by KT Webb
“Hey,” he said as he sat down near her feet.
“Hey,” she replied sleepily.
“How are you doing?” Kerr asked even though he already knew the answer.
“Not great. I feel like I’ve had a rug pulled out from under me, and I just keep falling rather than hitting the floor,” she told him with her eyes closed.
“Why do you feel like that?” Kerr asked, sounding sincerely interested.
“I just feel like everything I thought I knew about the Old Immortals is wrong. My head is full of questions and I don’t know which one will give me the answer I need.”
Kerr nodded at her. She wasn’t sure what to make of him. He clearly had a good conversation with Romulus after he received his prophecy. She decided he was probably the only one in the group who didn’t seem completely lost. Maybe it was because of his gift, or maybe it was because he knew he could trust the Old Immortals.
“Do you want to get out of here?” Kerr asked her.
“Where would we go?” Nora asked, sitting up.
“I was thinking it would help if we got our minds off all this and maybe went to grab some ice cream?” Kerr said hopefully.
“I would love that!” Nora said jumping up. “I haven’t been in to Benton in a while. We should go to Dairy Barn!”
Kerr laughed and followed her as she excitedly left the sitting room.
“We’re going out!” she yelled to Dorian and Romulus. “We can take my car! You’ll love it.”
Nora had a red Mini Cooper. Dorian had let her purchase it when she graduated high school so she could drive to the University of South Dakota when she needed to attend classes on campus. Kerr smiled when he saw the car and hopped into the passenger seat. Nora decided she was going to get to know Kerr. She couldn’t believe he had lived in Benton the whole time and she never knew he was there. It just proved how sheltered her life had been. She knew it was because Dorian wanted to keep her safe, but she would have liked to at least known another Evolved was living so close to them. She pulled into a parking spot at the Dairy Barn and put the car in park.
“Do you want to eat here or take the ice cream somewhere else?” he asked her.
“Let’s take it to go, and I’ll show you my favorite place in Benton,” Nora said with a sly smile.
They went inside and ordered two Chocolate Peanut Butter Mudslides to go. She explained that her favorite place was only a short walk from the Dairy Barn, and led the way down the street.
“I’ve lived here for a long time and I have no idea where we’re going. Is this a secret spot?” Kerr teased her.
“No, it’s just a place I used to go when I needed to clear my mind. I didn’t have any friends because I was ahead for my age. The kids in my grade didn’t like me because they thought I was too young, and the kids my age didn’t like me because I was smarter than them,” Nora replied simply.
“That is really sad. I didn’t have any friends because I didn’t want them,” Kerr said.
Nora led him down the road and turned on to one of the bike paths by the river. She slowed so they were walking next to each other and began to ask him questions about his past.
“So, how was growing up with your mom and stepfather?” she asked conversationally.
Kerr shrugged. “It was alright. My stepdad is a good guy, and I love my mother. I missed my dad, and no one could ever take his place, except maybe Romulus. But Andrew, my stepdad, takes good care of my mom and treats me with respect. I can’t complain.”
Nora nodded. “I wonder what it would have been like to grow up with my parents. Even just one of them. I don’t even know what they looked like. That’s why I told you you’re lucky. You got to be with at least one parent. And you got to be with your Evolved parent long enough to remember him.”
Kerr looked at her in surprise. “I was so busy thinking you were lucky because you got to grow up knowing about our history, and knowing that something was expected of us, even if you didn’t know what it was.”
They fell into a comfortable silence as they continued down the path. Just before the path went uphill, Nora turned and started to lead Kerr into the grass. She had stumbled upon her hideaway when she was sixteen. She remembered it clearly because it was one of the first times Dorian let her go in to Benton without him. He told her that because she was a high school graduate, she deserved certain freedoms, and one of those was to go to the Dairy Barn to get them all ice cream. On one such trip, she decided to take a walk in the park. She’d gone to sit by the river’s edge and happened to look at the bridge to her right. She was curious and went to explore. Nora found the area under the bridge hidden behind tall reeds and cattails. There was a cemented area that she could sit down in. Every time she went to Benton, she would make a special trip to this spot.
