R.E.birth

by Thomas W. Everson

  “No, you can’t go alone!”

  Agatha says something that I cannot hear, so I pull the door enough to slip out and then move, crouched, along the small porch silently until I’m closer, catching the tail end of what she’s saying.

  “…to survive. It has to be done.”

  “Then let me go Mother. I am faster than you. Besides it’s been much more dangerous since Rain joined us. We need to be cautious.”

  It has? Have I somehow put them in danger by being here? I guess I have been sort of an enabler for Ami’s curiosity and need for exploration and perhaps by that means I’ve just led her into danger – which I seem to be a magnet for. But from the way it sounded, it was almost like she was accusing me of doing it intentionally. I need to know if she feels that way.

  “Has my being here caused it to be more dangerous? Are my actions somehow to blame?” I stand upright and ask without any negative undertone in my voice.

  Both of them turn around startled.

  “Rain, I…I didn’t mean it like that!” Ami tries to explain herself.

  “You could be right though. I seem to attract trouble.” I shrug.

  “No, Rain! Please don’t take it that way!”

  I try to respond again, but my head swims with thoughts and I find myself getting dizzy. Bracing myself against the side of the house I look down and close my eyes.

  “Do you…do you regret…” I force half a sentence out but end up collapsing to one knee.

  Why is my body failing me so much lately?

  “Get him inside and back on the couch!” Agatha tells Ami hastily.

  They pick me up and bring me back inside, laying me on the couch and placing a wet cloth on my forehead once more. Ami sits on the table next to me while Agatha hovers.

  “Just rest Rain,” Agatha’s familiar motherly tone comes out.

  “I am just a nuisance. Better that I work with Evalyn soon to break the curse so I can stop bringing trouble to your doorstep. You do not deserve the problems I cause,” I mumble.

  “You’re talking nonsense Rain. You aren’t bringing us trouble,” Agatha reassures me. “And to prove it, I will be the one to go search for any nearby cities and when I return we will have a big dinner to celebrate not being in the desert.”

  “Rain, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean what I said. Your being here has been the best thing for us. Even Aunt Evalyn, whether she’ll admit it or not,” Ami touches my shoulder gently.

  “From the looks of it, and I’m sure you can tell also, that we’re in a forest like the one we found you in. There’s no way of telling yet if it’s close to the original time we rescued you from unless we find a city,” Agatha tells me.

  “Head the direction I came from, west,” I blurt.

  “Why? Did you remember something?” Ami asks.

  “No, I didn’t remember anything. It’s a choice based on my running path when I was trying to escape from Drake.”

  “Well then that’s where I will go,” Agatha smiles.

  She heads into the hallway while Ami switches from the table to the couch and scoots into me laying her ear against my chest. Closing her eyes she lets out a sigh and it seems like she might be upset about what she had said.

  “It’s all right Ami,” I comfort her and put my hand on her soft hair.

  “I didn’t realize that it was going to come out that way. I’m sorry.”

  “I forgive you Ami. Forget it happened, okay?”

  After lying there for an unknown amount of time Agatha emerges from the darkened hallway dressed up in clothing that seems so familiar. She’s in a very simple light yellow dress with a white cloth belt around the waist and draped over her shoulders is a tan cloak with a hood and Ami’s mark of a pink rose. She also has her straw basket.

  Ami lifts and turns her head to speak to her mother. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. Rain needs you right now,” she winks at me and I can feel my face flush.

  “Be careful Mother.”

  “I will be back in no time.” She makes her way to the door and quickly turns back around, waving her finger at us. “Don’t go anywhere.”

  “Okay Mother!” Ami says exasperated.

  When Agatha has left, Ami rests her head back down on me and sighs again out of worry for her mother. If we are indeed back in my time, I can’t blame her because of Drake. Beyond the woods is unknown and there may or may not be danger, however with Eve now part of the house we may in danger regardless.

