touch (15 page)

Retelling the story, I had more questions for Morik.  If
there were more creatures like him, why didn’t he seek them for company?  I
closed the book and smoothed my hand over its worn cover before looking up at
me mom.  Her gazed pinned me to my chair.  From her eyes, she knew the worst
was coming.

“The first creature’s name is Morik.  And he followed us
despite the move.”  My mom groaned a little.  “He scared the b'Jesus out of me
at first.  But, other than breaking Clavin’s leg for hurting me, he hasn’t done
anything bad.”  Aunt Danielle chuckled a little from her chair, but I ignored
it.  Yes, I knew breaking someone’s leg was plenty bad.

“When he told me the story, everything fit.  When I asked
questions, he was right about everything… Well, except for how many descendants
are left.”  Everyone looked at me blankly.  “He said four,” I clarified.  “He
can sense when something big happens to us… like, we’re born, die, or in my
case, when Clavin and Brian bashed my face and I was in pain.  I think because
Gran and Aunt Danielle are twins, he counted the two of you as one.”

“Why are you telling us this?” Mom asked quietly.

“Because I made a deal with him.”  At her horrified
expression, I held up my hand.  “A small one.  Ten days of no forced sleep in
exchange for an hour spent with him every day.  I did it as a test to see if he
was telling the truth about the touch, the chant, everything.”  On a roll, I
jumped in with what mom would consider the worst part.  “I invited him to
dinner.”  I said it quickly like pulling off a bandaid.

“Tessa Bree Sole, you can’t possibly be considering him as
an option,” my mother cried vehemently.

Before I had a chance to respond, Aunt Danielle piped up,
“Why not?  Would it be better that she make no choice at all?  You know as well
as I do that the choice isn’t just in your head, but in your heart as well.”

My mom’s expression paled and I turned to look at Aunt
Danielle who stood and glided toward us.

“Pull out a chair for me, dear.”

I did and she carefully sat, lightly resting her arms on the
top of the table.

“Your Gran made her choice already at sixteen.  She knew
what she wanted.  But I was more like you.  I didn’t want to be forced into a
choice I didn’t want, one never explained.”

I nodded my head, for the first time seeing someone who
truly understood my position.

She sighed.  “So I didn’t choose.  On my seventeenth
birthday, I died.”

She said it quietly, looking at me with her soft grey eyes
and I didn’t believe her for a minute.  Not until she moved her hand to cover
mine.  A chill passed through my hand at the same time her hand did… through my
hand and through the table.  I wanted to panic.  Hyperventilate maybe.  But all
I managed was a single tear.  She watched me sadly as I struggled with the
truth.  Death.  If I choose a boy, he died.  If I didn’t choose, I died.  Did
Morik know the consequence of the time limit he set?

“If choosing Morik keeps you safe and happy, and no one else
interests you, then you go ahead and choose him,” Aunt Danielle said leaning
close and kissing my cheek.  I felt her cool lips, but they didn’t pass through
me this time.  Thinking back, I always did recall her touch as cool, cold
even.  Since we were in a cold house, I never thought it odd.

Choose Morik?  No.  There was a fourth option.  Find someone
else that Morik might be interested in who returns his interest.  With a
different companion, how could the original deal still stay intact?

Wiping the tear from my cheek, I turned toward mom.  It hurt
to look at her tear-stained face.  She and Gran clasped hands tightly, silently
supporting each other.  Aunt Grace smiled at me weakly, on the verge of tears
herself.

“Thank you for telling me,” I said to Aunt Danielle.  To my
mom I added, “The pressure you’ve been putting on me to pick makes more sense
now.  But I’m not choosing anyone.  At least, not yet.  I have a few more
months and will take it more seriously now.”

Sighing, I scrubbed my hands over my face before looking at
the clock.  We only had ten more minutes before Morik showed up.  My stomach
flipped when I thought of how he’d popped in last time.

“So, about Morik coming to dinner.  He’s different.  Really
different.  Maybe even a little scary…”  The more I thought about him popping
in, the more I worried.  “Just keep in mind that he hasn’t interacted with
people much.  In fact, he might not know to knock on the door before popping
in.”

Gran gave mom’s hand a brief squeeze before letting it go. 
“Don’t worry.  We’ll deal with this just fine.  We always do.”  She stood and
briskly went about setting the table.  Aunt Grace moved to help.

