The Hollow Root - Chapter 21
First time? Here’s the table of contents:
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8
Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20
“Faz, we need to find a spot to settle things,” Amy said calmly, pressing the palm of her hand on Kavin’s face.
“Amy, we’re on a stretch of nothing headed to nowhere,” Fasaani said impatiently.
“Faz, please just drive until you see something. I’m worried,” Amy said with a clinical tone.
Kavin was breathing hard and deeply, his eyes unfocused as he stared blankly into the middle distance. He could tell he was in the Camry and that was the most pressing reality he had. The voice had shaken him. He wasn’t sure if anyone else could hear it or if it was living inside his own mind. He was tensely waiting for it to speak again. The warmth of Amy’s hand slowed his breathing slightly. It was nice to feel someone’s touch again.
“Who are you?” Kavin said out loud, though truthfully he wasn’t quite sure if he just thought it or not.
“Kavin you know who we are, snap out of it,” Fasaani said.
“Not you... I mean did you hear that?” Kavin said, turning his head to look around the car.
“We’ve only heard you, Kavin. What do you mean?” Amy said calmly.
“I... I... maybe it was nothing. Where are we? We need to go to North Falls. Someone or something wants us there,” Kavin said, shaking off the voice... maybe it was just in his head.
“Waaaay ahead of you, buddy, but it’s gonna be a day or more and we probably need to switch Steve’s car out for something less wanted by the cops,” Fasaani muttered.
“Kavin, what did you see? What happened?” Amy said calmly, looking at him.
“I... it was a lot... I was lost between this car and something that happened in North Falls. There was a person with a misty face... I don’t remember them but they don’t like me at least. I think they are behind this,” Kavin stammered, still coming to terms with his current surroundings.
“Okay, what tells you this figure is evil?” Amy questioned.
“Uh... I... the smile. This smile showed up and then it swiped at me... It... why can’t I remember their face. They worked with Vaino I think. Where is Vaino?” Kavin said.
“No. We don’t talk about Vaino. End of story. No discussion. Amy don’t say a fucking word,” Fasaani said in a uniquely cold tone that changed the temperature in the car and provided Kavin the answer he needed.
“Bring them to me,” a whisper floated through Kavin’s mind.
“What? Why? Who are you?” Kavin shouted at the confused face of Amy.
“Kav, are you hearing someone else?” Amy said.
“What, no, sorry still shaking this off. I... I need water. Do we have water?” Kavin said.
“Sure, Kav, I had time to get a couple options for water, we have sparkling, still, lemon, basil sage, and grapefruit... can I offer it to you in a champagne flute?” Fasaani barked.
“Faz, leave him alone, and drive please. Kavin we don’t have water, I’m sorry. The cops are likely to figure out we slipped past them and begin coming after us. We have to press on a little longer and then hopefully we can find a place to ditch Steve’s car, hide for a bit and get some food and water. It’s not an ideal plan but it is the one we have right now. I need you to just relax and breathe. We have time to talk and adjust the plan, but you need to find yourself,” Amy stated calmly but firmly.
“Okay, just give me a couple minutes of quiet,” Kavin said, pulling his hands to his temples and beginning to massage them.
The car engine hummed in the soothing and unexciting way that only a Camry can. Kavin leaned back into the chair and closed his eyes to appreciate the dark nothingness provided by the back of his eyelids. He steadied his breath and began to pull air in and push it back out methodically. He focused on the noise of rocks clicking on the asphalt as they traveled around and around onto the road. He took note of the fabric of his shirt and how it felt on his skin, then his jeans and his shoes.
“Kav... I’m still here... with you,” the whisper floated through his mind.
It was a soft and gentle tone, almost inviting this time. Kavin tried to focus his mind on a question. Could he communicate silently? Could he simply think a word and the voice would hear it? Could misty disembodied voices hear? Kavin reset his thinking and concentrated on the question “Who are you?” until he could see it in bold letters in the empty space of his mind.
“That’s for you to find out, not for you to know, Kavin. Ask better questions,” the whisper hissed.
Kavin felt startled by the response. He didn’t actually expect a response. He took a deep breath. What was a better question. He thought about “What do you want?”
“Kavin, Kavin, Kavin. This is also a bad question. Think of what you know already. I’m a disembodied voice who has found a way into your mind. I’ve given you a riddle, I got your friend to kill that idiot Vaino and you think I will just give you answers. Kavin, do better,” the whisper responded.
