Chapter 7
Cross Over
They all gave Jeremy some space, knowing his moods could do nothing other than work themselves out. They easily could have captured the strange body for closer examination, but in truth nobody wanted to see it up close. There was something unclean about it. When Maren went to look for Jeremy that night, he was gone.
Maren laid in bed, limber after her nighttime yoga. She dimmed the lights on her bedside table, set a glass of water on a coaster, and nestled under the covers.
"Hi." Jeremy appeared beside her and she bolted up in her bed, sending the blankets skyward. "Are you insane?"
"Just wanted to show off my pinpoint accuracy. Admittedly, I came through the Haze just outside your door―"
"Which would have been better―"
"―but look at this." Jeremy flickered out of sight and immediately returned with a large box under his arms.
Maren blinked.
"Isn't it beautiful? See how the surface is matte? I've taken to collecting boxes. Open it." He smiled.
Maren held her breath and lifted the lid of the box. There was a stifled meow from inside, followed by some hissing. Suddenly, the large face of a reindeer poked upwards, sending Maren off the bed and onto the floor.
"Oops! That wasn't supposed to happen!" Jeremy laughed. "That stupid oaf! I call him Humphrey."
Lyrna pushed past the reindeer and jumped out of the box, landing in Maren's lap. "Maren," she purred.
"Lyrna!" cried Maren. "How did you...?" She pressed her face against Lyrna's soft gray and white fur. "Is she... undead?"
"No, she just ferries the souls of the dead, like a furry little Hermes. I managed to convince Lyrna to cross over the other night. She says it feels unnatural, but look at her! Good as new, wouldn't you say?"
"Incredible!" Maren stared in wonderment. "I'm glad I have you here, actually. Both of you. I've been wondering―"
"You want to go to Earth with me?" Jeremy grinned and twirled around, landing gracefully on his knee with his hand extended to her.
"I was wondering if you'd deliver a note to Bruce and Janet, actually." Maren winced while saying the names.
Jeremy hesitated and then said, "Sure," but quickly added, "they'd love to see you though."
Maren sighed. "I know, and I'd love to see them, too. But you know how dangerous it is for me to travel there. The first time I went through the Haze, I ended up in the back of an ambulance; the second time, the hospital. And then, my mother..."
"I've given it a lot of thought," he said softly. "I think I might have figured out a way to get you there safely. You should try to deliver the note in person."
"How can I get there safely?" Maren squinted at him.
"Well, option one is to use an oxygen tank. Option two, we pull out in small increments of travel. Every minute or so, I'd pull you out to a safe point―a place that can provide you with oxygen. Traveling from here to Earth doesn't take that long once you learn how to cross dimensions." He smiled but the center of his eyebrows raised and knitted together.
Maren stared back at him. “You're lying."
Jeremy rapped his fingers on the top of her dresser. "I'm not lying, of course, but maybe I'm a bit less certain than I'd like you to think. But come on, please? Isn't it at least worth a try? You see how quickly I can go back and forth."
Maren frowned. "I'll think about it."