Divine_Scream

by Benjamin Kane Ethridge

  He took off walking again. It was really bizarre, but with his new outlook, he’d given up on fearing the Assembly. If they came, they came. He probably deserved it, but another part of him, a wiser part cultivated by Banch’s knowledge, knew they would use their last grant for direct passage to the beach; they wouldn’t risk trying to take him here and having him slip away somehow again. They’d avoided the beach as long as they could but now there was no getting around it. They would be cautious.

  They’d also be extra-pissed at him for trying to kill their offspring.

  He suddenly felt sick. “Got that to look forward to.”

  The sun sunk in the sky. It would be dark in a few hours. He thought back to scheduling his doctor appointment last month, how he’d almost decided to go in late afternoon, rather than early morning. What a different day that would have been.

  His thoughts swam languidly in his mind. Maybe in one of those other dimensions he got to be with Banch all day long in the hotel room, enjoying the food, the warmth and gift of their bodies together, and the appreciation of what they’d been given. Maybe the Divine Scream hadn’t slipped out. After he washed away his taint, maybe he saw her die on that beach.

  Was that a better ending than what would happen today?

  He grumbled and hurried on, stabbing his phone left and right, up and down. If service didn’t get better in the next minute, he was done with this. He noticed three bars and tried the voicemail message again. This time, success.

  “Jared this is Peter Revel, your dad’s primary care physician. Remember me? I used to come over and play poker at your house? You and Bob put me in the loop on all your medical stuff a while back. I’m sorry I didn’t get back to you earlier, but I slipped and hit my head in the kitchen. If that’s not enough,” he paused and chuckled, “I ended up on a neighbor’s lawn just now. Embarrassing. Anyway, I’m heading into the county hospital to get checked out, but if you haven’t already spoken with your doctor, I needed to discuss your test results, buddy. This is critical. I’ll probably be in the waiting room for a bit, so do call me back when you can. Really, Jared. This is VERY important. Please call to discuss this.”

  He gave his number and said his name again, then hung up.

  There was a time when Jared would have ignored this message. He might have summoned the courage to have Kaitlin call back for him, but in reality he would have pretended there was no direness here. Would have pushed it completely out of his mind. Or written himself a note he’d never read: Schedule with Doc.

  Now, after everything that happened, he had to know. He had to know what took him that day three months from now at his office desk. That was the day he was supposed to meet Banch for the first time.

  And the Assembly.

  If those facts had changed, he didn’t see why knowing his cause of death would make a difference. The Assembly was likely to get him now anyway. So the whole thing was moot.

  If anything, knowing would bring him closure.

  Finally.

  He put his thumb over the CALL BACK button and pressed it.

  Chapter 28

  The Banshee

  Banch’s feet buzzed from all the running. She had to slow down and shuffle them a bit; breaking connection from the ground even slightly had her legs shaking and her toes numb from the constant electric discharges. She considered whether she could risk taking some corridor shadows to the beach, but she had a feeling she might run into some people along the way who would best be avoided.

  Ten-some people to be exact.

  And “people” was a kindness not completely true to heart.

  “Certainly, and we aren’t known for our kindness either, Utumm Resona.”

  Banch flinched. “Who tastes my thoughts?”

  She searched the alley and found no one.

  “Your thoughts are mine. Your entire life is a play for me to watch. Over here, near the stairs.”

  Banch glanced over to a door with four steps joining it. A corridor shadow stretched to the left, spreading out like an auburn starburst of darkness. A figure stood just outside of it. Long, flowing vermillion hair reached to her hips. Her eyes held such benevolence, but belied the eagle features of the face. Despite such fierceness, Banch was drawn to her—she really would follow this person anywhere, because this was her banshee, the one she’d expected to take her to the light at long last.

  Her voice cracked. “What are you doing here, sister?”

  A thin smile. “Not leading you forward. Well, not yet.”

  “I must go. I haven’t the time to talk.”

  The banshee folded her slender bronze arms and pressed them to her flat stomach. “I will be brief.”

  “Please do.”

  “Reconsider your plans. Now that the human knows your life through the Divine Scream, the death schedule has changed dramatically several times. It isn’t stable for you or for him.”

  “How did it change?”

  Another smile, this one coyer. “You know I cannot reveal that.”

  “Of course.”

  “I just took a chance to meet with you, to ask you to reconsider your plan.”

  “I already have. I will not disassociate in the Paled Ocean. It means more to me to continue seeing my assignments to the light. My weariness is over, sister. I’m ready for my duty again.”

  The banshee’s expression didn’t change, and why would it? Banch knew how they were raised: protect the schedule at all costs.

  “That may be,” her banshee replied, “but I want to reiterate my suggestion to rethink your plans.”

  “Which plans?”

  “I cannot elaborate.”

  “To END myself?” Banch snapped. “I told you. I only want to protect my assignment from the Assembly. You can appreciate that.”

  “Indeed.”

  “So what is this visit about?”

  The banshee took a step back. Fluttering red shades touched her one exposed shoulder—her uniform was a different style and material from common banshees. She’d been around for a very long time.

