by Giger, S. L.
“I don’t even know what I am supposed to look like. I knew it couldn’t be like this.”
“So, what do you say.” I got up and held out a hand to help him up as well. “Come back to our house with us and we can decide from there what next steps we can take?”
He ignored my hand and got up on his own. “I’m sorry, but I don’t even know you. If this is my place, I much rather stay here and perhaps I will remember something.” He traced the workbench with his hand. “Plus, I kind of knocked out your friends. Who knows what you will do to me if I come with you.”
Alex tilted his head in surprise.
I sighed. “You didn’t know what you were doing. They have already forgiven you for that. But they must be worried about where we are.”
Rey shook his head. “No, I’m fine with staying here.”
“I get that waking up in chains doesn’t make our house seem like a safe place, but it is. I can’t leave you here alone. You’re not human anymore. There still are some things you must learn, or you might accidentally kill yourself or expose us to the world and then the Orbiters will kill you.” I spoke intensely. “You heard them, right? I can’t let this happen to you.”
Rey pressed his hands on top of his bald head. “I don’t remember anything about who I was and the world I’ve seen doesn’t strike me as very inviting.”
“It isn’t but we can make it better. You could help us with it. Wouldn’t that be a good enough reason to live?” I approached him, and he leaned back a little, making me slow down.
He placed his palms flat on the workbench, pushing his weight onto them so that I could see the muscles in his upper arms. “You seem like a nice person, but you’re asking a bit much. I would prefer to simply blow a few more of these glass balls and make a lamp out of them.”
“That sounds good too. Maybe it will help you remember.” I encouraged him.
“Good.” He walked to the oven and pushed a button and pulled on a lever. “You can leave then.”
“Unfortunately, I can’t.”
His face became closed off, but I didn’t want to lose the connection I had to him. “I just want to make sure you are okay.” I tried.
Rey didn’t answer but just moved around a few tools.
“So, uhm, should I go let Melissa and Luke know you are here?” Alex asked into the silence.
I nodded, and he backed away, not taking his eyes off Rey until he disappeared out of my field of vision.
“And I can stay in my usual spot, watching you work.” I sat back down onto my bench.
“I can’t imagine that I could work being watched by you.” He ground his teeth.
“You never talked much. More often we shared our company in silence. But now I have another question.” I kneaded my fingers. “Aren’t you hungry?”
He earnestly considered my question. “Nope. You?”
“Being hungry for a Siren means you desire a nice, juicy and vitally pumping heart.” I remembered how Roisin first talked about hearts to me and my mouth started watering then as if she talked about the best dish in the world.
“No. Can’t say that my stomach rumbles at that.” He said dryly and snorted.
“That’s odd.” I leaned back against the wooden wall. He had been in transformation for one month. It would be time for a new heart right about now. Maybe that meant he didn’t have to kill someone to stay alive and like Alex had hoped, could take the serum instead. I watched how Rey opened the oven and placed some tools in the orange fire that was flickering inside. That was good news. It would be easier than if he had to go hunting. He only needed the next shot with the serum and we’d see from there.
Chapter 6
Rey was highly concentrated on creating a glass bubble lamp. Having found something he remembered seemed to have triggered him to use this skill as if his life depended on it. At least he had calmed down enough and didn’t freak out when Melissa, Luke, and Alex returned to the work shed. He only lifted an eyebrow while continuing in his craft when they all entered.
“How are your heads?” I addressed Melissa and Luke with concern.
“Alright,” Luke said. “Not much different than when I am in a crowd of humans.”
“At least I can relate to how humans make you feel now.” Melissa touched her skull, checking for any damage again. “I’ll be fine.” She looked at Rey. “I’m glad you are okay.”
Rey eyed a piece of glass and held it against the dim light of the fire in the oven, completely ignoring Melissa.
I shook my head. Where had his people skills gone?
“Being cold and distant is normal Siren behavior in the beginning.” Melissa mouthed into my right ear so that Rey wouldn’t hear. “It protects us from doing irrational things. You were an exception, being all stubborn and teary.”
I rolled my eyes. After all, having a sudden change in your life wasn’t a walk in the park.
“I heard you are more than okay. Alex told us you are indifferent to human heartbeats?” Luke tried.
“I can hear them alright,” Rey said without looking at any of us.
“But you don’t even think about attacking him”, Luke pointed to Alex. “That’s a wonderful progress.”
“Yes, it definitely is a big step in the right direction,” I said. “Yet, he still doesn’t remember anything, and he doesn’t believe me that he agreed to become a Siren.”
“We had to reckon there would be side effects”, Alex said.
“I assume since he isn’t attracted by human hearts, he probably can survive without them, by taking the serum?” I asked.
“Yes, that’s what it looks like,” Alex replied.
“He doesn’t feel hungry though. Can it be that he doesn’t need the serum at all?” I looked at Rey who was looking at me as well his eyebrows raised in curiosity. Perhaps not as indifferent to everything as he pretended to be. He turned away again.
“We could wait and watch him for a while,” Luke suggested.
