Yellow Envelopes
Title: Yellow Envelopes
Fandom: Heroes
Rating/Genre: pg/gen
Characters: Niki, Jessica & Micah Sanders, Eric Doyle
Summary: Niki gets an invitation in the mail for ‘an afternoon of joy and laughter’, and she takes the opportunity to do something fun with her son, ignoring Jessica’s warnings. A puppeteer with his own ideas of fun happens to be there…
Word count: 3 355
Spoilers/Warnings: No.
Notes: This is because I can’t resist a prompt, even an obscure one; in this case “Come to pass”, oneshot challenge # 25 at heroes_contest. As it turned out, I actually had a lot of fun writing this.
Bills, bills, bills… the pile grew higher on the kitchen table and Niki sighed deeply. She ran her fingers through her hair and tried desperately to remember if she had some secret hiding place for money somewhere that she had forgotten about.
She could just barely pay the bills, but Micah needed so many new things; he grew so fast. And more than that, he needed something fun. They should do something fun together, as a family. This Saturday? She didn’t have to work. On the other hand, if she didn’t work, how could she afford something special and fun for both of them?
The thoughts were spinning round and round in their familiar way in Niki’s head as she got to the bottom of the day’s pile of envelopes.
There was a different envelope; yellow with pink stars.
Finally something different, she thought, even though she had little hope of it being anything more than commercials.
Inside was a colorful sheet of paper. She read:
‘Come to Pass! The Theatre Club proudly presents an afternoon of joy and laughter for all ages. Where: The outdoor theatre. When: Saturday, 2 pm to -? What: Clowns, slapstick comedy, animals, the children’s orchestra, a jazz quartet (later in the evening), magical tricks and a secret guest. Come and mingle with all the stars after the show at our amazing barbecue. Free entrance - you only pay for your food and drinks at cost price. Come to Pass - you won’t regret it; we have cookies!’
“Micah!” she called, and her son soon appeared in the kitchen.
“Can you google something for me?” she asked. “I want to know where Pass is; I think it’s a place, but I’ve never heard of it before. Have you?”
Micah hadn’t heard of it either, but within moments he returned with some information.
“Yeah, there’s a place called Pass - not far from here, actually, but it’s so small that it’s not even a real town. All they have is like a gas station… and a diner, and an amateur theatre society.”
“That explains it”, Niki nodded, “Micah, look at this - I thought we could go, what do say?”
Micah looked sceptically at the paper and then at Niki.
“I don’t know, mom; it looks like it’s for kids…”
“Not at all”, Niki quickly protested, “it says right here that it is for all ages; it’s a family thing. I thought it would be fun to do something this weekend, don’t you think? And besides, you are a kid - a very smart one, yes, but still a kid…”
Micah looked at her in that way that always made her wonder who the kid was in their family, and said:
“Okay, mom, we’ll go. I’m sure it will be fun.”
“Great!” Niki smiled. “I’m looking forward to it already.”
Her son smiled back in that heart melting adorable way that almost brought tears to her eyes, and she waved him off quickly. Micah never asked for much; she wished that she could do much more for him.
Niki sat in thoughts for a while, staring at her own reflection in the window - until she remembered that her own reflection was not her own at all. Her reflection was the other one, the enemy; it was a secret cage, an invisible prison, a curse… and, yes, maybe even in some weird twisted way a part of her.
But she hated it, and tried to turn her eyes away, but it was too late; the other one was there - maybe she had been watching all along?
“Hey Niki”, Jessica said, “listen to me…”
“No!” Niki hissed.
“Yes”, the other one insisted, “listen for once, stupid; don’t go to Pass with Micah.”
“Why not, because you can’t come? Now you listen, Jessica - you don’t get to tell me what I’m doing together with my son. I’m taking Micah to see that show, and that’s it.”
“But it’s not a safe place for him - at least let me go with him instead of you, if it’s so damn important.”
Niki gasped and stared at the blonde intolerable woman, who would look just like her, if it wasn’t for that smug smirk on her lips and the violent fever in her eyes.
“I can look after him better”, Jessica said, “and you know it. You’re just afraid that he’ll learn to like me better.”
