Chapter Twelve
Rani
I’d been so caught up with Phil and our new relationship, that I felt slightly guilty when I looked at my caller ID and noticed Kelly’s number pop up. It had been a few weeks since we’d talked, and I couldn’t wait to catch up. I answered the phone and said with smile. “Hey, girl.”
“Hey,” replied Kelly, sounding a little down.
“Are you okay? You and Wade haven’t broken up again, have you?”
Kelly and Wade have had a roller coaster of a relationship. Most of the time, they were as sweet as ever, but when she was angry, watch out. Her fiery hair matched her demeanor and if she was angry with you, her tongue could cut you like a knife. I always felt lucky to have never been on the other side of her wrath. Poor Wade, on the other hand, has seen it up close and personal more times than I could count.
“No, no, Wade and I are just fine. I was just wondering if you wanted to go and grab a tuna sandwich?”
Phil was working and I wanted to see her badly, so I quickly agreed. “You know I am never going to say ‘no’ to a tuna sandwich. What time do you want to meet?
“How about half an hour?”
“Works for me.”
“Cool,” she replied. “I’ll see you in a bit.”
I reached the cafe before Kelly did, and grabbed a table toward the back. The place was sometimes loud and I wanted to make sure we could actually have a conversation.
Kelly walked in, found me immediately, and made a beeline to the table. As she was approaching, I noticed that something was different about her, but I just couldn’t pin-point what it was.
Had she gained weight? Lost weight? New hair color?
We gave each other a quick hug and sat down.
I smiled. “It feels like forever since we’ve hung out.”
“I know, right? So, how are you and Mr. Hotpants doing?” she asked, referring to Phil. “You cash in your ‘V’ card yet?”
I laughed at her blunt crudeness. “Not yet, you little tramp,” I teased. “But I think it might happen, soon.”
“I have no idea how you could wait this long. I would have had him naked within minutes of our first date. That man is just too yummy.”
She was right, he was yummy and it had been hard not ripping off all of his clothes, especially when we were alone. “Simmer down, Chica,” I teased. “You have your own yummy man.”
We were still laughing with each other, when suddenly, the mood turned serious.
“What is going on?” I asked, noticing the new troubled look on her face.
She sighed. “Do you remember those piles of dirt that we found at Tyler's house?”
Remember?
Even though I’d been busy with Phil, Tyler and those piles were always at the back of my mind. I still wasn’t sure what had happened to him or his parents, and now, I noticed that their house was up for sale.
“Of course I remember,” I replied. “Why?”
“I found out what really happened and… I’m afraid you are not going to like what I’m about to tell you.”
I felt a little annoyed that Kelly seemed to be holding out the truth on me. “Okay… so what’s with the piles of dirt?”
Kelly looked around the cafe, and then leaned in toward me. “Those weren't piles of dirt. They were the ashes of Tyler's mom and dad, and… the tooth that you found belongs to one of them.”
I gasped in disbelief. “How do you know that?” I asked, a little louder than intended.
She grabbed my wrist. “Rani, I have something to tell you, and it is something that you can never, I mean never, repeat.”
My eyes widened.
“I’m serious,” she whispered. “I am putting my trust and life into your hands by telling you what I’ve found out.”
Life?
I felt a wave of nausea course through my body. It was like Déjà vu - basically the same conversation I’d had with Tyler over a month ago, before he’d disappeared. If she disappeared, I wasn’t sure if I could handle another friend bailing on me.
“What are you talking about?”
Kelly then unloaded her story onto me and I sat in stunned silence for the next fifteen minutes, listening to every word. She explained that a woman named Gina Montgomery had come into her parents’ home, changing their world completely.
I sat with my mouth hanging open as she finished her tale.
Eternals? Living forever? Drinking blood? Bodies being turned to ashes? It was too much for me to grasp at one time.
“So, let me get this straight,” I said, trying to remain calm. “Some lady showed you a video of a man dying and then coming back to life. Then, told you a bunch of lies about some magic potion that would make you live forever?
“I know it is hard to believe,” Kelly said quietly. “But, it’s the God’s honest truth, I swear.”
I stared at her in horror. “And you actually let someone inject you with something?”
Kelly nodded.
“For fuck’s sake, Kelly, she could have injected you with some kind of freakin' horse sperm or something! You don't have any idea what that stuff was she put into your body!”
Kelly looked a little amused at the horse semen comment. “No. I knew what it was and I know that it worked.”
“How in the hell do you know if it worked?” I asked incredulously. “And how do you know that the dirt at Tyler's house was really his parents’ ashes?”
“Gina told me that Eternals who don't follow the rules are killed. Once they die, their bodies turn to ash.”
