Monster

by Yolanda Olson

  We cleared the city and shot through the trees. In an odd way this seemed much longer getting to the camp than it had before. Kaeden’s new house was still in the same place so I wasn’t sure what the delay was. I looked over my shoulder and saw Charlie and Remy running next to each other with determined looks on their faces.

  “Cut to the right,” Remy shouted to me.

  Nodding I turned my attention back to the path in front of me. Tightening my grip on the load in my arms, I shifted my body weight to the right and dashed through the gathering of trees and wild thorns sticking out of the ground.

  The closer we got to the campfire that was burning in the distance the higher the wild thorns would rise. It was like watching a guardian trying to protect its land.

  “They don’t want one of us to pass,” Remy shouted.

  I skidded to a stop and wondered if it was me. I turned to look at her and saw Charlie some ways back staring at the ground with her bundle in her arms.

  “I think it’s me,” she called to us.

  I set my wood down and walked back to her. If it was her, then I didn’t want her to get hurt by attempting to go into the campgrounds. When I reached her, I grabbed her stack of wood.

  “Take a step forward,” I instructed.

  She hesitated for a moment, and then lifted her leg an inch off the ground. As it was coming back down a gathering of wild thorns shot out of the ground and formed a blockade. Her foot had no land to stand on and she took a step back laughing nervously.

  “Guess this is the end of the line for me,” she said.

  “I guess so,” I replied.

  “Think nothing of it. The land just isn’t familiar with you so its natural guards were set off,” Remy said with a kind smile.

  “It’s cool,” Charlie said putting her hands on her hips. “So listen, I’m not sure going back to Kaeden’s house is a good idea right now so I’m going to walk around town tonight. I’ll be back in the morning.”

  With a wave she was off. I watched her leave wondering if I would indeed see her again in the morning. The way things were going lately I definitely had my doubts.

  “Come on,” Remy said snapping me out of my thoughts. “Let’s get these things to Ryker.”

  “Yeah.”

  Securing the load in my arms, I ran over to my stack and almost laughed in relief when I saw that the wild thorns were retreating back into the ground. Remy came over next to me and grabbed half of Charlie’s share into her own arms. Then the two of us ran for the gypsy camp. When we reached the immediate border of the camp, Remy stopped.

  “Leave them here for now,” she said dropping the wood chunks to the ground.

  Obediently I did the same. She sat on a small boulder and smiled up at me.

  “Go in. I’m just trying to catch my breath.”

  I stood there and looked at the fire apprehensively. I heard the music that playing that Kaeden told me he was so fond of. I could hear the sounds of the happy gypsies busily working through the night, and even though I had saved them at the fairgrounds, I didn’t know if they’d want me in their home.

  Sighing, I squared my shoulders and walked in. It was a really beautiful, simple patch of land. Gypsy caravans lined the outskirts of the camp and people were busily going about their night as if the day had never stopped.

  Scratching my head I looked across the field and saw two little gypsy girls. One was sitting at a spinning wheel, moving at a furious pace, a look of pure concentration on her face. The other was making sure that the yarn that was being spun was not touching the ground by gathering it in her little hands. A little boy in overalls and a worn cap walked passed them with a pile of wood in his hands, heading for another side of the camp. Another boy, older than the last, was pushing a wheelbarrow full of hay towards some stables that sat near the woods.

  “God, it seems like time stopped here,” I muttered to myself.

  I heard a booming laugh behind me. I turned and saw Ryker with a smile on his face. I also noticed that he had some kind of old fashioned, tinted spectacles covering his eyes. It was definitely very retro of him.

  “We're simple. We don't need all the fancy things that most people crave or feel they can't live without. We're happy here and make do with what we have.”

  I felt my face flush with embarrassment. I really hoped he hadn't thought that I meant that in an insulting way. I really didn't. The simplicity of everything, the hardworking adults and children, really was beautiful.

  “Ryker, I didn't mean ...”

  He cut me off with the wave of a hand, “I know you didn't. I was just saying.”

  We walked over to one of the larger caravans and sat on the wooden steps. I sat closer to the ground and he sat closer to the door.

  “This yours?” I asked him.

  Smiling, he nodded. I looked up at it and smiled too. Thought it was visibly bigger than the other caravans, it was still as simple. It was nice to see that he didn’t feel the need to constantly remind everyone that he was their king by having an overly decorated place.

  “I like it,” I said sincerely.

  “Thank you,” he said with his kind laugh.

  Before I had a chance to tell him about the charred wooden pieces, one of the gypsy women brought me a small bucket of water. I looked up at her and smiled. I didn’t make a move for the water though because I wasn’t sure I’d be able to hold it down. Smiling back at me, she held it closer to me and I took it. I didn’t want to insult anyone and if she felt enough trust to get that close to me, I wasn’t going to let her down.

  The fresh cold taste had definitely hit the spot. The taste; it was different. I was sure it was regular water, but something about the way it glowed in the bucket made me wonder. When I was done, I handed the little bucket back to her and thanked her. She smiled at Ryker and dipped her head, then turned and walked away.

  “That wasn’t water, was it?” I asked when she was safely out of earshot.

