Persona

by Amy Lunderman

  “Raymond! Leave her be, there hasn’t been that much, so don’t even say it.” Daisy says admonishingly, as Ray pouts rubbing at his ‘sore’ shoulder.

  Daisy softens instantly and pushes over to his side again, and places a gentle kiss on his arm. Before she can straighten and move away, he pulls her to him with a bright smile. Moira and Raven share a look and an eye roll, which clearly says young love, what can you do?

  “Thanks Daisy, I knew you were on my side.” Raven says softly and more to herself and Moira.

  Daisy and Ray are lost in each other’s eyes, and really it’s enough to make the sweetest love devoted person want to gag at the sight. But honestly, as she and Raven try to glance away, Moira can’t help thinking that it is sweet.

  “There are no sides when it comes to love.” Daisy says so softly, Moira has to wonder if she heard anything at all.

  Daisy finishes while facing Ray, and the look the two of them share is one so intense, that it makes Moira blush. She isn’t alone in that either, because she notices Raven steeling her eyes in the other direction.

  Watching them though, Moira can’t help feeling that she misses Marty more and more the longer he is gone. But decides that Raven is right, and she can’t let it tear her apart. She’ll need her strength if she wants to get him back, and she is done waiting; it has to be now.

  She smiles at her friends, and tries to let it show that she is fine now.

  ***

  Marty was just getting used to being punched in the face, when his captures decided that it was enough for the day. Now he is back to sitting on the cold cement of someone’s dirty ass basement, wishing he had a whole bottle of Advil to down with a nice tall glass of vodka. Or truth be told, he’d prefer just a whole container of vodka; he needs something to dim the pain. And he means physical and not mental, though he does have a lot of both at the moment.

  Not only is face currently a bloody mess, and he’s sure his nose was broken at some point, but the asshat ‘questioning’ him also dislocated his shoulder. Apparently Marty isn’t the best person to be interrogated, because he wouldn’t give an inch; which definitely pissed off his hosts. Not that he even knows who they are, since he never got to remove the blindfold that is still wrapped to tightly over his eyes. It doesn’t matter though, he can pretty much guess. Based on how much these morons like to talk about their scheming plans no matter who is in the room. And from what he has heard, they are the same cult group that had attack them all back at Gordon’s house and the very same that took Moira and Raven.

  Of course, he could have figured that out even if they weren’t so talky. Mostly from the questions they asked between hits, or he should say the questions ‘she’ asked. Oh yes, there is a woman involved, and yes she is quite the spit fire. A spit fire that he would so love to shove her freaking ass in, and watch it burn all right. And as soon as he figures a way out of here, she is going to be the first person he tears into. There is something about her, which he can’t quite get, she appears to hate people like him; yet she works with them? It really makes no sense to him, but something else is there too, because she is far too interested in Moira to just want a reward.

  Ever since the woman came down the rickety stairs the first time he woke up here, she never let up about wanting to know where his group would run off too. It helps that he honestly doesn’t know; he was never the best navigational-ist.

  Not that she even cares, clearly if he was with them, then he just must know where they are. After the same question being asked repetitively, he had enough and decided to break free and get away. He would have too, if it wasn’t for the absence of his persona. Because, yeah, that little gift of his is totally gone. It’s enough to make him want to bang him head back into the pipe he is leaning against.

  Turns out he is getting some crap to make it go away, and the woman administers it to him every so often. He’s waiting for the chance that she comes in too late, and he can finally use his persona again. He remembers what it was like for Moira to get hers back, and he can only hope that his will come fast too. Until then though he’s all alone with his thoughts, and most consist of what the next conversational technique of his hosts will be next.

  Chapter Twenty Four

  Some point between leaving a stunned William after freaking out on him, and trying to make it to his room to calm down; Liam’s father found him. If he could have turned invisible to avoid the man, he so would have. Especially since he’s not his favorite person after his treatment of Moira, of which he is still extremely pissed about. However, like everything else in his life, he is lacking in the superpower department.

  Before he can even try to pretend that he didn’t see him, Marshall flags him down. And that is how he found himself sitting at a large table among many in the library a few moments later with Marshall across from him.

  For some reason, he has the feeling that he should have if he were sent to the principal’s office; even though he knows he didn’t do anything wrong.

  Then again, it is still early, so who knows; maybe he can squeeze in a screw up or too before the sun sets. Even though he’d much rather be getting all his teeth pulled, without Novocain, than in here.

  Absently glancing around the library, Liam notices that the room hasn’t changed at all, since he has been away. Of course, this is the one place his mother is at home beside himself, and she too has been away; hence the stability of the room.

  This is just your average library, with actual stacks in rows at the back of the room. The walls are lined with shelves of books upon books, and there are a handful of rectangular tables in the center of the room. Realistically, this room should really be called an uninstructed school and not the library, after all, most of the kids here use at for homeschooling.