“Wait a minute, wait a minute,” I interrupted. “I thought you said that these Eternals never die?”
“There is a serum that was also created that can be used to kill them. If they drink or if it gets in their bloodstream, they will die.”
“So you are telling me that the Jacobsons were these Eternal things?”
Kelly shrugged her shoulders. “I don't know for sure, but it makes sense.”
“OK, so how do you know for sure that you are one of them, now?” I challenged her.
Kelly swiftly stood up. “Let’s go,” she said, heading toward the front door.
I stood up and followed her. Once outside I asked where we were going.
“No more questions for now,” she replied, as she remotely unlocked her car.
We drove a short distance to an old swimming hole that had been closed since last summer. A bunch of little kids had ended up with chigger bites, and they’d never reopened it. Kelly parked the car and I followed her onto an old rickety dock that creaked with every step.
“What the hell, Kelly? Why did you bring me here?”
In answer, Kelly started taking off her shorts and T-shirt.
“Are you crazy?” I hollered. “You can't go in there, the water is nasty!”
Standing in her bra and panties, she turned to me. “I have to prove that I am telling you the truth.”
“Fine, fine, fine” I said quickly. “I believe you, just get dressed and let's get outta here.” I then turned and began walking away when I heard a splash in the water.
Kelly had jumped in!
Shocked, I ran to the end of the dock trying to see where she went, because she hadn’t come back up. I got down on my belly to try and get a good look in the water, but it was so full of algae that I could not see a damn thing.
Dammit, Kelly! Your crazy stunt is the last thing I need right now.
I knew that she was a good swimmer so I sat up and counted to sixty, watching for her head to pop out of the water. But, sixty came and went, and there was no sign of Kelly.
Oh, my God! Where is she?
Crap!
Okay, calm down…
I counted to sixty again in my head as my hands began to shake. I was so frightened that something had gone terribly wrong, and Kelly was in real danger.
“Kelly!” I screamed.
Still nothing.
I could not wait any longer; she had been in the water too long. I kicked off my shoes and jumped into the nasty, green chigger-filled lake.
ARRRGGGHHH!!!
The water was so cold that it felt like a million pins poking me all at once. The algae from the lake was already clinging to my skin and clothes.
Gross! I am seriously going to kick her ass when I find her!
I inhaled deeply, held my breath, and submerged myself underneath the water. It was at the most, four feet deep, but so murky that it made it impossible to see anything.
I came up for air and dove back down again, for the second time. I opened my eyes, but the algae made it impossible for me to see more than two inches in front of my face.
Dammit, she has to be here somewhere.
I swam a little further out, and still could not find her.
By my third attempt, I was becoming increasingly tired. With a deep breath, I took another pass by the dock, and I was just about to come up for air, when I felt something grab my foot. I opened my mouth to scream, and instantly I was choking on nasty lake water. I sputtered and kicked to the top.
What the hell was that?
I figured it had to be Kelly playing a stupid trick on me.
Forget her! I am going back up to the dock.
I pulled myself back up onto the dock and waited for her to resurface. From where I stood, I had a bird’s-eye view of the lake, and would be able to see her when she came up.
I grabbed my phone and checked the time. I figured that I would give her another minute before I left without her; I was starting to get cold and stunk like nasty ass lake water.
The water was calm, and I did not see any ripples of movement. I grabbed my phone once again and to my surprise, three minutes had passed.
Maybe she wasn't joking and she really needed my help? I figured that if she was just goofing around, she would have already surfaced. Besides, there was no way anyone could stay under that long.
Frightened, I jumped back into the water and quickly swam to the spot where I thought I felt something grab my leg. I went underwater a little further until I bumped into something soft.
Kelly!
I opened my eyes, and to my surprise, I could make out her face and she was smiling at me. Looking closer, I noticed that she was holding onto some kind of seaweed.
I scowled and jerked my thumb upwards.
Kelly looked at me and shook her head.
WTF, Kelly!?
I was running out of air and had to resurface. My body was now shaking from both the cold and the fear I felt.
How in the hell is she doing that?
I took another breath and swam back down to her. She was in the same spot, just as calm as could be, smiling and waving. I tried pulling her up as hard as I could, but she wouldn’t budge. Her grip was tight around the weeds, and I was weak. I gave up and swam to the surface. Seconds later, she did, too.
“Believe me now?” she hollered, as I stood up on the shore.
“Just come to shore,” I replied, feeling defeated. I was tired and my mind was spinning.
Kelly swam to shore and saddled up next to me. To my surprise she wasn't even out of breath. “So, do you want more proof?” she asked seriously.
“No.” Obviously, if she could stay under water for that length of time, then she had changed.