“That”, Niki said and got up from the chair, “is never going to happen, because I’m his mom and he knows it.”
“Suit yourself.” Jessica shrugged her shoulders. “I was just trying to help.”
“I don’t need your ‘help’”, Niki assured the woman captured in glass, and left the kitchen.
She avoided mirrors and all blank surfaces for the rest of the week - even when she brushed her teeth - but she couldn’t help it; she wondered a little if there was something behind Jessica’s words. She even made Micah look up the little place some more, claiming to be curious, but they didn’t see anything on the internet that raised any suspicions, and when Saturday came, they took off.
Pass was only about an hour’s drive away and the two of them ate candy and played car games until they got there.
The place turned out to be just as small and insignificant as they had imagined, but they followed the hand painted signs to the outdoor theatre and saw that the entire population of Pass was there to see the show, judging from the number of cars and bikes. There were children and dogs, balloons and flags, and the air smelled of popcorn.
The theatre was modest; a wooden stage with curtains in front of a tent, lit up by garlands of lamps, and benches were put in rows in front of it. Lots of people were sitting there, because the show had already begun, and Niki and Micah found seats in the back. A woman was showing her mini pigs doing tricks; her show ended with one of them jumping trough a ring of fire.
“Wasn’t that marvellous!” the compere said. “That was Bonnie and her Mini Circus; don’t you just love what she can make those dogs and pigs and parrots do - give them a big hand! Next in line is Wilson, the strongest man you’ve ever seen, and Sly; the guy who can break out of any trap, box or chain in no time!”
“What do you think they’d say if Jessica and dad got up there”, Micah whispered, “then they’d see ‘strong’ and ‘breaking out’, huh?”
“Be quiet”, Niki hushed, “you’ve got it all wrong; this is the real thing, because this guy has actually built up his muscles all by himself and worked for his strength. All of them are good, honest people, not ‘specials’ showing off their abilities. ”
“You don’t know that”, her son answered, but Niki wanted to believe that she was right, and just hushed at him again.
After a while, Micah’s ‘This is childish and I’m only here to please my mom’-attitude seemed to fade away; he was laughing and applauding just as much as the other people around them at the clowns, the comedians and the magician with his deck of cards, black hat and his assistant cut in two halves.
“Ladies and gentlemen”, the compere said, “you think that the show is over and that you have seen all that Pass has to offer this year - no, dear audience, remain at your seats, please, and enjoy our secret guest Eric Doyle and his magnificent puppet show!”
Wow, Niki thought to herself when the show had started, this is a true master! The puppets moved as if they were living and breathing creatures and the story was incredibly captivating. She felt like she could sit and watch it forever.
And then the spell was broken. The Annual Great Show of Pass was over, and the barbecue party was open.
Niki and Micah were eating big, yummy burgers and were thinking about heading back home, when the puppet master himself came up to them and started talking as if he knew them.
The man looked sort of strange up close, Niki thought, almost gross, big and bold as he was, with staring round eyes, but she smiled politely and congratulated him on his great show, because she genuinely enjoyed it.
“I’m glad to hear that”, Eric Doyle said, “then maybe I can persuade you to do me a favour?”
“Sure, Mr. Doyle, what can I do for you?”
“Call me Eric, Niki; I’m sure that you and I will be great friends.”
Niki froze and tried to understand how the man could know her name, and Micah tugged at her sleeve, but Doyle went on:
“I just want a ride in to Henderson with you and your son; you can do that, can’t you Niki? I mean, since you’re a fan and all. I need Micah here to help me with something.”
“Why do you know my son’s name, Mr. Doyle?”
People were moving - walking, running, jumping - and talking and smiling all around them; no one seemed to notice that there was something off with their little trio, but Niki felt a chill coming up her spine and she took Micah’s hand and squeezed it.
“Oh?” the puppeteer’s big eyes became even wider. “Should I not have known it? I guess someone introduced me to you, then - someone you know must be here.”
Niki knew that it wasn’t true, and she was about to turn and walk away, when she realized that she couldn’t.
She couldn’t move. She couldn’t take one single step.
