Part 60 (1/2)
”I want to be be a mother.” a mother.”
The earth suddenly gave way under Gia's feet. She screamed as she and Charlie tumbled into the black pit that opened beneath them.
10.
As soon as Lyle stepped out of the taxi he sensed something was wrong.
Then he saw someone running toward him along the sidewalk. He tensed, ready to jump back into the cab until he recognized Jack.
”Hey, Jack. What's the hurry?”
Jack stopped before him, puffing, but not too heavily. ”Gia. I think she's here.”
”Why would-?” He stopped himself. ”Never mind. Let's go see.”
As they walked toward the house Lyle said, ”You run all the way from Manhattan?”
”Just from the subway.”
”Why didn't you take a cab?”
”Subway's faster this hour.”
Lyle looked at Jack and noticed that his outline was no longer blurred. Maybe his strange new awareness was gone, or maybe it only worked in the house. But the nearer Lyle drew to the house, the stronger the sense of wrongness. He couldn't place his finger on it until- ”I'll be d.a.m.ned!” He stopped, staring.
Jack stopped beside him. ”What?”
”The windows... the doors... they're closed!” He laughed. ”This is great! We can put on the AC now.”
”I don't like it,” Jack said, moving again.
”Why not? Maybe it means whatever's been there has gone home.”
”I doubt it.”
Lyle followed Jack, saw him go to step up onto the front porch, then fall back.
”What the-?”
Lyle came up beside him. ”What happened? Slip?”
And then Lyle could go no further. He stared at his foot, stranded in midair halfway to the first porch step. A chill ran down his back as he kicked his shoe forward, putting some weight behind it, but it didn't get any farther than before.
”Oh, man!” he said as icy fingers clawed his gut. ”Oh, man, oh, man, oh, man! What's this s.h.i.+t?”
”I don't know,” Jack said.
He threw a punch at the air but his fist came to a screaming halt in midair. Lyle tried the same. Pain shot through his shoulder as his hand stopped short at about the same plane as Jack's.
It wasn't like hitting a wall. It wasn't like hitting anything. No impact. His hand simply... stopped. And no matter how hard he pushed it wouldn't advance a millimeter farther.
Lyle glanced at Jack and saw him backing up, searching the ground. He bent, came up with a rock, and threw it. Lyle watched it arc toward the house, then stop in midair and drop to the ground.
With a guttural roar Jack hurled himself at the front steps, only to stop short and stagger back.
”Easy, Jack.”
”Gia's in there!”
”You don't know that.”
”I do! d.a.m.n! This is what Tara was after all along-to get Gia alone in there.”
”But she's not alone. Char-” Lyle's heart tripped, skipped a beat. ”Oh, s.h.i.+t. Charlie's in there too. What do you think's happening?”
”Don't know, but it can't be good if she's got the place sealed up.” He started for the side of the house. ”Let's see if this goes all the way around.”
It did. They circled the house, punching at its windows and rear door, throwing rocks at it. Anyone seeing them had to think they were drunk and locked out. They called for Gia and Charlie, but no one answered.
Then they came to the garage-and walked right in. But they couldn't reach the door from the garage to the house.
Lyle leaned against the impenetrable air and felt sick. This couldn't be-shouldn't be. What was happening to the world? be. What was happening to the world?
”Jack...”
His face was reddening with the effort of trying to force a broom handle through the barrier. ”Gets to you, doesn't it. Down is up, up is down, immutable laws get broken, things you always thought impossible aren't.” With a grunt of frustration he tossed the broom across the garage. ”Welcome to my world.”
Lyle spotted a ladder leaning against the wall. ”Hey, if we can't get through it, maybe we can get over it.”
”Do not waste your time,” said a woman's voice. ”You cannot.”
Lyle turned and saw a Hindu woman in an orange sari. Her dark eyes, and those of the big German shepherd standing beside her, were on Jack.
”Why not?” Lyle said.
”Because it goes up far.”
”How far?” Jack said, ”Forever.”
Who was this lady? Where'd she come from?
”How do you know so much about this?” Lyle asked.