In a classroom on Caotomn, a teacher busied herself writing down assignments on her board. Her keen ears easily took in the sound of students dutifully copying what she had spelled out. She could also tell that there was far less scribbling then there should be and let out a huff knowing senior students were getting lazy now that their graduation was under a month away. Yet, this was all just a self-implemented distraction.
“It’ll all be over soon enough. He’ll be graduating this semester and I’ll never have to deal with him again.” she reassured herself silently. Despite her better intuition, she spared a glance from the corner of her eye to the ever-present elephant in the room.
A boy? A man. A mammoth in a student’s uniform. Legs spread out into the walkway because they didn’t fit under the desk, hands big as her head pinching a fragile pencil as it mimicked her instructions. Even sitting down, he loomed head and shoulders over faculty members. Trying to ignore this overbearing presence has been the bane of her existence ever since she was assigned as his homeroom teacher nearly four years ago.
Shaking herself out of thought, she opened her mouth to chastise the seniors for being irresponsible only to be cut off by the bell ringing. Letting out a sigh, she gave in and decided against it. It wouldn’t change their behavior anyway and she had bigger things to deal with at the moment. The room bursted with noise of students chattering as they began packing their bags and mingling about.
Taking a second to steal her nerves first, she called out “Mordemicai, please stay here for a bit. We have things to discuss.”
Normally, calling out a student like this would entice others to snicker and poke at the unfortunate classmate, but instead the room went silent as the rest of the students suddenly found that they all had somewhere else they needed to be. It was almost pitiful watching how they scampered away.
Only once all the clattering from their escape ceased did the monument start to move. He skillfully maneuvered between the desks as he made his way to the front of the class, taking gentle footsteps so the room wouldn’t rattle under his weight. Some might have even called it graceful.
With him standing in front of her, she couldn’t blame her students for their reactions. The woman was short to begin with but this was ridiculous. Standing over eight feet tall, he was nearly twice her size. The teacher found herself correcting her posture to its best in a feeble attempt to make up for the difference.
“What is it, Ms. Birnley?” Moredemicai kicked off the conversation.
“Well, you see…” she mumbled at first, slowly growing louder as she pulled out a specific sheet from her desk “it has to do with your plans after graduation.” His silence invited her to continue. Displaying the paper face-side up between the two of them she pointed to a specific section “You’ve stated that you plan to travel?”
“Yes mam. It has always felt that traveling to new places would be my calling in life. Staying in one area and living a scheduled routine has always been stifling. To do that till the day I die? I’d be miserable. To be honest, it’s been difficult to remain patient up until this point, especially with the school year coming to an end.”
“I understand, but it’s just not realistic.” The teacher began. “Traveling might be fun but in turn it has great expenses. Your household is low in terms on income and to my knowledge you’ve never held a job. Your guardians don’t have the kind of money to fund these trips and neither do you.” she expressed the obvious flaws in his plans. “Look, Mordi, no one likes confining themselves into a day to day schedule but it is part of being an adult. This is the price we pay to society so that everyone can live in comfort and safety. All of us do it. The fact you think you can live your life all willy-nilly only doing the things you want is childish and irresponsible.” Ms. Birnley articulated sharply to get the point across.
“It’s almost convincing. Almost.” Mordemicai mused as the teacher continued on. Perhaps if she had been taller she’d have properly seen the clear amusement and boyish mischief in his eyes. Backing her ideas with facts, guiding the conversation, acting under the guise of concern; she was good at this. None of that mattered though if her true intent was known. She’d bring it up any second now, make it flow into the conversation naturally and pinpoint it as his only solution.
“Now, what you need to do is get a job first. I know that Mr. Gilmorre from Faxton Security Service has been very generous in reaching out to give you opportunities and join their company. Considering your prospects, it is in my professional and personal opinion that you should gratefully accept his offer.” She puffed her chest with pride and confidence at her conclusion.
Mordemicai couldn’t resist the grin that slipped onto his lips. It was too easy.
“Ms. Birnley, your concerns have been heard” he continued on with his respectful and polite mannerisms. “but I feel that you have a few…. misunderstandings.” he leaned down to get closer to her. His action could be excused as an attempt to be more personal and sincere with proximity, but it was like how one would lower themselves so that a toddler may meet their gaze. If Ms. Birnley’s angle was to paint him as a hapless child to her grounded adult, the roles were now switched.
