The Days that Changed my Life- Chapter 2
The dreams are always the same since that day. Thankfully, Tara no longer makes a pervasive presence in the night time hours of sleep, but his psyche was no more merciful with the recurring nightmare.
Theo slowly woke up in the guest room at the Geyer household. Since the passing of the Ghost Riders, it was no longer the guest room, but Theo's room. He slowly pulled himself up in his bed and looked around the room. He saw the posters of X game athletes hanging on the interior wall, opposite the window. His large chest of drawers sat next to the door to enter, beside the wall of inspiration. His sliding double closet doors were open with an assortment of clothes hanging up with a plethora of shoes lining the bottom. Next to the window was his bookcase, filled to the brim with science nonfiction and fiction alike. On the other side of the window was his desk which contained quite a few textbooks and a laptop open to the old school fish aquarium screen saver. Directly in front of his bed was the TV stand with an Xbox and PlayStation attached to the large flat screen TV that hung from the wall. His room smelled like him, like the teenage him he could've been if he weren't raised by the sick and twisted Dread Doctors.
He slowly pulled himself out of bed and shuffled out of the room, his feet being caressed by the cool carpet. He released a long yawn as he walked towards the bathroom and heard movement and sounds of cooking downstairs, the gently laughs of Jenna and David flitted through the air. When he reached the bathroom door, located next to the other bedroom, Liam's room, he heard the gentle snoring of the wolf. He smiled to himself as he stepped into the bathroom.
He looked into the mirror and assessed his reflection. He looked healthy and happy. His face had regained color that it hadn't possessed during his time with the Dread Doctors and he looked healthy, unlike the months he spent homeless, living out of his truck. He felt love and acceptance, something he couldn't remember the last time he felt before moving in with the Geyers.
He quickly cleaned up and drug himself downstairs. The sounds of the conversation grew and he could hear and smell the breakfast food cooking on the stove. When he turned the corner, into the kitchen, he saw that it was empty. He stopped for a moment in the threshold as the food on the stove began to burn. He called out for the Geyers but received no response. He quickly darted to the stove and pulled the pans off the burners and turned off the stove. That's when he heard Jenna's voice whisper to him, "Where were you Theo?"
The chimera quickly turned around and the well-lit and cleaned kitchen appeared to darken and was empty, devoid of the life and love that filled it moments prior. Confused, the chimera looked back to the food and immediately smelled the rotten food, long since expired, as the sickly sweet but foul smells assaulted his heightened senses. He stumbled out of the kitchen and heard the snoring of the wolf upstairs. Desperate and afraid, Theo ran upstairs and opened Liam's door.
The room was empty with a thin layer of dust covering everything. The bed was unmade but looked as if it was left unmade years ago before time threatened to reclaim the room. Theo called out, "Liam!"
He was greeted with Jenna's haunting voice, "Where were you?"
Theo ran back downstairs and there appeared to be life in the kitchen again. Mister and Misses Geyer stood by the stove, fixing plates for the family. Theo released a sigh of relief as they walked towards the kitchen table with plates and a pitcher of orange juice. Theo slowly crept into the kitchen and looked to the family. David asked Liam, "How is practice going? Are you still leading the team?"
Liam finished a particularly large bit of sausage before he replied, "Practice is good dad. I work hard and lead the team hard but Coach isn't that bad and I think we have a really good team this year."
Jenna smiled, "That's good dear. How are classes going?"
Theo smirked as he interrupted, "You know Little Wolf. Always time for lacrosse, never time to study."
The family didn't react to Theo's presence as Liam responded, "Since things have calmed down, classes are going better than before. I still need to put in more work."
Theo rolled his eyes as he walked to the stove and began to fix himself a plate of food, "Just admit it Little Wolf, you want me to help you study. I don't have a problem helping you."
Once again he received no response and Jenna stood up and walked towards the refrigerator. Theo caught the movement and turned around, a slight smile on his face, his arms open just enough to get his usual morning hug from his de facto mom.
Jenna appeared to look through the chimera and after a moment, he felt a cold chill as the woman walked through him.
Theo's eyes widened from the sensation and, after a moment to process, he turned and looked at Jenna. She unceremoniously walked through the chimera again. He gasped slightly at the cold chill that travelled through his body. Theo darted to the table and placed a hand on Dr. Geyer's shoulder just to have his limb travel through him.
The chimera, disoriented, took a few steps backwards into the kitchen. As he stood near the sink, Liam stood up and carried his plate to the counter. He bumped into Theo, which made the chimera solid again, and dropped the plate.
The sound of the shatter caught the attention of the Geyers and all eyes fell on Theo.
Liam growled, "Who are you and what are you doing here?"
