Monster

by Yolanda Olson

  14. The Spare Prince

  (Day 18)

  Yawning, I looked out the window the next morning as the state of Wyoming grew smaller and smaller behind us. Somehow Charlie had managed to get Drake to come back and get us. I sat in the back, my head against Cody's chest and his arm wrapped protectively around my shoulder. When Drake had arrived to get us, dawn was only about an hour away and I was still sleeping. I remember him throwing rocks at the window to wake us up and grinning from ear to ear when I had looked sleepily out the window.

  Now we were all packed into Ken's car heading back to Devils Lake. From what Drake told us when we had all piled into the car, Kaeden refused to take no for an answer this time and if we didn't go back he'd come to get us. I knew that he'd be in a foul mood if he had to do that, so I convinced Cody to get in the car and go back with me, despite his protests.

  I sat up when I saw that we entered Montana. I wondered if Brian was still alive. I wanted to see if he was okay. No. I needed to see if he was okay.

  “Hey Drake, do me a favor?”

  “Sure thing, kiddo,” he said looking in the rearview at me.

  “Um. When we get to Alzada I have to stop somewhere. I'll tell you how to get there. Just let me know when we enter the town, okay?”

  “You got it,” he said turning his attention back to the road.

  I leaned back against Cody. Leaning down he kissed me on the top of my head and started a random conversation with Drake. I knew he wanted to ask me what was in Alzada, because when I leaned back on him, he squeezed my shoulder a little too tight. Maybe this banter would be a way to get his mind off of it.

  I absently scratched my leg. The stitches itched like crazy and I wasn't sure how long it was going to last. Not forever was the only thing I could possibly hope for. I noticed though that the scratching sounded odd. Almost like I was scratching an old piece of insulation. To be honest it almost made me gag.

  “Stop doing that or it's not going to heal,” Cody said reaching down to grab my hand.

  “Sorry but it really itches,” I said pulling out of his grip and scratching my leg again.

  Sighing he cringed next to me as I continued to scratch. I stopped only because I was afraid I was going to scrape my skin off or rip the stitches. I looked down at the crudely done job and rolled my eyes. I can't believe that I looked like a pin cushion now because Cody hadn't been able to control himself.

  Resting my head against his chest I looked up at him, while he continued his conversation with Drake. Every now and then he'd laugh causing his chest to move up and down and making his beautiful eyes sparkle even more. It amazed me that he was so cheerful. At one point I never thought I'd find someone friendlier than Drake.

  Wait a minute. “Hey Drake,” I said completely cutting into their conversation.

  “What's up?” he asked glancing in the rearview.

  “When we get back to Devils Lake, would you be able to fix the ink on my arm?”

  “Yeah. Definitely! I'll have to go get my stuff from the shop, but I'll definitely do it,” he said with a big smile.

  Smiling I sat back and glanced out the window. I caught my reflection in the window and saw the burned part of my face taunting me. That's when I had my next thought.

  “Charlie, do you think you can fix this for me?” I asked still looking at my reflection.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her swivel in the front passenger seat to see what I was talking about.

  “I could try. I would feel better about it if we got that girl gypsy to make something to put on the burn before we turn it inside out though,” she said scratching her chin.

  “Red?” Cody asked curiously.

  “I'm not sure what her name is,” Charlie said glancing at him.

  “It has to be Red. I was there when she made that stuff that knocked out Finn for four days. Here's hoping she doesn't blow her head off this time,” he said patting the top of my head.

  Charlie laughed as did Drake. She turned back to look out the front window and started fidgeting with the radio. When she reached a rock station, she turned up the volume a little and looked out the passenger window.

  “Did you say Alzada, Finn?” she asked suddenly.

  “Yeah,” I replied finally looking away from my horrid reflection.

  “According to that sign we passed, it's twenty five miles away from where we are.”

