Into the Wormhole Read online

  Into the Wormhole

  Part 1 of the

  Sleep Writer Journal

  © 2019 Keith Robinson

  Published by Unearthly Tales

  on February 1, 2019

  Cover by Keith Robinson

  No part of this book may be reproduced without permission from the author, except by a reviewer who may quote short excerpts in a review.

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  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  COMING NEXT

  About the Journal

  Author's Website

  Chapter 1

  Liam Mackenzie scurried up the oak tree and settled on his favorite branch. He was only twenty feet above his mom’s flower bed at the side of the driveway but high enough to be hidden from the world behind a canopy of newly sprouted leaves. High enough to do some spying.

  From this vantage point, he could look down into the living room window where his mom was seated on the sofa reading a magazine and his dad was jabbing at the TV’s remote control. But Liam’s focus was on the house next door, beyond the hedge. The two-story building had stood empty a few months now. Today the new neighbors were moving in.

  It was late morning on a crisp, cool Saturday in April. A huge mover’s truck rolled into the horseshoe driveway, halting with the back end aimed at the front door of the old house. The rattling engine cut off, the door creaked open, and a man jumped down. He stretched and went to greet a shiny silver car that was pulling up behind.

  Liam guessed the truck driver was the dad of the family. The mom stepped out of the driver’s side of the car, and they came together for a hug before turning to gaze at their new home. One of the car’s rear doors opened and a short boy climbed out. He looked about five or six, yawning wide as he ambled over to his mom.

  She ruffled his hair. “Awake at last, sweetie?” she said, her voice faint but clear from where Liam straddled his branch.

  Nobody else got out of the car.

  Liam sighed. There were only six houses on this lonely, barely paved lane, and not one kid his age. He lived in the middle of nowhere, just within the city limits of Brockridge, with its historic railroad station, a sprinkling of stores, and nothing of interest for anyone but Civil War buffs and old people. Liam’s parents loved it here, but being the only kid for miles around wasn’t exactly fun.

  The new neighbor woman glanced toward the car. “Hey, wake up, sleepyhead! Come look.”

  Liam bolted upright, seeing slow movement through the windshield. Someone else was back there. Surely it was someone his age . . .

  A girl slid out. She had long black hair and wore dark glasses, a tight black T-shirt, a short black skirt, black leggings, and flat black shoes. Liam slumped in disappointment. Hanging out with a girl would be okay if she were his age, but this one was way older, probably sixteen or so. She wouldn’t want anything to do with him, and judging by how fed up she looked, Liam wasn’t sure he wanted anything to do with her either. She looked sulky even behind her shades.

  Her mom stepped past the small boy and hurried to take her hand. “Come on, Madison. Look at this place! How can you not be excited?”

  “She’s a teenager,” her dad commented.

  “It’s okay, I guess,” Madison said. Liam could barely hear her, and he strained to listen as she turned to face the road. “So how far’s the cemetery from here?”

  “Here we go again,” the man grumbled and wandered off to inspect the house’s siding.

  “I need to know, Mom,” the girl said obstinately.

  “Madison, please stop asking about the cemetery.”

  “Yes, but . . .”

  Liam listened intently, his curiosity piqued, as the woman lowered her voice and spoke earnestly to her daughter. Madison kept opening her mouth to reply but couldn’t seem to get a word in. Finally she shook her head. “Fine. Whatever.”

  The boy chose that moment to pipe up, “I’m hungry.”

  “Me too,” his mom said. “Let’s go inside.” She called to her husband and held out her hand. “Keys, m’ dear?”

  Moments later the parents and boy were inside the house, leaving a dejected teenage girl alone in the driveway. She chewed her gum for a moment, then sighed and trudged inside.

  Cemetery, Liam thought as she disappeared from sight. What kind of person arrives in a new town asking about a cemetery?

  He couldn’t be certain, but he thought she might be pretty behind those dark glasses. A pretty girl next door would certainly make life interesting! He couldn’t wait to tell Ant. But jabbering on about a cemetery like that? It was highly possible she was some kind of weirdo.

