Whisper (The Whisper Trilogy)

by Dana Faletti

  Just then Callie’s eyes opened, and my heart stopped beating. She didn’t attempt to move but studied my face and then the faces of the three Micros who were also on pins and needles wanting to know that she was okay. I held my breath, waiting for her to say something. Finally, she raised her eyebrows at me and uttered two words.

  “Nice sword.”

  20

  I mean, seriously? A golden sword? How cliché was that? Sure he’d saved my life with it, but Joshua was so not the golden sword yielding type of Arc. At least I wouldn’t have pegged him for that.

  Yeah, I guess it hadn’t been rocket science to put two and two together after I witnessed Joshua fighting Mihm. At least now I knew why we had this crazy magnetism towards each other. We were the same. We fit… even though we weren’t really supposed to be together.

  Hmm… wonder what happened to angels who broke the rules? I guess I’d find out. I wasn’t about to leave Joshua’s side any time soon.

  Amazingly enough, Silas and Jules hadn’t given one ounce of bull about it either. They had been here to Mercy hospital at my bedside on and off since last night when I’d been admitted. They had this awe struck look on their faces every time they came near me, walking on eggshells, like they were still worried I was broken. Well, I wasn’t. I was fine.

  Above the noise of the nurse’s station outside my room, I heard a familiar voice.

  “Oh, my God, Lilli. I rushed over here as soon as I heard. Is Mila okay?”

  Why was my mother in the room next door instead of visiting me? Nice, Mom. She’d gone home to shower like six hours ago promising to come right back. I guess it had been a long shower.

  Those six hours hadn’t exactly been torturous. Joshua had showed up just as my Mom was leaving. He’d plopped down next to me on my not so comfy hospital bed and spilled. He told me everything from the point of finding out he was an Arc through finding me, through almost losing me, which had totally wigged him out. He answered every question I had for him, including my interrogation as to whether or not he could read my thoughts. Apparently not, and that was a relief. A girl likes to maintain some semblance of mystery. Ever since he’d pulled the phrase “eye candy” right out of my head that day near the tall oak tree, I’d wondered.

  “Nope, Cal.” He’d told me, sitting on the edge of the hospital bed. “You just are.” That lopsided grin lit on his lips, making it hard for me to concentrate on anything else, as usual. “Serious eye candy girl.”

  He was also super apologetic about having kept his own secret from me for so long.

  Who was I to blame him though? It wasn’t as if I’d been forthcoming about my unnatural… uh… supernatural secret life. I really couldn’t hold anything against him, and I wasn’t mad at all.

  Actually, finding out that Joshua Pride was an Arc was just about the best thing ever. I mean, the idea of being alone forever... well except for Silas and Jules... that was a tough concept to get my head around. Now, not only did I have a sidekick for forever, he was absolutely the most beautiful specimen ever known to heavenly creatures on earth. The way I saw it, I’d just won the cosmic lottery, and it was a major jackpot. Woo freakin hoo!

  Of course, I couldn’t get my hopes up. Any minute now, lightning could strike. I mean, we weren’t supposed to even know each other let alone be so in... well, whatever it was we felt for each other. For now, though, I was just going to coast on the positive. Mihm was dead, Mila was safe, and I’d made an unlikely friend in Gina Jones.

  Every time I saved a soul, I saw who they were on the inside, who they were created to be and all of the unique and perfect goodness that had gone into creating them. After witnessing that, I always felt something so special and unreal towards the victims… it was a kind of love. Strange as it may have seemed, I knew I’d never look at Gina Jones in the same light. She would always be the loved child of a perfect creator. There was no other identity for her that even mattered. These feelings made me lighter, more content and so at peace. I loved loving her… and all of the others.

  Back to Mila. Between the bouts of relief that she was okay and breathlessness remembering our last moments with Mihm in that loft bedroom, I was rehearsing the lecture I’d give her when she woke up. I was so fed up with that bubble gum popping boob flaunting, melodramatic hundred and ten pounds of toddler. She totally had to drop this trouble routine, or I was going to stage an intervention. Lilli needed to wake up and start keeping tabs on her daughter. I cued my attention to the conversation in Mila’s room between Lilli and Mom.

