Shangri-la
Chapter 9
Stuffing the last bag into the trunk, Iris slammed the lid down and pushed it a second time to ensure that it was completely closed. It surprised her that they were still at Lotus’s apartment. Without a doubt, her father had reported her kidnaped, and every moment spent in town was dangerous. The police could be looking for them.
But Lotus didn’t seem concerned at all. Carrying a box of food, she sang, “The back door, please!” as she approached the car, then with the finality of being completely packed for vacation, she nestled the box in the backseat then dusted her hands on her pants. “That’s everything,” she said, moving around to the driver’s side.
“Shangri-la?” Iris asked, sitting down and pulling on her seatbelt.
“Shangri-la!” Lotus repeated, starting the engine and pulling away.
Staring out the window, Iris felt melancholy wash over her. She didn’t have a chance to pack up and say goodbye; her parents were probably worried and Justin was likely still upset with her, if not more so . . . Turning to face Lotus, Iris studied her instead of the passing buildings. The woman was unusually intent on driving, her knuckles growing white on the steering wheel as they entered the freeway, picking up speed. Iris had entrusted everything in her life to this woman – this stranger – and she prayed that she hadn’t made a mistake. Somehow, Lotus’s image of cool sanity had cracked.
“Only cheetahs and falcons are meant to travel this fast,” Lotus mumbled, her eyes trying to look in all directions at once.
“Would you like me to drive?” Iris offered.
“We’ll switch at the next stop.” Lotus’s shoulders were so far up she looked like she was hunched over.
“Can I turn on the radio?” Iris asked, reaching for the dial.
“No.”
Iris sank back into her seat. She hoped it wouldn’t be a long drive. Her eyelids closed, and she took in a deep breath. When she opened her eyes, the scenery around them had changed. It looked less like urban sprawl and more like uninhabited forest. Iris felt like they really were going on a vacation of camping in the woods.
“Where are we?” she yawned.
Lotus shrugged. “Here.” She was more relaxed about driving now.
“You . . . don’t know?” Iris asked incredulously.
“Not really.” Lotus seemed too happy about it.
“Are we lost?”
“Nope. I know where we’re going.” The woman was unmistakably amused by the conversation.
“But you don’t know where we are?”
“Not a clue.”
Iris stared at Lotus with wide eyes. Maybe she really was insane.
“It’s Shangri-la,” Lotus said. “We’re connected, so I know how to get there no matter where I am. The in-between stuff doesn’t matter.”
“If I’m a key, then why can’t I sense Shangri-la the same way you do?” Iris asked.
“It wouldn’t be fair if Shangri-la had more than one lover . . .” Lotus murmured with a smile. “I suppose it’s part of our test to see if we’re worthy of unlocking Shangri-la.”
“Who would be testing us and why?”
Pursing her lips together, Lotus waited a moment before replying, “Obviously, someone wants to prevent Shangri-la from being accessed. If that person has the power to lock Shangri-la away, then that person could also have the power to prevent Shangri-la from reaching out to all the people needed to free it.”
“Makes sense, I suppose.” Iris looked back out the window.
“Tell me if you see any signs of civilization. We’re running low on gas.”
“What?” Whipping her head around, Iris looked at the gas gauge. “It’s all the way on the E!”
“Don’t worry, I can’t drive something like 30 miles after the light pops on, and it hasn’t yet,” Lotus said. “And that’s at safer speeds.”
Iris wasn’t comforted at all. “What if we don’t reach a town before then?”
“Cell phones. Humankind invented them for a reason.”
Pulling out her phone, Iris looked at the two bars of reception. Suddenly she was flung forward, the seatbelt digging into her chest, as Lotus slammed on the brakes, screeched the tires as they stopped. Panicked, Iris looked up and saw nothing.
“What is it?” she asked, but Lotus didn’t reply, shutting off the engine and jumping out of the car. “Lotus!” Iris screamed, but the woman was already among the trees and quickly moving away.
Reaching over, Iris pulled the driver’s side door shut and locked it, then slumped back. Now that she was alone, the forest seemed taller and darker than it had been five minutes ago.
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