Argent Glass

Chapter 1 - Conspire - Andrew

Stepping into the cooler, ozone-heavy air following a storm felt like stepping into the middle of a new and secret world. At least that was what Andrew thought as he headed toward Evan's in the early twilight to catch a ride to school. Overnight, the summer heat had submitted to the onslaught of the pre-dawn tempest. The rain had tamped down the insistent dust that blew in from the New Mexico desert and left an obsidian veneer of puddles that hid the sidewalks. Rippled reflections of an infinity of stars provided a backdrop to the coach lights stationed like glaring minutemen. Tasked with marking off the modest homes along both sides of the street, they shattered and scattered as Andrew tortured them with careless footsteps. A shiver raced up his spine and chased a trail of goosebumps across his bare arms as he eyed the dark, dense clouds at the eastern horizon and listened to the loud, eerie gossiping of toads that could not be seen.

Evan was already waiting in his car, his cell phone lighting up his face with a greenish glow. With the engine running, the car's headlamps lit up the garage as if it were an abandoned stage waiting for the opening act to resume.

Instead of crossing to the passenger side door, Andrew ducked past the driver's side with a loud rap-rap on the window and continued to the front of the car where he threw his hands up and roared like a bear. Evan's phone had gone flying at the knock on the window, but he flipped a finger at Andrew before leaning down to fish it out from under his feet. Andrew laughed and got in the car.

"You're so funny," Evan said flatly, as he tucked his phone into his book bag and put the car in gear.

"You're so jumpy. Easy game."

Evan twisted for a better view to back out of the driveway and smacked Andrew in the head as he reached back. "Who's easy game now?"

Andrew poked him in the side. "That would be you."

The car was slammed to a stop, and Evan held up a finger. "Don't. Do that. Again."

"Oh. Touchy this morning." Andrew shoved his book bag between his legs. "What were you looking at?"

"When?"

"Are you kidding me?" Andrew shook his head. "Just now. On your phone."

"Oh! Hold on..." Evan cautiously maneuvered around the garbage container at the end of his drive. "I was reading about these blind spots that are all over the United States. You can't see them on any of the maps that are available on the Internet. Believe me, I checked them all."

"Because they're blind spots," Andrew murmured in a low, husky voice. It was a weak attempt at sounding spooky, and Evan ignored him.

"Exactly," Evan said.

"Exactly, what?"

"You're exactly two seconds away from finding your own ride to school."

"Someone needs a pill this morning." Andrew threw his hands up in self-defense. "Kidding!"

"You see that?"

"No, I haven't seen any blind‒"

"No, that." Evan nodded up the road.

Headlights stretched across the street as a dark sedan crawled up to a stop at the corner. Pinpoints of light glittered off the chrome around the wheel wells. Evan slowed to a crawl when the car turned onto their street. Heavily tinted windows obstructed their view of the driver as the car slid by.

Andrew shook his head at Evan who was craning his neck to look back and braced his arm against the dash. "Cat!"

Evan slammed on the brakes. His head swung wildly looking to the sides of the road and into the rearview mirror. "Where's the cat?" With his hand over his heart, he glared at Andrew. "There's no cat, is there?"