She began to panic, but when she tried to turn her head to look at Micah, she realized that she could move in one direction: closer to Doyle. Niki didn’t want to; not for anything in the world would she have wanted to, but she stepped to his side, and when he held out his arm, she took it, and she felt herself press her body to his side and look up at him.
“Mom?” Micah said, “what are you doing?”
Niki tried to look at him, but she couldn’t.
“I don’t know, Micah, it’s him - Mr. Doyle, what are you doing to me?”
“Didn’t I ask you to call me Eric? I’m sure you will soon; you’ll just have to get to know me a little better first, right?”
“Mr. Doyle”, Micah said angrily, “let go of my mom!”
“No”, the man said, “we are going to your car now.”
With that, he began to walk, and Niki had no choice but to follow. She noticed that Micah followed, too, and if he tried to scream or get someone’s attention, he was as unable to control himself as she was. To the crowd, she must look like an adoring fan of the great puppet master.
Niki drove. There was nothing else she could do, and when Doyle told them to teach him their favorite car game, they did.
We are never going to play that game again, Niki promised herself silently, if we get out of this alive. She wasn’t sure of that - she had never felt so helpless before; maybe not even when Jessica locked her up - and the unpleasant man still refused to tell them what he wanted from Micah; he just talked about ‘a little help’.
“Don’t you dare to hurt him”, Niki warned.
Doyle shot her a hurt glance.
“Me, hurt Micah? I wouldn’t hurt a child! I live to entertain children with my puppet theatre. I won’t hurt anyone. Not as long as we’re all good friends. By the way, Niki, why don’t we stop by your house later, for some fun, when the kid’s asleep?”
“No way!”
Niki wanted to spit in his face, but all she did was to smile at him, as if she meant something contrary to what she said.
“I’m married”, she tried.
“So what?” Doyle sighed. “I’m practically engaged myself. That is, there’s a woman in my life. Her name is Meredith and I love her, but we can’t be together right now. We will some day, because we belong together… and I would never be unfaithful to her in my heart. But I’ve seen your website, Niki. My powers don’t work through computers… but if they did, I wouldn’t have to pay. In fact, I didn’t pay. Why would I? I decided to wait until we could meet in person.”
For a moment, Niki thought about wrecking the car, driving right into a meeting truck or something, but then she came to her senses - Micah was still there, and she doubted that the puppeteer was going to let her do anything like that anyway.
She tried to look for Jessica in the rear-view mirror and in the side mirror, but the other one wasn’t there; all she saw was her own panic staring back at her.
“If my husband was here”, she said, “he would rip your heart out with one single move; he would go right through you before you even had time to blink.”
“Threats, from such a pretty lady?” Doyle shook his head. “I’m disappointed in you, Niki.”
The city centre was coming closer. When Doyle told her to pull over and stop at a parking lot, she did. All three of them got out of the car and started walking.
A few people were on the move, but like before it was impossible to cry for help.
“Look at us”, Doyle said with a look of satisfaction on his face, “here we are, all three of us - like a family. I like that.”
“Isn’t that Meredith woman your family?” Micah asked. “What do you need us for?”
“Oh, she will be”, Doyle assured them, “but until she comes to me, I’d like to keep you. Now, Micah… I need to make a withdrawal. Show me the nearest hole in the wall, and help me.”
Against her will, Niki pointed across the street, and Micah said as they were crossing it:
“Why; don’t you know how to use your card?”
“Oh, yes, I’ve got the best card in the world - I’ve got the Micah-card!”
Doyle laughed and told them the tour he was on didn’t pay off as much as he had hoped, and his permanent theatre in Costa Verde needed some additional contributions.
They stopped in front of the machine.
“No, you bastard!” Niki shouted, “you’re not turning my son into a criminal; I won’t let you!”
Doyle sighed and turned to Micah.
“I’m getting tired of your mother’s talking and bad attitude; I think I’ll like her better if she’s quiet. Mothers’ nagging can be so tiresome, don’t you think? Wouldn’t you rather have shut up for a while?”
“No!”, Micah said, but Doyle waved his hand at Niki, who suddenly found that she was now both motionless and speechless.
Niki stared into the shop window next to them; it was a computer store.
Jessica was there. She sighed, rested her hands on her hips and tapped her left foot impatiently to the ground.