“For the money, I already have what I need. After all, I’m only paying for a spot on a space-skipper.”
“And what about when you get to there? You aren’t accounting for food, lodging, or unexpected emergencies! What if you want to go on a tour or watch a play? How about the ride back or the money to get to your next location!?!” she spouted, obviously frustrated he hadn’t changed his mind.
“It’s a one-way trip, where I’m going you don’t need money. In fact, it’s useless there!” Mordemicai got excited just thinking about it.
“And where would that be!?”
“The Wilds.”
Silence.
Utter Bafflement.
“He’s either stupid or crazy.”
No one goes to the Wilds.
“But I’m also wondering when’s the last time you checked my credentials.” he interrupted her thoughts. “I’m one of the top three students this school has ever had, my prospects are off the charts! I could apply to any college on Caotomn and be welcomed with open arms through a full-ride scholarship. Why is it that you believe my best choice is to give up education to become a body guard? You must’ve mixed my scores up with someone else’s; perhaps with Arnie Deckson’s?”
Where was this conversation going?
Mordemicai resumed “He is a student you seem to pay extra special attention to. I mean, you two seem awful close. Helping him with work during class, holding him after school to go over his tests, …meeting him at the movie theater between Harkswood Street and Fifteenth Ave.” Mordemicai feigned innocence as he pulled what appeared to be picture from his pocket and acted as if he was contemplating it.
Ms. Birnley looked on in shock and horror, left wondering what scandalous deed Mordemicai was insinuating he had evidence of. He casually slipped the career-ruining paper back into his pocket ensuring his teacher didn’t see its contents before straightening back into his full height.
“What an amicable teacher you are to care for one of your students so much.” He caused her cheeks to tint red in suppressed embarrassment and rage.
Her situation only worsened when the phone in her pocket started to chime. She had given different ringtones to each of her contacts so that she could identify who was calling without needing to look. Tentatively, she met the giant’s gaze as she fully realized her predicament. Cornered like a rat and at the mercy of the man before her.
“Speak of the devil” Mordemicai thoughtfully lingered. It was the worst possible timing. Still in shock, the teacher helplessly gripped the phone in her pocket tightly without removing it as it persistently hummed. A jaunty tune punctuated deafening silence as she stared into the teen’s cold, condemnatory glare. Memories of fickle rumors came to mind; fickle rumors that now carried an unspoken weight.
In the past four years since Mordemicai started attending Junspree High, six teachers had been fired. Scandals about the school bloomed in the media like wildflowers. Bribery, fabricated degrees, embezzlement, sexual harassment charges; a complete PR nightmare. The reputation they held as a school known to be the best and brightest on this side of Caotomn was quickly thrown into the trash.
How these dark and dirty sides of the faculty had come to light is unknown, but people talk. While there’s no proof in connecting him to these incidents, it’s been said that each of those teachers had gotten involved with Mordemicai only months before their faces plastered morning news programs. Looking back, she also recalls some notes on her student that had been collectively written by the teachers from his previous school. Intuitive, quick-witted, a habit of being nosy; she’d disregarded such statements as they seemed to contradict the secluded and obedient nature he’d shown in class.
How long had he known? Who has he told? What can she do?! Her mind raced as the song assigned to her dirty little secret continued to dance about the empty room.
“Well, sorry for holding you up for so long, it seems you had plans for later Ms. Birnley. Date night perhaps?” Mordemicai reverted to his phony courtesy. “Oh don’t worry, I won’t pry. After all, what each of us chooses to do once we leave this building is none of the other’s business, is it? Right?” He slung his bag over his shoulder and left on that condescending note, leaving his teacher alone with her thoughts.
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Ducking under the doorway on his way out so that he wouldn’t hit his head, he took a relaxing breath. Glancing to the side he could see his cousin, Seryna, was already waiting for him in the shadow of the doorway. She unceremoniously tossed an unfamiliar phone to him as they began down the hallway together. He could already tell his mood was turning better with each sneaker-squeaking step away from the classroom.
