"Casey! Open the door!” It was Greg, her step father. Casey looked up terrified at her friends.
‘What does he want?’ She asked herself.
"Into the bathroom! Quickly! All of you!" She urged them panicked, she couldn't explain why they were all there and she didn't want to risk Greg seeing Jon either,
’Shit, his timing just sucks!’
"Casey! I know you are in there! Open up right now!"
Greg shouted again and Casey, taking a shuddering breath and after she had made sure that it was only her and Morgan in the bed room Casey stood up from the floor. She dried her tears with the sleeve of her t-shirt and then she walked up to the door
"I'm coming!" Casey swung the door open, facing her step father who stood in front of her in a visible rage.
"What do you want?” Casey growled, her voice breaking As Greg’s mad expression softened, it was clear to him that Casey had been crying, no doubt about her twin.
"It's not what I want." Greg said, walking into the room past Casey uninvited, shutting the door behind him as he passed her by.
"It was a really stupid stunt, Casey. You are lucky we don't press charges against you for doing that." Greg said dryly as he turned to face his step daughter.
"Morgan could have died a really painful death because of your stupid tricks, you are not a child anymore, and you should have known better than that."
Casey's eyes watered, she suddenly realized what Greg was talking about.
"You…” Casey stuttered. ”Did you take him?" Casey shuddered, breathless.
Greg nodded, crossing his arms over his chest in a serious expression.
"The janitor was searching the rooms for rats and found a little more than he bargained for.” Greg said lowly, attempting to control his rage.
"So you just took him?!" Casey screamed, finding her voice again, fresh tears staining her features.
"What did you think? That we were going to leave him here?!" Greg screamed back at the enraged teen.
"Did you ever think of anyone but yourself Casey?! What about your mother?! Imagine our shock when the police told us that they had found Morgan here! In your room and above all without his life support system! Did you try to kill him?!”
“No! I was trying to save him!” Casey yelled. “You were the ones that were planning to murder my brother!” Greg fumed at her upsetting words.
“This is not a game Casey! And you are not a child to think that! Yes, we took him, and a good thing we did. Morgan was dying and in pain when the paramedics found him. Is that what you wanted for him?! Is it?"
"You…You are ruining everything! You had no right…" Casey tried to collect herself, she was seeing double.
"We had every right! We are his parents! And yours!" Greg interrupted her, looking as enraged as before. Casey glared at him, breathing hard, her eyes practically red from crying.
"You are not our father, you never were! And…"
Casey suddenly lost the ability to speak as a sudden pain that spread across her face told her that Greg had slapped her, his arm still raised in shock.
Casey gulped; she was shaken, to traumatize to react, Greg never raised a hand on either of them in his life.
“I’m…” Greg stared at his own hand, ashamed. ”I'm sorry…"
"Get out.” Casey whispered, raising a hand to her burning cheek.
"Casey…"Greg reached his hand to her.
“Get the fuck out!!!" Casey screamed, startling the older man and collapsing to her knees, crying her heart out. Greg looked at her with remorse.
"Casey… Your mother and I…We have decided to let Morgan die in peace…"
Casey's breathe caught in her throat. "Wha…t?"
"He is back at the hospital and the doctors told us it's just a matter of time. We signed a 'do not revive' form. We won't stop you if you want to go say goodbye to him before he…" Greg's voice broke. “I'm sorry.”
Casey remained silent, her eyes firmly locked with the floor as Greg gave Casey one final glance before he opened the door and walked out, leaving Casey seemingly alone.
It only took a second for Casey to connect all the dots in her mind and then she opened her mouth, breathing deep and screaming her lungs out, making her startled friends rush out of their hiding place to her aid.
"Morgan…Morgan…" Casey tried to speak but words escaped her as she choked on her tears.
”Oh god…It’s over…”
"Not yet!” Jon fell to his knees in front of his twin and forced Casey’s eyes to focus on his. “We still have time to save him! Don't give up on him now, ok?"