“If he becomes weaker, he can take the serum. If he doesn’t need it, even better.” Alex added, still hiding in the shadows close to the door.
“And what do we do about his memory loss?” I addressed Melissa as she was a nurse and might know something about that.
“Unfortunately, I have never treated a patient like that since this is more in the psychological department. I will look it up though. What do you remember about your old life?” Melissa asked him.
Rey had a short round glass stick in his hands, which he now rolled from one hand into the other on the table in front of him. “I can’t remember my name, my age, my friends or family or why I know how to blow glass. I remember nothing at all.” He growled. “It’s like a white spot I know should be filled but no matter how hard I think it stays white.” He grimaced.
“How about the rest of the universe?” she asked.
“I remember cars and schools, hospitals and food but I can’t picture me in it. I forgot where I went to school or how I lived. Yet, I know exactly what temperature glass needs to have to be bent or blown. However, I feel like you’ve brought me into a stranger’s workplace and allowed me to work here.” He faced Melissa with a tired expression.
“So, your body remembers actions but not people, places or feelings.” Melissa summed up.
He grunted affirmingly, hitting the glass stick on the table which broke it in two.
“We will help you remember if we can,” I said to him before turning to the others. “How else should we proceed? The Orbiters want us to keep going and create more male Sirens. But it’s still a risk with the memory loss and besides it takes too long.”
“How can they want us to continue with this?” Melissa threw her hands in the air. “I don’t see at all how several like Rey should help us in any way with getting rid of Dr. Palmer and whoever controls him.”
“I agree. We need reliable people.” Luke turned to Rey. “Sorry, Rey.”
To our surprise, Rey burst out laughing. “You need someone reliable?
Oh well, let me think.” He dabbed his fingers against his cheek. “From what I’ve heard, you get headaches when you are around human hearts.” He pierced Luke with his blue eyes. Then, he whipped his head around to face me. “And when you get hungry, you kill people to get to their adrenaline. Perhaps you need to consider again, who is reliable here. From a human perspective, I would want to be as far away from you as possible.”
I caught myself biting my lip and stopped, kneading my fingers instead. His words had hit a sore spot. What was my permission to be alive? If you consider the facts, we were all monsters.
“You’re not being fair here”, Alex stepped into the room where Rey could see him. “I am human and everything they have done so far was to help make the world a better place. They risk their lives, spying on PaNacea.” He narrowed his eyes. “They even are willing to give their lives to let the future Sirens have an easier life. So, that you now can have a better life, too.” He pointed at Rey. “And even if you don’t remember at the moment, it was you who came to their door and you who agreed to become a Siren because you trusted and liked Nathalie.” Alex placed his hands on my shoulders. “Instead of wanting to run you wanted to belong to our group. Where did that team player go?”
You could have heard a pin drop. I put my face in my hands, sure Rey’d once and for all take off and none of us would be able to stop him.
Rey coughed to clear his throat. “Gone with everything else you know about me and I don’t.”
I looked up again, relieved he still stood there and didn’t appear to want to run away. “What do you need to feel better?”
Rey frowned. “I don’t know. I just feel so...irritated.”
“You have to give it some time,” Melissa said. “Time we just don’t have.” She had an urgency in her voice. “Claire and Themba are doing all this dangerous work for us in London with spying at the headquarters of PaNacea. I’m itching to take over for them.”
“That’s exactly what I think.” I agreed. “We can’t sit around here waiting, because the Orbiters want more male Sirens. I have to get to the core of matters.” I sighed, looking at Rey.
“Which means, you have to go to London as well.” Alex pursed his lips. “I obviously have to stay here but I can keep Rey company.”
“You think I need a babysitter?” Rey crossed his arms in front of him.
“We are responsible for your current state,” I said. “We want to help you and it’s safer for everyone if we stick together. But someone else other than Alex must stay here as well. We don’t know what happens in case Rey gets hungry after all.”
“Right.” Alex looked to the ground and I squeezed his hand knowing he’d like to contribute something more valuable.
“I can stay here,” Luke said, “but I still need my monthly adrenaline and then I’d prefer not to be alone.”
“So, Nathalie or I will come back before a month is over,” Melissa said.
“For sure.” I placed a kiss on Alex’s cheek. “First of all, I’ll miss you too much and I also want to be here for Rey.
“So, you won’t allow me to go anywhere?” Rey asked.
“Where would you want to go? We could go there with you if it helps you to remember something.” I said, and he pressed his lips together.
“Someone is coming.” Luke suddenly called.
Alert, we all froze and listened intently, and I also heard the three fast approaching heartbeats. I threw an alarmed look at Alex. In about two minutes they would have reached Rey’s house. “The VCP is coming in their car and they will see the smoke from the oven.” I wrinkled my forehead. “Put it out Rey and then we have to go to our house.”
“I’ll see you over there.” Alex hurried out.
“Why?” Rey still stood there.
“If we aren’t out of here before they get here, you will land in the shelter and we can’t help you there.” My voice rose an octave out of worry. I rushed to the oven to see if I could turn it off myself.
Rey was next to me and pushed a few buttons. “So, they are the bad guys?”
