Chapter 12 The Day Will Come When We're Not

Max

November 3rd, 2012

8:02 PM

Seattle, Washington

Bryan Caulfield's Residence

I had decided to stay over at Uncle Bryan's and let Mom and Dad know. When Alex and I got there, we decided to play dominos with Bryan. My uncle had a set of dominos he laid down on his dining room table to play with. The three of us had our playing pieces and it was my turn to draw.

In the rules of dominos, the player is to match each domino with the same number of dots next to each other. I thought hardly before drawing my domino to match the other. Which took me time to think.

"While we're still breathing, Max," said Alex.

"I'm letting the bones speak to me," I said.

"Oh, my god."

"Oh, I think I can hear them," said Bryan. "They're saying 'You're gonna lose. So, play already'."

"I've must've inherited patience from my uncle," I said.

"Oh…come on, man!" Alex whined.

"Calm down, Alex," said Bryan. "No one is ever in a rush to lose."

I draw my playing piece with matching dots. Five dots matching another. Then Alex draws her domino next to mine.

"Victory!" Alex exclaimed.

Alex's domino was one dot matched with the other.

"Fuck! I was so close!" Bryan muttered. "You're no longer my niece, Max."

"Hey, she's the one who beat you!" I defended. "Don't joke like that!"

"Fine. It's a tie. I hate you both equally."

"You're doing it again, Uncle Bryan."

"Moved out of Arcadia Bay," trolled Alex. "Sawed in half by Fredrick the Eccentric. Can't play dominos. What exactly are you good at again, Max?"

"At least I can take pictures with my camera," I said. "Slugger."

"That's enough both of you," said Bryan. "It's not Max's fault she's a disgrace to the game of dominos."

"I won," said Alex. "That's ten bucks you owe me. Both of you. I know you're broke, Max. You should sit out the next game since we all know I'm gonna win. No shame in surrender. We all understand."

"Don't kid yourself," I said. "And don't troll me either. You got lucky."

"Pfft! Fuck luck. That was skill. Pay up little cousin. If you can."

"I'll cover for Max," said Bryan.

"Oh, is it your turn to do that now? I lost track. Poor helpless Max."

"Get my wallet, Miss."

"Keep an eye on her. You don't want her snatching an extra twenty for lunch money."

"It's on the counter."

"Yeah, sure, Uncle," I said.

I walk into the kitchen and find Bryan's wallet on the counter as he mentioned. When digging through his wallet, I noticed a paper stuffed in one of the pockets. I couldn't help but pull it out for the nosy bitch I am. I unfolded it to see what it was about.

"Uncle, what's this?" I asked.

Alex walked in and impolitely snatch it out of my fingers to read for herself.

"Hey! Alex, I was reading that!" I snapped.

Alex had a concerned stare while reading. Which made me concerned as well.

"What? What's up?" I wondered.

"What the fuck is this?" Alex wondered.

Bryan got off his chair and marched towards Alex.

"None of your business!" Bryan snapped.

Bryan took the paper away from her sternly. What was Bryan hiding.

"He sold the Eon Codex," said Alex.

"What?! Uncle, really?!" I asked shockingly.

"Yes, really," answered Bryan. "I sold it earlier today to the Burke Museum while the two of you were out. You didn't need to know."

"Fuck that!" Alex yelled. "How could you sell that one thing that mean everything to us?! Oh, my god!"

"You really should have told us," I said. "Why would you sell it anyway?"

"It was my codex," said Bryan. "I get to do whatever I want with it. It means nothing to us anymore."

"Why wouldn't it? That codex was special to Alex."

"Not anymore it isn't."

"Oh, Jesus fucking Christ, Dad!" Alex bickered.

"Watch your language, Alex! Now!"

"Just give me a good reason."

"I was asked to sell the codex for a special exhibit being set up at the museum. They sent me the form to sign my signature for my approval. Which is what you saw in my wallet. Now the both of you are to never bring this up again. Understand?"

"Yes, Uncle," I said. "I understand."

"Oh, I understand, Dad," said Alex. "I understand you're a constant hypocrite. One phase it's everything to us and the next is nothing."

"Then I don't think you understand the gravity of the situation," said Bryan. "I didn't just sell the codex for the exhibit, I sold it because…because of business I sworn not to get involved in again. Now if we can just both get over this nonsense with the codex, let's play another game to take our minds off it."

Alex was too furious to play and shoved all the domino pieces off the table before Bryan could sit back down. Now she was pissed off for real with Alex.

"You're a fucking piece of shit!" Alex thundered. "A selfish piece of shit!"

"How dare you!" Bryan barked.

"Max, can you believe this shit?!"

"Alex! I get it, okay?" I said to her. "It's not fair, but neither is calling your dad a piece of shit over some stupid codex!"

"It's not a stupid codex!"

"Sit down!" Bryan yelled. "Both of you."

Alex does what she can to put out her fire and calming sit down back by the table. Bryan and I take a seat as well. Then Alex and I hear him out.

