The Blender’s Bargain – Chapter 13

Archie

The steady rhythm of the train lulls me into a light doze. My head droops onto Garrick’s shoulder, his solid warmth comforting amidst the chaos. Must be nice to be built like a brick house. No one fucks with him — ever — it seems like. I’m glad he’s turned into my partner on this journey. I let my eyes drift shut, exhaustion settling into my bones. Heavy. Deep. I can’t keep my eyes open. We’re safe for now, speeding away from the dissolving city, so it’s the time to nap.

I’m not sure how long I sleep, lulled by the gentle rocking of the train. But I gradually notice agitated voices as the train slows. Lifting my head from Garrick’s shoulder, I rub my eyes and look around the train car. Nervous families clutch their belongings, their frightened whispers filling the train car. A little girl is crying, tears spilling down her face, while her mother tries to comfort her.

“Next stop, Brimlow,” the conductor announces over the intercom.

I nudge Garrick awake. He blinks groggily down at me.

“We’re almost at Brimlow,” I tell him. “This is our stop.”

He frowns, still half-asleep. “It is?”

I nod. “It’s not far from my parents’ place, just a few miles’ walk through town. We can regroup there, maybe figure out our next move.”

Garrick scrubs a hand down his face and nods. “Good thinking. Lead the way.” He smacks his lips as he leans forward. “Coffee. We need coffee.”

“We’re going to need a whole lot more than that.”

He raises one eyebrow at me, and I roll my eyes as I stand up.

The train slows to a crawl as we gather our things. Parents herd wide-eyed children toward the exits, while elderly passengers clutch each other for support. Everyone is on edge, desperate to get away from Stellura.

With a screech of brakes, the train shudders to a halt at the tiny Brimlow station. Garrick and I join the anxious throngs departing onto the platform. The fresh country air fills my lungs, a stark contrast to the chaos we left behind. It’s nice not to have death and smoke in my nostrils anymore.

As I watch people walk away from the train station, I think of the people we left behind. Ugh. What about Clara? What about my students? My breath catches, their memories stuck in my throat, painful, heartbreaking.

Garrick turns his keen eyes on me. “I know. Don’t think about it.”

How does he know? His haunted eyes tell me he’s thinking the same thing as I am. He has family, friends, and students as well. Utter sadness pours out from him, and it rolls over me like a winter breeze. I shiver and pull my phone from my pocket and look at it. Dead, even though I charged it at Garrick’s. Maybe it’s possessed, too.

Garrick’s hand settles in the small of my back as we make our way through the crowds. My body heats, all of my senses zeroing in on that one spot. His hand is warm, strong, commanding in a gentle way. It takes away the sudden chill better than a cup of coffee ever could.

It shouldn’t be a shock to me, this feeling. I’ve seen how he is with his students, like a guide with a lantern on a stormy evening. What surprises me is how much I like it there. My body never responded to Lex this way. Maybe that should have been my clue that he wasn’t for me.

“This way. Stay close so we don’t get separated.” I point to Main Street, down and off to the left of the train station.

The sun is climbing in the sky, its rays hot on my skin. Summer is finally here. We pass farm stands displaying the town’s famous seasonal vegetables, though most lie abandoned now. The few people milling about eye us suspiciously. Strangers fleeing the city stick out in this rural community.

I quicken our pace, leading Garrick down a shady lane towards the edge of town. The sooner we get to my parents, the better. They’ll know what to do, how to make sense of everything happening. Dad’s experience as a college professor and Mom’s work in computational science have to be good for something.

We walk in silence for a while, each lost in our thoughts. So much has changed in such a brief span of time. Just days ago, my biggest worry was grading final homework assignments before summer break. Now here we are, fleeing a magical cataclysm with ancient beings trapped in appliances. It’s almost too much to comprehend.

I glance sidelong at Garrick as we walk, his eyes scanning the stands and nearby stores. I’m really glad he’s here. His steady presence has been solid, unwavering. I take a moment to catalog little things about him, store them away. The way he tightens his hands on the bags, the light catching on the waves of his hair… He huffs out a giant breath. Something must be on his mind that he’s not willing to talk about. I turn my focus to the road ahead.

We walk through the quaint dirt streets of Brimlow, passing shuttered shops and boarded up farm stands. The town is quiet for this time of day. Too quiet. Most residents probably fled when they heard the news of Stellura. Where did they go that’s safer than here?

I’m pretty sure that I’m not only tired and hot, but I’m also hungry. My stomach rumbles and I glance at Garrick.

“Sorry, I don’t like to skip breakfast, even if it’s usually only a smoothie,” I say.

“You should leave those smoothies behind,” Ysroth says from the bag. “They were terrible.”

Hmph. He’s wrong. Those smoothies were delicious.

Garrick chuckles, the sound warming me despite everything. “No comment on the smoothies. I’m starving too.”

We peer into the darkened windows of the shops lining main street, hoping for any sign of life. But it’s a ghost town.

“Too bad Herb’s Café is closed,” I sigh, gazing at the retro diner. “They have the best apple pie around. My grandma and I used to go there every Saturday when I visited Brimlow as a kid.”

Garrick’s eyes light up. “You have roots here? That’s perfect.”

“Yeah, my mom’s family is from Brimlow originally. We’d come visit every summer.” I point down a side street. “My grandparents’ house is just on the other side of town, actually.”

