Madison accepted the portable charger. “Thanks mom. I’ll let you know when we are on our way. You should probably go now, so no one sees your car and becomes suspicious.”
Karen gave her daughter a final hug, while Noah’s mom hugged both him and Riley. Sarah then kissed him on the cheek. “Be careful. We’ll see you tonight.”
And with that, both mothers headed back to the car.
Chapter 27: Venting
As Noah and Madison’s mothers left, they were all quiet while they listened to them get in their car and pull away. Madison finally broke the silence.
“Well, that wasn’t so bad.” She had both hands on her hips, standing triumphantly.
Riley nodded. “Yeah, they were surprisingly pretty chill about the whole situation.” She paused then. “You don’t think they already knew do you? Like maybe the military contacted them?”
Madison looked appalled, while Noah responded. “I don’t think so…” He hesitated. “I mean, I don’t really remember everything about my mom, but I think I remember enough to know she wouldn’t do that.”
Madison recovered and agreed. “Yeah, my mom would never do that.”
Riley held up her hands defensively. “Alright, alright. Calm down you two. I’m just saying we should consider the possibility. Maybe your moms wouldn’t, but what about your dads? What if the military told them they could fix us?” She paused, allowing them to process what she was saying. “I mean, we know they can’t do anything about this, but your parents don’t know that. They live in a world where the military are the good guys – the experts. The only reason we know better is because we’ve experienced their darker side first hand.”
Noah was annoyed by the idea that the military might not leave them alone. He briefly considered solving the problem himself by killing everyone in power, to force them to not bother the three of them. Looking at Riley he stated simply. “Even if you’re right, they can’t make us do anything.” He then looked back at Madison. “And worst-case scenario, there’s still always plan C.”
“Noah…” Madison seemed concerned.
Riley’s expression was confused. “What’s plan C?”
Noah looked back at Riley. “The plan where we just kill them all until they leave us alone.”
“Oh.” Her gaze fell as she contemplated the idea. “Well, if it comes to that, I’m with you.” Her tone sounded more determined as she finished.
Madison sighed. “Not you too…”
Noah’s expression was serious. “Madison, you knew it might come to that eventually. Yes, the best-case is they leave us alone, but if they don’t…” He realized he was making her upset, so he tried to clarify in a softer tone. “Hey, I’m not saying we are just going to jump to killing people. If they decide to treat us like consultants, then that’s fine. I’ll try to work with them. But if they go back to kidnapping, blackmailing, or otherwise trying to control us, then I’m going to show them who’s really in control. That’s fair isn’t it?”
Madison sighed again. “I guess…I just don’t like it. ”
Noah walked over to her and wrapped her in his arms. “How about this? If it comes to that, I’ll try to just put them in the hospital rather than kill them. I didn’t kill that one bastard remember? And he really pissed me off.”
Madison looked up at him with sparkling eyes. “Promise?”
“Promise.”
Riley chimed back in. “Wait. What bastard?”
Madison leaned past Noah’s shoulder to answer. “The military thought this thing might be transmitted sexually. So, they tried to have a guy force himself on me. Noah put him in the hospital when he got physical.”
“Oh. Good job.” Riley then seemed pensive. “So how is this transmitted? I mean other than from one of those monsters. I just assumed that was the only way.”
“Keras.” Noah stated. “That’s what the military named those aliens. And I guess it can be passed blood to blood. That seems to be how Madison became infected.”
Riley looked at him suspiciously. “What exactly did you do to her Noah?”
Noah could tell she was teasing him, so he played along holding up his hands as he spoke. “Hey! I didn’t do anything perverted. I just kind of entered her body to prevent her from being shot.”
Riley giggled at him. “Noah, I think only you could make that sound perverted.”
Madison was smiling too. “Wow, Noah, you entered my body huh? Was I conscious for this? ”
“Jeez you two!” He shook his head. “But seriously, that’s how it happened. And apparently it may be impossible now.”
