Post by StoryGirl83 on Nov 9, 2011 14:42:56 GMT -5
Chapter Eleven – Parasite?
Flashback
Chris stood on the doorstep and hesitated. He’d only rarely met Everett Lawson in the other time line and never in this one. He hadn’t a clue how the man would react to what he had to say.
“Are you planning on just staring at that door?” a voice behind him asked.
“I was thinking about it,” Chris replied absently. As realization sank in, Chris turned around startled to look at Miles Lawson standing there regarding him. “Oh!”
Miles smirked. “Yeah, oh. It’s not polite to just stare at someone’s front porch. Who are you?”
Instead of answering, Chris grinned. “You must be Miles.” Of course he must. He was.
Miles frowned. “How did you . . ?”
“I really appreciated the use of your phone when my brother was hurt,” Chris added, confusing the young man even more.
“I did that?”
“What?” Chris looked at him surprised. “Oh! No, your sister did, but she said you made it and it was able to get through the interference, so I really appreciate that.” That his sister hadn’t to Chris memory actually mentioned her brother’s name wasn’t entirely relevant. Besides Chris hadn’t said that was how he knew Miles’ name.
Miles frowned, thinking. Finally, he said, “You’re that guy that worked with Brian for Uncle Reggie.”
It was Chris’ turn to be surprised. “You know Brian?”
Miles snorted. “I make it a point to know any guy my sister dates.”
“They’re dating?!” Chris exclaimed in surprise.
“Yeah,” Miles nodded. “Can you tell me anything about him?”
“Not really,” Chris admitted. He didn’t know this Brian all that well. “Actually, I’m here to see your dad. Is he home?”
Miles frowned. “I didn’t know that you knew my dead.”
“I doubt you know much of anything about me,” Chris retorted. “However, you are correct. I don’t know him. It is about something concerning Mr. Hollis.”
Miles frowned and then shrugged. “Then, why are you standing on the porch? Come on in.”
Surprised, Chris followed him into the house. Inside was much the same as the house had been in the other time line, except this one was still standing.
Kali Nicolae grabbed Chris arm and pulled him away from the demolished building. “Chris, it’s no use. The building is gone.”
“I’ll kill him,” Chris growled.
Kali rolled her eyes. “A little dramatic don’t you think?”
“How?” he demanded. “He’s killing people for their powers, which is bad enough, but now he’s attacking civilians because . . .”
“Because they side with the resistance,” she finished.
“But that’s only Gen,” he protested, staring angrily at the burnt building. “Her father and brother have nothing to do with us.”
“Miles provides us with some pretty cool gadgets that allow the nonmagical among us an advantage,” Kali reminded him. “And their father’s allowed us to camp out at the house on more than one occasion, so I doubt he considers them ‘civilians’.”
Chris sighed.
“No one was in there,” she informed him. “Be thankful for that at least.”
“Sure I’m glad he didn’t kill anyone . . . this time, but I doubt he would have cared if they were in there.”
“Perhaps not,” she admitted with a sigh. “But he’s your brother, Chris. That has to count for something.”
Chris stared at the charred remains of the house. “Not enough if he keeps killing people.”
Miles led Chris into a poorly illuminated room. The lights were out and despite persisting daylight the heavy curtains kept most of the light out. Miles walked up to the desk at the center of the opposite way and laid his hand on the shoulder of a person Chris hadn’t noticed upon entering. “Dad, there’s someone here to see you.”
There was a complete silence as Ev decided how to respond and then the sound of squeaking wheels as he pushed his chain back and stood up. He walked over to Chris and held out his hand. “I’m Everett Lawson. How may I help you?”
“May I speak to you alone?” Chris requested, glancing back at Miles. The fewer people he had to explain this to the better. And he didn’t know if Miles or Gen even knew about the curse.
Ev considered him in silence before he nodded. “Miles, would you mind telling your sister that I will be joining you for dinner tonight?”
If Chris hadn’t looked, he wouldn’t have caught the look of pure astonishment that crossed Miles’ face.
When Miles had left, Ev spoke in a grave tone, “I rarely join my children for meals, almost never while my wife is away on a trip as she is now. I ask, again. How may I help you?”
“Actually, I am hoping that I can help you,” Chris informed him.
Ev looked at him somewhat curious. He waited in silence wanting to know, but not willing to ask.
“Would you mind if I sat down?” Chris asked, indicating the couch to his right.
