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 Future's Path By Aimless Ramblings   Copyright 2007 by Aimless Ramblings

   Chapter 6   "Mrs.  Bradburn?" Gavin asks, studying the woman standing in
the doorway of Elena's house.  He shifts nervously from one foot to
another, and then makes an effort to stand still.  Although he recognizes a
few of Elena's features in her face, she is surprisingly tall.  For some
reason, he had expected her to be petite like Elena, but instead she's
about 5'8", with a wealth of raven-black hair which bares no resemblance to
her daughter.    "Yes?"  She returns his gaze with interest.    He offers
her his right hand.  "My name is Gavin."   'I'm selling encyclopedias.  Are
you a World Book or Britannica fan?'   "Oh," her handshake is firm, no
nonsense.  "So, you're Gavin."   "Yes Ma'am."  His tongue feels as though
it's made of cotton.    'Come on!  Talk, damn you!'  She's watching him
knowingly, as though realizing how tongue-tied he is.    "Elena helped me
after a bike accident I had yesterday," he says all in a rush, "and I just
wanted to tell her thank you."   She looks at the envelope he's holding in
his other hand, and one eyebrow rises.  "Really?"  She gives him an
encouraging smile, "That's very nice."  Opening the door wider, she
gestures him inside.  "Come in; everyone's in the backyard."   He follows
her inside, and carefully closes the front door.    "Elena didn't mention a
bike accident," Christine says over her shoulder, walking down the hallway
he remembers from yesterday.    'No?  Well, what we did upstairs was more
interesting anyway.  What did she mention?'   "Um, my dog got a little bit
distracted by your neighbor's cat."   "Did he now?"  Christine turns into
the kitchen that's on their left, and picks up a glass from one of the
counters.  "How is Barnabus?"   Her back is to him, and Gavin isn't able to
see her expression.  There's something in the tone of her voice though. 
"Your neighbor said he was okay.  Probably a little scared when Mac chased
him, but..."   "Oh, that's too bad," she says, turning to face him.  "When
that disgusting animal isn't tearing up my flower beds, he's peeing on
something."   Encouraged, Gavin grins at her.  "According to Mr.  Perez, he
was so terrified by Mac that he jumped on top of a hot grill."  Christine
laughs.  "It wasn't open though."   "Better luck next time I guess."  Her
eyes grow serious, and she examines him closely for a second.  "It seems
you made quite an impression on Elena also."   Gavin does his best not to
show any expression.  "I did?"   Christine nods.  "She and her sisters are
going camping with some family friends, and she asked me this morning if
you could go with them."  Her hazel eyes catch his, and he does his best
not to show how nervous he is.  "That's pretty fast, especially since you
two only met yesterday.    'Yeah, hot shot, explain that.'   "Well," he
allows his eyes to drop away from hers, "she's probably just trying to be
nice."  Looking embarrassed, he finds, is no problem at all.  "My Dad and I
just moved here, and I don't really know anybody yet."   "Elena did mention
that actually."  She looks him over for another second, and then shrugs. 
"So, either it's the truth, or you guys got the story down ahead of time." 
Gavin starts to speak, but she raises a hand, "No, it's okay, I'm just not
used to stuff like this from Elena.  She's usually so ... 
