Four (Their Dead Lives,1) (42 page)

The mad man stared from behind his glasses, face and body still, falling into a deep examination, analyzing every part of Scot.
Awkward
. “Now more than ever, we have to ensure our safety. Sofia is a threat to us all, especially to him.” Addison nodded at Scot, speaking calmer, saner. “Please, you have to listen to me.”
 

“Everyone breathe. A lot of explaining will happen.” Nasir hung the rifle on his back. “Let’s start with you, Professor. Yes, I recognize you from all those interviews. You helped construct our Vaults.”
 

“I did.”
 

“What happened?” Lexington asked him.

“Death, rather than life, happened.”

“What turned those people?”

“That, I do not know. But what I do know is some force, be it an alien or spiritual, or a freak of nature, some force came to our planet. It caused this all to happen.”
 

“You believe Sofia to be this force?”
 

“No, well,”—Addison raised his head, breathing—“I believe she is part of it. They are Embracers of Death, you see.”
 

The room froze.
 

Life-stricken, dark eyes tore at Scot’s soul — the same eyes from high school. He never thought he’d hear that name again. He’d fought so hard to forget it.
 

Kale and Jeff — right all along?
 

He decided to keep his first-hand knowledge silent.
 

“Embracers of Death?” Lexington laughed. “With that name, I know you’re making this up.”
 

“I’m not!” Addison clenched his fists, white-knuckled. “She will come after
him
.” He gave a quick nod to Scot.
 

His stomach turned.
More than one of them?

“Why him?”
 

“Because he’s the only one who can rescue this world. You see, Brody Vitaly hired you to bring him here because he wants to save us more than anything, and this kid is his key. I should’ve taken his words steady, but I thought him crazed like everyone else.” He looked at Lexington. “I guess, insane like myself.”
 

“This, this doesn’t sound real, or possible. It’s downright preposterous.” Lexington rubbed his shiny head.
 

“Most people hate the truth,” said Addison.
 

Nasir stepped closer to the couch. “This boy is special, which should be clear to everyone. But we can’t go shooting people randomly, even if you believe her to be this thing you call an Em—”
 

The stairs creaked until she was standing in the doorway. Her emerald eyes were a treasure to behold, pulling him to his feet. Kelsey looked too weak, too shocked to move from the hall.
I terrify her — a fate worse than death.
 

Stepping closer to her, Scot gave one bloody, dirty, petrifying smirk.
 

Nasir blocked his path. “You stay on the couch.”
 

“Nasir,” Kelsey said, coming to his side, “I think he’s okay.”
 

“Dear, you don’t have to be exposed to this.”
 

“I can handle him in any state.”
 

Scot realized he should’ve given her more credit. He released a heavy breath. “I...” His voice lowered as he reached for her.
 

Kelsey squirmed at Scot’s red and brown stained hand. He was a walking corpse, and would have done the same.
 

Nasir stayed between them.
 

Scot lowered his hand. “Kelsey, it’s me. You know me. Please understand I won’t hurt you.”
 

Kelsey stepped around Nasir, scanning Scot’s body. “This is...you...are we in a dream?”
 

With calm in his eyes, he said, “We left a nightmare.”

A lantern on the counter gave the bathroom a sickly orange glow. Cold water fell over Scot’s body as he pressed against tiles, hands outstretched over his head. Dirt washed off his body, cleaning him to his normal slender paleness. He kept his eyes shut, flinching as drops hit his bullet wound. The skin over his skull wrapped into itself, sewing itself, healing itself.
 

The water died. Ripping the shower curtain open, with trembling feet he stepped on cold floor as he snatched a towel off the closed seat of the toilet. It felt soft against his face, then he wrapped it around his waist. Opening his eyes, he stared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. His bullet wound had quickly become a fresh, hairless scar. He wrapped a bandage around his skull to block the gruesome scar from Kelsey’s eyes.
 