Ev nodded and sat down on the couch.
“I got a strange call this morning,” Chris informed him as he sat down. “It was from my brother and ended rather ominously.”
“I am sorry to hear that,” Ev commented, not sounding sorry, the monotone letting through no emotion.
“The message asked me to find out everything I could about something called the Aphrodite Crystal.”
Ev sucked in a deep breath. “You should avoid it at all cost.”
“I have spent the entire day nearly working with others to deal with the events that prompted my brother to make that call,” Chris informed him. “The gem itself has been dealt with, but since people had already been affected by it, we had to figure out the cure for it.”
“I’ve tried to find a cure for over twenty-five years,” Ev informed him. “I’m sorry, but you are unlikely to do so”
“You wrote a blog entry some time earlier this year stating you would do almost anything to rid yourself of its effects,” Chris reminded him. “I’m not rolling my eyes. I saw my brother trying to kill a young woman earlier today because he thought she was out to get him. . . which she was. My brother told me that someone else tried to kill his best friend for a similar reason. I’ve got a cure.”
Ev gulped.
“I’ve already been over to Centennial and given a dose to Mr. Hollis,” Chris informed him. “Feel free to call him and he will confirm what I have said.”
Ev frowned at him. “Who are you?”
“My name is Chris Halliwell. I used to work at Centennial.”
“Jarod,” Ev whispered.
“I intend to get a dose to him next,” Chris informed him. “Your friend, Nick, has agreed to help one of us get in to see him.”
Instead of responding, Ev closed his eyes, a look of pain on his face. The look quickly changed to one of anger, the first emotion Chris had seen Ev show without reserve.
Focusing on Ev, Chris could feel a second presence within Ev. Did the curse create some sort of parasite? Was that where the voice in the heads of those who were cursed come from? Wyatt had told him that the voice had been his own, but what was to stop a parasite from borrowing the victim’s voice?”
When Chris looked up Ev was staring at him. “Interesting,” Ev commented. “I haven’t had this great of an urge to hurt someone in almost twenty-five years.”
Chris frowned and involuntarily scooted closer to the edge of the couch.
Ev chuckled, a sad hollow sound. “I’ve had twenty-five years to learn to resist these urges. I just find it interesting. It’s as if something inside me is afraid you really will be able to cure me. And I suppose it could be some form of reverse psychology, but thing is, you’re right. I will do almost anything.”
“You’ll take the antidote?” Chris asked a bit surprised at the relative ease of the conversation.
Ev nodded. “I will.”
Chris reached into his pocket and pulled out a bottle with a dose of the potion. “It smells awful and I’m told it tastes as bad as it smells.”
Ev took the bottle from him and unscrewed the lid. He took a big whiff and shrugged. “I’ve smelled worse.” And then without so much as a show of distaste he swallowed down the potion. He wiped off his mouth with the back of his hand.
As it had with the others before, green bubbles began at his head, traveling down his body until they dissipated at his feet in green smoke. Ev watched its progress as it went down his body. A slight chuckle escaped his lips. “I actually feel better about this than anything else I’ve tried.”
“Because of the bubbles?” Chris looked at him speculatively.
Ev chuckled. “No, because those bubbles are green.” He glanced at Chris. “You never saw anyone get infected did you?”
Chris shook his head. “Nope.”
“Well, it’s a very green look,” Ev informed him. “It’s rather eerie, but nothing compared to what comes next, it’s rather tame.” He sighed. “That does feel better.” He smiled. “Much better actually. It’s as if I had a giant headache that I didn’t notice because I had it so long and now it’s gone.”
Chris grinned. “I’m glad.”
“I’d ask you to stay for dinner, but you already said you plan on getting a dose of this to Jarod, and I know he will be very glad to have it.”
Chris grinned bigger. “I’m sure he will. I’ll get the antidote to him, but you’re going to have to help him convince the people at wherever he is that he’s ready to leave. And he might need help getting there.”
Ev nodded. “I know, but Jarod’s not as far gone as people tend to think. He’s been learning to handle the voice, again . . . as long as he doesn’t mention that he’s hearing one to anyone at that psych ward.”
Chris chuckled. “Yeah, I imagine telling someone at a psychiatric hospital that you were hearing voices would not improve your chances of getting out.”
Ev gave out a little snort. “Best of luck, getting a drink into that building is going to be exceptionally difficult.”
Chris shrugged. “I’ve got my ways.”