Monster

by Yolanda Olson

  “Ken’s the best actually,” he said returning the hug. “I learned everything from him. Any chance we’ll be joined by him,” he asked turning to face Kaeden.

  Kae didn’t respond. In fact, he flat out ignored the question, “Finnegan I want you to come out with me tonight. It’s been a while since you or I have properly fed. Everyone else will stay here and watch Brian.”

  “Yeah, I’m sure Cody will be all for that,” I said rolling my eyes.

  “He doesn’t have a choice. Not today,” Kaeden said quietly. “Drake you seem to get along quite well with him. Please inform him that he will be staying in tonight while Finnegan and myself go out for the rest of the evening.”

  “Sure thing boss. But what about Ken?” Drake asked not moving.

  “I think it’ll be quickest, if we slip out the window,” Kae said to me ignoring Drake’s question again.

  I nodded and smiled sympathetically at Drake. Kaeden held the window open for me to slide through, but before I did I gave Drake a look that let him know that I’d get his answer for him. He smiled gratefully then left the room. I dropped to the ground below with Kaeden right behind me.

  “Walk quickly,” he said giving me a soft push, “You’re right about Cody; he’s not going to be happy about staying. If we get a far enough start it’ll give Charlie some time to calm him down.”

  “Ugh, he’s so hard headed,” I said in frustration as we ducked out onto the street.

  “It’s only because he loves you so much,” he said smiling. “As a matter of fact, he damn near drove us all crazy when you left Devils Lake. He kept asking me if I was sure you’d be okay. He kept asking Shane how well he knew you and if he was absolutely sure that you would be okay. Drake cut him off though,” he said grinning mischievously. “It was pretty funny to see. ‘I’ve known her for as long as she’s been in Devils Lake. She’s like a little sister to me. I would kill for her, and that includes you, and yes. She can handle herself.’ That finally shut him up.”

  I laughed thinking about how Drake probably out talked him in his friendly and funny style. I know that Cody couldn’t have been mad at him over it because in a weird way they kind of had the same sense of humor.

  “Mm, mm. This way,” he said tugging on my arm and steering me to the right.

  “Sorry I was just thinking about how Cody took that,” I said following him down the street.

  Laughing he shook his head, “Oh you know. The usual shock, dismay, recover, laugh thing he always does.”

  Grinning I grabbed Kae’s arm and let him lead me around Devils Lake. Nothing looked familiar so I knew we were going to a place I hadn’t been to before. It didn’t matter to me though. I was pretty hungry and he looked like he hadn’t fed in days, so I would let him take me anywhere he wanted.

  Leaning down he pulled out of my grip and put his arm around my shoulders giving me a squeeze. I looked up and he smiled down at me. I slipped an arm around his waist as he walked down the street. It was nice to be out for a normal stroll with a friend. I hadn’t had that simple luxury in a while.

  “Kaeden do you think there’s any way to fix me?” I ask suddenly.

  “Fix you? But you’re not broken,” he said glancing down at me.

  “That’s not what I mean,” I said sighing. “I hate being a monster. I hate being frozen like this. I feel like a time capsule that is never going to be dug up and examined because I’ll never be laid to rest. I don’t want to be like this anymore.”

  He was quiet. I glanced up at him and noticed that he was absorbing everything I had just said. I wondered if he didn’t want to be the way he was anymore. I’d never ask him something that personal though.

  “I don’t know, to be honest,” he said finally.

  I sighed unhappily and stopped walking. I glanced to the left and realized we were across the street from the cemetery. Looking both ways, I walked across the street and headed in. I went over to the children’s section and sat on the granite bench that was adorned with angelic designs.

  I heard his footsteps as he crossed the silent street, and the sounds of him walking across the soft grass toward me. I had my head in my hands when Kaeden sat next to me. He let out his breath unhappily and put a hand on my back.

  “I wish I knew how to fix this Finnegan. I didn’t know you hated it so much,” he said sadly.