  “I cannot say more—”

  “I know.” Banch groaned. “But you haven’t shown any reason to be here. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re obliging the Assembly.”

  The other banshee’s eyes burned. “You know that is untrue.”

  “Then why?”

  “I don’t often lead other banshees to the light. It happens so seldom. Eons.”

  “Even if my assignment is taken, I’ve decided against the idea. I’m not being deceptive.”

  A short nod answered this. “The schedule shifts sometimes.”

  “Yes, I suppose, but I’ve resolved to stay alive. I swear this to the Deeper Unseen.”

  “Good, but be wary. I don’t have a firm schedule for you, Utumm Resona. It is in flux for you and for the gift.”

  “Why?”

  “Just… rethink your plans.”

  “That again? What does that even mean?”

  The banshee took a step back and was gone.

  Banch looked at the wall where the corridor shadow used to be. She turned away and increased her pace, ignoring the blinding pain in her ankles and legs. She’d make her way to the beach, where this would be finished, once and for all.

  Chapter 29

  Jared

  When they finally got in touch, Doctor Peter Revel had to call Jared back. He’d made it to the hospital but the place was a zoo. This was double confirmed when Jared tried to call the hospital directly about Kaitlin and got a busy signal. He didn’t even think such a thing was possible anymore at a reception desk.

  The good news was that a cab stopped when Jared flagged it down. The driver was an attractive black man with cornrows and a blue tattoo on his right bicep of Africa wrapped in barbed wire.

  “Hospital?” he asked.

  “No, the beach.”

  He twisted around in the seat and lifted a thinly scarred eyebrow. “Which?”

  “Seal beach.”

&nb
sp; “Okay.” He started typing into the GPS.

  “You take credit?”

  “Sure do,” he replied.

  Jared settled back in the seat, relieved but still anxious. “Did anything… weird happen to you today?”

  Africa lifted with the man’s shrug. “Slept through most of whatever it was. Crazy stuff happened though. I get it.” The man seemed completely disconnected with the event, which Jared took as good news.

  “Anywhere in particular at the beach you got in mind?” he asked.

  “Just get me as close to the water as possible.”

  “Can do.”

  The cab took off with a promptness Jared appreciated. He decided to keep his further questions to himself; he didn’t want to press his luck. He tried Kaitlin’s cell phone again but got her message once more. He dialed the hospital. A frantic voice came on the line, “Can you please hold?”

  Click.

  Like he had a choice whether to hold or not.

  He set the phone down on his knee for a moment and studied his blue shirt, sweatpants, and shoes. Going through the laundry at the Kangjun’s seemed from the distant past now. And the adventure on the building had caused him to sweat so profusely the soil from the Deeper Unseen had purged itself from his skin. He had a notion of these things now, having so much awareness into Banch’s mind and history. Since the soil had purged itself from his skin, the color of his clothing made little difference now—the Assembly would smell him coming, miles away.

  His phone beeped. The call to the hospital was lost. He sighed and shut off his screen.

  Two minutes later, a call from Doctor Revel came in.

  “I’m so sorry for making you wait, Jared. What a mess it is here. I had to take a number. No strings to be pulled for this guy, I guess.”

  “No, that’s fine. Did you hurt yourself bad? Are you doing okay?”

  “My head feels fine,” he admitted. “But ending up next door with my face in some fresh cut grass got me thinking I might have juggled some brain cells.”

  Jared gave a commiserating laugh and said, “Yeah.”

  “So… all right. I, uh, I just want you to know that I really liked your dad and you. Your whole family really.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Oh, of course. Of course. I just, I know this is a strange day and weird stuff is happening. It’s not the greatest time to be laying more heavy shit on you. But because I care, this just couldn’t wait. I still thought we should talk about what those test results showed. What did your primary care tell you?”

  “The appointment was canceled, so please go on.”

  “So you don’t know anything?” asked Peter.

  “No, I don’t.”

  He grunted and cleared his throat. “Well, all the deficiencies in your blood lead me to believe you have APS. Your own doctor, Saxon, probably would make the same conclusion. Some of his notes were already in the file they faxed me. You case is way worse than your father’s, unfortunately.”

  “I’m sorry. AP…?”

  “S.”

  “I don’t know what that is.”

  Peter went silent for a beat. “Holy shit. I mean, your dad died from it. Nobody told you? He didn’t say anything? You never asked?”

  “I didn’t… know what to ask. I guess.”

  “Sorry?”

  “Tell me please. What is APS?”

  “Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome. I tentatively diagnosed him after his three heart attacks.”

  “Dad had three heart attacks? I don’t even remember him having one!”

  “They were minor, but significant. He really didn’t tell you? He had to come home from work twice and I think the other happened on the weekend.”

  Jared scrubbed his face and wanted to strangle himself. Why hadn’t his father said anything? Why hadn’t he noticed? “I must have been too busy thinking of myself. He was probably too scared it would freak me out, especially after losing mom.”

  “He told me he said something to you about it.”

  “Well, Doctor, he lied.”

  Jared’s tone got the cabbie’s attention, and he glanced through the rear view.

  “Come on, Jared,” said Peter.