Niki stared at her. Help me, she tried to cry with her eyes, please, help me!
The other rolled her eyes, and the next thing Niki knew, she was only a spectator to the scene.
“Get started”, the big man said to Micah, “and then we’ll move on to the next one.”
“I’m sure your powers are really great and awesome and all that”, Jessica said, and Doyle must have been so surprised to see her open her mouth and speak with Niki’s voice, “but guess what, puppeteer - you can’t control me, and when you can’t do that, you can’t get them either!”
Jessica’s leg flew through the air and her foot landed on Doyle’s forehead before he even had time to react, and he fell to the ground. His nose was bleeding heavily, as he had been hit by Jessica’s stiletto heel, and he wasn’t moving.
“Jessica?” Micah said; he tried taking a step towards her, but stopped as soon as he realized that he could move again.
“Yeah, kiddo, it’s me. Are you happy to see me?”
“I guess”, Micah said, “thanks, Jessica… Is he dead?”
Jessica bent over and looked at the large man on the ground.
“I don’t think so”, she said, “unfortunately - I could kill him, you know…”
“It’s probably best not to”, Micah said quickly, “because someone is going to come any minute and see him… But what are we going to do when he wakes up?”
“Well”, Niki’s copy said, “I’m sure he’s wanted by someone somewhere… Why don’t we go in to that store, and you can hack your way into some computer or something and find out.”
“Good idea”, Micah said, and as she followed him inside, Jessica turned her head around and winked at Niki, caught in the glass.
Micah found a corner where the staff didn’t see him, and he quickly ‘did his thing’, as Jessica called it, and he read aloud - but not too loud - from something he called an ‘Assignment Tracker file’”.
“I told you so”, Jessica sounded pleased with herself, “he’s a wanted guy… Well done, Micah. Now, you’ll just have to send them a message and they can come and pick him up.”
“From the street?” Micah sounded sceptical. “He won’t stay there much longer, you know - either he’ll wake up, or someone will call an ambulance…”
“We’ll hurry up”, Jessica said, “and I’ll get him into the car; I’ll tie him up and we’ll leave him in the desert, and they can pick him up there. They don’t have to know anything about you and your mom.”
“But won’t he tell them?”
“That will only make it worse for him. After all, he kidnapped you and forced you, didn’t he?”
“Um…”, Micah said hesitatingly, “I guess you’re right…”
“Yeah”, Jessica said, “I promise. Don’t worry; if he wakes up, I’ll just put him out again.”
To Niki’s surprise and relief, no passers-by were in sight as Jessica lifted the heavy body as if it weighed no more than a small bag of oranges, and got it into the car. Niki watched as closely as she could from the side-mirror, until Jessica told her to stay away and stop distracting her.
Niki didn’t get to talk to her until later that night. Jessica was getting ready for bed and caught Niki’s eyes in the mirror.
“I saved you”, Jessica said.
“I know”, Niki answered, “you saved us. I couldn’t do anything myself, I was helpless. But I’m coming out of here now.”
Jessica slowly shook her head, the self-satisfied smug back on.
“I don’t think so… You see, I like it here. I like Micah, and he likes me. I’m going to keep you there, in your mirror cage. Get used to it!”
“He’s grateful”, Niki said, “because you did what no one else could; you got us away from that man. Just thinking about what might have happened gives me the creeps. But that does not give you the right to take over my life; not my life. That does not give you the right to take over Micah; you will never become his mother.”
“That’s what you think. Come on, Niki; do you really expect me to just sit and wait for your incompetence to shine through and you need me for something?!”
Jessica stared angrily at her, and Niki felt their minds struggle and fight, trying to hurt and control one another.
“I know you, Jessica… and you know me. You know that I’m coming out now.”
Niki fought and won.
Maybe it was only temporary, but she hoped not; she knew that she was getting stronger. She got out, and the minute she did, she hurried to Micah’s room.
“Mom!” he rushed up from his bed and hugged her as hard as he could, “you’re back!”
“Yeah, baby”, she said, “and I’m staying. And Micah - the next time we get a yellow envelope with pink stars, let’s throw it away.”
“Yeah”, he agreed, “I never want to come to Pass again.”