  Liam grinned. Even better. Weird was good.

  Not too long after, the man sauntered out of the house and disappeared behind the back of the truck. Liam heard the sound of a squeaky shutter rolling up and guessed the unloading was about to start.

  Boring, Liam thought.

  He slid down from the tree to head indoors—and stopped as his dad greeted him from the porch. “Ah, there you are. Your mom wants us to help the new neighbors.”

  She appeared behind him. “Feeling strong, Liam?”

  Liam groaned. The idea of shifting boxes appalled him. “Seriously?”

  But his mom and dad strode over to the five-foot hedge that separated the properties and waved heartily. “Hey! Need some help there?”

  ****

  The new neighbors were Dr. and Mrs. Parker, which was ironic since Liam had been a bit of a nosy parker himself earlier.

  “Take this,” his dad ordered, handing him a box. He called back over his shoulder. “Where’s this going?”

  “Kitchen’s fine,” Mrs. Parker said. “Thank you so much.” She clicked her tongue. “Where are those kids of ours?”

  “MADISON!” Dr. Parker roared to an upstairs window. “Get down here and help!”

  Liam grunted with the weight of the box and headed into the Parker residence. He passed through the small entrance hall and stashed the box in the kitchen, then trudged back outside. No sense hurrying. The slower he moved, the less he’d have to carry.

  The adults chatted as they unloaded the truck. Dr. Parker, a radiologist, had managed to secure a new job in Brockridge, a change of pace from the busy city they’d left behind. Mrs. Parker was an artist and illustrator with a home-based studio. Liam’s dad worked from home too, though he was a website designer. His mom was a kindergarten teacher.

  Liam hung back, dutifully straightening a stack of boxes so he looked busy. Two figures eventually emerged from the house.

  “Here they are,” Mrs. Parker said. “About time!" She turned to Liam’s parents. “This is Madison. She’s fifteen.”

  Fifteen, Liam thought. Yeah, way too old.

  “And this is little Cody. Tell them how old you are, Cody.”

  “Five,” the boy said. He brightened, his shyness evaporating. “I’ll be six soon. Look, my tooth falled out . . .”

  Once Cody started talking, he didn’t stop. As the adults laughed and fawned over him, Liam glanced at Madison and noticed her staring back at him over her shades. He hurriedly looked away. The next time he glanced her way, she was staring off into the distance, and he was able to study her for a second or two. Her round face was clear, not a spot or pimple anywhere. She was very slim, almost skinny, and roughly six inches taller than Liam.

  “Madison, this is Liam,” Mrs. Parker said finally. “Perhaps he can show you around the area.” She looked questioningly at Liam. “Is the
lake close?”

  “Just down the lane,” Liam said. “I have a boat.”

  Madison opened her mouth to ask something, but the question died on her lips when she saw her mom’s warning look. “Are there stores nearby?” she tried instead.

  “They’re pretty lame,” Liam told her.

  “How about movie theaters?”

  “Lame. All lame.” He paused. As the adults turned once more to the stacks of boxes, he lowered his voice. “There’s a neat cemetery, though.”

  Madison’s reaction went unnoticed by her parents, but the slight jerk of her head toward him revealed her acute interest in what he’d said. He couldn’t see her eyes, but she’d stopped chewing her gum.

  He shrugged. “I mean, you know, just in case you happen to like that sort of thing.”

  Chapter 2

  Later that afternoon, Liam stepped through the kitchen to the deck out back, mobile phone in hand. His dad looked up from his laptop with a smile. “Can’t wait to tell Ant about the new girl?”

  “Uh, sure, I guess.”

  He escaped just as his friend answered. Ant lived on the other side of town. “Hey, buddy,” he said, sounding muffled. “What’s up?”

  “New neighbors,” Liam told him. He explained how he’d first overheard them from his tree, and how they’d met shortly afterward. “Madison’s a piece of work, a real barrel of laughs.”

