“We’re allowed to be nervous about our first child going off to college,” his mother replied, tears hovering in her eyes. “We thought we would have another year at least.”
Frank’s father shook his head, placing a comforting arm around his wife’s waist. “The early admission and scholarship were just too good to pass up. You know that honey,” he said.
“It’ll be okay,” Chris said. “I’ll come to visit often, I promise.”
The teenager turned to Rebecca, noticing her pinched expression. “What is it? Don’t tell me you’re sad to see me leave. I know you’ve been eyeing my room for ages.”
“You mean my new studio?” Rebecca replied with a sly grin. She was much taller now, and her long hair was braided in an intricate pattern that ran almost to her waist. Small smudges and paint stains marred her otherwise immaculate appearance. “I started moving in my art supplies about an hour ago.”
“That’s not terribly surprising from our young Michelangelo” Chris replied with a smile. He ruffled Rebecca’s hair, earning him a glare from the young girl. “Try to behave while I’m gone.” Rebecca just snorted softly and stepped back into the house – likely to finish claiming her brother’s room.
“Well, let’s get the rest of this luggage packed up,” Frank’s father said, lifting a few more bags and gesturing for his wife to help.
Jason noticed Frank sitting on the steps leading up to the house, Buddy sitting quietly at his feet. The puppy had grown up already. Actually, calling him a puppy was misleading. There were at least seventy pounds of fully adult dog panting beside Frank. His friend had aged as well. By Jason’s guess, he was probably in early high school at this point.
Yet it still seemed like his parents treated him like a second-class child. They had largely ignored him during the exchange. Jason wasn’t certain he had ever noticed that before. Although looking back on it, he really hadn’t gone over to Frank’s house very often. Maybe once or twice over the course of several years. He was now beginning to understand why.
Could this be what Frank lives with every day? Jason wondered.
Chris seemed to share his thought, looking at his younger brother with troubled eyes. He walked up and sat down beside Frank, idly scratching Buddy behind the ears. They sat quietly for a few long seconds, watching their parents bicker as they crammed yet another bag into the already overstuffed car.
“Do they know that you’re planning to change your major?” Frank asked quietly.
Chris just shook his head. “They don’t have a clue. They think I’m going into chemical engineering. Could you imagine their reaction if I told them I wanted to act for a living? They call them starving artists for a reason,” he said in imitation of his mother’s voice.
“Knowing you, they’d probably pitch in money for your first movie,” Frank said bitterly.
His brother couldn’t help but grin. “You know what? You’re probably right – at least after dad got finished screaming.”
Even Frank smiled at that, but his expression sobered a few seconds later. “I’m going to miss you,” he murmured.
“I know. I’m going to miss you too,” Chris replied, resting a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “It’ll be okay, Frank. You just need to hang in there and not let Rebecca or our parents get to you.” He glanced down at the black lab. “Besides, you have Buddy, right?”
“You mean your dog?” Frank turned away from his brother as he spoke so that he couldn’t see the tears forming in the corners of his eyes. Yet that didn’t hide them from Jason where he stood unnoticed beside the pair.
“I mean our dog. And now your dog,” Chris replied. “I’m sure you’ll take good care of him.”
“Hey,” Chris said, placing a hand on Frank’s shoulder and forcing his younger brother to look at him with his red-rimmed eyes. “I know you hate it here and you feel like Rebecca and I outshine you at every turn, but that won’t always be the case. Someday you are going to find your thing.” His brother looked back at the car and their parents. “When you do, don’t hesitate and don’t let it go – no matter what. You’re capable of a lot more than you realize.”
Frank’s eyes widened, and he opened his mouth to reply, but his mother interrupted. “I think we have you settled, Chris! You need to go, or you’ll be late for orientation. Come give me one last hug before you leave.”
Chris stood, glancing back at Frank one last time. “I’m sorry,” he mouthed before hurrying off to hug his parents and then stepping into the car.