“Why is that?” Riley seemed genuinely curious.
“Well, the scientist who was talking to me about this said she didn’t think it was possible for us to infect anyone else once the transformation was fully complete.”
“I didn’t know that.” Madison chimed in. “I guess that’s probably a good thing. Imagine if someone who was crazy became like this.”
Noah nodded. “That’s exactly what Dr. Robinson was concerned about. She didn’t like the idea of a bunch of immortal, super-powered vampires walking around.”
“Wait, what ?” Riley was shocked. “Immortal vampires? Where did that come from?”
“Oh, I guess you wouldn’t have known. The scientist I mentioned said our DNA can’t be damaged, which means we will likely live forever.” He paused, seeing if she understood. “And as far as the vampire part, well…have you ever noticed your body absorbing blood?”
“Oh.” Riley stated simply. “Now I understand…that’s…that’s how I…killed my mom.” She looked down.
Madison immediately corrected her. “You mean, how the Keras controlling you killed your mom.”
Riley nodded in response, still looking at the ground. “The…Keras…had been hurting my body. It was before they started controlling my dad. At one point, it actually shot me with a gun to see how durable humans were. My mom hear d and came rushing into the room. She died pretty quick. I wasn’t sure how it happened, but now I realize I must have taken her blood.”
Noah nodded. “The scientist helped me figure out that we feel cold when we need blood. But she said we probably don’t need it very often if we don’t get hurt.” He then moved his black wings for emphasis. “Granted, with this much blood, we won’t need to get more for a long time.”
They were all quiet for a few seconds, before Riley spoke again. “Well, that kind of sucks though, that we can’t make more of us.” They both looked at her questioningly, so she explained. “I mean, you two have each other, but what about me? I don’t want to be alone forever . I’m sure there are some people who wouldn’t mind so much, especially those who have no interest in a serious relationship, but I want a serious relationship. I want to be with someone who is immortal too. Otherwise, it’s just sad having to watch them die knowing you never will.”
They both could relate. Noah knew how he would feel if Madison wasn’t immortal too. Deep down he knew he was selfishly glad she wouldn’t die. How would he feel knowing he would have to watch her grow old when he didn’t?
Madison tried to encourage her. “Well, maybe the Keras did this to other humans. Maybe there are other people out there like us. Although, that still wouldn’t give you many options. I can see how it would be better to be able to choose who was immortal with you.”
“Exactly.” Riley agreed. “What if there is an old guy out there who is now like us? Or what if the only other options are women? Or what if it’s just some socially awkward nerd with poor hygiene? I don’t have a problem with dating a nerd, but oftentimes they have no social intelligence at all and only think about themselves. And then they wonder why you’re not interested. Half the guys just view girls as objects to be owned anyway, rather than thinking of us as an autonomous human being. ‘Just give the guy a chance’ they say. How about no. I don’t owe anyone anything.”
Noah and Madison glanced at each other as Riley’s story got very specific. It was obvious she had
dealt with a lot of pursuers who thought they deserved a chance with her. Riley continued.
“They’re just a bunch of narcissistic bastards. There was one guy who actually threatened to kill himself if I didn’t go on a date with him. Like, seriously? Who the hell would want to date a guy like you. Manipulative asshole. I actually had one of his friends come up to me saying it would be my fault if he did kill himself. Umm, no. I didn’t make him do anything. He’s responsible for his own decisions. And he wonders why no one will give him a chance. Who wants to date someone with low self-esteem who resorts to manipulation to try to get others to do what he wants? He’s a parasitic asshole who needs to grow up.” Riley came back to reality as she finished her venting, looking slightly embarrassed by Noah and Madison’s expressions. “Umm…anyway, I’m just saying. It would be nice to be able to choose someone decent to be immortal with me.”
Noah nodded. “I mean, you could always try, but I just wouldn’t get your hopes up. The scientist, Dr. Robinson, seemed pretty confident about what she called our ‘window of opportunity.’ She didn’t share all the evidence leading to that conclusion, but she seemed certain it was the case.”
