“Get in the car!” he shouted. The rest of us obeyed; Elizabeth grunted but followed, barely managing to dodge a three person fight that had broken out behind her. It took us nearly five minutes to find the car because Luke had forgotten where he parked, but at least the mob didn’t follow us.
That night, the riot briefly made the Necropolis News. Dozens of people were injured, Corrina informed us, but all were cured with a few shots of TNV. The rest of the half hour news block was taken up by Immortals being interviewed about the amazing Black Friday deals they had gotten. “E-book readers for 100 bucks!” the guy who accused us of cutting exclaimed. “How on earth could you pass that up?”
The day after school let out for the holidays, Jacey had a Christmas party at her house. She said she wanted to exchange gifts and spend time with her friends before we all went our separate ways. But she certainly wasn’t short on the eggnog either; I suspected both she and Elizabeth would consume their fair share.
Surprisingly, they only went through two glasses each before Jacey decided it was time to exchange gifts. She headed to the pile in the center of the living room and picked one up. “To...Gage,” she read. “Oh, here you go Gage.” She tossed the package to him and, luckily, he caught it with ease. “To...oh hey, this ones for me.” She smiled and shook the package, but it didn’t make any noise. “Oh damn...well, maybe it’s a nice shirt or something.”
Since all of us had exchanged gifts with one another, our piles were virtually equal in size. Paige was the first one to rip into hers — her first one was from Gage. Some new movie that nobody would remember ten years from now. He gave pretty similar things to everyone else — another shirt for Jacey, a new bag for Elizabeth, even another movie for Matt.
Finally, it came time for me to open my present from Gage. It was small, so I figured it was something equal to the others — a gift certificate or something cheesy. We hadn’t really talked about gift exchanging, or much about our relationship at all. So when I opened the package and pulled out a beautiful emerald bracelet, I nearly fell over.
“Oh my God, Gage,” I said. “It’s beautiful.”
The entire room was silent. I looked up and saw Paige’s jaw dangling from her mouth.
“I hoped you would like it,” he said.
“I love it.” I leaned in to kiss him.
“Ew, get a room,” Jacey said, turning her back to us in favor of the eggnog. Elizabeth and Paige followed suit. I stayed on the floor with Gage, admiring my beautiful new bracelet.
chapter eleven
I waited until the last possible minute to go home for Christmas. In other words, my BMW arrived in my mother’s garage at 5 pm on Christmas Eve. Mom couldn’t handle me being out too late on the roads. Apparently she had Christmas confused with New Year’s, that other holiday when people drink too much.
Instead of giving me a few minutes to unpack my things and, you know, breathe, she bombarded me with questions of how my drive (and, since I hadn’t been home since September, my semester) had gone. Jacey called me halfway through the interrogation and mom was fascinated by the fact that you could actually see a person on a video screen while talking to them on the phone. Phones like that had been pretty common before the collapse, but now they were all but obsolete everywhere but The Necropolis.
I would have been home even later but mom insisted I go with her and grandpa to Christmas Eve mass. Luke was exempted because he had work to do — or so he said. I hadn’t been to church since I left Rochester but still remembered every word to every Christmas carol, and even what angle to hold the candle at so the wax wouldn’t drip down your hand after it was lit.
The pastor led us in an a cappella rendition of Silent Night that gave me chills, even though I never would have admitted it to mom or grandpa. Still, I wasn’t used to thinking about religion; once I'd moved out of the house, it had been conveniently forgotten. Mom and grandpa never tired of telling stories of the old days when they got into all sorts of trouble that would make our pastor cringe, but they eventually went back to the faith. Maybe one day I would start believing in what they did again. But it seemed so far away, especially now that I might never have to worry about death. So why worry about what I did in my life?
