Student
"Why should I trust you?"
Laughter, soft and feminine but without pity, "Do you have a choice?"
"I could fight you,"
"To what end? If I wished you harm would I even need to ask? "
"NO! I'll never… never…Your one of them! Why would you want to help me?"
"Quite simply I don't." again laughter, but this time with just a hint of pity, a cool hand on the face, "This isn't about YOU anymore."
…
Clementine listened to the lecture, fascinated despite the horrible thrills it sent through her to hear the Speaker talk about the way that Soul's had spread across the worlds. The Speaker had seen the…the– Clementine didn't know the word Genocides but would have applied it if she had- Spread of Souls across three worlds personally.
She was possessed with a tremendous surge of hate and the urge to just walk up and kill this… arch murderer who talked about infecting the Bears like it was a vacation.
Came, saw, murdered…
"Next week I'll tell you about my time on the Fire Planet." he smiled at the students and Clemie rose, feeling her feet carrying her forwards towards the speakers podium. This had been coming in the weeks she'd lived in civilization, the rising tide of disgust and hate that she simply couldn't choke down anymore.
"You ARE her!" Clementine stopped as a hand settled on her shoulder. Her blank face taking on a bland smile she turned to face the speaker, stepping away from the unwelcome touch.
"What do you think of Wanderer's lectures?" the girl was, physically at least, about her own age, frizzy blond hair reached her shoulders.
"Just wonderful to hear how Souls expanded their….habitat." Clemie smiled mechanically, looking at the two behind her- both male, one the same age as her and the other a lot younger- in his teens she guessed. The moment of self-destructive hate had passed and she was back in sickening fear and caution mode.
"You see!" the girl gushed, glancing at her companions, "Didn't I tell you?"
"What?" Clementine asked, smothering her scowl.
"You lie SO well! Humans are just so… so devious and sneaky!" She clapped her hands, "I'm Rain Falls from the Upper Petals, BTW!"
"Uhh…Thanks…I think… Petals."
"Oh NO!" the girl giggled, "I'm RAIN…. This is Petals." She reached out and crunched the youngest one's be-zitted cheek. He scowled at her, looking at Clemie with something like hostility, "And this is Wind Shakes Root's Twice." She nodded to the other who smiled politely.
"I am pleased to meet you." Clemie said and Rain squealed with delight, "Oh your SO good at that! How do you do it?"
"Do what?"
"Say something that's not true? You MUST come with us!"
"Why? Are you planning to infect me?" it was half a joke, but only half.
"Oh NO!" Rain giggled, "That would be SUCH a waste!"
…..
Ellen made soup, weeping into the pot at she stirred.
Her face was blank, her eyes red from her the tears running down her cheeks. Clemie liked soup, she liked tomato soup and Ellen could make it. She most defiantly could not make her daughter feel the proper feelings and think proper thoughts for someone living amongst Souls.
It was all so…so horrible. Clemie was a monster. She had dreams…Ellen heard her talking in her sleep at night and she said…things.
Horrible things. Things no Soul would ever think of saying.
Worse Ellen knew that Clemie hated being here, with her, living a decent, normal life- she probably wanted to go back to causing mayhem and eating peoples pets.
Even worse then that, one of these days there was a better then average chance that the Seekers would work out what had really happened to Cloudy…when they did she wouldn't be able to protect Clemie anymore.
She stirred the Soup, mixing crumbled cream cheese and tears into it.
The doorbell buzzed, startling her out of her thoughts. Taking a sheet of kitchen roll she rubbed her cheeks dry and blew he nose as she went to answer.
"Ralph." She folded her arms across her chest, stuffing the snot rag into her sweater sleeve.
"Ellen." He looked freshly washed and pressed, slightly uncomfortable and-though she hated to admit it-kind of cute.
Silence.
"How are you?" He asked, not meeting her gaze.
"Well…You?"
"I am…well." He shifted his feet, "Can I come in?"
"Clemie's at College."
"I know. I needed…wanted…to talk with you. Alone."
"I am cooking, Seeker." She said, watching him flinch at her use of his title rather then his name, "But if it's important then by all means come in."
He followed her to the kitchen, sniffing, "That smells good."
She continued to crumble cream cheese into the pot stirring, and said nothing.
"Ellen." He took a breath, "Ellen…please release Clemie for implantation. I promise we'll find a suitable Soul-she won't be discarded."
"No." Ellen sniffed, choking back tears.
"It would be better for you-I spoke with you Comforter-" he held up a hand as she turned her head to glare at him, "He would only discuss generalities! But he did tell me that you are under a great deal of stress."
"Someone is trying to…to discard my daughter!" Ellen hissed, not caring if anger showed in her voice. Ralph shrank back, embarrassed by her show of negative emotion.
"Ellen, she's not even a SOUL! Worse, she is a DANGER- you know it! Please don't oppose us in this- Please don't…don't oppose me!" his voice, full of hurt, became pleading.
"I am her MOTHER!" Ellen snapped, banging the wooden spoon down on the counter, "And I will oppose anyone who tries to…to….to…" She wrung her hands, "Whoever they are! Even you!"
"Ellen…" Ralph looked at her, his eyes gleaming with tears, "I've looked at…at what you said happened…when Leo…Cloudy…"
"YYYes?" her voice caught in her throat.
