Chapter 17

17

The week passed in the usual blur. Wake up, go to school, tests, lectures, homework and start all over again the next day. Two weeks had passed since Jordan had made up her mind to tell Stacey, and for the most part, she had avoided Teresa in school. It seemed that Teresa had forgotten about her and had believed Stacy. After all, who wouldn’t tell their best friend? But Jordan spent most of her waking moments thinking about how to tell Stacy. It was a Saturday morning when Jordan got the chance, but not in a way that she would have liked.

Her night consisted of the usual tossing and turning, but she had finally drifted into a fitful sleep. Since it was a Saturday, she was thankful to have slept in, but when she did awaken, it was with a start. She knew the second her eyes opened that the mirror was beckoning to her. She didn’t wait, her father was gone on a business trip and there was too much at stake not to know. Jordan crept up the steps and slid into the attic. The mid-morning sun rays shone through the upper windows, casting light beams that sparkled with dust. Glancing at her watch, she noted it was 10 AM. She had slept late and to make things incredible, her mother had let her! She could hear the vacuum going downstairs and knew her mother would be working her way up to her room soon.  

She wasted no time, pulling the sheet from the mirror and dragging a chair up to it, she climbed up and rubbed the runes around the top edge of the mirror frame. Within seconds she was sensing the odor and the light breeze, her hair rising around her from the static electricity. Grabbing the notebook, she began to write down the images and symbols she saw. But this time she didn’t have to decipher them. She knew. It was Stacy, her home, and fire. The images and symbols were clear and concise- she knew it was her best friend.

Without a sound, she crept from the attic and crawled into bed, knowing she had 13 hours before the event would occur. How would she get out of the house at 10 o’clock at night? Should she call Stacy and warn her? What would she say? Would Stacy even believe her? Nevertheless, Jordan had to try.

She ate breakfast nervously as her mother vacuumed the upstairs and then slowly reached for the phone. Within seconds she had Stacy on the phone and they chatted lightly for a few moments. Not able to hold back any longer, Jordan blurted, “Stace, you’re in danger. I think your house is going to catch on fire! You all have to check the house to make sure everything is OK! You have smoke detectors right?”

Stacy giggled, “Oh, Jordan. Has Teresa been bugging you again? Is she there now?”

“What?” Jordan asked, confused. Why would Stacy even think Jordan would hang out with Teresa? She obviously thought this was a joke.

“Look, there’s a lot I need to tell you, but what you need to know is that I had a-a- vision and I saw your house on fire and it’s going to happen tonight! You have got to be on guard!”

“OK, OK, “Stacy replied, quieter now, “I’ll have my parents check our smoke detectors and check the gas line. I’m sure you’re just being paranoid, Jordan. But we’ll be fine. We’ll check things out and I’ll call you later.” Stacy hung up the phone and Jordan sat there a moment listening to the dial tone.

From there her day got busy as her mother put her to work on various odd jobs and it was a few short hours later when Stacy called back to inform Jordan that the gas company had checked things and that all was well. The smoke detectors worked fine and her father assured her that everything was in tip-top shape.

“How’d you get him to do all that?” Jordan asked, wary of what Stacy might have told them.

“I told them I had a horrible dream and that I would not stop bugging them until they did what I asked. They thought I’d lost my mind, but they finally got sick of me and did it to shut me up. I’m pretty sure I’m grounded for life now, but I did what you asked and I told you it was nothing to worry about. My parents are going out for the evening and I was going with them, but they decided I needed to stay here and rest instead, so… “

Stacy left off with a hint of anger in her voice, and Jordan realized it was directed toward her. Stacy and her parents had planned to go to dinner and a late movie for over a week, something they all had wanted to see, but apparently Stacy had put up quite a fit. She wasn’t kidding when she said her parents had grounded her.

“I’m sorry, Stacy, I just thought-“

“I know what you thought and I know you meant well, Jordan. Maybe I should’ve handled it better, but it is what it is. Don’t worry about it and call me tomorrow. I’m sure things will have blown over by then anyway.”

They hung up and Jordan sat there pulling on her hair, frowning. She would like to think that the mirror had been wrong, but she knew it wasn’t. The fact was that sometime around 10 PM she’d have to slip out of the house.