Catalyst

  I turned to my Keeper to expel my revelation on him, but he was sitting, head bowed.

  "Simon, funs over, man. Come on."

  "You saved me."

  "Yeah…it's cool. You can buy me a gift basket later."

  "No. It's my job to save you!" he roared and stood up on his shaky legs. "But my body…this old, useless, decrepit body tripped over itself. Do you understand you could have died! I've never been able to help you. I was a fool to think that this body could do what needed to be done."

  "Simon," I said in surprise. "Come on, it's fine. It all worked out."

  "No thanks to me," he growled and then looked down the road. The enforcers and the lady were running our way. They were still a good half mile away. "Let's go."

  "It's the thought that counts?" I tried again as we climbed into the back of the van.

  "Actually, no. It's not," he replied and lay down in the back of the van, facing away from me.

  I shrugged. Dude needed to chill.

  Jeff got us home fast. And we could see the freaking fight going on all the way down the road. I squinted to see what was going on. Lighters, lots of them. And they were treating the place like a Demolition Derby.

  "What time is it?" Marissa sat up, her hair a twist and spike of craziness. "Did I miss anything?"

  "Nope," I said wryly. "The fun's just starting." Billings and Simon sat up too and we watched as Jeff sped us to the scene. As soon as the van hit the brakes, I slammed open the door and we took off toward the tussle.

  I saw Merrick and a Lighter in a tiff. The Lighter kept trying to be sneaky, blurring around to stab Merrick in the back. So I bolted his way and when I got close enough, I threw one hand up to blast the sketchy bastard.

  He went tumbling into Ryan's line of sight from a corner of the building. I saw Ryan move to one side and then Calvin fried him with his fire fingers. Then Ryan went right back to being in front and protecting his charge. Sweet set-up.

  I was engulfed in big, burly, Keeper arms while off in La-La land.

  "Dude, what will the wife think?" I joked as I patted his back.

  "Ah, man, I'm glad y'all are ok. I was worried sick."

  "You're early," I yelled as we ran towards another Lighter.

  "So are-" he grunted "-you," he replied gruffly as he staked one of them through the belly as I held him.

  "We ran into trouble times ten. You?"

  "We didn't fare so well either."

  I was grabbed from behind. I flipped him over my head for Merrick to stake him as he landed on the ground.

  "Everyone ok?" I asked.

  "Yep. And we got three more." He nodded his head to three people, two dudes and a redhead, who looked like a siren from the depths of hell as she staked a Lighter through his chin up through his skull. Even I winced, but she smiled as she closed her eyes to the bright light. Then hunted immediately for another one. Sheesh…

  "Yippee. Well, we had some casualties, but all still here." I nodded towards Billings who was flanking Marissa with Jeff on her other side. I saw someone throwing water balloons. Miguel. Miguel was launching water balloons at Lighter's like hand grenades and then as they screamed at whatever was in the balloon, Kay staked them.

  "Well, I'm just happy you're ok," Merrick was saying. "Lillian would be mighty unhappy if something happened to your sorry hide."

  "That hurts, Merrick," I mocked and blasted a Lighter with me palm as he blurred up behind Merrick. "Dude, how did you survive at all without me here?"

  "Shut up," he laughed and staked him.

  It got awfully quiet. We looked around to see all of the Lighters were gone, burned up and dust. We stood waiting all scattered around the field, our eyes roaming for more. I spotted Daniel by the back door and did a double take. What the… When did he get here? I growled at the thought of him being here with Lillian without me.

  Merrick must've seen my gaze burning. He said, "He's really helped us. He told us they were coming so we could ambush them. He set this whole thing up."

  Someone must have told the ones downstairs that the battle was over because everyone started pouring out into the snow from the back door. Sherry and Lily bolted towards my man and he wasted no time getting to them. Josh went to Racine, Max went to Jeff and Marissa, Pap and Mrs. Maggie went to Simon, Frank went to Calvin and I could imagine that conversation. Calvin bragging about getting to fight and Frank groaning about not being able to.