  “Listen everyone I have a favor to ask,” I started nervously. Next to me Cody shifted and glanced at me, while Drake looked in the mirror, and Charlie turned in her seat again. “I need two of you to stay in the car when we get where we're going. And no one take offense to this please, but Drake is going to be the one going in with me. For what I have to do, his talent is the one that I'll need if things get out of hand.”

  Charlie's face stayed carefully blank, but I knew that comment had to sting. It stung me and I was the one that said it. I glanced at Cody who looked absolutely furious at the fact that I, in so many words, had just told him that I didn't need him.

  “Why him? What's going on, dolly?”

  “Drake can multiply. I did something I shouldn't have done. If something bad happens and I need help, the four of us aren't going to be able to deal with. Not to mention that with Drake, he can keep himself out of the fray by sending his clones in. You two would have to be in the fight.”

  “Oh okay. I get it. You don't think I'd be able to hold my own. Sweet! Glad to know you have faith in me,” he said crossing his arms.

  “Would you stop acting like child?” I finally shouted losing my temper. “The point of having Drake there is that it can keep him out of harm’s way too! You're so hotheaded that you'll charge in the second you think I can't handle the situation and get yourself killed!”

  His mouth dropped open in shock, but he quickly recovered scowling. I watched as he threw himself back against the chair and inched away from me like an angry child.

  “You know what? Stop the damn car,” I said to Drake.

  “Huh?”

  “Stop the car!”

  Pulling over to the side of the road he cut the engine off and he turned to look at me. I reached for the door to pull it open, but Drake was faster and shut the locks from the front. I hit the switch in the back and pulled at the door but it wouldn't bunch. Angrily I punched the door and leaned to the front of the car trying to get around him.

  “Finn, stop!” he said grabbing my arms. “The sun is up. If you get out of this car you're going to get burned up!”

  “So what? I'll walk to Alzada and you can pick me up there. It'll give that one a chance to grow up,” I said jerking my thumb at Cody.

  “Look don't let that upset you,” Charlie said soothingly. “In relationships, disagreements happen. Especially when you decide to choose a guy friend over your boyfriend.”

  “He's not my boyfriend,” I insisted for what seemed like the thousandth time through gritted teeth.

  “Could've fooled me,” she said turning back around in her seat.

  “See, the problem is that if she admits that we're together, then she won't be able to run off and see whatever little boyfriend she seems to have in Alzada. But hey; that's okay. I've only waited an eternity for her, what's another mood swing,” he said sarcastically.

  That was it. Something in the way he said it pushed me over the edge, and I hauled back and punched him as hard as I could in his face. Grunting he reached up and rubbed the side of his face. He looked at me for a moment, then he grinned and leaned over to kiss me. I ducked out of his way but somehow he knew that's what I was going to do and came down with me planting a direct hit on the lips.

  I looked up at him infuriated. I wanted to hit him again, but Drake and Charlie laughing at what just happened seemed to lighten my mood up. I let out a long sigh and leaned back in the chair.

  “Start the car and let's get to Alzada already,” I mumbled.

  “You got it, kid,” Drake said turning the car back on. The car roared back to
life as he took off back onto the city highways.

  Charlie reached into the glove compartment and pulled something out. After she was sure she had closed it securely she leaned back and handed me my journal and a pen.

  “Write in that. I'm sure you'll feel better if you do,” she said with a smile.

  I smiled gratefully at her and grabbed the book. I brought my knees up and pushed my feet against Drake's chair to give myself someplace sturdy to write on. I flipped through it at first glancing quickly at all the things I had written so far. Then I opened a new page and thought for a moment, chewing on the tip of the pen.

  It's been so long since I've had a chance to write that I don't know where to begin.

  I met someone named Billie. Turns out she's on Phoebe's side, who apparently hates me for “being” with Cody.

  Spent a few painful days thinking that Cody was dead only to find out that he wasn't.

  Kaeden had thought of the strategy to get me out of Devils Lake for my own good.

