by Willow Rose
"Mommy!" Daniel said and rushed toward the shower.
"She'll be back, Daniel," I said and put my arm around his shoulder. "You heard her. She'll be back for you."
62
She let Alex sleep in her room. She knew he wasn't supposed to, but he had been so out of it, she thought it was for the best. Finally, he had fallen asleep after crying in her arms for hours, but Maya was still wide awake. She couldn't let go of all the emotions, all the thoughts rushing through her mind. What the heck had she seen tonight? What was that thing that had almost killed her and ended up killing Alex's mother? Calling it a creature or a monster somehow didn't quite suffice. This thing was a lot more than that. She had felt it when it had tried to kill her.
Maya shivered again, even though she was under the covers in her bed. Alex was sleeping on a blowup mattress next to her, snoring lightly, twisting in his sleep, sometimes moaning.
Maya had to pee. She had felt the desire to for at least two hours but completely ignored it. She didn't dare to go to the bathroom. Not after what she had faced tonight. Not in the darkness at night. She wanted to wait till the morning before going and tried to ignore it, but the sensation grew more and more insistent, especially when she tried to not think about it, and it was keeping her awake.
Think of something else. Think of a meadow. A meadow, a meadow, a meadow.
She pictured it and closed her eyes. There were yellow flowers, there was corn, maybe even a bird and over there…was a small brook, the water running quickly through it. Soon, the sound of running water was trickling inside her head, and her eyes shot open once again, the desire to go to the bathroom screaming inside of her.
Think of Alex kissing you.
She did and closed her eyes again. Alex's lips, Alex's soft eyes, Alex's warmth close to her…in the bathroom, where water was running.
Maya opened her eyes again with a groan. It was no use. She'd have to go to the bathroom even though it scared her senseless. She got up and out of bed, then rushed to the door and into the bathroom where she relieved herself faster than ever before, constantly staring at the shower drain next to her, whimpering because she felt it took too long. Finally, when she was done, she washed her hands quickly and rushed into the hallway, where she ran into her mother. Someone was with her.
"Daniel?" she asked, then smiled. "They found him?"
Her mother nodded. "Well…he came to us. Let's just keep it at that."
"Great, Alex will be very excited to hear this."
Her mother exhaled. "Well…about that. He can't know, I’m afraid."
"What? Why not?"
"It's a long story, honey. I'd love to tell you everything, but can it wait? I need to sleep. Maybe we can talk about it in the morning?"
"Mom…I can't just keep this news from Alex. How am I supposed to do that?"
"You have to," her mother said. "There are people after him. Just trust me on this, will you? It's also what's best for Alex. The less he knows, the better."
Maya sighed, annoyed. She could hear an urgency and sincerity in her mother's voice, and she knew this was important. "Okay. But I need an explanation and soon."
"And I will give it to you. Just…well, just do as I told you…for now. Not even Morten can know he's here, okay?"
Maya shot her mother a glance. "Okay…I guess."
63
I found a clean sheet and put it on the bed in one of my empty rooms. I was beginning to count myself lucky for having inherited this big old house with so many bedrooms. When I first moved in, I thought I would never have a use for all these bedrooms. But I guess life had different plans.
Daniel sat on the bed. I found a blanket and a pillow for him and sat down next to him.
"You okay?"
He nodded.
I looked down at his hand. It remained completely normal. I still couldn't quite grasp what I had seen earlier, how both he and his mother had changed their bodies. How was it even physically possible? It defied everything I knew. I wasn't surprised that the scientists had kept this a secret or that they wanted to exploit their abilities. In the wrong hands, a soldier who could turn himself into liquid and slip in anywhere could become very dangerous. But who sat next to me was no solider. It was just a young boy, a scared young boy who had no idea what was happening to him or how to control it.
"Can I ask you something, Daniel?"
He looked up at me. "Sure."
"What color is your blood?"
He looked down at his hand briefly, then back at me.
"Green."
I nodded with an exhale. "I thought so." I put the pillow in place. "Now, I suggest we get some sleep. It's been quite a day. I, for one, can't wait to get some shut-eye."
Daniel laid himself down. "I'm scared," he whispered. "Of the dark."
I sighed. I couldn't say I was surprised. With all he had been through, I'd bet it wasn't just the dark that scared him.
I sang a song for him, one of those Victor used to want me to sing before bedtime. Before Skye came along. Daniel's eyes were big and wide, staring up at me. After I had stopped singing, I stood in the doorway while Daniel got comfortable. I waited a few seconds till his breathing got heavy before I turned the lights off. I couldn't stop wondering about Victor.
The green blood. The abilities that seemed out of this world. Victor shared those things. Did that mean he was one of them too? But how was that even possible? I had given birth to him. He didn't come from some other world. I knew he didn't.
“I don't think he even is your son.”
That was what Samuel had told me. He had wanted my son because of his blood. I had never felt like Victor belonged here in this world and I still didn't. But he was my son.
Wasn't he?
I never finished the thought—awful as it was—but closed the door to the bedroom and wandered into my bedroom, where Morten was snoring loudly. I got under the covers and closed my eyes, but sleep didn't come at first. Instead, I lay awake for a few minutes, wondering how I was supposed to fall asleep with that noise. Yet a few minutes later, I did.
