Scott and Katie’s Apartment

12:44 PM

“And you want me to do what exactly?” Nurse Betty arrived after we had piled the last of the our boxes near the door. Don’t think twice about us, we care for our material possessions, especially post-Wave. Arana needed Betty, and she reacted like I did—a little freaked out and very confused.

“Let me reiterate my words, Betty,” Arana said. “What I need you to do is monitor Katie and Scott’s vitals as they cast their first spells. That is it. Here is what to look for…” Seeing Betty and the two totems at the kitchen counter reminded me of some cartoon scene. I stood back watching to watch them, being worried about everything.

I was still trying to accept magic. A genuine spellbook had formed out of Katie’s chest after Arana somehow returned to her Inner Sanctum. The totems were reading about spells and incantations and whatnot from the spellbook. Us, meaning me and Katie, were not allowed to read it. I knew that I would be learning things besides how to control my tail swipes.

“I still think this won’t work,” I muttered.

“What makes you say that?” Katie asked. “I’ve been overhearing them talk and the stuff they say is still blowing my mind. I’m surprised what we are called now from what she found.” She paused. “Terrans. Isn’t that cool?” She was more enthusiastic about the whole magic thing than I was, gleeful, these were probably the same reactions as when she was playing with the stuff in the her trunk.

“Oh, are we okay on the lease?” She ate a spoonful of strawberry yogurt, the fridge was the only thing left to clean out and Joyce let us slide on that part.

Joyce had come by with the papers for me to sign a while ago, along with a check for the remaining balance and then she left. She was more “different” than before. Joyce had accepted our new look and did her job, but it was a “leave before shit goes down” mood—it didn’t feel right. “Yeah, we’re good. Listen, this might not be safe. What if something bad happens?”

“Like Arana said, Scott, it will be safe. It’s this or run out of bullets. I’m up for it and you should be as well.” She took another bite and the air felt heavy as she made gave a heavy sigh. “I got a text from Mom. She wants us to video chat.”

I shook my head, “Great.”

“Besides that, do you remember what Betty said?” I nodded. “The hospital brought in a brutally beaten woman to intensive care. She was unconscious, Scott, almost dead. What’s worse is she’s a mutant… I mean terran. She had no way to defend herself, or she did and panicked. Scott, I want to do this, not end up in a hospital bed. I want to learn to defend myself as you did with karate.”

I shook my head again, “Wish there was another way.”

My cell phone rang in my pocket. Katie’s parents were texting me too, mostly asking how she’s doing and about our bodies, but I wished that they wouldn’t call me a liar. I answered, “Hello?”

“Scott is that you?” I blinked in response to the familiar voice.

“Deryl?” It came out louder than I wanted, Betty and the totems looked up. “Oh my god, I’ve been trying to get a hold of you all morning.” I went to the bedroom with Katie following behind me.

“Getting my cell phone smashed from a falling crystal and destroyed telephone lines in all of Pomona isn’t a good day,” Deryl explained.

“What’s happening down there?” I asked while turning on the speaker. “The news has bee…”

“No, Scott,” he interrupted. “First I need to know.” His words came out harsh. “I finally got hold of Katie’s parents. Is it true, Scott, did you and Katie transform?”

I was nervous when he said it, and Katie and I looked at each other. Deryl is my surrogate concerned parent. He has his own family, but he’s still my godfather and still filled with military spunk. Katie and I were planning to break the news of the transformation to Jonathan and Brenda, but I didn’t factor in Deryl. For the record, I didn’t want to leave him hanging.

Still, Deryl Porter is a U.S. Marshal, he knows people.

“Yes,” I answered nervously. “Yes, both of us.”

“How long ago?”

“Since yesterday, six hours the minute we woke up.”

Deryl cursed with more energy than I expected and it startled us. I heard tires screech through the speakers and I asked him what happened.

“Bitch nearly made me careen off the freeway. I’m pulled over now.” I heard the gearshift lock.

“Wait, why aren’t you with Grace and the girls?” Katie asked.

