Collide

  How in the worlds did Phillip turn out to be such a jerk with a woman for a mother like that? Matter of fact. I’d ask Max right now.

  I saw Max down the hall with Jeff going over some of the plans for the new beams.

  “Hey. About ready?” I asked.

  “Yep. Ready,” Jeff answered.

  “Hold on Jeff. Max?”

  “Yeah?” Max answered, not looking up.

  “Tell me about Trudy, her husband.”

  “Well,” he said standing upright and scratching his chin. “Honestly, there isn’t much to tell. He used to be good to them. The first fifteen years of their marriage was great, in Trudy’s eyes. Then he lost his job and they lost their first home to foreclosure. He was never the same after that. He was pretty hateful. He died eight years later. Trudy had four other sons, Phillip is the youngest. Her husband didn’t set a very good example for them after he started drinking and...well, other things. I know Phillip is a jerk, and I’ve talked to him once already about Sherry.”

  “You have?”

  “Yes. You can’t keep me out remember?” He poked at his head and smiled. “You were worried because Sherry was upset about him...staring...a lot.”

  “Oh. Yeah. Well thanks, just curious.”

  Merrick. Let’s go. Times a ticking.

  “Alright, let’s go,” I answered Jeff out loud.

  It was becoming more natural to speak that way with even the Keepers unless I was thinking about it.

  So, Trudy gave me the ring from the best part of her marriage, wishing us a well blessing. Poor lady. I guess I can’t help but feel a little bad for Phillip too, though that doesn’t excuse any of his behavior towards Sherry.

  As we walked back I remembered earlier, asking Danny if I could have his blessing to marry Sherry.

  I had walked back into the kitchen, saw Danny and Trudy talking. Trudy was strangely smiling widely, like she knew something was up. I wondered if she knew I proposed already? But how?

  “Danny. Can I talk to you for a minute?” I asked him.

  I was still holding my cup of coffee Trudy made for me earlier because I didn’t have the heart to tell her I didn’t like coffee.

  “Sure man. What’s up?”

  “Let’s go sit on the stairs.” I led the way and he followed, straight faced with his hands in his pockets.

  Not suspecting anything.

  “Ok. What’s up?” he asked again as we sat down.

  “Well, how is everything with you and Celeste?”

  “We’re good.”

  “You’re not just with her because she’s the only one that you can be with, are you? Because if you are, that’s just-”

  “Uh, no. Thanks for the vote of confidence, dude.” He laughed. “Is that how you see me? Is that how I treated girls when you used to watch...” I raised my eyebrow at him. “Ok, maybe, some. Celeste is different. Yes, I admit, I liked her at first just because she was young and cute, but now, I feel like she… belongs to me. I would’ve went after her if I’d known her before all this.”

  “Ok. I just want you to be careful. Be happy.”

  He eyed me curiously.

  “What?”

  “Ryan told me about the conscience thing, the buzzing. Do you still have that with me?”

  “Of course. You’re still my charge.”

  “But I thought that because of everything going on, you know, you all just kinda watch out for everyone. I thought you weren’t just...my Keeper anymore,” he said shrugging.

  “Well that’s how I feel about it too. That we should be here for everyone but it’s not that easy. My conscience doesn’t buzz for everyone.”

  “Hmm.”

  “I’m...sorry? I don’t want you to feel weird about it, I know it’s awkward, and I’ve tried to tone it down but, I can’t help my still being some protective of you to-”

  “No. No, it’s fine,” he assured and waved me off. “I understand you don’t have any control over that, I told you, Ryan told me all about it. I just don’t want you to feel like you have to be like that. Like with Sherry, I know you feel just as responsible for her as you do for me but she’s not your charge and you don’t, uh, buzz for her.” He rolled his eyes apparently at something he’d said. “But it’s fine, whatever you need to do I’m fine with it and you don’t have to worry about just me and Sherry. We’re all family now.”