“So…. What was that about?” she craned her neck backwards to meet Mordemicai’s calculative brown eyes with her rebelious reds.
“Nothing important.” He answered lightheartedly, turning the phone on and scrolling through its contents.
“Oh bull-shit. Look, you had me nab that Deckson kid’s phone, figure out the password, and lurk outside your classroom like some weirdo for a hand signal to make a call. I did all that spy crap for you, so I think I deserve to know what just went down.”
“I don’t have to explain squat. We agreed that I’d treat you to Lenny’s Pizza Palace as payment. If you’re that curious, you can go discover it for yourself” he laughed. The smile broke for a sneer as he found what he’d been searching for on the phone. Sure, one wouldn’t normally prepare for strangers to go snooping on their phone, but keeping pictures of your secretive and illicit relationship? He’s even got photos of himself and Ms. Birnley mid-kiss. Poor Arnie Deckson, he’s never been the ripest fruit in the basket.
“Fine! Be like that! But just know that you never set a limit on how much you’ll pay for at Lenny’s PP. I’m gonna bleed you dry!” Seryna puffed her cheeks in a huff.
Mordemicai made quick work of sending the pictures to his own phone number before deleting the texts to cover-up his meddling. He started wiping each side of the phone on his shirt.
“Are you seriously erasing your finger prints? No one’s gonna dust some loser’s phone for fingerprints.”
“You never know…” Mordemicai replied thinly.
“Your only doin’ it because you read about it in those Detective Nineyard books, aren’t you?”
“Hey! It’s a super smart and complicated series with great real-world knowledge and tips!”
“They’re stories made for ten year olds and one of them has a unicorn in it.”
“That one wasn’t made by the original author! Ivan EvDale would never have accepted it!”
“Yeah, yeah. Whatever ya nerd.” she let the subject drop as her cousin handed the phone back to her making sure not to leave anymore fingerprints after he’d just erased the rest.
“I trust you’ll get this back to Deckson without being caught” the words came effortlessly as he had spoken similar ones many times before.
“And you better be sure that photo gets back into mom’s scrapbook. She’d flip if she found out you messed with those.” Seryna spoke in turn.
Mordemicai reached across his unbuttoned blazer and into his pocket to pull out the picture he’d intimidated Ms. Birnley with. While she never saw it appropriately, the image of a seven-year-old Seryna demolishing her birthday cake truly was frightening. Perhaps he’d taken an unnecessary risk in both ‘borrowing’ this from his aunt and flaunting it in front of Ms. Birnley while lying to her face; but damn, it felt good to do it! It all worked out in the end anyway. He just had to keep the picture from getting damaged and ensure it would be placed back into its rightful spot. As for the Ms. Birnley part, while it was a bold-faced lie at the time it certainly wasn’t anymore now that he’d gotten his hands on her lovebird’s phone. Satisfied, the picture was slipped back into his pocket.
“She ‘flips’ when I sneeze to loud. This would have her foaming at the mouth.” Mordemicai sardonically chuckled to which Seryna could only grunt bitterly. Mordemicai was like an older brother to her. They’d grown-up together since the two of them were toddlers. The dangerous duo; he’d be the genius teddy bear and she was the wild child, taking the world by storm together. She’d always wished her parents and her cousin were on better terms, but it wasn’t his fault that they weren’t.
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It was back in middle school when Seryna started noticing the discrepancy between how she was treated by her parents compared to how her cousin was. Despite being the adult-figures and caretakers raising Mordemicai, her parents held an attitude like they were out to get him. Only after many sessions of sneakily eavesdropping in on family drama did the puzzle pieces start coming together.
Seryna’s mother and Mordemicai’s mother were sisters. They’d come from a tightknit upbringing which prioritized family above all else; however, his mother fell in love with a Dogra.
Dogra, out of the twelve species of mankind, were burdened with the stereotype of fierceness. Hulking figures, carnivorous teeth, slitted eyes like cats, and skin so thick that only the sharpest of knives could hope to draw blood. Peoples’ general first impressions of them is that of a predator which sits on top of the energy pyramid they show in class when explaining the circle of life. However, a drawback of their kind is their low birthrate. She’d read online that the number of Dogra one can expect in each civilization estimates to only five or ten of them at a time.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
With people so physically superior yet so outnumbered it’s to be expected that others would retract in fright and envy. Socially shunned but too valuable to let go, Dogra were generally damned to live a secluded life. Their family was no different from the rest. Not wanting anything to do with the perceivably dangerous powerhouses, they tried to forbid the relationship.
