Her eyes were fixed on the glow of the television, as if she was afraid that I would learn far too much from her eyes if she looked at me. 'He had certain....burdens Abel, as much as he wanted to stay and watch you grow, he was unable to.'
'But… he knew me before he left?'
'No, dear. He didnt just know you, he loved you very, very much. And you did him as well. He had this special way with you...even as your mother I often envied him.'
I tried to reconcile that fact: that my father had loved me and my mom but he'd stull decided to leave without a second thought.
He'd left my mum, an orphanage and a single parent, to raise me all by herself.n
Hearing avout him only made him resent me more, and deep down I had always assumed that my mom resented him too.
Only, she didn't. I could seeing the admiration and lobging in her eyes where any traces of resentment were absent.
'So what happens now that I cant go back to Vida?' I asked her. 'Will you send me away again?'
She didnt meet my gaze.
'I'm not sure, dear.' Her voice was heavy. 'It'll be difficult to find another school. We'll figure something out.'
I frowned.'I dont want to got to another school mom. I want to stay with you, even If I have to get a job handing in newspapers.'
My mom's eyes became misty. She hugged real tight like this was the last time she was seeing me. 'Dear, nothing would make me happier. But there is alot going that you dont understand. For your own good youll have to attend school somewhere else this fall'
'Whats the point? Ill just get kicked out again. Im a freak rememeber, they'll be able to tell the moment I walk in,' I complained.
My mom carressed my cheek. 'No, you're special, unique, important. I just wish you could yourself the way I see you.'
But you don't realize just how valuable you are. I thought sending you to Vida would help, that it was far enough to elude them. I thought thay would never find you there.'
'Mom' I said slowly, scared. 'Who are they?'
When she met my eyes, she didnt look sad or anxious anymore. It was worse than that.
She looked tortured.
And then it came back to me like a flood: Memories I had thought I'd forgotten.
Like how in the fifth grade, some homeless guy followed me all the way to school. When the the security guy didnt let him in, he went away growling like an animal.
No one believed me when I told them that under the hoody, the guy had no face. No eyes, ears, nose, or mouth. Just a pale, flat, fearturless countenance.
Before that – When I was five, my mom took me on an all expense paid trip to the states.
A panther from a local zoo broke out of its cage and wondered into the day care center I was playing in.
My mom and all the adults panicked and she rushed into the building expecting the worst.
However she found me giving the two hundred pound feral beast belly rubs while the the other kids and chaperones trembled in a corner.
Every single year of my life, something unsafe, creepy, or downright impossible happened and I would have to change schools.
And then this year, Ms Weber tried to....
I wanted to tell my nom about what had happened with Ms Weber and the reoccurring nightmares I had been getting since then.
But I was too frightened. It took everythingout of me to pretend like what happened was one bad dream. If I spoke about it, it would become real. I wasnt ready for that.
'They told me that you would be only be safe 'there'; that it was the only place where you would be safe, but I wasn't strong enough to let you go,' my mom admitted.
'I knew I was making a mistake. But… I just can't stand to do it.'
'What is the 'place' you're talking about? Some kind of military school?'
'No, not a school,' she sighed. 'A special sanctuary.'
I was confused, my mom was barely making any sense. Whar was I in danger from? Why would I only be safe in some special sanctuary – who were the 'they' that my mom kept talking about?
And if it was so important, why hadn't she sent me there before?
'I'm so sorry, Abel,' she said, seeing the confused look in my eyes.
'But I really cant say anymore. I – I cant send you to that place...or I might never see you again.'
She was fidgeting with her sleeve the way she always did when she was close to a breakdown.
So I knew not to push her anymore than this.
That night I had another dream.
Two people, a man and a woman, stood together amidst a cold foggy world.
They stared deeply at a place where the fog glowed with crimson. At first I thought this was just another weird dream, and my mind had just randomly conjured up these people.
But there was something familiar about the man. He lifted his face and scowled at the the dim crimson light hidden in the rolling fog.
Even the dim gray light, his features were exceedingly handsome. He was bettter looking than any of the models you'd see on an magazine. He looked like he was carved out of marble—thats just how unrealistically perfect he was.
"You were right" He said to the woman. "He is breaking free."
The woman took of her helmet to reveal a face even more fantasy-like than the mans.
But she looked worried — her cold, electric blue eyes were clouded with worry.
"This is where it begins," She said. "If we want to avert the coming catastrophe we must start here, with him. Both Circe and I have seen it. We must right the wrongs."
The man frowned uneasily. He reach out with his palm until his arm was enveloped by the fog . When he had done this, its dim red glow fluctuated slightly.
"I dont like this," he said. "Either of us may not survive this."
"Yes," the woman agreed. "But it is the only way..."
"Ill have to be the one to do it." The man sighed. "You are still needed to keep 'him' in check. You are the only one he listens to besides Circe, and if he gives into her influence..."
"Are you certain?" The woman cautioned. "After all, your mate just gave birth to a son."
"And he shall have no world to live in, unless...." The man stopped, like he was unable to continue.
The woman nodded sorrowfully then disappeared into a burst of golden light. Alone, the man took out a locket and flicked it open. The picture framed inside it was that of a young, dark skinned woman holding an infant in her arms.
My heart skipped a beat. The woman in the picture was my mother and I was the infant she was holding in her arms.
Then the man I was seeing right now was...
The man closed his eyes, as if he was saying a silent prayer. Then with a single step, he disappeared into the fog.
Immediately I was jolted awake by a loud sound.
Outside, there was a frighteningly intense downpour of rain. It was the kind of rain that could cause flooding in a few hours.
Thunder boomed in the skies above, immediately scaring my mom awake. She got up, peeked through the window and whispered uneasily, 'Thunderstorm.'
This was weird, thunderstorms and rain didnt happen this close to fall, and the storm had come out of nowhere like the weather had suddenly gone crazy.
Over the intense drumming of the rain, I heard a horrible sound, it was very difficult to describe, a murderous, insane that caused my insides to twist.
Then there was a much less jarring noice. A frantic yell accompanied by a relentless pounding against our hotel door.
My mother went to check in pj's and then opened the lock with a relieved sigh.
Vere stood outside on a wet muddy patch amidst the pouring rain. He was entirely drenched, but that didnt even draw that much of my attebtion as compared to the other weird things about him...
'Been looking for you since the train ,' he said inbetween gasps. 'Where did you go?'
My mother was horrified,as if she knew Vere's presence here meant nothing good.
'Abel,' she said very slowly, I could tell she was mad for the first time since I could remeber. 'What happened at Vida? What didn't you tell me?'
Bt I was too fixated looking at Vere to hear her. What the hell was wrong with him.
'You guys have to get in the car immediately!' he yelled. 'It's almost upon us!'
I was too shocked to register what he was saying, and I was wondering how someone with a bone disease and mobility problems had ran all the way to our hotel room. And more than that, I wondered how what I was seeing made sense.
Because a pair of large curly antlers had risen above his giger hair while a tail one would find on a cow or wildebeest, was jutting through a hole in his pants.
My mom tugged at my shirt to get my attention and used a hard tone she'd never used before with me:'Abel what happened? You will me now!'