In all her scurrying around and preparing Christmas dinner, mom forgot to get a few seasonings for the turkey. She sent Luke and me to the grocery store right after we opened presents so we could pick them up for her. I wasn’t much of a cook and neither was Luke, but I didn’t think turkey needed that much seasoning, at least not seasonings that we didn’t already have in the house. Then again, the turkey she'd gotten was ridiculously cheap. She said she hadn’t thought to save up enough to spring for a bigger one, but when I offered to buy her one, she got this look in her eyes that reminded me of grandpa’s old phrase ‘if looks could kill...’
“No McKenzie, we do not need a bigger turkey,” she insisted.
“Mom, I was just offering. I know you wanted one. Maybe we could just get a second one anyway, just in case. You know how Luke eats.”
She stabbed a knife into the cutting board. “Go, McKenzie!”
“Don’t worry about mom,” Luke said we pulled up to the supermarket. “She’s just stressed out. I think she’s been planning this dinner since last year.”
“Did I do something wrong?” I said. “I was just trying to help. I didn’t mean to imply that her turkey wasn’t good enough.”
“No Kenzie, you didn’t do anything wrong. Mom’s just a little on edge right now. Maybe it’s that...well, whatever it is that you women go through.”
“PMS?” I offered.
He grunted and walked ahead of me.
I had been to this grocery store tons of times growing up, but it was strange to be back. In The Necropolis, grocery stores were not only much bigger but neat and clean, with the floors swept and buffered regularly. Signs for candy, cake mixes and gourmet foods like lobster were also prevalent. Here it was mostly canned goods that lined the shelves in disorganized rows. There weren’t many people in the store, but we were briefly greeted as we walked in by a visibly pregnant young woman. She was polite but looked like she would have rather been anywhere else. Can’t say I blamed her.
“I went to high school with her,” Luke whispered to me as soon as we reached the spice aisle. “The cashier. I heard she got married, but I didn’t know she was pregnant. She just got married a couple of months ago. Now I think I know why.”
My head was spinning as I meandered down the aisle. “I forgot how much canned food was here,” I said, my fingers running down the endless rows of carrots, spinach, peas, corn, and dozens of other foods I had almost forgotten even existed.
“Dammit, I don’t have that much cash,” Luke said. “Think you can get me some extra eggnog? I have a feeling I’ll need it today. I’ll pay you back, promise.”
“Can’t. I’m not legal here, remember?”
“They won’t let you buy alcohol anywhere else, even if you’re Immortal?”
“Nope. Well maybe, depending on how strictly it’s enforced here. But I don’t want to risk it.”
“Why not?”
“Because if I get caught they’ll arrest me. I love you Luke, but I’m not going to jail just so you can get eggnog.”
“Damn. Guess I’ll stick with vodka. I think I still have some in the cabinet.” He picked up a clear plastic container with a red label. “Hope this works for mom. Need anything else while we’re here?”
I shook my head, glancing at the frozen meat aisles but quickly turning back. “No, let’s go.”
Later that evening, after most of my extended family had gone through the turkey (and the eggnog we actually did have), I sprawled in front of the fire, half asleep, wondering when I would be able to get away and back to the apartment. I should probably wait until after New Year’s, I figured; the roads would be clear by then. But then I wouldn’t make it to any of the New Year’s parties, and there were dozens in The Necropolis, including the big on
e at the mansion of Dr. Cooper, the scientist who invented TNV.
I had nearly dozed off when I heard shuffling feet behind me. I opened my eyes slightly. Grandpa was standing in front of the chair beside me.
“Is the eggnog getting to you?” He laughed and adjusted his pants. Slowly he lowered himself into the chair, his joints creaking in a way I had never heard them creak before.
I rubbed my eyes. “I’ve been so busy lately.”
“School getting to you?”
“And friends. I’ve been spending so much time with my friends.”
Grandpa coughed for several seconds. At one point it seemed like he couldn’t catch his breath, but then he sat up and smiled like nothing had happened. “How’s that boyfriend of yours? What’s his name...Gage? Such a strange name. How’s he treating you?”