They arrived at the reeds and cattails which she pulled aside to allow room for Kerr to enter. She stepped in after him and smiled at the paintings covering every inch of concrete.
“Wow. This is stunning. Did you do this?” Kerr asked her in surprise.
“Yes. I love to paint. This is basically the story of the Old Immortals. Here is the Creator, and over here is the stone temple. I know it doesn’t look right, but I’d never been there before today. This is a scene from Greece, and here’s Egypt.” Nora was so excited to finally show someone her work that she wondered if she’d overloaded Kerr with information. He was quietly staring at the paintings.
“This is beautiful. I can’t believe you did all this, and no one has ever tried to get rid of it. I am so . . . ” He stopped talking and drew in a sharp breath. “This, is Anu.”
Nora nodded at him and felt her cheeks turning red. She had never shown anyone her artwork.
“I painted the first moment they met, their wedding day, and the birth of their son, Keiran,” Nora told him.
Kerr hadn’t taken his eyes off Anu.
“Nora, this is just amazing. You are so talented. Did you paint these based on stories you’ve read?” Kerr asked her.
“Yes. I have heard them so many times they have come to life in my mind,” Nora said.
“This is beautiful, really. You are so talented,” Kerr said.
Nora smiled again and continued to show him the various scenes she had painted. She could tell Kerr was genuinely interested in her artwork. It was a bit of a novelty to have someone show interest in this part of her life. Of course Dorian was proud of her, but it was always secondary to her Evolved abilities. Sharing this with someone else made her nervous, but Kerr made her see how special she really was.
Chapter Twenty-Four:
Kerr
Climbing back into the red Mini Cooper, Kerr couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. He kept shooting sidelong glances at Nora, half expecting her to be upset about something. But the only reading he was getting from her was happiness. He knew she’d never shown anyone her artwork and was pleased by his reaction.
As they made their way back to Dorian’s house, he found himself experiencing a despair so deep he felt short of breath. He started gasping as he desperately tried to get air in his lungs. Kerr didn’t know why, but he was certain he was having a panic attack.
“You okay?” Nora asked him as he attempted to calm himself.
Kerr shook his head and looked out the window. He didn’t trust his voice. He groaned and grabbed his stomach as the feeling began to affect him physically. Doubling over from the pain, Kerr cried out.
“Kerr! What’s wrong?” Nora asked as she pulled to the side of the road.
Kerr opened the door and flung himself onto the ground. He heaved into the ditch next to the dirt road. Nora went around the car to check on him, but had to turn away as she saw him throwing up. Kerr hadn’t experienced a pain like this since his father died; it was physical and emotional. He choked back a sob as another wave of nausea hit him.
“Kerr?” Nora said uncertainly. “I’m going to transport you home then come back for my car.”
He nodd
ed and tried to sit up. He felt Nora’s hand on his shoulder as the world began to spin. When he opened his eyes, he found himself curled in a ball on the floor of the foyer. He heard Nora call for help and saw Romulus’ feet approach him. Strong hands helped him sit up again, and he soon found himself staring into the deep blue eyes of Romulus.
“You’re going to be alright, son,” Romulus told him.
“It hurts so much. I can’t even move,” Kerr replied.
“Close your eyes. Focus on the pain,” Romulus told him.
“No way,” Kerr told him.
“You have to, Kerr. It will consume you if you don’t,” Romulus said firmly.
Kerr thought carefully, focusing on the source of the pain. He imagined himself burrowing past the nausea and colliding with the pit of his stomach. Once he was face to face with the source of his grief and physical pain, he saw the horror unfolding in front of him.
