Chapter Seven
Apollo's Ghost
I lie on my bed, but I'm not even close to sleep. I look down at the three-inch-thick physics book still resting on the floor where I dropped it on my way in over an hour ago. I know Oriah wants me to read it, but all I did is glance at the atomic structures for all of five minutes on the way up here. My mind keeps running through all the events that have happened in the last few days. I went from being a nobody to some kind of mutant prince in less than a week. I try to take my thoughts to the place my mind really wishes to be. The memory of our moment at the pond still raises my spirits with the lifting illusion that there just might be a future. Not to mention those strawberry kisses. Maybe Grace will come visit me again like she did before.
I focus my efforts around one sentence. I miss you. I try to imagine what she might be doing and propel the thought to her. I wait, even though I know a reply could never happen. Then suddenly, a chill runs through me as I hear a voice in my head. I thought there was to be no distractions? It's Oriah. My feelings shift abruptly from contentment to pure aggravation, and I decide to counter his ploy. Now I understand why my mother locked you out. And with just a thought, I reinstate the mental barrier between us I picked up on in our telepathy session. It feels like putting my entire perception of him in a tiny imaginary box. I hope your headache doesn't keep you awake, old man.
I return my attention back to Grace but something feels different now. Among the inklings of her materializing in my head, I get the faintest impression of a whisper. It sounds like it came from some deep, long tunnel. Apollo. I check the cerebral block on my father, so I know it's not him. Maybe it's just my imagination, or maybe I'm just too tired. Maybe it's her. I attempt to answer the ghost voice. Yes it's me, come find me. I don't get a response. I spend the next half hour trying, but I always get the same empty result. I start to fantasize about my next encounter with Grace. We're back in the garden, sitting by our pond, her head is resting on my shoulder. "So why didn't you ever talk to me?" I sit in silence, staring at the glassy surface of the unusually motionless water, trying to convince myself it won't be embarrassing to just tell her the truth, besides she deserves it.
"I was afraid you didn't like me."
"Why in the world would you think that?"
"Because you're so pretty, way out of my league."
Grace lifts her head and looks at me, a smile streaks across her perfect face. I notice for the first time, light subtle freckles scatter across the bridge of her nose. They definitely add to her beauty. She leans in, plants a peck on my cheek, and returns her head back to my shoulder, "You're really sweet, but I'm so not." She takes my hand and intertwines her fingers with mine. The compliment Grace just gave builds a renewed confidence in me so I inquire about her own reasons, "Okay then, my turn, why do you like me so much?" Her snicker surprises me as she answers with a cackle, "That's easy! See how nice and sweet you are? And you're pretty cute too." I smile back at her and can't help but retort, "There has to be more to it than that."
Her smile dims as her expression turns into something a little more serious, "You're right, Apollo, there is. I don't know what it is though, it's just something about you. In school, every time I would see you, I'd get like, really nervous. But at the same time it made me think about you a lot. I always wanted to talk to you but I thought you didn't like me." Her answer sends a wave of surprise though my body and I respond with my natural reaction, "Why would you think that?" Grace rears back and I see a shocked expression on her face. Her mouth is wide open, like I just said something that offended her. "Because you wouldn't talk to me!" My right shoulder stings from the punch that just accompanied another one of her light-hearted laughs. I think I could listen to those forever.
My mind suddenly goes dark. Apollo. The ghostly voice filters through again. This time it seems closer, clearer and I get more details. It sounds female. There's urgency to it like she's desperately searching for something. For some strange reason, it makes me think of my mother, and what the library's computer said. A genetically enhanced male and female.. to produce a child. I wonder if it's her. Can she do things like my father; like me? I want to talk to her but I promised Oriah I wouldn't leave. I send a decree out into space. I'm here, come find me. This time I instantly get a reply. I can't..we don't have..much time..you have to come to me...
The voice fades in and out as we try to communicate. The voice has an eerie echo to it, and I get only fragments of what is essentially a brief, one-way conversation before it fades away again. I try this to focus in on Sabrina, hoping I can reach her. Pain suddenly rips through my forehead, excruciatingly sharp and to the point. I shoot straight up and wince, rubbing the spot between my eyes. I look around the room like I'm going to find some reason for the now painful, throbbing rhythm of my heartbeat that's ringing throughout my skull. I collapse back into bed. Lying there in the painful darkness for what seems like hours, I can't help but worry, is my mother in trouble? Should I tell Oriah or just run to her house? If she was in any danger, surely he would know it and rise to action. Right? I'm torn between obeying my father and leaving to find my mother, but in the end, sleep ultimately wins out.
~
Smack! That's the sound that wakes me, along with a blinding flash that stings the left side of my face. I feel weight on me, holding me down, and then someone's hand finds my other cheek. "I thought I told you to stay out of my head!" It's early morning and still dark outside, but I recognize the voice screaming at me. "Stop!" I can just make out her right hand, high in the air, ready to strike another blow to my face. "What are you talking about, Sabrina?" I plead with her as she drops her arm, her chest pulsating with rapid breaths. The hint of her expression mimics the rage that is present in her voice "You were trying to creep into my head last night Oriah, I know it! Who else would it be?" I slide up from underneath her body and sit up on the edge of our old bed, turning on the bedside lamp, "You think maybe, our son? You know I have been teaching him." The anger I find on her face calms to concern, her eyes are now wide open.
"So he knows?"
"Yes he knows, I told him. There wouldn't be much point of keeping it from him now anyway, he read minds, you know."
"How did he react?"
I can't help but continue with rejoinder, "Go find out for yourself. Go talk to him"
She looks at me as if she can't make up her mind who to be angry at. After all these years of caring and watching over him, now that he knows the truth, she's scared to face him. Her weakness is unexpected but I definitely understand it, it's still my fault. "He's not angry with you, I promise. He wants to see you." She raises her eyebrow at me, and a hint of hope lights up her face. She stands up to leave, but the room quickly goes dark. I jump to my feet not believing the conclusion that jumps out at me. As my eyes adjust to the new darkness, I can't seem to find Sabrina's face so I think out to her before I realize what I'm doing. They're here early. Run! Everything shakes violently as a huge fireball glows through the window from the western wall.
"The Corsair! Get to the bunker!" I yell out to her but she's already gone.
I run through the hall and down to Apollo's room. I stumble as the building lurches again and another thunderous explosion rips through the air. I find him outside his door; his alarmed look is expected, but what I didn't anticipate was him clutching the physics textbook I gave him the night before. Maybe he does value his birthright. For all of our sakes, I hope so. "Apollo we must go, now!"
We make our way through the halls, I plant something into Apollo's subconscious; another contingency plan. It's more like a condensed version of the lessons I wanted to show him when I thought we had more time. I tailor the subliminal suggestion to prohibit him from digesting the information right away or even being aware of it. Rather it's designed to reveal itself in layers, triggered by his anticipated actions and emotions. I just hope it's enough.