Men of the Cave (Symbol of Hope Series) (6 page)

“Did I say something wrong?” I asked afraid that I’d somehow put my foot in my mouth.

“No, Kasey you are fine.” Dion glanced at Max.

“Okay, I’ll go put your order in.”

The rest of the night was quiet. The Kleon brothers didn’t say much to me again. When my shift was over, I went upstairs and sprawled across my tiny bed. It felt nice to lay back and relax. I took a few seconds to gather myself and then reached up onto the desk to grab my cell phone. I had an awful habit of checking it constantly even though I never received any messages. This time when I looked at the tiny screen, I blinked several times. The little pop up box read the number eight with Nolan’s name next to it. There were no messages. My heart sunk to the bottom of my stomach. Something was wrong. Why would he call eight times and not leave a message? Frantic, I hit the call back button and held my breath with each ring. Finally, after the fifth ring, I heard his voice.

“Kasey, why haven’t you called me back?” He sounded hysterical.

“I was working, what’s wrong? Is everyone okay?”

“No! Kase I don’t know what to do. I…I… can’t take this anymore. They are nuts, completely out of their minds!” He began to bawl over the phone.

I let out a sigh of relief no one was hurt. Then I switched my tone to the understanding older sister. “Just tell me what’s happened.”

In between sobs he managed to say, “They...they…have joined a nudist colony. They actually think I’m going to go live with them completely naked. How can our parents be so insane?”

My mouth dropped, “What!”

“Nudist, Kasey, they have become nudist,” he said calmer.

I was prepared for anything imaginable, but this.

“Oh, my God, Nolan, I don’t know what to say. You’re going to have to give me a minute.”

“I know, I know. I thought they couldn’t get any fruitier than they were. Then they go off and do this crazy thing,” he said frustrated.

“Have you guys already moved into the colony?”

“No, they are doing it the first of November. When the rent goes up here; they move to the colony.”

“What about the health food store?” I asked.

“They’re keeping it. They’re dressing for work every day, but when they are home they’re going to be naked and they are going to live next to people who are naked.”

“Have they said why the sudden change in life style?” I asked still in disbelief.

“They said they have always felt they wanted to live like that and since you left they thought this was the perfect opportunity. Like they don’t even give a crap about me.”

“Are they making you live with them?” Knowing Sue and Frankie, they would never make him do something he didn’t want to.

“No, they said that if I can arrange another living situation they would let me do what I wanted, but I can have a room in their new apartment.”

“Wait, what about my room?” I couldn’t help but selfishly ask. Would I have a home to return to when this excursion was over?

“They said you were eighteen and more than capable living on your own. They’re going to help you get a place.”

“Okay, that’s good.” I like the thought of having my own place. “You can stay with me. I’ll take care of you.”

“I know you will Sis.”

“So now, you have three weeks to figure out something before they move. Do you have a game plan?”

“Yeah… I do,” he said hesitantly.

“Really? That’s great.” I felt bad for my brother. I really wished I’d been there to help him with our bizarre parents. “What are you going to do?”

“When you didn’t pick up I…well, I… called him Kase. He said I could live with him, and I think I’m going to take it,” he said in a whisper.

“HIM! Him who, Nolan?”

“You know who, Kase,” he said gently.

“Aww, Nolan. Not Teal!”

“Kasey, I don’t care what happened between you two. He was always nice to us, and we all got along with him. I’m like his brother and he’d gladly take me in. I would rather live with him over our parents. It’s not going to matter for you; you are half across the world!” I heard the resentment in his voice.

“Don’t you think you could’ve come up with another option?”

“No! You left me here with these crazy people. I have to figure out how to take care of myself because of you, and that’s what I’m doing.”

The tears rolled off my face. As much as I hated what was going on back home, I knew my brother would be safe and taken care of at Teal’s place.

“I’m so sorry I’m not there.”

“He still loves you Kase. You are all he talks about. He says you won’t call him…”

“Nolan, that’s none of your business.”

“You can’t ignore him. You were the one who was wrong.”

A big lump formed in my throat, “Enough! You’re going to be fine, right?”

“I guess,” he mumbled.