Kavin sat in his mind. What did he already know. The voice, the possessed lady, the rum... they all had to be connected to this whisper and the blurred face. It was obvious. Who did he wrong at North Falls? He had been so focused on making Vaino his mentee... Kavin searched his mind for clues.
“In 10 kilometers there is a roadside hotel. Stay there,” the whisper hissed through his mind.
“Why?” Kavin formed the question in his thoughts.
“Why not?” the voice replied.
Kavin immediately betrayed himself by thinking “Because you told me to.” He tried to hide the thought with a memory of eating lunch with Bets, but the vision faded into the black mist that quickly formed a menacing smile.
“Open your eyes. Be with them now. Take them to me,” the voice buzzed and the mist faded to nothing.
Kavin’s eyes darted open and shot around the car.
Kavin decided it was best to keep his eyes open and try to distract himself from thought. Whatever it was, it could read his thoughts and he couldn’t chance another betrayal... was thinking this a betrayal? Kavin hushed his own thought process again.
“Amy, put on music,” Kavin said in a clunky tone that was irritated and straining to sound appreciative.
“No problem,” Amy said, turning the radio on and finding a new station.
This is KWEP radio where we only play the music you love, and if you don’t love it... well you can shove it. I’m your host for this mid-day hour Johnny and I’ve got a special guest who just entered the DJ booth this morning. Hey Guest why don’t you give us your name?
I’m Tammy, from the Young Roasted Spiders. I play guitar and sing.
Thanks Tammy! Your band is still on the up and coming list but your new single Come into our web is really taking off. I think it will be the hit of the fall. That said where did you get the inspiration for this song?
Well I thought about my life growing up... it was hard... and well once I got out of that place... I... well... I just wanted to hurt the people who had hurt me. So I wrote this song about that.
Wow Tammy! What a story. You know they always say here at KWEP though... SHUT UP AND PLAY! and that’s what we’re gonna do. Tammy what song do you want to start us off with?
What? I... I’m picking songs, no one told me this? I was told we were doing an...
Okay Tammy we get it! That’s why I’m the DJ. First up let’s get it started with a song by the same name from our friends The Black Eyed Peas.
I hate that...
Tammy’s comment was cut off by the sound of Let’s Get It Started flowing through the speakers.
“That was awkward as fuck,” Fasaani said, looking at the radio.
“I hate this song,” Amy said, flicking the dial until she found some smooth jazz public radio station that seemed like suitable background music for their low speed escape.
Kavin sat trying to vacate his mind of thought. He needed out of his own head. He tried to stare at the trees speeding by the window or the numbers calling out the radio station. His mind kept flitting through thoughts of North Falls, right up until he heard Fasaani call out:
“There’s a hotel in 7k, let’s stop there,” Fasaani said.
7 kilometers? The voice said 10... had they driven three? Kavin’s mind shot into action. Was this the same place? It had to be right? The timing probably lines up. Kavin thought for a moment. This place was clearly some kind of trap. The whisper wanted them there for a reason. The whisper created a scenario where Vaino would die. Did they want to kill the three of them? Kavin stopped his thoughts momentarily. Now the whisper knows that he knows that it’s a trap... is that part of the trap? Kavin sunk back into his seat. No thinking.
“The Hop Stop Hotel Motel, that’s a name I guess,” Amy said, reading the sign as they passed by it.
“Amy, I don’t know that we get to look for a Hilton or something out here?” Fasaani said jokingly.
“Faz, you know I wouldn’t stay at a Hilton... I have Marriott points,” Amy said.
“Amy, did you just make a joke? Holy shit... Kavin, Amy made another joke! You hear that?” Fasaani said.
“I... I don’t know if we should stop there,” Kavin said with a quiver in his voice.
“What... Why?” Fasaani said.
“I just, I have a feeling about it. I don’t know,” Kavin said, flustered.
“Oh goodness, a feeling. Let’s just turn around and turn ourselves in. Kavin has a feeling,” Fasaani said sarcastically.
“Where does the feeling come from?” Amy said.
“I... I don’t know, I just feel scared,” Kavin stuttered.
Amy looked into Kavin’s face closely. She was searching his face for guidance on what they should do. With her powers gone she couldn’t find much more than his concern. Amy sighed deeply.
“Kavin, we’re going to give it a look. If we get to the hotel and you are still concerned please let us know, but this is probably our best shot for miles. We need a new vehicle,” Amy said.
Amy turned to Fasaani. “Also, you need to wash that off. As much as I like it... it will probably scare the front desk clerk.”