My Soul to Keep

CHAPTER 4



Clarisse reached down and grabbed the Harley with one hand, pulling it off the ground. Once it was upright, she closed her eyes. I could feel the power flowing from her as the motorcycle shimmered. I blinked and missed the show. In less than a second, it went from damaged goods to showroom quality. Even the missing mirror had been replaced. She sat down on the bike and it rumbled to life. The noise filled my ears and rumbled in my chest.

I'll probably never even own a car now. The thought depressed me a little. I would probably never get married, have kids, or a normal job either. Hell, I didn’t even know if I would be finishing high school. I needed to do some serious thinking.

Clarisse motioned me to get on. I slipped behind her, trying to touch her as little as possible. I had no idea how she would react. She sped off down the street as soon as my feet left the pavement.

Once the bike got within a quarter mile of my house, the engine noise stopped. The bike kept moving and I could still smell exhaust, but it didn’t make a sound. Clarisse stopped in front of the neighbor’s house instead of pulling directly in front of the big bay window that gave a view of the entire street from our living room.

Her thoughtfulness surprised me. Mom and dad might be home, I’m sure they wouldn’t appreciate me being dropped off by a woman who looked eighteen and drove a motorcycle. Well dad might, but mom would definitely flip and of the two parental units, she was the scary one.

Clarisse turned the key and shut off the bike for real. I swung my leg over the back and got off first, hanging on to her shoulders without thinking. I won't lie. The skin I touched felt hot and soft, and I liked it. Sometimes being fifteen really sucked. I'd been staring at her exposed flesh the entire ride home. As I got off the bike, I didn’t stop staring.

“Did you hear me, worm?”

“Huh?” Her voice snapped me out of my flesh-filled fantasy, the second time.

“I said to go inside and act sick.”

“Why?”

“Because tomorrow you’re staying home from school. I’ll be back after everyone leaves. I am not letting you go to school untrained. The first vampire you see you’ll probably freak out and they’ll lock you up for being a nut job.”

“Vampire?”

“I told you, retard, ever since those books and movies came out I have everybody and their mother begging to be a vampire. Some of them even asked to sparkle.”

“Don’t they burst into flame?”

“We can grant any wish, but they have to appear human to the rest of the world. It's one of our laws. That particular one came around in the dark ages when vampires and monsters ran around openly. The entire human population lived in fear. Why do you think they called it the dark ages?”

“No shit.”

“No shit,” she replied telling me she wasn’t kidding. “If you'd wished to be something normal, like a vampire, I would have given you an orb.”

“What’s an orb?”

She reached into one of the saddlebags on the Harley and pulled out a glass ball. She handed it to me. It felt solid, but light. “What does it do?”

“Hold it to your wrist.”

I set it against my wrist and it melted into a glassy looking blob. It wasn’t hot, but flowed around my arm like water. Once it completely wrapped around, it turned smoky and solidified into silvers and browns. I had a watch on my wrist. “Cool."

“Pull it off and hold it to your ear.”

I did what she said and it turned back into a glass ball as soon as it left my wrist. I held the orb to my ear and with a little snap, it turned into an earring. The snapping noise was the sound of metal going through flesh as it pierced my ear. “Damn it, that hurt!”

She gave a little laugh at my pain. She reminded me of my sister more every minute. Laughing at pain was definitely something she would do.

I reached up to pull it out, but Clarisse stopped me. “Leave it, it looks good. I’ve got to get going, stay inside and don’t leave the house. Your body is capable of things you can’t imagine. Even if it does something weird, the orb should make you look human to your parents. That’s what they do, make the kids with desires to be more than human, appear human. It also lets them go into the sun and not burst into flames, to answer your previous question.”

“Cool. Don’t worry, I’ll behave.”

“You better behave. Trust me. There’s a lot of things out there that would love to get their mouth on a tasty morsel like you. You need to learn to take care of yourself before you get turned loose on the world. There’s some scary shit out there, and not all of it is because of us. Since humans are strictly forbidden to be eaten, everybody else has to be careful. Stay inside.”