Fandom: Heroes
Rating/Genre: pg/gen
Characters: Niki, Jessica & Micah Sanders, Eric Doyle
Summary: Niki gets an invitation in the mail for ‘an afternoon of joy and laughter’, and she takes the opportunity to do something fun with her son, ignoring Jessica’s warnings. A puppeteer with his own ideas of fun happens to be there…
Word count: 3 355
Spoilers/Warnings: No.
Notes: This is because I can’t resist a prompt, even an obscure one; in this case “Come to pass”, oneshot challenge # 25 at heroes_contest. As it turned out, I actually had a lot of fun writing this.
Bills, bills, bills… the pile grew higher on the kitchen table and Niki sighed deeply. She ran her fingers through her hair and tried desperately to remember if she had some secret hiding place for money somewhere that she had forgotten about.
She could just barely pay the bills, but Micah needed so many new things; he grew so fast. And more than that, he needed something fun. They should do something fun together, as a family. This Saturday? She didn’t have to work. On the other hand, if she didn’t work, how could she afford something special and fun for both of them?
The thoughts were spinning round and round in their familiar way in Niki’s head as she got to the bottom of the day’s pile of envelopes.
There was a different envelope; yellow with pink stars.
Finally something different, she thought, even though she had little hope of it being anything more than commercials.
Inside was a colorful sheet of paper. She read:
‘Come to Pass! The Theatre Club proudly presents an afternoon of joy and laughter for all ages. Where: The outdoor theatre. When: Saturday, 2 pm to -? What: Clowns, slapstick comedy, animals, the children’s orchestra, a jazz quartet (later in the evening), magical tricks and a secret guest. Come and mingle with all the stars after the show at our amazing barbecue. Free entrance - you only pay for your food and drinks at cost price. Come to Pass - you won’t regret it; we have cookies!’
“Micah!” she called, and her son soon appeared in the kitchen.
“Can you google something for me?” she asked. “I want to know where Pass is; I think it’s a place, but I’ve never heard of it before. Have you?”
Micah hadn’t heard of it either, but within moments he returned with some information.
“Yeah, there’s a place called Pass - not far from here, actually, but it’s so small that it’s not even a real town. All they have is like a gas station… and a diner, and an amateur theatre society.”
“That explains it”, Niki nodded, “Micah, look at this - I thought we could go, what do say?”
Micah looked sceptically at the paper and then at Niki.
“I don’t know, mom; it looks like it’s for kids…”
“Not at all”, Niki quickly protested, “it says right here that it is for all ages; it’s a family thing. I thought it would be fun to do something this weekend, don’t you think? And besides, you are a kid - a very smart one, yes, but still a kid…”
Micah looked at her in that way that always made her wonder who the kid was in their family, and said:
“Okay, mom, we’ll go. I’m sure it will be fun.”
“Great!” Niki smiled. “I’m looking forward to it already.”
Her son smiled back in that heart melting adorable way that almost brought tears to her eyes, and she waved him off quickly. Micah never asked for much; she wished that she could do much more for him.
Niki sat in thoughts for a while, staring at her own reflection in the window - until she remembered that her own reflection was not her own at all. Her reflection was the other one, the enemy; it was a secret cage, an invisible prison, a curse… and, yes, maybe even in some weird twisted way a part of her.
But she hated it, and tried to turn her eyes away, but it was too late; the other one was there - maybe she had been watching all along?
“Hey Niki”, Jessica said, “listen to me…”
“No!” Niki hissed.
“Yes”, the other one insisted, “listen for once, stupid; don’t go to Pass with Micah.”
“Why not, because you can’t come? Now you listen, Jessica - you don’t get to tell me what I’m doing together with my son. I’m taking Micah to see that show, and that’s it.”
“But it’s not a safe place for him - at least let me go with him instead of you, if it’s so damn important.”
Niki gasped and stared at the blonde intolerable woman, who would look just like her, if it wasn’t for that smug smirk on her lips and the violent fever in her eyes.
“I can look after him better”, Jessica said, “and you know it. You’re just afraid that he’ll learn to like me better.”
“That”, Niki said and got up from the chair, “is never going to happen, because I’m his mom and he knows it.”
