didn’t deserve to die the way she did, with her throat and insides ripped out.”
“ I’m sorry,” said Kylie, touching his arm. “You know that we’ve all lost people we loved. But you have to believe that it was part of a plan. One bigger than all of us.”
“No,” he said, his voice thick. “I’m sorry, I can’t. We’re all alone… and when we die, we die. Everything about us dies and those are the facts.”
Kylie frowned. “But-.”
“No more talk, please,” he said, moving ahead of them. He looked back. “Just, please, respect my beliefs by keeping yours to yourself.”
Allie and Kylie stared at each other silently and then began walking again.
“I’m not s aying that I don’t believe you had those dreams,” whispered Allie. “But you have to admit, all this talk about the end of the world and a fight between good and evil, it’s just too much.”
She nodded. “I know, but Allie, I swear to you, these dreams are so vivid, so real. I’m not psychic, but I believe that someone is sending me a real message. One that’s very relevant to what’s been happening.”
“A message, from who ?” asked Allie.
She looked up at the stars. “Someone up there, who’s looking out for us.”
Chapter Twelve
Cassie
“Is that the last of the kids?” asked Henry, bending over as he tried to catch his breath.
I stared into the darkness at all of the children, many of them peering back at me with tear-stained faced. “Yes. Everyone’s accounted for. Nora said in a few minutes, we should be able to bring everyone back inside.”
Fortunately, we’d gotten the flames out with hoses and wet blankets before the fire had caused any real damage to the church.
He stood up straight and wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. “What in the hell happened back there, Wild?”
I shook my head. “I don’t really know, Henry. I’ve already pinched myself several times, to make sure I’ m not dreaming. Right now, I almost wish I was.”
“That feller, Travis? He must be some kind of magician or illusionist to pull that off.”
“Something. He certainly was a wack-job.”
“Both of them were,” he said.
“At least they’re gone now,” I said.
He took his cowboy hat off, ran a hand through his white hair, then plopped it back in place. “Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted. I think we should all try and get some sleep, then head on out of here before noon. Get back to Minnesota.”
“I agree, but what if those guys come back and cause more trouble for the nuns?” I whispered.
“You know, something tells me that they’re not coming back this way. No, I think they’ve got bigger fish to fry and this was just a little pit-stop.”
“You really think so?”
He nodded.
“What about you, Nora?” I asked, as she walked over to us. “What’d you make of those two guys?”
She sighed. “Tell you the truth- that dude Travis, he seriously gave me the chills.”
I raised my eyebrows. “He even freaked you out, huh?”
“Hell yeah. The way he handled the big Dufus, and that ball of fire he conjured up…that was some strange shit.”
“Sister Theresa called him a demon,” I said. “Um, you don’t think there was anything to that?”
Nora burst out laughing. “Seriously, Wild? A freaken’ demon? What funny plants have you been smoking, girl?”
I frowned. “Well, if I would have mentioned zombies three months ago, you would have laughed at me then, too.”
Her smile fell. “Good point.”
Henry waved his hand in disgust. “Okay, enough demon-mumbo-jumbo talk. That guy was some kind of illusionist, just like I told Wild. That’s all it is. Why do you think he had that tattoo under his eye? Been in prison, obviously. If he was a demon, you think he would have ended up in the slammer? Hell no.”
“Maybe you’re right,” I said. “I’m just being paranoid. That stuff the nuns were talking about earlier, it’s been
“ I’m sorry,” said Kylie, touching his arm. “You know that we’ve all lost people we loved. But you have to believe that it was part of a plan. One bigger than all of us.”
“No,” he said, his voice thick. “I’m sorry, I can’t. We’re all alone… and when we die, we die. Everything about us dies and those are the facts.”
Kylie frowned. “But-.”
“No more talk, please,” he said, moving ahead of them. He looked back. “Just, please, respect my beliefs by keeping yours to yourself.”
Allie and Kylie stared at each other silently and then began walking again.
“I’m not s aying that I don’t believe you had those dreams,” whispered Allie. “But you have to admit, all this talk about the end of the world and a fight between good and evil, it’s just too much.”
She nodded. “I know, but Allie, I swear to you, these dreams are so vivid, so real. I’m not psychic, but I believe that someone is sending me a real message. One that’s very relevant to what’s been happening.”
“A message, from who ?” asked Allie.
She looked up at the stars. “Someone up there, who’s looking out for us.”
Chapter Twelve
Cassie
“Is that the last of the kids?” asked Henry, bending over as he tried to catch his breath.
I stared into the darkness at all of the children, many of them peering back at me with tear-stained faced. “Yes. Everyone’s accounted for. Nora said in a few minutes, we should be able to bring everyone back inside.”
Fortunately, we’d gotten the flames out with hoses and wet blankets before the fire had caused any real damage to the church.
He stood up straight and wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. “What in the hell happened back there, Wild?”
I shook my head. “I don’t really know, Henry. I’ve already pinched myself several times, to make sure I’ m not dreaming. Right now, I almost wish I was.”
“That feller, Travis? He must be some kind of magician or illusionist to pull that off.”
“Something. He certainly was a wack-job.”
“Both of them were,” he said.
“At least they’re gone now,” I said.
He took his cowboy hat off, ran a hand through his white hair, then plopped it back in place. “Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted. I think we should all try and get some sleep, then head on out of here before noon. Get back to Minnesota.”
“I agree, but what if those guys come back and cause more trouble for the nuns?” I whispered.
“You know, something tells me that they’re not coming back this way. No, I think they’ve got bigger fish to fry and this was just a little pit-stop.”
“You really think so?”
He nodded.
“What about you, Nora?” I asked, as she walked over to us. “What’d you make of those two guys?”
She sighed. “Tell you the truth- that dude Travis, he seriously gave me the chills.”
I raised my eyebrows. “He even freaked you out, huh?”
“Hell yeah. The way he handled the big Dufus, and that ball of fire he conjured up…that was some strange shit.”
“Sister Theresa called him a demon,” I said. “Um, you don’t think there was anything to that?”
Nora burst out laughing. “Seriously, Wild? A freaken’ demon? What funny plants have you been smoking, girl?”
I frowned. “Well, if I would have mentioned zombies three months ago, you would have laughed at me then, too.”
Her smile fell. “Good point.”
Henry waved his hand in disgust. “Okay, enough demon-mumbo-jumbo talk. That guy was some kind of illusionist, just like I told Wild. That’s all it is. Why do you think he had that tattoo under his eye? Been in prison, obviously. If he was a demon, you think he would have ended up in the slammer? Hell no.”
“Maybe you’re right,” I said. “I’m just being paranoid. That stuff the nuns were talking about earlier, it’s been
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