Taking a glimpse at her Dogra cousin, you can guess how well that worked out. The two of them made off, had a kid, and died three years later in a car crash.
The family was then shamed into taking in the toddler Mordemicai or risk being condemned and excluded from the community under the claim they were racist. Yet, the community would never acknowledge just how difficult it is to take care of a young Dogra.
They grow extremely fast, necessitating constant new clothes that eventually reach the point of needing to be personally tailored since nothing comes in their size. By the age of five they have the strength of an average full-grown man with none of the motor skills so they consistently break everything they touch. Their intake of food in adolescence is four-times that of other children and must consist of mainly proteins which racks up quite the bill for just feeding them. While she doesn’t ever remember Mordemicai throwing a tantrum, she can imagine that it’d easily leave others with broken bones if they weren’t also a Dogra who could handle the backlash.
All of this stress was placed onto her family as the result of a relationship they repudiated in the first place. As their savings and patience helplessly washed down the drain, they wanted someone to blame. There was only one person who fit the bill. Such feelings continued to fester regardless of how fair it was to curse a child for something they could not control.
And here they are today with all this tension and animosity that’s built a wall between him and his only kin. Knowing how smart Mordemicai was, he’d probably figured it out long before Seryna had. Luckily, such hostile feelings had never been grown in her leaving Seryna as his closest, and only, friend and ally.
“That brings us to what I heard yesterday…” Seryna thought solemnly as she absentmindedly fiddled with the phone in her possession. She’d been sneaking back home after a night out of her regular teenage hijinks to catch her parents discussing something that twists her stomach into knots. She wants to think her parents were better than that, that they would choose the right thing… but…. With how their relationship is with Mordemicai…… she just doesn’t know. She was torn.
Her pity party was cut short by a pig squealing.
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“Mordi, Seryna; a word?” called out her least favorite teacher alive. She made quick work to hide the stolen phone.
Hal Coeden was one of those gym teachers whose weight ‘carried in all the wrong places’. He was the substitute the school was forced to find on short notice after Mordemicai got the last P.E. teacher dismissed. His predecessor had been harassing Mordemicai, ordering him to do ten times the work his classmates did saying that a guy of his size should be able to handle it. The teacher’s short man syndrome birthed from resentful jealousy drove Mordemicai into uncovering his steroid addiction which the institute had strong policies against.
They did a shit-all job in choosing his replacement in Seryna’s opinion. Two months in, while she was playing hooky and went to the girl’s locker room to hide she caught him rummaging through the lady’s lockers. Probably going on a panty raid or something disgusting like that.
“This school is a fucking mess.” Seryna bemoaned as she remembered that she still had a year left attending this dumpster fire.
She’d tried to get Mordemicai to work his magic but apparently her testimony wouldn’t be enough to push the head honchos into action; especially since she was known for being a delinquent. Begrudgingly, Hal Coeden became much more careful after he’d been caught once. It sucked but they couldn’t collect any solid evidence on the swine so he became the one that got away.
“Mordi, I see you’re still wearing street shoes despite my courteous warnings. It’s a violation of the dress code. I ought to give troublemakers like you detention!” He was also the kind of guy whose favorite past time was going on power-trips.
“I believed we came to an understanding after my explanation.” Mordemicai clarified for the hundredth time through a tight, business-like smile. “The mandated shoes are provided through the school. While the school does make custom-tailored uniforms, all their shoes are preordered in general sizes. My feet are not of general size. Henceforth, if the school does not provide something a can wear then I cannot wear it.” He swore he could literally see the words go in one ear and out the other as the man he was talking to rolled his eyes.
“Don’t talk back to me! And button up your blazer!!” He sneered. Mordemicai threw up is arms in exasperation and had them flow into a mime routine making sure not to ‘talk back’.