Casey opened her mouth, once, twice and then she eagerly nodded, getting to her feet with Jon’s help and hurrying to Morgan's almost faded soul, lifting him off of the bed, looking back at Colin.
"You're dad's truck?" Colin smiled.
"After you.” He opened the door, allowing them all to clear out.
---
Colin was driving like a mad man and probably broke about a dozen rode laws, it was amazing that no cop had stopped them so it took them only about seven minutes to get to the hospital in a way that would to a normal person take twenty five.
All of that time when they were sited in the back of the truck Casey had tried numerous times to wake her brother’s soul up. She whispered secrets in his ear, telling him things that she had never told him, apologizing for every stupid thing that she ever did to him.
She tried to use any way she could possibly think of to keep the faded soul with them but it didn't make Morgan wake up.
They had finally arrived at the hospital. Colin parked the car at the front entrance and Casey practically jumped out with Morgan in her arms, running towards the door with her friends two feet behind her, trying to keep up with her erratic pace.
The elevator was too slow in her opinion and Casey had burst out of it, nearly knocking her own mother of her feet in her hurry to reach Morgan’s hospital room.
Casey halted in shock, staring at her equally shocked mother for what seemed like a long time but lasted only a moment and then her mother let out a heart wrenching sob.
"Casey!" She reached her hands to hug her but Casey backed away from her as if she was infected by some contagious fatal decease.
"Did you do it?" she asked quietly, not caring that her mother had probably cried as hard as she did.
"Casey…"
"Did you kill him?!" Casey screamed.
Her mother shook her head, sobbing uncontrollably.
"No, Casey. I would never kill my baby! Morgan passed away on his own…”
Casey didn't hear the rest of it. She pushed past her mother and ran down the hall, reaching Morgan's room just as Greg was coming out of it.
Greg looked at her for a moment and then he just shook his head and walked away to deal with Morgan's papers and funeral arrangement.
Casey huffed and hurried into the room, followed by her friends and brother.
She stopped, staring at the covered body that lay on the bed in front of them.
"We are too late…" May whispered.
"You wish!" Casey snapped. At that point even the fact May was breathing was irritating her.
Casey carried Morgan’s soul to the bed, kneeling beside it and laying his spirit next to his body as Jon removed the white cloth from Morgan’s just as whitened face.
Casey took a deep breath and got the crystal out of her pocket, carefully placing it on Morgan's forehead and holding her breath, waiting for it to work.
The crystal gave out its blue soft light and then Morgan's soul shimmered and disappeared and everything in the room went dark and silent, none of them dared to move, they all stood there waiting, breathless.
Casey looked at her brother. There was no change in his features. His lips remained dead grey, his skin white and his eyes closed, he was really gone.
"No…" Casey whispered. "No!" She cried.
Casey held on to Morgan's hand, begging him to return.
"Please come back! P
lease Morgan! I need you!” She shook his hand, frantic.
Casey felt Jon wrap his arms around her and allowed Jon to pull her back from Morgan and into his own arms.
"I failed him." Casey whispered. "He trusted me to save him and I let him die."
Casey looked up at her friends. There was an equal amount of sadness and anger in their faces as her own.
Toby turned around and kicked the door with frustration.
“You should really focus your anger on the apocalypses, not the door." Jon said lowly, still holding Casey, closer than ever.
He felt Casey slightly push him away as she pulled herself up to her feet, looking back at Morgan’s still body.
"They will pay for this; I will make Utopia pay for taking Morgan away from me."
She swore in a dark voice.
"I won't rest until each and one of them are rotting in hell." She hissed as Jon gave her a little smile, getting to his feet as well.
"We will avenge our brother, Casey, I swear." He whispered as they both turned to the door, ready to go execute their pending vengeance.
Chapter eighteen: The final battle.
"Mmm…Casey…Jon… I think you should see that…" They heard Colin suddenly whisper.