“He’s a great guy, grandpa.” I reached over to get my glass from the end table and he pointed at the silver bracelet dangling from my wrist.
“That’s beautiful,” he said. “Emeralds?”
I nodded. “It was a gift.”
“From this Gage fellow? He’s really spoiling you.”
I blushed. “It’s not that great. His dad gave his mom a new car.”
“They’ve been together much longer, McKenzie. You know it’s different.” He turned to face the fireplace, then looked back to me. “What kind of car?”
“2032 Porsche. It’s gorgeous. Even better than my new car.”
Grandpa sighed and coughed. He bent slightly forward, took a deep breath, and started coughing again, finally sitting back up and slumping in his chair. I frowned. “What’s wrong?”
“McKenzie, six months ago you would have been shocked at that car. Can you even imagine how much he spent on it? Nobody should spend that much on a car.”
I was actually talking about his coughing fit — I was much more worried about that. “Grandpa, you know it’s their decision.”
He leaned back in his chair. “Of course, of course. But you’ve changed, McKenzie. You don’t see the world in the same way that you used to...” His eyes began to flutter. “That place has changed you like it changed me.”
I didn’t say anything else, didn’t really know what to say, and in a few minutes he was snoring softly. The fire popped and crackled, mixing with his snoring in a bizarrely soothing sound.
I hadn’t stayed in The Necropolis until Christmas Eve to see Gage — he had already left to visit relatives in Atlantic City. I had stayed because I didn’t want to come back to a house with a twelve-inch TV screen and three channels. I didn’t want to go back to a house that may or may not have a cell phone signal and internet that only worked sporadically. If my mom hadn’t pestered me to come home, I would have been complacent, maybe even delighted, to spend my Christmas with TV characters.
I looked over at grandpa asleep in the arm chair, his legs sprawled over the rug and his glasses slightly raised above his nose. I leaned my head against the back of the chair and lay there listening to his snoring until I finally dozed off myself.
Nearly everyone was gone when I woke up, and less than an hour later the house was empty except for mom, me, grandpa and Luke. I begrudgingly helped mom with a few dishes, then headed for my room. There was no TV in there, of course, and even the internet on my phone only worked when it wanted to. I gave up on it after five minutes and stared at the ceiling.
I needed a change of scenery but didn’t want to be in the kitchen with mom, so I slipped into her room. There was an old, tattered book on her bed; the title had something to do with Congress, so I assumed it was one of dad’s old books. Why else would it even be here? Nobody else in our family had much interest in politics. Maybe she got it out to educate herself for the next election. Or maybe she just missed having dad’s stuff around.
I flipped through the book to see if there was anything remotely interesting in it. A page in the center was bookmarked with a laminated scrap of paper. There was a barely legible paragraph written on it, which I managed to decipher in the low light:
‘For nearly ten years, you have been my trusted friend and colleague. Even with your support my goal will be difficult to achieve, but having your support would mean the world to me. You are a politician and make governing laws. I have always been limited to nature’s laws, but have finally managed to bend even those. As a scientist, I can not stand in the way of progress, and as a politician, I am hoping you will do the same.’
I heard footsteps in the hallway and slammed the book shut but slipped the bookmark into my pocket. Mom entered the room. “What are you doing in here, honey?” she said softly.
“Nothing,” I replied. “Is this one of dad’s books?”
She nodded. “I need to go to bed now, and you should probably do the same. I’ll see you in the morning.”
chapter twelve
I was planning to head back to The Necropolis the next day. I was far too lazy to drag myself out of bed and get packed that morning, but figured I’d eat something and head out later that afternoon. When I got up I found Luke sitting at the kitchen island staring into an empty bowl of what I presumed had once been cereal.
“Mom wants us to stick around today,” he said without looking up. “Says she has some big project for us. I don’t know what it is but I wouldn’t push it. She’s still in that mood.”
I wasn’t sure how I felt about letting mom rope me into doing anything. And I already knew it would be some kind of charity work because that’s what she did during the majority of her spare time.