Gesturing to each side of his jacket first in an act of showmanship like a magician, he flashily grabbed them and began pulling inward to close the rift over his chest. Yet, low and behold! No matter how hard he yanked, the poor thing was missing by two inches. He’d a grown since his uniform was issued and despite appealing for a new one, the school kept pushing the problem aside. Upon showing that the action requested of him was impossible, he exaggerated an expression of miserable defeat before bowing to conclude his performance.
“There’s a special guest waiting for you in that room over there; best not keep him waiting, young man.” The substitute glared. He normally would have threatened involving the principal, but his best choice was to ignore the student’s sarcasm and pretend like the previous exchange hadn’t happened.
He’d sent Mordemicai to the principal’s office before, but the situation turned unfavorable. The man in charge went belly-up when it came to this particular miscreant. The old coot resolutely took Mordemicai’s side on every matter regardless of the argument all while sweating a swimming pool of bullets. Hal wondered if it had anything to do with those bogus rumors that kept popping up now and then.
“In the meantime, I’ll keep Miss sticky-fingers here company. It seems as though a student’s phone has gone missing and I figured you could fill in the blank spots considering your expertize in making other peoples’ things disappear.” Hal Coeden chortled, changing his target to Seryna.
Just how she had been trying to get the man fired since their fateful encounter, Hal Coeden had been itching to get Seryna expelled. The two had been fighting tit-for-tat an entire year now with neither side making much ground.
In the meantime, it seemed Mordemicai would also be going toe to toe with one of his own foes. He had a hunch as to precisely who was lurking behind the unassuming door. The two cousins wordlessly wished each other good luck before being divided by the enemy.
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Gliding the door open, Mordemicai confirmed that it certainly wasn’t a special guest as Coeden had claimed. Special implied that meeting them would be a treat or that it was something that didn’t happen too often. He could confidently state that neither were the case for the suited man that gave him a bubbly greeting.
“Mordemicai! Mordor-rino! The big ol’ Mordi-meister! How’ve you been!?”
Garry Gilmorre. Yech.
This loud man was a representative sent by Faxton Security Service, a company with prevalence in installable security systems and rentable bodyguards among other things. There was little question as to why this guy came out every week to pester Mordemicai. What greater desire could there be than for the company to get their hands on a tiny Godzilla to do their bidding. They’d even been paying off teachers like Ms. Birnley, who he’d dealt with earlier, and Hal Coeden, who Seryna was dealing with currently, to try and force him into an agreement. Even with the principal under Mordemicai’s thumb, he didn’t have the strength to keep the powerful company from stalking around.
The door sealed behind him as he took in the familiar, but unwelcomed, view that was one of the school’s many identical conference rooms. A pile of neatly stacked papers stapled together, a glitzy pen laid tactfully next to them, and Garry Gilmorre reclined in one of the chairs around the large table with his legs crossed and finger twined.
Those papers on the table had been pushed into his face so many times he could probably recite the information they held in his sleep. It was essentially a contract to sign away his freedom after high school. He wasn’t exaggerating. It stated that he would swear to work for Faxton Security for fifteen to twenty years and was barred from taking on secondary employment or extended education. He’d have to live in the company’s dormitories, was forbidden from vacationing out of state, only allowed company regulated food, etcetera.
Anyone who had half a brain could tell what they were up to. It was a poorly concealed trap. You’d get stuck with them for a long time unable to pick up or learn new trades under their watchful eyes. When you finally get to leave, you wouldn’t be able to get a decent job anywhere else and be forced to come crawling back to them. With just a simple signature he’d be agreeing to be a loyal tool until broken and inevitably thrown away.
“Mr. Gilmorre! Here again so soon? I can’t understand why. Did you decide to visit with me for old times’ sake after coming here to meet with someone else? You shouldn’t have!” his nerves were already fried for the day after having to deal with his two co-conspirators.
“You’re a smart fella Mordi-man. I’m sure you already know why I’m here.” He did, but that didn’t make this any more pleasant.
“Listen, Mordi, can I call you that?” He hated being called Mordi “Of course I can, we’re buddies after all! Mordi, I don’t understand why you making this so hard for everyone.”
“Double salary, an annual paid leave, ensured promotion after three years; what could you possibly be discontent with? Others would kill for these kind of offers and you’re throwing it all away just because your stubborn.” Gilmorre ridiculed.