“I’ve been driving in and out of the city trying what little I can to settle the situation. Car crash in one place, riot chase in another, then keeping the prisons from breaking down… God, why? Why you two? Katie, your parents have been leaving messages. They are foaming, Katie. Scott what was going through your head leaving Temecula?”

“Deryl, we thought that the asteroid wasn’t going to crash and the myth would blow over,” I rationalized.

“Of course, and look where it got you.” Deryl paused. “Have you called them, Katie?”

“We’re about to.”

“Better do it soon, Brenda and Jonathan are out of their minds,” he answered.

I wondered if Robert and Jacob felt bad about us aside from the texts? I know Jacob can be a bit of a hot head and a coward, but Robert might, most of this stuff is right up his alley.

“Wanna hear our story?” I asked. Deryl started to lecture me, but I didn’t want to hear it. “Hey, listen. After we woke up, CalTranz shut down all three roads out of Big Bear. The sheriff that’s protecting us said they aren’t allowing anybody on or off the mountain. On top of that we have spirit guides as talking animals hanging out in the kitchen, our ‘tails’ have a mind of their own, I lost weight like nobodies business, and in a few minutes were about to cast spells for the heck of it.” Katie butted in to speak for its defense. “And get this. We are called terrans from overhearing Katie’s totem reading through a book that formed out of her chest.

“Right now I’m not in the mood for a pointless lecture. What I want is a little compassion from you. Hope would be even better. I’m having a hard time believing all this. So give us a friggin’ break, man.” I took a few short breaths in between my ranting.

Deryl didn’t interrupt for a moment, then spoke. “You know, kid, I keep forgetting how you act so much like your father. Sorry, I can imagine the condition you’re in. But wait a sec, why did CalTranz close the roads?”

Now he was interested.

“They say rockslide,” I explained shortly.

“It fits but that doesn’t mean traffic stops at all.”

“And the weird part was his partners blocking 330 say they saw a massive explosion. Nobody could tell what was happening and we had suspicions that maybe something else happened besides a bulldozer’s transmission bust.”

Deryl, from a long hum coming through my cell, sounded interested. “Peculiar, very peculiar.”

Katie brought the phone closer to her. “So can you do something about us? Like, send a helicopter? Our car is totaled. Please, Deryl, you’re in the government. Pull your strings.”

The phone came back to me.

“Katie, even if I could, I’m sure it’s impossible. Right now the army and National Guard deployed everybody to the major cities while air traffic is grounded. And if I did, others in that town will see it and take an advantage of it. My superiors are working me to the wall and at the same time Grace wants me home. I’m sorry, but you two are on your own.”

I shook my head with disappointment and grumbled, “Super.”

Deryl cleared his throat, “No surprise you found out the name. Terran, I mean. News got wind of it and everybody is calling the transformed that. A few are showing weird symptoms of glowing tattoos to expel… something from their hands. Damage beyond imagining….” He took another pause, but this one made me edgy. “Scott, do you still have your father’s pistol?” He asked.

“Yes.”

“Good, keep it on you. Stick it in your pocket, your jacket, your butt crack, I don’t care. Just be wary of everything.”

I blinked from his changed tone, “Hey, you sound nervous there.”

He sighed so loud I felt chills in my spine. When he does that, that’s when the bad news comes, the uncomfortable news. “C’mon what’s wrong,” I pressed.

“My partners in LA are gathering intelligence how Congress is planning to do with you and a hundred terrans in the country. It’s a closed-door meeting, no press. Sketchy info, but good bits come through. My advice, Scott—stay low and out of sight from major cities and suspicious folk. Wear disguises when heading home. If I can pull some strings I’ll send an escort. Do you get me Scott?”

Stolen story; please report.

“Yes, I do. Every bit of it,” I answered, even though it was already exactly what I had planned to do.

“Okay. And you Katie, call your parents before they have heart attacks, especially your mother,” Deryl reminded us.

“Got it,” she said with a nod.

“Alright, keep in touch, kid.” He hung up.

I took a good moment to calculate my godfather’s demands, even though they sounded more like military orders than family advice. “If he was in Homeland Security, we wouldn’t have this conversation,” I said, but not even saying that could loosen the tension in the room.

