The pendulums didn't care about footpaths, however narrow and obscure they might have been. Instead, they sent us scrambling through boot-wrecking mud, weeds, and oil. Like bighorn sheep we climbed over and around cars in various stages of decay. My chest hurt from breathing in the toxins. Following the pendulum, I climbed onto the hood of a pink Rambler. No small feat considering I did it without an inch of my bare skin touching the filthy metal. Aidan joined me, placing the toolbox on the hood still slick from the previous night's rain. He extended his hand and helped Yemaya up. The hood squeaked and groaned beneath our combined weight. Water dripped over the side and onto the loose tires haphazardly strewn on the ground."See anything?" I asked.Yemaya did a slow pan of the yard ahead of us. A storm cloud drifted in front of the sun, graying the sky. "Nothing we want." Disappointment shaded her voice.Aidan said, "It's here. We're just being tested. I bet the Beetle is hiding in the farthest corner, wedged between two vans or something.""Funny.
