The Dead House

“Get your filthy hands off her—” An impact and a grunt.

Surprised, Brett is thrown off balance, and with him, Kaitlyn. She hits the wall with a small cry; she grabs her elbow gingerly and watches as Ari tackles Brett to the ground, punching him repeatedly in the face.

“Ari! Ari stop it!”

She throws herself on Ari, and with some effort, she manages to wrench him away from the cowering Brett. She bends low over her arms.

“You touch her again, and I’ll rip your lungs out!” Ari yells.

Brett spits blood from his mouth and wipes his lips. “You’re psycho, man. She can bloody well kiss whoever she wants!”

Kaitlyn shakes her head desperately at Brett. She pulls Ari gently into the opposite corner and wraps her injured arms around him. After a moment, panting heavily, his arms come around her in return. Brett gets to his feet and glares at Ari, whose back faces the camera, then shakes his head and leaves, running loudly up the stairs and slamming the door at the top.

“You kissed him,” Ari says a few moments later, pulling away from her. His voice is low, and Kaitlyn looks startled.

“Not really. I’m… Ari, I’m not used to being seen. Noticed. I’m… He kissed me. I was stunned.”

He lifts his hands and cups her cheek. “I don’t want to lose you. I want you to be with me—I love you.”

She nods. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Ari.”

He steps away from her and faces the camera, but his expression is obscured by shadows.

“How is she?” Kaitlyn asks at last. “How’s Naida?”

“She’s alive.”

“Thank God. Will she… stay… alive?”

He nods. “Likely.”

Kaitlyn, whose calm control seems to have been a carefully managed mask, covers her face and begins to cry. “Thank God, thank God, thank God,” she mutters, over and over. “Thank you, thank you—I’m so sorry.”

Ari moves to the other end of the room. “Kaitlyn… what was that with Brett? Do you… like him?”

Kaitlyn wipes roughly at her face. “He was just… reaching out, I guess. He was just scared. He needed comfort. It was stupid, but understandable. He… he liked Carly. I know he liked Carly.”

“He has a thing for you.”

Kaitlyn laughs shallowly. “Yeah. I guess so. I didn’t kiss him, Ari. It’s not like that.”

“You just let him kiss you.”

Kaitlyn shrugs. “He needed a friend.”

“I need a friend.”

Kaitlyn smiles and walks over to him, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him.

[END OF CLIP]





Diary of Kaitlyn Johnson


Tuesday, 25 January 2005, 6:00 am

Basement

It’s over for them. I can’t ask—


I won’t ask for any more.





92


7 days until the incident




Diary of Kaitlyn Johnson


Wednesday, 26 January 2005, 11:59 pm

Forgotten Garden

Haji is angry. Angry with me, angry with Naida.

We arranged to meet at night, in the Forgotten Garden. Here. I taped everything so I wouldn’t get it wrong.

Scott and Brett are at the hospital with Naida, but John wanted to come, and so did Ari. I didn’t think it was a good idea for them to be here… not at first. Not at all, maybe. So I decided to meet Haji alone. Ari didn’t like it—didn’t want to hear of it. But I insisted. Me. Haji. Alone. I had to explain to him what happened. I had to tell him how sorry I was. I don’t know what I was expecting.

He stepped through the broken, rusted gates like a towering shadow, and I knew that of anything I might get from him, forgiveness wasn’t it. That was when I pressed Record. He was bigger than I remembered. The kind of big that makes you feel like a tin can at the foot of a skyscraper. I wanted to step away, hide my face—but I forced myself to stay rigid and calm.

“You have caused many problems.”

I didn’t deny it.

“You have a Shyan working you.”

“How did you—”

“Naida’s ritual. I found her worker’s book. I read what she was planning.”

“You knew we were doing something dangerous when we came to see you.”

“Not that a Shyan was conjuring against you. Not that you planned to risk your souls on this stupid mission of yours. Naida is a foolish child for helping you.”

I swallowed. “Naida’s a hero. You don’t look like the kind of person who would understand that. My sister’s life is at risk. Her soul is gone. Naida was helping me get it back.”

“If an Olen holds her soul, he won’t simply give it back.”

“I know. We made a sacrifice. A trade.”

A scoff and a mutter. “Gorro have mercy. I sent you off thinking Naida knew what she was doing. I was wrong.”

“We did what we could, okay? Naida did what she could.”

“Naida is a child,” he snapped, and his voice was much louder. So. He did care, after all. “She doesn’t know how to communicate with a malevolent Olen. They are a destructive force only. To make them listen requires destruction. With a Shyan working them—and you—it’s a wonder you’re still alive.”

“Naida kept me safe—”