We went back to the kitchen. The totems and Betty were still there and they seemed to have overheard at least some parts of the conversation. “So what’s the verdict?” Keeji asked, “Are we getting airlifted out of here?”

“Nope, we’re here until tomorrow. I’ll have to clean the gun,” I said, and Keeji whimpered.

Katie went for her bag sitting next to the front door, and pulled out her MacBook. She turned on the laptop and set it up onto the coffee table, I was happy momentarily that I hadn’t cancelled the internet yet.

“You ready, Katie?” I asked her with my hand on her shoulder.

She nodded. “Let’s get this over with; this knot in my stomach won’t stop hurting.”

I kissed her forehead for good luck and gave Keeji the stink eye when he gawked.

After ignoring the countless messages from friends, Katie double clicked the username “WalshEstateWinery,” chose video call, and hid from the webcam’s view.

“Follow my lead,” she told me and I didn’t ask why, I knew.

Here comes drama.

----------------------------------------

I had one plan to break the news: introduce my new body, Scott’s body, Arana, and Keeji—very slowly. After Deryl told me to call them, that was all I could think of as a plan. Yes, I know, it wasn’t the best that I could come up with, but the text messages from my family were getting too harsh. At least Mom calmed down and apologized, through a text message. Kinda funny.

Scott, the totems, and I stood out of the webcam’s sight. All that could be seen from the other side were the boxes and the front door. That’s when someone knocked on the door just as the chat started, figures.

“Oh no,” I sighed,. “Betty, please check it out, we can’t show ourselves this soon.”

Betty nodded and went to the door. Mike came in, looking more frustrated than last time.

“Who are you?” Someone said, indicating my mother noticed Mike.

Mike saw the laptop and squinted. What the?… Oh, Mrs. Walsh. It’s Mike, Mike Sanders, Scott’s friend. You remember?” Mom remembered and said hi. “Wait, what’s going on?”

“Mike, get over here,” Scott hissed. Still confused, Mike came over to us. We quickly summed up what we were going to do, then stepped aside to the totems.

“Katie where are you?” Mom asked through the computer.

“I’m here, Mom, I’m just off to the side.” I took a peak at the screen.

Actually, I expected all four to be huddling on the couch, but Mom and Dad were the only ones there. Mom sat in the middle and it killed me to see her hopeful eyes. Her hair was undone and draped over her Christmas sweater. I hated that thing, always did. Dad sat next to her with one arm over her shoulders. He looked like he hadn’t slept for days; the denim work shirt needed washing. The graying-out brown hair and strong chin is what I like most about him, other than that he’s a vinecology genius. Dad is always the protector and provider of the family, the strong one, but he looked nervous, maybe a bit eager to see me since it had been over four months since I left.

“Boys she’s on,” Mom called out, I heard footsteps thunder through the laptop as my brothers crowded onto the couch. Robert, the oldest, sat next to Dad. He’s a death metal fan and a freelance spectrologist on top of being a winemaker so he dresses both grunge and middle class. His black hair was disheveled without gel. Jacob my little brother was behind them, looking innocent and slightly shaken up. His Nintendo DS was in his hand, ready for him to run away and play video games. At any given moment he still has time for it, even in the middle of a global catastrophe. I could bet that he wouldn’t take our change well.

“Honey, I want to see you. Look I’m sorry for all the things I said. We’re all sorry. I wasn’t myself lately and I treated you so badly.” She sucked in air. “Just… let me see. Please.”

“Mom’s right, Katie, I’m sick and tired of this. Time to grow up,” Robert interjected.

I bit my lip and extended my hand, palm open. The webcam picked it up, and I pulled it back. You could say that I was nervous.

“That’s it?” Robert scoffed, “A hand? C’mon at least show us the rest.”

“I’m trying, Robert,” Scott said slowly, “it’s harder for us than you think.”

I saw Arana still on the kitchen counter looking at me. Her right wing was out and circled it, indicating she wanted me to get on with it.

I gulped. “Alright,” I said. “Just… don’t freak out.” I turned away from Scott, praying that things would be okay, and took three steps in front of the webcam. My tail was wrapped tight around my leg. I faced my family and thought; this is such a big mistake.