Casey didn't dare hope but as she turned around she gasped in surprise, hearing Jon do the same beside her. They both stared at their brothers' body, only it didn't look as dead as it was a moment ago.
Morgan's lips were slowly turning a pale shade of pink and his skin regained its natural color.
Morgan breathed in deeply and opened his eyes. He stared at the ceiling for a moment and then turned to look at his siblings, smiling softly at them
"Morgan…" Casey whispered, praying this wasn't a dream as both she and Jon closed the distance between them and wrapped Morgan up in a tight embrace.
"Did…Did I die?" Morgan asked lowly after his siblings released him, kipping by his side. Casey nodded, too shocked to speak, she couldn't pretend that just a second ago she wished for nothing else then the end of this retched earth and the death of all those responsible for taking Morgan away from her.
"The janitor found you in our room and mom let you die…” The words poured out of her like a river, as if a tap was opened, there was so much she wanted Morgan to know.
So much she felt she had to apologize for.
“But we got your soul here and thought you were really gone but you came back! And…."
Morgan placed his hand on Casey's cheek where a red mark had formed, silencing his baby sister.
"Who…?" He asked, angered and ready to fight even in his weak state.
He noticed immediately that the mark looked a lot like a human hand print; whoever did it… It must have been done with force.
Casey shook her head.
“Never mind…Later. Right now all that's important is that you are back and we have to get out of here." Morgan nodded and sat up.
“Oh…” He put his hand on his forehead. “My head spins.”
“Yes, easy with the sharp movements.” Casey warned him. “You did just come back from the dead."
"Can you walk?" Colin gave him his hand, seeing Morgan looked pretty weak, too weak to be walking around on his own anyway.
“No…No I’m fine, just help me up.” Morgan said, taking Colin’s hand and supported by his siblings he got up to his feet.
"Shouldn’t we tell your parents that Morgan is alive?” May asked in a small voice, making Casey wildly laugh at her stupid comment.
"You never seize to amaze me with your foolishness.” She shook her head.
“No. Absolutely not. They don’t deserve it. They let Morgan die."
"And besides," Morgan added weakly. "If we are going up against Utopia now it is possible that we won't survive this so…"
"They are better off thinking that they have already lost him." Jon completed his brother’s train of thoughts, now they were really connected.
"They will know I took you." Casey said to Morgan. "They found out I did it last time and they will head straight for the summer school.”
Morgan nodded, understanding.
"Then we will have to hide me until we have a plan to beat that retched creature. But we have to go now.” He decided as Toby opened the door and glanced into the hallway.
"Let's get out of here.” He whispered, ready to step into the hall.
"Wait." Colin removed from himself his oversized hoody and handed it to Morgan.
"Wear this, cover your face.” Morgan complied and Jon stuck his head out of the door. "The coast is clear. Wow, I feel such a de j'ai vu moment coming on, don’t you?"
“Yes, I’m half expecting Casey to bite that guard again.” Colin laughed as they snuck out of the room and down to the lobby, hearing Casey's mom scream for help just before they left in a hurry the sterile halls.
They arrived at the school some time later and as Colin parked the car in the back of the huge parking lot they saw Casey's parents and the police arrive to the front gate, missing them by seconds.
"Shit! How did they get here so fast?" Casey puffed.
"Never mind that. How are we going to get in? We have to hide."
Din said, looking at Toby.
Colin looked at Toby as well.
“Why are you all staring at me for?” The latter huffed and Colin growled.
"Please tell me that you memorized the map of the school and know a way in so that no one will be able to see us." Toby shook his head.
"Of course I did.” He smiled proudly. "But that’s not a reason to stare at me."
Colin and Din both rolled their eyes.
Toby smirked.
"C'mon, follow me.” He said, turning to the back gate.
He led them to the far end of the parking lot where near the tool shed he uncovered two wooden doors hidden almost completely underneath the tall grass in the ground.
