Eire of Hostility

  Chapter 5

  When Jack hastily pulled into his parents' driveway, he saw there was a light on in the front room. Unconcerned that he left his truck door open, he ran across the thick lawn with his heart thrumming like a bass drum. Liam opened the door before Jack could reach it. He ignored his da's questions as he brushed past him and ran for the stairs. Jack athletically vaulted up them three at a time and raced to Jane's door at the end of the hall. He wrenched the unlocked knob, shouldered the door with force borne of panic, and charged into Jane's bedroom.

  Only taking two steps in, Jack saw his youngest sister sitting on her bed. Jane jumped in surprise and yelled, "Holy bejaysus, Jack! What the fuck?"

  Jack studied her a moment, comparing her current condition to the image he had only minutes ago. Jane had her hair in a frizzy tail, wearing a brown sweatshirt and gym shorts. The journal she had in her lap had fallen to the floor, and the pen she had in her hand had flipped back onto the bed. Jack stood there panting and realized that he must have looked like a madman, but it was worth the embarrassment and explanations he'd have to give to know his sister was safe.

  Jane looked flushed and jaded but otherwise well. He wondered how his vision of her being in danger could have been wrong; his 'glimpses' never were before. Mostly, though, Jack had never been happier to be wrong in his life.

  "Oh, em, sorry there, sis," he said, fumbling with a reason for barging in. "Everything's alright, then?" He stared hard at her to make sure she was truly there.

  "I thought it was until you came busting in like a Garda raid!"

  "Yeah, em, right," he panted out, trying to catch breath that was lost more from fear than exertion. "It's just that I had a brickin' dream about you, and it was just so vivid, sure, and I had to make sure you were okay."

  "Well, alright," Jane said slowly, "but, like, to come charging in? Honestly, Jack - over a fuckin' nightmare? I almost had to change my shorts!"

  Jack hung his head and said sheepishly, "Yeah, well... again, sorry. I'm glad you're alright."

  "If it makes you feel any better, I had a bad dream of my own."

  "Oh?" Jack thought that maybe he saw her dream instead of some terrible reality, although that had never happened before. And it didn't explain why he couldn't sense her whereabouts, as if she'd fallen off the face of the earth. He then thought it might just be a fluke, or something to do with finding someone when they're asleep. Jack couldn't be sure about any of it, except that his gut feeling had given him false information.

  Jane picked up her journal and then explained, "I got in from helping Kate and Brody not long ago and fell right into my pillow. I had some quick dream that scared me awake, and my gut felt sour. Still does. So, like, I appreciate your concern and all, but I might need a clear path to the bog if it keeps up. So, d'ya mind?"

  "Oh, yeah, right." Jack backed up and started to pull her door shut. "Get better soon, sis. G'night." As soon as he was alone in the hall, he leaned against a wall and let out a long sigh of relief. He waited until his hands stopped shaking before he went back downstairs.

  Feeling clammy and drained but relieved as he reached the bottom steps, Jack noticed his da sitting in a chair near the front door, tamping down a cigarette.

  Liam looked up at his son and calmly asked, "Is everything as it should be?"

  Jack humbly nodded. "Yeah, she's fit, sort of."

  "Good, then start talking, me boy."