When he did, he realized that there were in fact two glowing blots on that spot on the hill. Callista ran to the other side of the house and the atlas traced her movements. Lucas told her it was impossible; How could the thing know where they were at that very moment?
She asked, “Is it really impossible considering what we’re looking at?”
Callista touched the map, zooming in closer until just the room consumed the entire sheet. Her fingers jerked back when she saw what was there.
Their glowing spots, like amoebas, twisted together and sparkled white where they met. The two blobs of light seemed to be feeding energy off one another. The light show was beautiful but there was a certain violence to it.
“That’s us,” She said. “What do you think it means?”
Lucas didn’t answer her. Instead he said, “Blaise Lorrance. He’s the only one who could have designed and built something like this map.”
Just before he left the house, Lucas turned back for a moment. “Why did you come to my house this morning? Did you try to find Morgan?”
“His house is farther. Yours is closer.”
He smiled before he walked away, saying, “No, it’s not.”
…
Chapter 22
We’re your friend
That evening, when Callista’s father got home, he didn’t notice the map had gone missing. She had slid it under her mattress for further study. Strix was sitting on the bed next to her, watching with his electronic eyes.
“You know about this map thing, don’t you?” She asked the owl. “You always give us just a little bit of information at a time. Just when it’s convenient.” She put her face right up to Strix’s. “You didn’t figure on us finding the map though. Did you? Come on. Talk to me.”
“We’re very happy you’ve found something of interest,” said Strix. “There’s no reason to be hostile. We’re on your side, Callista. Please. We’re your friend.”
“Then tell me what the hell this thing is.”
“We’re quite happy to answer any of your questions with all knowledge at our disposal. The device we observed earlier is by no means magic. It is, albeit, quite advanced, even for Twenty-First Century technology. The technological concepts were developed by our creator, Doctor Blaise Lorrance. We were unaware of any existing prototypes.”
“What do the lights, mine and Lucas’s, mean?”
“This would involve considerable speculation,” Strix explained. “However, our creator has been enamored with embedded conscious theory for some time. He believes that a soul, for lack of a better term, is truly physical in basis and can be characterized to a very basic extent by measurement.”
“Why are ours so different then, mine and Lucas’s?”
“This would involve even more speculation but these advanced theories on consciousness allow for outliers, special individuals. If one were to accept the theory, then some are simply much more alive than others.”
“That doesn’t make sense. Everyone’s alive. Everyone’s life counts.”
“Indeed,” said Strix. “We never meant to suggest that. We should add,” Strix went on, “that you have a visitor.”
“Lucas?”
“Try again,” said Strix.
Morgan was outside her window. She was able to get him inside easily because her father had already settled into his office for the night.
“Were people gone at your school too?” He asked when they got inside her room with the door closed. “All the halfway decent kids at my school just didn’t show up today. Some of the teachers were playing hooky too. The place was a madhouse. It took forever but the police showed up eventually.”
“There’s something I have to show you,” She said as she pulled the map from underneath her mattress.
The thing lit up when she unfolded it.
“Whoah,” said Morgan. “Did you slip me something because I must be seeing things?” He rubbed his eyes but the map didn’t go away.
“Look at this,” She said, zooming into her house with her fingers. “It knows where we are.”
The glowing sheet showed two bright circles next to one another. However, this time, there wasn’t the swirling display of flashing energy and transformation. They were just two spots, brighter than just about anything else on the map. There seemed to be only one exception, one brighter orb on the atlas.
“There’s Lucas,” said Callista. “He’s at his house.”
…
Down the hill, Lucas put Strix on his nightstand and got into bed. He hadn’t seen his mother since he left with Callista earlier that day. Her bedroom door was closed and he figured she was reading one of her horticulture texts.
That night, Lucas felt too electrified to shut his eyes. His heart raced and Callista’s voice sounded in his mind.
“I can’t sleep,” he whispered to Strix.
“Is anything wrong, Lucas?”
“No. I feel good, I guess. Just excited sorta.”
“Do you feel alive? Perhaps more alive than usual?”
Lucas thought about it. “Yeah, he said. “I guess I do. What’s happening to me?”
“What’s happening to you,” Strix said, “is that most momentous chemical reaction, the thing that inspires and drives humanity forward, that thing which is the true motivation for life.”
“What do you mean?”
“Love, Lucas,” said Strix. The owl’s eyes erupted in colorful beams that took the shape of a projected face on the bedroom wall. Blue like the phosphorescent algae that climbed the waves at night, up against green like backlit seaweed, Callista’s eyes stared at him from across the bedroom. Strix’s projection had brought her to two-dimensional life, complete with the brooding stare and reluctant smile.
“Stop it,” said Lucas as his expression turned doleful. “Morgan’s my friend.”
“This begs the question,” Strix went on, “of exactly how much does one person belong to another.”
“It doesn’t matter,” snapped Lucas. “That’s not my life. It’s never been my life. I’m not that guy. I’ll never be. Morgan and I are different.”
“Indeed,” said Strix. “You two are different. However, you shouldn’t assume love is closed off to you. Where would you even get such an idea?”