“Thank you for your consideration, but becoming a bodyguard is a position I have no interest in.” Mordemicai grit through his teeth. Even if he wasn’t planning to go the Wilds, a bodyguard wouldn’t be on his list of possibilities. If he had to choose a job, he’d be a detective like the protagonist from his favorite book series.
“You probably haven’t taken into account all the benefits that joining our company has yet” the persistent prick prattled on. “We also come with some great health insurance and what kind of security company would we be if we couldn’t help protect our employees. You’d be surprised how many incidents people find themselves in out in the real world. Assaults, vandalism, thievery, arson, false charges, or getting run down by some lunatic driver. Who knows when any of these things could happen! I heard that your own folks got tripped up by a car accident too. Such a shame. My condolences.” Despite his words founded in worry, he had a sinister smile stretching from ear to ear. Garry Gilmorre little speech resembled that of a gangster’s. He was promising that all such tragedies would befall Mordemicai if he continued to refuse complying.
“I suppose I’ll just have to stay vigilant” yet Mordemicai did not yield.
“It seems that you’re still not getting it. I’m not asking anymore.” The civil mask that had always been donned over their hostility was slipping.
“And yet, my answer doesn’t change.”
The mask was off. Garry Gilmorre marched up to the teen. Catching Mordemicai off guard, he grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him down to eye level. This typically wouldn’t have worked due to Mordemicai’s might but grabbing the Dogra by surprise put Gilmore at an advantage.
“You think you’re so strong, don’t you?” Gilmorre spat, sneering directly in Mordemicai’s ear. “Big boys like you don’t have to listen to anyone, huh? That’s what you think, right? But your about to get a wakeup call. You’re going to see what real strength looks like and it doesn’t come from some flimsy thing like muscles or fists. And when it comes, all hell is bound to break loose. There’ll be nowhere you can run to, nowhere you can hide that I won’t be able to reach. Now, how about we settle this before things start getting messy” the all too familiar contract was slid in his direction by Gilmorre’s free hand. “This is your last chance.”
The papers were in turn were only briefly touched by Mordemicai so they could be crumpled and thrown into obscurity.
“We’ve already passed trying to reach an agreement a long time ago. But, you’re right about one thing, all hell is bound to break loose. But I wonder if it will really be me who’ll be burning when it does.” Gilmorre scowled as Mordemicai shook off his grasp by standing up and moving to leave.
“You’ll regret this.” Eyes burned holes into his back as he reached for the doorknob.
“I look forward to it.” The door shut heavily with a cannon’s bang to signal the start of war.
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“Seryna! Time to go!” Mordemicai was just about ready to storm out of the school. The last thirty minutes since class had ended had given him enough headaches to last a year.
Mordemicai came out to the two snarling like wolves. Seryna swiftly abandoned the brawl upon noticing that the person she’d been waiting for was ready to go. Her opponent, Hal Coeden, ever lusting after getting the last word was about to shout them down but was left frozen in his tracks.
Now, Dogra were quite intimidating within their own right and Mordemicai was no different; but there was one thing to their kind that pushed it over the top. Their presence. Like how some can feel their being watched, like how an individual senses an undetectable danger; a person’s intuition is a powerful thing and a Dogra’s presence could flood it. An example could be seen in Ms. Birnley who had trouble focusing on working anytime Mordemicai was in her class.
In an average setting it’s like an open flame. People’s attention naturally draw to it. Comparatively, when the source goes under formidable emotions, the people surrounding them could feel it like they feel the air in their lungs.
A potent energy exuded from Mordemicai that felt like it could crack the hallway’s plaster walls.
Hal Coeden was inches from stepping on a lion’s tail. He was standing in front of an obviously haunted mansion on a moonlit night. Gun powder had spilt across his pants and his hands were inclined to brush it off. In truth, Hal Coeden stood in the way of a beyond upset Dogra. Every instinct he had told him to shut up and walk away. So, he did.
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The fresh air Moredemicai gorged as soon as he’d open the school’s front door did wonders.
“GrraaaaaAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!”
That helped too.