He was standing in the middle of an unfamiliar street. He momentarily wondered if he had gone deaf. There were no sounds. There was nothing. The town looked completely deserted. He took a few steps forward, looking for any sign of life. He caught sight of a small child running around the corner a few buildings up. Kerr started running toward the child, desperate to figure out what was happening. The closer he got, the deeper the feeling of dread and emptiness was. He covered his face to keep himself from breathing in the acrid smell that hit him like a ton of bricks. He couldn’t breathe; his lungs were aching from lack of oxygen.
As he rounded the corner, he stopped short and stared in revulsion at the scene in front of him. There were bodies everywhere. Hundreds of bodies lying in the street. What was happening?
He saw the child ahead of him, leaning over one of the dead. Kerr approached the little girl slowly, stopping when he saw the state of the body in front of him. The child paid him no attention, it was obvious he was just an observer of the scene. The woman was breathing, but only just. It looked as though her skin had been peeled off. Her clothing was gone. The girl leaned closer as the woman tried to speak.
Kerr grimaced at the horrific sound that came from her lips; it sounded like a wet gurgle. She took a few shallow breaths before lying still. Kerr took a step back and looked around desperately. Each body he saw was in the same state as this woman, but there was no sign of a fire.
Kerr was torn away from the scene by the sound of a laugh behind him. He turned quickly and saw Silas and Absalom approaching the child. Kerr tried in vain to warn the little girl.
“Well hello, child,” Silas said in a lilting voice.
“I can’t find my mommy,” the little girl replied.
“No, I can’t imagine you will,” Silas told her with a sneer.
The girl looked around at all the death and destruction and began to cry. Kerr stepped forward, wanting to comfort her, but he knew it would be no use. Absalom was wandering around admiring his handiwork with ill-contained glee.
“I haven’t had this much fun in years,” Absalom told his brother as he rested a hand on the head of the little girl.
Kerr cringed at the casual contact he made with someone so innocent.
Silas nodded. “We haven’t done this much destruction in years.”
“True. And to think, this would all have been solved if those silly Evolved had given themselves up to us, and this little girl wouldn’t be an orphan,” Absalom said as he crouched down by the girl.
The child looked at him with wide tear-filled eyes. She didn’t look to be any older than four or five. Kerr silently hoped the Old Immortals would find some piece of their original purpose within themselves and spare the girl. But he knew his hope was futile. Kerr could see what was coming before it happened. He dropped to his knees next to the girl and tried to shield her from Absalom. Although the child could not see him, he wrapped his arms around the little girl and held her close.
“Well, there’s no point in letting another orphaned child suck the life out of the world, is there?” Absalom asked Silas casually.
The silent agreement that passed between them told Kerr the girl was on borrowed time. Kerr closed his eyes as the screaming started. He couldn’t bear to see that beautiful little girl become like those around her.
Kerr collapsed to the ground. He cried freely and shrank away as Romulus tried to comfort him. While was gone, Nora must have returned because he caught the scent of her shampoo as she enveloped him in a comforting embrace. He collapsed into her and clung to her shirt.
Kerr opened his eyes. He looked around the room, realizing that someone had brought him to his bedroom. He could see the bookshelf wall across from his position on the bed. He started to roll over, but realized he wasn’t alone. He looked up to find Nora staring down at him. His head was lying in her lap.
“Hey,” she said quietly.
“Hey,” Kerr said as he cleared his throat and sat up. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay. When you took hold of me in the foyer, you were delirious. You wouldn’t stop crying. Romulus tried to talk to you, but you kept telling him to go away. You wouldn’t let anyone touch you but me.” Nora looked at him with concern.
“I don’t remember,” Kerr replied. As he closed his eyes and tried to remember what had led up to this moment, he felt his stomach turn. Every memory, every moment came rushing back to him. He got up quickly and headed for the door.
