Lightning flashes across the room again.
I am once again dazzled by his looks.
“You are not getting lucky until I find a cure,” I say, wishing this situation could be different. “Now Go!”
He takes my instruction and leaves for the other bed, mumbling about how life sucks sometimes.
I can’t help being amused by how forlorn he looks all the way over there.
He is just staring at the roof, blankly.
“Danny,” I say, projecting my voice over to him.
“What?” There is a bit of the spark back in his voice now.
“I’m so lonely over here,” I reply dramatically, in my best damsel-in-distress voice. “I sure wish there was a man around here who would hold me!”
He bursts out laughing.
When he recovers he is over in a flash.
He gets in under the blanket with me and I lie on his chest.
He tells me to go asleep.
There is a dream he wants to send me.
He guarantees that it won’t be a nightmare.
With the security of his arm around me I soon fall asleep.
The dream he sends me is amazing.
He starts with the past.
He shows me snippets from his childhood. It seemed so happy.
After he became an Arachne things changed.
He hasn’t been happy for years.
Not until now.
He moves onto the future.
He sees us as being together.
He thinks will have a daughter named Charlotte, or Char for short.
She won’t be an Arachne. She will be human, happy.
He can see her so vividly, her black hair and distinctive green eyes.
I wake up, completely speechless.
“Did you like it?” he asks hopefully. “It was just a few thoughts I had.”
I assure him that I loved it, and kiss him just to prove it.
Then I tell him to go asleep. I want to show him something.
Eventually he does fall asleep.
He looks so calm in sleeping, the complete opposite to earlier.
I put my hand on his head.
I giggle.
He is going to like this dream.
In it we do all kinds of naughty things I couldn’t even mention to you.
I just let my imagination run free.
Eventually he wakes up, “And I thought you were an innocent girl!”
I find myself giggling again.
Tonight has been pretty awesome.
He thinks the same.
I know by the way he is looking at me.
*
The next morning is Sunday and it’s quiet around the school.
Well, mostly.
All the Arachnes are up. Nate has called an emergency meeting.
We all convene in the gym.
It isn’t good news, our leader announces.
He got a letter from Rejon yesterday.
There are a few gasps; this is not an average occurrence.
Daniel looks worried, so does Angelica.
Nate has bags under his eyes. He didn’t sleep a lot last night.
He reads out the letter to us. It is his opinion that we all deserve to know the contents.
It goes like this,
Dear Weaklings
Many nights I have stayed up wondering why you wouldn’t join my army.
We are lovely people, you know, behaving how Arachnes should.
I don’t know why you insist on acting like humans.
When you refused to join me, in my quest against the Mayrons, it annoyed me.
I got a tad ‘upset’.
Then I got angry.
Therefore I have decided that my vendetta against the Mayrons is dated.
They don’t fight back. They are no fun.
My new vendetta is against you.
I shall destroy you all at will.
Regards
Rejon.
P.S. You Weaklings should have joined my army.
It’s too late now. You’ve already hurt my feelings.
There is sheer panic when Nate finishes reading.
I’ve never seen collective fear just spike like this.
It’s practically glowing in the air, blue and red.
Daniel grabs my hand.
He promises that he won’t let Rejon hurt me.
Honestly, I’m more worried about my boyfriend than myself. Rejon didn’t send me a personalized message after all.
When the place quietens down Daniel tells Nate about this message.
Nate asks did anyone else get one addressed specifically to them.
No one did.
Now I am really worried about my boyfriend.
Nate asks whether Daniel has been tracking Rejon recently.
He is trying to figure out why Rejon is targeting Daniel specifically.
I am beginning to wonder that too.
“Have you done anything to annoy him recently?” Nate asks my boyfriend.
Daniel answers that he doesn’t know who Rejon is. It is therefore impossible for him to know if he has annoyed him.
This is a good point.
Nate just sighs.
He wants us all to focus on this issue now.
Day and night we are to be vigilante, on the lookout for clues.
If we meet anyone who we even suspect of being a Cezer we are to tell him.
If someone looks at us funny, if someone talks to us funny, if someone acts funny, he wants to know about it.
It doesn’t even matter if it’s another member of this group.
He wants to know everything that any of us are thinking about this.
At all times.
A few people look uncomfortable now. They all know that Rejon could be here with us now, pretending to be one of our own.
He could have an informer either, I think to myself.
This way he wouldn’t need to physically be here at all.
I look around, disliking the fact that I have to suspect everyone.
Nate says that we must begin hunting Cezers, the way they are now hunting us.
This is the only way for us to survive the onslaught that is coming.
We cannot let the evil side of our species prosper.
The Cezers have declared war on us.
We are the ones who must come out of this war alive.
Otherwise the Cezers will run riot.
