No Passengers Beyond This Point(28)

I shake my head no. Everyone understands no, right?

She nods and gathers them back into her bin. They clank as they hit the bottom. She hands my Rubik’s Cube back, with one side complete.

“What about you?” I call to the other shopkeepers. “We need help . . .”

But they avert their eyes and return to sweeping the stoops, washing the windows, lettering new signs. The black birds are perched on their shoulders, blue jays scavenging near their feet and finches flying in a cloud around them.

When I get back to Mouse, she’s shaking her head in a tiny, firm no. “We’ve been here longer than you have, Bing and me. We’ve been watching. Skye is right. We don’t trust them either.”

Mouse has a point. There’s something too eager about them, too hungry. The only one who is nice is the Russian lady.

“Finn?” Mouse asks. “What are they selling? Bing can’t figure it out either.”

“I think they want to sell us another day like we just had.”

“How can you sell a day?”

“They sell the chance to be in that fancy house again.”

Mouse nods. “How come we only got to stay there one night?”

“Just the way it works here, I guess. Mouse, can you walk?”

She’s usually full of energy, jumping and hopping instead of walking. It’s strange to see her move so carefully. She seems to be okay, except for that arm, which is hanging a weird way, making me think Bing is right, it is broken. I heard an EMT speak at school one time. He said something about making a sling.

I don’t have anything to make a sling out of except my hoodie. I take it off, and tie the long sleeves around Mouse’s neck so she can rest her arm if she needs to.

She moves forward on stiff legs. “I have to walk without bumps,” she reports.

“All right then,” I tell her.

Just behind me I see a cluster of vultures like black hunchbacks hopping toward us. “Git!” I holler, and they scuttle back to their perch on the rooftop.

I see in Mouse’s eyes that she understands why the vultures are here.

“Bing says to forget about them,” Mouse tells me, grabbing my hand with the hand of her good arm.

“That Bing,” I say. “He’s all right.”





CHAPTER 15

BIRDS

That wild tunnel ride was bad. Seriously, I could have been hurt!

I figured it was an earthquake. They’re worse near the epicenter, which must have been under the house, because things in that shopping district place didn’t seem damaged.

I’m glad Mouse isn’t here, because she’d be driving me nuts, asking a billion questions. Everything has to make scientific sense to her, then she spends half her life talking to a friend who doesn’t exist. Go figure

Mouse and Finn were supposed to meet me. They have these white phones around and this announcement came on the loudspeaker. “India Tompkins, please pick up the white courtesy phone.” I picked it up and this like recorded voice said: “You are early. Please wait one hour and fifty-six minutes at your current location to connect with the following persons: Finn Tompkins. Mouse Tompkins.”

Two hours! Who’s going to wait around for two hours?

First thing I did was I met this guy, Mickey, with the black bird that reminded me of that old song my mom plays on the guitar. Blackbird singing in the dead of night. Take these broken wings and learn to fly. As soon as I saw those black birds I knew he was okay. The other shopkeepers wanted me to come to their shops too, but I liked Mickey. He had nice eyes and he gave me a good deal.

I would have stayed talking to him longer, only I needed to get back to my cool house so I could check with Maddy. Today is probably Ariana’s party. Maddy will freak if I’m not there.

What I don’t get is, why is this happening? I don’t mean science why. But why why. It’s so random. My mom always says you don’t just end up someplace like it’s magic. You make decisions that got you there.

But Mom is wrong about this. This just happened. I swear.

I asked Mickey about the earthquake, but he said he didn’t feel it. He said he had a dream house once and an earthquake hit then too. Isn’t that crazy? Then he explained I need to buy a ticket. It costs fifty dollars, which I just happen to have . . . Isn’t that cool the way that worked?

The sign said it cost one thousand dollars for one day! But he let me have it for fifty.

Things are a little different in the streets now. None of the movie screens have us on them anymore. They have other people being welcomed to Falling Bird. Who cares about strangers’ lives and their trophies for lacrosse and stuff? Oh well, I’ll be back in my new home soon. I just wish I could find it.