  Then my heart walked out that door, searching with wide blue eyes that made me smile like an idiot. Daniel made his way to her and she seemed relieved. I arched an angry eyebrow at that scene, but quickly changed it to one of happiness as she saw me and took off around Daniel, not even touching him, as she bolted to me. I made quick strides myself and the oomph in my chest from colliding with her was the best kind of pain.

  "Oh, Cain…" She kissed my lips, my chin, my neck. "Oh, Cain. I'm so glad you're here."

  "I'm glad you're glad," I joked and kissed her with gusto. Gah, how much had I missed this? Her lips…it was like kissing her for the first time. Like I'd never felt her softness before, or her need for me. I was starving for her.

  It jacked me like a punch to my gut. I found myself pulling her tightly to me and kissing her deeper. My arms searched for her flesh. She whimpered and I jerked out of reflex, but she kissed me harder and wrapped an arm around my neck. Her hand grazed my hair…

  Oh boy. We had to stop. Now.

  So as much as it pained me, I pulled back to look at her flushed face. She blinked in a daze and I couldn’t help but smile smugly as I hugged her to me. When I lifted my eyes, the tame, turned Lighter was watching us with a semi-disgusted and semi-pissy expression. Well good, buddy, I thought, get your own.

  He turned away and I sensed that I had issued some kind of challenge with my stare. Hmm. I took a deep breath and just wanted to fall into bed with my girl, but since when did we get a break around here?

  I picked her up and carried her inside. We parked it on the stairs and I reveled in the way she clung to me as if she never wanted to let go. When I caught Lighter boy gazing at us once again, I'd had enough of that.

  So, call me whatever Neanderthal-ish name you must, but I lifted her chin and melded her mouth to mine. She responded vigorously, making me a smug and happy guy.

  She tugged once on my lip ring with her teeth and I groaned gruffly. She pulled back and started to apologize, but an apology wasn't what I wanted. As I maneuvered her into my lap on the dark stairwell, I had plenty of ways in mind to make her see just how much I enjoyed that.

  "Cain," she whispered. Or maybe it was more of a plea.

  "Yes, lovely?" I said while still kissing her.

  "This is crazy."

  "I'm fine with crazy," I said and kissed the dip under her chin, then her neck.

  "People can see…if they're looking," she said, her breathlessness making me ache.

  "Then they need to avert their nosy eyes."

  But just as I was thoroughly enjoying myself, I heard someone clapping. I reluctantly pulled away to see what was going on and saw Sherry bringing out a plate of cookies. Then she grabbed her head with a wince, dropped the whole plate of cookies from her fingers…and Merrick caught her before she fell to the floor.

  A pocket full of posers

  Chapter 30 - Sherry

  My head ached like I'd been hit. It was the strangest thing. I felt hands all over me and tried to pry my eyes open. I kept hearing someone groaning and wished they'd shut up. It was hard enough to concentrate without all that…that was me. Then it all of sudden just stopped. I opened my eyes and looked at Merrick as he knelt above me. He exhaled in relief as I opened my eyes and pulled me into his embrace.

  "What…" I almost asked what happened, but like someone had plugged me in, I knew everything in an instant. I gasped and scrambled up. I ran. I flew with all my might down the hall, hearing them yelling and running after me. I got to one pantry door and threw it open. It was empty. I opened the next, empty.
The third…oh no…it was empty too.

  By the time I got done with them all, we were supposed to have nine pantries full of food to help tie us over for when the need warehouses opened to feed all these people. It still wouldn't have been near enough, but it was a start. Now, we only had one. One! That wouldn't last us two months.

  "I should have realized…" Merrick said beside me and gripped his hair angrily in his fingers. "I should have noticed you were acting strange."

  I turned a rage filled roar to Piper, who stood there smugly.

  "How could you? Do you have any idea what you've done?"

  "I know exactly what I've done!" she yelled back. "I've ended you. You've killed all these people now. They'll starve because of you."

