by Scott, D. D.
“Maybe if you’re an uncivilized Neanderthal, but I’m trying to teach you better.” She gave me a stern green-eyed glare that I imagined our mother must have had, and it sent another shard of guilt through my gut. At sixteen, Lily thought that being three years my elder, made her the boss of me.
“Wrong, big sis.” I accentuated the word to make a point, since I had grown six inches taller than her in the past year. “Sam says adapt, improvise, and overcome. I was overcoming.”
She released an exasperated sigh. “I’ve heard all of Sam’s lessons, little brother. You don’t need to remind me what’s at stake. But I believe there’s always another way. Killing isn’t the answer. Violence only leads to more violence.”
“I can’t argue with that,” I mumbled as I walked away. The violent tendencies which rumbled beneath the surface burned for release like lava from a festering volcano. It wasn’t like I wanted to kill everybody all the time, but the way I felt when I put my hands on something and its life force seeped into my soul made me want more, and fighting the urge to give into the pull was growing harder by the day.
Chapter 3
Lily and I had to cut our chores short once a clap of thunder and a jagged bolt of lightning signaled the approach of a vicious storm that forced us inside. The smell of coffee and bacon filled the kitchen as she and I tugged at the same towel, arguing about who would dry off first.
“You two knock it off and have a seat.” Sam set plates in front of us. Lily tossed the damp towel at me and I dried my face and hair. “Will you listen to that rain come down? Too bad we can’t send some out west.” Sam looked thoughtfully at the ceiling as if seeing the dark sky above. He removed a disreputable-looking hanky from his back pocket, wiped his nose, and sat down. His hand shook as he lifted his coffee cup.
“You should have waited for me to cook breakfast,” Lily said, her eyes taking on a worried look. Even though he was only in his forties, Sam’s health had been declining since Doc Stone from the next town had diagnosed him with liver cancer several months before. When he started to get sick, I wondered if I was responsible, but we ruled that out. Something in our shared DNA seemed to make us immune to each other’s abilities. If Lily couldn’t cure his cancer—and it was painfully obvious by now that she couldn’t—then it was also a good bet that Sam was impervious to my life-taking powers.
“I’m not helpless, Lily,” Sam said, barely hiding his irritation. “I can still cook a meal.” Sam ate oatmeal every morning with whatever berries we had. He stirred the stiff gooey cereal. Over the top, he drizzled a big spoonful of honey from our hive.
I stuffed a crispy piece of bacon in my mouth and gulped down half a glass of milk, avoiding becoming part of a conversation that would likely end with Sam blowing up, an occurrence that was happening more and more.
“I didn’t say you were helpless, but you shouldn’t be exerting yourself. You need to conserve your energy.”
The arguing portion of breakfast ended abruptly when a loud bang on the door sent Sam rocketing out of his chair. We all jumped. I ran for the weapons closet, ready to arm myself with the Remington. Sam peered out the curtained window into the torrential rains and then called out, “It’s just Mr. Higgins.” He pulled the door open and ushered the dripping visitor in from the porch.
Mr. Higgins, a squat man with a fringe of graying hair around his head, was the owner of the market in town. I’d never seen him so shaken. “I’m sorry to disturb you, but I needed…” his eyes shot to Lily. “It’s Mrs. Higgins…she’s sick. She’s had a high fever going on two days now. I’ve tried to bring her temperature down with the medicines at the store, but we’ve got nothing to fight infection and I think she’s caught a nasty bug.” He glanced from Sam to Lily and back. “I wouldn’t ask, but…well…I’d like to pay you…”
“No need.” Lily cut him off and handed Mr. Higgins a towel to dry himself as her gaze went to Sam, her mind already made up. “I’d be happy to help.”
Sam sighed. Lily’s good hearted nature was much more likely to be our downfall than my lack of self-control. He removed a rain jacket from a hook and handed it to Lily. “You go and come straight back, understood?”
Lily slipped into the raincoat, pulling her hair up into a long pony tail and tying it in a knot on her head. She tugged on her wide brimmed hat, looking ready for a mission of mercy with her bright green eyes shimmering. “Don’t worry. I’ll be back before dark.”
