the cable car. The snow here is thicker, freezing in the ice mountains.

When I looked at my toes, I realized that the soles of my shoes were torn and my feet were bleeding. Surprisingly, I don't really care. I approached Benedict's house cautiously, wondering what kind of security they had installed.

They had expected an attack and would not lower their vigilance. A hundred meters out, I felt a barrier - not a physical barrier, but a sensation of unwillingness and fear that forced me to turn around. Slamming my shield, I pushed it, my determination to reach Zed was much stronger than the instincts of this opponent.

When I broke free, I felt that I had tripped over some kind of alarm. The lights are on in the house in front, first upstairs then in the bedroom and lastly the terrace.

What was I thinking? I'm planning to go knock on their door in the middle of the night? It's America that a lot of people carry guns, not England, I'll probably get shot before they realize who knocked on the door.

''Stop right there. Raise your hands where we can see.'' The voice of a man - a voice I do not know.

I froze in a place too cold to move, also to think.

There was the sound of a shotgun being shifted-something I'd only heard in movies.

''get out with your hands up''. I swallowed my saliva hysterically.

''Stand under the light so we can see you.''

I forced myself to move.

''And I said raise your hand!"

I raised my hand trembling.

"Damn, it's Sky!'' Zed explodes from inside the house only he is pulled back by his oldest brother, Trace, a cop from Denver, not letting him go.

"Maybe it's a trap" Trace warned.

Victor stepped out of the darkness behind me. He was like going around in circles to cut me off, with a gun on my back.

''Unhand me!'' Zed struggled, but his father joined quickly.

''Why don't you use telepathy, Sky?'' Zed's father spoke calmly, because the whole world knew it was unnatural for a girl to appear in her nightgown at two in the morning.

I swallowed my saliva. There's been too much noise in my head. ''Can I come in? You guys said I could come.''

''Is he alone?'' Trace asked Victor.

''It looks so.'' he replied.

"I asked him, just to be sure." Victor dropped the gun. "We can't risk any more mistakes."

''Don't touch him, Vick! Leave him alone!'' Zed exploded from his brother's grasp and jumped the stairs.

''Zed!'' shouted His father.

But late. Zed grabbed me and pulled me into his arms. ''Oh baby, you are cold!''

''I ... I'm sorry to come like this, '' I murmured.

''Stop being British about it - you don't have to apologize. Shh, it's okay, there's nothing to worry about right, I'm here now." Zed's hug was so warm.