  "What's going on, man?" Cain asked Merrick. I looked around and realized that no one understood what was wrong except Merrick and I. And as I looked up at him as he stood beside me, he shook with his rage and hatred for his sister. I gripped his hand.

  "She knew I was the only one checking the food, planning the meals. Piper got Polly to compel me," I explained. "The pantries are empty." I heard their gasps and mutters of outrage. "Polly made me see a vision, a compulsion, so I'd believe they were full every time I checked back here. They've been slowly removing the food over the past few weeks."

  "I should have seen the compulsion on you," Merrick said in regret and rubbed my fingers with his thumb in a soft apology. "It's why you've been so strange lately." Then he turned his gaze to Piper. "What did you do with the food, Piper?" When she stayed silent, his voice got harder. "If you wanted to go home so badly, then you should have just done it. You didn't need to hurt all these people!" Merrick roared.

  "It was the only way to get you all to come with me though. See," she stepped forward towards him, "with all these humans gone, you won't have a reason to stay here."

  "You are the most delusional, selfish, evil creature I've ever met. And I've met the Taker, Piper. You can go to hell!"

  She cringed back against the wall.

  "Where's your thirty pieces of silver, Judas?" Jeff asked her angrily as Kay said, "Piper how could you do that! You took the oath, as we all did!"

  "That was your very last chance," she murmured in a sulk and never looked away from Merrick.

  "Oh really?" Merrick scoffed. "For what?"

  "To be redeemed. To be with your own kind. To come with me to the After."

  "Never. Going. To. Happen."

  She nodded and sneered, "Then I'm glad I did what I did."

  "Just go home, Piper! Get yourself a new body, something. Just leave."

  "Not on your human life," she barked. "I'm not leaving just so you can live happily ever after while I drown in misery."

  "Well if you won't leave, I will." All heads jerked to Simon. He was looking at the floor. He looked up and met Cain's eyes. "I've done nothing but cause problems for you since I got here. I can't protect you in this body."

  "Simon," Cain tried and sighed. "It's alright. We're all here together and we can help."

  "It's not alright!" Simon yelled. "You may not care or want to be my charge, but you are. My conscience buzzes for you constantly because I can't do my job! I can't be your Keeper in this decrepit vessel." He closed his eyes and said in a whisper, "Take me home."

  Then in a slow hazy glow, his body began to take on a yellow hue. His eyes closed and all the Keepers sucked in quick, surprised breaths before they all fell to their knees. But it wasn't out of respect or reverence. Something made them do it. They all watched with faces of mixed variety as Simon's body slowly undulated and waved, almost unnaturally. Then with wide eyes, he dropped to the floor.

  Kay scrambled over to him and looked at his face. She bowed her head and closed his eyes. "Fare thee well, brother. He's gone."

  "Fare thee well, brother," the other Keepers murmured.

  "What?" Cain asked harshly. "What do you mean he's gone?"

  "He went home."

  "Home? Home as in…" He pointed up. "You can do that?"

  "If we make the decision to go home, yes we can. If we shed the body and decide."

  "But it won't last," Jeff said and looked at Merrick and Kay. "Why would he do that? He can't stay there, he'll go mad."

  I remembered the time Merrick had explained to me about it. That's what Simon had done. He'd gone home, but Merrick said their conscience would drive them crazy if they didn't answer the call.

  "Simon…left," Cain muttered. "What does that mean for me?"

  "We don't know…just…" Jeff had no idea what to say, and we all could see that. He resorted to patting Cain's shoulder.

  While Cain and Jeff went back and forth about Simon, I turned to Merrick. I didn’t even need to say anything. We were screwed, no other word for it. There would be no way to gather enough food now and we'd never survive on the amounts the need warehouse gave each person that could go and collect food. And our measly garden was a joke in terms of feeding a crew this size. It was only supposed to supplement.

  He pulled me to him and let me squeeze him until my arms shook. The compulsion was gone, I felt like myself again. I was no longer twitchy, anxious and strange feeling. Like I was about to burst for no apparent reason. But I was upset, for sure. There were no breaks for us, ever.