We must fight. We must survive.
Not only for the sake of our own species, but also for the humans.
I think about how the Cezers treat humans. Nate is right.
I squeeze Daniel’s hand tighter.
The war, whether we like it or not, has begun.
It will not be won easily.
*
I am eating lunch, still very much reeling from Rejon’s letter.
A lot of my Arachne group are outside now.
They have transformed themselves into spiders, of all things.
Daniel told me that all Arachnes have the power to do this. They generally do it when they’re hiding, or when a human wakes up before they’re meant to.
If anyone ever sees a spider in their room, soon after or right before a nightmare, it is almost definitely an Arachne.
They don’t transform themselves often though, Nate explained. You can only do it ten times in your whole life.
You have to choose wisely.
I think I was happier before I knew all this. A spider was just a spider then.
Greg walks up sits down at my table, right across from me.
“Hi stranger,” he smirks. “It feels like ages since we’ve talked! Where did you get to yesterday?”
I find myself smiling at him.
It’s nice to be around someone who’s in a good mood. There wasn’t a lot of cheerful Arachnes after this morning’s meeting.
“Oh, I went on a trip to the zoo,” I reply. “What did you get up to?”
He no
ds and dips one of his French fries into some tomato ketchup, “All sorts. I would tell you but then you might be implicated in it.”
I laugh.
His voice lowers; the look in his eyes goes more serious, “Were you with the blue eyed class?”
I tell him that I was.
He sits back, seemingly pondering, “Do you think there’s something weird about them? The way they all stick together . . .”
I strenuously deny this.
I do so with a bit too much fervour.
I realise, to my dismay, that I’ve probably just raised your suspicions.
He looks amazed and stops eating suddenly, to study me, “You are one of them now . . . How did I not see that?”
My heart drops.
How much does he know?
“I have no idea what you are talking about,” I sound far too guilty, again.
He doesn’t answer.
Instead he focuses on his food again for a moment.
“Angelica called over last night,” he changes the subject. “Said you needed some time alone with spider-boy . . . I’m not one to judge but it seems like you’ve only known him a few days and . . .”
I interrupt, a red flag having been raised in my head, “Did you just call him spider-boy?”
I am very much beginning to worry about how much Greg Harshaw knows.
Greg seems to find my reaction strange, “Yeah, he collects pictures of spiders. It’s my nickname for him. Are you okay, Katy? You seem edgy or something.”
We are all a bit ‘edgy’ since the meeting.
I need to get a grip.
I relax. This is Greg I’m talking to.
“I’m sorry,” I apologize quickly, my voice sincere. “I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night, I’ve a tonne of homework to do . . . You know how it is . . .”
I see the mischief returning to his eyes in a second.
He is forming a plan.
I know it.
I can’t help but grin.
“Hey, what do you say we escape here for the day?” He leans in closer, animated now. “I want to introduce you to some friends of mine.”
I can never say no to him.
Even when I know I should.
There’s just something about him, something between us, which makes it impossible.
“Where would we be going?” I ask, helplessly intrigued.
I love the blue and white check shirt he is wearing.
It goes well with his blonde hair.
“It’s about an hour away,” he remains elusive on purpose. “You up for it?”
I don’t know what Daniel would think.
He hasn’t said anything but I don’t think he likes Greg much.
Greg unconsciously runs a hand through his hair now.
The word ‘temptation’ doesn’t cover how well he looks now.
“Yeah, sure,” I find myself mumbling.
Once again I chastise myself.
It scares me how easily he can draw me in.
He beams at me, “Awesome.”
We agree to go when we’re finished lunch.
I find myself studying his face. It’s so perfectly angelic.
I shall have to stop noticing that, just like I’ll have to stop noticing his perfect body.
I take a sip of my orange juice.
Why is he so irresistible to me?
He begins telling me about this band he’s the lead singer in.
“That’s awesome,” I remark.
I love musicians.
He offers to give me guitar lessons sometimes.
I instantly accept.
He smiles in a way that makes me want to melt.
I don’t know what power he has over me but I do know one thing.
He is using it today.
*
Greg was lying when he said that his friend’s place was ‘about an hour’ away.
We’ve been on the road for two hours now. I don’t really mind though. We’ve been singing along with the radio and catching up on all the years apart.
It almost feels like we’ve never been apart, now that we’ve found each other again.
I hadn’t even realised how much I missed him.
A sad country song comes on the radio. It’s about a man who misses his wedding.
Greg sings along loudly but changes the words.
In Greg’s version the man doesn’t miss his wedding.
Instead he does make it to his wedding but later finds out that the girl is a transvestite.
I just shake my head, trying not to laugh, “I’ll never hear this song the same now.”
