Safe in the Black Sand

17

The city of New Haven at night is dark but still much brighter than a basement.

            Nervously, I ask Dad, "Are we—I mean—did it work?"

            I turn left, then right, trying to get my bearings. I check to see if my feet and hands are still there, that nothing has been lost or turned backwards. My face feels normal.

Dad lets go of my sweaty hand. When I turn around, the door is gone. Ms. Jakintsu's house is nowhere to be seen. We are now outside, close to Yale, a few blocks from the New Haven Green.

            "Are we on Grove Street?" I ask.

"I think so, Jax. Near the place where it happened." 

            Tombstones stand around us like forgotten souvenirs in the glow of streetlight. A pale full moon hangs in the empty sky, displaying its ancient face, the crater-carved half smile as mysterious as Ms. Jakintsu. 

            "Have we gone back in time?" I ask.

            Dad tears his attention from the moon to look at me. "Yes. This must be last night."

            "How do you know?"

            "It has to be," he says. "Why else would Gaueko bring us to this spot?"

"I don't get it," I say. "We're in the graveyard."

"What's your point?"

"Angelica was attacked outside the graveyard. Are we sure it hasn't happened yet?"

"If Gaueko agreed to Ms. Jakintsu's terms like we planned, then yes. But you're right. It is strange that we'd be inside the graveyard already, unless..."   

            Something feels off. My anxiety rises. "What payment did he take?"

"What?"

"Gaueko—how much time did he take from you? And how can we ever know—and—wait a second. How could we even be talking about this if we've gone back to yesterday?"

Dad seems annoyed by all my questions and looks around, thinking, getting his bearings. 

I go on, "If we've gone back in time, wouldn't that mean we were never at Ms. Jakintsu's house? But we must have been there. We both remember being there. And look—Katu's still with us!" 

            Dad says, "Thinking chronologically doesn't help when you're traveling in time. Don't worry about what's already happened or not happened—or about Gaueko's payment. That's Ms. Jakintsu's job. I'll find out the terms of the deal sooner or later. Right now, our only job is to find your sister. Because she's in big trouble. Or about to be." 

            I remember Mom saying Angelica was attacked near the cemetery we're now standing in. It happened on Angelica's way home from work. Is she walking by the cemetery now, just beyond the wall?

            "I'm still not sure when we are," I say. "How do we know it's the right night? And how do we know we're even in the past? Could we have gone into the future by accident?"

Dad laughs. "Now you're just being ridiculous. Check your phone. What's the date and time?"

I hadn't thought of that and pull out my phone. "Okay. It says we're back to last night. But what are we supposed to do about Angelica's attackers? We're not the strongest guys in the world. Should we just call the police?"

"Shhh. Did you hear that?"

"Dad, I'm trying to talk to you," I say in the tone Angelica and I use when it's clear Dad's not listening. "Seriously. How do we expect to fight off her attackers?"