Riley looked at Madison then. “Umm, Madison, then maybe you could share Noah? Like we could trade every five years?”
Noah stared at her in disbelief. “What were you just saying about being treated like property?”
“I’m just kidding.” Riley smirked. “You should have seen your faces!”
Noah and Madison both sighed. She obviously used humor and teasing to avoid thinking about all the horrible things she had recently been through. But they could both understand her concern. Neither of them would want to be perpetually the third wheel, nor would either of them want to be alone forever.
Riley seemed pensive as she changed the conversation. “So, if we are vampires, then why can we walk around in the sunlight.”
Noah sighed, feeling like he was repeating himself all over again. “Riley, vampires don’t really exist. That’s just the best comparison. Apparently, we actually absorb sunlight for energy. It’s one of the reasons we don’t need to eat for energy.”
“Oh…that’s different.”
“That’s what I thought.” Madison chimed in. “Say it with me, Riley Sullivan, the ultimate vampire.”
Riley giggled at Madison’s seriousness. Noah was glad they seemed to share a similar sense of humor. At least they could entertain themselves with their lame jokes. Riley had a huge grin on her face as she responded. “I like the sound of that!”
“Me too.” Madison agreed. “Now when I read my vampire novels, I can really get into character.”
“Hmm. You know what? I miss reading. I used to read a lot when I was younger, but kind of just stopped for some reason.”
Madison threw her arm around Riley. “Well, I can help you out in that department! I have my own mini-library in my closet. Plus, we can try on dresses! Tonight’s going to be so much fun!”
“I can’t wait!” Riley agreed. She seemed sincerely eager to do anything a normal teenage girl would do.
Noah finally jumped back in the conversation. “Well, we still have all day before it gets dark. What do you two want to do until then?”
They both grinned at him as they reached out simultaneously to tap him on the shoulders. “You’re it!”
Chapter 28: Father
Once it was dark enough, they flew to Madison’s house and dropped silently into her small backyard. The lights were on inside, but all the curtains were pulled over the windows. They could hear talking inside. Madison walked right up to the backdoor, opened it, and waltzed right in like she owned the place. Noah of course knew she lived here, and he realized the only reason he felt awkward was because he didn’t remember being at this house, despite the thousands of times he had visited.
Noah and Riley exchanged a glance before following her in. The kitchen and dining room were the immediate rooms next to the backdoor. It was an open-concept layout, so there were no walls between the two rooms. The table was set with a feast, despite them having told Karen and Sarah they didn’t need to eat. Two men were socializing at the table, and their moms were talking in kitchen. Noah recognized one of the men as his father, although he still didn’t remember him. He only remembered seeing him Sunday night when he had come home.
“I’m home!” Madison announced her presence, despite the fact that her coming through the door had caused all four of the adults to look at her. Both men got up at the same time. Madison’s dad spoke first.
“Well I’ll be damned…” he started saying.
Karen retorted in a chastising tone. “Henry…”
Madison’s dad looked at Karen and then back at his daughter. “I just had to see it with my own eyes before I could believe it.” He walked up to her and put his hands on her shoulders. “Are you really okay?”
Madison nodded, excitement in her voice as she replied. “Yes, I’m fine. Dad, I can fly with these. It’s amazing actually.”
“Don’t you get cold? How high have you gone? How do you breathe?”
Karen answered Riley’s questioning look, not realizing Noah was confused too. “My husband’s a commercial pilot. Flying is what he does for a living.” She then briefly gave Noah a confused look when he nodded too. “Oh, Noah, I didn’t even think about your amnesia. This must all be new to you too.”
Noah nodded again in agreement. “I wish I could say it wasn’t, but it is. I don’t remember ever being in this house, or having met any of you.”
Noah’s dad, Michael, looked at him then with a pained expression in his eyes. “Noah…you really don’t remember me?”