“Yes, ma’am,” I said and snapped my heels together. She didn’t get my humor. I turned and headed up the driveway.

“Hey, worm,” Clarisse called out to me before I got too far away.

“What?” I stopped walking but didn’t turn around.

“Stay away from the cheerleaders at your school. They’re bad news.”

I turned around perplexed, but Clarisse had already vanished.

* * *

I tried to slip into the house unnoticed, but Mom sat on the couch facing the door reading a book. She set it down next to her and crossed her arms. I hadn’t done anything wrong, but she looked less than happy.

“What?”

“You told Caelyn you were going to hang out at Jeremy’s. Where have you been?”

“Jeremy got a job, so I went to the mall and had a couple of pretzels.”

“You and your pretzels. Go wash up. Daddy will be home in a few minutes. I ordered pizza.”

“Okay, cool. Did you order pepperoni?”

“You know your sister and meat don’t get along. I ordered one veggie and one cheese.”

“Doesn’t she know cheese comes from animals, too?”

“Don’t start on your sister and don’t tell her about the cheese. I’m sure she’s mentally blocked it out and I want her to have calcium. I swear she’s going to break a bone doing those cheerleader flips she does. Oh, my God! What the hell is in your ear?”

I brought my hand up to my ear and the forgotten about earing. I didn’t even think how the units would react to their son having a metal stud protruding from his ear. “I, um, got it pierced at the mall, do you like it?”

“Absolutely not! You get upstairs and get that thing out of your ear before your father gets home! I mean it. If he see’s you with one, he’ll want one. No way. Get it out now, Connor.”

I laughed and ran upstairs to the bathroom, passing my evil sister’s closed door. I flipped on the switch and turned on the fart fan instead of the light. You’d think after living in a house for three years I’d know which switch turned on what, but no. Whoever wired the house wired the fan to the switch closest to the door. I managed to get the annoying whirring of the fan off and the light on. With a sigh I looked at myself in the mirror.

I gingerly touched the earring. I expected it to be tender or sore, but it wasn't. I pulled the back of the earring off and slid it out of my ear. I held both pieces in the palm of my and watched them morph back into the largish glass globe. I thought about putting it back on my wrist, but my omniscient mother would probably notice my new watch and think I stole it at the mall.

I flipped the switch off and took the orb to my room instead, hiding it behind my entertainment center. That should keep the creep in the next room from finding it on one of her little snooping sorties. I should have exchanged my soul for the luxury of being an only child. They say that hindsight is always 20/20. "They" are pretty smart.

I headed downstairs for dinner. I needed to start acting sick in front of the parents or Mom would never buy the whole “I need to stay home” routine. Every time I actually came down with something, she made me go to school anyway. My mother was very untrusting.

I clamped my hand over my stomach and put on my best “I ate something I shouldn’t have and feel like I’m going to yak on your carpet” face. I even walked down the stairs slowly, another uncharacteristic thing for me to do. If you want your parents to think you’re sick, do things out of the ordinary. Like do what they say. That always throws them for a loop. Mom yelled at me a hundred times a day for running down the stairs. Most of the time I used the banister to propel myself down six of them at a time. If they ever made going down stairs an Olympic event, I’d qualify. Probably bring home the gold, too.

My sister came out of her room when I hit the halfway point. By the time I reached the bottom, she elbowed me out of the way and passed me.

She stopped and turned to look at me suspiciously. “What’s with you?” She cocked her head and put her hand on her hip. If all else failed, I could get into acting when I got older. Even the sister bought it.

“Went to the mall and ate too many pretzels. I feel like crap.”

“Go take one, you’ll feel better.” She laughed and walked off giggling at her own cleverness.

She thought she was truly hysterical. I thought she was truly annoying.

