Tash Read online

  “She’s having a seizure,” a panicked male voice said.

  “My god, what’s wrong with her eyes? They’ve turned pure white.” Someone else said, but Scarlett wasn’t sure if the person was male or female.

  The sleepiness was here, taking her away from the coffee house…

  She was floating in darkness. Her arms and legs were stretched out wide. Her white hair floated around her.

  Cold. She was so cold.

  She sucked in her breath.

  Blackness, then stars, replaced the comfy couches and warm-walled coffee shop.

  The blue and white Earth was below her and the dead moon was to the right.

  She winced. Beyond the moon was the fiery sun that warmed her cold skin.

  A shadow fell over the moon, shrouding her.

  Her eyes widened. A spaceship, something right out of Star Wars, blocked out the sun. It was bigger than any rocket on Earth––big enough to hold a thousand men. Intrepid was painted on one side.

  Suddenly, the stars whizzed. White, black, and blue colors flashed in front of her face. She fell faster and faster.

  Her head snapped back hard. She couldn’t breathe, and her heart pounded frantically. What was that? A spaceship? So, far her visions had always been based on reality. Spaceships weren’t real. Aliens didn’t exist. Had she just crossed over into the crazy zone?

  “The paramedics are on their way.” She recognized that voice. It was the waitress who had been kind, bringing her coffee all morning.

  Scarlett’s vision returned, and she stared into the worried eyes of the young waitress and the older manager that always reminded her of Santa Claus with his white brows and thick beard. Scarlett wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans.

  She gasped for breath and broke out in a hot sweat, still trembling from her vision. She wanted to slither underneath the coffee table and hide. “I’m fine. I don’t…I don’t need the paramedics.”

  The manager shook his head. “No, I think you do. You seemed to have had some kind of an attack.”

  All eyes were on her, coffee and laptops forgotten, reminding her of her family. She could read their minds and hear what they were thinking. She didn’t want to see their appalled faces. God, she didn’t want to so badly.

  But it was there.

  She’s a weirdo.

  What’s wrong with her?

  Freak.

  She grabbed her iPad and purse. “I’ve…I’ve got to go.”

  Sirens screamed in the distance. Paramedics pulled into the parking lot, and she groaned.

  “They’re here, Miss,” the waitress said.

  A tall man ran over to the glass door and opened it. He pointed. “She’s over there.” His excited voice made her feel like the geek of the week.

  Two muscular paramedics rushed inside, carrying their little red boxes that she’d dreaded.

  The manager moved away.

  “Hi.” One of the paramedics, a muscular dark-haired man, knelt in front of her. “I’m Ben Richards. Can you tell me what happened?”

  At least she didn’t recognize him.

  Heat swarmed over her cheeks. “Hi,” Scarlett muttered. “I’m okay. Really.” She pushed her hair behind her ears.

  The manager gestured toward her. “She had a seizure or something.”

  “What happened?” Ben studied her.

  The pale waitress looked at Scarlett. “She was out for about five minutes.” Her voice shook.

  “Her eyes actually turned white. I mean…her pupils actually disappeared.” The tall man looked at Scarlett as if she were a creature from the planet Mars.

  “I don’t need to go to the hospital.” Scarlett tapped her foot repeatedly on the floor. She clutched the strap of her purse tighter.

  “Can you tell me your name?” Ben asked gently.

  “My name’s Scarlett Fox. I know what day it is. It’s Wednesday. I live at 10983 W 81st Ave. Trump is the president of the United States.”

  Ben blinked. “I guess you knew all the questions I was going to ask.”

  The other paramedic smiled. “This isn’t your first rodeo, is it?”

  She looked into his wise face. He was older than Ben by at least ten years. “No. It’s not. I’m fine. I need to go.” Go back home where it’s safe, where no one can see me.

  “Miss, I really think you should go to the emergency room.” Ben used a stronger tone.

  She lifted her head and met his direct gaze. “I know my rights. You can’t make me go with you.” Her voice was strong, but her insides were quaking.

  Today, she was not going to be bound and put in a rubber room.