  Now that we are stuck with her I don’t think we have a choice but to find a way to cohabitate peacefully. Where is she?

  “Where is Eve?” I question.

  “She ran off into the woods in the direction where the sand hill was. She didn’t believe the story and insisted that this is just an illusion. It’s been a few hours now.”

  I let silence fall over the room, comforted by the silence and lack of immediate danger. With just Ami it’s peaceful and, though I fear what is in the forest, I am glad we are no longer in the desert. Looking down, Ami’s eyes are shut and her breathing has relaxed. I figure a nap could do me some good against my aching body.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  A creak in the house wakes me up from a sound slumber, but when I open my eyes I find it has become dark outside, and I cannot tell what caused it or where it came from.

  Sitting up, Ami is no longer near me and it could be her, perhaps having gone to the bathroom or upstairs to the sewing room. But when I perk my ear into the air there is nothing else for me to hear, no more creaks to indicate where the sound came from, or where she is.

  Determining that I should go look, I move from the couch and to the kitchen door, peeking in, but the light is off and no one is there. Down the hallway, I find her door open and she lies there on her bed, cuddled up to a pillow and snoring lightly. My heart jumps a little and I feel the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

  With her passed out, where could the creak have come from? Agatha or Eve? If Agatha were back she too might be asleep, but if Eve were back there would most certainly be more noise than a single creak.

  Moving down to the last door on the right I peek into Agatha’s room but she is not there and the silence becomes eerie to the point that I find myself anxious about Drake sneaking up on me and finishing the job. Feeling closed in and stifled, I move to the living room and open the door, causing a waft of sweet air from the woods to rush past me. Though I suffered trauma within the woods, I find the serenity about it calming and much nicer than the dry desert air.

  Stepping out barefoot, my feet hit the sandy grass and carry me to the edge of the forest where I am sure Agatha walked. Circling the perimeter of the house I cannot see much into the woods as the lighting is minimal. With only two artificial lights on the front and back of the house illuminating the yard and the moon but a crescent in the sky I find myself trapped in this circle for the time being.

  Neither in the yard nor beyond the border into the woods is there a sign of Agatha and I begin to worry that she is lost, unable to find her way back. My mind plays tricks on me, thinking that an animal perhaps attacked her or maybe tripped and is injured, unable to walk. Despite her specific instruction for us to stay put I find myself wanting to venture out to locate her.

  I must find something to do with myself to keep from going stir crazy.

  Shifting my mind, the mystery of my absurd power comes to my attention, having created something from my hands that I cannot explain. Eve called it a shockwave and it reminds me of the wave that hit after one of Kohan’s grenades exploded, but there were no flames from my hands or body.

  How can I wield such power? Am I like Evalyn, able to control some unnatural force? I’d ask her about it, but without Agatha I don’t think Evalyn has an outlet to communicate.

  Perhaps I can call it forth and use it at will.

  Putting my hands up I stretch my legs apart, putting myself in an awkward pose. Straining, I attempt to call it up from deep wit
hin, only to have nothing happen. I try several things, including changing my footing, thrusting my palms out and grunting while attempting to recreate the effect, all of which fail.

  What were the conditions that caused it? My stress level was high, my body was fatigued and battered, and I was in immediate danger. None of those things I can recreate right now. I also yelled. It can’t be that simple can it? Yelling? Worth a shot I suppose, but what do I yell?

  Deliberating for a few moments I finally come to the conclusion that the first word I used was ‘no’ and therefore it must have power behind it. Deep breath in and…

  “NO!” I let out the largest roar I can while thrusting my hands out together from my chest.

  However to my disappointment, or perhaps delight, nothing happens. No boom, no wave, no destruction. There is no sense of pressure and no borderline seizure welling up in me. I wonder if those two were the only ones in me, needed at a precise moment.

  Footsteps approach from behind, silently padding along in the grass, but my ears pick them up anyway and turning, expecting to see Ami, instead I find someone less friendly. Eve, seeing that she’s caught, breaks into a sprint, leaps into the air and pins me to the ground, again. Her knees dig into my hips and I let out a groan.