After his audible cluster of frustration was released, Mordemicai let out a weak sigh. He was tired. He was EXAUSTED. He’d expected such things to happen today, but that hadn’t prepared him for the social beating that was as relentless as a tide mercilessly ramming him into its rocky shore. All he wanted to do now was take a nap.
Seryna playfully bumped their hips together to catch his groggy attention. Achieving her goal, she kept eye contact as she bit her lips, smiling mischievously.
What did she want?
“Pizza! Pizza! PizZA!! PIZZA!! PIZZA!!” she started chanting happily as she pulled ahead of him. She even started dancing a little to accompany her rally cry.
“That’s right” Mordemicai remembered. He’d promised to take her to Lenny’s Pizza Palace, her favorite food joint, as thanks for her help. Mordemicai groaned but couldn’t resist a smile as she took him by the hand and started pulling him to walk faster, swinging his arm about as she continued partying to her own tune.
To ‘Lenny’s’ it was.
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“Cheers! To successful shenanigans!” Their glasses of soda clinked together, held proudly in the air. It had always been tradition to celebrate like this after their joint ventures. While Mordemicai wasn’t particularly in the celebratory mood, they wouldn’t have the time to do this later. Now was the moment to rejoice today’s successfully accomplished objective in driving Ms. Birnley into a corner. His cousin also made good on her promise of bleeding him dry, but he didn’t put up much of a fight anyhow. Six pizzas, bottomless drinks, with appetizer’s and dessert. Some customers watched in awe as the two teenagers were consuming it all flawlessly (albeit, it wasn’t too difficult with Mordemicai there) .
Seryna bragged about her shining moments in her verbal brawl against Hal Coeden, eventually egging Mordemicai into recounting his civil chat with Ms. Birnley that he’d avoided telling her about earlier.
“The look on her face! Priceless!” he giggled, reminiscing at his teacher’s dumbfounded expression when he’d told her he was going to the Wilds.
“Well, it is pretty crazy…” Oh Boy. “ I mean, what do you really expect to happen when you get out there?” Here it goes. This is why he didn’t want to talk about it earlier.
“Sernya.” Mordemicai warned. They were not going to argue about this again. Right now, they were on a fun outing. Bringing it up would only ruin the mood.
“I just don’t get it!” Seryna shouted in frustration, her ruby eyes piercing him. “I don’t get why you think the best thing to do is to screw-off into the wilderness where you’ll live like a caveman until you die! I know that nearly everyone you’ve ever met has been a total bag-of-dicks and that you don’t want to deal with that anymore but”
“That’s not what this is about!” The noise they were making was quick to draw the scrutiny of other diners as they eyed at the free drama. Realizing this, the two cousins resorted to loud whispering.
“That’s not what this is about.” Mordemicai quietly repeated, bashful from all the attention. “We’ve been over this already.”
“Yeah, yeah. Blah blah adventure, blah blah mysteries, blah blah something you’re willing and ready to risk your life for.” Her sass quickly dissolved into despondency. Seryna wasn’t keen on Mordemicai’s future plans.
Back when they were kids and Mordemicai first decided on going to the Wilds, it seemed like a real kickin’ idea. They’d even go to the park and play pretend about the crazy things that would happen. It was all fun and games. As Seryna grew up she acknowledged that, but Mordemicai never changed his mind. Looking back, she realized that he had never once asked her to come along.
He knew that it wasn’t something she’d want and never asked her so that she didn’t feel like she had to make a choice between him and everything else she held dear. She understood why, but it still felt like a prick-move to not even invite her.
Seryna had thought that he’d come to his senses eventually and that instead they’d run away together. They’d become a couple of gangsters in a city’s underbelly and slowly climb their way to the top. With Seryna’s skills and Mordemicai’s mind they’d rule that place! Together.
They’d do it together.
Yet, as Mordemicai’s dream came to fruition, her fantasy was coming to an end.
She wanted him to stay. The idea of letting him go and them never seeing each other again was burning a hole in her chest.
“But it’s his life, I can’t just keep holding him back from doing what he really wants because I’d be lonely.” Seryna criticized her own selfishness. “and if I don’t have the right, then certainly none of those assholes do!”
As they exited the diner into its parking lot, Seryna called out to her cousin. She was ready to tell him.
“Mordemicai! There’s something you need to know!”