“Mooom, baby’s sick,” she called into the kitchen as she plopped her cheerleading outfit wearing butt down on the couch and grabbed the remote. She hit the power button and started watching some mindless cartoon about bratty kids at summer camp. I actually tried to watch it once and didn’t get it. If there wasn’t excessive violence in it or vulgar humor, I had no use for it.

“You okay, honey?” Mom actually met me halfway from the kitchen after Bratzilla tattled on me.

“I think I ate one too many pretzels. I’m not feeling great.”

Even when you fake a stomach ache the first thing a parent does is kiss your forehead to take your temperature. I wish somebody could explain this to me. Mother’s lips, the greatest diagnostic tool ever invented, not. Yes you can tell if somebody’s temperature is high, but that doesn’t help with a stomach ache.

“You’re hot, honey. Why don’t you go lie down for a while?”

I decided to go for the gold. “My head hurts, but I just thought it was the stomach ache causing it. Maybe I will. Thanks, Mom,” I said. I did another uncharacteristic thing; I hugged my mother and then slowly made my way back into my cave. My sister shot me a dirty look as I passed her on the couch. I smiled and gave her the bird.

“Mom, Connor flicked me off!”

“Caelyn, leave him alone. Your brother doesn’t feel good.”

She rolled her eyes and continued watching her moronic cartoon. My smile doubled. It was a small victory, but I’d take what I could get.

I made it to the stairs when my wings sprouted out of my back for no reason whatsoever. They became somewhat stuck between the walls of the stairway and I panicked. I spun my head around to see my sister sitting on the couch turning in slow motion to see what the commotion was. Turning sideways, I tripped on the bottom of my wing, landing hard on my side. My wings seemed to develop a mind of their own and started flapping uncontrollably. I winced at the noise they made as they banged against the drywall. I nearly screamed when the claws started scratching the paint off. I started scrambling frantically up the stairs as fast as I could before my sister saw me.

“What the hell is that noise?” Mom’s voice sounded very annoyed.

I looked at my sister and instead of looking at me, she turned around to look at Mom who walked out of the kitchen. I used my luck and kicked my legs and pushed with my arms to hurl myself up the last half of the stairwell. I needed to get out of sight, and I did. I’d hoped to get a couple of stairs out of my frantic leap. I ended up getting the remainder of the stairs, the landing above, and part of the wall out of it. I hit it so hard the folding closet door next to me popped off its track and fell into the other wall with a loud bang. I ran into the bathroom, slammed the door, and locked it for good measure.

I could hear two individual sets of feet as they ran up the stairs and stopped on the landing outside the door. “Connor, are you okay?” I could hear the surprise and fear in my mom’s voice.

“No, my stomach is…” I’ll admit it, it’s childish, but I did the only thing I could think of. I made gagging noises and slammed the lid of the toilet up against the tank.

“Let me in, honey.” I just love how when parents say let me in, they automatically try to open the door. The rattling of the knob only prompted more violent fake puking noises from me.

“G’way mom, I’ll be fine.”

“Honey, you open this door immediately!”

“Mom, I’m fine. Just give me a minute.”

“Fine, you get into bed and I’ll have your father fix the door when he gets home.”

I listened to Mom stomp back down the stairs, disgruntled because I wouldn’t let her mother me to death.

Something wasn’t right. Two sets of footfalls came up the stairs and only one left. I’d have bet even money my sister stood right outside the bathroom door hoping to bust me when I came out. I closed my eyes and listened.

The world of sound I knew shattered. Everything started out muffled by the bathroom door, but the more I focused the more I could hear. My sister’s moronic cartoon came forward first. I could hear every detail of every voice from the show and on top of it, I could hear static as the speakers pumped out the background music. I could hear seven distinct barks from the neighborhood dogs. I could hear a jet overhead. Then I heard my sister.