“Yes, they are,” Melissa called. “If it weren’t for them, the world would still resemble much more the world you knew.”
“Fine. Let’s go then.” Rey said after a few seconds of hesitation. We closed the door and ran, keeping Rey in our middle. It was just in time because the army vehicle drove up behind us and stopped in front of the house. We could hear their speakers loud and clear. “In the name of humanity’s safety, show yourself.”
Whereas we didn’t leave any trace and were as quiet as the wind, Alex couldn’t have made any more sound if he tried. If you knew he was there, you’d spot him right away between the trees in his orange sweater. You didn’t even need any supernatural abilities for that. I inwardly cursed.
I raced next to Luke. “We need a diversionary tactic.”
“Okay, leave that up to me.” He came to a halt in mid-air and turned around. I split away from Rey and Melissa and joined Alex, slowing down to human speed.
“Throw yourself to the ground.” I hissed.
“Jeez, this time you could have announced your coming a bit more.” Alex wheezed. “Any other requests?”
“I’m serious. Your sweater functions like a neon arrow.”
He grimaced and dove onto some moss, lying flat on his belly. Together, we crawled a bit more into the bushes.
“Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to think about what to pack the last time I was in Boston,” he growled in a whisper. “Now what?”
I lifted my head and that’s when I heard Luke’s voice. “Alright. Fine. I’ll go to the shelter.” He stood down the road, about a hundred yards away from the car toward the town center. He waited until the VCP noticed him. They got back into the car, turning it around and followed Luke, who was now jogging down the road, away from us. When the car got closer to him, he headed away from the road, into the forest, making it harder for the VCP to keep up with him.
“Okay, let’s go.” Alex got up and ran on. I kept up with him by his side. “Do you think they will search the whole area again?”
“I hope not. However, I assume Rey’s home will be in shambles once they raided it.”
Finally, the lovely white cottage with the grey bricks came up in our vision. Neither the dark windows nor the closed door let us know whether the others were here already. We ran to the back side and entered through the back door, reaching the safety of our house. For now.
“So, here is where you want me to stay and do what?” Rey asked when we entered, oblivious of the true danger we just experienced.
“Listen for heartbeats,” I said.
“Yes, if it weren’t for Luke, I wouldn’t have known that anybody was coming and probably would be in their car with them by now.” Alex grimaced.
“You can also go explore the area with Luke. But please not alone until more of your memory is back.” I added.
Luke entered through the back door as well. “I shook them off, but they returned to Rey’s house.”
“Thanks, I appreciate it.” Alex and Luke exchanged a friendly fist pound.
While we waited and hoped they wouldn’t come to search our house I gave Rey a small tour of all the rooms. His interest was still hostile but at least we got along on a polite basis. Then, I also showed him the area behind the house with a safe distance to the roads where the VCP was patrolling.
I took a deep breath of the salty ocean air. “Somewhere on the other side is France. You know, you can be there in about three and a half hours if you run across the ocean.”
“You mean, I can actually run across the water?” He’d locked those blue eyes on mine, demanding an answer. He carefully touched an approaching wave with his shoe and of course, was soaked to his ankle. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and grumbled. “You had me there for a minute.”
“No, I’m serious.” I stepped beside him. “It’s the speed that carries us. Do you want to try?”
He nodded.
&
nbsp; “Just never stop or you will sink instantly.” I waited for a response and he nodded again.
“Follow me.” I ran along the beach to get up to speed and because I didn’t want to shock him by running directly out on the water. When he was next to me, I smiled at him and then took a right out on the water. I was so fast the tip of my toes only grazed the top of the waves, getting wetter, the longer I ran. The day was glorious with clear skies and a soft breeze. The blue of the sky mixed in with the different shades of the ocean as it swooshed by. Ahead of me only an open plain of waves. I could clearly see that the earth was round, as the water seemed to build a slight hill on the horizon.
I heard Rey laugh an actual laugh. He ran, looking to every side and then even spreading out his arms.
“I love it, too,” I yelled above the sound of the waves and copied him in spreading my arms.
“How long can we go on like this?”
“I wouldn’t run more than seven hours straight. Sirens are prone to kill themselves because they run against something or overexert themselves.”
We continued in silence for a while leaving big distances behind us. “We should turn back”, I called at some point.
Rey sped up a little, overtaking me. Ignoring me.
“Rey, you can go explore the world another time”, I yelled a little more persistent.
After a few seconds, he fell back onto my level. “I’m enjoying this. Is there time for fun on your agenda?”
I coughed because I couldn’t decide whether I should laugh or gasp for air. “I wish there were but once you realize which tasks are on my agenda, you will understand that life for a Siren isn’t a never-ending birthday party.” I gritted my teeth.
Rey exhaled. “So, we run a big circle to turn back?”
“Exactly,” I replied. Rey followed me back and we arrived at the door at the same time.
“All was quiet here,” Alex replied to my questioning glance after entering the house.
“So, Rey, after becoming a Siren you have to pick a new name.” Melissa broke the silence.
“Rey is new to me as well. I’ve started to get used to it.”