“I love you, please take care… call me often.” The tears streaked down my cheeks.

“I love you Sis, you take care too.”

We hung up. I tried to call my parents. I was going to give them an earful on their ludicrous infatuation. As usual, the phone went straight to voice mail. I didn’t bother wasting any more time leaving them a message. I hung up. Burrowing my face into my pillow, I wept for my little brother and my inability to help him.

6. Kasey and the Gladiators

Every hour of the night passed slow, unbearable. The mad behaviors of my family were a source of constant agony in my mind. In the dark hours, I felt sick to my stomach. I turned and tossed. I watched the hours go by until six o’clock in the morning. Finally, I dozed off into a deep sleep.

******

I’m standing on a cloud, a hazy mist, cool in temperature, surrounding my feet. Somehow, I move forward even though I wasn’t walking. It was on a moving sidewalk. On my left, I pass a young couple sitting on a bench drinking coffee in the nude. They don’t see me. I shudder with a cold chill. On my right, I pass Dion in his stunning blue shirt. He hops onto the moving sidewalk and wraps his arms around my waist. His embrace feels tight and cozy. Just ahead, I see the back of a red sofa with two people on it. In front of the couch there’s a coffee table with a bonsai on it.

We approach the sofa. It spins around and another couple sits there pruning the bonsai tree. They are my parents, naked. “Sue! Frankie! What are you doing?” I scream. As I utter the words, Dion pushes me away with disgust. He shoves me so hard that I fall off the sidewalk and into the cool hazy mist. I fall into nowhere and nothing. Then gravity and wind start to pull my clothes off my pale body. First, I lost my shoes, and then my pants and my shirt followed. I fell into a white cool haze in only my underwear and bra. The mist is cold and my skin feels like a corpse. The haze subsides and everything is black.

That’s when the strange force of nature rips off the only two garments left on me. Still falling, below me, I see I’m heading for a big black jar.  The jar had hieroglyphic writings and trimmings in gold. On the top was the word “
Pandora
.” I fell into the jar and the lid closed.

******

I hit the floor of my bedroom with a harsh thud. I checked myself over and was extremely relieved to see my plaid pajama pants and purple t-shirt still on my body. Taking a deep breath and pulling myself together, I glanced at the clock on the desk. If I hadn’t fallen out of bed already, I would have again. It was almost eleven thirty in the morning! Thankful it was Saturday, I stretched and prepared for a run. I couldn’t believe that I slept that long. I needed to decompress. Slipping into my green track shorts and pulling my hair back, I prepared my IPod. With music blaring, I concentrated on the goal to get outside and run ignoring everyone I passed in the restaurant.

I headed up the street toward the cliffs. The run was peaceful with hardly any cars on the cobblestone street. Stunning hedges and ornate iron gates lined the road at every driveway entrance. I enjoyed pumping the salty air through my lungs. It was almost impossible to keep my mind off all the mayhem that was happening.

One thought though, one thought was a piercing knife in my mind, him. Nolan would be living with him. What was his motive for taking my brother in? Did he think I would come running into his arms when I came back? I had been avoiding his phone calls, but now I thought I owed him a chat. I wanted to talk to him about Nolan, and a small, a very small, part of me wanted to hear his voice.

 After crossing the street, I came up to an open black iron gate with golden tipped spearheads. The nameplate on the gate read, “KLEON.” I slowed my pace way down. All this time riding in Dion’s Mini Cooper we never talked about where he lived. I was not surprised to see that the Kleons lived in an art deco style mansion. From the look of the property size, it appeared as if they owned a good chunk of land along with the beautiful home. A forest of Junipers surrounded the house. No one would ever know that the ocean lay on the other side of the mansion. I decided that a chat with Dion would be a great distraction, so I invited myself into the open gate.

Half way up the long driveway, I heard the most unusual sound. “Clink, tink, tank.” The sound repeated with different rhythms. I couldn’t make out what it was, but it sounded metallic. Following the sound, I walked into the forest. I didn’t keep track of where I was, and realized I couldn’t see the driveway or the beautiful house. I started to panic. I hoped the sounds would lead me to one of the Kleons.  I trusted they could rescue my lost self. I walked toward the sound of metal clanging. It got louder as I approached.