Jason’s eyes were focused on Frank as the vehicle began to pull away from the curb and drift into traffic. It was the way his friend’s shoulders slumped forward and the way his hand numbly pet Buddy that made Jason’s heart lurch. He had never known what Frank’s home life was like or how much his brother had meant to him. His friend had certainly never talked about it before. Even Buddy seemed to pick up on his master’s mood, resting his head in Frank’s lap and whining softly.
Through it all, Frank’s parents were oblivious. They stepped up toward the door, his mother sparing a glance at her younger son as she walked past. “Come on, Frank. I’m sure there is some homework you should be doing – your grades could certainly use it.”
Frank just sat there numbly, unmoving as he gazed at the car until it disappeared around a bend in the road, unshed tears glistening in his eyes. Then he took a deep breath and slowly pulled himself to his feet, turning to enter the house.
The world around Jason suddenly lurched again, twisting and swirling around him even as he tried to grapple with what he had just witnessed. This couldn’t be fake. Too many of the facts lined up with what he knew. He knew Frank’s brother had left for college during high school and he rarely visited. Which only left one conclusion. He had just witnessed Frank’s memories – however impossible that seemed.
Jason felt guilty, like he was spying on his friend. These were important events in Frank’s life, and they put his unhappiness on full display. He had lost one of the only people in his life that treated him like a real person and not just a disappointment – the son who could never measure up to his brother’s or sister’s greatness.
Jason wanted to squeeze his eyes shut to block out the images he knew would come next. If he was viewing Frank’s memories, then he expected Riley was next. The look on Frank’s face was still burned into his mind. When his friend thought no one was looking, he let his mask slip. What Jason had seen underneath was pain – raw and unfiltered. In some ways, it felt selfish, but he didn’t want to know these things about his friends.
Yet he had no choice but to keep going. The world soon resolved itself around Jason, but this time he was somewhere unfamiliar. He stood in the center of what appeared to be a living room, and he whirled in a circle, confused and disoriented.
People filled the room, sitting on couches and chairs that lined the walls. Their faces were all cast in the same stoic expression, and they were all dressed in varying shades of gray and black. Despite the number of people filling the room, the house was quiet, everyone speaking in hushed whispers. An almost palpable air of sadness hung over the room which even seemed to make the colors of the furniture and paintings on the walls feel washed out and dull.
And through this gloomy scene raced a young girl. She came bolting into the room, slightly out of breath and mud was smeared on the hem of her dress. “Riley Marie Jones!” a voice snapped, and Jason watched as the girl visibly flinched.
Riley’s mother stepped into the room a moment later, grabbing the girl’s shoulder. “Do not run in the house. Your grandfather is upstairs…” her mother hesitated, glancing at the other people filling the living room. “Your grandpa is resting,” she amended quickly. “You need to be quiet.”
Jason’s eyes widened in shock as he watched the little girl look up at her mom, a mixture of guilt and fear flitting across her young face. She’s maybe four or five, Jason thought. But what’s going on here? It looks like they’re having a funeral.
; “I’m sorry, Mama,” Riley said. “I didn’t mean to wake up grandpa.”
Her mother’s expression softened as she looked at the young girl. “It’s okay. Just try to not to run around the house. If you need to, you can go outside and play.”
“Okay, mama,” Riley said, nodding quickly.
“Sarah,” someone called from another room. “Could you help me in the kitchen?”
Riley’s mom glanced over her shoulder. “Sure, I’ll be right there.” Then she turned back to Riley. “Remember, behave and be quiet.”
The little girl nodded again, her eyes wide as her mother disappeared into the other room. Then she looked around her at the other people sitting around the room, whispering in quiet voices. Jason could almost see the thoughts flit through Riley’s mind, confusion and uncertainty warring across her face as she tried to decide what to do.
Coming to some sort of decision, Riley began wandering through the rooms. Jason kept pace with her, noticing that the other rooms were filled with more unfamiliar individuals attired in similarly drab clothing. He could only catch furtive snippets of conversation.