Kelly smelled her arm and grimaced. “Let's get out of here, we smell like ass.” Then she walked back to the dock and grabbed her clothes.
The drive back to the cafe was a quiet one. I needed time to absorb what I had just witnessed. So what she’d told me was the truth? That there really are things out there called Eternals that could live forever?
It sounded crazy but what other explanation was there?
Kelly parked her car in an empty spot and then shut off the engine.
“Why?” I asked
Kelly looked perplexed. “Why, what?”
“Why did you become one of them? How could you even consider killing another human being, just so you could live forever?”
Kelly took her time in answering. “I don't see it as me killing someone in order to live. In fact, I believe that the people who are not chosen to become an Eternal will be serving their own special purpose. It's kind of like that scene from the Lion King, you know the circle of life.”
“Circle of life, my ass!” I barked. “You made a choice to become a cold-blooded killer, and I think it is disgusting, selfish, and wrong!” I started to unlock the door to get out when Kelly grabbed me by the arm.
“Rani,” she said fearfully. “You cannot tell a soul what I’ve told you. If you do, not only will they kill me, but, they will kill you, too.”
I shook her hand off of me, now unable to look at my former best friend in the face. As far I as I was concerned, I would never be able to look at her the same. She’d made a decision that I couldn’t understand, and would never be able to forgive. “Don't worry - your dirty little secret is safe with me,” I hesitated and then said under my breath, “for now.
I left her and walked home, feeling as if I had the weight of the world on my shoulders. All I wanted to do was go home, get into a hot bubble bath, and pretend that this day never happened.
When I opened the front door of my house and was about to head upstairs, I heard strange grunting noises coming from the living room.
Oh my God! My parents better not to be doing it in there! I’d walked in on them once when I was ten, and knew that just seeing my dad’s naked ass had already scarred me for life. It was a horrifying experience, one that was now forever etched in my mind. I felt myself shudder at memory.
Disgusted, I walked back to the front door, opened it and then closed it loudly, hoping they’d hear it.
Thankfully, it must have done the trick, because the moaning and weird noises stopped. As I was about to head upstairs, my mom called me into the living room.
I groaned. “Can it wait, Mom?” I didn’t feel like explaining why I was covered in green muck and smelled like rotten fish.
“No, it can't wait, come in here now.”
“Fine, I’m coming.” I slowly walked to the living room, picking as much of the dried up green crud as I could. When I stepped inside, I was surprised to see that my parents had a visitor. A stranger.
Oh crap, she must be selling something. As usual, my parents were the one couple in the neighborhood who just couldn’t say “no.”
“Oh, my goodness, what in the world happened to you?” mom asked while eying me from head-to-toe.
My dad looked around. “What is that smell?”
I smiled innocently. “I dunno, maybe the sewer is backed up again?”
“Rani,” said my mom, who was now standing right in front of me. “What happened to you?”
“Kelly and I were just goofing around by the old swimming hole, and I fell in, no big deal,” I said as nonchalantly as I could.
“You girls. Always getting into mischief. Well, I don't like it,” replied my dad, still trying to figure out where the horrible smell was coming from.
“Geez, Dad, it was an accident.” I was totally embarrassed that my parents were treating me like a child in front of a complete stranger.
The woman cleared her throat.
“Oh, my heavens,” said my mother, looking quite embarrassed. “I am so sorry for this.”
The woman laughed. “It is not a problem, Mrs. Vass.”
“I’ll be right back,” she replied. She then left the living room for a moment and returned with a towel from the closet, spreading it on the couch. “Here, Rani,” she said, smoothing it down. “Sit here.”
I sat down and stared at the woman, curious as to why she was in our living room and what exactly she was selling.
“Oh, my stars, I guess my manners have completely gone out the window today,” said my mom, looking uncomfortably nervous. “This is our daughter, Rani, and Rani… this is Gina Montgomery.”
I could feel the blood drain immediately from my face and it felt like the walls were closing in on me. Gina Montgomery? That was the same name as the lady who went over to Kelly's house! What the hell was she doing here?
I stood up and could feel the rage coursing through me. I faced my parents. “What the fuck is she doing here?” I yelled
My parents looked at me both wearing the same stunned expression, not saying a word.
“I said, what the FUCK is she doing here?” I whipped around and faced Gina. “GET OUT! NOW!”
Gina also looked a little surprise by my outburst. “Rani, I just want to talk to you,” she said in a calm and soothing voice.
“I know what you are, and I want you to get the FUCK outta my house!” I snapped, shoving her toward the front door. “There is no way my parents, or myself, would ever agree to become a monster like you!”
“Mr. and Mrs. Vass,” huffed Gina, as I pushed her closer and closer to the door.
