Chapter 6

Nobody said a word in school. To be completely truthful, the whole school was as silent as the spookiest graveyard on Halloween. Everywhere Kay and I went, people stared. They were entitled to. After all, wasn't it the creepiest coincidence that we were always there when something like this happened? And once, just once, I heard someone whispering behind their hand. The only sound you ever heard were the teachers teaching. Or, to say the least, trying to teach. None of us were paying attention anymore. I know I wasn't.

I don't know what everyone else was thinking, but in my mind I was seeing unspeakable horror.

"Kay?" I asked, breaking the silence between us as we walked home from school. Kay inclined her head, showing that she was listening. "I know this is going to sound childish and all, but why is it that I have this... power when you don't? I mean, we both read the... the... book, didn't we?"

Kay took a deep, rattling breath. I looked at her expectantly. "Well, actually, I do have a... umm... power," she said a little hoarsely after not speaking for so long. "Don't worry, it's not as drastic as yours," she added quickly after seeing the look of horror that I was sure had just appeared on my face.

"Then what is it?" I asked. I didn't really want my best friend to have something as terrible as I did, but at least it made me feel better to know I wasn't alone.

"You know, when we were in... Jessel's?" she asked me tentatively. I nodded grimly. The ice cream parlor. We had tried to avoid saying the name and even thinking about it, but everytime there was time to think I just heard Chloe screaming... and Amanda screaming my name. "Well, I, you know, had my back to the window before... it... happened...." Kay trailed off. I looked down at my feet and realised that we had stopped walking. Nothing seemed real to me anymore. I didn't even know what I was doing half the time, apart from staring out of the class window at the blue, blue sky. It had been hard enduring these past 4 days. All the people... we could have saved them all. I could have saved them all. But it seemed that they were... meant to die. Meant to have these "accidents" happening to them. Their time had come. There was nothing I nor Kay could do about it.

But I wish I could. I wish it with all my heart and soul.

I had been wondering why it was only kids in our school who were having all this bad luck. Nobody else had died from anywhere else, from as far as I - my premonitions - could see. Only school kids. Red Stone High school kids. Or is it because Kay and were from this school? It was so puzzling, it hurt my head sometimes. But it took my mind of the screaming. And the blood.

"Vicky?" Kay's voice cut through my thoughts. "You wanted to know my power, didn't you?" I snapped out of my reverie.

"Oh, yea. Sorry. You were going to tell me..."

"You know, in Jessel's? When I suddeny told you to get down? I wasn't looking at the window, I coudn't see it at all, not even in the mirror. But somehow, I could see it like it was happening in slow motion, the car coming towards the glass. Only it was happening behind me. It as really weird... and scary. I think it's my power... being able to see things without looking at them," said Kay in a rush.

I gape at her. "What?! That is so unfair! At least yours isn't as bad as mine! Why is this happening? Urgh. Damn the stupid book to pieces," I grumbled. Kay split a small grin. She draped her arm around me.

"Hey, cheer up, kiddo. We've only got 2 more days, don't we? We can get through it. We can. You know we can. You were always a fighter, Vick," Kay paused. "Always braver than me. I think, if I hadn't met you I wouldn't be able to talk big or act like a total confident snob sometimes. I'd be all mousy. I was like that... before I met you. You can do it! Have faith, Vicky!" said Kay, hugging me.

I was touched. I mean, Kay had never said any of these things before, and we had been friends since pre-school, which is practically forever!

After that day, our bond was much, much stronger. We were going to get through this thing. But I wasn't alone and neither was Kay. We had each other. We were unbreakable. Nothing and nobody could ever tear us apart.

Not even Death.