Theo furrowed his brow in confusion and said, "Little Wolf, It's me. Theo."
Liam argued back, "I don't know a Theo."
Theo huffed, "Yes, you do. I'm Theo. You know, Theo Raeken."
Liam's eyes narrowed as he assessed the chimera and Jenna chimed in, malicious venom dripping from her voice, "Theo Raeken. The same Theo that killed indiscriminately. The same Theo that tried to turn my son into a murderer. The Theo that spreads death, destruction, and discord wherever he goes."
Theo looked to Jenna, his eyes moist from the wounding barbs, "You don't mean that, do you?"
Jenna spat back, "Mom?! I'm not your mother. I don't know what woman could be. You killed your family."
David leaned towards his wife, "Allegedly honey. He hasn't been tried. Then again, they can't find the bodies, just the bits and pieces left scattered around Beacon County. Only a monster, Like Mr. Raeken, could do such an unforgiveable action. I guess that's also how he perverts any sense of Justice here."
Theo took a step back but was caught by the open claw of Little Wolf and slammed against the fridge. Theo looked into the rage filled eyes of the wolf and said, "I've changed. You saved me from hell. You know it's true."
Liam growled, "You haven't changed. You never will. You only think about yourself. I shouldn't have pulled you out of hell."
The haunting voice returned, "Where were you, Theo?"
The scene shifted and Theo found himself standing in the graveyard again. The night air was cold and only the slightest slivers of light made it through the clouds and trees to illuminate the tombstones in front of the chimera. Theo stepped up to Jenna's tombstone. He knelt and looked at it.
Jenna's voice filled his head, "Where were you Theo?"
Theo bit back the tears, "I didn't know. I was with Liam. We were safe, and I thought everything was alright, I'm sorry."
Jenna continued, "Not then. For them."
Theo looked to his right and saw the two additional tombstones. Jenna's voice continued, "Where were you for them."
The scene blurred again, and Theo found himself standing in the OR at Beacon Hills Memorial. He stepped towards the patient and saw that it was Liam, and he had several gunshot wounds. Dr. Geyer stood over his son performing the surgery. One by one the Dr. Geyer pulled the wolfsbane laced bullets while the various monitors beeped to let him know how his son was faring. One by one he treated the aconite poisoning and moved to the next. Theo could smell the fear rolling off Dr. Geyer as he worked with his staff to save his son.
When Dr. Geyer reached the last wound, they heard a gunshot outside the OR. The room shook briefly before the doors flew open and a hunter holding a shotgun stepped inside. He shot the nurse assisting Dr. Geyer and yelled, "You are trying to save that monster."
Dr. Geyer looked to the hunter and yelled, "He's my son."
The hunter aimed the weapon at the doctor and Theo stepped in the way. The weapon discharged, and the round harmlessly flew through Theo and into Dr. Geyer. Theo could hear the doctor's heartbeat stop before his body hit the ground. When David hit the floor, the room shook violently again. Theo watched helplessly as the hunter killed the remaining staff member and aimed the shotgun at Liam.
The room shook one more time as the shotgun went off and Theo woke himself up.
A cold sweat covered the chimera. He took a deep breath as his senses slowly woke up. He felt the rumble and shaking again and realized it was something happening outside. That's when he picked up on the screams and gunfire. He threw the blanket off himself and stood up. Liam came running down the stairs and asserted, "Something's happening."
Liam ran outside while Theo grabbed his duffel and ran out the door. He stepped out just in time to watch a piece of flaming wreckage fall from the sky and crash into house two doors down. The burning engine exploded upon impact and created an explosion of fire and shrapnel where the house once stood.
Theo ran past Liam, towards his truck and yelled, "We've got to find dad."
Liam ran to the passenger's side of the truck and entered while Theo climbed in, tossed his duffel in the back, and started the truck. They barreled down the suburb streets. Both young men looked up and saw the planes flying overhead as they dropped paratroopers. The skies were filled with white parachutes and camo fatigued men. Liam frantically asked as he pulled out his cell, "What's going on Theo?"
Theo's eyes widened as he whispered, "I don't know but it isn't good Lit- Liam."
Liam tried to use his phone and blurted out, "I don't have any reception."
Theo barked as he weaved through the streets around the parked cars, "Try the radio."
Liam turned the dials as Theo drove through the flames that whipped around the burning heap that was once a car. Static filled the air as Liam said, "Nothing here either."
Theo yelled, "Hold on Little Wolf" before he slammed the truck through the twisted metal of a destroyed car that blocked the street. The truck jarred some as it knocked the car remains and sent the metal spinning as it was knocked out of the way. Theo and Liam shook inside the truck and kept driving.
