rhinestone eyes

007

"They're ley lines." He stretched out a hand for the journal. For a strange, hyperaware moment, he realized how closely Coraline was watching him. He didn't think it was lost on how familiar his left hand was with the curve of the leather binding, how his right hand knew just how much pressure to apply to make defiant pages obey.

The journal and Gansey were clearly long-acquainted, and he wanted her to know. He expertly flipped through the journal and within no time at all he was looking at a map of the United States, marked all over with curving lines. Coraline tugged at her sleeves, anxiety buzzing all around her.

Coraline's eyes watched curiously as he traced a finger over one line that stretched through New York City and Washington, D.C. Another intersecting line that stretched from Boston to St. Louis. A third that cut horizontally across the first two, stretching through Virginia and Kentucky and on west. "These are the three main lines," Gansey explained. "The ones that seem to matter."

"Seem to matter how?"

"How much of this did you read?" He questioned "Some," Blue sheepishly replied, "A lot. Most." She admitted. "The ones that seem to matter as far as finding Glendower. That line across Virginia is the one that connects us to the UK. The United Kingdom."

"I know what the UK is, thanks. The public school system isn't that bad," Blue rolled her eyes dramatically. "Surely not. Those other two lines have a lot of reports of unusual sightings on them. Of paranormal stuff. Poltergeists and Mothmen and black dogs."

"My mother drew that shape," she said. "The ley lines. So did Nee, one of the other women here. They didn't know what it was, though, only that it would be significant. They think it's got to do with you, Coraline. That's why I wanted to know."

"And Gansey,"

"I saw Gansey's spirit," she explained hesitantly. "I've never seen one before. I don't see things like that, but this time, I did." She turned her attention towards Gansey, "I asked you your name, and you told me. 'Gansey. That's all there is.' Honestly, it's part of the reason why I wanted to come along today."

"Why does your mother think Coraline has something to do with the Ley lines?" Gansey questioned, taking Adam by surprise. "Because I do." Coraline piped up before Blue could say anything. "I've seen it in my dreams for months, but," She licked her bottom lip before meeting eyes with Gansey, "Ever since we met I haven't been able to get that symbol out of my head."

There was a moment of tense silence, occupied only by the continuous droning whine of the helicopter. They were waiting, Gansey knew, for his verdict.

"I'm going to need everyone to be straight with each other from now on. No more games." He looked towards Adam, "This isn't just for Drew and Blue, either. All of us."

"Course," He nodded.

"What are we looking for?" Helen sounded, breaking them out of their daze. "The usual." Gansey offered, causing Coraline to speak up. "What's 'the usual'?" She questioned. "Sometimes, the ley lines are marked in ways that are visible from the air. Like in the UK, some of the lines are marked with horses carved into hillsides."

"Tell her about Nazca," Urged Adam.

"Oh, right. In Peru, there are hundreds of lines cut into the ground in the shapes of things like birds and monkeys and men and imaginary creatures. Thousands of years old, but they only make sense from the air. From an airplane. They're too big to see from the ground. When you're standing next to them, they just look like scraped footpaths."