Chapter 10: Family Ties

Reaper

There was nothing I could do…I had to sneak away from the sick kids to quickly take the soul of Christian Ross…whom I knew to be one of the teachers. I managed to do it and make it back to the classroom unnoticed by the others. I sat on a desk listening to them talk to each other and watch some of them get sicker. Emily was still staring at me…intently and every once in a while teased me for giving Angy the gun. Fed up to the point of losing it I picked up a book and tossed it at a file cabinet. All the talking in the room stopped and I could feel their eyes on me. "Sorry…there was a bug. Please…go on, continue annoying the hell out of me…" My temper made them shut up for at least half an hour afterwards. I didn't receive the news about Angy being sick till I brought another girl to the nurse. She was there in the bed next to Kieran and her eyes were closed, now I was afraid…this virus…it couldn't' take my only friend in the world. When I went in to see her I sat down realizing she was unconscious. Then an alarm was sounding waking me from my deep thoughts, I saw the nurse rush in to Kieran's bed and they started pumping on his chest…I could help…but I was frozen with the sight of my father on the other side of Kieran's bed.

"No…what are you doing here?"

He smiled at me, "lay back and close your eyes…I'll show you."

Hesitantly I obeyed him.

When I opened my eyes I was no longer at the mansion, but a dry and windy desert. "What is this?" I turn around behind me and Kieran is standing there. "Where did you come from? Am I dead?" he asked me but I didn't know what to tell him.

"I think so…oh look!" I pointed and something passed right by us. As more of them came I realized they were souls.

When my father reappeared he shook his head at me, "we meet again Laura…as you have been doing your duties. I must say though, you need to work harder on your people skills…and don't worry about Emily, the woman that's been bothering you, I took care of her."

"Uhhh thanks….dad," that still felt weird as hell to say but I needed to get used to it. "Kieran this is my father…"

He gave the most confused look, "Your father is the devil?"

My dad laughed, "oh no no, but wouldn't that be a hoot. I'm no devil…just a messenger and watcher of sorts. And also your new boss," he smiled, "That's right…I've gotten orders to hire you as our new minion. One must have unexpectedly passed on and you were the next soul to be taken."

Kieran looked uneasy as he stared at the both of us speechless and also had a look of disappointment.

"Hey! You're getting a second chance here…don't try and tell you don't want it!"

He nodded silently, "I miss Christian…I had known him all my life and now he is gone.." I nodded too, "You're right…But Angy needs you, the kids need you. She got the virus from trying to save you and now she's still fighting. I'll help you out okay? I can teach you what to do…it isn't that bad." When I mentioned Angy had got the virus from him the whole demeanor of him changed to guilt.

"Sorry Mr. Harkin, but there is no choice in the matter…" My dad spoke up in a tone that made me feel the conversation was over.

The wind picked up suddenly and was strong enough to push me over. I woke up with both my arms up to brace my fall...but I was safe in a bed with monitors on me. I pulled them off and took off to Kieran's bed to find a sheet over him. I pulled it up and his were open, "welcome back…" He got up quickly but I grabbed him by the arms, "Stop…your hands, they're unprotected now. If you touch anyone with them except your target they will die…" I pulled out some surgical gloves from a box that was by his bed, "put these on."

We walked over to Angy's bed, she looked really bad…pale and her face glistened from sweat. There was a bunch of noise in the other room and so I left them to investigate. When I got there a student was placing her hands on the heads of the sick kids. It was like watching a miracle...suddenly they were more alert and talking, all their symptoms were gone.

"Tatu is mutant with healing capabilities…as long as she's not too overwhelmed we can treat all those that are sick," the nurse explained.

"You have to heal Angy!" I asked her to follow me to Angy's bed and she worked her powers on my friend and healed her. To my disappointment once she started waking up Kieran left the room without saying a word.

"Hey…you're alright," I gave her a smile; "Tatu here saved your life."

She looked at me then looked over at the bed next to her with alarm, "How is he?"

"He's good…don't worry about him, I think he went to his room. He's going to be having a rough time though…but I'll let him tell you."

She nodded and stared resting; I think she was more tired from all the stress than the virus...because she was completely healed.

I left Angy to track down Kieran. I remembered how scared and confused I was when all that happened to me and now it was happening to him. I knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" he asked, when I told him that it was me he proceeded to tell me to go away.

I rolled my eyes, "Just let me talk to you…I know what you're going through. Please? This isn't my fault…" I sat by his door for a full ten minutes before he unlocked it. When I walked in the surgical gloves were in the trash.

"I'm afraid to be around anyone…" His hands looked irritated from wearing the gloves. "That's normal…but I had to learn the hard way. I accidently killed a friend of mine who was helping me to my feet and my hand touched his arm. It's really not all that bad…what I don't get is that he told me that I was born with these powers and all he was doing was activating them. I don't think my father is telling the whole truth…" I concluded only his eyes were glaring at the strange phone sitting on his bed. "Oh yeah…the phone is like his way of being here...without really being here…stupid I know. But you'll get texts every so often for souls that you need to take."

He picked it up and flipped it open, then dropped it to the ground after reading a message. "What? What's it say…"

Kieran shook his head, "The answer to your question…" His hands were shaking.

I picked up the phone and looked at the message, "woah….you're my cousin? How the hell…what are the freakn' chances?"

He sat down on his bed, "My father left my mother and I when I was seven…no warning…and never called us. It was a mystery. Even more strange was my mother knew nothing about his family, because he claimed he lived in Europe."

I sat down next to him, "This is so strange…this whole thing must be like some inherited curse. But man…at least we found out now and not after getting any closer…" I laughed at the impossibility and so did he…there was no attraction between us and it was obvious. "Trust me though; it doesn't pay to be scared. I took that road and shit. Just realize that there is no escaping it. And here take these…" I took off my gloves and put them on the bed for him, "I got lots…besides I can spare some for family. You can have those till you get your own."

He smiled, "Thanks…For your help and all." After he put them on I could tell he was still feeling a bit down from all the crap that had gone on today, like his friend's death…As I stood up and walked to door he stopped me.

"Do you think Angelus likes me?"

I turned around a little surprised he'd ask me that, "Yeah…I guess she does. First thing she asked when she woke up was if you were okay."