“Suit yourself.” Jessica shrugged her shoulders. “I was just trying to help.”
“I don’t need your ‘help’”, Niki assured the woman captured in glass, and left the kitchen.
She avoided mirrors and all blank surfaces for the rest of the week - even when she brushed her teeth - but she couldn’t help it; she wondered a little if there was something behind Jessica’s words. She even made Micah look up the little place some more, claiming to be curious, but they didn’t see anything on the internet that raised any suspicions, and when Saturday came, they took off.
Pass was only about an hour’s drive away and the two of them ate candy and played car games until they got there.
The place turned out to be just as small and insignificant as they had imagined, but they followed the hand painted signs to the outdoor theatre and saw that the entire population of Pass was there to see the show, judging from the number of cars and bikes. There were children and dogs, balloons and flags, and the air smelled of popcorn.
The theatre was modest; a wooden stage with curtains in front of a tent, lit up by garlands of lamps, and benches were put in rows in front of it. Lots of people were sitting there, because the show had already begun, and Niki and Micah found seats in the back. A woman was showing her mini pigs doing tricks; her show ended with one of them jumping trough a ring of fire.
“Wasn’t that marvellous!” the compere said. “That was Bonnie and her Mini Circus; don’t you just love what she can make those dogs and pigs and parrots do - give them a big hand! Next in line is Wilson, the strongest man you’ve ever seen, and Sly; the guy who can break out of any trap, box or chain in no time!”
“What do you think they’d say if Jessica and dad got up there”, Micah whispered, “then they’d see ‘strong’ and ‘breaking out’, huh?”
“Be quiet”, Niki hushed, “you’ve got it all wrong; this is the real thing, because this guy has actually built up his muscles all by himself and worked for his strength. All of them are good, honest people, not ‘specials’ showing off their abilities. ”
“You don’t know that”, her son answered, but Niki wanted to believe that she was right, and just hushed at him again.
After a while, Micah’s ‘This is childish and I’m only here to please my mom’-attitude seemed to fade away; he was laughing and applauding just as much as the other people around them at the clowns, the comedians and the magician with his deck of cards, black hat and his assistant cut in two halves.
“Ladies and gentlemen”, the compere said, “you think that the show is over and that you have seen all that Pass has to offer this year - no, dear audience, remain at your seats, please, and enjoy our secret guest Eric Doyle and his magnificent puppet show!”
Wow, Niki thought to herself when the show had started, this is a true master! The puppets moved as if they were living and breathing creatures and the story was incredibly captivating. She felt like she could sit and watch it forever.
And then the spell was broken. The Annual Great Show of Pass was over, and the barbecue party was open.
Niki and Micah were eating big, yummy burgers and were thinking about heading back home, when the puppet master himself came up to them and started talking as if he knew them.
The man looked sort of strange up close, Niki thought, almost gross, big and bold as he was, with staring round eyes, but she smiled politely and congratulated him on his great show, because she genuinely enjoyed it.
“I’m glad to hear that”, Eric Doyle said, “then maybe I can persuade you to do me a favour?”
“Sure, Mr. Doyle, what can I do for you?”
“Call me Eric, Niki; I’m sure that you and I will be great friends.”
Niki froze and tried to understand how the man could know her name, and Micah tugged at her sleeve, but Doyle went on:
“I just want a ride in to Henderson with you and your son; you can do that, can’t you Niki? I mean, since you’re a fan and all. I need Micah here to help me with something.”
“Why do you know my son’s name, Mr. Doyle?”
People were moving - walking, running, jumping - and talking and smiling all around them; no one seemed to notice that there was something off with their little trio, but Niki felt a chill coming up her spine and she took Micah’s hand and squeezed it.
“Oh?” the puppeteer’s big eyes became even wider. “Should I not have known it? I guess someone introduced me to you, then - someone you know must be here.”
Niki knew that it wasn’t true, and she was about to turn and walk away, when she realized that she couldn’t.
She couldn’t move. She couldn’t take one single step.