An ambulance, lights blazing and sirens blaring, tore from a side street towards the main street that Theo and Liam were on. It cut them off and Dr. Geyer leaned out the window, "Boys, follow me!"
Dr. Geyer pushed the ambulance down the main street, moving the large box ambulance as fast as it would go. Theo followed closely behind it as the paratroopers began to land in the streets, sidewalks, and yards. As they continued forward, a paratrooper lined up with the main street pulled out his AK-47 and started firing at the ambulance. David dodged the rounds as they ripped through the metal of the ambulance and started to pepper the front of the vehicle. A few rounds hit the engine block and the ambulance began to slow down.
Theo yelled, "Hang on" as the truck slammed into the back of the ambulance, pushing it forward. David began to swerve the ambulance and the paratrooper bounced painfully off the front of the ambulance before smashing into the front left side of the box of the back before his body flew off the side and into a yard.
David tried to compensate, and the ambulance smashed into a parked car. The ambulance further careened into another parked car on the opposite side of the street and David was just barely able to skid the ambulance to a stop without flipping it over. Theo barely stopped his truck in time, bringing to a stop next to the ambulance.
David stepped out of the ambulance and Theo and Liam did the same. David ran over to the truck and said, "Theo, get Liam to Argent's cabin."
Theo nodded while Liam argued, "Come with us Dad."
Dr. Geyer responded as people ran out of their homes towards the ambulance, "Liam, I have to stay and help these people. Go. I'll be there as soon as I can."
Theo pushed Liam back into the truck before he ran to the driver's side. Theo drove the truck around the ambulance and sped up as he headed towards the preserve. As soon as he reached a fast speed, Liam yelled, "Hayden!"
Theo responded, "What?"
Liam glared at Theo, "We've got to save Hayden."
Theo groaned as he asked, "Which way?"
Liam said, "Take a right. Off Willow street."
Theo rolled his eyes as he abruptly turned through a yard. The truck knocked down a few decorative fences as he took it through the neighboring yards in the suburbs. Liam shouted, "Pool."
Theo growled, "I see it" as he dodged the pool and tore through the final fences and whipped the truck onto the road. The pulled next to a curb and were surrounded by military jeeps on three sides. Theo saw the driver step out of the jeep to his left while Liam opened the door when he saw Hayden. He yelled for her, "Hayden!"
She looked to the wolf as another soldier with his weapon raised approached the truck. He began to say something in Korean as Liam fell back into his seat. The soldier jammed his weapon into the truck and Liam pushed the barrel out of the way which caused the weapon to fire and place several rounds into the soldier that stood on Theo's side.
The chimera slammed the truck in reverse and sped backwards, which sent the soldier half inside the truck stumbling to the ground.
Hayden tried to break free and run to the truck, but two soldiers grabbed her arms and a third aimed his rifle at her chest.
As Theo whipped the vehicle around, a teen jumped into the back of it. Mason and Corey ran in their direction and Liam yelled out the window, "Hurry up. Jump in the back."
Theo spun the vehicle around at the two joined the other teen in the back of the truck. Theo drove away from the soldiers and they began to fire on the truck. A man that appeared to be in charge discharged his pistol in the air which caused the civilians around him to drop to the ground before he began to shoot at the truck. Mason's father ran towards the man and pleaded, "Stop. That's my son. They are just boys."
The captain jumped into his jeep and began to pursue the truck.
As Theo drove, two more vehicles joined their group, a small green SUV and a large white sedan. When they reached the main road, Theo brought the truck to a stop as he saw that the roads down in both directions were now blocked by large military trucks and soldiers. He sighed before he muttered, "Figures." He took the truck off road through the park that lined the side of the neighborhood. The two vehicles followed, and Mason, Corey, and the third teen fought to stay in the back of the truck.
Liam looked to the side and saw the jeep pursuing them. He said, "Theo, look out."
Theo barked, "I see them."
Theo pushed his truck more and made it on to the open street. He sped up to beat the jeep through the intersection. It sped up and Liam shouted, "Theo, Watch out."
Theo yelled, "Hold on!" before the jeep slammed into the side of the truck. Mason and Corey were able to hold on while the impact sent the other teen flying and his body crumpled the front windshield and canvas top of the jeep. The impact caused the truck to stall out. The green SUV lost control and crashed into the jeep that was following the captain's jeep.
The captain, disoriented from the crash, made eye contact with Theo and tried to open the jammed door of his jeep.
Mason yelled, "We have to go." Corey joined the chorus as Theo tried to start the truck, "We need to go now."
Theo managed to get the truck started and drove away from the impact site with the large sedan following him.