But I knew she would bitch if I didn’t go, maybe even going so far as to call me when I got home and bitch even more over the phone. And none of my friends would be back from their various relatives’ houses for a couple of days. So it was either charity work or facing her wrath. Maybe I would even get that feeling that Matt had talked about a few weeks earlier, the one people get when they do something nice for someone else.
Mom came into the kitchen, still in her bathrobe. “Morning sunshine,” she sang. “Ready to face another day?”
I grunted and poured myself a bowl of cereal. “Not really.”
“Well, that’s too bad,” she said, “Because I’ve got something really special in store for you two.” She poured herself a cup of coffee.
“How much liquor is in that pot?” Luke said. We snickered. She smirked.
“Hey mom,” I said. “I found something last night and wanted you to take a look at it.” I pulled the bookmark out of my pajama pants pocket. “It looks like it was cut out of an old letter or something, but laminated to make a little bookmark.
Mom examined the bookmark for a minute and frowned. “Where did you find this?”
“In that old book that was on your bed last night. Was it dad’s?”
She nodded. “Your dad loved pulling quotes from different places. He used to keep every fortune from all the fortune cookies we got. And before the collapse, we had a lot of them. But I eventually convinced him to throw them all away.”
“So, what is this from? A letter?”
“It looks like it.” She sighed. “Honestly McKenzie, I have no clue. Your father knew a lot of scientists when he was working in Washington because they were all working with the Congressmen to discuss the legalities of TNV when it was first invented. Who knows, it might even be from Dr. Cooper.”
“Dr. Cooper? The guy who invented TNV? Why would he be talking to dad?”
She shrugged. “I’m not sure, Kenzie. I don’t know how much they communicated. I wish I had more answers for you, but I don’t. It’s probably just something he liked the sound of and wanted to keep.”
I sighed. Mom hadn’t given me as much information as I was hoping for, but at least she wasn’t still in her mood from yesterday. I sat down and started to eat.
Mom’s project turned out to be better than I had feared. She works with a company that builds low income housing, among other things, and they needed to finish painting a house before the family moved in. A young-ish lo
oking male supervisor supplied us with several pails of pink paint, told us to paint all of the walls and that we would be joined by another volunteer shortly. Then he left.
“I love this color,” I said. “I guess it’s a daughter’s room?”
“I would assume so,” Luke said.
I pried open the paint lid. “So why do you think this family moved in here? Most people don’t need government funded houses anymore. Or can’t get them.” I scratched my head and a blob of paint got stuck in my hair.
“Probably a single mom. The kid’s father probably died and the government is helping them. If mom hadn’t taken a second job after dad died, we might be in one of these houses right now. Stop rubbing that paint. It’ll come out a lot easier if you let it dry and scrape it out.”
I put my hand down but the paint was driving me crazy. Ten minutes later I was finally about to start scraping when Elizabeth walked in. I had never seen her in jeans and a t-shirt before. She was smacking gum and waving at me, perhaps a bit too enthusiastically (though that seemed to be the norm for her).
“Kenzie!” she squeed. “I didn’t know you were going to be here. This is going to be so much fun.” She pulled me into a one armed but tight hug.
“Oh um, hi...Elizabeth,” I said. Luke looked back at me and mouthed ‘Immortal?’ I nodded. I knew he was probably wondering the same thing I was — what was an Immortal doing here? Most of them didn’t do charity work outside The Necropolis.
She turned to Luke. “And you are...?”
“I’m Luke. Kenzie’s brother.”
She smiled, exposing her unnaturally white teeth against her equally unnatural tan. “Oh, hello there Luke. I guess good genes run in the family.”
Luke didn’t respond, and Elizabeth kept talking. “People say me and my brothers look alike but, you know, we really don’t. I always tell my oldest brother he looks like our dad, but I don’t think he likes that much. Can’t say I blame him. I mean, I love my dad, but I am really glad I look like my mom.”
The Immortals Page 7