“Oh no, you’ll hear it the same,” he informs me. “You’ll just be glad that he missed the wedding, instead of sad about it. Perspective. It’s a great thing.”
I tell him that he’s as crazy as ever.
He takes it as a compliment.
My phone rings.
It’s Daniel. He wants to know if I’m okay.
He sounds frantic.
I look at my watch. It’s half four.
I remember that the two of us had planned to meet a quarter of an hour ago.
I completely forgot to tell him I was leaving.
I feel awful. If there was a ‘Worst Girlfriend’ award it would surely go to me.
No wonder Daniel is worried. He probably thinks that Rejon has me.
I apologize and assure him that I’m fine. I’ve just gone on a road trip with Greg, I explain.
This momentarily calms Daniel. Then he gets all worked up again.
He asks a lot of questions.
Am I sure that I can trust Greg?
Where exactly are we going?
There are a few more questions in the same vein. All of them born out of an endearingly cute concern for my well being.
His tone also tells me something else.
Daniel definitely doesn’t trust Greg Harshaw.
I look at my driver now. He is looking quite amused.
“Daniel, relax. I’m fine,” I assure him. “I’ve known Greg since I was four. Ain’t that right, Harshaw?”
Greg corrects me.
We’ve know each other since we were three, in fact.
He vaguely remembers my fourth birthday party. There was a cake shaped like a fairy.
I remember it too.
The two of us get carried away reminiscing again. A girl named Wonda Banks ate the wing and I got all upset because I wanted that piece.
Greg had been the one to point out to me that the fairy had two wings.
The problem was resolved.
We both laugh at this memory.
I could be so ridiculous back then.
I almost forget that Daniel’s on the phone until he speaks again.
He sounds slightly subdued.
He tells me to be careful. Rejon could be anywhere.
His worry is in complete contrast with Greg, who is looking like he doesn’t have a care in the world right now.
Greg waits until my conversation with Daniel ends before speaking again, sarcastically, “Aw, that’s so cute, your boyfriend thinks he has to call if you go away for a few hours.”
“He just gets a bit worried,” I explain, not able to tell Greg the whole truth. “Speaking of other-halves, what’s the deal with you and Angelica? You looked pretty close at the Ball.”
I am quite curious to know. Angelica doesn’t say much.
“Not as close as you and spider-boy with your public displays,” he teases before glancing at me for a second. He seems rather far away when he looks at the road again, “I don’t know what to make of Angelica. I think she may like me . . . It is entirely possible that she completely detests me . . . It’s hard to know with the girl.”
I grin while looking out the window at some fields.
I know exactly how Greg feels.
“I can’t figure her out either, if it makes you feel better,” I remark, in jest.
“Yeah,” Greg’s voice is suddenly quieter, a b
it more thoughtful and serious. “I think I’d prefer to be with someone where it’s easy . . . where things seem effortless . . . more natural.”
There is a new fear in his head now.
It is a major one.
He is afraid that he is making a terrible mistake.
He fears that he has made the wrong decision about something. I can’t tell what.
Suddenly reluctance shows in his eyes.
“Greg, are you okay?” I ask.
He hesitates before answering, “Yeah, sure. . . We’re nearly there now. It’s only another minute.”
I wonder why he suddenly looks like he wants to turn back.
The fear that he is doing the wrong thing just grows within him.
He pulls up to an aluminium gate. It is outside a modern looking house that has been painted white. The lawn is cut and there is a basket of plants on every window sill.
It looks perfect. Too perfect.
The gate doesn’t open automatically. Greg rolls down his window and speaks into a machine. He assures whoever is inside that it is him.
The sombre tone of Greg’s voice worries me. His fear is getting greater all the time.
The gate opens.
I try to hide my nervousness, “Greg, where are we?”
“You should not have let them change you,” he answers, his voice almost cracking with emotion now. “You should’ve stayed human.”
He stops the car and looks at me.
There is anguish in his eyes. I’ve never seen them like that before.
I can’t say anything.
He continues, sounding so regretful, “He only became interested in you when you were changed.”
“Who became interested in me?” I sound just a little hysterical now.
“Rejon, our leader,” Greg answers, his voice sad.
I am completely shocked.
There are people coming out of the house.
Ten of them, our age, a mixture of boys and girls. None of them look friendly.
They are crowding around the car.
I glimpse a tattoo on one of their arms.
It says ‘Cezer’.
My blood goes cold.
I look back at Greg in disbelief.
I begin to suspect that he may not be as human as he seems.
His eyes, they aren’t our colour. It doesn’t make sense.
Then I remember that the Mimickers can change their eye colour.
It takes me a moment to process it.
He is an Arachne.
He looks away from me, guiltily.
Elysium's Love Triangle Page 7