April 2013

“His body had to stay here for his daughters to visit him, Janes, that was what Erik would’ve wanted,” Marianne says slowly in Norwegian, trying to have her father-in-law understand over the phone.

Megan shows up without saying a word, grabs her cereals and sits on the table.

“This conversation is going nowhere. I understand your grief, but this is nonsense. I have to go to work,” she says before hanging up.

She turns around and notices Megan, how she’s wearing another of Erik’s hoodies. Since his death that Megan made them her own. Too large to fit her. The hood completely hides her face.

“Edward Hall discovered how he died. Who killed him, Megan,” Marianne whispers.

Megan’s head raises immediately. Turning her attention fully to Marianne.

“It was the Ariston community.” Marianne pours a cup of black coffee. “they’re not sure why. Wrong place, wrong time, most likely. Still…” she takes a sip, “justice must be served. They won’t come willingly.”

Megan’s heartbeat increases.

“The generals have their location. They are taking their army there. Still…” she takes another sip and Megan looks at her, “with your ability. As soon as you showed what you are capable of. They’d surrender. Shedding blood is unnecessary.”

Any more than it has. Megan puts the bowl of cereal away.

“All you have to do, Megan,” Marianne takes the bowl away and puts her hand on Megan’s chin, raising her face, “is scare them. They’ll surrender. It will all end today.”

Megan turns her face away. The doorbell rings. It’s Sofie’s tutors. Marianne rushes to open the door.

Sofie hides from them and comes to the kitchen instead.

“Can you stay with me today?” She tries to make Megan look at her and pulls the hoodie out of her hair.

“You ask me that every day, Sof. No, not today,” Megan puts the hoodie back on.

“Why not, M? Please!” She taps her foot continuously.

“You have to learn... It’s important. I promise that we’ll play later, okay?” Megan puts her hands on Sofie’s shoulders.

Sofie starts silently whimpering and Megan hugs her.

“Du kunne aldri skade meg,” You could never hurt me. Sofie wipes the tears off her face.

“Jeg ville aldri skade deg,” I would never hurt you. Megan pats her on her hair and smiles.

***

After a short strategic meeting at the organization, the soldiers stand by next to the location of the Ariston community. Saif, Thomas, Edward, the generals, and Marianne watch from a van as Megan approaches the center of the community.

An older woman sits on a bench next to the statute, Megan sits next to her and the woman smiles.

“Why did ya kill my father?” Megan turns to face her.

The woman’s eyes open wide and the smile disappears.

“I’m sorry?” The woman asks. She’s the eldest member and mother of the leader of the Ariston community, Xiutzecatl.

“I know this is the Ariston community, and I know you killed my father. Erik Bergen.” Megan shows her a photo, and the woman shakes her head. “I don't know why.”

“Child…” the woman puts her hand on Megan’s shoulder, and she immediately flinches, “I have never seen your father and you are deeply mistaken.” She fakes a smile. “this isn’t the Ariston community. This is the Liberty neighborhood. We have the best cheesesteak in town. Do you want to try it?” The fake smile grows wider.

Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

“Why did you kill him? He never hurt anyone. Why?” Megan looks around and starts tapping her foot. She sees that people are beginning to stare.

“Child, trust me. I’ve never seen your father.” Her tone is sharp but kind.

Trust you. Megan shakes her head.

“You are deeply mistaken.” The woman asks for everyone around to stand back. They stopped walking and are now surrounding them.

“He was just another number in your war. A casualty probably,” tears start falling and Megan’s breathing accelerates. Her heartbeat is over the roof. “You have killed so many people that they turn into nothing but numbers.”

“We’ve lost people too.”

Slowly, the people come nearer. The elder asks them to stand back.

“Truth, finally,” Megan scoffs, her head raises, and she stares at everyone around her. “You made the choice to lose people. My father was collateral damage. He was at the wrong place at the wrong time. Stop!” she shouts and closes her fists, “pretending you don’t know what you did!”

Nothing matters anymore. I thought knowing why he died mattered. The anger would fade if I understood why. But it’s all meaningless. Even life itself has no value.

