New Birth

by Orrin Jason Bradford

  "What in the hell was that?" Barry asked.

  "I believe we just took part in one of Tabitha's hallucinations," Chickowski answered in a husky voice filled with awe and an edge of fear.

  From the hallway, they heard someone running towards their lab. In a few seconds, the door burst open, and the duty nurse from the nursery rushed into the room.

  "Dr. Chickowski, come quick. The children... " She stopped in mid-sentence. "Oh my God, it happened here too."

  "What is it, Miss Bartlett?" Chickowski asked as he stood up and brushed his pants off.

  The near hysterical nurse stared at Chickowski for a few seconds before replying. Finally, in a dull voice she said, "Uh, you're needed in the nursery, Doctor. Something... something bizarre is going on."

  "I'll be there in a few minutes. Thanks." Chickowski replied as calmly as possible. "Fred, release Tabitha and return her to her sisters." He turned back to the nurse.

  "Ms. Bartlett, you've been a faithful employee here for several years. Is that right?"

  "Yes, Dr. Chickowski."

  "And if you wish to stay employed here, you will forget everything that you heard or saw here tonight, and that goes for the nursery as well. Is that clear?"

  The nurse nodded her head. "No one would believe me anyway." She turned and walked out of the lab, scattering debris with her white shoes.

  "Fred, get this damned mess cleaned up. I don't want a trace of evidence of what happened here tonight. Barry, after you get this little monster back with her pack, get back here and help Fred."

  Chickowski started toward the door but stopped and glared at the two men. "And of course, if any news of this episode leaks out, I'll personally hold both of you responsible. What happened here will look like a picnic in the park compared to the nightmare I'll rain down on you. Is that clear?"

  The two men nodded. Chickowski started to leave but was stopped once more by Fred. "You may be able to cover this one up, Dr. Chickowski, but what about the others?"

  Chickowski stared as his assistant. "What others?"

  "The residual hallucinations that have been reported. The report I read indicated that Tetrazole produces hallucinations for up to five years after initial use. How are you going to cover those up?

  "If Tabitha is a monster, Doctor, she's one that you created."

  Chickowski continued to stare at Fred; his jaw muscles clenched in anger. He fought to control himself. "Just clean up the damned mess, Fred. Do your job. I'll handle the rest. Okay?"

  Without waiting for an answer, he turned and walked out of the room, but Fred's words echoed in his mind as he strolled down the hall.

  The twins spent most of the day on the slopes. It had only taken an hour in the morning to raise funds for the ski rentals and lift tickets. Although neither had ever skied before, they both caught on quickly. The day had turned unseasonably mild, making additional ski wear unnecessary. Even so, Alp was uncomfortable as she watched the other girls in their color-coordinated outfits.

  "Wouldn't it be nice to have all the money you needed so you could ski anytime you wanted and with a different outfit for every day instead of a pair of dumb blue jeans?"

  Mel looked at her, confused by the question. "Why would you want such gaudy clothes? Lavender ski pants just aren't your style."

  "How do you know what my style is? Maybe not lavender, but a rich burgundy color or something similar to that sky blue outfit over there. I just think it would be nice."

  "Well, if you'll notice, that sky blue outfit can't ski for shit. This is your first day out here, and you're already skiing better than two-thirds of the girls in their fancy clothes. That could mean that those gawd awful colors actually make it harder to ski. Did you ever stop and consider that?"

  Alp laughed. "You think the Snow God objects to such colors? In that case, I better stick to the basic jeans and ski jacket. I'd hate to fall as often as some of those ladies.

  "Speaking of falling, we'd better head on back to the lodge. The slopes will be closing soon, and we want to be sure we're comfortable in our little accommodations."

  "What do you mean?" Alp asked as she adjusted the buckle on her ski boot.

  "Come on, let's race down. I'll go over my plan at the bottom." Mel started to push off down the slope, but Alp stopped him with a gloved hand on his arm.

  "Mel, I just want to let you know how much I've enjoyed this day. Thanks for taking my mind off this morning and what we're going to do this evening. You're a great brother."

