There was nothing left to say so Lindsay and Simon walked back to the van in silence. Toyah was pacing back and forth in front of the van, the dipped headlights creating an ominous shadowy aura around her.
“They’re back,” said Drew as soon as he spotted movement in the dark.
Toyah ran to meet her brother. “Are you okay? You were gone for ages and I had this really bad feeling.”
“I’m fine,” replied Simon, watching as Lindsay carried on past them towards the van. “Took a bit longer than we thought, that’s all.”
Lindsay climbed into the passenger seat of the van without saying a word or paying any attention to the daggered looks Becky was sending her way.
“Did you and Simon have a fight?” asked Drew as he got in the other side of the van.
“Can we not talk right now, please?” asked Lindsay.
“Sure.”
Drew didn’t say anything else, but he didn’t leave either, and they sat together quietly. Unfortunately Becky didn’t do quiet, especially when she was annoyed, and she made her annoyance very clear by climbing into the back of the van and tossing things around while keeping a close eye on Lindsay and Drew.
It wasn’t long before Roger arrived. He tapped on the van window. “Anyone need a tyre?”
While Drew finished putting on the spare, Roger took his daughter to one side. “You okay?”
“Fine Dad,” she replied. “I’ll just be glad to get home.”
“I’m proud of you, you know,” he said
Lindsay looked puzzled. “Why?”
“For calling me for help.”
“All done,” Drew called out. “We’re good to go.”
“About time,” muttered Toyah and climbed back into the van.
“Is it okay if I ride home with you?” Lindsay asked, lowering her voice enough so the others couldn’t hear her.
“Honey, you don’t have to try and make me feel better.” He gave her arm a small squeeze. “I was being overprotective, I realise that. It’s obvious you’ve found some good friends and that I should stop worrying so much. You go, drive back with your friends. I’ll see you at home.” Lindsay smiled halfheartedly as her dad kissed her on the cheek. He said goodbye to the other kids and she waved as he drove off.
Inexplicably Becky hadn’t claimed the passenger seat for herself, so Lindsay retook the seat. At least sitting up front she would be able to be by herself, well except for Drew. The drive home seemed to take forever in the dark and with everyone seemingly preoccupied with their own thoughts.
Drew dropped Becky off first and then Simon and Toyah. Each time Lindsay mumbled a farewell without meeting anyone’s eyes. Simon lingered before he got out, wanting to say more and let her know how badly he felt, but he couldn’t find the words and just followed Toyah inside.
“Thanks for the ride and everything else today,” said Lindsay as they eventually pulled up outside her house.
“Can I say something?” Drew asked before she could escape.
“Okay.”
“It’s pretty obvious that I like you, after all I just drove you and another guy out of town and back.”
“Simon and I aren’t like that,” she said.
“No, but there is something going on with you two. My point is, it doesn’t matter. I like you and I think, despite your best efforts not to, you kind of like me too.”
Butterflies fluttered in Lindsay’s stomach as if to prove his point. “Drew, there are things going on in my life right now. Complicated things.”
He reached out and took her hand. “I’m not asking for explanations. I only want you to take some time to get to know me.”
“You make it sound so simple,” she said.
“It is,” he replied.
It suddenly felt as if all the air had been sucked out of the van. Lindsay could hardly breathe and her heart was pounding wildly. She didn’t need demonic fuelled visions to tell her what was going to happen next.
Drew leaned in and kissed her. It was soft and tender and amazing and for a minute it allowed Lindsay to forget everything. Then it all came flooding back – Basirez, the end of the world. Lindsay pulled away. “I have to go, I’m sorry.”
“Wait,” said Drew. “What’s wrong? Did I do something?”
“You need to stay away from me,” she told him. “I’m not a good person to be around.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means that maybe you shouldn’t be so quick to ignore all those rumours about me.” She got out of the van without saying goodbye and ran into the house, ignoring Drew’s pleas for her to talk to him. She watched through the small window in the hallway until she saw the van drive away.
Lindsay called out to her dad and got no answer. She wasn’t surprised the house was empty. Her dad had gone back to work after rescuing them, she knew. Her stomach twisted at the thought of him out there unknowingly working on something so monstrous. At least she hoped it was unknowingly.
Shattered from a day filled with every kind of drama imaginable, Lindsay went upstairs to her bedroom and found Lauren there waiting for her.
“What happened?” Lauren asked.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Lindsay replied as she kicked off her shoes and started changing into her pyjamas. “You were right about going to Hamilton. Let’s leave it at that.”
“Lindsay,” Lauren began.
“Don’t,” she warned the dead girl. “I seriously don’t want a lecture right now, okay?” The tears she’d fought so hard to contain burst forth.
Lauren rushed to her side, but with no physical form she was unable to comfort her.
“People died.” Lindsay’s whole body shuddered, wracked by desperate sobs. “People died because of me.”
“No, not because of you,” said Lauren. “The demon.”
Lindsay wiped her tears away angrily. “You don’t believe that and neither do I. Not anymore. I’m a monster and everyone knows it. So tell me what I have to do. Whatever it is I’ll do it, no questions asked.”
“I don’t know if there is anything you can do,” said Lauren.
“Then what good are you?” snapped Lindsay. “Get out of here and don’t ever come back.”
“Lindsay, can’t we talk about this?”
“You need to leave right now. I mean it.”
Lauren sensed the building energy coming from Lindsay and knew she was no match for the demon’s power. “Okay, I’ll go.”
Just like that Lindsay was alone, except for the demon of course. In that respect she would never be alone again. Not until the world ended. Bring on Armageddon, she wished bitterly. The sooner this is all over, the better.