After dressing himself with clothes found in the master bedroom, jeans and a collared plaid shirt, Scot went to a guest room. He stood in the doorway, peeking around the corner.
 

Kelsey sat straight, legs off a bed, facing him. “Everything okay?”

“I think so. All we need now is sleep.”
 

“I’ve been fighting to stay awake.”
 

“You didn’t have to wait for me.” He moved into the room.
 

“I wanted to.” She swung her legs on the bed, eyes following him as he sat on a bed across from her.

“I don’t want to scare you.”
 

Kelsey made room on the bed, motioning for him to join. “Lie with me.”
 

Scot’s face was still before his lips shot apart and he shoved off his bed in excitement.
 

“Did it heal already?” Kelsey was staring at the bandage around his head as he joined her.

“Yeah, I guess.”
 

“Why the bandage?”
 

“I look gross. You don’t want to see it.”
 

“I want to. I was shocked to see you alive, but that doesn’t mean I’m afraid of you.” She started unwrapping it but he stopped her.
 

“Should we leave it on?”
 

“You heal so fast, though.”
 

“I know, but it’s weird. Sometimes I hurt myself and the wound stays forever. But this one,”—lying lower than her, he lifted his head—“I had to get back to you, Kels.”
 

She touched his cheek, such a warm touch, and she inched closer, giving him the lightest kiss to his forehead. A soothing whisper covered him, “We have forever to talk. Let’s sleep.”
 

The lantern’s light vanished and Scot lay there wide-awake, even with the comfort of her body close. She had quickly fallen asleep. He’d do the same eventually, he trusted.
 

His grave had never given him rest during his dead days. He’d been awake, or at least awake with his thoughts, trying to survive in another world, another realm, trying to survive with them.
 

Alec. Kale. Jeff.
 

Damn it, they were meant for something greater, and a bullet to the head finally gave Scot that realization. He thought maybe change would come, forming him into the man he should’ve always been.
 

As his eyes grew heavy, as he rolled over and wrapped around Kelsey, a woman’s silhouette stood in the hallway, staring at him through the dark.
 

Scot launched forward with outstretched arms, flailing for the lantern. With the light came clear sight, showing an empty hall.
 

Kelsey woke up from the commotion. “What is it?”
 

“I—” Scot’s bare chest heaved, his heart speeding.

“Scot?” She sat up, staring at the hall with him.
 

“Thought I saw something. Must’ve been nothing.”
 

Kels lowered to her pillow, pulling Scot down with him. “It’s okay to be scared. But you’re not alone anymore.” She whispered, “I’ll keep you safe.”
 

Grabbing Kelsey’s hand, Scot pressed his back against her, enjoying her as his big spoon. She held him in the dark, giving his eyes the anchors they needed to sink beneath sleep, and the hell they lived in lifted closer to heaven.

five years earlier

THEM
 

”Tell me something, Scotty. Do you believe in fate?”

The two high school seniors stood at an intersection. School had just ended. Hordes of other students walked in every direction, making their way to their cars, parents, or homes. The afternoon sky was warm, bright. Scot looked down at Kale, standing a couple of inches taller, still growing at the age of seventeen.
 

Three years had passed since their encounter with the Embracer of Death. The media frenzy, the interviews, the police reports, had all died down. The world was more concerned with the impending apocalypse. The Vault lottery had been announced days earlier. Scot and his friends didn’t know anyone who’d won.

“Fate? Why are you asking me this?” Scot responded.
 

“I’ve been thinking lately, about, you know—”
 

Scot pulled his backpack tighter. “You’re talking about
it,
again. You know I don’t want to. I can’t.”
 

“Homer talks to me about it.”
 

“Yeah, well, I’m not Jeff. Neither is Alec. You should respect us and let us be.”
 

Kale huffed. “Something big happened. I saved your asses, now the least you can do is—”
 

Scot was shoved from behind. He flailed forward, crashing to the concrete of the road. He lifted his cut face off the ground, swinging his head to the side. No incoming cars. Behind him, he heard Kale yell.
 

