The Storm Spirits
Chapter Fourteen

Finally I was done, and I went to go sit on the porch while Nana ate, dressed, and packed. She came out not much later. “I’m going to go for a short walk on the beach; join me?”

I shuddered a little. “No, thanks.”

“All right. I’ll be back in a bit, and then I’m going to run to the food bank and donate the food we haven’t eaten.”

“OK. Have a good walk.” She went down the stairs and I watched her go up over the boards, then disappear behind the dunes. I sat on the porch, Zack’s words playing in my head like they had been since the previous afternoon.

When Nana returned twenty minutes later, I helped her pack up the food we hadn’t used and load it into the car. She got in, after making sure I didn’t want to go with her, and drove away.

I turned to go back into the apartment, but suddenly the waves sounded louder, as if the ocean was trying to get my attention. Feeling compelled to do so, I went up to the beach and looked around. Few people were there yet, mainly just older people taking walks before all the screaming kids came for the day. I sat down in the middle of the beach, knees up, arms resting on them, gazing out at the water. My thoughts turned to the days Zack and I had spent together in the water, and it was almost like I could see us swimming.

Lost in my trance, I barely noticed the wind picking up until some sand flew into my eyes. “Ugh!” I rubbed it out, then blinked, because I didn’t quite believe what I was seeing. Moving above the water was a black tornado. Alarm bells went off in my head, growing louder by the second. Black tornado … black tornado … I looked around, and there was no one on the beach. A thought hit me, and my eyes widened. I scrambled to my feet and ran back to the apartment. “Nana! Nana!” I screamed as I approached. I slowed when I reached the beach house; her car was still gone. My mind raced, but I was able to reason with myself that I need to put shoes on. Another part of my brain told me to go right to the police station and talk to Chief Dwyer and Zack, and I obeyed it.

It took me ten minutes to run to the station. I hadn’t run like that since my track days in high school, and I was winded. I burst into the lobby and ran to the window next to the door that stood between me and the cells. “I have to speak with Chief Dwyer,” I demanded breathlessly.

The woman behind the window gave me an odd look. “What’s your complaint?”

“No complaint, I just need to speak with her about the people who were brought in yesterday. I actually need to talk to one of them.”

She shook her head. “I’ll have to call the chief to clear it.”

“Don’t bother; I’ll call her myself.” I pulled out my phone, the card (which was still in my pocket from the previous day), and dialed the chief.

“Hello?” Chief Dwyer answered.

“This is Charlotte Tyke,” I responded.

“Char! Do you need something? What can I do for you?”

“I need to speak with Zack; it’s important. Like, I think the city is in danger.”

There was silence for a minute, then she spoke. “All right. I suppose we owe you that much. You’re not going to be allowed in the cell, you know that, right?”

“That’s fine, I just need to talk. I’m here, but the lady at the desk won’t let me back.”

“All right. I’ll send someone out to get you.”

“Thank you, Chief Dwyer.”

“Of course, Char. Thank you for calling.”

“Thank you for listening.” We hung up, and I waited.

A few minutes later, the door beside the desk opened, and Officer Holland stepped out. “Good to see you, Miss Tyke.”

“Yeah. You, too.” I followed him back to where the cells were.

“Here he is.” Officer Holland turned to me. “You’ll have to speak through the door, and I have to stay.”

I nodded. “Fine, whatever. I just need to speak with him!” He nodded back and opened the flap in the door so Zack could hear me. I looked through the window and saw the alien sitting on the hard bench, staring at the floor. “Zack!”

He looked up quickly, clearly startled; he blinked. “Char?” He got up, winced, and walked slowly toward the door. “What … what’re you doing?”

“Your brother,” I said, wasting no time. “The one who organized the genocide. What element can he manipulate?”

“Why do you want to know?” He suddenly seemed suspicious of me.

“It’s urgent! What element can he manipulate?”

“What’s this about, Char? Why are you even talking to me?” I could hear the tinge of annoyance in his voice.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes for a second before opening them again. “Look, you’re right; I was being a hypocrite. It was a knee-jerk reaction, but that’s no excuse for how I treated you. I was hurt and startled and angry, but, like I said, that’s no excuse for my behavior, and I’m sorry.” I chuckled humorlessly. “What you said has occupied my thoughts from the moment you said them until I saw the black tornado-”

“Black tornado?” Zack snapped, his eyes sparking.

I nodded. “Yeah, along the coast. It was going up and down like it was searching for something.”

He sighed and rested his head against the door for a split second before pulling away, a grimace on his face. “Char, you need to leave. Now. You and your nana are in danger!”

“That tornado is your brother?” He nodded. “He can manipulate wind?” A second nod. “Wow.”

“We can protect you,” Officer Holland spoke up from beside me, making me jump a little; I’d forgotten he was there.

Zack shook his head. “He’ll only blow you out of the way and take her.”

I glanced up at the officer beside me. “Thanks, but I don’t really want people to get hurt or killed protecting me.” I looked back to the alien in front of me. “Can’t you and your brothers just bust out of here and fight him off?”

He shook his head again. “Metal.”

I shrugged. “So?”

“We’re allergic.”

“To all metal?”

He nodded. “Most, anyway. The type that makes up a good portion of this cell is one that we’re allergic to. So unless they’re going to let us out, which I highly doubt, you’re on your own.”

“Is that why you winced when your head touched the door?”

“Yes.”

I sighed. “Well, what about the rest of the city? There’s not much time until he gets here, certainly not enough to get everyone out.” I thought for a moment. “Wait a second, how does he know I exist?”

“Telepathic connection.” Zack looked rather sheepish. “The closer one of our people comes to us, the more they can sense our thoughts. My brother is experiencing that now, and he’ll know about you.”

I sighed again. “Great. I’ll get Nana and we’ll go. What about you?”

“I don’t know.”

“Good luck, Zack.”

“You as well, Char.”

I turned from the door and hurried toward the lobby. Officer Holland caught up with me. “Are you sure you don’t want any kind of protection?”

“No, but thanks anyway. I’ll just go get Nana and we’ll be on our way before Zack’s brother can get to the city.”

“Just the same, I’ll walk you out.”

Walk me out he did. I thanked him, then started walking down the stairs as he watched me go. The wind began to blow, and I had barely registered what was happening before I was grabbed around my waist and swept away. I spun around and around, barely able to breathe because of the wind all around me, unable to see anything but black.