  “It’s unbelievable, Johanna. She fell from over sixty feet, and there’s not a scratch on her. She’s fine. They have her sedated, because she was ranting and raving on and on about some girl, almost like she was hallucinating. Kept saying some Cassie or other saved her life, something about flying. At one point, she was really worked up, screaming, thrashing, demanding to see this Cassie…”

  Sounded like a typical Mila tantrum to me.

  “The doctors said she was loaded, Johanna.” I heard Lilli pause. “I have to do something. I know she’s a loose cannon.”

  Understatement of the year. Try weapon of mass destruction, Lilli.

  “Maybe she just needs a little more time with you, Lilli.” Mom spoke softly, obviously trying not to sound all judgy. I knew what she thought of Lilli’s parenting style. “From everything I’ve heard, teenage girls really need a close bond with their families, especially their mothers. It helps to ground them when there is so much out there, tempting them to make bad decisions.”

  Mom was right about that. As much as I’d bucked her over the years, just knowing she’d be the one I’d have to face at the end of the day had kept me out of a lot of garbage. There was comfort in her presence but also accountability. I knew her arms were always open. They’d embrace me no matter what; she loved me like that. But she’d always been clear as a bell about right and wrong, never mincing words. If I screwed up, she told me about it, but she also always told me she loved me afterwards, and that there was nothing I could do to change that fact. All in all, my mother was stellar. I smiled, waiting for her to pop her head around the corner of the glass and give me an earful about being at that party.

  Instead, I got an earful of something else, words that froze my blood, my skin, words that set fire to my face for a split second and dropped a bomb in my belly, making me want to hurl.

  “I just can’t imagine what it would be like… the worry of having to raise a girl. They are so much more vulnerable than boys. And, the hormones…” I heard them chuckle, like college roommates, sharing a joke. It was so not funny to me.

  “It’s definitely complicated, Jo.” Lilli told her.

  “I guess I’ll never know. Jack and Sam keep me hopping anyways. Boys are a totally different challenge, believe me.” My mom paused. “I always wished I’d had a little girl though. I think we would have been friends.”

  “We are friends!” I wanted to scream, but I couldn’t get any words past the gigantic lump in my throat.

  “Well, Lilli, I’m just glad Mila’s okay. If you need anything, just call. And, if you ever want me to talk to her, I’d be glad to. I think sometimes, kids need to hear the words their parents tell them coming from another adult.”

  “Thanks, Johanna. I’ll call you in a couple days.”

  I heard my mom’s shoes click a few steps and imagined her hovering over Mila’s bed, the back of her hand on Mila’s forehead, stroking it lightly, a concerned look on her face.

  “Bye Mila, honey.” In my head, I saw my mother bend over and brush Mila’s cheek with her lips. I knew she smelled like lemons and honey almond shampoo. I knew her hair was pulled back in a ponytail that would swish against Mila’s face. I knew she’d never be close enough for me to smell her or feel her hair. Ever again.

  The tears were large and still, perching on my eyeballs, just waiting for the sound of her shoes to slowly fade into silence as she walked down the hallway of the hospital, disappearing. Click clack
click clack cl - Gone.

  And, they fell… the tears. They slid big and hot down my cheeks. One after another and another and another. My lips were locked together. Breathing slowly and shallowly through my nose, I made sure I didn’t open my mouth. I couldn’t afford to make a peep, to let even one word wail. If I started crying out loud, I knew I’d never stop. I’d have to be sedated like Mila for sure.

  Last night, Joshua had talked about this. He’d warned me that everyone I’d known and loved would at some random time forget I’d ever existed. I’d move on then and continue to do what I was made for. He said I’d get over it, but I wasn’t ready for this now. My own mother… She had no memory of me? Where did I fit if it wasn’t with my family?

  “Hey beautiful.”

  “She doesn’t remember me.”

  “What, Cal?”