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Garrick grins. “Let’s go see if your grandparents are around. I’m sure they’d be happy to feed us.”

My shoulders slump. “I wish. But they passed away years ago. The house was sold since then.”

“Oh.” Garrick’s face falls. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

I wave away his apology. “Don’t be silly, you didn’t know.” I consider for a moment. “But maybe we could still check out the hotel near there. They probably wouldn’t mind us taking shelter there for a bit while we figure out a plan.”

Garrick nods, his warm eyes crinkling at the corners. “Lead the way, partner.”

I smile at his words. Partner. I’ll take it.

We proceed through the deserted streets, our footsteps echoing off the facades of the old brick buildings. Finally, we come upon the Brimlow Apple Inn. The blue painted shingles have faded, peeling with age and neglect. Huh. I wonder when they last did some renovations. I haven’t been here in a long time.

“Here it is, but I wonder if anyone’s even around.” A wave of nostalgia washes over me, memories of my childhood, running through these streets, visiting the candy store three blocks over. We should have gone there.

A pile of appliances sits on the front lawn. Garrick and I stare at it, our heads tilted. “What happened here?” he asks.

I put my hands out. “Let’s open the bag and ask.” I haul Ysroth, the blender, out of the bag and hold him up. “What do you think?”

The blender hums and vibrates in my hands. “There was magic here, but it was weak. And now it’s gone.”

“Do you know why?”

Ysroth sighs. “I cannot figure out how I am even in this contraption to begin with.”

Garrick gives my shoulder a comforting squeeze as I blink away my frustration. What the hell has been going on? Nothing has made sense lately.

“Let’s see if we can get inside.”

Garrick pulls at the front door and slams his shoulder into it while I try all the windows on the front porch. Locked. And I’m not sure if we should break and enter. That seems like a bad idea.

“Let’s go back to Main Street,” I suggest. “There has to be a place open.”

Where has everyone gone?

Garrick and I turn onto Main Street, and my skin crawls with a chill. This place used to be busy with families and tourists, but now it’s deserted. Something is off. The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

I’m about to propose we try the next block over when a soft whirring noise approaches.

I grab Garrick’s arm. “Do you hear that?”

The whirring increases, and a cloud of dust approaches us. Bursting through the dust, a fleet of bicycles careens down the street straight toward us, their wheels spinning of their own accord.

“Look out!” Garrick shouts, yanking me back against a storefront just as the lead bike zooms past. More enchanted cycles follow, weaving and darting with minds of their own.

“What the… Ow!” A bike handle hits my arm, and my right tricep erupts in pain. The bikes are possessed, just like the objects back in Stellura.

“Damn, not again,” Garrick growls, pressing me farther back against the building and shielding me with his body.

Ysroth and Arvid shout muffled warnings from the bag as the bikes circle back for another pass. My pulse thrums as I brace myself for impact. I close my eyes and try to make myself as small as possible.

The air hums and pops, and a shimmering barrier materializes around us. The possessed bikes smash against it, crushing, crunching, shattering noises escalating before clattering to the pavement.

I gape at the magical shield now protecting us. Garrick’s eyes meet mine.

“Was that you?” I ask.

He shakes his head. “I don’t think so…”

“Worry not, we’ve got you covered!” Ysroth’s gravelly voice emanates from the blender.

My eyes widen. The magicians must have cast the spell from within their vessels. Curiosity gets the better of me and I reach towards the shimmering field. It vibrates against my fingers, surprisingly solid. Garrick pulls my hand back.

“How?” My voice squeaks, my whole body on edge at the same time as being exhausted. I’d give anything for a full night’s sleep.

As the dust settles, Garrick and I sag against each other, overcome with relief. The enchanted bikes lie in a twisted heap, their menace extinguished.

“That was much too close,” Garrick mutters. “We can’t stay here. It’s not safe.”

I nod, knees weak. We need to keep moving, no matter how tired I am.

The commotion draws the attention of the few townspeople who remained. Doors creak open and frightened faces peer out as people slowly emerge, staring at the wreckage of twisted metal. Their wide eyes turn to Garrick and me.

“It was them!” someone shouts. “They brought this devilry here!”

Angry murmurs ripple through the crowd. My pulse spikes as they approach, makeshift weapons in hand. Baseball bats, shovels, an old rifle. Garrick shifts closer.

I raise my hands. “Please, listen! We had nothing to do with this. We’re only trying to escape it ourselves.”

But their faces twist in suspicion and fear. “Liars!” a burly man yells. “We all saw that witchcraft protecting you! Get out of here! Or…”

He shakes his bat. More townspeople close in, rage and terror burning in their eyes. This could turn ugly fast.

I glance at Garrick. He gives a slight shake of his head. There’s no reasoning with hysteria.

“Come on,” he murmurs, taking my hand.

We back away slowly, then turn and run as threats echo behind us. The appliances clank in protest at the jostling pace, but we don’t dare slow. We race through the narrow streets until the shouts fade, then finally stop to catch our breath in the shelter of a quiet alley.

Garrick runs a hand through his hair, sweat beading on his forehead. He reaches over to take my bag. “That went well.”

I shake my head, heart sinking. I can’t believe how quickly that turned hostile. We can’t stay in Brimlow any longer.

Garrick’s hand finds mine, his eyes gentle. “Are you okay?”

I nod and squeeze his fingers.

No tears now, Archie. We still have a long way to go.

We need to make it to my parents’ place in one piece.

Somehow.