Soren
Did it work? Could it be that all I had to do was—think—about where I wanted to be and I was able to make all my problems go away? I opened my eyes and regretted it; the headache that followed, I didn't even wish on Marcus... Something definitely happened; my insides were turned around, maybe even literally. My mind reeled, coming to terms with my new fate. The physical symptoms were unexpected and unwanted. I retched and heaved into a steel bin beside my bed.
At least an hour later, I emptied my stomach for the last time after all the whiplash my conscience experienced had evened out. No one would know I went back in time… Unless—well, I'd have to wait and see who figures it out. And if they never did. I smiled. A new life! Isla and my parents were alive! If they didn't survive, I'd have to do it again. Who knows what the consequences were; it would be only the tiniest ripple, I hoped. Mmm. Too much to consider.
Since I woke up, my one consolation had been that I could feel what was in my hands; the teleportation stone I had clutched as if my life depended on it was with me… I could go anywhere… The book? Where was the book? I sat up and patted myself… Oh, no? In my haste, I'd dropped it… No! Would it really matter? It wouldn't still be there? I sighed, taking in my old room. I was in the same clothes… Weird… Was this like the time Chris tried it, and nothing much changed? One small thing would cause interplanetary war and ittoqures. Or was using the room a whole other system?
What now, though? I would have to get up and assess. My body was against the idea… I groaned, clutching my head. Isla laughed on the other side of our joined wall. I jumped out and flung my door open. I did the same with hers without caring about the compound customs. "Isla!" She scrambled to grab her veil; before she could reach it, I had her in my arms. "Isla."
She said nothing. Not allowed. Ragged, dry sobs escaped me. This wouldn't be my Isla… It was okay. She was alive. It didn't matter what she would have to go through; she was alive, although she was lifeless in my arms—uncomfortable and probably scared my father would reprimand both of us. "I'm sorry… I… had a bad dream." I let her go and left without looking at her. I also closed the door. I'd have to get a grip on myself.
My mother came out of the kitchen, staring at me through the narrow slit in her veil.
"Sorry. Morning. I had a horrible dream." I cleared my throat, "You all died—" I checked my watch to see where everyone was in their routine and to get my mother off my back. My father was already at the store.
I hurried to my room and searched my desk for a calendar I used to keep track of the days, months, and years I would be stuck there. Oh, s—! It worked. It was twenty-seventeen. It could've been worse. If I had gone back to the bookstore like I planned, this whole situation would've happened there. And no one wanted to be that sick and have to go into the science building. Vampires didn't get ill. Too many questions. We healed easily, and it never got so far as needing medical attention—unless you were in the army or broke something.
Out of desperation to be rid of the symptoms, I tried my manifestation to see if my demon might not help me get over the side effects. Black claws. My regular vampiric features were in play. Now, all I hoped for was my deformed face and all the perks that came with it. Hesitantly, I lifted a hand, trying to access that part of me, and usually, I could feel my face change again. However, I couldn't. Maybe I was too out of it? My fingers traced full lips… I sighed; no, I didn't have my strength or my speed. Nor the vision of a wolf. Neither the brain power of both combined… Would I be as useless as I was at twenty-eight? Probably.
I focused on the calendar again. The date was the one I scratched out last night, right before bed, as was my habit back in the day. Angry. Irritated. Happy, another day was over. I had chosen this day because it was the thirty-first of December. A Sunday—Juliet would come to the bookstore—I could never forget it… She had asked me to sit with her and read for the first time… The same book. Page for page. Sharing glances and laughing at the same thing. Like watching a movie together… Qadir was off the compound this time of year, and I had allowed the familiarity... Sure, no one would see us… We always said it was the best four weeks of living there, though in truth, we were forced to stay behind and would've loved to enjoy a holiday. The army men would all leave in a series of shifts, and the patrols were skeleton staff; they would all go to some house for weeks to let off steam… Camp outside and do nothing but f—. One of the dangly perks Qadir used to make the men more inclined to offer up their service. They got to experience the outside world in a way. I think it was more—a test—to see who would come back and still submit. Weed out the ones who would need to go back into the tunnels for a time out.