Megan’s right hand turns blue, and she focuses on the surrounding heartbeats. Every single one she can hear. She gets up, tears run down her face. I’m death.

She fires the blue light around her and people begin falling. Blood comes out of their mouths, mothers and fathers embrace their children, trying to make sure they aren’t hurt in the impact.

My future came through. She feels different now. Something inside her changes. She raises her blue hand again and this time, next to her, flowers pop up. But there’s something else that she can’t understand.

The buildings begin changing their shape and the true Ariston community shows up. The elder woman in front of her is still alive but barely breathing. No time for screams. Everything happened so fast.

Megan’s face remains neutral. She approaches the bleeding woman on the floor. Megan grabs her by the throat.

“Do you remember my father now?” her lips tremble.

“What do you want to know? Ask in your head and I’ll answer it.” the woman touches Megan’s hand.

Inside her mind, Megan sees Marianne, older than now, in front of her. Telling her that the generals assassinated Erik. He planned on taking them to Eurasia. They found out and killed him. Marianne told Megan it was the Ariston community because she never thought Megan would kill them.

She’s back in the reality and falls to her knees. Her eyes lose all the color they had.

The elder woman looks up and sees the army approaching.

“Please help us, child…” she continues to cough blood. “They’ll test us… use the knowledge we have against us…” She grabs Megan’s hoodie and the blood from her hand stains it. “They’ll find out where our sons and daughters are. Let us die in peace. Please help us. I’ll take you out of here when you are done. Please, I beg of you,” the woman cries and looks at Megan’s eyes.

“I can save you.” Megan turns her hand blue and begins healing the woman.

“There’s no time for both. Save my community, save my children.”

Megan gets up and wipes the tears off her face. Death it is. To you. She focuses on it, but her ability doesn’t activate. She can sense it, but fails to reach it. Why isn’t it working? She tries once more. Nothing. Her heartbeat raises, and she looks at the woman. In tears.

What else is out there? She closes her eyes and sees the white light. Still with her eyes closed, she activates it and forms it on the outskirts of the community. A white wall, taller than the buildings, baffles the soldiers. They fire against it and nothing happens.

Megan sends it against them at first. Sending them against the floor and destroying their tanks. A new wall forms and this time she uses it to turn every single body and building to dust. When it’s about to hit Megan and the woman, she keeps her promise and teleports them away.

“Thank you, child. I hope you find your peace.” the woman closes her eyes for the last time.

***

Marianne drives out of the parking lot at the factory and stops on the way home next to the bridge. She goes back to the day Erik suggested them leaving for Eurasia.

I should’ve said yes. She thinks in Norwegian and imagines them all in Tromsø. Megan would’ve loved the mountains of Norway. They’d play in the snow together. There wouldn’t be any war. No specimens to study. They could try to send Megan to study at the institute of Oslo. Hell, they could’ve all moved to Oslo. Her family didn’t need to be apart, ever.

But she said no. And her no forced him to try, anyway. By himself instead of as a team. Did you know, Erik, that this was the path at the end? The result of my choices would be this? If I had seen it. I would’ve taken our daughters home. I made a killer out of her. Could I have trusted Eurasia? Like you did? Did you see them as the lesser evil? If I had trusted Eurasia, your death wouldn’t have been in vain. Megan wouldn’t have died.

She looks at the water and sees herself driving the car in its direction. Easy, painful perhaps, but she deserved it. It would all end. Sofie can stay with her grandparents. She’ll have a great life in Sweden away from everything that happened, all the memories and places that killed her father and sister and led to her mother’s suicide.

Marianne keeps focusing on the water. She grabs her phone and sees a photo of Megan, Erik, and Sofie. All smiling.

I want my daughters to be alive, safe, and happy. She takes a deep breath and changes the clutch to reverse, turns around and drives home.

When she enters home, Sofie runs to meet her. She focuses on Marianne’s face, noticing for the first time how destroyed her mother is. She looks around the room, searching for Megan. M, stop hiding. She looks around and focuses again on Marianne’s face. M, stop hiding.