  Good jump-in point as any would have been.

  “Ok, thanks. Um, speaking of family, I know I asked you about Sherry a few weeks ago. Well, I have another confession.”

  “Uh oh. It can’t be that bad.”

  “It’s not. Sherry is planning on telling you but, she was worried you would be angry. See...I asked her to...marry me last night. She said yes.”

  I waited for the reaction. Maybe I had read Danny wrong, but Sherry was wrong. His smile was huge and happy.

  “Hey, man! That’s great! Wow. I can’t believe it. I have a brother in law!”

  He slapped me on the back while he spoke. Typical congratulatory male manner.

  “Thanks. I just want to make her happy. I know you know how great she is, but I just...” for some reason I couldn’t speak.

  The words I was searching for to explain to her own brother how great she was and how much I loved her and wanted to make her happy just didn’t exist.

  “I know how much you love her. I couldn’t be happier, really. She’s lucky. And so are you,” he said proudly.

  “Absolutely, I am.” I reached for his hand to shake but he grabbed me in one his hugs usually reserved for family and Sherry.

  He confirmed my thoughts.

  “Welcome to the family, man.”

  As we walked back to the kitchen, right before he saw Sherry and ran to her, beaming, I could’ve sworn I saw Phillip sitting in the hall out of the corner of my eye, but when I looked back, there was just dark shadows.

  Swift Kick In The...

  Chapter 21

  We were getting ready to leave now, all of us, the supply run and the search party. I turned the ring on my finger, around and around. It didn’t look like an engagement ring. Seemed I’d have a new piece of jewelry to fidget with.

  No one would think anything of it. We decided to keep it quiet until we actually got married, of course Trudy knew, and Danny and Celeste, and all the Keepers who wouldn’t stay our of Merrick’s mind, so, that was about everyone anyway.

  Trudy was in the kitchen and I made a break for her to thank her but Jeff caught me first, grabbing me sideways, I didn’t see him and he startled me.

  He picked me up and swung me around in his big bear hug, per the usual. I guess I just looked pick up-able and swing-able.

  I wondered what in the world was on his mind this time and then he spoke to me, only me and I felt like an idiot for not remembering the Keepers mind.

  Congratulations! Merrick can’t stop thinking about it. You’ll be getting hugs all day from the rest of the Keepers.

  “Thanks. I don’t know why but...I kinda thought you might be disappointed.”

  Never. I am beginning to rethink a lot of things lately. You are a wonderful human, Sherry. Just what he needs and wants. I’ve never, in my thousands of years, seen a Keeper so happy and content and alive. We may live forever, but what’s the point if you don’t actually live? I know you love him more than life and you’ll make him happy. That’s all that matters to me.

  I wanted to cry. For a split second I got hung up on the ‘thousands of years’ remark and realized that must apply to Merrick too, but I was already crying. Thanks Jeff, appreciate it. Jeff drew attention to us with his bear hug and people were looking at us, not hearing our silent conversation.

  I sometimes forgot how funny we must look when we do this. Just staring into each others eyes like weirdo’s, when really I’m listening. Merrick and I did it quite often, but I never think about what it looked like to others.

  Merrick rounded the corner, seeing our embrace. The big lug still hadn’t put me do
wn and now they are the ones silently conversing and Merrick smiled widely. He walked over to us and Jeff placed me easily back on my feet. Merrick had apparently heard Jeff’s little speech to me and was as happy as I was about his warmth.

  Merrick had seen me hug Jeff tons of times and never once looked jealous or uneasy about it, even though I seem to be the only one that he ever did that to. Jeff was still just Jeff. He was like...a favorite uncle, full of wisdom and opinions and advice but still fun to be around.

  The mind reading thing between the two probably helped also, no secrets among Keepers. Jeff was so great for me to have in absence of my parents and any other relatives. He was definitely more sane than Margaret and Robert Patterson.