  “Is she hot?”

  Liam paused, pursing his lips. “Yeah, she’s hot. If you took away the dark glasses and wiped the scowl off her face, she’d be something. She’s way out of your league, though, so don’t even think about it.”

  “But she’d fall for you, is that it?” came Ant’s sneering retort. “You in your cheap shack on the cheap side of the lake?”

  Grinning, Liam got up and started pacing around the deck. “I may not live in a mansion and have tons of money like you, but I have my good looks and charm, something even your mom and dad can’t buy you.”

  “You penniless loser,” Ant said.

  “You rich, obnoxious moron.” After Ant got through laughing, Liam halted by the steps and told him about the question Madison had asked.

  “She asked where what was?” Ant exclaimed.

  “The cemetery.”

  “The cemetery?”

  Frowning, Liam considered and started pacing again. “Or a cemetery. I can’t remember if she was specific about which one. She seems pretty morbid—”

  He froze, suddenly aware he was being watched.

  “Buddy?” his friend asked, his voice suddenly seeming far away. “Are you still there?”

  “Uh, gotta go,” Liam said in a strangled voice. He hung up and stood there with his phone gripped in his trembling hand. Finally, he turned around. “Hi.”

  Madison stood on the deck by the kitchen door, leaning against the wall with her arms folded, standing there behind him as if she’d been there all along. He must have walked right by her on his way out. Instead of announcing herself, she’d waited in silence, listening while he had an entire conversation with Ant. About her.

  “Hi,” she said coolly.

  She was still chewing gum, maybe the same piece for all Liam knew. Her gaze was hidden behind those unrelenting dark glasses. With her jaw moving, her eyes masked, and her brow hidden behind black hair, it was impossible to tell what kind of mood she was in right now.

  “So . . .” Liam said.

  “So.”

  She’s like a parrot, he thought, suddenly annoyed. How dare she eavesdrop? How dare she be so creepy-weird, and then stand there repeating everything he said? “So how’s it going?”

  “I came to ask you something.”

  “Yeah?”

  She stared at him a while longer, chewing her gum, leaning against the doorpost. Then she straightened up, moved closer, and peered down her nose at him. He squinted back, trying to penetrate her shades.

  “Is the cemetery near here?”

  “Uh . . . yeah. There’s a few. Why?”

  Madison started to blow a bubble. The pink gum swelled quickly, and Liam couldn’t help staring at it. When it collapsed, she let it hang on her chin for a moment, then pulled it back inside her mouth and resumed chewing. “I like cemeteries,” she said at last. “So can you show me?”

  Liam shrugged. “I guess. Which one?”

  “The nearest.”

  “When do you want to go?”

  “Now.”

  Her shades reflected Liam’s own face back at him—twice. “Can you take those off?” he said. “It’s like talking to a mirror.”

  She chewed some more, then tilted her head forward and took the dark glasses off. When she lifted her head and pushed her hair back out of the way, he saw pretty green eyes lined rather heavily, but precisely, with black eyeliner that extended into neat curly points at the corners of her eyes. He couldn’t help staring.

  “Take a picture,” she murmured with a frown.

  “Sorry. It’s just . . .” He gestured vaguely. “That’s cool.”

  Her brow smoothed out a little, and she gave a slight nod. “So what are we waiting for? Is it far?”

  “The cemetery? It’s about a mile from here. Left out of the drive, turn right at the end of the lane, and it’s on the right off the main road. Or we could take a shortcut through the woods. There’s a path that—”

  “Just show me, okay?”

  “Right. Uh, wait here a second.”

  Liam dashed inside. His parents were lounging in the living room. He took a breath and ambled into view. “The neighbor wants to see around the place,” he said with a shrug. “I’ve got nothing else to do, so . . .”