  “I do! I didn’t ask to be like this. I didn’t ask to be ripped away from my family and my life. I don’t like this. I think it’s disgusting; what I am. I ... I guess that’s why I keep pushing Cody away so much. I don’t get how he can be so enamored with something that’s not even alive.”

  “You are alive, dolly. In a weird roundabout way, but you are definitely alive.”

  Startled I looked up and saw him leaning one of the gravestones like he had done the last time we were here. Kaeden chuckled and stood up.

  “I’m going to take a walk around this place. I’ll meet you in the center okay?”

  I nodded as he stood up and started to walk away. Cody locked eyes with him and nodded at him.

  “Kae was right. There really was no way you were going to stay home, huh?” I said sniffling.

  “No. I’m sorry but I’m not going to let you out of my sight anymore,” he said seriously. I noticed that he hadn’t smiled yet. Usually he smiled within the first thirty seconds.

  My only answer was a shrug. I was still having my “I don’t want to be a monster anymore” crisis playing out in my head.

  “You know that horse you’re so fond of?” he asked suddenly.

  I nodded.

  “I’m kind of like that horse. He doesn’t see you like a monster. He remembers the first time he saw you and that’s all he knows. I told you that I remember the first time I saw you. I know it still sounds creepy but I really didn’t fall in love with a baby,” he said looking away.

  “Cody. I know. Don’t worry about it. You told me you saw me as grown up. I get it. It doesn’t bother me and I don’t think it’s creepy,” I said folding one of my legs underneath me.

  “No you don’t understand,” he said vehemently. “I’ve never, never felt a love like that before you. The nurses would have to force me out of the hospital every night, but I would just sneak back in and watch you from the window. I dressed in scrubs so they wouldn’t throw me out. They actually believed I worked there,” he scoffed shaking his head. “It took Phoebe to snap me out of my despair when your parents took you home two days later. I really did lose it. I thought I’d never see you again and I felt like they stole you from me. With all the stuff that’s happened since, especially with Skiles I refuse to let you get hurt again. I can’t let you get hurt. I don’t want you to be human dolly. I want you to stay the way you are. I can keep you alive like this, but if you’re human, you’ll eventually have to die. I ... I won’t recover from that.”

  I looked at him carefully. I’d never seen him so distressed. He even had tears streaming down his face. Didn’t he know that I was still able to die like this? That one well-placed blow or fracture could kill me? It’s weird to think that I have immortality because I don’t age, but to actually know that there is a way to kill something like me.

  “See? I told you,” came the voice from the cemetery gates.

  Instantly I recognized the voice and got to my feet. Turning I saw Billie was standing at the entrance and she had Phoebe with her.

  “KAEDEN!” I shouted at the top of my lungs. I knew Cody wasn’t going to be of any use to me right now. Especially not if his own sister attacked.

  She took a few tentative steps forward and he turned to look at her wiping the tears away from his face.

  “Cody?” she asked doubtfully.

  Standing up, he nodded and walked over to them. I watched as she hugged her brother tightly and started to cry tears of joy. Next to me, I suddenly felt the overwhelming presence of Kaeden.

  “That was fast,” I said keeping my eyes fastened on the scene.

  “You sounded franti
c, I ran,” he said simply. “When did they get here?”

  “Just.”

  “Do you think this will turn ugly?”

  “Don’t know. I guess we’ll have to wait and see,” I replied tensing up.

  He grunted in reply and crossed his arms over his chest. I knew that he would be able to switch in a heartbeat, I only hoped I’d finally be able to do the same.

  Cody kept a tight grip on his sister while she cried into his chest. He rested his cheek on her head and turned to look at me.

  Kaeden nudged me; I looked up and saw him looking directly to my left. Billie was standing there.

  I locked eyes with her. Next to me I felt Kaeden tense and heard a low growl escape his throat. Against my better judgment, I tore my eyes away from for just a moment and looked at Kaeden. His eyes were pitch black behind his glasses and his muscles were bulging. He definitely didn’t trust her being that close.

  Letting out a snarl, he shoved me behind him and stopped her attack on me. Holding her by the throat he lifted her in the air.