  Mrs. Trudy finally caught me on the way out and I whispered a quick ‘thank you’ before heading up the stairs.

  Kay smiled at me from the back wall.

  I’m really happy for you, Sherry.

  I smiled and nodded to her. This wasn’t so bad. What had I been so worried about?

  Merrick, Jeff, Phillip, Marissa and I headed upstairs. We took the Jeep the newcomers brought with them, since they would need the van for shopping.

  I was glad Jeff decided to bring Marissa but a little confused as to why. She was still a Special and none of the other Specials were allowed out of the bunker but I didn’t press.

  She seemed genuinely remorseful for what she did to me and still very quiet and reserved but I needed to try to stop thinking like a human girl and more like a Keeper. Merrick was right. I trusted people a little too much.

  We got in the Jeep, the sun was shining. It wasn’t cold at all, in fact it was blazing. Maybe that was the difference. The sun made that much of a difference these days as to affect the temperature this much.

  Marissa drove and Jeff took shotgun, leaving me in a Merrick and Phillip sandwich in the back. I scooted as far left as physics would allow. Merrick seemed to understand and scooted as well, putting his arm over my shoulders as a shield. I heard Phillip snort but I didn’t look over.

  Merrick, however, did.

  “Is there a problem, Phillip?”

  “Nope. Just dandy. Say, sugar, what’s that on your finger?”

  “Trudy gave it to me. Actually...” feeling the need to reiterate to make sure that Phillip understands, “Trudy gave it to Merrick, who gave it to me.”

  “That was my dad’s ring. She shouldn’t have done that,” he said bitterly.

  “That’s too bad if you don’t approve,” I said flatly and cold, turning my body to face Merrick.

  We had barely left the store driveway and he was already on the last nerve.

  Merrick and I talked about Lighters more and some of the other creatures that could be making an entrance. Merrick wasn’t worried, I was just curious. I loved hearing about all the different things. You just didn’t know what was out there.

  He explained that Lighters retain some of the memories of the deceased person’s body they go into, unlike the Keepers. Only Takers can absorb others, Lighters can’t do anything but kill. Specials, Lighters and Markers can be absorbed. Normal people can too but most just die and become Lighters if they snatch the body quick enough. That was one more reason they wanted the Specials, to feed the Taker with them and ruin any chances of whatever tasks may come out of them.

  That makes me wonder if all the Lighters and Keepers were here yet. I asked. He said there would be no way to tell for sure but he doubted it. The Keepers and Lighters would be scrambling over bodies the second someone died but there was a lot of them. He explained that Keepers couldn’t concentrate on anything but their charge, because of their conscience when they were in trouble, so Keepers would have done anything to be first in a body to come here.

  It was horrifyingly fascinating and he could tell, his eyes lit up like mine telling the story of when he came here before and met a Distinct, a Special but an animal. Apparently animals have purposes too, tasks to be fulfilled. This one happened to be a dog.

  No souls or speaking brains but they were still important to influence and hinder people’s actions, lives and efforts. I laughed thinking how much my mom would love to hear that.

  There was not much to tell him that he didn’t know about me, but I talked anyway. He asked me on certain days or events, questions like ‘What were you thinking when that happened’ or ‘What was your favorite part?’ or ‘Why did you do that?’.

  I forgot sometimes that he couldn’t see my mind, badly as he wanted to. Now I knew I was grateful for that blessing. All those embarrassing kissing and touching moments where I couldn’t breath, all the times I thought worse of him, thinking he hated me. All the things I thought about him when he wasn’t around. Oh no.

  Marissa pulled off the road suddenly, slamming on the brakes and forcing us to grab on to something to stay seated. The Jeep back end swerving in the dirt sending gravel flying.

  Jeff looked puzzled. He had been trying to reach another Keeper this whole time. Nothing. Merrick would try on the way back.

  “Why are we stopping?” Jeff asked coarsely.

  “There.” She pointed at an open field.