  “No.”

  “Can I ask what it was?”

  “If I tell you, you have to understand that they know what you are, just like they knew what Cody was, okay? I did not tell them.”

  “I trust you Ryker, I know you wouldn’t tell them.”

  “Um, well. One of our people had been sick lately. And she said she had a vision that she was going to die soon. She also said she knew how hard it was for you to feed without feeling some kind of regret for what you have to do to live, so she asked that her life force be held for you until you finally came to visit us.”

  I just stared at him. I wondered how it was that gypsies could be so caring about a monster, when humans could be so demeaning about gypsies.

  “No wonder it glowed,” I said softly.

  A little gypsy girl suddenly approached us. She stood a few feet away looking at me intently then looked up at Ryker. She spoke to him in a different language, which I assumed to be Romani. I could tell she was asking him something though I couldn’t understand it, which caused him to laugh.

  “She asked me why you’re so sad,” he translated.

  “I’m not sad though,” I said smiling at her.

  “Your life force is, Finnegan. That’s what she is speaking of.”

  This place is weird. Even the children can see something’s life force. Someone I don’t even know sacrificed their life force for me. I should get out of here before they start to see what I should really look like.

  I got to my feet and the little girl took a few steps back. Wringing her hands, she started speaking rapidly in her language. I suddenly felt his hand on my arm gently, but firmly pulling me back down onto the steps.

  “Sit down,” he said in a hushed voice. “She asked if she upset you by asking if you’re sad.”

  “What? No!”

  I looked at the little girl and held one of my hands out for her to come closer.

  She looked at it hesitantly then glanced at Ryker.

  “Tell her it’s okay,” I said.

&nbs
p; He didn’t say anything but when she looked back at me she seemed more confident. She took my hand and with one jerk I pulled her into a big hug. She let out a squeal of surprise and delight as she hugged me back.

  When I let her go, she had a big smile on her face. Ryker chuckled behind me and the little girl ran off happily.

  “Finnegan, would you like to come inside? There is something I need to tell you,” Ryker said standing up.

  “Sure,” I said standing up and stretching.

  In the distance I saw Remy walking into the fairgrounds, surrounded by children who were helping her carry cursed wood. I waved at her and saw her suddenly stiffen. She reached down and grabbed her bullwhip. She suddenly starting pointing out what seemed like instructions to the children who scattered into caravans all around the camp.

  The adult gypsies came out and circled around her. For some reason they looked like they were pleading with her, but she instructed them like she had the children and they too relented.

  “Ryker,” she shouted ominously.

  Behind me he sighed. I turned and looked up at him wondering what was going on. I heard the crack of Remy’s whip as she came closer. I turned around and saw her face twisted in anger.

  “Ryker, step away from her. Let her come down here to me.”

  “What?”

  I was confused. I had no idea what was going on and I didn’t understand why Remy would suddenly be threatening to inflict harm on her king of all people.

  “Remy, I was taking her inside to tell her. I didn’t want her to have to deal with this in front of everyone. Especially since she doesn’t really know everyone here.”

  Remy reached up and yanked me off the stairs. She pushed me behind her. I could see how tense she was, but she relented and rolled up her whip. Clipping it to her side she crossed her arms over her shoulder.

  “Tell her now then,” she said defiantly.

  He looked angry for a second, but it quickly disappeared. It made me wonder why Remy could talk to him like this and not be afraid of any repercussions. It also reminded me of that argument they had when they were locked in the stables at the fairgrounds.

  Hm.

  “Finnegan, you have to promise me that you will not get upset as you know that something like this is not a choice,” he started nervously.

  “Just tell me. I’m starting to get antsy here,” I said shoving my hands in my pockets.

  He looked down for a moment and stepped up one more stair into the darkness of his caravan. I saw the glasses he had removed in his left hand. He held them for a moment, then let them fall to the floor and clatter down the stairs.

  “Step into the moonlight, Ryker,” Remy said.

  I heard his breath come out in a loud sigh. He took one tentative step down the stairs. Then another. I felt like I was watching one of those horror movies where the bad guy is about to reveal themselves, but not before you go through those agonizing moments of trying to think about what his face would look like.

  I stood there and shifted from one foot to the other. If he didn’t hurry I was going to run up the stairs and throw him down them. When he finally got into the light of the moon, he was looking down at the stairs.

  “Ryker,” Remy said in a low tone.

  “I’m sorry, Finnegan,” he said looking me in the eyes.

  I felt the nausea rising from deep within. I felt like the world was tilting on its axis; almost in a desperate attempt to throw us off. The darkness was starting to close in around me and I felt my knees buckling.

  It’s a lie. Or a hallucination. It has to be.

  I didn’t fight the blackout.

  In a way I hoped I wouldn’t wake up from it.

  But I did. And with a splitting headache which is something that I hadn’t felt since I was human.

  “She’s okay?”

  Ryker.

  “Yes, she’s fine. She just blacked out for a moment. Step back though, I don’t want her to pass out again when she sees you,” Remy said.

  “True.”