64
I was awakened by heavy steps outside in the hallway, and then my door was slammed open. I sat up with a small gasp, shocked and annoyed to be ripped out of my pleasant dream of our vacation to Greece. Instead of the azure blue ocean and the bright summer light, I was staring at my son, who, for once, was looking directly at me.
"Victor?" I asked.
"Where is she?" he asked, almost hissed.
I blinked. "Where's who?"
"Skye!"
"I don't know, sweetie," I said. "Is she not in your room?"
"She was gone when I woke up."
"Well, I don't know, Vic. I’ve been sleeping. Don't you think she’s downstairs or maybe in the yard? Maybe she woke up early and went outside? You know how she loves it out there."
"She's not there," he said, angrily. "Where is she?"
"I told you; I don't know," I said as the night's many activities came back to me and I remembered Daniel and his mother and all that had happened with them.
Morten was waking up now, rubbing his eyes.
"What time is it?"
I looked at the clock. "It's seven a.m.," I said, annoyed. "It's Saturday, Victor. Couldn't you have let us sleep in a little?"
"She's not here!" he said, alarmed.
I got out of bed and hurried to his room, suddenly feeling anxious. I opened the door and found it empty.
"She's not here," I said.
"That's what I said," Victor complained. "Stop stating the obvious."
"And you checked downstairs?" I said and rushed to the bathroom, but it was empty too. Then I walked down the stairs and called her name.
"Skye? Skye?"
But there was no answer. I walked to the back door and looked out the window. I even looked up in the trees. Nothing. Yet there was something, and it made my blood freeze over. Out in the snow on the porch and in the yard and on the steps leading to the house w
ere what looked like hundreds of footprints. I opened the door and looked at them, my heart pounding. Those were no ordinary footprints. These were heavy boots in a size none of us wore in the house. It had been snowing most of the night, so they had to be very fresh. I stood by them, then looked up at Victor's window above.
Could they have…?
Morten came out after me. "What are you doing out here in the cold?"
"They took her," I said. Tears were pressing behind my eyes, and I tried to hold them back. Victor was standing in the doorway, his small body beginning to shake.
"Who took whom?" Morten asked, rubbing his forehead. "I'm not quite following you here."
"The men. Those men from last night. They were in my house while we slept. They took her, Morten. They took her."
Morten stared at me, then shook his head. "Nonsense. That's impossible. We would have heard it."
"She's gone, Morten. Skye's gone."
He threw out his hands. "Well, maybe she ran away again. She didn't really belong here; maybe she went back home, huh? How about we go inside? It's too cold out here; come."
I shook my head. "Didn't you hear me? Those men took Skye!"
"You're being paranoid," Morten said and pulled me back inside. "Maybe she just took a walk. She might be back in a few hours. Let's not jump to any conclusions here."
"Why won't you listen, Morten?" I said and pulled my arm out of his grip. "They took her."
"How did they get in, huh?"
"I don't know. They have their ways, I guess."
"Okay and what about the dogs, huh? Brutus would have eaten them alive if they came inside the bedroom."
I looked at Victor. "Brutus."
Victor ran ahead of me as we rushed upstairs, Morten still yelling at us that we were acting paranoid and to calm down.
But there was no Brutus inside his room. Kenneth slept with Maya, and he would never have reacted. To anything else, yes, but never to dangerous situations.
"Brutus?"
"Brutus?" Victor called, his small voice shivering.
"Maybe she took him for a walk," Morten said, finally catching up to us.
I gave him a look when we heard a scrape coming from inside Victor's closet, and he ran to open it.
"Brutus!" I said and rushed to the dog. He was lying on his side and still half asleep. I looked at Morten.
"Now, you see?"
"See what? The dog is sleeping."
"First of all, this dog never sleeps. Second, how did he get in the closet, huh?" I asked.
Morten nodded. "Okay, that is strange; I'll give you that. But who knows with this dog? He's always been a little…peculiar."
I helped Victor get Brutus out of the closet. He tried to lift his head and look at Victor, but it fell back down.
"They must have sedated him somehow," I said. "It'll wear off. Don't worry, Victor. He'll be fine."
Victor caressed the dog while letting a couple of tears roll down his cheeks. I let him tend to the dog while panic erupted inside me. I knew these people had to work for Omicon and they had probably taken Skye back to that awful lab.
Where no one hears you scream.
How was I supposed to get her out of there again?
I had barely finished the thought when Morten's phone rang. He rushed into the bedroom and picked it up, then came back a few seconds later, completely pale.
"What's wrong?"
"It's…it's Jytte. She's in the hospital. A fishing boat pulled her out of the ocean this morning. She's at the hospital in Esbjerg on the mainland."
"Oh, dear God, Morten, what…how?"
He swallowed. His eyes were in complete shock. "I…I have to go."
"Let me take you," I said. "You're in no condition to be driving. Maya is home; she can look after Victor."
"Allan is picking me up. He's the one who called. I'll…I'll call you later."
