The Gate

Chapter 9

Faye's eyes were wide.

As Kole led her through the forest, gesturing with his hands as he explained how where he lived was set up, Faye's head kept twisting around in all directions. She didn't know why, but she expected his forest to look different than hers. Maybe she expected it to be more terrifying, more dangerous-looking. But it wasn't. It was light, friendly seeming. Just like Kole.

Her mind drifted away, back to the Gate, to Kole's hands on her back. At the time she hadn't thought anything of it—a boy's hands touching her. But now? She was amazed. Amazed that his hands were so gentle, so warm. She'd expected his hands to be rougher. But they weren't. She glanced up at Kole's hands as they flew around him (probably to describe some large building). She wondered if they were soft like silk. She wondered if they were smooth. The sudden urge to take his hand in hers surprised her.

"We'll have to be careful so you don't get spotted by anyone," Kole muttered, glancing at her. "It will be safer once we get to my house. If Alex is home he won't say anything. He likes secrets."

Faye pushed down her thoughts of Kole's hands and raised her eyebrows. "How many of you are there?" she asked.

"A lot." Kole shrugged. "How many of you are there?"

Faye let a small smile prick the ends of her lips. "A lot," she said, copying Kole's answer.

Kole looked at her and laughed. She couldn't help but laugh back.

Faye looked around her. What would her mom say if she found out that Faye had seen the creature on the other side of the Gate, had even travelled with him to the other side? Would she just stare, wide-eyed? Would she get angry? Or worse, would she not believe her at all? Faye bit her lip. It was impossible to tell. She knew that her mother wouldn't report her if she found out, but Faye doubted that she would be supportive. She'd probably force her to cut off all connection with Kole, would probably force her to stay shut in the house all day for the rest of her life.

One glance at Kole, and Faye instantly knew how much she did not want that to happen. She loved meeting Kole, talking with him. She couldn't imagine not coming to the Gate and just . . . speaking to him. Sure, their conversations weren't long, and they were even sometimes a little awkward. But she loved it. Every single second of it.

What would have happened if she hadn't had that nightmare? What would have happened if she hadn't dreamed of Terra's death—if she had had a nightmare-free night? Would she have still taken that walk? Definitely not. Would she have frantically looked for a release? No. Would she have even gone to the Gate at all? Not a chance.

Odd, Faye couldn't help but think, that her nightmares had actually brought something good.

The | Gate

She twisted around in her cot, peering around in the darkness.

The cries of those imprisoned surrounded her. When she first arrived, those cries had almost driven her mad. There was a time where she wanted to cry with them, to beg to be let out. But she never did. She had too much pride, too much anger and hostility toward her captors. If she were to beg to them—to get down on her knees and beg—then she'd lose.

And they would win.

She let a small smirk curl up on her lips as she twisted back to face the door of her cell. Her captors would never win. They thought they were so smart with their cameras tracking Cesve's every move, but they weren't. They were naïve, stupid. Courtnie especially. She thought that because she sat in the big seat, had the biggest, comfiest chair in the joint, that she had all the brain power. But what she didn't know was that there was someone much, much smarter than her.