  That totally backfired, because now he wants us all back.

  Oh yeah!

  I met a really cool girl named Charlie

  She's pretty and really funny.

  And she just so happens to be a shape-shifter.

  I never met anyone like that before.

  Now we're on our way back to Alzada.

  I need to check on Brian to see if Billie left him alive or if she killed him.

  Brian was a terrible mistake, but I thought she really was trying to feed me.

  Turns out it was a test of some kind.

  And I failed with flying colors.

  Sighing loudly, I closed the book and set it down between me and Cody. I saw him look down at it. Our eyes met and he raised his eyebrows, I just nodded and looked back out the window. He picked up the book and started to read it from the very beginning. At first he just leafed through it, but when he got to the part of the carnival where I had met him, he started to read it faster. I stared at him for a second then looked back out the window. I immediately sat straight up. I put my hands on the back of Drake's chair.

  We were in Alzada. With a shaky voice I started to give Drake what I had hoped were accurate directions. I was doing everything from memory and from how Billie had taken me, but since she had brought me from the opposite direction, I wasn't exactly sure.

  That was until I saw the long dirt path that led to her farmland. Since the sun was still up and showed no signs of leaving any time soon, I couldn't roll down the window and see if I could catch Brian's scent like I was dying to do. Cody who was still absorbed in my book, shrugged his enormous coat off and draped it over my head.

  “Take off the child locks and let her stick her head out the window. Count to five, then close the window and put the locks back on,” he instructed Drake, while still reading.

  Drake did as he was told. I think mostly because he wanted to avoid a temper tantrum from me if he didn't. Wrapping the jacket tightly around myself, I stuck my head out the window as it was being lowered and inhaled deeply. Before I had a chance to take a deep enough breath of the air to catch any kind of scent, Cody had his hand on my back pulling me into the car. Drake promptly rolled the window back up and I heard the locks click in place.

  “Damn it, that wasn't long enough,” I said leaning back into the seat. I took off Cody's jacket and handed it to him and realized he was giving me an odd look.

  “Why is that this patch of earth smells like you, but not completely like you? And who's Brian?”

  I hung my head. I knew I was going to have to confess what I did to them but I was hoping it would only have to be to Drake since he was the one getting out of the car with me.

  “Oh my God,” Drake said suddenly slamming on the brakes.

  The three of us rocked forward in our seats. I rubbed my forehead since it hit his chair and looked out the window. I gasped in sheer horror. The farm. It was littered with the carcasses of all the animals that had been alive and happy when I left. I was struck by a horrible thought. I wondered if Archer was still alive.

  “Wait here,” Cody said suddenly hopping out of the car.

  We all watched as he walked around the farm cautiously looking at the animals. At one point it looked like his anger was starting to surface when suddenly he jerked his head to the right. I strained to see what he was looking at. It was Billie’s house.

  Turning to look at us he held up his finger to tell us to wait and he jogged toward it, disappearing inside.

  “Drake, pull the car over there,” I said pointing to the smaller farmhouse where I had stayed.

  “Kid are you crazy? Your boyfriend will kill me if I move this car.”

  “Please! I need to get in there before he comes out,” I said gripping his arm.

  Sighing, he let his head drop and turned the car back on. I glanced at the house wondering if Cody had noticed. There were no signs of movement, so I assumed that he didn’t.

  Slowly and quietly, the car rolled forward, the occasional crunching of the dirt under the tires was the only sound. It honestly broke my heart. These animals had been so alive and so happy when I was last here and now we were driving past their bodies. Almost as if it were a mock funeral procession.

  I watched the small house getting closer. I closed my eyes. If only I had more time I would’ve been able to catch Brian’s scent, then I would’ve known if he was still here. The car stopped and I opened my eyes. Drake had pulled right next to it and both he and Charlie were turned in their seats looking at me expectantly. I smiled at them. Charlie smiled back but Drake immediately got nervous.