  The comment embarrassed Mel. He reached out and pulled Alp's ski toboggan down over her eyes. "Come on, last one down is a spoiled little rich kid."

  At the bottom, the lodge was already crowded with skiers—several of them well into their evening meal of liquid refreshment. The twins mingled around for a while until they found a door marked: Lost and Found. Mel stood on the other side for a few moments with his eyes closed.

  "No one's in there right now," he said as he opened his eyes. "Perfect. Let's go."

  The two of them slipped into the room. Inside, they found a narrow counter and behind it, a wide selection of ski wear and gear left over from the ski season. Mel wandered around behind the counter, while Alp stood to watch at the door. In a few moments, he returned.

  "Come on. I found the perfect accommodations for the night. We'll be warm and cozy and, most important of all, unnoticed." He led his sister behind the counter to a corner of the room. He pointed to two ski tote bags leaning against the wall.

  "We'll empty the skis out of those two bags. Take the skis and one of the poles and put them over there with the others. Keep one of the poles in the bag so we can use it to keep the top of the bag rigid if anyone comes in." Alp followed his instructions then, returned to find Mel climbing out of one of the bags.

  "Just checking it out. It should do fine. Let me zip you in first. They both have double zippers so we can zip from the top and bottom. That'll leave an air space and a small opening through which we can look. It's perfect."

  Alp stepped into the bag as Mel held it open for her. "What if someone comes and claims these two bags?" she asked.

  "Not likely. The tags say they were turned in on December 26th. I doubt anyone will claim them this long after losing them."

  After Alp was snugly zipped up, Mel stepped into his bag and repeated the procedure. "If you hear anyone coming, take your pole and stick it into the top of the bag so it'll look like the skis are in it. It's almost closing time. This part of the lodge will be empty by six or seven at the latest. Then it will be time to do a little shopping."

  "I sure hope you know what you're doing," Alp said, uncertainly.

  "Have I ever not known what I'm doing? Nevermind, don't answer that. You'll just have to trust me on this one, sis. By this time tomorrow, we'll be basking in the love of our many sisters in sunny North Carolina."

  Party Time

  Denise and Bridgette were stepping into the limo when they both suddenly stopped and stared at each other. After a few seconds, Denise asked. "Do you feel it too?"

  "I sure do, but what is it?"

  "I don't know, but I don't think it was the awful chipped beef on toast they served. Something is wrong..."

  "...at the lab," Bridgette finished. She quickly punched the intercom button. "Henry. There's an extra fifty bucks if you get us back to Bio-Vita in an hour."

  The chauffeur turned his head and looked at his two passengers in the rear-view mirror. He thought for a moment before replying. "You're on." The limo leaped forward.

  "Is it time yet, Mel? I'm getting awfully tired pretending I'm a ski," Alp whispered through the tiny crack in the bag.

  "Just a couple more minutes. I'll make a mind sweep to be sure the area is clear."

  After a few minutes, Alp heard the sound of Mel's bag being opened. She reached for her zipper and welcomed the fresh air. Mel offered her one of his devilish smiles as she stepped out of the bag.

  "It's party time," he said in a soft voice.

/>   "Well, let's get the dirty work done and get out of here. This place gives me the heebie-jeebies."

  "Okay, just follow me. We'll simply step into the office where the safe is kept."

  "Safe? You didn't tell me they had a safe."

  "Well, where did you think they'd keep all that money, in a cigar box buried under their steps? It won't be a problem. Trust me."

  "Mel, I get real nervous when you ask me to trust you. It always means trouble."

  "Well, it doesn't this time. This will be a snap. Just relax." He opened the door to the Lost and Found and peered out. When he was sure the coast was clear, he took Alp's hand and led her down the hall. He stopped in front of the last door at the end of the hall and tried the doorknob. It opened easily, and he led Alp into the office.

  "I've been learning a new trick," he explained as he noticed Alp's questioning look. "I planted a suggestion in the secretary's mind as she was preparing to leave. She simply forgot to lock the door. I wasn't sure whether it would work. As I said, it's a new trick."