Anyway, if I wanted to make this work, I'd have to get going. It was only two weeks before Juliet met Marcus for the first time, and I was going to make f—ing sure they didn't… Whatever happened during those few weeks last time had made some changes in the army schedule, and Marcus came in on a different day… A Sunday… Juliet would be fourteen soon, but I had nothing but time.
Tired, I made my way out toward the kitchen. Two consecutive cups of coffee would help. No one mentioned my manifestation, and my father wasn't there to tell me to behave.
I sat there for a while until I felt able to make it all the way to the market. I didn't look forward to the walk... I groaned and closed my eyes, rubbing restlessly at my brow. Once these symptoms were gone, things would fall into place. A thud of glass on the wood made me open my eyes. It was water and pills. "Where did you get these?" My mother ignored me. I mumbled a thank you and swallowed them. Downers might not be what I needed, but I'd do anything to get my head to stop pounding.
***
I dragged my feet through the produce section and lifted the tarp in the back. Our bookstore was a spacious area adjacent to the food shop; Qadir wanted the men on the compound to learn about Earth's history, specific fields of occupation, and crafts that could benefit the compound. Languages were also a must. Forced to further your learning and continually tested and prodded… The boys were taught rigorously, as if they attended a private boarding school. My hidden little nook, where I worked, was only a side business; one my father indulged me in to learn how to run my own store and explore anything else going on outside the borders. He wanted me to be prepared if one day I could be a credit to Qadir in some way and maybe leave. However, I only figured that out after Liam and Cindy chose exile. You could go, but there was always a catch. Your children had to stay, and some of the income you earned from the outside had to come back in, or you needed a prime position to be able to be of some service… What happened with Liam and Cindy was that Ahasuerus had many spies here to keep Qadir in line and keep secrets intact. Watcher tech to keep an eye out. I guessed he wanted the Furrows away from Marcus, in hiding, so they didn't have a chance to corrupt anyone else. At the same time, keep Marcus happy-ish.
The reading room was a luxury for men. It was frowned upon but not religiously sought out and destroyed. How such a small space and outlet saved my life. Across our compound, I expanded and had a few running in some back alley spaces… I walked to the door where Liam usually brought Juliet in and unlocked it. I fell down on the couch and closed my eyes.
A gurgle coming from myself and a laugh from someone else stirred me to life. I looked up while Juliet looked down, "Sorry, it was really funny." She had grabbed my nose, and I wasn't even startled. Why didn't I make a move sooner, so many years ago? If I'd only used the gap to steer her in the right direction… How should I have known Marcus would come waltzing in on the same day as her? Michael was my biggest concern; he and my watcher were together, staring at us all day long. It did feel weird to know some guy was out there to make sure the humans knew where I would end up one day... A permanent gatekeeper to my future.
"I don't mind," I said in a nasally voice, breathing through my lips.
She let me go. "Are you sick? I don't think I've ever seen anyone sick on the compound, not that I've seen many people or get to see many people."
"Only a pounding headache… Think this place is giving me one… Don't you get irritated with the way things are?"
Juliet threw her book on the table, "Sometimes… I'm kinda scared of how bad it will get if this goes on for ten more years."
"Ten years!" I let my feet drop off the couch and sat up, turning to her. "Heaven forbid."
Juliet laughed, "So what do you do to get over these… uh, headaches?"
Amused, I smiled, "I have secrets." Her icy blue eyes beamed through the crevice that was her sad life. She could almost not stand still, wanting to hear all my stories. "Actually, I have a lot of secrets," I taunted some more.
Juliet bounced in place, "Tell me! Pleeease."
"Oh no, you're a blabbermouth. I'll tell you one thing, and next thing Liam tells my father, and they—"
"What!? Now you have me dying to know how Qadir sorts out these kinds of problems."
"See, you're already too dramatic about it. A real woman attracted to the gossip…" I exaggerated my hand gestures. "No, I can't tell you," I got up, feeling a little better after my nap.
"I can behave." I scoffed. "I can, really!" Juliet sat quietly and waited.