Here was the order of reactions; Mom gasped hysterically, Dad shuttered and muttered some incoherent curse word, Robert cocked his head to the side with dumbstruck eyes, and Jacob dropped his DS with a slack jaw.

“Dear God,” Mom wept, “oh, my… Oh my sweet, sweet baby girl. Oh why, why?” Mom leaned on Dad.

“Holy,” Dad said agape, “Katie, you have a tail!” No kidding.

“Mom please, don’t… don’t cry,” I told her, “it’ll be all right. I’m still the same Katie as always.”

“No, Katie, it’s not okay. I will never see you the same way again.” Tears formed in her eyes and Dad held her tight.

I was starting to cry too and it didn’t take them long to notice. “Wow. Guys look at her ears, they’re drooping like a cat’s,” Jacob commented, and pointed at me.

“Hey, hey, hey, don’t start, Jacob,” Scott said but still out of view, “there is no need to treat her like this. We’ve been through a lot so watch your mouth.”

Jacob didn’t fuss, just kept on staring at me.

“I told them the best I could, Scott, but God damn this is some freaky stuff I’m seeing,” Robert said incredulously.

I felt a little brightened from Scott’s protectiveness and I wiped my nose with my sleeve.

Mom tried to calm down but the crying was still there. “Is Scott coming?”

I looked at him, Scott nodded. “Okay, he’s ready, but remember what I said. He changed a lot,” I reminded them as I motioned Scott over. I hugged him hard to feel his security, his rock hard chest soothing me.

As expected—and I imagined this would happen—was that my family’s jaws dropped. Yeah, treat their own daughter and sister like a freak, but treat the man we housed and fed for two years like the afternoon breaking news.

They were silent for a moment until Robert broke the ice. “Wow. Scott you… damn.”

“Yeah, I know,” Scott said and eyed me for a second. I blushed. “So are you gonna lay off Katie?”

Dad snapped out of it. “Uh, yeah. Um… Sorry Katie. Mom is too.” He shook her and she nodded. “But I’m still mad at you two. You’ve made us worried sick since yesterday. Now, I was having trouble believing the messages you’ve sent and I’m convinced. My daughter will never be human again.”

My tail relaxed, becoming limp from my sudden brush of sadness. My brothers gasped when they caught it, Jacob ran away telling them he went for a drink. What a wimp.

Mom collected herself while straightening the sweater. “I wish you two just listened to me the day you went back to the mountains, but you believed the asteroid would not crash. You told me and I bought it. I’m very, very disappointed in you, Katie, especially Scott.”

I imagined the sadness turning into a punch in the stomach. “So am I, Mom, I messed up.” I wondered if there is a spell to turn back time in my spellbook. “You were right, Mom. It’s my fault… our fault. Scott wanted to go and I went along for the ride. I rebelled like an idiot. And look where it got me.” I showed them my arms, my legs, my tail, and my ears.

“For the record, we can stop being hateful,” Dad spoke up. “You realize you made a bad choice, and I should’ve been more persuasive to make you stay. But… maybe with the roads closed, it’s for the best. I overheard someone with the same thing got caught in a gang fight. Haven’t heard anything new from the hospital. Temecula and Murrieta are flipped between what’s crazy and what’s real. Even the churches are packed.”

“Anything else besides the TV news?” Scott asked.

“Nothing much. What about your situation? Last I heard your friend Mike and a sheriff is watching the place?”

“That’s right, Mr. Walsh,” Mike chimed in, “we’re jobless now so there’s no point to leave my friend alone.”

Betty came and to the webcam and said, “Hi, I’m also here. I’ve been watching their health. They are in great shape, including Scott.”

My parents thanked her, but Dad blinked from remembering something. “What about Mike’s wife? Where is she?”

We turned to Mike as he was rubbing his neck. He told us that he was going to check up on her before he left, but it seemed that he didn’t handle it. Mike faced my parents. “She’s too wound up about this. I let her be until she can cope with Scott and Katie’s changes. Been a rough night for her.” He refrained from telling the whole truth, which meant that he’s either fed up with Ashley or didn’t want Mom and Dad to think of anything else.