  "You're getting stronger, aren't you?" Alp asked with a note of awe in her voice.

  "Yeah, I think I am. You could too if you really wanted to. I think you're just afraid of the power, and so it doesn't flow naturally through you as it does me. Just learn to accept it and be okay with it. It's a real blast."

  Mel walked behind the desk to the old black safe in the corner. Alp followed. As she looked around, it became clear to her why they had never been able to catch her during her days of thievery. The office was disorganized with papers scattered everywhere. Among the paper was enough skiwear and equipment to start a sporting goods store. It exemplified the shabby, ineffectual management of the slopes.

  "Let's see. You read the secretary's mind while you were messing with it and found out the combination. Is that how you're going to open it?"

  "Unfortunately, no. I tried, but she must not have known the combination, or I wasn't able to get into her mind deep enough to find it. I'm afraid I'll have to rely on my nimble fingers and my astute hearing to find the numbers to make the tumbler fall. But it's an old safe, so it shouldn't be too difficult. Have a seat and get comfortable. Start planning what you'll say to our sisters. It won't be long now."

  Mel knelt in front of the safe and spun the knob to get a feel for it. Then, with his eyes shut and his left ear against the cold metal, he began to turn the knob in earnest. Alp pulled the chair out from behind the desk and sat down. Everything had been so easy, just like Mel had said. Too easy, she thought, then tried to dispel the negative feeling. Why shouldn't it go well? They were due to some good luck. Certainly, back at Sarrah's, they had had enough bad luck to last for years.

  She leaned back in the chair to make herself more comfortable. She expected it would take Mel quite a while to learn the craft of safe-cracking. She was surprised when in a few minutes, she heard him exclaim: "Ah ha, the first number is twenty-four. Only two more numbers to go."

  "How do you know that there are only three numbers?" she asked.

  "Don't be a pessimist, Alp. I need your positive energy." Mel continued to concentrate on the sound of the tumbler. After a few more minutes, he whispered, "Thirteen; number two is lucky thirteen."

  Alp sat up in her chair, a charge of electricity running through her body. Only one more number and they'd have the money they needed. What if there wasn't any money in the safe? She immediately discharged the thought. There would be a ton of money in there. More than they could carry out. They'd be rich and have plenty to give to their sisters. She imagined handing each of her sisters an envelope filled with money. "Here, this is for you. Sorry, it took us so long to get it to you."

  After a minute or two, Mel pushed himself away from the door. "And the last number in our lucky lottery is number four. Ah, I see the little lady in the first row is waving her ticket. You must be our next happy winner. Come on down!" He grasped the handle of the door and tried to twist it. It wouldn't move. He tried again, forcing it with all his might.

  "Damn." He turned to Alp with a solemn look. "It won't open." Then, he broke out into a smile. "Just kidding." He grabbed the handle again and this time, twisted it easily. The door swung open.

  Alp jumped from the chair and flung herself at her brother. "You little shit! You gave me a heart attack. We're rich; we're rich!" She hugged Mel's neck, and they both tumbled to the floor.

  "Okay, okay. Let's not get carried away. It's only a safe-cracking, for God's sake. Let's see how much loot we have before we declare early retirement."

  They were just picking themselves up off of the floor when the first wave of hysteria struck. Since Mel had a strong mental link established with Tabitha, the force of her hallucination coursed through the channel, assaulting his mental pathways far harder than Alp. Even Alp was not spared entirely, as the wave of psychic energy traced itself along latent pathways, opening them up for the first time.

  The twins stared at each other in shocked silence. "What is it?" Alp asked.

  Mel did not answer. He grasped his head in his hands as though to shut out the assault. His face contorted in pain and revulsion. "Tabi...sister..." Was all he could utter as he fell to the floor, this time forced there by a sister hundreds of miles away. Alp continued to stare at her brother as flashes of the same horror slapped at her mind, leaving her confused and disoriented.