  “Finn, don’t do anything crazy okay? I know that smile and I have a really bad feeling right now.”

  “I’ll be fine. I changed my mind, by the way. I want you both to stay in the car. Once I get out go back to where we had parked. Charlie I want you to morph into me and sit in the backseat. Wait for Cody to get in, when he does I need you guys to book it. Make up some excuse about where Charlie is.”

  “Sounds like a great plan,” Cody said closing the door behind him and sliding in next to me.

  I groaned and put a hand over my face. I never saw him coming and he just heard the whole thing. He knew that I planned on going into that house and now that he knew that Charlie could shape shift, a lot of my future plans just got tossed out of the window.

  “What’s in that house, dolly?” he asked me curiously. “Why don’t you want me to go in there?”

  I took a deep breath and pushed my hair behind my ears. The three of them were looking at me attentively. I had to tell them what was going on. I could only hope they would understand why I did what I did by the time I was done with my story.

  “I need you guys to listen without interrupting me or I’ll lose my nerve.” I felt sudden tears spring to my eyes. I rubbed my nose and sniffled, then I looked from the house to my lap. “There’s a monster in that house. Another monster, just like me. See when I left Devils Lake I went through a mental breakdown. I thought Cody was dead. Paige was a monster, Phoebe wanted to kill me and Kaeden having just seen Chase’s body ... the way he screamed it haunts me every waking moment. So when I got here, I was going to check into some hotel to get some sleep when I was approached by Billie. She seemed like a sweet girl but I could by her eyes that something was different. I thought in a weird way, that since I was different too, she would understand me, you know? When she offered me a place to stay I went with her despite the reservations I already had that were nagging at me.” I cleared my throat and sniffled again. “She brought me here and offered me this house to stay in. With all the wooden boards on the windows, it reminded me of my home in Devils Lake. Inside the house she told me that there was food for me. He ... he had been chained to a chair in the back of the farmhouse with a newspaper clipping sitting on the floor next to him. I read it and thought that no one would miss him. I mean who could miss someone as horrible as him, right? But then I had a different thought. I wasn’t going to just feed off o
f him, I ... oh God, I changed him guys. Just to see if I was strong enough to do it. After I did I was sick with shame. I spent most of the next morning looking out the front window, which is why I have these lovely souvenirs. Phoebe came to the barn that day, she said she had something she needed to tell me and I wouldn’t listen to her. I told her to stay away from me, but then I realized that I if I could bait her, she would kill me. Then I wouldn’t be able to cause any more pain to anyone or anything. I’m sure one of you would’ve saved Kendall and gotten rid of Skiles. I know that Kaeden would’ve taken care of Ava. It would’ve been so much easier if I just wasn’t here anymore,” I finished wringing my hands.

  “Let me get this straight,” Cody said recovering first. “You changed the guy in there into one of you. You stood in the sun until you were almost burnt to a crisp. You wanted my sister to kill you. And now, now, you want us to let you go in there by yourself after he’s obviously well fed? You must be out of your mind, dolly,” he said shaking his head.

  “Cody, please. I don’t want to have this argument right now. Just let me go into the house. I don’t think he’ll do anything to me.” I sat there silently remembering the last words I said to him. I had told him that I didn’t need a babysitting job and that I would kill him just as soon as let him come with me. I groaned. Maybe he would do something to me after all.

  “I need your jacket please,” I said rubbing my nose and sniffling again. I held out my hand and he just stared at me. Then he started to laugh and shrugged his jacket off again, handing it to me.

  “Are you crazy,” Charlie asked him. “She can’t go in there alone! Who knows what that thing is like?”

  “She’ll be okay,” he said turning to look at her.

  The front door opened and closed. I watched Drake’s imposing figure standing on the outside of my door with his jacket pulled tightly over his head. I pulled the jacket on once again and secured any piece of my skin that might be exposed.