“Can I come with you?” I asked, knowing Sam was likely to say no, but wanting to go into town in the worst way. Although living out in the woods might be safer, boredom and loneliness dampened my spirits far worse than rain.
Lily spoke up. “I think it would be good for Zeph to come. He won’t cause any trouble. Will you?” She sent me a sharp look.
“No. I swear.” I put my hand over my heart and gave Sam an innocent smile.
Sam and Mr. Higgins shared a brief nod, a silent agreement forming between the two. “If the boy agrees to stay at arm’s length, I have no problem with him coming along.” Not an overwhelming invitation, but at least Mr. and Mrs. Higgins didn’t treat me like I was a monster.
A few minutes later, we were spinning our tires through the mud in Mr. Higgins’ old pick-up. Mrs. Higgins must be in dire straits for him to come all the way up the mountain. Biodiesel was expensive and I knew he only kept the truck for emergencies, much like anyone else around that had a motorized vehicle. Solar cars were undependable during the rainy season when the sun could stay hidden behind the clouds for days.
We bumped along down the timber trail road, barely avoiding a mudslide into the ravine at the bottom of the hill. Mr. Higgins face was gray with worry by the time we pulled up behind the small two story building. As one of the townspeople who understood the consequences of letting the secret get out that a healer lived in Stanton, he would make our presence as inconspicuous as possible. We all knew the danger of mass hysteria. Besides, if anything happened to Lily, who would neighbors count on when a family member or loved one got hurt or really sick? He unlocked the back door and led us up the stairs to an apartment above the store.
The scent of eucalyptus and camphor hit me as we crossed the threshold and entered into a spacious living room which opened to a kitchen and a small dining area. The heavy drapes blocked out what daylight there was, and the apartment was eerily silent.
“Gladys?” he called out. A weak reply from the next room had Mr. Higgins rushing toward the sound, Lily at his heels.
I followed behind slowly, checking out the faded photos in gold frames set along the fireplace mantel. I studied the faces. A girl who appeared to be about my age bore a strong resemblance to Mrs. Higgins—the daughter they lost during the plagues. I understood Mr. Higgins’ fear of his wife’s high fever, certain that it must bring back the memory of being helpless to stop his only child from burning up inside and losing her to the ugly death that followed. I had no memory of those times, but I’d seen pictures and heard stories of the bodies stacked up in piles on the streets waiting for sanitation trucks to come and take them for incineration. I ran a finger along the photo’s edge and wandered on, examining other photos of dead relatives. Mr. and Mrs. Higgins only had each other from what I understood. All the more reason he was desperate for Lily’s help.
Down the short hallway, I heard Mrs. Higgins cry out. Finding my way to the open door of the bedroom, I saw Mr. Higgins sitting in a chair on the far side of the bed, pressing a wet cloth to his wife’s head and whispering soft assurances to her as Lily sat beside her. My sister’s hands were already awash with a glow of golden light. She moved them over the woman’s body slowly, drawing deep breaths and letting a whisper escape her lips. “Just relax. Think of something nice. Maybe a place you feel safe or a beautiful memory that brings you peace.”
Mrs. Higgins closed her eyes, her face a pallid gray other than two bright red spots on her cheeks which signified her body’s fight against some invisible intruder. Her skin glistened with sweat and her hair lay
unkempt and matted. Normally robust and full of life, she now lay weak and decaying, on the brink of death—a state that I found both disturbing and fascinating.
My fondness for the woman aside, her weakened condition gave me a strange urge to push her over the edge, to take her hand and help her to the end. Whether it was because her suffering made me face the frailty of humanity—a reality that I had less tolerance for as my abilities grew—or because I craved the remaining life force that kept her hanging on, I couldn’t be sure.
The question had me frozen in the doorway, torn between excitement and disappointment. Excitement at seeing Lily bask in the glow of power which radiated from her hands in sparks of white light. Disappointment in knowing she would likely succeed in healing the woman and I would leave angry at my sister for her having used her gift so freely, while I was left with a hollow well of frustrated hunger. I was happy for Mr. Higgins, yet I was supremely disappointment in myself for wishing I could have what was not rightfully mine—an innocent woman’s life. I turned away in fear and disgust.