  I looked over and didn't know if I should mourn Simon or not. If he was happy and ok or not. It was just too much to handle, really. Too much in one day to deal with. And out of the corner of my eye, I saw Piper trying to sneak away. Before I could say something, Miguel grabbed her arms.

  "Where shall I put the traitor?" he said loudly.

  "Lock her up in the room on the far end," Jeff said and glared at her. "Where’s Polly? Get her too."

  "I thought you said we'd be kicked out?" Piper protested.

  "So you can run and tell the enemy where we are?"

  "I wouldn't do that," she sneered back.

  "Oh? Like you wouldn't try to starve us either? Take her, Miguel, before I do something I've never done before."

  "Right."

  He marched her down the hall and the rest of us moseyed our way back to the commons room.

  "She must have gotten Polly to compel someone else to help them," I told Merrick. "I doubt those two carried all that food away by themselves. Where is Polly by the way?"

  Miguel heard us as he came back and set right out to find her.

  "I'll start looking everyone over for signs of compulsion," Merrick said and bent to kiss me.

  Everyone was watching Lily, who sat in the middle of the room with her doll and her little wooden horse, so innocently. I saw as Miguel sat down with her and watched her play with her horse.

  "What did you decide to name her," he asked.

  "Pixie," she said and giggled, falling over into his shoulder. "Isn't that so cute!"

  "It sure is," he said and laughed softly watching her.

  Danny and Celeste sat by her too as Cain and Lillian parked it on the big couch by Billings. His arm was in a cast and he looked pretty uncomfortable. I decided to grab him some Ibuprofen.

  He was eternally grateful, taking the pills and the glass of water and downing it quickly.

  On my way to the kitchen to see what we had in the pantries there, I caught - on the sly - Rylee's look of awe and intrigue at Miguel and Lily on the floor. I looked back and agreed. They were quite a sight, opposites in every way.

  I went to the kitchen and looked around. I'd been thinking of making something for Lillian when the compulsion started to unravel.

  Ah, what were we going to do now? The food…

  I decided to make some coffee, though even that wouldn't help things now. As soon as it was done brewing, I made a cup and sipped the black energy. I held its warmth in my hands and left the kitchen, still gloomy.

  When I came back into the commons room, I noticed Cain and Lillian were totally involved with each other and nothing else. His hand traced a path in her hair around her ear, over and over as he looked contemplative. No dou
bt thinking about Simon and all the crap we'd been through. Her eyes were closed and she just leaned against him.

  Cain had fallen hard. It was the sweetest thing ever. Well almost…

  I peeked at Merrick, but saw Jeff and Marissa in the corner behind him. He was soothing her, rubbing her arms, and she was looking green again. I wondered what we were going to do with her. She was getting worse, not better.

  Lily pranced up to me and grabbed my hand, yawning into her fist. I made my way to Merrick and said, "What are we going to do about Marissa? Something's wrong with her."

  "Nuttin's wong with her!" Lily said and laughed loudly. "I told you I was gonna be an aunt. Aunt Rissa's gonna have a baby, silly!"

  The whole place stopped. I swore the earth stopped spinning. Marissa's eyes bulged before they landed on Jeff and pleaded.

  "Is that true?" he asked roughly.

  "Please don't be angry with me."

  "Is it true? Are you?"

  "It wasn't on purpose."

  "Marissa," he said in exasperation.

  "Yes!" she sobbed and sucked it in. "Yes, I'm pregnant."

  I'm not sure what she expected from Jeff, but from her expression it wasn't anything good. I felt a small sting in my chest at my own loss, but as I looked down at my Lily that all went away. I glanced back up and watched along with everyone else. Jeff was still. As still as a man could be.

  "I'm the father?" he asked.

  "Of course you are, fool," she said and swiped her tears off her chin before biting her lip and stepping towards him a little. She sighed when he wrapped his arms around her gently, his eyes focusing on her flat belly.