“Mom,” I said cautiously.  “Since I have ten days, I was
wondering if maybe I could leave the house at night.  There’s this girl at
school that invited me over tomorrow night…”

She leaned back, the old wooden chair creaking and groaning
in protest, and considered me with a tear-streaked face.  “As if I could say
no.  This might be your only chance at freedom.”  She leaned across the table
and kissed my forehead.  “Just let me know who you’ll be with, where and when. 
I’ll worry if you don’t.”  She briefly touched my cheek as a reminder.  Good
thing she didn’t know about Clavin’s latest mental break.  I wondered whom he’d
gone to today.

At exactly four thirty, a brisk knock sounded at the front
door.  Table set, chicken resting on the stove, Gran motioned for me to get the
door.  I looked back at them before I did to make sure they were ready.  They
stood close to each other, near the table, watching me.  The table behind them
looked nice, very homey.

Taking a breath, I tugged the door open.  Morik waited on
the stoop dressed as he’d been that morning.  I took a moment to study him, his
real self still new to me.  His cap still hid his horns and ears, while the
yellow sunglasses masked his eyes slightly.  In the driveway sat his
motorcycle.  Snow still fell from the sky coating everything weighing the
branches of the neighbor’s trees.

“There’s room in the garage, if you want to park in there,”
I offered as I stood back to let him in.

“It’ll be fine,” he said quietly.  He looked at my face
closely.  “Crying?”

Uncomfortable with our audience, I nodded and added softly
for his benefit, “Not a bad thing.”  He didn’t look like he believed me and
shifted his attention to my family.  Distracting him, I asked, “Can I take your
jacket?”

After putting it to the side, I nervously started
introductions hoping I wasn’t making a mistake bringing him here.

Aunt Danielle, sitting in the living room asked what no one
else would.  “Why are you still wearing your hat and glasses, young man?”

Grinning broadly, he answered honestly.  “I didn’t want to
frighten anyone with my looks.”

“What’s that hat hiding?”

Their conversation seemed a bit staged and I wondered if
Aunt Danielle maybe already had a clue.  Had she seen us leave the garage this
morning?

“Horns, and pointy ears.”

“Show me,” she demanded.

With a flourish, he removed his hat.  I stood beside him
gauging everyone’s reactions.  Without the hat, his eyes were pretty much
visible, so he removed the glasses as well.

Aunt Danielle’s eyes twinkled with amusement.  Being dead,
I’m sure she didn’t have to worry about much… like being attacked by a
monstrous looking creature, which is what it appeared everyone else in the room
thought.  Mom’s already pale face took on an ashen hue.  Aunt Grace fearfully
panted for air while Gran tightly gripped her hands together in front of her.

Morik eyed them and skillfully diffused the situation.  “I
truly thank you for inviting me into your home.  I’ve never eaten dinner with
anyone before and have been looking forward to it since Tessa made the offer. 
Is that chicken I smell?”

Gran found her voice.  “Chicken, garlic mashed potatoes,
baby carrots and pie for desert.”

“I’ve never before smelled food so tempting.”

Gran gave a small smile and stepped to the side to motion to
a chair.  “Please have a seat.”

I sat next to Morik through a stilted dinner.  As usual, the
food was delicious even if the portions were a little small.  I hadn’t warned
Gran we’d have company.  Morik didn’t seem to mind.  He ate with perfect table
manners.  I wasn’t sure what I had expected, but it wasn’t what I saw.

By the time Gran served the pie, mom had regained some of
her color.  I didn’t blame her for her worry.  I had the benefit of talking to
Morik through familiar faces the first few times I met him.  If our initial
introduction had been face to face, it would have been a severe shock.  Fine, I
probably would have run screaming.  They all handled it much better than I
would have.

After his last bite of pie, Morik thanked Gran for dinner
and then looked at mom.  She cringed when his eyes met hers, but didn’t look
away.  “With your permission I’d like to take Tessa out for a little while.”

Mom tried speaking, but had to clear her throat.  “Where?”

“Just out in the front yard.  In sight of this house.”

Mom nodded reluctantly.  I wasn’t sure who to feel sorry
for.  Morik because people only looked at him when they wanted something, or my
mom because she struggled to do what I wanted even when everything in her
wanted to take me and hide me away.

