Banished To Earth Book One (30)

“No. I could never do that. You were my only link to my real son. Somethin’ in me. Some stupid thing in me held on to the hope someday, somehow, I’d get him back through you. That you’d break down and tell me what happened to him, what you did with him! But you never did.”

   “You never asked? You never said a thing.” Chase was not asking a question; he was making an accusation.

  “Chase, stop it. She’s hurting, she’s dying.”

   He slumped, “I know. I know. I did this when I was a baby. What kinda monster am I?”

  “Crazy talk. I couldn’t tell you, ask you.” Mable wheezed at him, “Folks just don’t say stuff like that, they’ll put you away. But I got put away despite my sensible silence. My brother, the gambler Mr. Moneybags, put me in this rotten place.”

   “Uncle loved you Ma. He took care of you.”

  “Oh you would defend him, he gave you his beach house, his money. You got the beach. I got the bed pans! Ugh, uh oooh…” She trembled. Her eye sprang open and froze in a death stare.

  “Too much, too much. Pry, this is all too much.” He clumped over to Mable, started to close her eyes. But changed his mind. She would never want him to touch her. He could at least grant the pitiful woman her last request. Pry took his hand. They stepped away.

   He was about to open a shift portal when Pry spoke.

  “We could not save her, but maybe we can save someone else.”

  “I’m not a Savior, I’m a beast, a baby killer. I even drove my mother into the grave. I’m not fit for this world.”

  “Chase,” Pry leaned up to him, stretched up on her tiptoes until her lips were near his right ear. “Shut up. We both know better. You are not a beast, certainly not a baby killer. When we get back to Trudy’s house, if she will have me. We will join and remember as far back as we can. You understand?”

 “Yeah, yeah. I’ve a lot to make up for.”

  “That is not what I am saying.”

114

  “Why wouldn’t Trudy want you there?”

  “You are trying to change the subject.”

  “Yeah, a little bit.”

  “That is what she called me, little bit.”

  “Yeah, that sounds like Trudy.”

    A smile lifted her features, but she still saw deep pain in his face. “I shifted right in front of her. She already knew something strange was happening. But she didn’t know I was a big part of that strangeness.”

   “She does now. Well, we’ll burn that bridge when we get to it.”

    Pry nodded, smiled, and pretended his bridge comment made perfect sense to her, even as it sailed right over her head.

  “Second thought, it would be good to know they are still alright and we have a place to run. I’m calling her, sure hope my phone still works.”

    He pulled his phone from his back pocket and pecked its’ glowing face with his fingertip.

  His features brightened.  “Chase.” It was Beth.

  “You guys okay? How is it there?”

   “Your friend is in shock. But we already know she’s a tough, sweet gal. I think she’ll be fine in a bit.”

   “Is Nikki fine?”

   “Good, considering.”

   “No monsters?”

   “’cept for Pry, no, and she’s with you. Sorry, I crack jokes at the worst time.”

 “Your Mom?”

   “She’s dead, and it’s a disaster area here.”  His tone was cold and flat as a sheet of ice. “We’re going to look for survivors. But we won't look too long. Hate to jinx it. It looks like the worst has passed and the monsters have moved on, chasing people, no doubt. Maybe that’s why my cell is working. Thinking the cars are still down and locked up tight. The Fall must have triggered a pulse of energy, electromagnetic or something like that, but I’m not sure.”

115

  “Chase, I’m so sorry.”

   “Is Pry still welcome there?” Chase injected, not wanting, much less ready, to talk about his Mother.

   “I heard that Chase,” it was Trudy. “You bring that little bit back here safe and sound, she’s no monster, why’d you say such a thang? Neither of you had better even think about not coming back here. I miss you boy, have for a long time now. And I already miss that smidgen of a wife of yours.”

    “Thank you so much. We’d be there now, but Pry wanted to look for survivors. She’s no monster, Trudy. I promise.”

   “Oh, I could tell she was special first time I laid eyes on her. You two be careful and hurry back.”

   “If you see or hear anything, not right. You call me, don’t try to check it out for yourself, you hear. Hearing your voice after all these years, well. It’s like medicine. We’ll be there soon, promise.”

    “And tell that little bit, welcome to the family.”

   “She just heard you.”

   “Thank you, Trudy.”

  “You’re welcome, little bit, goodbye and don’t make us wait too long.”

“We won’t, bye for now.” Chase turned his phone off.

“Another sister,” Pry said more to herself than to Chase.

  “Yeah, sure,” Chase had no idea what she meant. “Should we shift or just walk around a bit?”

  She shrugged, “Maybe just listen.”

   It was as silent as a graveyard and rightfully so.

  A moment later, they shifted. Chase could not bear being anywhere near the rest home, his mother’s mausoleum. A second later they stepped out onto the Walmart’s parking lot. Surely they would find people there. Walmart is always crowded. But not this time.

Things were just that bad….

  Far behind them, giant fingers of light swept against a distant charcoal curtain of clouds.

116

   “They’re fools,” a man’s voice said from behind, “and she’s not human, neither are you.”

   They jerked around and found themselves looking up at a lanky, sandy-haired man, dressed in a black leather duster, shirt, pants, and cowboy