  His dad stood, squinting to see out onto the deck. “Oh, is Madison outside?” He winked and lowered his voice. “Play it cool, son. Don’t be swayed by her beauty. Just—”

  “Dad! It’s not like that. I don’t even like her much. I’m just trying to be polite, you know? She’s not my type.”

  Both his parents laughed. “Okay, son,” his dad said. “Where are you going, anyway? Taking her down to the lake? Maybe you should wait until this evening when there’s a nice sunset. That’d be more romantic, if you get my drift.”

  “Oh, yes, that would be lovely,” his mom said, clasping her hands together and fluttering her eyelids.

  Liam turned away. “Bye.”

  He ignored the titters and guffaws and headed back outside. Madison pushed herself off the doorpost and trailed after him down the steps and onto the lawn. “Do you have to tell your parents every time you go out?”

  He scoffed and shook his head. “I don’t have to. I was just checking they didn’t need me for anything.”

  She smiled for the first time, and it lit up her face. “I’m kidding. You should tell your parents if you’re going out. You’re only eleven, right?”

  “Twelve,” Liam protested a little too loudly.

  They headed out into the lane and turned left. Liam jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “Lake’s that way. I have a boat there.”

  “You have a boat?”

  He felt a swell of pride at her interest. She actually sounded impressed. “It was my granddad’s. That’s his house we live in now. He owned it and a small piece of land on the edge of the lake. He took me out in his boat at least twice a month when we came to visit.” He paused, an image of his smiling old grandfather coming easily to mind. “Not so much toward the end, though. He got ill and died a few years ago.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  Liam nodded. “Anyway, it’s just a small boat, nothing major, but it’s pretty neat.”

  “I’d like to go out in it sometime,” she said.

  He glanced sideways at her. “Really?”

  “Why are you so surprised? Do I look like someone who doesn’t like boats?”

  “No, I just thought you’d rather hang out with your friends. And your boyfriend,” he added.

  A faint smile touched her lips. “We just moved into the area. I didn’t bring any friends w
ith me. Honestly, I didn’t have many to bring in the first place. Jenny’s my best friend, and we’re going to keep in touch, but I won’t miss my old school. What’s Brockridge High like?”

  “It’s okay. Brockridge Middle is, anyway. I don’t know about High.”

  “Right. Because you’re only twelve.”

  She grinned, and since there was no sign of any scorn, he decided he was okay with her teasing him. She really seemed quite nice, not half as grouchy and aloof as she’d first appeared.

  He wanted to press her about her boyfriend. Did she have one? Not that it mattered; she obviously wasn’t interested in someone Liam’s age. Still, he would hate for some football jock to show up from time to time, charming her and scoffing at the wimpy neighbor kid in front of her. It would be better if she were unattached. But he didn’t want to ask her outright and appear too interested.

  “This way,” he said, veering to the right-hand side of the lane and pointing out a narrow footpath that cut through the woods. He took that path and forged ahead, knowing it intersected another a bit farther on and that he needed to take a left there. “Why are you so interested in cemeteries, anyway?”

  “Not all of them,” she said, lagging behind. “Just one in particular.”

  Liam slowed a little so she could catch up. “The one we’re going to?”

  “I have no idea. I guess I’ll find out when we get there.”

  Her answer mystified Liam so much that he said nothing for a full minute. He found the fork and turned left. Bright light filtered through the trees ahead.

  “Why just one cemetery in particular?” he said at last. “What are you looking for?”

  When Madison didn’t reply, he glanced back over his shoulder. Her head was down as she navigated the meandering, bumpy path. In her hands she held a crumpled scrap of paper.

  “What’s that?” Liam asked, slowing to look.

  She smoothly folded it and stuffed it into a tiny pocket in her miniskirt. “Just some notes,” she said, smiling at him.

  He appreciated the fact that she hadn’t put her dark glasses back on since he’d asked her to remove them. They hung from the neck of her T-shirt. Either she didn’t really care about wearing them or she was honoring his request. Still, even though he could gaze into her clear green eyes, she was just as unfathomable as before, her smile pleasant but enigmatic.