Lucas’s eyes started to well up. He wasn’t sure where the hot rush of feeling was coming from but it was beginning to overwhelm. “I don’t know,” he mumbled, shrugging his shoulders.
“Your reaction,” said Strix, “tells us that at some level you are aware of the answer.”
“I can’t… I can’t think about this,” Lucas stammered. “I need to go for a run. I need to run.”
With his hands shaking, he slipped on his sneakers with the soles wearing out. He put Strix in his backpack and loaded him over his shoulder.
However, just as he prepared for his stealthy walk down the stairs, he found his mother standing in the hallway.
Her expression was like a smoking piece of dry ice. She had her hands tucked behind her back. It reminded Lucas of the way she looked during his father’s funeral, still and cold like a viper with her tongue flickering in the air.
Without a word, she stood, facing him in the hallway.
Lucas fumbled to come up with an explanation or excuse for being dressed and apparently on his way to sneak out. “I was just… I forgot something at school,” he said.
“You’re going to see HER,” his mother roared.
“No. No. I’m not. I was just going for a run.”
“A run?” She asked with no emotion. “Do you think that sounds wise given your condition? Have you given any thought about what your carelessness does to me?”
“I…I guess not,” said Lucas, lowering his head. “I’m sorry.”
She took a step toward him with one hand out. It appeared as though she wanted to embrace him. After a moment of reluctance, he started to cross the patch of hallway.
As soon as he was within her reach, he felt her body move
in a quick jerk. That moment, he felt burning in his shoulder. When he stepped back, he noticed she was holding a syringe.
The burning spread from his shoulder, down his arm, up to his neck and to the center of his skull. He felt dizzy immediately and caught himself against the wall. He stared at his mother, who was still holding the empty syringe.
“Why…What happened?” He asked, his words slurring.
His mother wrapped her arms around him, keeping him from falling. “It’s OK, my love. I know you’re not feeling well and you’re not right. Momma is going to make it better.”
“But…” Lucas started to say before he became too exhausted to finish. His eyes started to close faster the harder he fought.
“There, there,” his mother told him. “I don’t know what that girl did to you. Your mind isn’t right, but I still love you. I forgive you. I’m still going to take care of you.”
…
Up the hill, Callista struggled to sleep that night. She couldn’t keep her eyes off of the glowing dome on top of the Bastion. Salt spray from crashing waves made the faint gleam hazy, like a halo around the moon. Wind lashed at the wall, whistling and slapping as it had since its construction.
“Callista,” Strix asked from her nightstand, “are you feeling up to par?”
“Honestly, no,” she said, standing up from her bed. “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get to sleep.”
“Insomnia is common in humans,” Strix told her. “From our understanding, it is usually the result of acute anxiety. Or perhaps, confusion of some kind?”
“I guess it’s both,” she said.
“We see. Is your emotional difficulty due to what’s been going on with your father or is it more related to your pair bonding with Morgan?”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s quite obvious to us that your strongest feelings are for Lucas. That has been clear to us from the beginning, even before it became clear to you.”
“The more time I spend with Lucas,” she said, “the less I know him. He confuses me.”
“Indeed,” said Strix. “Lucas is a human whose behavior is quite unpredictable, even for us. We suppose it’s because of how much he’s growing. Most people will never see transformation the way he has. You know, Callista,” Strix went on, “whether you know it or not, you were the catalyst for this change.”
“Can I tell you something strange?” She asked the owl. “All night tonight, I’ve been worried about him. I know it sounds crazy but I feel like he’s in danger.”
“We’re also afraid for him,” said Strix.
…
Before Lucas could even open his eyes, the pounding in his head became engulfing. The pain made his ears ring and his temples throb. After a few minutes, his vision went from a blurry double image to what he could tell was his bedroom ceiling. Morning light poured through his window. He heard his mother humming next to the bed.
What had happened? He wondered. Why am I in bed? He tried to talk but his mouth was too dry to form any words.
“Don’t talk, baby,” his mother told him. “Everything is going to be OK now.”
“I’m having trouble thinking,” Lucas said, holding his palm to his forehead. “It’s so confusing, mom. My head is spinning. How…?”
“Don’t worry about anything now,” His mother told him. “You fell down the stairs and I found you. You hit your head, baby.” She put Strix on the bed, dancing him around like a puppet. “Look. I’ve got your friend here, Mister Owl. I know you’re such a big boy now. It makes me happy you can still have him as a friend.”
“I can’t remember…”
“Of course you can’t,” his mom told him. “You hit your head so hard, baby. I was so worried about you. You gave mommy quite a scare.”
“When…how long have I been asleep?”
“About twelve hours or so,” she said. “I’ve been sitting here with you. Reminds me of when you were a sick little baby and we would lay for hours and hours.” She smiled at him. “It’s strange,” she went on, “but when you and your father were sick and I was caring for you both, it was the best time of my life.”
Lucas tried to get out of bed but nausea and dizziness pinned him back to the sheets. Then room spun even faster.