65
I paced in the kitchen for hours, waiting for news from Morten, but none came. I was so worried about Jytte and about him, it drove me nuts. Victor was inconsolable. Even after Alex was picked up by his father and taken home and I showed Victor that Daniel was here with us, it didn't seem to cheer him up at all. He sulked all day, sitting in the corner of the kitchen, looking at the floor. It just about broke my heart. Brutus woke up and came down to be with him. It was sweet how that big ugly dog could sense he needed him. And he did. Victor needed him more than ever.
I made breakfast for all the kids, including Maya, whom I had a long chat with as soon as Alex had been picked up and they had hugged goodbye. I told her the entire story from the night before, about Daniel and his mother and even though I could tell it was a little much for my young girl, she seemed to understand what I was telling her by the time I told her that Lyn had asked me to take care of the boy and not tell anyone.
"I just don't know how to…I mean, I think we're dating now. I don't quite know if he'll still want to after all this, you know losing his mother and all," she said. "But I don't want to lie to him."
"I’m afraid you'll have to," I said. "At least for a while. I don't like lying to Morten, but I have had to do it a lot lately."
"Maybe Alex would understand if I told him the entire story?" she asked.
I shook my head violently. "No, Maya. We can't run that risk. These people took Skye last night. They're dangerous. If Morten hadn't been there last night, there’s no telling what they might have done to me. They tried to hurt me, Maya. You would also be putting him in danger if he knew and had to keep it a secret. Please, Maya. It's best this way."
She sighed. "All right. Hopefully, it won't be long."
Sophia stopped by later and took a quick glance at Daniel. "If you keep this up, you're gonna have more children than I do."
I poured us both some coffee and we sat down. Then I began to cry. I told her the entire story about Daniel, his mother, and Skye, who had disappeared, and then about Morten, whom I hadn't heard from all day, and I was about to die from worry.
"What if she dies? I mean, they said she was still alive when they brought her in, but what if…"
Sophia stopped me. "You can't do the what if's."
I sighed and sipped my coffee when there was a knock on my door. I rushed out and opened it.
Outside stood Morten.
I nearly dropped my jaw. "Morten? How? How is she?"
"She's awake," he said.
I exhaled, relieved. "Oh, thank God…what was she doing…?"
"She took pills," he interrupted me.
"What?"
He swallowed. He was even paler than this morning. "She took pills, then jumped into the ocean in the middle of the night. Because she was lonely, she said. Because she didn't want to live anymore."
"I…I…that's awful, Morten. Do you want to come inside?" I asked.
He shook his head, and that was when I noticed a shift in his eyes. Something had changed, something deep within him.
"You're blaming me, aren't you?" I asked. "Because I told you to stay last night?" I shook my head while tears piled up in my eyes. "You're thinking she would never have done this if you'd been home, if I…I hadn't asked you to…?"
He didn't dispute it. Instead, he shook his head. "I…I have to get back to the hospital. I only came to get some of her stuff."
"So…so, where does that leave us?" I asked.
His eyes avoided mine. "I need to focus on her right now," he said. "I didn't know it was this bad. I’ve overlooked a lot of signs. I don't want that to happen again. She needs me, Emma. I need to be with her and take care of her. Full time."
"So…so, this is it? For us?" I asked, half choking.
He exhaled and took a step away from me. "I can't ask you to wait for me."
"But I will," I said.
"I can't ask you to do that. I don't know how long it will take. I can't promise you it'll ever get better."
"So, what are you saying?" I said with a sniffle. "This is it?"
"I…I guess so," h
e said. He lifted his head and looked into my eyes.
"But…Morten…?"
"I'm sorry, Emma. I really, truly am."
And with those words, he turned around and walked to his car. I felt like screaming and yelling at him, demanding him to stop, yelling that I would wait for him no matter how long it took, but no words left my lips. Instead, I watched him drive away, taking a big chunk of my poor aching heart with him. When I finally made it back into the kitchen, Sophia had already poured me a whiskey.
"Guess it's back to being just us, huh?"
I downed the entire drink in one gulp and put the glass down. Sophia poured me a second one, and I sat down, my body feeling heavy and so incredibly tired. We sat there, staring into our drinks for a few minutes, no one saying a word. I couldn't stop thinking about Morten and all we had together, and how mad I was at him for ending it like this, for throwing it all away. But also, how I understood him completely. I would have done the same if it had been Maya. We both knew I would.
"So…how are we going to get Skye back from that place, huh?" Sophia asked and downed her drink as well.
I lifted my head and looked at her, then emptied my glass. As I put the glass down, I sucked in air between my teeth.
"I think I might have an idea."
Sophia chuckled.
"That's what I thought. I have never known Emma Frost just to sit there and feel sorry for herself. At least not for very long."
THE END
Afterword
Dear Reader,
Thank you for purchasing Drip Drop Dead (Emma Frost #12). I hope I haven't scared you from ever taking a shower or going to the restroom again. This was a fun little part of Emma's new adventures, but it is far from over yet. This story continues into the next book, so don't worry. You'll get more answers as the story progresses.
Again, thank you for all your support. Don't forget to leave a review if you can.