  “Ok. Where there? What?” Jeff asked tersely.

  He clearly hadn’t completely forgiven her.

  “I see some sort of...ditch or river? This used to be an old town out here a long time ago. Maybe it’s from that, I don’t know, that’s just what I see.”

  “I got this,” Phillip chimed. “It’s a little stuffy back here anyway,” he said glancing at Merrick and I and jumping out before anyone could say anything, running.

  “What? Wait!” Jeff called but immediately just shook his head and sat back forcefully.

  We sat there for a few minutes, watching Phillip peruse the field.

  Merrick had been very touchy feely with me, to my satisfaction. I wondered if it was because Phillip was there. I had stretched out in Phillip’s absence, my head leaned back on Merrick’s chest with my knees up in the seat. Merrick was rubbing little circles into my thigh with his thumb on my jeans.

  Phillip waved to us, telling us to join him. At first I thought Merrick would insist on my staying in the Jeep, but no. He opened the door and pulled me out right behind him.

  We all got out and started walking the field. The dead yellow grass was tall and scratchy on my flip-flopped feet. The weather had already begun to change. The sun had gone down and it was getting colder already. We couldn’t see what Phillip was looking at, but he was stunned, staring at the ground.

  Merrick held my hand and the closer we got to where Phillip was standing, he pulled me farther and farther back behind him. I peeked around his arm to see what it was that had everyone so stunned silent.

  It was a black skeleton.

  A perfect set of bones laid out in order on the ground, but it wasn’t human, it was a Marker. You could see the thick wings on the sides very distinctively.

  At first, I didn’t see the big deal. It was dead, just like they had killed the other one.

  Merrick and Jeff stared at it like a puzzle for a long time. Finally the suspense was too much for me.

  “Babe, what is it? What’s the matter?” I asked Merrick, Phillip shooting a quick annoyed glance at my term of endearment.

  “This Marker was killed by something other than a Keeper or a human. The bones are here, which means it didn’t burn. That can only mean one thing. The Taker is hunting. He killed it by absorbing it like I told you before and left it here.”

  Yes, now I saw. Hmmm. So he hunts. This just kept getting better and better.

  The sun was going down, making the air chilled. I looked out beyond the cliff that Marissa had seen on the horizon. Goose bumps crept up from looking at the bones and thinking about what being absorbed had to feel like. Merrick’s arm tenses under my hand. I thought it was because he felt me shiver but then Marissa screamed sharply. I whipped around and saw it.

  A lone Lighter.

  The Lighter was standing between us and the car. Still. Motion
less. When he finally moved he was so quick my eyes couldn’t adjust to keep up and then he slowed to a menacing pace. His black hair was curly and his black clothes baggy. He boots squeaked in the now cool and damp dead grass.

  It had begun to rain, when I wasn’t paying attention. This was not the Taker I had seen, this was another Lighter.

  Merrick told me to cover my ears in my mind and must have told Marissa and Phillip the same thing because they followed suit. ‘Fly me to the Moon’ hummed so loudly in my ears I could hear nothing else, muffled but still blocking the sound. I could see the Lighter was speaking as he inched closer to us.

  Merrick was still standing in front of me, my shield. I didn’t like this. Could they fight a Lighter? Why, if they could, would an outnumbered Lighter just walk up to our group and ask for it then?

  The Lighters lips moved again, I hummed a little louder as he inched even closer. I couldn’t take my eyes off him for some reason. He just looked so...evil. The body he was in was young and handsome. Some of the curls were coming across his forehead and came down a little past his ears in what would have been adorable before. He had a tattoo of a spider web on the side of his neck. He looked like some kinda cute Goth college kid but all that is displaced by how evil he looked now.

  He danced around like he was chanting around a campfire. Then with a quick movement from Jeff he was behind the Lighter in a flash. It turned to him and Merrick, also in a flash. Merrick pulled me gently to the ground, holding a hand over me telling me to stay down in my mind.