Chapter 4
“Why did you bring me with you?” I rode astride a large Appaloosa named Geronimo that Mr. Higgins had gladly loaned us so we could make the trip home without him. Mrs. Higgins was markedly improved and he didn’t want to leave her alone again to give us a ride back. Lily sat behind me on the horse, holding loosely around my waist as we ambled along.
“You asked to come. Besides, I thought it would be good for you to see Mrs. Higgins brought back to good health. Isn’t it a wondrous thing?”
“If you say so.”
My sister’s energy level, though partially drained from the use of her gift, was annoyingly perky. I stared straight ahead, glad the rain had stopped and left behind a cool breeze to ease the heat that had built up under my skin. The sky had turned from gray to a bright blue with fluffy white clouds rolling past like sheep heading out to pasture. The sun was long past its zenith, the time of day when the radiation exposure was at its peak. Still, the orange ball of fire blazed behind the trees, lighting the road with streaks of pink and gold that rose off the warm earth in the mist. Lily broke the silence, her tone reserved.
“So what were you thinking when I was healing Mrs. Higgins?”
Shoulders tense, I clamped down my jaw. I wasn’t about to share my evil twin with my sister. She had a hard enough time accepting me for who and what I was. I cleared my throat. “Your gift is amazing, Lily. You care about people. It’s good that the world has someone like you.” The sky darkened as a heavy gray cloud slipped past the sun and brought a chill across my skin. “They’re going to need it.”
My little life in Stanton seemed small in comparison to the whole world outside of our town limits, but I was smart enough to realize that my best chance of survival was right here. Even so, I couldn’t help but wonder what awaited me beyond the place I called home. It was clear that I wasn’t needed—or wanted here.
As we approached the ravine at the foot of the timber trail road I heard the high-pitched whine of an electric motor up ahead. The horse bucked when a motor bike launched into the air right in front of us, one wheel high as it appeared over the embankment of the ravine. A second followed, its front wheel almost touching the back wheel of the first. I hung on, but as the horse’s front legs shot into the air, Lily lost her grip and toppled off of Geronimo’s hind end. The two riders spun out and kept going. I pulled hard on the reins, settling the steed into an uneasy cantor as I circled back.
“Lily, are you alright?” I jumped down off the horse and ran to my sister’s side. She lay flat on her back, sucking in great gulps of air.
“Give…me…a…minute,” she gasped through gritted teeth. Her hands went to her side as if she were protecting a broken rib, which she totally could have been. Not that she would tell me or complain about being hurt. Lily healed super-fast from almost anything, an ability I envied since I was the big risk taker in the family and the one who was usually sporting some gash or another. I knelt beside her, waiting for her to recover. The sound of the bikes returning drew my attention.
Josh and Luke Johnson, the local constable’s sons pulled up and hopped off their machines. A spike of resentment ran through me at the site of their top-of-the-line electric powered motor cykes, tricked out with the latest in jet propulsion boosters and aerodynamic design that would allow them to all but fly.
Josh tore off his helmet and stalked over to us. “Is Lily okay?”
To his credit, his voice held sincerity, but it didn’t stop the surge of anger that already had me facing off with him.
“Are you trying to kill somebody with those things?”
Josh’s expression changed from concern to relief as Lily came to a seated position.
Luke removed his helmet and glared at me. “How were we supposed to know anyone was this far out of town? You’re the only ones who live out here, and everyone knows you hardly ever leave that compound out in the woods you call a farm.”
Josh tried to move past me to assist Lily to her feet, but I stepped in front of him. “She doesn’t need your help.” I grabbed Lily’s hand and tugged her into a wobbly standing position before he could argue. Josh had a weird thing for my sister and no matter how many times she tried to discourage him, he persisted in pursuing her. “You all right, Lily?”
“I think so,” she said, brushing the mud off her butt and straightening her clothes.