“Damn you, Tug!” He shoved Tug Plowsky: the terrorizing bully who should’ve graduated already but preferred to be a stereotypical mongrel that created a living hell for others.
 

“Hey, I didn’t know he’d fly that far. Kid is a rail!”
 

Kale pushed his face up to Tug and shoved him again. “Yeah, well you look like a giant Q-tip, asshole.”
 

The surrounding crowd laughed at the bully.
 

Tug’s face flushed red and he grabbed his bleach blonde curly fro. “Not cool, man, you know I have a vitamin deficiency!” He cowered away with his head down, sulking.
 

Kale pulled Scot to his feet. “You okay?”
 

Scot’s face was as red as Tug’s. He fought to keep his eyes from the crowd. “He’s going to give it to me harder now. Thanks.”
 

“Just stand up to him. He’s weak.” Kale swiped dirt off Scot’s sleeve.
 

“He’s bigger than me.”
 

“Yeah, well, he’s bigger than me and I got rid of that weasel.”
 

“I’m going home.”
 

“Dude, come to the mall with me. Jeff and Alec are there getting smoothies.” His voice turned soft, soothing Scot like a fluffy comforting pillow. “Smoothie will make you feel better, you want?”
 

Scot quickly nodded twice. “I want a smoothie.”

Outside the smoothie shop, Jeff stared at a plastic table, silent with Alec. Alec was busy replying to a text from Nicole. “You okay, bro?” he asked, even with his eyes focused on his phone.
 

Jeff shook up. “Huh? Yeah.”
 

“What’s going on? Why did you want to meet up?”
 

“I feel...I feel like we’re slipping away from each other.”
 

Alec gave a half-smile. “I suppose that’s true, but we’ve all been busy figuring out what the hell to do with ourselves after high school. Plus, things with Nicole—”
 

“Everything okay with her?”
 

“Yeah, yeah, I just, I’ve never felt like this about someone before.”
 

“You going to marry her?”

Alec snorted. “I’m only eighteen.”
 

“Why would age matter if the feelings are there?”
 

“Damn, Homer, when did you get so wise?”
 

Might as well tell him now.
“I decided to join the Navy after school,” Jeff said in a light voice. “But don’t tell Kale, not yet.”
 

“Why the secrecy?”
 

Instead of answering, Jeff looked past Alec. “Here they come.”
 

Alec turned to see Kale and the scraped-up Scot. “Plowsky get you again?”
 

Scot silently affirmed this with a nod.

“God, that guy bugs me.” Jeff smacked the table.
 

“I say we egg his house tonight,” said Kale.
 

They all agreed.
 

“It’s been a while since we had a nice egging.”
 

Kale nudged Scot. “You down?”
 

“Yeah, I’m down to egg the shit out of him. Hang on, I need my smoothie.” Scot entered the store and minutes later, he returned, straw in mouth, happily slurping it down.
 

Kale offered him his seat but Scot stayed standing.
 

“All right, so, why are we here? What did you want to talk about, Kale?” Alec asked.
 

“I’ll cut right to it. The other night Homer and I, along with Jimmy Miller, were drinking out by the cliffs.”
 

Scot pulled the straw from his mouth. “You guys drink?”
 

They all stared at him. “Dang, Scotty,” said Kale, “You don’t jack off, you don’t drink, what
do
you do?”
 

“Watch
The O.C.
” He smiled as he sucked his smoothie down.
 

“Anyway,” Kale started again, but then looked at Jeff, “do you want to tell it?”
 

“No way.”
 

“Hey, guys,” interrupted Scot, “I do jack off now, by the way. I’m a late bloomer, is all.”
 

Kale raised a hand. “Just quietly drink your smoothie, okay?”
 

Scot complied happily.

Alec leaned closer. “So you guys were out drinking, but wait, why weren’t Scot and I invited?”
 

Kale grinned. “You were but you were also with your ladies.”