  Something occurs to him before he really goes on a tangent; the only way he’ll be able to get over what happened with the whole Gordon and Marty thing, is to get them back. Alright, so maybe he is switching from one tangent to another. But if he does that, maybe he’ll even score some points with Moira. He has to remind himself that it’s not about her, but more about his own guilt.

  He would never intentionally leave someone behind, or maybe he would; that’s not the point. The point is, he needs to make this right. And he can’t do that if he is constantly pacing around the place thinking like a girl and worrying about his and other people’s feelings.

  Marshall is currently blathering on about some new code of conduct here at the ranch, but Liam isn’t really paying attention. His father usually talks about things that make no sense, and he is the only one that will sit still and listen to him.

  Not that the man is certifiable or anything, but it does make him wonder sometime. It’s better when his mother is around, like she is the only one that can really calm him down. She once told him it’s something like post-traumatic stress disorder, from everything he went through back at the facility. Which is the only reason; he’ll let him ramble on and on. But today is different. Today, he needs someone to bounce ideas off of and maybe someone to tell him that it’s the right thing to do.

  Interrupting his father in mid-sentence, Liam says, “I want to put a search party together for Gordon and Marty.”

  It’s kind of hilarious when his father sputters into silence, and looks at him like he didn’t even realize he was in the room with him. Liam doesn’t laugh though; instead he waits for what he said to register to his father.

  And when it does, his father goes right into glaring at him and sighing.

  “Come on Li, you know we don’t have that kind of manpower. Farmers and children do not a rescue team make. And that is what you’ll need, to even get close to the facility.”

  Liam anticipated that his father wouldn’t agree with him right away, so it’s a good thing he pays attention. Especially when it comes to what his friend Charles has heard through the pack grapevine.

  “Maybe your right and we don’t have enough solider types. But what if they aren’t at t
he facility?”

  Marshall sits up in his chair looking curious now, and for that Liam is almost thinking he might agree.

  “Why wouldn’t they be taken back to Fletcher? He’s the one that is after Moira, so it would make sense for him to want them questioned.”

  “Right, but what if someone or someone’s got to them first?”

  Now Marshall’s interest is really peaked, and he leans across his desk. Liam believes at this point what he says next will definitely convert his father.

  “I think the people, or the Purists, that took Moira in the first place for the reward; might have kept Gordon and Marty in her place. If that is true, then we only have a limited time to act.”

  “It sounds good on paper Li, but without proof, you don’t really have anything.” Marshall tells Liam, and finally looks away to something more interesting on his desk. “Why would they keep them anyways, the reward isn’t attached to them. And it’s meaningless without her.”

  “Dad, come on. You and I both know that some of the packs were helping those loons. What’s to stop them from contacting us for a ransom?”

  “That could all be true, but without knowing where they are or who they are with, we can’t do anything anyways.” Marshall responds while flipping through a folder of something Liam can’t see. “The best thing to do is to wait and see how it turns out. You’re staying in touch with Charles right?”

  This infuriates Liam, and he wants nothing more than to start yelling his father. But he doesn’t. He finds it hard to believe that his father wouldn’t want to do anything to save the ones left behind.

  He knows his dad never met Marty, so he probably could care less about the boy; but what of Gordon. The two of them were friends in the army before Marshall signed up for the testing trials with Fletcher. And he should at least, want, to help in finding him.

  Then again, it’s pretty much who Marshall is nowadays. Ever since he fled from the facility, it’s like he’s been running and hiding ever sense.

  “Did you not hear the part about wasting valuable time? Gordon’s life is hanging in the balance here. You know Gordon, your friend.”

  Marshall finally looks up at him, and if looks could kill, then Liam would spontaneous combust right now. Fortunately for him, he doesn’t; but he is hoping his father will agree with him now.

  But then lady luck has never been on his side.

  “Yes, I know. And maybe you should have thought of that before YOU left them behind. The army has a saying son, and it’s never leaving a fellow soldier behind. I think we can both agree that you failed with that.”

  Before he can stop himself, Liam gets to his feet at a blurring speed; knocking the chair he was just in backwards. His persona washes over him like a heat filled rage, and he is flexing his nail while growling, before he realizes what he is doing.

  Marshall slowly follows suit, while never once taking his eyes off of his son. His own persona comes over him much faster than Liam’s, and for once Liam isn’t impressed by it; and is only pissed off.

  “Back down boy; right now. This will only end one way, and you won’t like it. I may not be what I used to be, but let me tell you, that I’d have no problem making you back down.”

  Through pointed teeth, his father’s voice comes out as a growl. Liam knows he should listen, and he knows even more that he is acting crazy; but he can’t help it. After everything that he went through to get Moira here and to earn her trust; he just wants to do right by her. And no matter what he keeps telling himself, that she doesn’t matter; the truth is she does.

  He hates hearing that he is just wasting his time trying to make his wrongs right. Then of course there is the small little fact that he was just told what he already knows.

  That it was his entire fault.

  That being the truth, Liam can feel his anger dissipate and turn into a helplessness that leaves him questioning all that he had done the last few weeks. With the anger gone, his persona slowly fades, and he forces himself to meet his father’s gaze without flinching.