  The room shuddered with psychic waves, as Tabitha's hallucinations set off a series of new horrors in Mel's mind. The room became unbearably hot. Skiwear and equipment flew across the room, mingling with a storm of office paper. Alp knelt down beside her brother and tried to hold him. She found she was unable to touch him, an invisible barrier of energy encircled him, isolating him from her for the first time. She tried to call out to him, to get his attention but was unable to utter a word. She tried to reach him telepathically but found that only made it worse, as her channels were further assaulted.

  As the nightmare reached its climax, the safe began to jiggle on its legs. Alp watched in horror, unable to move, as the door to the safe slammed shut, the dial on the outside of it, spinning like a top. The safe shook with increasing violence, bouncing across the floor towards the recumbent Mel. With each spasm, the safe drew nearer to Mel, each leg denting the floor like a large jackhammer.

  Alp flung herself at the safe, trying to redirect the massive lump of metal away from Mel. Her small frame was like a gnat pestering at the moist corner of an elephant's eye. The safe continued on its path. Seeing she was unable to stop the safe, Alp leaned her back against it and flung her feet out towards Mel. As her feet contracted the force field that surrounded Mel, she was able to push him away from the approaching safe, keeping herself between the two. She was still in this position, praying they would not reach the wall too soon when the nightmare ended.

  Alp slid down the safe, coming to rest on the floor. Tears of frustration turned to tears of joy and weariness. Slowly, she crawled to Mel and encircled him in her arms; she wept. Mel's eyes were open, and his lips moved in small gasps like a fish held out of water too long. He tried to speak, but only a weak guttural sound came out.

  "Don't talk, not yet," Alp said. "It'll be alright. Rest for a few minutes. We're out of trouble now."

  "No ma'am, I'm afraid your trouble is just beginning..." A strange voice said in a pleasant Southern drawl.

  Alp turned her head towards the door where the voice had come from to find the familiar toothy grin of the security guard that had been hunting her for months.

  The black limo swerved around the corner and pulled up to the curb in front of Bio-Vita with a screech of the brakes. Henry turned in his seat and smiled at the two ladies.

  "Fifty-eight minutes and twenty seconds."

  "Thanks, Henry. Remind me to stay off the roads when you're around," Bridgette said as she tossed him the money and jumped out of the limo behind Denise.

  The two of them rushed to the front entry and were surprised to find the entire lobby lit up and a guard sit
ting at the desk. "What's going on at this time of night? I figured the place would be locked tight as a drum," Bridgette asked.

  "I don't know, but I think it has something to do with the children. I pray my woman's intuition is wrong this time," Denise replied as she pulled her I.D. out of her purse. The two of them flashed their cards to the surprised guard and started towards the nursery.

  "Hold on there, ladies. I'm afraid that hall is off limits. I can't allow you to go down there," the guard shouted as he jumped out of his chair.

  Bridgette slowed her pace, but Denise continued to stroll down the hall, shouting over her shoulder as she went: "We're the children's mothers. Off limits don't apply to us."

  "Oh yes ma'am, they do," the guard replied as he caught up with Denise and grabbed her by the elbow. "I can't let you down there. I've got specific instructions to keep everyone out. Dr. Chickowski said that went especially for you."

  Denise turned on the innocent guard with a vengeance. "Take your dirty paws off me before I turn you into a gelding. Our daughters are down there, and something is wrong. I've got to find out what has happened."

  "Nothing is wrong with your children." The voice came from behind the trio and echoed down the deserted hall. Dr. Chickowski walked toward them; his hands buried deep in the pockets of his white lab coat.

  ''I'm surprised to see the two of you back so early, and I am much relieved. If you'll kindly step into my office, I'll fill you in as to what has been going on."

  "After we see our daughters," Denise persisted.

  "Denise. I'm afraid that isn't possible. For one thing, they are already in bed, and they need their rest. If you just step in here, I'll try to explain."

  "Come on, Denise, let's listen to what he has to say. Then, we can go down and check on them," Bridgette said. She walked over to her friend and placed her arm around Denise's shoulders.

  Denise hesitated for a moment, then, relented. The three of them walked down the other hall towards Dr. Chickowski’s office while the guard returned to his station.