“Sorry to cause you trouble. You know I’d never want to see you get hurt.” Josh stared past me with that moony look he always got on his face around my sister. His gaze roved up and down her body, leaving me with a serious case of the creeps. Sensing Lily’s discomfort, I stepped in front of her to block his view.
“Why don’t you two just climb back on those oversized scooters and get lost?”
Josh’s eyes narrowed at me and the tension between us cranked up a notch. Luke took a step toward me. I stood my ground.
“I’d watch how you talk to us, you little freakazoid,” Luke said, the deep brown skin of his face turning a shade darker.
“And I’d watch where I was going, if I were you. You never know what kind of trouble you could run into this far out of town.”
“Is that a threat?” Josh asked as he took a step closer, his broad chest puffed out.
“I’m just saying that ravine is pretty deep. If you two were to disappear, no one would know where to look. You could be down there for days before anyone would find your bodies.” I knew I was antagonizing them, but I didn’t care.
Josh, almost eighteen and twenty pounds heavier than me, stared me down from less than a foot away, the anger and power rolling off him as if he wanted to break me in two. Luke stood a few feet back, willing to stand by his brother, but not stupid enough to get within arm’s reach of me. Closer to my size, and a few years younger than Josh, he was wiry and lean, but no match for me anymore. They had heard about what I’d done to the mountain lion and stories about my life-taking abilities were spreading through the town. But Josh didn’t look the least bit frightened. Unlike Luke, who looked like he might pee his pants if I made a move toward him.
Staring me down with dark brown eyes that matched his skin, Josh spoke past me to Lily. “You should teach your little brother some manners. He seems to have forgotten what it means that my father is the constable. You wouldn’t want old Zeph here, to end up in a work camp somewhere digging trenches for sewage, now, would you?” His tone icy, he kept his eyes focused on me, but his words struck a chord with my sister.
“C’mon, Zeph. It isn’t worth it. Let’s just get home. It’ll be dark soon.” The sun had dipped below the trees and the air was cooling quickly.
“You sure you’re well enough to ride?” I asked.
“If you want, Lily, I can give you a ride home on my cyke.” Josh smirked as he shifted his gaze and eyed my sister.
“I’ll be fine. I’ll ride with Zeph, thanks.” She rubbed her hand over her ribs as she studied the ground.
I met Josh’s cool gaze. “You heard her. She doesn’t want to ride with you.”
“That bad attitude of yours is going to get you into trouble one of these days, freak.” He grinned past me to Lily, his face taking on a wolfish expression that made my blood boil. “And it’s not like your sister needs you to protect her. She can take care of herself, can’t you, Lily?”
The heat under my skin burned for release. Josh and I had faced off more than a few times and Lily always seemed to be there to break it up before it got too out of control.
“Stop it, Josh,” Lily said, icily. She grabbed my arm. “Let’s go, Zeph.”
Josh taunted me further. “That’s right, Zeph. Let your big sister stick up for you. That’ll make you a man. C’mon, let’s see you try to protect her.”
I turned back toward him, my eyes blazing and my hands clenched into fists. I’d gotten my hands on him once or twice before, but I’d discovered after a few bruises and black eyes that my ability to draw power from people didn’t work so well on him. With his size advantage, he’d gotten the better of me. He was naturally strong as an ox and seemed to be able to block my power somehow. I also had the sense that Josh had some ability of his own that didn’t work on me. I could feel him trying to push his energy against mine and it was as if the two collided and combusted before they could break through some invisible barrier. Luke wasn’t so lucky. I turned my attention toward him and let a smile curve my lips.
“I’m not the only one who has something to protect, am I?”
Before Josh could take the confrontation up another notch, Lily stepped up beside me. “That’s enough you two. Zeph and I will be going now.” She grabbed my arm and yanked me toward the horse that was grazing nearby. I helped her up and then hopped on behind her, glaring at Josh and Luke.
Josh continued to taunt us as we passed. “This isn’t over you little freakazoid. Don’t think my father hasn’t been keeping watch on you and that uncle of yours. One step out of line and he’ll have agents crawling all over these woods. You can’t hide forever!” He yelled after us. I glanced back over my shoulder and gave him a hard look full of challenge.