  “What is APS then?”

  “Abnormal blood clotting. You may not even have traditional APS, but it’s the closest diagnosis to make at this point. You’ll need further screening, possibly require a heart bypass and need to take an antireplase injection daily to keep your clotting under control.”

  “I need an injection every day?”

  “Yes.” Peter’s surprise sounded like this was common knowledge.

  “So I need to go to the hospital every day?”

  “No, no, you can give the injection to yourself.”

  Jared was silent.

  “Is that a problem for you?”

  “Oh… oh, um, no.”

  “Jared, this is serious, serious stuff. You need to get all this done. You need to take care of yourself or—”

  “I’ll die,” he finished.

  Peter cleared his throat again. “It’s serious. Like I said. A big fight waits ahead of you. But there’s no reason you can’t win.”

  “Will I need to take pills?”

  “An assortment, why?”

  “Nothing. I can do that. Every day though?”

  “Yes, Jared. Have you worked on applying for that county health insurance?”

  Shit, totally forgot about that, for like the hundredth time. “Not yet. I will though.”

  “Well, don’t let those run-around fuckers kill you—I mean, sorry for the language.”

  “It’s fine.”

  “Nip this in the bud. Take care of yourself.”

  “I know.”

  “Keep me in the loop. I’ll send some articles your way from approved sources. Nothing too technical. Ask anything you want and if I don’t know the answer, I will find it for you. I want to help in whatever way I can. Bob was one of my favorite people. One of the best hearts on this big blue earth.”

  “I agree.”

  “So you’ll schedule a follow-up with a specialist?”

  “Of course,” said Jared. “Thank you so much for calling.”

  “You’re welcome buddy, any time. We’ll talk soon. Take care of that heart.”

  “Sure thing. Bye.”

  Jared realized that this was the conversation he was supposed to have this morning with his doctor. In different words perhaps, but the substance should have been the same. And he hadn’t listened. Peter would have then called him later today probably, and he probably wouldn’t have listened to that either. So afraid. So very afraid. So unsure of how to proceed, how to take that next step. Without Kaitlin to coddle him and make calls and schedule appointments and go with him to the pharmacy to get his meds, it would cost him his life. How would that have made her feel? She finally gets a part in something she auditions for and leaves Jared when he needs her the most. Of course it wasn’t her fault but she’d undoubtedly feel guilty about it. It made him ashamed of the person he once was and at the same time made him dread becoming that person again if he managed to escape the Assembly and this day from Hell.

  Images of the hotel drifted into his mind.

  And a day from Heaven.

  He sat back into the musty seat and rolled his head to his shoulder and watched the buildings whip past. Warehouses. Industrial complexes. A Stater Bros grocery store. A Chase bank. A Carl’s Jr—

  Jared sat up. He recognized this area. Him and Kaitlin got cash out at that Chase bank and ate at that Carl’s Jr on their way to a Future of Mankind concert. He’d seen and remembered this place earlier while walking, before he got the cab.

  The driver was driving him away from the beach.

  Jared tensed, gripping the legs of his pants. His back straightened.

  The door locks clicked in place, the driver checking them. He must have read Jared’s body language.

  “Not quite time yet,” said the driver with a new ra
sp to his voice. “They haven’t recovered fully—we’ll drive a bit, and when the Assembly arrives to the outskirts of the Paled Ocean, this will be over. They will have their gift.”

  Jared tried to pull the lock up but couldn’t grip the nub.

  “You might want to just accept it and relax, Mr. Kare.”

  “Who are you?” Jared asked.

  The man’s jade eyes regarded him in the rearview. “I’m a cabbie.” He smiled tenderly.

  “Why are you doing this?”

  “One of my colleagues decided to speak, to interfere—some of us would rather the Assembly lose their gift this time around. However, that desire is not shared by all of us, especially those who don’t have the luxury of living outside the boundaries of the fortress.”

  “You are another Silent King then?”

  The green in his eyes went fierce. “Just stay quiet.”

  “You can’t do this! You aren’t supposed to interfere with mortal affairs. That’s mandate!” Jared was surprised how loud his voice had suddenly become.

  “This interference is justified to keep the Assembly performing their function. I’ll not spend the next century managing their depression and angst. I remember the days before gifts were appropriated to the Assembly, and despite what some of my other colleagues believe, it’s a necessary practice. The gifts give them hope and focus. I will not be made to bail out the Assembly when they are too tormented to endure. I will not suffer again under the stresses of the dimensions. That’s their job. Theirs.”

  Jared struck the back of the seat with his foot. “Let me out! You’ve got no right to me. I don’t belong to you.”

  “Calm it down, Kare.”

  “You all can go to hell.”

  “No such thing, but the Fortress is a hell of place.” A dark smirk. The eyes glinted in amusement, seeing Jared’s fear. “They’ll eventually invest their energy in other gifts. They might take a little longer with you though.”

  The Silent King laughed.

  Jared dipped into his pocket and pulled his phone free.

  Another laugh. “Calling mama? Dada? Oh right, I forgot, they both croaked and left you alone.”

  “Get screwed.”