“It’s so unfortunate about uncle…” one young woman whispered.
“…is he in much pain?” another older gentleman murmured.
Are they family members? Jason wondered. Clearly someone was sick or had passed away.
Finding nothing to occupy her attention on the ground floor, Riley eyed the staircase leading upstairs. After the encounter with her mother, she glanced surreptitiously at the other adults in the room and tried her best not to draw any attention as she inched toward the stairs and made her way up the steps.
Where is she going? Jason could only follow the young girl, curious where this was heading despite his earlier reservations. After witnessing Frank’s memories, he couldn’t help but suspect that this would end badly.
As the girl reached the top of the stairs, she paused. A long dark hallway stretched across the house’s second floor, the hall cast in shadowy darkness. It seemed no one had bothered to turn on the lights up here. A rhythmic thumping could be heard from one of the rooms at the far end of the hallway, followed by a faint wheezing sound that seemed to rattle through the air.
Riley made her way down the hallway cautiously, her small feet feeling out the floorboards to avoid disturbing the ancient wood. As she neared a door on the other end of the hall, her small hand reached up and hesitantly tugged at the handle. She slipped inside, Jason following closely behind her.
He immediately froze as he stepped into the room. An old man lay on the bed, his skin wrinkled and pockmarked with age. Yet what drew Jason’s attention was the ventilator tube strapped over his mouth, and the array of electronics lined up next to the bed. He could now understand the wheezing thump he had heard from the hallway. The machinery was breathing for the old man, his chest rising and falling in sync with the mechanical rhythm of the nearby equipment.
Riley stepped up beside what Jason could only assume was her grandpa, taking his wrinkled hand. “Hey there, girl,” he croaked suddenly, causing Riley to jump. He chuckled softly at her reaction, the movement causing a short coughing fit.
“You scared me, grandpa!” Riley said, before doing a double take and lowering her voice. “That was mean,” she whispered.
“And you snuck into my bedroom,” he wheezed softly as he regained his breath, a smile curling his wrinkled lips. “How is your mother doing?”
“She is worried about you and told me to stop running around the house,” Riley murmured, looking off to the side and scuffing her shoe on the floor.
“And why were you running?” her grandpa asked with a kindly expression.
“I… I was bored,” Riley said. “I know I shouldn’t have. It’s just that everyone is being so quiet, and no one will play with me.”
“Nonsense. I’ll tell you what, do you want to hear a secret?” he asked, motioning for her to come closer. As Riley leaned forward, he whispered, “I’m bored too. I’ve been laying in this bed for ages.”
Riley’s eyes lit up. “I found a little creek behind the house! I could show you.”
The older man smiled. “I know the creek you’re talking about, but that might be a bit too far for me to walk.” He glanced at the machinery beside him, turning his head so the younger girl couldn’t see his expression – but his face still visible from where Jason stood nearby. His expression looked pained as his eyes skimmed the rows of data on a nearby screen and he saw the older man heave a soft, frustrated sigh.
The old man turned back to Riley, a thoughtful look painted across his face. “I might have another idea, though. Do you think you could help me outside?”
Riley hesitated, her eyes going wide. “I don’t think I should. Mama told me that you were sick.”
A sly look crossed the old man’s face. “Really? Well, did she tell you that you could go play outside?”
“Well… I guess she did,” Riley said slowly.
“Then, I’m sure it will be fine with her then,” her grandpa continued. “Besides, we don’t need to go far, and it’s a beautiful day outside.” He gestured at the door along the side of the bedroom, a few weak rays of sunlight managing to make it past the thick curtain that hung in front of the door. “The house is built against a hill, and that door leads directly outside. I may just need a little help.”
“Okay…” Riley replied, still biting her lip uncertainly.
Her grandfather shifted in the bed, straining to push himself to a sitting position. He then peeled back the thin sheet covering his lower body, revealing that he was wearing a hospital gown. Hesitating for a moment, he coughed into the mouthpiece of the ventilator. Reaching beside the bed, he tugged at a small cylinder.