  I lifted my hands slowly and rubbed the sides of my head. I heard Ryker’s feet shuffle backward and saw Remy’s face slowly coming into focus in front of me.

  “You okay?” she asked.

  “Yeah. My head is killing me though.”

  “You hit your head when you fell forward onto the stairs. Nothing’s broken or dented though,” she said with a smile.

  I sat right up and looked at Ryker. I suddenly remembered what it was that caused me to faint.

  “Step into the light,” I told him.

  I saw him reach for his glasses, “No. Without them.”

  “Finn ...”

  “Now Ryker,” I said cutting him off.

  As he shuffled forward, I sprung to my feet. When the small lamps in his home illuminated his face and I was able to see his face again, I felt my heart wrench.

  “Who did it?” I asked him quietly.

  He didn’t answer me. He looked scared too.

  “Ryker, please. Who did it?”

  “It was the man. He came here the night I said I was coming home for a while. He was waiting for me in here. I tried to fight him off but I became paralyzed after he bit me. I ... I’m sorry Finnegan.”

  “Don’t apologize,” I said.

  My voice cracked. I was surprised to feel tears sting my eyes. Why he would choose someone as noble and caring, as Ryker to suffer this fate was heartbreaking to me.

  “Why haven’t you killed everyone here yet?” I asked him curiously.

  “My love for my people is overpowering. I would not hurt them. Ever.”

  I believed him. Not only was he their king, he was their protector and I knew he would die for them. Now the only problem was going to be how to explain to Cody, Kaeden, and Charlie that Ryker was still one of the good guys; even though he had been turned into a monster like me.

  The Final Days

  20. Planning An Escape

  (Day 23)

  I left Ryker at the camp with Remy. I wanted to be able to figure out how I was going to explain to the others what he was now. I thought about it as I walked back to the house. I had the explanation playing in my mind over and over and nothing sounded like it was going to work. I knew that to the humans that were still out at this hour that I must’ve looked like a lunatic.

  If only they knew the real me.

  I turned corners and crossed streets, feeling like a mouse trapped in a maze. I wondered if Cody would be angry for my breaking his ‘flank rule’, I wondered if Kaeden would interrogate me as to where I was, I wondered if Charlie had made it back yet.

  All three of my questions were answered as I turned up the driveway to Kaeden’s home. Cody was pacing the porch frantically and Charlie and Kaeden seemed to be having an argument of some kind.

  I stood there staring at them wondering if maybe I should leave and gather my thoughts again. But at one point, Kaeden through his arms up to accentuate a point he was making and glanced in my direction.

  “Finnegan?”

  I didn’t move. I wasn’t ready for the verbal inquisition that was coming. I still hadn’t figured out how to word Ryker’s situation to them.

  “Where have you been?” Cody shouted as he walked down the driveway toward me.

  Charlie and Kaeden were on his heels. She was giving me an apologetic look and I shook my head slightly at her to let her know that I wasn’t upset with her.

  “Answer me!”

  “Ryker’s a monster like me now and I know because I was at the gypsy camp tonight and I saw him with my own eyes,” I blurted out in a panic.

  Yeah. That definitely was a perfect way to do it, dummy.

  “Ryker? He’s a ...”

  “Just like me,” I said cutting Kaeden off. I really didn’t want to hear that word.

  I spent my whole existence not using it, and I didn’t want to start now by describing Ryker as one.

  “But who ...”

  “Skiles,” I said cutting him off again.


  “Finnegan, would you let me finish a ...”

  “No.”

  He let out a frustrated grunt and walked back up the driveway. He threw himself down on the wicker chair on his front porch and stared off into the distance.

  “Wow, that’s crazy,” Charlie said to me. “Are there any gypsies left?”

  “Yeah, that’s the craziest part. Somehow he’s keeping his rage in check. He said it’s because he loves them so much, which to be honest with you? I believe it. If I had that much to care about when I had been changed, if I hadn’t woken so angry at being duped and tossed aside to rot like compost, I probably would’ve been able to fight the rage too. But that’s just my luck,” I said with a bitter chuckle.

  “That’s not the point though,” I continued, “The point is that he’s different now and he can help us in a major way at the end. Skiles probably thought he’d go into a frenzied berserk mode and kill everyone then himself when he realized what he’d done. Of course that’s just a guess. That’s what I would assume anyway.”

  “If he makes it to the end, dolly,” Cody finally said.

  “What? Why wouldn’t he?” I asked him.

  “It’s just a feeling I have,” he said looking away. “Speaking of which, would you stop with the disappearing acts? It’s hard enough knowing how close to the end of this we are without having to worry if you’ve run off and gotten yourself killed.”

  I couldn’t believe how stressed he looked. This was the first time I had ever seen his hair so disheveled and his eyes look so tired. In a weird way he almost looked old.

  “I promise nothing,” I said with a smile.

  “God I should’ve known when you smiled at me in the hospital that you would be nothing but trouble,” he grumbled.

  “What?”

  “Oh. When you were a baby, you actually smiled at me. It’s not rare for newborns to smile a quick flash of a smile you know? But you actually grabbed my finger and grinned at me for about thirty seconds,” he said smiling at the memory.