Hidden behind tall trees, I came to a small natural clearing of low grass. In this patch, the twins battled with swords. I could tell they had been at this for a while. Sweat soaked their shaggy hair. Droplets poured down their bare muscular chests. It was hard to distinguish who was who. One wore black shorts and the other blue. They grunted with every swing, and I could see all their teenage boy muscles flex when their swords struck.

“Clink, clank,” the swords sounded with each smack. Their footwork was impressive as they anticipated the other’s move. They were in a dangerous synchronized dance. I recognized the swords from research for an extensive history report. The assignment was on the Roman Coliseum and the Gladiators. The men used these swords during the mid-first century. I couldn’t believe the twins were fighting with this type of sword.

The swords were about two feet long with a diamond cut, pointed tip. They swung them around with ease and precision as if they were mere batons. Is this what these boys did for fun? One twin thrust his sword straight down toward the other, but he masterfully blocked the strike. I found it odd they fought with no shields like true Roman Gladiator would have. The twins locked with swords crossed, and the twin in blue fell to one knee. The twin in black, almost sinister said, “I have you now.”

He swung his sword over his head like a helicopter, then aimed it dead on at his brother’s chest. The twin on the floor tried to block the oncoming sword. A tragic miss. His brother’s sword plunged into his chest.

I gasped as the twin fell struggling with his last few breaths.  Like a movie scene, the victor’s sword pierced through the young boy’s body. The twin fell to the ground. The sword handle stuck out of his chest and the tip out of his back.

His brother smiled and said, “Finally,” then left through a path on the other side of the clearing.

I bent over and tried to breathe. My body shook. I felt as if someone twisted my stomach like a soaked towel. I took a few steps forward and looked around. I heard nothing, only silence. I hurried to reach the brother lying dead before me.

“Martin, John…,” I whispered. The boy didn’t move. I took another step forward to see his face. As I peered over his shoulder, his haunting open eyes and mouth sent me into a complete earthquake. Panicked, I staggered backwards. My back felt the prickly sting of a Juniper tree. Then I ran. I sobbed, and sprinted as fast as I could. I anticipated seeing the winding driveway that would lead me out of this monstrous nightmare.

Soon, I was running on gravel, out through the open gate, and back down the road toward the restaurant. My mind was a soup of images and thoughts. Whom do I tell? I must call the police. A gladiator fight to the death! Will anyone believe me? Was all this real?

With the images in my head, I didn’t realize how fast I ran back. I reached the restaurant and collapsed at the first empty table. There were no customers, Garcia placed glass cups upside down on the tables. Fernando filled vases with fresh wild flowers. Both looked at me, and based on their facial expression, I must have looked as bad as I felt. My body shook. I could barely stand. Fernando and Garcia came rushing to me.

“Kasey,
que paso
!” Fernando said with alarm. He placed his arm around my shoulders holding me up.

“Papa,
que hago
?” Garcia asked.

“Go get her some water. Tell your
Madre
in the kitchen, quickly.”

Garcia ran toward the kitchen. The world started to spin.

 “Kasey, what is wrong?” Fernando said urgently. The kitchen door swung open and in a matter of seconds, Garcia and Beatriz stood next to me. Garcia placed a glass in my hands. I tried to lift it but had limited control of my gross motor skills.

“Kasey…do you need to lie down?” Beatriz said, stroking back a few strands of hair.

“Papa, here comes Doctor Kleon.” Garcia looked out toward the street. The world stopped spinning when I heard that. I looked up to see Max, Dion, Antony, John, and Martin sauntering toward the restaurant.

I dropped the glass. Tiny pieces of crystal splatter across the floor at my feet. I watched the Kleon brothers as if they were in slow motion walking up to us. John and Martin were, breathing, walking, and alive. Their faces looked stone serious and concerned. This couldn’t be. Was I crazy? What the hell was going on? Was I even breathing? I took a quick look at the other brothers and they all had the same quizzical expression.

“Ah, Doctor Kleon. Please come. Kasey is not feeling well,” Fernando said as they approached.