  I stared at Joshua, dazed, tears sliding slowly and silently down my cheeks, salty on my lips. “My mom… she’s totally cloaked. She thinks she never had a daughter.”

  “Oh man. Callie… I know it sucks. I’m not gonna lie to you... losing my family was the worst thing, the hardest time.” His dark eyes clouded and he stared at a spot on the dirty hospital floor. “I was so lonely.” His hand squeezed mine and he tilted my chin up, pulling my eyes to his and locking them there. “But you’re not alone.” He took my face in both of his hands, the look in his eyes more serious than ever. “I will never leave you.”

  And I was comforted by this and, I’ll admit it, also a little distracted by his face so close to mine. But… my mother… she’d never hug me again or braid my hair or even just tell dumb stories that I’d never wanted to hear before. Now, I wished I could hear her tell me something – anything – just one more time.

  “When was the last time your nurse was in here Cal?”

  I had to think about it.

  “I don’t know. Couple hours maybe. Why?”

  “I think they’re all cloaked.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, I’m guessing that an alternate reality has been planted in everyone’s memories, including your parents, Gina, Mila, even the paramedics and docs. Pretty much anyone who witnessed what happened at Gina Jone’s house last night now remembers a totally different party minus the girl with the Uzi who flew out the window. Get my drift?”

  I was catching up, trying to wrap my head around this one. “So, you’re saying I’m completely erased.”

  Joshua nodded matter of factly then leaned back, kicked off his shoes and propped his feet up on the bed. “So, Calliope Evans –“

  “Was Pride your last name?”

  “Huh?”

  “Was that the last name of your father?”

  “Oh. Well, yeah.”

  Evans – a simple name was all I had left of my once upon a time family. My heart was in my throat. I couldn’t say anything.

  “Look on the bright side. You can watch them from afar –keep everyone on the right track and look out for all of them, even Mila. You can do a little whispering of your own, if you know what I mean. Stay close, create new identities anytime they would need to be recloaked, you can have influence if you’re creative.”

  “Yeah, I guess that’s the best case scenario. Did you stay close to your family?”

  A shadow landed on his face again. “I did. And, there were benefits to that, but there was also heartache. It’s hard to lose them again and again and then eventually…”

  Whoa – that blew my mind. “Yeah, I can only imagine really.”

  “That’s the beauty of here on out, Callie.” His smile shined on me then, and it was catchy. I gave him back some sunshine of my own. “We can only imagine what it’s going to be like... you and me, Callie. Against the Raysers. For the world.”

  About a minute later, I was dressed, and we were walking down the hallway of the hospital floor, in plain sight of nurses I’d met and doctors who’d examined me. They didn’t bat an eye or take a second glance as I passed them. Joshua was right. They were all completely cloaked. It was surreal.

  These humans walked through their lives totally unaware of the war that was raging right under their feet. They were so busy deciding which outfit to wear on which day or which credit card to use to purchase their next big ticket item, that they couldn’t see the evil that lurked among them. Not only were they blind to the evils, they were also totally unaware of their value, the incredible good that existed within them. They looked so far outwards and away from themselves for joy, that they missed all of the amazing that lived right there in their own skin, breathing their air, speaking their words… just who they were. I wished we could just wake them all up, instead of cloaking them. With their eyes and minds open, they might just be the match the enemy needed to totally shut him down for good. If only they’d stop focusing on what was next and start focusing on what was right. Here.

  “Wait a minute.” I paused outside of Mila’s room, sneaking a glance inside. Lilli was gone, and Mila’s eyes were opened. She was staring intently up at the television. If I was hearing it right, she was watching the news. Definitely still drugged.

  In the thirty seconds that I stood there watching her, I wrote and produced a mental movie of the two of us growing up, playing dress up, running through the sprinkler on my driveway, her in pigtails, me in Barbie sandals that I wore all summer long the year I was seven. Then I saw us lying on my bed, discussing lipstick colors and boys, searching through each other’s closets for what clothes to borrow. Every sleepover, we’d vowed to stay up all night. I’d never lasted past midnight… I would miss her. For all the trouble she’d caused, she’d been my first and only best friend.