  He finds that Marshall’s persona had disappeared while he was lost in thought; and in its stead is a worn looking old man.

  “Try to be patient Liam, please, for all of our sakes. And keep an eye out for the girl would you; in case she might be thinking rebellious thoughts like you are.”

  Sighing to himself, Marshal steps around the table. As his father paces to the hidden door on the other side of the room that leads to his office; Liam can only think about what he just said. Rebellious thoughts in deed, he absolutely believes she is probably wondering the same thing he is.

  Which is ‘when is the best time is to ditch every single person here and form a one person search party’; because that is what is running through his mind. Liam stomps outside, not really paying attention to where he is going or who he passes. He knows it’s really pathetic that he is mostly irritated that he wasn’t the one to leave the room first. How his father can make him feel like a pup sometimes, he’ll never know.

  That is until the scent of apples leads him to one of the many barns on the property. He comes to a stop just shy of the entrance, but he doesn’t go inside.

  Instead, he peers around the side until the sweet scent of apples leads him to Moira.

  She is almost smiling, while standing around with Raven, Daisy and even Ray. They seem at peace, something he hadn’t noticed them having in a while. He was planning on telling her everything that is going through his head.

  Most of all, he was kind of hoping she might actually want to help him in searching for Marty. Seeing her now though, he realizes that it just might hurt her.

  That is something he doesn’t want to happen, but before he can move away, she glances right over to him. He forgot that if he can sense her, then she can with him as well. In a blurring move, Liam spins away and leans against the side of the barn.

  His skin is alive with a tingling hum of his persona and maybe a little bit of hers. His breath is coming in pants, and he thinks he might have made a mistake of coming here.

  Before he can freak out, like a kid caught with its hand in the cookie jar, he walks away. It doesn’t go unnoticed to him, that she doesn’t stop him by calling out like last time.

  Her eyes and apple flavored persona follow him like a dark cloud as he moves; making him wish he was stronger than he is.

  If he was, he’d walk back into the barn and tell her everything, but he’s not, and he doesn’t.

  ***

  The following morning, Moira gets out of having to do more barn chores with the Raven and Daisy, since Marshall wants to see her again. This time he is the one that sought her out, while she was just heading out.

  “So we are really about to clean the barn again?” Raven groans out in a whining tone.

  “No, not the barn, I already told you twice; we’re milking cows today.” Daisy replied a little too cheerfully with a bright smile plastered on her face.

  She and Raven share a slightly irritated look, one that says ‘is that girl out of her mind?’ meaning Daisy of course. Who is their right mind would be happy to milk cows? Moira can’t really be angry though, being here on the ranch is like seventh Heaven to Daisy. It’s like she has finally come back to her homeland and is at peace. Not that she is ever not peaceful, but that is the way Moira thinks it appears.

  Then there is Ray, who has been glued to her side since they got here. He is another one that is at home here and he just stands off to the side and lets us girls have our time together.

  “Oh goodie for us.” Raven gushes out lifelessly as Daisy sticks her tongue out at her.

  Moira is about to think how strange it seems like she is already getting used to being around here like this; normal and not the girl all the bad guys want. That is when Marshall shows up. Before they can even get outside through the back veranda, he appears behind them too quietly.

  She is grateful that Liam isn’t the one to take her to him this time. It was awkward enough when she saw
him the day before, like he wanted to tell her something and chickened out; not that she wants to hear anymore apologies from him.

  He did act almost protective when she first met his dad, but who knows, that boy is fickle.

  Her friends were unsure of her leaving them, when Marshall had pulled her aside to see of they could have some time this morning. There was no hitting though, just severe glares that made her roll her eyes at him to stop it. Daisy, who was smiling at her, pulls the others away as Moira watches over Marshall’s shoulders.

  To her relief, he didn’t witness her friend’s weirdness, mostly since he was so focused on her. Apparently she was coming off as a skittish rabbit though, and he was worried she might run away because he seemed to be a little too close to her.

  She didn’t run though, if she could, that would be something she did a long time ago.

  Marshall had told her he wanted to test her abilities today, to see what she is really capable of. And to be perfectly honest, she was more than a little leery at first hearing this. But he quickly reassured her, by clarifying that it’s just her persona that he wants to investigate; and no actual tests. She had sighed pretty loudly at that last part, and it wasn’t long before she agreed to work on her persona.

  She always wondered what it would be like is she could actually control it more, and not feel so shaken and worked up all the time. Moira always thought it would be wrong to try to work on it by herself, and it’s not like she could talk to Fletcher about it.

  That is how she now currently finds herself sitting cross-legged on a thin mat placed on the middle of the floor in the library. Oddly enough, the room actually looks like a library that a school would have; with real stacks and all. There were even small rectangular tables in the middle of the room for reading, but she and Marshall had moved them out of the way for training.

  She uses the word training very lightly here; because she hasn’t done anything other than sitting in the same position for about an hour now. Marshall had told her the best training for ones persona, is the best relaxed and controlled mind.