I glanced at her, playing to indulge her, "Maybe you can." She didn't move. Inwardly, I was laughing. She was still so damn cute. For dramatic effect, I walked to the tarp, lifted it, and checked my surroundings. I came back, going to the door and looking out the alley. To seal the deal, I went to my little counter, took out a notepad, and called her over. Juliet demurely ambled toward me; I held out a pen; she took it. I hunkered down behind the wood and rested my back against it, getting comfortable. With an urgent hand, I waved for her to sit down next to me.
Juliet scooted in close to me, not caring that it forced our shoulders to touch—already comfortable with me. I lifted the pad and sketched the compound and the tunnels below us, writing little notes all around the various entrances. The containment rooms and the connection to the science building. After I was done, I put my finger on my lips. She nodded and pointed at the cute little bats I drew chained up to walls. Juliet lifted her pen to write on the paper.
Juliet [ Is this true? ]
Me [ Promise ]
Juliet [ Why? ]
Me [ Unfortunately, vamps are hard to control… They can get psycho. ]
Juliet [ The women? ]
I nodded. Juliet gasped.
Me [ This is very secret. You can't tell anyone. I don't want you ending up there. ]
She shook her head.
Me [ Qadir is a bad guy. This is a very cruel place. Be careful. You've been coming here, and I'm scared it might cause problems for you and your father. ]
Juliet [ Why would he take the chance? I'm scared. ]
I put my arm around her and, with the other hand, wrote.
Me [ Don't be. Not this week, anyway… Have you noticed there are a lot less guards around? ]
She nodded.
Me [ This week is one of those times we might get away with doing something stupid. ]
Juliet turned toward me, her eyes almost glowing.
Me [ If you want, I could show you something ]
She nodded.
Me [ Okay ] I checked my watch. "Liam is almost here."
Me [ I'll figure something out. Wait for me. The army comes back in a few days. ]
I shooed her out of our little hideaway and tore off the paper. For her innocence, I tossed it into a metal bin and lit it with a lighter. Juliet giggled. I pointed at her book. I could also imagine her face behind the veil, filled with anticipation. Excitement. "You better learn how to lie. Really well."
She grabbed the pink cover and pulled her legs under her. She was not reading one word.
***
I would give Juliet a whole day and night to stew on all the info I let slip. She would be exhausted this morning, and it would help if she wasn't too pent up.
As quietly as possible, I walked around their house toward her window, around three thirty in the morning. With slow movements, I gently slid the rectangle open and slowly lifted the curtain. It was dark in the room. At least I could see her in bed. Using a small rock, I tossed it onto her. She stirred. I used another. "What?" she sat up, "Ow."
I used one of my long black nails to click on the glass. Juliet hurried over, not saying one word. I gestured for her to climb through. She wanted to grab her veil. I clicked again, getting her attention, and shook my head. Reluctantly, she dropped it and used a chair to get to the sill. I reached out with two hands so I could pick her up and over.
Outside, I handed her pants and a jacket to pull on. She made quick work of it. I gave her a pair of shoes. She put those on. With two hands, I grasped her shoulders and turned her back toward me. I gathered her hair at the nape of her neck and quickly plaited it. It was still thick and long. The best I could do was pin it up in a bun.
I took her hand and walked toward the gorge. When we were far enough into the wilderness, I let go and spoke, "We can speak now… But only about trivial things, okay. Ask secret questions only when we have paper around." She didn't say anything. "Are you scared?"
"A little."
"Okay, what will make you feel better? Do you want to go back?"
"No," she scoffed.
"I won't let anything happen to you… Really, you'll see what I want to show you, and we'll go right back… Before Liam even wakes up, you'll be back in bed."
"I think I know."
"You do?"
"You drew it on the picture."
"Yes, it's right down there."
Juliet and I came to a stand at the edge of the cliff and stood there for a moment, too dark at the bottom to see anything, the shadow of the moon falling the wrong way. I gave her some time to take in the surroundings.
"What now?" she asked. I walked toward two ropes hanging down into the darkness—both were tied to a tree. "No."
"You don't have to do anything you don't want to. But I'm going; I have to see this for myself."
"How will we get back up?"
"We climb… Here, put on these gloves."
Juliet dropped to her knees and leaned over, "You made a rope ladder?"
"I did."
"Cool."
I took another rope and tied it around her waist, "In case you fall." Juliet chuckled. "I'll go first. Follow me." She nodded. A little clumsily, she got her feet and hands positioned, and we made our way down. "Be careful and take it slow."