  “Coward! You attack her when her back is turned to you!”

  She was kicking her feet trying to get down and he lifted her in the air over his head, and then threw her hard back against the cemetery gates. Her body made the iron gates clang as she smacked against them and hit the ground. “What’s going on?” Cody asked his eyes focusing. “Stop it!”

  I looked over at him, he was yelling at us. As if we had started it!

  “Don’t you dare scream at us,” I shouted. “Your stupid friend there attacked me and Kaeden stopped her. If anyone should be getting yelled at it’s her,” I said pointing at her.

  He shook his head then he pushed his sister away. She looked up at him with pleading eyes, but he suddenly looked very angry with her.

  “Phoebe, why would you do that to me? I’m your brother,” he said in a seething tone.

  “Because I hate what she’s done to you,” she said stomping her foot.

  “Don’t ever, ever do that to me again,” he warned in a low tone.

  Coming over to Kaeden and me he put a hand to Kae’s chest to back him off.

  Then he leaned down and grabbed my hand tightly in his.

  “Sorry about that. Phoebe’s got a mind control thing she can do,” he explained looking at us.

  “Forget Phoebe,” Kae said. “I want to know why that one attacked.”

  “That’s Billie,” I said looking up at him. “She’s the one that had Brian waiting for me when she ‘welcomed’ me onto her property. She’s the one that almost killed Jazz trying to get to me.”

  I felt myself becoming unstable.

  Cody stepped behind me and started to rub my shoulders, “Calm down, dolly.”

  “No. I will not,” I said in a seething tone. “That little girl had nothing to do with this and you used her as bait. You knew you could get me to come out if you cornered her. How could you?”

  Instinctively I made a move to run at her, but Cody tightened his grip and jerked me back to him. I struggled against him and almost got away, so he put his arms around my waist and held on tightly.

  “Calm down, Finnegan,” he repeated again.

  “To hell with that,” I screamed. “Let go of me so I can get rid of her once and for all.”

  Billie sprung to her feet and walked over to Phoebe’s side, who had been watching everything unfold in disbelief.

  “Cody,” she began, her voice trembling, “Billie is one of us. She’s more one of us than we are. You can’t take Finnegan’s side over hers.”

  “Actually I can, Pheebs,” he said simply. “And if you don’t get her out of here, I let go of Finn and Billie won’t exist anymore to be one of anything.”

  Kaeden chuckled next to us and Phoebe’s mouth dropped open in shock. I felt myself starting to relax.

  “What do you say, Finnie?” he asked giving me a gentle shake. “Want to see what it’s like to take out an angel?”

  “Give me the opportunity and I’ll do it,” I said locking eyes with Billie again.

  “No dolly, not today,” he said kissing the top of my head. “I think we should get out of here, this cemetery is too crowded,” he said looking at Kaeden.

  “Agreed,” Kae replied. I noticed that his eyes there normal beautiful blue grey color again.

  “Cody if you turn your back on us, I’m not going to have a choice and you know it,” Phoebe said in a pleading tone. “Don’t lose your family over her.”

  “You’re not my only family,” he said looking her in the eyes. “I have an extended family in these guys and gals, and they wouldn’t do to me what you just did. You’re the one who pushed the wrong button Pheebs. Who knows? Maybe one day this mess will straighten itself out. But for now, I have to stay with Finnegan and my friends. I know what’s coming and I can’t let them go through it without my help.”

  “I don’t want to have to do this Cody,” she said softly, “but you’re not leaving me with a choice.”

  Then, for the first time ever being in her presence, I saw her eyes turn into snake slits. From behind me Cody dropped his head, and let out his breath. I turned around and looked up at him. He ran a finger down the side of my face and smiled.

  “Do you think I can squeeze an ‘I love you’ out of you right now?” he asked softly.

  “I don’t understand what’s going on,” I said looking from him to Phoebe and back again.

  “Guess not,” he said chuckling softly. Standing up to his full height he looked at Kaeden. “Do me a favor, Dracula. Get her out of here.”