“Can you help me?” he asked Riley, her small head nodding enthusiastically in response. She pulled out the cylinder and handed it to her grandfather. He promptly pulled off his mask and placed a thin plastic band over his head and under his nose before attaching the hose to the small cylinder. Jason could only assume that he was holding a small oxygen tank.
“Okay, now you’ll need to grab grandpa’s cane,” he explained, pointing at a wooden cane on the other side of the room.
The girl quickly grabbed the cane and handed it to her grandfather. The older man groaned softly as he managed to pull himself to his feet, leaning heavily on the cane. Once he was standing, Riley’s grandfather handed Riley the oxygen tank and the pair made their way painfully to the door as Jason watched, unable to help them. He wished he could enter the scene and offer Riley’s grandfather a hand.
Luckily, they made it to the door without incident, and a moment later they were outside. As Riley’s grandfather had explained, the house abutted a hill and the door exited onto level ground. A forest ringed the house, the branches of tall oaks stretching into the sky.
The older man gestured at a nearby stump. “Let’s go right there,” he suggested, wheezing slightly despite the oxygen being fed through the tube wrapped around his face.
A few seconds later, he slumped down onto the stump – clearly exhausted by even the short trip from his bedroom to his new, makeshift seat. He sat for a long moment with his eyes closed, his aged skin absorbing the warmth of the sunlight. Meanwhile, his heavy breathing slowed.
“What now, grandpa?” Riley asked.
He opened his eyes and glanced at the young girl with a smile. “Here is the fun part. You see that little shed,” he said, gesturing at a small shack near the house. “Inside is a bow and a quiver of arrows. I’m going to show you how to shoot.”
Riley’s eyes lit up with excitement, and a moment later she was already racing over to the shed. She returned a minute later with a wooden recurve gripped in one hand and dragging a quiver along the ground behind her, filled with dull, plastic arrows.
“Is this it?” she asked, presenting her newfound loot.
“It is indeed,” her grandpa wheezed. “Now, that bow is pretty weak. It’s only a ten or fifteen-pound tr
aining bow, so you should be able to draw it even at your age.”
When he saw the blank look on the young girl’s face, he smiled. “Okay, just take out an arrow and place the little notched part against the string next to that little round piece. Yeah, right there,” he added as the girl followed his instructions.
“Place your left hand here,” he instructed, shifting her hand to the bow’s grip with gentle fingers. “Then use your right hand to pull back on the string. Gently.”
Riley’s right arm trembled as she pulled back on the string. “Now what?” she gasped, when she had finally managed to pull the string as far as it would go.
“Now you point it away from the house and let go,” her grandpa said, wheezing softly.
Riley turned and pointed the dull plastic arrow at the woods encircling the house. She took a breath and released. The arrow launched from the string, sailing through the air and thudding against a tree trunk. Unfortunately, the arrow’s tip was blunt, and it didn’t manage to sink into the wood. Instead, it tumbled to the ground.
“Did I do good?” Riley asked, whirling back to look at her grandpa, a broad excited smile painted her face.
“Very good,” her grandpa said, placing a hand on her shoulder. His breath was coming in ragged gasps now, and he wasn’t looking well. Without thinking, Jason stepped forward and almost touched his shoulder. He hesitated at the last moment, suddenly uncertain what would happen if he tried to touch someone during this… well, whatever this was.
Despite her age, Riley wasn’t oblivious to her grandfather’s labored breathing. “Are you okay?” she asked, concern written across her face.
“I… I’m fine,” her grandfather replied between gasps. “It feels so good to be outside again, and that was an amazing shot. I may have gotten a little too… excited”
He leaned forward, and his eyes closed slightly. “You don’t look okay,” Riley said, her expression growing scared and uncertain. “Should I get Mama?”
Awaken Online (Book 3): Evolution Page 58