“Now don’t do that,” his mother told him. “You’ll only hold back your recovery.” She put her palm on the side of his face. “I’m sorry I let you get so sick,” she went on. “You’ve been losing weight, turning into a thin sheet of nothing. I’m not going to let my son neglect himself until he dies.”
“But mom, I was feeling better.”
Her expression went cold. “That’s the illness talking,” she said. “I don’t want to hear that kind of thing again. Tell your mother you’re sorry for being ridiculous. Go ahead. Tell me.”
“I’m so…I can’t think, mom,” said Lucas. “Something is wrong with my head. How did I get here?”
“I told you. You fell down the stairs and hit your head. Don’t you remember?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Think hard, baby. I know you’ll remember. You fell. Right?”
“I guess so,” said Lucas. “I can’t remember but I don’t know what else could have happened.”
The teapot in the kitchen started to squeal. She went downstairs and came back with a ceramic mug, steaming out one of her concoctions. The brew brought the smell of licorice and dirt into his room.
“It’s ready,” his mother told him. “You’re going to feel better in a jiffy, baby.” She held out the mug for him. “I’m sorry I let your health get to this point,” she said. “We’re going to fix it though. You’ve got your mother and mother nature on your side.”
Lucas took the cup and swallowed a bitter sip of the tea. It seemed far more biting than her usual preparation. It left a stinging trail on his tongue.
“Go ahead and finish it,” she told him. “It’s the only way to feel better. We’ve got to fight fire with fire, baby.”
Lucas held his nose and gulped down the remainder of the tea. He winced as the last bit went down his throat. Immediately he felt overcome by a lightness in his head, a feeling like his forehead was floating. The only thing Lucas could do was put his head down on the pillow.
His mother stroked his head, telling him, “It’s going to be OK. We’re going to get our old Lucas back. Don’t worry baby. Just sleep.”
…
While Morgan was getting ready for school, his brother, Brian was staring out the window from his wheelchair. “There’s someone here,” he said to Morgan. “It’s a girl, too.”
When he got downstairs, Morgan found Callista waiting out front. She had her Strix tucked into the top of her backpack.
“We need your help,” she told Morgan. “It’s Lucas. Strix says he’s in trouble.”
Morgan didn’t take any time to think it over. He waved to Brian, who was still watching from the window, and headed down the street with Callista.
She told him she already had a plan.
When they arrived at Lucas’s house, Callista went to the front door. Her first several rings were met with total silence in the house. After some persistence, and perhaps a dozen more rings, Lucas’s mom finally opened the door.
“What do you want?” She asked Callista.
“Would it be OK if I spoke to Lucas for a few minutes?”
“No. As a matter of fact, that won’t be OK. My son is very ill and he’s resting.”
“I won’t take long. I just want to…”
“You’ll do no such thing. My son is resting and recovering.” Shutting the door behind her, Lucas’s mother stepped outside to face Callista. She told her, “Now I don’t want to have to call the police but I need to protect my son. I don’t know what you’ve been doing to him, but it’s stopped now. Do you hear me, you little harlot?”
“I don’t understand,” Callista told her. “I just…”
“You just… nothing.”
“Can I just…”
/>
While Callista spoke to Lucas’s mother out front, Morgan was climbing up the back of the house. He boosted himself up to the overhanging roof by balancing on a couple of garbage cans. Once he made it the second story, he maneuvered to Lucas’s bedroom window.
Morgan saw that he was asleep inside, sweating under three thick blankets. His complexion was pale and the room smelled of strange herbs and sickness.
“Lucas, wake up,” Morgan said as he climbed through the window. “Lucas, it’s me. Callista and I are here to help you.”
Lucas opened his eyes. His pupils were dilated and his stare seemed beyond distant.
“What’s wrong?” Morgan asked him. “Are you OK?” He started to pull Lucas out of bed.
“I don’t know,” Lucas mumbled. “I feel tired. Real tired, Morgan. What are you doing here?”
“We’re here to rescue you.”
“From what?”
“I’m not sure,” Morgan told him as he put Lucas’s arm over his shoulder to steady him. “But we’re rescuing you from it.”
Downstairs, the conversation with Lucas’s mother’s was becoming even more strained. Callista was beginning to fear for her own safety while she created the distraction.
“Do you know why I hate you so much?” Lucas’s mother asked her.
Callista just shook her head no.
“It’s because of what you are. You’re a monster on this Earth. You want to destroy my son for no good reason, just because he’s good. Well I won’t let you. Do you hear me, whore?”
Callista fell back a few steps and Lucas’s mother pursued.
“I know you won’t admit it,” Aura went on. “But you know what you are in your heart. You know that you’re nothing but the worst kind of poison. You want to take something good and pure like my son and pollute him so he’s like the rest of you monsters.”
“I’m sorry, Miss…” said Callista. “But I don’t know why you’re saying these things to me. I didn’t do anything.”
Lucas’s mother narrowed her left eye and grinned like a hit man. “Oh of course the little princess never did anything wrong. Well it’s not what you do, honey, it’s what you are. You can’t even help it. Once you come to terms with it when you’re a little older, you’ll hate yourself. Just like you should.”
Break the Bastion Page 22