Noah looked at his father for a few seconds, sincerely trying to remember, but nothing happened. “Sorry.” He looked away from his father’s gaze.
Sarah spoke then. “But you remember me now, right? ”
Noah nodded again.
“He remembered me when I sang to him.” She said to her husband.
“Well, it wasn’t just that you sang to me. It was what you sang.” Noah paused trying to figure out the correlation to his flashbacks. “I think whenever something makes me feel nostalgic, it triggers a memory. I felt extremely nostalgic before I remembered Madison, and again when mom was singing to me.” He decided to leave out feeling nostalgic about Riley, since that particular memory revolved around subjects they couldn’t share with their parents. He also didn’t want to share the fact that he had remembered random facts about Madison, as he continued. “But I’ve only remembered three things now in the last three days, so I don’t know for sure that feeling nostalgic will work every time.”
Michael shrugged. “Well, I don’t know what I could do to make you feel nostalgic. Maybe if we went for a jog together that might trigger something, or if we went fishing. But I certainly don’t have a song to sing to you or anything. I’m a horrible singer.”
Noah gave him a weak smile. “Well, it’ll be hard to go for a jog with these.” He pointed to his black wings with his thumb. “Maybe we can try fishing sometime.”
“Sounds good. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you. I had no idea any of this was going on. When exactly did you lose your memory?”
“Sunday night. ”
“So, when you came home late that night, you didn’t recognize me?” Noah nodded, and his dad continued. “I guess you were acting a little funny, but it wasn’t so weird that I was that concerned.”
“It’s alright.” Noah tried to reassure him. “I was pretty confused about was going on and didn’t really want to tell anyone.”
“But you’re okay now, right? You didn’t have the wings before, so what caused your amnesia? And when did this happen?” He motioned with his hands in reference to the wings.
Madison jumped in then. “Err…we really can’t go into too many details. It’s not safe.”
Michael nodded, glancing over at Madison. “That’s what Karen and Sarah said, but still. We’re the parents. We’re supposed to pr
otect you , not the other way around.”
Noah responded. “Sorry we can’t share more, but it really is for the best.” Then after a second, he added. “If the situation was flipped, and we were the ones in the dark, I know you wouldn’t hesitate to keep it a secret. But it just so happens that we’re the ones with the secrets. The last thing we need right now is to have to worry about your safety.”
Everyone was quiet for a few seconds as Noah finished his statement. Karen decided to break the silence. “Well, let’s eat! The foods getting cold.”
Madison, Riley, and Noah all looked at each other. Madison then looked at her mom. “Err…mom, I told you we don’t need to eat very often. ”
“Well, sweetie, you can at least sit at the table for a little while, can’t you?”
“Umm, I guess?” Madison looked at Noah and Riley.
Michael was looking at them suspiciously then. “How often, exactly, do you need to eat?”
Noah answered him. “We aren’t sure exactly how often, but we haven’t eaten in a couple of days and have been fine.”
“A couple of days!” Karen exclaimed. “You need to eat! I won’t sit by while my baby starves!”
“Mom.” Madison held up her hand as she spoke firmly. “I am not starving. I told you we’re different now. Like, really different now. Our bodies are much more efficient with food than normal.”
Michael chimed back in. “Well, how do you know your bodies are more efficient with food if you haven’t eaten.” Noah realized his father was good at spotting the inconsistencies in what people said.
Madison realized her story was falling apart, when Riley saved the day. “It’s because I’ve been like this a lot longer than them. It’s been over a week for me. I’ve only had to eat once, and it wasn’t very much.”
Noah’s dad seemed to accept that explanation, not wanting to pry into Riley’s situation. He then looked over at Karen and Sarah. “Well, I don’t think we should make them sit down with us if they really aren’t hungry. From the sound of it, they all have had a really rough few days and probably just need some time alone to relax. ”
The Keras Genome Page 24