"A bomb shelter." He explained to his puzzled friends. "From world war two I think. It runs underneath the entire school and has multiple exits on the inside."
Casey clapped her hands, overjoyed by Toby’s useful photographic memory.
“Toby, you’re a little genius!" Toby raised an eyebrow.
"I beg your pardon…Little?" Casey laughed.
"Big, big, huge!"
"That's better." Toby blushed, imagining that Casey was complementing something completely different.
“Don’t encourage him.” Colin huffed as Toby nodded in agreement; smiling and then he and Colin reached down and pried the heavy doors open with a loud creak.
"I hope no one heard that." Din whispered as they all climbed into the dark shelter.
"I…Can't…See a thing!" Casey complained, holding on to Morgan’s hand as if on to life itself.
“You are not afraid of the dark, are you, little sister?” Morgan asked with a smile his sister couldn't see and Casey puffed, holding him tighter.
She knew well enough that Morgan was smiling.
"Nooo…" Casey emphasized the word, her hand never loosening its grip on Morgan’s arm. ”I just don’t want to fall flat on my face….Oh! That's better!"
She smiled as Toby found the light switch and the shelter was flooded with neon lightening.
Casey glanced around them and saw that they were standing in the middle of a square empty room with a few broken metal beds, a low ceiling, doors on both side and a few stairways leading up in different directions.
"This one." Toby pointed at the stairs to their right. "Leads to a little broom closet under the stairs in the main hallway. We won't get closer to your room then this so if you want to go there we have to try it."
The gang climbed up the stairs, squeezing into the tight space of the broom closet.
"Everybody be quiet." Din whispered as he slowly opened the door.
"Wow!" He immediately stumbled back in, shutting the door behind him.
"Oww!" Colin pushed him. "Din! You are on my foot!"
"What's wrong?” Morgan asked. A
nd Din glared at him thought the resumed darkness.
"Your mom is right outside the door talking to Colin's dad."
"Great…" Casey mumbled, silently cursing his mother. "Now what?"
"Leave it to me." Morgan said with a devilish grin as he pushed his way out.
"Morgan! They will see you! You're not a ghost anymore." Casey grabbed his arm to try and stop him from going but he looked back with a smile.
"Don’t worry." Morgan assured her. "I won't go far. Just stay here until I come back for you, don’t get out no matter what you hear. Got it?"
And without waiting for an answer Morgan opened the door and snuck out, leaving his friends and siblings anxious at his actions.
"What is he going to do?' Casey whispered but no one had an answer for her.
A moment later they heard screams and people running and a hiss of some sort.
The door opened and Morgan grinned at them.
"You can come out now." He said, moving back to clear the path.
"Just don’t choke.” He warned as the gang piled out of the broom closet, immediately covering their mouths and noses with their palms, attempting seriously not to breath in the awful stench.
The smell that stood in the air was horrible, rotten eggs and burned rubber and something else Casey didn't really want to try and decipher.
“Fuck Morgan! What the hell did you do?!" Casey breathed, coughing as the foul smell entered her nostrils.
Morgan smiled.
"Just a little stink bomb…" He admitted.
”Where did you get it?" Colin enquired with genuine interest. Morgan pointed at the little hole in the wall next to the door of the closet.
"Found it the first time we ever came to this place.” He explained.
“I always kept one or two hidden down here just in case I would have to make a quick getaway…Never got to use it until now." He said, laughing to himself.
Din looked at him fairly impressed. "You never cease to amaze me, Tepes."
Morgan laughed. "I know. Now let's get to our room before mom gets back here."
"Wait.” Casey looked up the stairs. “We can't just wait for her to find us." Morgan smirked. "Mom or Utopia?"
"Both." Casey chuckled. "Look, Lisa said that Utopia is planning something and I think that we have to beat her to it and destroy her before she succeeds with whatever she had planned out for us. I'm not keen on just sit here and wait for her to come to us."
Winds Of The Apocalypse Page 27