Sixteen

Bobby

The rest of the week was busy enough I didn't worry about Friday taking too long to arrive. I'd chatted with Cole a few times, and while I knew he was still trying to figure out the poem, he hadn't mentioned if he'd been able to find any information.

The radio played a song that reminded me of summer as I drove past the airport headed to where the carnival was being held. I tried to remember the last time I'd been to one, and while it had been a few years, it hadn't been so long that I forgot about the games and other attractions that made it fun. Or the corn dogs I was looking forward to eating while we were there.

The sun was just setting below the distant mountains when I exited the freeway and drove along the country road that led to the empty field where the carnival was set up. The tents and rides were visible from here, and I was excited to see what we'd find here, and to see Cole.

After paying to park I found a space on the far edge. I was willing to walk a little farther to get to the entrance rather than be stuck in traffic when everyone was trying to leave in a few hours. I tapped out a message to Cole as I walked toward the entry. The place was busy with lots of teenagers and families walking ahead of me.

"Hey," Cole said as he waved to me from just off the side of the entrance.

"Oh hey," I said and hurried over to give him a hug. He wrapped his arms around me, and for a moment neither of us moved. Finally, we both pulled away and shared an uncomfortable laugh. "Let's go see what's here."

Everything had a bit of an old-fashioned look, but it was also clean and well kept. Two men stood at the entrance; one was handing out tickets while the other stood nearby welcoming everyone, and he was dressed like what I imagined a ringmaster to be dressed like with top hat and boots. They were both hard not to stare at. The one handing out the tickets was tall with dark hair and dark eyes that seemed to see everything and more.

"Good evening, gentlemen," he greeted. "I hope you find the answers you're seeking while you're here." He met my eyes then and the intensity of his gaze shocked me. But as soon as the thought crossed my mind he looked away, and with a nod he moved on to the next person.

"What do you think he meant by that?" I asked Cole. His mind seemed to be elsewhere, and he paused before answering.

"Probably just something they say to sell the magic of the carnival," he said, but I could tell he didn't mean it. and the crease in his brow made me wonder what was bothering him. I glanced over my shoulder to see both men staring at us before one of them smiled at the other and they went back to greeting the next person in line.

"Should we wander around, or did you want to get something to eat?" I noticed a food stand at the end of the row that had a neon sign declaring they made the best corn dogs in the west. Again, he seemed distracted, but I wasn't sure what it was.

"A corn dog sounds good to me too," Cole said.

That cold feeling of dread slid down my back and I stopped in my tracks making him bump into me.

"Did you change your mind?" he asked.

"Cole, I never mentioned getting a corn dog . . . but I did think it."

His brow wrinkled in confusion as his eyes met mine. "No, I'm sure you mentioned it. You said something about the place on the end having the best—" His eyes widened, and he stared at me.

Can you hear me? I thought, and his eyes widened again before he slowly nodded.

"What does it mean?" he whispered as he started to tremble.

I pulled him over to the side next to a tent and put my back to the crowd so he was sheltered from the rush of people as much as I could manage. "Hey. Come here." I pulled him in for a hug and he clung to me. "Maybe this is what was meant to happen." He flinched in my arms and put his hand over one ear while pressing his other ear against my chest. "Are you okay?"

He shook his head. "It's not just your thoughts, I can hear everyone's thoughts. It's too much." I kept my arm around him and hurried over to where some tables were set up near a food vender and eased him into a chair. He rocked softly while clutching his head. He was so afraid and confused, but I wasn't sure how to help him other than being there for him.

The man from the entrance was walking down the aisle and glanced at us before walking over to where we sat.

"Is your friend injured?" the man from the entrance asked would have sworn he knew something was happening with Cole that went beyond normal as he stepped closer to him his dark eyes filled with concern.

Cole looked up at him, and I could instantly tell he was better. The confusion and fear were gone. "I'm okay now. Thank you. I just had a bit of a panic attack. It's been a while since I've been around a crowd this size," he lied.

The man stared hard at Cole a moment longer before speaking. "You're sure you're, okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine now. Let's go walk around," he said to me.

"If you require medical assistance, please let one of the staff know," the dark-haired man said to me. After asking Cole once more if he was okay, he wished us a good night before disappearing back into the crowd of carnival goers.

"You're sure you're better?" I asked. He did look better, but I didn't know him well enough if he'd be honest about it or try to push through whatever it was.

"Yes. I was just a bit overwhelmed. But it's better now. I really would like to get something to eat and walk around," he said, and gave me a tentative smile.

We strode straight to the food stand I'd noticed earlier, and both of us ordered a corn dog and soda. He glanced around at all the brightly colored tents and attractions as though nothing strange had just happened. and he was deciding what to do next. I was at a loss for how to handle this situation. On the one hand I didn't want to bring it up if it had put him into a panic attack, but I wanted to know if it was true, and he could read minds.

He turned then and met my eyes. It's true , he said, but his lips hadn't moved, and he didn't look away as he waited for my reaction.

You can read my mind? I thought and didn't take my eyes off him as I waited to see what happened. He nodded before speaking.

"There's a lot I need to tell you, but I'm not sure this is the best place to do that. There's a power here I can feel but I'm not sure what it is." He glanced around again, but this time it didn't seem like a casual glance at all—he was looking for something or maybe someone.

"A power?" I whispered.

"Let's go sit down and eat." He took my hand like it was something we did all the time, and we walked with us both holding our food and drink in one hand, while he led us to the same area we'd just been, only now a few other people were gathered around tables eating whatever they'd chosen from the midway.

We found a small table and instead of sitting across from each other, he took the seat nearest my side. "I've found out quite a bit since the last time we saw each other."

"Why did you wait to tell me?" I asked, confused why he'd wait until now.

"I found out a lot, but I don't know what it all means or how it's connected. It's all very strange, and you were right. My mom did know something."

"Can you really hear my thoughts?" I whispered and leaned in closer to him.

"You and everyone else nearby. I think after tonight I'll need to be careful about where I go. If you weren't with me here, I wouldn't be able to handle being around this crowd. It's just too overwhelming." He spoke very quietly. So quietly I had to lean in to hear him.

"I haven't done anything," I said, confused how me being here helped him.

"The lightning chose you to be my north," he said like I should understand what he meant.

"What do you mean?"

"You know how one side of a magnet pulls another magnet to it, while the other side repels it? I think it's similar to that. When I was struck, the lightning chose you to be the one that could quiet the storm in my brain."

My mind raced as I tried to make any sense of his words, but then a memory hit me. The blue glow and spark of the lightning as it wrapped around him and reached for me. "The way it made me feel you," I whispered.

He nodded. "We're in this together whether we choose to be or not."

I took a deep breath and met his eyes again. There was no deceit, and I wondered if he was reading my mind now and waiting to see how I'd react to his words. "Tell me everything you found out."