Waterfall
Page 11
Look where? Does anyone have any clue where we are? Cat said.
Were on the moon, Claire said.
We need to find Solon, Ander said. Hell know what to do.
Are we close? Eureka asked.
I tried to steer us toward a city called Kusadasi on the western coast of Turkey. But this doesnt look like any of the pictures I researched. The coastline is
What? Eureka asked.
Ander looked away. Its different now.
You mean the city you were trying to get us to is underwater, Eureka said.
Have you even met this Solon guy? Cat asked. She was trolling the landscape for large swaths of seaweed, bundling them under one arm.
No, Ander said, but
What if he sucks as bad as the rest of your horrible family?
Hes not like them, Ander said. He cant be.
Not like well ever know, Cat said, because we have no idea how to find him.
I think I can. Ander ran his fingers through his hair quickly, a nervous habit.
Cat swiped rain from her cheeks and sat down with her mound of seaweed in her lap. She knotted strands of it together, until it almost resembled a blanket. For Dad. Eureka felt stupid she hadnt thought to do the same.
He thinks he can? Cat muttered to her blanket.
Ander lowered his face to Cats. Do you have any idea what its like to reject everything youve been raised to believe? The one true thing in my world is what I feel for Eureka.
If I never see my family again Cat said.
Thats not going to happen. Eureka tried to mediate. Whos coming with me to find help?
Cat stared down at the seaweed. Eureka realized she was crying.
Dads wound was serious, but at least he was here with Eureka and the twins. Cat didnt even know where her father was. Eurekas tears had dissolved Cats family. She had no idea what had become of any of them. All she had was Eureka.
Cat Eureka reached for her friend.
Do you know what the last thing I told Barney was? Cat said. I told him to eat two turds and die. Those cant be the last words I ever say to my brother. She cupped her face in her hands. My mom and I were supposed to take this opera class where they teach you how to sing falsetto. My dad promised to cartwheel me down the aisle at my wedding. She stared at Eurekas father, semiconscious in the mud, and seemed to be seeing her own father. You have to fix this, Eureka. And not like when you duct taped your moms rearview mirror back on. I mean, really fix, like,everything.
I know, Eureka said. Ill find help. Youll call your family. Youll tell Barney what he already knows, that you love him.
Right. Cat sniffed. Ill stay here. You two go. She laid her blanket of seaweed over Dad, then sat down miserably on a rock. She drew the twins into her lap, tried to cover their heads with her cardigan. This was a girl who refused to join summer camping trips if there was the slightest chance of drizzle.
Let me help you. Eureka tried to stretch the cardigan over the twins and her friend. She felt a twist of heat behind her and spun around.
Under a crook of rock extending from the boulder, Ander had started a small fire using scraps of wood debris. It blazed at Dads feet, mostly out of the rain.
How did you do that? she asked.
Only takes a couple of breaths to dry out wood. The rest was easy. He lifted a corner of the seaweed blanket to reveal a pile of dry twigs and larger wood chips. If you need more fuel before were back, he said to Cat.
You should stay with my dad, she told Ander. Your cordon could protect him
He looked away. My family can erect cordons bigger than football fields. I cant even shelter someone standing right beside me.
But back there, in your arms after the wave Eureka said.
That just happened without me trying, but when I try He shook his head. Im still learning my strength. They say it gets easier. He glanced over her shoulder, as if reminded of his family. We should hurry.
You dont even know where we are, where were going
I know two things, Ander said, the wind and you. The wind is the way I got us across this ocean and you are the reason why. But I can only help you if youll trust me.
Eureka remembered the day hed found her running in the woods in the innocent rain. Hed dared her to get her thunderstone wet. Shed laughed because it sounded so absurd. You could get anything wet.
If it turns out Im right, hed said, will you promise to trust me?
Eureka liked trusting him. It gave her physical pleasure to trust him, to touch his fingertips and say the words aloud: I trust you.
She looked behind her and saw lightning strike a distant wave. She wondered what happened at the point of impact. She turned and gazed at the mountains and wondered what lay on the other side.
She tightened her grip on the purple tote bag under her arm. Wherever she was going, The Book of Love was going, too. She leaned down to kiss her father. His eyelids tensed but didnt open. She hugged the twins.