  Ben sighed and glanced at his partner. “No, no we can’t.”

  She scooted away from them. Her hair sticking to her hot cheeks. She stood, but her traitorous quaking legs betrayed her. She fell back on her ass.

  “Miss,” the older paramedic said gently. “Your face is very pale and obviously your body’s unstable. Do you really think you can drive or walk?”

  She wanted to argue, but he was right. Her SUV was parked right outside. But what if she got in and had another vision?

  She put her hand on her glistening forehead. “No, I don’t.” Misery clung to her words.

  “We’ll be back with the stretcher,” Ben said.

  She cast her gaze down and didn’t argue.

  The waitress sat on the armrest next to her. “Is there anyone I can call for you?”

  Scarlett shook her head. “No.” Once she was cleared, she’d take Uber back to the coffee shop to get her SUV. No way in hell was she calling her family.

  Not happening. Ever.

  Ben and his partner returned with the stretcher. Scarlett followed the tiresome routine of allowing them to take her vitals and giving her oxygen.

  Within minutes, she was whizzing to the hospital and drowning out Ben’s kind words. She was so tired of going to the hospital after having one of these damn visions.

  She closed her eyes. Why was she seeing a starship? What did it mean?

  Scarlett narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean you’re not going to release me?” She held up her phone. “I can call Uber. You just got done saying you’re not going to hospitalize me.”

  Dr. Scott sat on the stool. “Scarlett, you said you were going to go back to the coffee shop to retrieve your SUV. You’re not safe to be driving. Someone else needs to pick up your vehicle.”

  Scarlett wanted to throttle the baby-face doctor. He probably graduated from med school yesterday.

  She rested her phone against her forehead. “Please, don’t make me do this.”

  He folded his arms across his chest. “You don’t have anyone you can call?” His empathetic voice did nothing to ease the tension gripping her chest.

  She blurted. “No one, I want to call.”

  “I’m sorry, Scarlett, but I’m only thinking of your safety and the other people on the road. Like I told you earlier, based on your EEG results, you can’t drive for six months. If you haven’t had a seizure within that time, I’m sure your neurologist will allow you to drive. You just need to make sure you take your medications.”

  Tears built up behind Scarlett’s eyes and a jolt of bitterness burned the back of her throat.

  Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t cry.

  If she could, Scarlett would just walk out of the hospital, but she’d never make it out of the front door.

  She cleared her throat. “Fine, I’ll call someone.” The last person she wanted to call.

  Her sister, Janet, answered. “What do you want Scarlett?”

  Scarlett cringed. “Hi Janet.”

  “Don’t hi Janet me. Tell me why the hell you’re calling me.”

  Scarlett bit her lip. “I’m in the hospital.”

  “Damn it. Did you have another vision?”

  “Yes.” Her small voice was more like a puff than an answer.

  Scarlett turned her head away from Dr. Scott, not wanting to look into his eyes that were filled with pity.


  “So, they won’t release you unless someone picks you up?”

  “I…I wanted to call Uber, but they––”

  “This is the last fucking time, Scarlett. I mean it. You’re ruining all of our lives with your visions.”

  Scarlett hung her head. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to.”

  “Scarlett, you never mean anything.”

  The ball of frustration edged down Scarlett’s throat into her gut. Same you’re-a-burden response.

  “I’m at Lutheran.”

  “I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

  Scarlett crossed her arm around her middle as her tummy threatened to rise up and rebel. “My Pathfinder’s at Ziggy’s.”

  “You’re unbelievable. Fine. I’ll bring Jack, and we’ll drop what we’re doing for you. Again.”

  The phone went dead.

  “My sister and brother-in-law are coming to pick me up.” Luckily it was Saturday, so Jack wouldn’t be working, but he’d be pissed being pulled away from his favorite sports shows.

  Dr. Scott stood. “I’m sorry, Scarlett. I didn’t mean to cause you any stress. I just wanted you to be safe.”

  She nodded, but couldn’t answer him. A perfect stranger had more concern for her than her own family.