  “Don’t have it in you anymore, huh Rain?!” She raises her fists, clasps them together and then attempts to slam them into my ribs. I block them as they come down and then grab her arms and pull her in to me, face to face.

  “Hey!” I yell in her face while scowling. “You need to let this go. We are stuck together and I don’t want to worry about being attacked every day.”

  “Those hussy women fed me their lie! I don’t believe a word from them or you, imp!” She snaps at me and struggles, while I hold her from hitting me.

  “You will find it very hard not to believe when that vortex kicks up again,” I laugh at her.

  “Let my hands go!” she screams. “I demand a rematch and when you lose you take me back!”

  “Eve, there is nothing you can say or do that will allow any of us to take you back.” I laugh even harder. “If you don’t want to believe what you’ve been told then fine, don’t. You’ll learn the hard way like I did.”

  “Why are you laughing? What do you mean?” Her struggle lessens for a moment.

  I shove her off of me and stand up but she comes at me again, swinging her right fist toward my jaw. Leaning down to avoid it I ram my shoulder into her sternum and as she is knocked back I grab her wrist. Twisting it around her body I lock it in place behind her back with the threat of ripping her arm from its socket and then pull my arm around her neck to choke her.

  “I mean that if you are outside the house’s perimeter when it shifts through time, you will be pulled back and your landing will be a very painful one, like mine was,” I tell it to her as it is, finding a violent urge well up in me. “Now you can keep fighting me and I will snap your neck, as much as I would like not to, or you can stop attacking and allow me to relax.”

  Letting my arm slack from against her neck a little I give her an opportunity to speak. She’s silent for a moment, likely hesitant to give up as has been shown by her actions recently, but I can feel her muscles loosen against my body and I take that as submission. Slowly, I release my arm from around her neck and back up, waiting to see if she strikes again.

  “So if we’re not in my time, where are we?” Eve spins around while crossing her arms, her tone condescending.

  “We are not sure yet. Agatha left earlier to find out but I don’t think she has returned.”

  “Is there a way to fix this?”

  “They don’t know and it’s why I’m here. They saved my life and in return I am going to help them figure out how to break this curse.”

  “What happens when you break the curse?”

  “I don’t know! This all started way before I joined, so I’m completely in the dark! I don’t even know if I am going to succeed!” I yell angrily.

  Even in the dim light provided by the light near the porch I can see the look of shock on Eve’s and I can tell that underneath her brash and arrogant front that she is genuinely scared and perhaps hurt. With her reaction, I liken her to a little girl, lost and away from everything she knew that gave her comfort, regardless that they were despicable conditions. Her fiery red hair flows in a slight breeze and I stare into her eyes, causing me to soften and rethink my reaction.

  “Look, I’m sorry Eve. Between being in the desert, running short on supplies, dealing with you and yours and trying to figure things out, it’s all been a bit stressful. I haven’t had much rest and I have been ill a lot lately.”

  She snubs her nose at me and my apology, turning toward the forest. Tightening crossed arms, she acts just like a child should in a new and unfamiliar setting, ripped from their life. Luckily, just beyond her, Ami comes into view in the doorway and I sigh in relief as I now have support. Rubbing her eyes, she slowly makes her way down the stairs and through the grass to us.

  “What’s going on out here?” she asks through a yawn. “You’re being so loud.”

  “Nothing!” Eve sneers.

  “Eve and I have worked through some things and I think she understands the gravity of the situation,” I explain.

  “I didn’t say I believed you!”

  “Okay Eve.” I shake my head and switch focus to Ami. “Anyway, your mother hasn’t returned.”

  “That’s not good. She’s normally back within a couple hours,” Ami’s face becomes concerned, crinkling her eyebrows downward.

  “Right, but for all we know she’s had to travel a long way to find any signs of civilized life,” I try and comfort her.