“You just leave them alone!” I snarled, giving her a final push to the door.
“Rani!” hollered my father, rushing toward us, “That’s enough! I didn’t raise you this way!”
My eyes filled with tears. “But Dad, you don't know what she is! She's a… she's a monster!”
He grabbed me and pulled me into his arms. “Just sit down and hear Gina out,” he whispered. “I promise you’ll like what she has to say.”
A chill suddenly passed through me; I pushed away from my dad. “Oh, my God! Did you already do it?”
He didn’t respond.
I stared at both of them in horror. Dad had a pained expression and my mother was crying. She lowered her head, unable to meet my eyes. It was obvious that they’d fallen for the same bullshit that Kelly had.
I closed my eyes and shook my head; my world seemed to be crashing in around me.
How could they do this?
The fact that they’d agreed to this made my heart ache. Apparently, I didn’t know my parents at all.
It became too much, and I knew that I had to get out of there, and quickly. I backed up and turned around, running as fast as I could out of our front door.
“Rani! Please come back, baby!” I heard my mother sob out as I raced down the driveway.
I ignored her and ran and ran, until my lungs felt like they were on fire. When my side hurt and I couldn’t do it anymore, I hid behind a car that was parked on a deserted street to try and catch my breath. Then I pulled my cell phone out.
Several missed calls already from both my mom and dad.
I began to cry. How could my parents do this to me? Why would they choose to become one of those things?
Overwhelmed with emotions, I sat behind the car until it started to get dark, ignoring the dozens of calls from my parents, along with the numerous voice messages.
What am I going to do? Where am I going to go?
Just then, my cell phone buzzed again.
Christ, just leave me alone!
I glanced at the caller ID.
Phil. Thank God! I swiped my fingers across the phone and answered.
“Hey, sweetie,” Phil said before I could say hello. The sound of his voice sounded like a chorus of angels to my ears.
“Hi, babe,” I whispered.
“Why are you whispering? You ok?” he asked, sounding concerned.
I decided that I needed to tell someone what was going on. I was afraid and not sure if I could handle this on my own. “No, actually, I am not all right.”
“What's wrong? Where are you?”
I sighed. “I am not exactly sure where I am.”
“What do you mean? Rani, you are really starting to scare me! Where are you?”
I stood up to try and read a street sign or something. Our neighborhood has grown so much over the years that new streets seem to pop up every day.
“Um… I am not exactly sure, hang on just a sec.” I carefully ran toward the end of the street where a sign was posted. “Okay, I’m on the corner of Elm and First.”
“Stay there. I will be there in 10 minutes.”
“Okay.”
I hung up and sat behind another parked car, realizing that I still had lake goo all over me.
Oh great, the man of my dreams is going to see me covered in green slime and smelling like dead fish.
Several minutes later, I recognized the headlights that were approaching. I jumped up and waved Phil down.
He saw me, pulled up to where I was standing, and I got into his car.
“What happened to you?” he asked, looking me up and down.
“Long story. Can we please go to your place so I can take a shower?”
Phil put the car in gear and we headed in the direction of his condo. “So, you going to tell me what is going on?”
I slunk deeper into the seat, mentally exhausted. The day’s events slammed into me, all at once, like a million bricks. My parents. Kelly and the lake. Gina. The Eternals. It was just too much. “Can we talk later? I just need to rest my eyes for a minute.”
“Of course.”
I closed my eyes and let the motion of the car lull me to sleep.
***
Rani
I woke up in a panic.
Where was I?
I glanced around the candlelit room and immediately relaxed. I was in Phil's living room.
I looked down and noticed that I was no longer wearing my crud-covered clothes and that I was now in a luxurious robe.
What is this, cashmere?
I hugged it closer to my body, loving the way it felt against my skin. Then, when I peeked down the front of the robe, I noticed that I was naked.
“There is my sleeping beauty,” said Phil, walking into the room.
I smiled.
He gave me a kiss on the cheek. “Here, drink this,” he said, handing me a cup of steaming hot cocoa.
I grabbed the mug and took a sip. The chocolate felt wonderful as it slid down my throat and then warmed my insides. “So,” I said, peering at Phil over my mug. “How exactly did I end up in this robe?”
Phil cleared his throat and chuckled. “Well, I tried to wake you, but you were out like a light. I hate to say it, but you kind of had a funky odor going on.”
I could feel myself turning red. “You washed me off?”
“Babe, I had to… the smell was making my eyes water.” He gave me a smile that almost made me melt right there and then. “So, do you want to tell me what happened?”
I nodded and nervously began retelling him the horrific events that had transpired. I was so afraid that he would think that I was crazy, or worse… not believe me.