“I see. Hope to see her back on her feet.”

Robert snapped his fingers from a quick thought. “Oh wait, that’s it, I’ve heard the transformed have talking animals. I suppose you guys have them?”

Keeji howled, “Finally! Somebody remembers.” Keeji’s tail wagged so hard it was beating against the floor.

“Okay, you can come now,” Scott nearly laughed.

“Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy,” Keeji cheered. He got up and ran; eyes wide and tongue flapping against his cheek. A little bit too excited, he scurried passed us and ran headfirst into the wall. He howled and rolled on the floor rubbing his muzzle. We didn’t move, gasp, or laugh, just watched how pathetic it all was.

“What… was that?” Dad asked.

“I’m okay, I’m okay,” Keeji said slightly muffled, he sat between us producing a goofy grin to my family with a short hint of a bloody nose.

“Wow, look at him,” Mom said with a sudden change in mood. Did Scott’s totem make Mom happy? Must be the cute factor.

“Name’s Keeji miss, Scott’s totem and buddy-buddy,” Keeji beamed. Dad and Robert snorted a laugh and grinned. Scott face-palmed.

Then Dad started to chuckle, “I’ve always said Scott had certain husky qualities. A bit of a goof if you ask me.”

“You have no idea,” Scott muttered.

“What about yours, Katie?” Mom asked.

I looked at Arana, but she wasn’t ready. She pointed at the chair at the dinner table. “Oh right, give me a second,” I told my family. I got the chair and set it next to me, we all backed away for Arana to fly. Nothing like a full-grown hawk flying indoors. She landed on the chair’s back with grace and faced my MacBook.

“Woah,” they all said. Looks like I really got their attention. Robert told Jacob to stop being so scared and come back. Jacob protested as he came, looked at us, then at the totems with absolute shock. Keeji said hi with that goofy grin of his and Jacob’s eyes rolled back and he fainted.

I didn’t know if I should have laughed or been worried for my little brother.

“Darn it, I’ll take care of it,” Robert said while shaking his head and getting up.

“Man I hope he didn’t hurt himself,” Keeji said and Scott scratched him on the head. Arana sighed.

“Okay, Mom,” I conceded, “You know what happened to us. Now can you not panic too much and leave us be?”

“Yes, Katie, I will. I know I’ve been hard before,” she apologized. “Although it wouldn’t hurt to check up on us once in a while.” I nodded, agreeing with her. We settled on a routine update for the phone.

“When do the roads open?” Dad asked.

“Sometime tomorrow. Mike is offering his truck to us. Once we know we start covering our heads and hiding these two in the boxes,” I told them. Arana sighed again.

“At least you two are safe. For better or for worse, be grateful to be alive. I’m ready to dive in that laptop and hug you right now.”

With Dad saying that, I was able to relax. I hugged Scott, still looking at the laptop, feeling a wealth of sadness already creeping upon us. God, I missed my family. Their quirkiness. Their laughter. The wonderful wine we make. I still had a bottle of our famous Cliffhangar Port in the kitchen pantry. Somewhere down the line, I told myself to pop its cork soon, maybe in the bed snuggling with Scott.

A single tear formed and I wiped it away. “Thanks, Dad.” Mom had started to weep too.

“Mr. and Mrs. Walsh,” Arana started, “count on me to protect your daughter.”

They paused a little from Arana’s voice. Mom said awkwardly, “Thanks uh… what’s your name?”

“Arana.”

“Arana. I like it.”

We couldn’t be on there long, so still feeling sad I waved goodbye. “I’m homesick,” I said.

Mom and Dad smiled and nodded.

My throat felt dry and my nose started running, “I promise to call you back.”

“Promise?” Mom asked and I did with an internet pinky swear. The four of us waved, my family waved, Keeji licked the webcam vigorously, and I ended the call. Keeji whimpered. Scott rubbed my shoulders and my tail wrapped around him. He didn’t yelp at all.

We stood there for a while. I didn’t care if Mike and Betty were still watching. It felt like all the stress in me was lifted and I felt better about myself. Once I calmed down to when I was smiling, I told Arana I was ready.

Ready to fulfill my childhood dream: casting magic.