She wasn’t talking, but I could hear the rhythmic sound of her lungs filling with air and exhaling. I watched a show on the Discovery Channel about the sea caves of California. They used a waterproof microphone to capture the noise of the air rushing in and out of the caves as the water pushed and pulled it out and in. That’s exactly what my sister’s breathing sounded like. What the hell is going on?

The sounds of Mom moving around the kitchen tidying up came into focus next. I heard each noise individually and knew exactly what they were. She opened the trash can and threw away two paper plates. She and my sister must not have wanted to dirty dishes on pizza. She tossed two empty soda cans in the recycling bin just outside the garage door, wiped down the counters, and then walked forty-two steps into the living room to sit down on the couch.

I opened my eyes and stared at myself in the tiny mirror of the guest bathroom. My eyes reverted to their pale blue color and my wings were nowhere to be found, thank God.

I needed to get back into my room and get the orb back on my wrist. I didn’t care if Mom saw the watch. Let her think I'm a shoplifter. It would be way better than her seeing me with leathery wings and glowing red eyes. It might even fall into the realm of exponentially better.

“K, could you ask Mom for a glass of ginger ale?” I doubted she’d bring me one, hell I doubted we even had any, but I wanted to let her know I knew she lurked just outside the door. Maybe she’d leave me alone.

“Get it yourself, ass-hat,” she said and stomped off. I waited until I heard her bedroom door open and close. My sister could teach the wicked witch a few things about being evil.

I opened the door and made a quick getaway to my room. As soon as I had my back to the door, I reached down and twisted the lock with my left hand. Even in my locked room, I didn't feel safe.

I ran over to my entertainment center and reached behind it to get the orb. I couldn’t take any chances with somebody seeing my wings. My hand closed around the cool glass and I pulled it out, shaking off the dust bunnies. I stared at it for a moment and came up with something a little easier to explain. I held the ball out to my middle finger on my right hand and watched it morph into a plain silver ring. If anybody noticed it I could just say I bought it at the mall. Silver rings were a hell of a lot cheaper than watches.

* * *

Someone trying to batter down my door woke me up. I groggily stood, walked over, and tried to pull it open. It surprised me by being locked. Memories of the night before flooded my sleep addled brain. I vaguely recalled locking it after I winged-out in my Fallen form. Everything came rushing back to me. I paused for a moment praying the whole night was some sort of dream. Looking down at my hand on the knob shattered my dream. The orb shone merrily on my finger.

I unlocked the door, twisted the knob and gave my mom a tiny smile. “What time is it?”

“Time for school, are you feeling any better?”

“A little, but I still feel like I’m going to throw up.”

“Do you have any tests today?”

I shook my head and marveled at how parents always placed test scores above the general well-being of their children. “No, I don’t. I’ll have Jeremy drop off anything I miss today. I’m going back to bed. Thanks, Mom.”

“Hope you feel better, honey. I’m heading in to work. I’ll call and check on you in a little while.” She leaned in to deliver the dreaded kiss on the forehead. “You’re still running a fever. Go take some aspirin.”

She turned and left without making any more fuss. I closed my door and listened like I'd done last night. Mom’s breathing wasn’t the only sound in the house. I could hear someone else in the room next to mine. Caelyn must still be getting ready for school.

I returned to my bed, determined to wait everyone out. I listened to Mom gathering her stuff for work. She was a nurse at Cedar Hills Hospital. She'd been there for longer than I'd been around, and she loved her job. Dad ran the local golf course and loved his job. I just wished they both made more money. Sis and I going off to college would put a serious hurting on their retirement plans.

The front door opened and closed and I could hear Mom’s beat up Volvo starting. She backed out of the driveway and took off down the road. Caelyn turned on her mp3 speakers and hair dryer at the same time. I gave out a yelp and flipped out of my bed as the sound not only startled me, but threatened to make my ears bleed. I clasped my hands over them as I tried to mentally turn down the volume.

