touch

“Belinda was a young woman who lived around two hundred years ago.” I flipped open to the back of the book showing the line of descendants. “We already know this just by looking at the births in the tree. But I’ve learned more.

“Two hundred years ago Belinda’s father worried about her future. Poor, he couldn’t attract suitable prospects for her... you might say her choices were limited.” I paged back to the beginning of the book reading Belinda’s first instruction. “He made a deal with a creature who had very limited contact with us… humans. This lonely creature saw an opportunity. Knowing we often fear him, he asked an unusual payment in exchange for the money Belinda’s father wanted. The creature wanted to present himself to Belinda as a possibility. He hoped Belinda would consider him as an alternative to getting married. He offered to care for her in return for keeping him company.

“He wasn’t unfair or cruel in his fee. He didn’t demand that Belinda choose him, only that she give him consideration. If she decided to choose another, he asked that be allowed the same chance with any from her line.”

I had everyone’s undivided attention. Gran and Aunt Grace looked interested, maybe even captivated by the details of our past, but mom had glint in her eye.

“Belinda’s father agreed to the terms without consulting with her. As you can guess, Belinda rejected the creature’s offer. She got married and had a daughter. But she was so angry that her daughter would have to face this creature someday that she made a deal with another creature. In exchange for the money her father had given her, every penny he’d originally bargained for that she still had, she wanted the ability to hide her children from the creature. And hating her husband, she wanted her daughter to have foresight when choosing. This new creature agreed to the gift of foresight, but demanded a high price in return. Each husband would die prematurely. Their lives for a glimpse of our futures. She also learned a chant to protect her children at night when we are most easily found.”

Retelling the story, I had more questions for Morik. If there were more creatures like him, why didn’t he seek them for company? I closed the book and smoothed my hand over its worn cover before looking up at me mom. Her gazed pinned me to my chair. From her eyes, she knew the worst was coming.

“The first creature’s name is Morik. And he followed us despite the move.” My mom groaned a little. “He scared the b'Jesus out of me at first. But, other than breaking Clavin’s leg for hurting me, he hasn’t done anything bad.” Aunt Danielle chuckled a little from her chair, but I ignored it. Yes, I knew breaking someone’s leg was plenty bad.

“When he told me the story, everything fit. When I asked questions, he was right about everything… Well, except for how many descendants are left.” Everyone looked at me blankly. “He said four,” I clarified. “He can sense when something big happens to us… like, we’re born, die, or in my case, when Clavin and Brian bashed my face and I was in pain. I think because Gran and Aunt Danielle are twins, he counted the two of you as one.”

“Why are you telling us this?” Mom asked quietly.

“Because I made a deal with him.” At her horrified expression, I held up my hand. “A small one. Ten days of no forced sleep in exchange for an hour spent with him every day. I did it as a test to see if he was telling the truth about the touch, the chant, everything.” On a roll, I jumped in with what mom would consider the worst part. “I invited him to dinner.” I said it quickly like pulling off a bandaid.

“Tessa Bree Sole, you can’t possibly be considering him as an option,” my mother cried vehemently.

Before I had a chance to respond, Aunt Danielle piped up, “Why not? Would it be better that she make no choice at all? You know as well as I do that the choice isn’t just in your head, but in your heart as well.”

My mom’s expression paled and I turned to look at Aunt Danielle who stood and glided toward us.

“Pull out a chair for me, dear.”

I did and she carefully sat, lightly resting her arms on the top of the table.

“Your Gran made her choice already at sixteen. She knew what she wanted. But I was more like you. I didn’t want to be forced into a choice I didn’t want, one never explained.”

I nodded my head, for the first time seeing someone who truly understood my position.

She sighed. “So I didn’t choose. On my seventeenth birthday, I died.”