  “Or she could be in trouble,” Eve throws in rudely.

  “Eve, can you muster even a little sensitivity?” My anger toward her flares back up.

  “Whatever,” Eve huffs while storming off to the other side of the house.

  “Has she ever been gone this long before? Ever had to stay away from the house?” I ask.

  “No, never. Until you, we’ve always stayed within close range of the house and never stayed out too long.” Ami moves over to me and hugs on my chest.

  “Then that settles it. I’m going to find her. Imagine how disorienting it was for us together. It has to be worse for her.” I hug her back.

  “I’m going with you.” She looks up into my eyes.

  “No.” I shake my head. “Someone has to stay here and keep an eye on Eve. We don’t need her eating all of the food or trying to plunder the house and run off.”

  “But…” she tries to argue.

  “No buts.”

  “Fine, but I’m loading you up with supplies. I don’t want you caught out unprepared.”

  “What did you have in mind?”

  She pulls away from me and grabs my hand, leading me into the house and pointing at the couch indicating she wants me to sit. As I come to a rest she speaks. “I’ll be right back.” She turns into the dark hallway and disappears into the shadows.

  I sit as instructed and wait patiently for her to return. She returns, only briefly, setting down a black knapsack and folded heavy piece of cloth on the table in front of me, and disappears into the kitchen. Leaning back, I rest my head against the back of the couch and close my eyes, my ears picking up the sound of her moving about. When she returns I crack my eyelid just enough for me to see. Even in a disheveled state from having been asleep only a few minutes ago, she’s still graceful and beautiful. I become fixated on her lips.

  My lips know the touch of another, but not hers. What does her kiss feel like?

  She bends over to put some food in the sack, and her shirt droops at the collar a little. Even in the dark her chest is slightly visible and though my male urges insist I look, I shut my eyes tight and will wait until she’s gone, not wanting to taint the relationship that we have right now with thoughts of what could be. Hearing the swinging door open and then silently come to rest again I open my eyes back up. />
  Is it wrong that I find myself attracted to her? We have bonded over these months, but would it be wrong for me to pursue her only because we have only each other?

  Returning one last time she has a fancy lantern and a sheathed weapon that looks like a small sword or long dagger. Setting them down by the bag she then puts her arms on her hips and looks at me.

  “You sure I can’t convince you to let me go?” she asks with a pleading look on her face.

  “I’m positive. You are needed here.”

  She moves around the table and sits on the edge, reaching over to take my hands in hers. I feel my cheeks get a little warm, but it’s dark enough in the room that she cannot see me blush. Impulsively I lean forward, moving to kiss her but before I can the kitchen door bursts open and light floods in. Ami is assaulted by the core of an apple in the side of the head and she jumps up to hit Eve. Grabbing her by the hand I hold her back and Eve stands there with a smug look on her face.

  “What was that for?!” Ami raises her fist threateningly.

  “Do you have anything else to eat? That fruit was mealy,” Eve picks at her teeth.

  “You’ll be lucky if you get anything now, you tramp!” Ami wipes the side of her face.

  “I’ll just take it, you lying hussy!” Eve laughs.

  “Hey!” I yell out, a little frustrated at the whole situation. “Eve, what did I tell you earlier? We’re stuck together. That means get along!”

  “You keep saying that…” she looks toward the stairs.

  “Eve, shut up. If you don’t believe me, that’s your problem. Disappear for the month then.” My voice raises a bit and I glare at her angrily.

  Eve does as she is told and the whole living room falls silent. Letting Ami go I reach down to collect the items she has set out for me, starting with the dagger. Wrapping its belt across my shoulder so it hangs at my side for quick access, I cinch it in place and then hang the bag over so it partially conceals my weapon. Unfolding the heavy cloth I find that it’s a dark colored cloak with a hood. I wrap it around my back and button it at the neck. Lastly, I pick up the lantern and examine it.