Were on the moon, Claire said.
We need to find Solon, Ander said. Hell know what to do.
Are we close? Eureka asked.
I tried to steer us toward a city called Kusadasi on the western coast of Turkey. But this doesnt look like any of the pictures I researched. The coastline is
What? Eureka asked.
Ander looked away. Its different now.
You mean the city you were trying to get us to is underwater, Eureka said.
Have you even met this Solon guy? Cat asked. She was trolling the landscape for large swaths of seaweed, bundling them under one arm.
No, Ander said, but
What if he sucks as bad as the rest of your horrible family?
Hes not like them, Ander said. He cant be.
Not like well ever know, Cat said, because we have no idea how to find him.
I think I can. Ander ran his fingers through his hair quickly, a nervous habit.
Cat swiped rain from her cheeks and sat down with her mound of seaweed in her lap. She knotted strands of it together, until it almost resembled a blanket. For Dad. Eureka felt stupid she hadnt thought to do the same.
He thinks he can? Cat muttered to her blanket.
Ander lowered his face to Cats. Do you have any idea what its like to reject everything youve been raised to believe? The one true thing in my world is what I feel for Eureka.
If I never see my family again Cat said.
Thats not going to happen. Eureka tried to mediate. Whos coming with me to find help?
Cat stared down at the seaweed. Eureka realized she was crying.
Dads wound was serious, but at least he was here with Eureka and the twins. Cat didnt even know where her father was. Eurekas tears had dissolved Cats family. She had no idea what had become of any of them. All she had was Eureka.
Cat Eureka reached for her friend.
Do you know what the last thing I told Barney was? Cat said. I told him to eat two turds and die. Those cant be the last words I ever say to my brother. She cupped her face in her hands. My mom and I were supposed to take this opera class where they teach you how to sing falsetto. My dad promised to cartwheel me down the aisle at my wedding. She stared at Eurekas father, semiconscious in the mud, and seemed to be seeing her own father. You have to fix this, Eureka. And not like when you duct taped your moms rearview mirror back on. I mean, really fix, like,everything.
I know, Eureka said. Ill find help. Youll call your family. Youll tell Barney what he already knows, that you love him.
Right. Cat sniffed. Ill stay here. You two go. She laid her blanket of seaweed over Dad, then sat down miserably on a rock. She drew the twins into her lap, tried to cover their heads with her cardigan. This was a girl who refused to join summer camping trips if there was the slightest chance of drizzle.
Let me help you. Eureka tried to stretch the cardigan over the twins and her friend. She felt a twist of heat behind her and spun around.
Under a crook of rock extending from the boulder, Ander had started a small fire using scraps of wood debris. It blazed at Dads feet, mostly out of the rain.
How did you do that? she asked.
Only takes a couple of breaths to dry out wood. The rest was easy. He lifted a corner of the seaweed blanket to reveal a pile of dry twigs and larger wood chips. If you need more fuel before were back, he said to Cat.
You should stay with my dad, she told Ander. Your cordon could protect him
He looked away. My family can erect cordons bigger than football fields. I cant even shelter someone standing right beside me.
But back there, in your arms after the wave Eureka said.
That just happened without me trying, but when I try He shook his head. Im still learning my strength. They say it gets easier. He glanced over her shoulder, as if reminded of his family. We should hurry.
You dont even know where we are, where were going
I know two things, Ander said, the wind and you. The wind is the way I got us across this ocean and you are the reason why. But I can only help you if youll trust me.
Eureka remembered the day hed found her running in the woods in the innocent rain. Hed dared her to get her thunderstone wet. Shed laughed because it sounded so absurd. You could get anything wet.
If it turns out Im right, hed said, will you promise to trust me?
Eureka liked trusting him. It gave her physical pleasure to trust him, to touch his fingertips and say the words aloud: I trust you.
She looked behind her and saw lightning strike a distant wave. She wondered what happened at the point of impact. She turned and gazed at the mountains and wondered what lay on the other side.
She tightened her grip on the purple tote bag under her arm. Wherever she was going, The Book of Love was going, too. She leaned down to kiss her father. His eyelids tensed but didnt open. She hugged the twins.