"There are some things I know I can explain to you but know that you're not ready to hear," began Bryan. "And perhaps it's for the best that you don't know for now. But when the time is right, then maybe, just maybe I can make it to you both."

"Pssft, that didn't just ring hollow," said Alex. "You know what, I'm gonna lie down. I've had enough of this shit tonight."

Bryan didn't say anything to his daughter. Just let her walk upstairs to her room to pout up there. There was something between Alex and Bryan that I didn't know about and I had hoped Bryan could tell me more.

"Seriously, Uncle," I said. "There must something happening between you and Alex that I don't know. You have to tell me something."

"Look, Max," said Bryan. "This is all I can tell you for sure. After Alex was born and your mother was pregnant with you, I prayed every night for a nephew. Anything but a niece. Anything but another girl born of naivety and short-sightedness. I was wrong. And so, your parents named you a boy's name."

"What's that have to do with anything?" I thought.

"Everything, of course. Because of how much you've meant everything to me since. How much you've grown on me and the gratitude I've developed throughout the years for having a niece instead. It's become the same story for Alex which is why I ask you this. I know you think you're strong enough to handle the outside world alone and so does your cousin. I know what you two talk about every day adventuring around the world like there's no tomorrow thinking it'll be an inconsequential crusade. And you're both wrong. You have to take care of each other. But in doing so, you both have to understand what's at stake and not go out there thinking you're immune to the danger zone. You think you can do that for your old man?"

"Why are you asking me this? You're saying this as if we're both in danger of something."

"And you will be. If you chose that path. So, I'll ask again. Can I count on my niece for my daughter's safety or can't I?"

X/SQUARE/LM – PROMISE BRYAN

B/CIRCLE/RM – DON'T PROMISE BRYAN

"I'll look after Alex with my life, Uncle," I said. "I promise."

"Good," said Bryan. "As hard as you can?"

"As…hard as I can."

"Then I hope we both understand one another. Now, we can play another game of dominos or you go upstairs with Alex. Maybe talk to her and slap some sense into her."

"I think I'll go up there with her. Thanks for the game, Bryan. I appreciate it."

"Before you go, I still need to pay Alex."

"Uncle…"

"Hey, if you had just won the game, we wouldn't have had this problem."

"So, you're blaming me for all this?"

"I'm depending on you, Max. We both are."

I walk upstairs to Alex's room and I open the door to her room to see her lying down in bed. Her room was packed with a bunch of old knick-knacks and archaeological finds. As well as global maps on the walls and history books shelved in the room. Alex looked down on herself and I had to know what was the big idea between her, Bryan, and that codex. As her little cousin, it was my job to understand why.

"Hey, Alex," I said. "Mind if I sit down?"

"Suit yourself," moped Alex.

I sit down next to her on her bed comfort her. Placing my hand on her arm as Alex lies down sideways with her head staring the other way.

"So, what was the big deal down there?" I asked her. "I think you should tell me."

"Max, there's something that I have to confess now that you've asked," she replied. "When I asked you where should we go in the world back on the street, there was something more to it."

Alex turned her body around to look at me. I laid my head down on a pillow so I could look her in the eye as well.

"You remember the night we broke into Roland's estate?" Alex asked. "When we found Bryan's journal? I wanted to go there."

"Go where?" I thought.

"Meridian Prime. Home of the Ark of Genesis. With you. That codex was the key to going there."

"I don't understand."

"Since that, I dreamed of going there with you one day. I had hoped we could go together when we were ready and we can't do that without that codex."

"Why would you ever want that codex just to go to some ass-end of nowhere in the world?"

"I told you that night, Max. We knew just as much as Ebert did before he died. No matter how much trouble we got ourselves into over that, it couldn't have been for nothing. Somehow the two of us were meant to be there, Max. I don't know why but the more conspicuously secretive Dad has been getting lately, the more I believe something about that make me want to believe we were destined for something bigger. Like Meridian Prime."

"Don't kid yourself, Alex. I hate to admit it but maybe what we said on the street was a crazy thought and what your saying now sounds even crazier. It's clear to me that codex belongs in a museum. Not with us."

"You don't understand Dad like I do. If only you were around him more, maybe you would. Besides, you and I have different ambitions anyway. Photography and world-travelling just doesn't mix."

"I never said it didn't and I don't think it doesn't. I'm just saying we shouldn't get involved in matters we know less about."

"Max, I spent months reading though that journal even though I was grounded from it for a while without missing a single page. Recalling every last entry to know about the ark just as much as Dad does. We may not be ready for this now but we soon will. I'll make sure of that."

"And how can you be so sure of that precisely?"

"I don't know. What I do know is that the day will come when we're not."

Note: So, I hope you're all staying safe indoors or whatever it takes to stop the spread of the worldwide virus occurring every corner. I'll also note that I'll be working on finals again within the last few weeks of the semester while I take my classes online in my practice for social distancing. But I will promise everyone this that the following chapter will have some fan service I've been meaning to write for a long time now which I'll get down to as hard as I can once finals are through.

Until next time, stay tuned, stay safe, and stay golden!

P.S. Happy Easter!