“Come on, I have to talk to the others. They need to know what happened.” Kerr threw caution to the wind and grabbed Nora’s hand. He pulled her down the stairs, and they found everyone sitting in the breakfast nook. Romulus jumped to his feet. Dorian and Thatcher gave him confused looks. He looked around and realized the twins and Tahlia hadn’t returned yet.
“Kerr, I know what you were feeling. I felt it too. I haven’t felt one like that since September eleventh. And prior to that, the Holocaust,” Romulus told him. “But I’ve never experienced anything like what you did. What did you see?”
Kerr recounted his vision to the group. Nora stayed by his side through the whole description. When he finished, his voice was raw from unshed tears. Thatcher was staring at him in disbelief. Dorian had buried his face in his hands.
“I’ve never witnessed one of their despicable acts, I’ve only had the feeling of dread. I knew something was coming, but I never saw it. I’m so sorry you had to experience that, Kerr,” Romulus told him.
“This is seriously messed up. I mean, I read about Absalom in that history book, but I never fully believed it. He really is the devil,” Thatcher said in disgust.
“To mistake him for something that simple would be terribly misguided,” Dorian told Thatcher.
“We need to go there. What if it hasn’t happened yet?” Kerr asked desperately.
“I agree. We can’t take any chances. Perhaps you were shown that child so you could prevent her fate,” Dorian told him.
“I’m going,” Thatcher said automatically.
“I have to be there. I won’t be able to live with myself if I don’t go,” Kerr said.
“Then it’s settled. We’re all going,” Nora told them.
“I will stay behind in case Tahlia and the twins return,” Dorian said.
“Kerr, I need you to focus on that street. Remember your surroundings. Think about the buildings, the street. I’m going to try to transport us there from your memory,” Nora told him.
Kerr nodded. “It was a small town. There were old brick buildings on both sides of the street. Light posts lined the sidewalks that ran in front of the businesses. I remember seeing a faded sign painted on the side of a building; it was blue and white, and it was for Rexall . . . ”
The room began to spin, and as it stopped, Kerr knew they had arrived. He was staring right at the advertisement on the side of the building. But something was different. Instead of the silence he had encountered in his vision, there were screams and shouts echoing off the brick buildings.
Chapter Twenty-Five:
Thatcher
People were running
in the street yelling at each other to hide. Thatcher glanced at Kerr and saw how confused he seemed. This must have been an extreme contrast to his vision. They looked at each other for a moment before Kerr took off running toward the end of the street. Nora, Thatcher, and Romulus followed in his wake. When they got to the end of the street they were faced with a terrifying sight. The destruction had already begun. There were people falling to the ground around them. One minute they were standing there, the next they were screaming and falling to the ground. All that was left of their bodies was a sticky shell of human remains. Some of them were still alive when they fell to the ground, but they were beyond repair; all that was left to do was die.
“We have to help them. We have to stop this,” Nora said.
Kerr was looking around, desperately trying to catch sight of the little girl who was haunting his thoughts. Romulus had a heartbroken look on his face as he watched the destruction unfold. Thatcher wondered if he would see Malcolm helping Silas and Absalom. A woman pushing a stroller ran into the alley, stopping short when she caught sight of them.
“Who are you? You’re not from here. Are you with the strangers? Please don’t hurt my baby!” She sobbed.
“Shhh! Ma’am, you’re right, we’re not from here. We came to help, but we need to be quiet,” Romulus told the woman. She seemed to calm at his words.
“How can you help? How can anyone help? Everyone is dying. My husband . . . my daughter . . . ” She choked on her words.
Thatcher looked at Nora. She seemed to be fighting an inner battle. She kept looking between the woman and Romulus, then frantically glancing at the mouth of the alley.
“Nora?” Thatcher asked.
“What, Thatcher?” she snapped at him.
“Do it,” Romulus said suddenly.
“Do what?” Thatcher asked, thoroughly confused.
“Nora, you have to. The risk of exposure is nothing compared to saving the lives that will be lost here if we don’t help,” Kerr told him.