Once I was on the ground, I reached out for her waist to help her down the last bit. Juliet's gaze drifted around in the darkness. I dug in my pack and handed her a flashlight. Her smile was broad, filled with sudden relief. "You can speak here about anything."
"I can… Why?"
"Uhmm, I'll tell you once you're older." I took her hand and pulled her even further down the gorge. It was only a few more minutes before we reached the gate. I had made sure it was open earlier. Juliet pulled back hard on my hand. "Soren," I looked back, "I don't know."
"We will go inside for two minutes and come back out. Only to see if it's true."
"You know it is… You're not going to lock me up, are you?"
"You read too many novels… No, I'm not going to sex-traffic you."
"Way to put my mind at ease."
I chuckled, and her fingers laced with mine. She moved closer and dragged herself against my body. As we moved inside, Juliet shone the light around the outer walls of the tunnel. "Why is it so clean?"
"I told you. They use it a lot."
The first steel door came into view. Juliet gripped onto me. "They will lock someone up in here… In the dark?"
"Yeah, look at the chains." I gestured for her to shine the light onto the wall, revealing hooks and chains... Someone had tried to scrub away blood stains, but they didn't entirely get the job done.
We left the room, and Juliet shone the flashlight down the corridor. The beam could only reach a certain distance, but other doors all along the sides were visible. "This is really all under our feet."
"It is."
A metallic clanging noise echoed in the darkness. Juliet shrieked and turned on her heels, running for dear life. I laughed inwardly.
By the time I caught up outside, she was halfway through tying the rope around her waist. I took over and lifted her onto the ladder. "What was that?"
"Infected vamps live down there." Juliet stopped climbing and looked down at me… "One thing at a time… Don't be too hard on your dad for not telling you anything… And remember—"
"To lie better, yeah, I get it… How could you take me down there?"
"They won't hurt you… They are literally not allowed to hurt us."
"Infected how?"
"Experiments. Remember, we have to stop talking now."
"Frustrating."
"Imagine how I feel."
Juliet untied the rope and pointed at the ladder. "Leave it all here."
"What if they see it?"
"It will give them something to do. Come on, let me take you home."
At her window, I lifted her over the sill. She was the tiniest thing. I dropped the curtain and made my way around the perimeter.
In the darkness, Liam was reclining against the wall, waiting for me... I stuttered and sputtered to make it look like I was so taken aback that we were caught. "What the f— do you think you're doing?"
"I… I'm sorry… I don't know," I looked down at the ground.
"Where did you go… If you're mess—."
My eyes came up off the ground, "No! Never! I just showed her the gorge and took a walk… You know it's the only week the young guys in the compound can… be human… I thought I'd show her the boundaries… Really, I would never touch her."
"Good… Well, I want you here at nine… We're going to have a long chat."
I smiled, "Thank you."
"Oh, don't get your hopes up. It's still two years before I'll even consider it." Liam put his arm around my shoulders, "Do you guys really do stupid things these few weeks Qadir is gone?"
"You have no idea what the kids can come up with… We all wait the whole year to mess around."
Liam laughed, "I'm glad you thought you could get away with it."
"It was fifty-fifty. Didn't know if you sleep manifested or not."
"I do."
"Good to know."
"Next time, let me in on the plans so we can be a bit safer."
"I will."
"Now off with you."
***
At nine, Juliet opened the door without her veil—laughing. "Did you get into a lot of trouble?"
"Yeah, no reading room for two months."
Oh, Soren, why did you have to be so clever? "Oh, no. I'm sorry."
"It was so worth it. Come in."
Liam and Cindy were in the little sitting area on couches facing a TV. "Soren, come meet my wife."
I stretched out my hand to her, "Nice to meet you, Mrs Furrow."
"Call me Cindy."
"Okay."
"Sit down," Liam put the TV off, "So, come on, spill all your secrets."
After being alive for so long, not much rattled me, although in this new life, my heart did tense when he said it. "My secrets?"
"Yeah, what you guys get up to."
"Oh, that."
"You have other secrets?"
I chuckled but held his gaze, "I think we all have a lot of secrets."