  Joshua squeezed my hand, pulling me from my memories. At that moment, a disturbing thought struck me.

  He’d had to do this all alone. I didn’t know how I could have possibly survived this by myself. I think I would have ended up stalking my family or maybe just standing in the doorway of Mila’s hospital room for forever.

  I squeezed his hand back, and we continued on down the hallway towards the elevators.

  “Hey, wait! Callie! Josh!”

  Huh?

  “Where do you think you’re going Callie? Why do you get to go home and I’m still stuck here in this tacky piece of crap nightgown?” Mila fingered her hospital dress while Joshua and I stared at her wide eyed. “And what’s with you two?”

  We had no answers for her.

  “Uh – “

  “Don’t even try to mess around with me, Josh Pride.” I stared at the index finger she was poking angrily into Joshua’s chest. “First of all, who the hell was that gross leathery guy all full of drool and smelling like a garbage dump? I mean, somebody should have bought him some mouthwash or something.” She huffed, looking from me to Joshua.

  “You saw him?” I barely uttered the words.

  “What are you talking about? You were there. Did you hit your head or something?” She blew a bubble. Where did the girl find gum at the hospital? Hadn’t she been unconscious like two minutes ago? “And you…” She was poking Joshua again. “Where did you find that awesome sword? You totally took his head off with that. It was rad!”

  “Uh, thanks.” Josh looked like he was about to throw up.

  Just then the ding of the elevator sounded, and the doors opened.

  “Oh, look, here come those fairies that keep hangin’ around you. Callie, you have to tell that one guy to just lose the floral scarf. It makes him look like a total –“

  “Since when do Micros use elevators?” I asked Joshua. Wait – did Mila just say what I thought she’d said? I gazed at her, sure that my eyes were even bigger than the bubbles she was loudly popping. “You can see them?”

  Hand on her hip, head turned to the side, in typical Mila style, she said. “I’m not blind, Callie.” She straightened then and eyed me strangely. “Truly, ever since I woke up here, I’ve felt super clear, like stronger or something. I feel like maybe yesterday my head wasn’t on so straight.” She loo
ked down at her bare feet and painted toe nails. “But, I think the wrong got knocked out of me when we took that fall.” Her words were quiet and her tone a little sheepish. Then, she grinned at me. “Hey, maybe we’ll switch roles now – you know like that movie where the Mom and daughter are in some kind of accident and they wake up having switched bodies.” She laughed. “Maybe now you’ll be the devil, and I’ll be the angel.”

  I almost choked on my spit. Really.

  “Anyways, I’m awake now.”

  “Calliope, Joshua.” Silas spoke our names, while he eyed Mila strangely.

  “What are you looking at? Didn’t anyone teach you it’s not polite to stare?” She leaned into me. “Just because I have this stupid robe on and he’s all stylin’ and profilin’… Geez.” Pop went another bubble.

  "Yeah, Silas, we can’t figure it out either.” Joshua sidestepped closer to the Micros.

  “Did you get a memo about this Jules?”

  “No, Silas.”

  “Jixer?”

  “She’s not my charge.”

  And they all stood there, fluttering and wondering, just as we were, why this girl, who was most certainly no angel – even in the most human sense – could not only see the Micro Angels but had also apparently been left out of the cloaking party. If anyone should have forgotten us totally, it was Mila. After all, she’d been Mihm’s direct target, and we’d saved her. But, she remembered him, smell and all.

  “Thees one ees Callie’s fun leetle friend, Silas, the one who always blows the bubbles. You remember, no?”

  “Mila. Yes, I know her.”

  Silas and Jules continued to stare at Mila curiously. Jixer was running his fingers through his hair. Joshua scratched his chin, and I bit my lip, wondering what to do next.

  “Okay, you guys are freaking me out.” She pointed at Jules, “Especially you in the cat suit.” Again, she consulted me. “Is she for real?”

  “Apparently.” What could I say? “You know what Mi? You’re on some heavy duty meds right now. I think your mind is playing tricks on you.”