Self-sufficient."  Christine sighs.  "Do you like camping, Gavin?" she
asks, looking resigned.    "Uh, sure."   'And, since you're handing it to
me on a silver platter.'   "I mean, I'd have to ask my Dad first, and I
know he'd want to talk to you about it, but it would probably be okay with
him."  He hesitates, and then asks, "Camping where?"   Christine sets down
her glass, and turns towards the back of the house.  "Come on, I'll let
Elena tell you about it."   Mission accomplished, and he seems to have said
something right.  Following her, he wonders nervously how much of his life
Elena has already planned out.  It's unreasonable to assume that she's seen
everything that's going to happen in the future; otherwise, she wouldn't
have time to do anything in the present.  Still, he's only been away from
her for a few hours, and she's already told her mother all about him and
gotten him invited along on a camping trip.  What's next?    Walking
outside, Gavin is surprised to see Laura standing atop the pool's diving
board.  He has replayed their conversation from the night before a thousand
times in his head, but still can't decide how to feel about all the
implications it brought up.  The only thing he's absolutely certain of is
that he wants to see Elena again.  Maybe Laura had been friends with her
since second grade, but a lot of what she told him last night sounded like
speculation.  Hell, she admitted that Elena wouldn't talk to her very much
about what she's seen in the future.    Stopping just outside the patio
door, he stares at her resentfully.  She's Elena's best friend, so it makes
sense that she's here, but ignoring what she's told him would have been
easier if he didn't have to look at her.  As he watches, she runs smoothly
to the end of the board and dives.    Elena is standing by the edge of the
pool.  She's holding on to the end of a long tube--some sort of water
toy--and is valiantly resisting the efforts of both her sisters to pull her
into the water.  The two young girls are laughing hysterically, tugging as
hard as they can, but making very little progress.    "Mine!" Elena shouts,
pulling backwards.  "You brats will never win."   One of the girls lets go
of the toy, and, making a cone out of her two hands, begins shooting
streams of water ashore.  Her aim is deadly, and Elena splutters,
staggering forward as the other girl renews her efforts.    "Girls!" 
Christine has to shout to be heard over the screaming combatants.  "Cool
it!  Elena, you have company."   Glancing over her shoulder, Elena sees
Gavin and her face lights up.    --   Dreamscape   Elena is falling.  This
is not the gentle and controlled aerial flight she's used to when observing
people in her visions, but a terrifying plummet.  She's tumbling head over
heels, her head spinning, with the cold air whistling past her on all
sides.  Her throat constricts, and although she tries to scream, no sound
emerges.  Arms flailing, she reaches desperately for something to grasp;
something which will stop her fall.  There is no tether, no point of
reference at all, and the darkness is absolute.    Her sensation of falling
intensifies, as though her rate of descent has somehow increased, and
unseen forces begin violently pummeling her from side to side.  She is
struck, thrown in a sweeping arc through the air, and then hit again. 
Sobbing, she curls herself into a tight ball to resist the rain of blows
now falling on her from every direction.    This is wrong!  In five years
of experience, she has never been personally assaulted while in the
dreamscape.  She has watched while people in her viewings fight, make love,
and even die in her father's case, but the rule's always been that she's
not allowed to touch objects or people she sees.  Her mind is reeling, and
there is now nausea and overwhelming pain to struggle against, but she must
think.  Why...  How is this happening?    When she thinks of it, his name
is a solace from the torments she's suffering.  Gavin.  She has touched
someone in a viewing before.  A fleeting caress, and only achieved during
orgasm, but it is possible.  What else...  What other things must be
possible?    The air she's being thrown through thickens around her, and,
lungs burning, she experiences a moment of pure terror.  The water.   
'Don't breathe!'   This is not just an attack on her sanity, a bad dream
she can shrug off after she wakes up.  Before being pulled into this
viewing, she had been playing with Kate and Anna at the water's edge.  If
her unconscious body has fallen into the pool, and she cannot manage to
escape from this nightmare, she will die here.  But, with no frame of
reference, no control over her movement, what can she do?    --   The only
reason Gavin knows something is wrong, is that he's looking directly into
Elena's eyes when it happens.  Their eyes meet, and her pleasure at seeing
him is obvious.  No one has ever looked that happy because of him. 
Smiling, she seems on the verge of saying something, and then her face goes
blank.    He's seen that vacant stare before; saw it the first time they
met in fact.  She had been there one minute, helping him up from where he
was sprawled on the pavement, and guiding him to sit down against the tree
in her front yard.  The next, that look appeared on her face, and she was
gone.  Gone where?  If Laura and Elena herself can be believed, it means
that she's now viewing some part of the future.    Elena's two sisters
continue to pull on the toy they've been playing with, but Elena is no
longer holding on.  The water toy slides through her limp hands, and Kate
and Anna scream with triumph.  Gavin watches, horrified, as Elena's body
folds in on itself, and collapses into the water.    He stands, paralyzed
and disbelieving for a second, and then runs forward.