Finally after the time it could have taken to blow dry a herd of sheep, she shut the damn thing off. My ears were still ringing, but at least the pain stopped. I tried to tune back in to what she was doing, but couldn’t. I wanted to know when she left. I'd missed dinner last night, and my stomach threatened to burst out of my chest and go find its own food.

I got out of bed and silently padded over to the door. I cracked it open just a hair and heard the music still pumping in my sister’s room. I thought about running downstairs to get something, but if brat saw me eating, she’d rat me out to Mom. People faking stomach issues should not get busted eating fruity pebbles. It’s just a fact.

The music stopped and the brat’s door opened. I smiled until I realized her footsteps headed toward my room instead of the stairs. I panicked and ran over to my bed and slid under the worn covers just as the door to my room opened.

“You can quit faking, Mom left already,” she said and closed the door behind her.

I still didn’t trust her so I stayed hidden until I heard the front door open and close a second time. I closed my eyes and swept the house with my miraculous hearing one last time.

The only thing I heard was the fridge running and the other normal day to day sounds our house made. I smiled and threw off the covers and ran down the stairs at inhuman speed. I probably should have taken my socks off before deciding to hit the kitchen linoleum like a semi. I tried to put on the brakes, but even when I stopped moving my feet, the rest of the body slid another fifteen feet into the refrigerator. I picked myself up off the floor and looked for dents. I didn't see any, not even where my head hit the black Frigidaire. I needed to be more careful. I reached over to the cabinet next to the fridge and pulled out a yellow plastic bowl uglier than my Aunt Irene. My parent’s pimpish outlook on home décor even spilled over to the dishes, lucky me.

I walked over to the pantry and browsed the cereal selection. My parents believed in healthy cereals that tasted like tree bark and sticks. I’d rather eat the bottom of my own shoe. If there aren’t any marshmallows in it, it’s not good for you. I found the box of Lucky Charms stashed behind the box of Colon Blow and snickered. Bratzilla must have hid it on me. She might live off of bunny food, but cereal was her one addiction. I fully expected to find her locked in her room with a syringe, a tourniquet, and a box of Froot Loops one day.

I poured the cereal into the bowl and closed the lid. Never believing one bowl would be enough, I left the box on the counter. I grabbed the milk out of the fridge and shut the door. I screamed and dropped the milk on the linoleum floor. It splattered on my legs as the plastic jug burst upon impact.

When I opened the fridge, I'd been alone. The moment I shut it, Clarisse stood there with her hands on her hips. She looked down at her milk coated legs with more than a little disgust.

“What the hell? You could have ringed the doorbell, Clarisse.”

“Just be thankful I stopped you. Your fake stomach cramps would have turned into acute discomfort followed by projectile vomiting.”

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me, noob. No more milk for you. You’re not a mammal anymore.”

“Excuse me?”

She sighed and waved her hand. Instantly her clothes changed into dry counterparts. “You heard me, and stop repeating yourself. You’ll learn over time. You are one of the Fallen now. You are not Homo sapiens, nor of the class mammalia anymore. Silly Fallen, Trix are for human kids. Technically, you can eat cereal, just not wet cereal. Sorry. Dem’s da rules.”

“If The Fallen can’t drink milk, why do you have boobs?” I blushed as soon as I said it. My mouth tended to be a little quicker than my head. Sometimes I had trouble with the filters.

“Not as dumb as you look, worm. This is my human-seeming. I have breasts,” she continued, emphasizing the correct terminology, “but they’re just for show. They don’t produce milk, nor can I give birth. Before you ask another ridiculous question like ‘why’, why do guys have nipples? They just do. Clean this mess up, we have work to do,” she said and went and sat down on the couch in the living room.

I grabbed a mop and cleaned up my mess. I debated pouring the cereal back in the box, but if I couldn’t have it, no one could. I dumped it down the garbage disposal without turning the water on. The sound of metal grinding on cereal was almost comforting.

“You ready to go, worm?”

“Whatever, and will you please. Stop. Calling. Me. Worm?”

“No.”