  He left her alone in her hospital room with beeps and bings and the smell of antiseptics. Loneliness nearly choked her and the hated, hot tears wouldn’t be denied.

  Forty-five minutes later, she was in the car with Janet and Jack. Janet’s black hair was pulled back into a pony tail that made her face look even more pinched. She gripped the steering wheel so tight that her knuckles turned white. Her red nails looked like razor-sharp daggers.

  She glanced in the rearview mirror. “I’m sorry, honey, that you’re missing your football game.”

  Jack snorted like a pissed off bull.

  Scarlett’s gut curled up into a tight ball. She stared into the passing traffic, wishing she were in one of those cars. “I didn’t want the paramedics to take me to the hospital.”

  Neither Janet nor Jack answered her. It was the longest twenty minute ride ever. Despite the scorching Colorado sun, she swore the temperature dropped to below freezing inside the car.

  Scarlett hugged her arms to her sides, counting down the minutes to get to her condominium.

  “Drop me off at the coffee shop first,” Jack said.

  Janet frowned. “That’s out––”

  “Just do it.” His voice left little doubt there would be hell to pay if he didn’t get back to his game.

  Janet shook her head. “Fine.”

  Ziggy’s was about fifteen minutes farther from Scarlett’s condo, but she didn’t dare argue. Jack had been arrested before for hitting someone square in the mouth for blocking his truck at Walmart. He’d no gumption for slapping her. Janet had more than on occasion shown up at family gatherings with bruises on her arms and even once with a black eye.

  Janet pulled into the parking lot.

  “Scarlett, give me your damn keys.”

  Scarlett immediately handled them to him with her shaking hand, praying her Pathfinder returned to her condo in one piece. She’d loved that SUV.

  He narrowed his brown eyes. “I’ll meet you there in five. Don’t disappoint me. I don’t want to miss the second half of the Bronco game.”

  Janet quickly pulled out of the parking lot. “Do me a favor next time. Don’t pull this crap during a Bronco preseason game.”

  “I can’t control this, Janet.”

  She rolled her brown eyes. “Whatever.” She glanced at Scarlett. “So, what was the vision about this time?”

  Scarlett shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  “What? You didn’t have a vision? Did you just have an epileptic seizure?” For once, her sister’s voice was filled with compassion and hope.

  Scarlett thought about lying, but when did lying ever help her?

  Never.

  “No, I had a vision.”

  “So, what was it?” She was immediately back to her icy tone.

  Scarlett looked out the window. “Does it really matter?”

  “Yes, it does. The night before I was supposed to marry Jack, you told me that I was making a mistake. I almost didn’t marry him because of you.”

  Scarlett bit back a retort. Whether Janet wanted to admit it or not, her vision had been right. Jack was a batterer. Not only that, he said he’d kill Janet if she ever tried to leave him.

  Unfortunately, according to her visions, he wasn’t lying.

  “Scarlett, tell me.” Her voice was almost desperate.

  Scarlett studied her. Her face had turned pale and she swore her sister was shaking. “My vision didn’t have anything to do with you or Jack.”

  Janet exhaled. “Good.”

  Scarlett raised her eyebrow. “Why?”

  When they stopped at a red light, Janet chewed on her knuckle. “Nothing.”

  “Come on, Janet. I can tell something’s wrong.”

  Janet gritted her teeth. “I said nothing.” Her sharp voice was like a slap across the cheek.

  Scarlett winced, and heat swelled up her throat. Subject closed, but obviously, Janet was hiding something, something she didn’t want to share with Scarlett. Then it dawned on her. Janet had on a turtle neck even though it was over ninety-five degrees outside. August was one of Colorado’s hottest months.

  She opened her mouth to ask her sister about the shirt, but fear, immediately, paralyzed her lips. Janet was like their mother; even a crowbar wouldn’t work to pry out secret information. Janet had smacked her more than once when she pried into her personal business. Had Janet tried to leave Jack? Was she hiding bruises on her neck?

  She had to know.

  Scarlett took a deep breath and focused. Tingles blew down the back of her neck…

  She was back in Janet’s and Jack’s messy apartment.