  Kaeden nodded and reached over for me, but I pulled away. I suddenly realized what was going to happen. He and Phoebe were going to fight each other. I couldn’t let that happen. Two siblings fighting over me was more than I could bear.

  “No way,” I shouted stepping in between the two of them.

  “I’m going to need you to move, dolly,” Cody said, his eyes filled with evil and anger.

  “Then you’re going to have to move me,” I said defiantly.

  “I’ll move you, “came the rage filled voice behind me.

  Before I had a chance to turn around, Cody had already come at me shoving me out of the way. I never saw Phoebe move behind me and I just stood there shocked. I landed on the ground hard, barely missing a gravestone and turned to see him locked viciously with his sister. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Billie start to creep around the back of him, ready to attack. I got to my feet and ran over to the fight, knocking her to the ground.

  When I got to my feet, I noticed that Kaeden was standing there, with his hands behind his back watching both fights unfolding. Apparently he wasn’t going to be of any help.

  “Are you kidding me?” I practically screamed at him.

  “Don’t worry about me,” he said calmly, “worry about her.”

  I turned and saw that Billie was back on her feet. I got in a defensive position, waiting for her to attack me, but instead she ran straight at Cody and tackled him from behind. Or at least she tried too. Cody stayed on his feet and didn't even notice that Billie was on his back trying to get him off of Phoebe.

  I ran over swiftly and with a great amount of effort, finally pulled her off of his back. We both fell to the ground as I tumbled back and lost my footing. She landed squarely on top of me, and I shoved her off.

  Grunting I got to my feet ready to take her on, when I saw that Kaeden already had her restrained. I nodded in thanks and took off toward Cody and Phoebe. I had just reached them when he leaned back and pushed me out of the way. Phoebe took that opportunity to knock her brother to the ground. She stood over him triumphantly and pulled her arm high into the air, then plunged it down toward him.

  I got up as quickly as I could and dove in the way. She struck me hard in the chest and I rolled over howling in pain.

  “Finnegan?” Cody asked frantically.

  I laid on my stomach screaming. I don't know what she had intended to do to him, but I felt like my chest almo
st caved in on me. The more I screamed, the harder I found it to breathe, but the pain was so unbearable that I had to choose between screaming and breathing. Screaming definitely had the upper hand.

  “Finnegan?” he asked again turning me onto my back. Lifting my shirt he checked my body for any sign of damage, then hoisted me off the ground.

  “Oh God, please be okay,” he said carrying me to the stone bench. He laid me down on it and turned to face his sister. “Get out of here now or so help me, I will kill you.” His scream was so loud that it seemed to split the air.

  “This isn't over,” she said looking at me. “You're in for a nasty surprise.”

  I ignored her and concentrated on getting air back into my lungs. Kaeden finally released his grip on Billie and they both ran from the cemetery like scared rabbits.

  “You know,” I started between gasped breaths, “I thought being a human was dangerous.” I stopped to take a breath. “But being your girlfriend is far more dangerous than anything in this world.”

  Cody sat on the ground next to the bench and laughed with relief. “I can't believe this. It takes Pheebs almost punching a hole into your chest for you to say you're my girlfriend.” He looked over at Kaeden who was standing there looking amused, “Mark this one on the calendar when we get back to your place.”

  I laid there for a few moments, until I was sure that I was fine enough to stand.

  Slowly I pushed myself up to a seated position, then from there to my feet. Kaeden leaned down and held his hand out. I looked up at him and smiled, taking his hand and letting him pull me to a steadier standing position. Cody, I noticed, was glancing around the cemetery uneasily.

  “We really need to get out of here guys,” he said pulling me close to him. “Like now.”

  “What’s the matter? You look concerned,” Kae observed.

  “Yeah. I am. Phoebe didn’t leave. Billie did but not Pheebs. And ... and she’s not alone. We have to leave now.”

  He reached over and grabbed Kaeden by the arm, and hoisted me up. With what could only be described as demonic strength, he ran out of the cemetery with us in tow, like it was nothing to be dragging Kaeden and carrying me at the same time.