Before leaving, I helped clear the table for a change. 
Morik stayed out of the way, watching us move.  When we’d cleared everything,
everyone, except Aunt Danielle, quietly stood by the table as we put on our
jackets.  I glanced at the clock.  Dusk.  Too many years of rules drilled into
my head had me hesitating at the door.

Morik reached around me, turning the knob.  Close to my ear,
he said, “I’ll keep you safe.”

I stepped into the dusk with Morik close behind me.  My feet
wouldn’t carry me any further than the front step as my eyes drifted to the
darkening horizon.

The sound of the door closing behind me startled me.  The
last time I’d been out at this time, I’d been running all out for the door with
a green-eyed shadow thing chasing me.  Tension skittered along my spine.  Sure,
I knew Morik now, sort of, but it didn’t mean I wanted to see him like that
again.  I forced myself to look over my shoulder.  No green-eyed shadow. 
Relief flooded me.  Morik watched me closely with his curious eyes.  He’d
replaced the cap, but tucked the glasses in his pocket.

“Look up,” he said quietly.

I did and saw the first stars twinkling in the twilight.  As
I watched the sky fill with the sparkling lights, I made a heartfelt wish. 
Morik seemed nice, minus the whole Clavin thing.  Nice people… er, beings
deserved friends.  Although I didn’t want to be that friend forever, my wish
was to be enough of a friend to help him find what he sought.

He stepped next to me, tilting his head back to look at the
sky with me.  “Are they as you remember?”

“Yes.  Thank you,” I said looking at him.

He met my gaze.  “Would you like a ride to work tomorrow?”

Darting my eyes toward his bike, I inwardly sighed before
nodding.  “That’d be great.”  At least now, I knew what to expect and could
dress in layers.

“Thank you for this evening,” he said looking toward the
front window.  I followed his gaze and caught the curtain moving.  “It wasn’t
easy for them.”

“I’m glad you came.  And thanks for knocking.”

He grinned fully with a mischievous look in his crystal
eyes.  “I’ve popped in announced before and learned that knocking is a
necessary custom.”

The sight of his sharp lower teeth caused my heart to skip a
beat.

Pulling his glasses out of his pocket, his grin faded. 
“Good night, Tessa.”  He opened the front door for me holding it until I
stepped inside.

“Night,” I rushed to say as he closed it.

He nodded once acknowledging it before the door clicked
shut.

My stomach sank as I realized my reaction to his teeth had
hurt his feelings.  Outside, I heard the bike start and peeked out the window
just in time to see him pull away.  I wondered where he went.  It couldn’t be
far since he said he was always near.

“I don’t care what deal you made.  I’d feel a lot safer if
we close up now,” Mom said from behind me.

I nodded and went to take a shower needing to think.  If I
was going to be his friend, I needed to get over our differences and really
start to get to know him.  Once I knew him better, I’d know what type of person
he’d get along well with and start my search.  With my birthday not far away, I
didn’t have much time.

Sun streamed into my room landing right on my face.  I
scowled and rolled over.

“Up, lazy girl!” Aunt Danielle called from the doorway. 
“Morik is in the kitchen waiting for you.”

Like a shot of caffeine had been injected straight into my
veins, I shot out of bed.  “What?”

“He’s waiting for you,” Aunt Danielle repeated from the
doorway, a grin on her face.  “I heard you tossing and turning late so I told
your mom to let you sleep.”

Panicking I looked at the clock.  I had to be to work in
five minutes.  Tugging on clothes at random, I rushed to the bathroom, brushed
my teeth, tossed my hair up into a messy bun and flew into the kitchen sixty
second later.

Morik sat at the table watching for me.  I smiled briefly,
as I ran passed him to get my coat.

“I’m really sorry to rush you, but I have to be to work in
four minutes.”

He gracefully rose, donning his own jacket and calmly tucked
my scarf around me as he had the day before.  “Are you sure you want to be
there in four minutes?”  He grinned in response to my nod.  “Come on then.”

I called a farewell to the house and strode determinedly out
the door toward his waiting motorcycle.  “Not that I’m ungrateful,” I said over
my shoulder, “but wouldn’t a car be better in winter.”