She began to panic, but when she tried to turn her head to look at Micah, she realized that she could move in one direction: closer to Doyle. Niki didn’t want to; not for anything in the world would she have wanted to, but she stepped to his side, and when he held out his arm, she took it, and she felt herself press her body to his side and look up at him.
“Mom?” Micah said, “what are you doing?”
Niki tried to look at him, but she couldn’t.
“I don’t know, Micah, it’s him - Mr. Doyle, what are you doing to me?”
“Didn’t I ask you to call me Eric? I’m sure you will soon; you’ll just have to get to know me a little better first, right?”
“Mr. Doyle”, Micah said angrily, “let go of my mom!”
“No”, the man said, “we are going to your car now.”
With that, he began to walk, and Niki had no choice but to follow. She noticed that Micah followed, too, and if he tried to scream or get someone’s attention, he was as unable to control himself as she was. To the crowd, she must look like an adoring fan of the great puppet master.
Niki drove. There was nothing else she could do, and when Doyle told them to teach him their favorite car game, they did.
We are never going to play that game again, Niki promised herself silently, if we get out of this alive. She wasn’t sure of that - she had never felt so helpless before; maybe not even when Jessica locked her up - and the unpleasant man still refused to tell them what he wanted from Micah; he just talked about ‘a little help’.
“Don’t you dare to hurt him”, Niki warned.
Doyle shot her a hurt glance.
“Me, hurt Micah? I wouldn’t hurt a child! I live to entertain children with my puppet theatre. I won’t hurt anyone. Not as long as we’re all good friends. By the way, Niki, why don’t we stop by your house later, for some fun, when the kid’s asleep?”
“No way!”
Niki wanted to spit in his face, but all she did was to smile at him, as if she meant something contrary to what she said.
“I’m married”, she tried.
“So what?” Doyle sighed. “I’m practically engaged myself. That is, there’s a woman in my life. Her name is Meredith and I love her, but we can’t be together right now. We will some day, because we belong together… and I would never be unfaithful to her in my heart. But I’ve seen your website, Niki. My powers don’t work through computers… but if they did, I wouldn’t have to pay. In fact, I didn’t pay. Why would I? I decided to wait until we could meet in person.”
For a moment, Niki thought about wrecking the car, driving right into a meeting truck or something, but then she came to her senses - Micah was still there, and she doubted that the puppeteer was going to let her do anything like that anyway.
She tried to look for Jessica in the rear-view mirror and in the side mirror, but the other one wasn’t there; all she saw was her own panic staring back at her.
“If my husband was here”, she said, “he would rip your heart out with one single move; he would go right through you before you even had time to blink.”
“Threats, from such a pretty lady?” Doyle shook his head. “I’m disappointed in you, Niki.”
The city centre was coming closer. When Doyle told her to pull over and stop at a parking lot, she did. All three of them got out of the car and started walking.
A few people were on the move, but like before it was impossible to cry for help.
“Look at us”, Doyle said with a look of satisfaction on his face, “here we are, all three of us - like a family. I like that.”
“Isn’t that Meredith woman your family?” Micah asked. “What do you need us for?”
“Oh, she will be”, Doyle assured them, “but until she comes to me, I’d like to keep you. Now, Micah… I need to make a withdrawal. Show me the nearest hole in the wall, and help me.”
Against her will, Niki pointed across the street, and Micah said as they were crossing it:
“Why; don’t you know how to use your card?”
“Oh, yes, I’ve got the best card in the world - I’ve got the Micah-card!”
Doyle laughed and told them the tour he was on didn’t pay off as much as he had hoped, and his permanent theatre in Costa Verde needed some additional contributions.
They stopped in front of the machine.
“No, you bastard!” Niki shouted, “you’re not turning my son into a criminal; I won’t let you!”
Doyle sighed and turned to Micah.
“I’m getting tired of your mother’s talking and bad attitude; I think I’ll like her better if she’s quiet. Mothers’ nagging can be so tiresome, don’t you think? Wouldn’t you rather have shut up for a while?”
“No!”, Micah said, but Doyle waved his hand at Niki, who suddenly found that she was now both motionless and speechless.
Niki stared into the shop window next to them; it was a computer store.
Jessica was there. She sighed, rested her hands on her hips and tapped her left foot impatiently to the ground.