  Janet held a phone. Tears glistened in her eyes. “Jack, who is this woman?”

  Jack glanced away from the tv. “Shut up.” His low voice sent shivers down Scarlett’s spine.

  “No, I’m your wife.”

  He jumped out of the chair and snatched the phone out of her hand. “You ever touch my phone again, you’ll regret it.”

  Janet braced her shoulders. “Fine. I’m leaving.”

  Jack narrowed his eyes. “No, you’re not.” He slammed her against the wall and squeezed her throat until tears spilled down her cheeks and her face turned bright red.

  He’d whispered in her ear, “If you leave me, I’ll kill you.”

  Janet was thinking about leaving Jack, but she was scared. Scarlett wanted desperately to tell her sister to leave, but her gut told her if she did, Jack would make good on his promise.

  Once again the frosty atmosphere clamped down on Scarlett. Janet parked the car and flashed her a look of pure hatred. Scarlett’s gut wrenched. A sister-bond had definitely skipped them.

  Jack roared down the street with the Pathfinder––luckily in one piece.

  Janet grabbed her arm and shook it. “What was your vision about?” She raised a close fist. “Tell me now or else.”

  Chills raced down Scarlett’s spine. “A spaceship.”

  She released her. “You’re pulling my leg.”

  Scarlett met her sister’s skeptical gaze. “No, I’m not. Thank you for the ride. I’ll try not to bother you again.” Even though her sister looked at her as if she wanted to squish her like a spider, Scarlett still cared for her.

  The hair on the back of her neck rippled. She watched Jack get out of her SUV. She clasped her sister’s arm. “Please, be careful. Call the police if you decide to leave. Otherwise, he’ll make good on his threat.”

  Janet’s eyes widened and her lower lip trembled.

  Jack stomped over to the passenger door and pounded on the window.

  Scarlett immediately opened the door.

  “Here.” Jack practically threw the SUV keys at her. “Janet, let’s go. Now.”


  Janet started the car.

  Please, don’t hurt me.

  Scarlett’s chest tightened. Her sister’s thoughts brought tears to Scarlett’s eyes. She got out, wishing she had superpowers like Captain Marvel, and could rescue her sister from the monster. Jack hopped inside.

  Scarlett drew on her psychic power and tried to plant kind words into Jack’s mind, but it was useless. Angry minds automatically blocked out her power. Her sister immediately pulled away from the curb.

  Scarlett’s legs shook uncontrollably, and she gasped to breathe. She wasn’t sure whether it was from the vision or riding with her sister and her Rambo husband. She gripped the railing to keep from falling and slowly walked up the stairs to her second-floor condo––her sanctuary from the world. Her condo was only a one bedroom, but it was perfect for her.

  She opened the door and her white cat, Willow, greeted her, purring around her legs.

  “Hi, baby.” She picked up Willow and held her close. “At least you care about what happens to me.” Sadness crept into her tiny voice.

  Willow meowed and nuzzled her cheek, wiping off her tears.

  “Are you hungry?”

  Willow meowed again.

  Scarlett put her down on the floor. Willow’s tail went straight up and she hurried over to her bowl. Scarlett laughed through her tears. “I guess you’re hungry.”

  She immediately fed the cat then poured herself a glass of wine. She tossed her new seizure medication on the counter. She’d taken seizure medications before and none of them had stopped her visions. The neurologists all thought she’d just go into a dream state. None of them had realized that her visions had never been wrong.

  Until now.

  She took a sip of wine and curled up in her favorite recliner. She wrapped a blanket around her to take the chill off from the air conditioning and the freezing ride with her sister.

  She hoped Janet would be safe.

  Scarlett turned on the television and choked on her wine. Chills drummed down her spine and goosebumps broke out on her arms. She coughed hard and put her hand on her chest. The first thing that flipped on was Star Wars. The star cruisers were bigger than the one she’d seen in her vision.

  Coincidence, right? That’s all it was.

  Spaceships did’t exist. Darth Vader wasn’t coming.