Niki stared at her. Help me, she tried to cry with her eyes, please, help me!
The other rolled her eyes, and the next thing Niki knew, she was only a spectator to the scene.
“Get started”, the big man said to Micah, “and then we’ll move on to the next one.”
“I’m sure your powers are really great and awesome and all that”, Jessica said, and Doyle must have been so surprised to see her open her mouth and speak with Niki’s voice, “but guess what, puppeteer - you can’t control me, and when you can’t do that, you can’t get them either!”
Jessica’s leg flew through the air and her foot landed on Doyle’s forehead before he even had time to react, and he fell to the ground. His nose was bleeding heavily, as he had been hit by Jessica’s stiletto heel, and he wasn’t moving.
“Jessica?” Micah said; he tried taking a step towards her, but stopped as soon as he realized that he could move again.
“Yeah, kiddo, it’s me. Are you happy to see me?”
“I guess”, Micah said, “thanks, Jessica… Is he dead?”
Jessica bent over and looked at the large man on the ground.
“I don’t think so”, she said, “unfortunately - I could kill him, you know…”
“It’s probably best not to”, Micah said quickly, “because someone is going to come any minute and see him… But what are we going to do when he wakes up?”
“Well”, Niki’s copy said, “I’m sure he’s wanted by someone somewhere… Why don’t we go in to that store, and you can hack your way into some computer or something and find out.”
“Good idea”, Micah said, and as she followed him inside, Jessica turned her head around and winked at Niki, caught in the glass.
Micah found a corner where the staff didn’t see him, and he quickly ‘did his thing’, as Jessica called it, and he read aloud - but not too loud - from something he called an ‘Assignment Tracker file’”.
“I told you so”, Jessica sounded pleased with herself, “he’s a wanted guy… Well done, Micah. Now, you’ll just have to send them a message and they can come and pick him up.”
“From the street?” Micah sounded sceptical. “He won’t stay there much longer, you know - either he’ll wake up, or someone will call an ambulance…”
“We’ll hurry up”, Jessica said, “and I’ll get him into the car; I’ll tie him up and we’ll leave him in the desert, and they can pick him up there. They don’t have to know anything about you and your mom.”
“But won’t he tell them?”
“That will only make it worse for him. After all, he kidnapped you and forced you, didn’t he?”
“Um…”, Micah said hesitatingly, “I guess you’re right…”
“Yeah”, Jessica said, “I promise. Don’t worry; if he wakes up, I’ll just put him out again.”
To Niki’s surprise and relief, no passers-by were in sight as Jessica lifted the heavy body as if it weighed no more than a small bag of oranges, and got it into the car. Niki watched as closely as she could from the side-mirror, until Jessica told her to stay away and stop distracting her.
Niki didn’t get to talk to her until later that night. Jessica was getting ready for bed and caught Niki’s eyes in the mirror.
“I saved you”, Jessica said.
“I know”, Niki answered, “you saved us. I couldn’t do anything myself, I was helpless. But I’m coming out of here now.”
Jessica slowly shook her head, the self-satisfied smug back on.
“I don’t think so… You see, I like it here. I like Micah, and he likes me. I’m going to keep you there, in your mirror cage. Get used to it!”
“He’s grateful”, Niki said, “because you did what no one else could; you got us away from that man. Just thinking about what might have happened gives me the creeps. But that does not give you the right to take over my life; not my life. That does not give you the right to take over Micah; you will never become his mother.”
“That’s what you think. Come on, Niki; do you really expect me to just sit and wait for your incompetence to shine through and you need me for something?!”
Jessica stared angrily at her, and Niki felt their minds struggle and fight, trying to hurt and control one another.
“I know you, Jessica… and you know me. You know that I’m coming out now.”
Niki fought and won.
Maybe it was only temporary, but she hoped not; she knew that she was getting stronger. She got out, and the minute she did, she hurried to Micah’s room.
“Mom!” he rushed up from his bed and hugged her as hard as he could, “you’re back!”
“Yeah, baby”, she said, “and I’m staying. And Micah - the next time we get a yellow envelope with pink stars, let’s throw it away.”
“Yeah”, he agreed, “I never want to come to Pass again.”