"Did…I find it hard to…reconcile events…did you…did…" he turned away from her, breathing rapidly "I am very attached to you Ellen and it hurts me that you are acting contrary to the public good."
"Thank you for your concern Seeker Ralph." She turned back to her soup, stirring it furiously as he stalked out of the kitchen. A moment later the front door slammed.
….
"Are you nervous?" Ellen smiled, adjusting the bow around Clementine's neck for the hundredth time.
Clementine thought of, but didn't say, something caustic, instead opting for a simple "No!"
"Good!" Ellen smiled, the expression reaching her eyes for the first time in days and Clemie thought suddenly that her mother was starting to get crows feet. The last few weeks had been a strain for her, even if she doesn't have to wear the Bracelet Of Death 24/7, a sarcastic voice added.
"Why do I have to wear a bow anyway?" She asked, pouting, "Look like a birthday present."
"You look wonderful." Ellen told her, "You sleep ok?"
"Yeah mom." She lied, looking towards the sound of approaching feet.
"Are you ready?" Rain looked frazzled, scrolling franticly down the display of her phone-jabbing the screen from time to time, "Your on in 12 minuets!"
"Ready as I'll ever be." Clemie let the Soul hustle her off and Ellen thought about how hard her daughter had been working on her lines. She hurried to her seat in the part of the Theater set aside for facility Members.
The Dean was already seated, with his partner beside him; he waved for her to take the empty seat beside him.
"I'm looking forwards to this, Ellen!" he chuffed cheerfully, "We haven't had a show since…well, since…" He tapped his nose, winking at her in the subdued light.
"I remember." She nodded, there had been no show's here for years- the entire campus had been under a heavy strain re-ordering the education system into something more useful to Souls- every student needed an individual course of instruction in a world where a person might have a dozen lives experience of Spider engineering but no idea how to do basic human mathematics or operate a toaster.
"Hope those Flowers do a good job!" he said, "Hear your….your…" He looked uncomfortable, trying to pick a word that would not offend or embarrass.
"My Clemie?"
"Yes! Your Clemie! Hear she's good- very good. Or maybe just better then we are." He chuckled, "Lie's aren't our strong point, are they, eh?"
"We'll have to see." The lights dimmed and from behind the curtain Clemie stepped into a spotlight, wearing a red robe and a plastic Halloween skull mask that had been cut away to expose her mouth.
"We have a tale, O gentle Souls
A tale of Human life and Woes
Soul's love peace, and Humans strife
And of how True Love can make a new Life!"
Ellen shivered, wondering what Clemie was thinking as she delivered her lines.
The curtain opened to show the planet of Flowers, or at least what it would look like if the Flowers were badly painted Beings made of papier-mâché with human heads.
The dialogue was somewhat stilted to her ear, but she sensed that it was passing muster with the audience. The first part was about the Flowers being bored with each other and their world and deciding to move to the newly opened world of Earth.
There were poems, songs and a rather poorly done dance (one of the Flowers fell over and had to be helped off stage) then the curtain dropped and Clemie, in her creepy narrator outfit, delivered a few lines and it was time for the intermission.
The Catering Facility, thrilled with the chance to help, had provided snacks and drinks in the lobby. One of the more enthusiastic students had set up a small Sushi table.
Ellen took a drink of lemonade and was turning around when she found herself facing Ralph.
"Hi Ellen." He said, face neutral.
"Hi Ralph." She said, wishing desperately that she could think of something else to say, something that would make him smile.
"I…I like the show." He said, obviously trying to make conversation, "Did you help with it?"
"Oh…no!" She found herself looking deeply into those very pretty eyes, "Clemie wouldn't even let me see the script!" She flinched inwardly as the name left her lips, but – miraculously- he didn't scowl at the mention of Clemie.
"She…recites very well." He said evenly, returning her gaze, "Perhaps Performance will be her Calling?"
"Perhaps." Right now Ellen couldn't think much about it, blood rushing in her ears.
"Perhaps the Other's will gravitate towards similar Callings."
"The Others? Oh…" The Un-implanted, thinking of them brought her back to earth with a bump, "How many are there now?"
"We think several hundred, world wide."
"That's….a lot!"
"We'll be busy keeping track of them as they grow more dangerous…." His eyes narrowed for a moment, anger flashing and she found her hand on his arm.
"Please-don't be angry with me…not tonight." Tonight Clemie would show people that she was more then a Soulless monster. Tonight she would earn a chance to live.
"Anger…" he looked away, "No…I could never stay angry with you… not for long."
"Then…" She licked her dry lips; meeting his gaze as he looked at her again, "Sit with me? Please?"
"Yes." He smiled, a small smile that grew larger.
…..
Clemie felt like she was rushed off her feet, changing costumes three times in the second act to play (in order) the narrator, a Seeker and a Wild Human. The last was the most fun since she got to growl and scare gentle Souls. It was pretty laughable (she had to choke giggles down at some of the lines, but Petals was a real bitch-for a Flower- if you changed the lines). She could sense the audience tensing when she did her Wild Human with a Hatchet Dance. It had been the Evil Human with a Hatchet but Petals had re-named it when she'd convinced a real wild human to be in her play.
"OH! Your just wonderful!" Rain was (in, Clemie reminded herself) a girl of about her age, which meant she'd been implanted as a baby. Or IN a baby….for a moment Clementine felt unreal, wrong, like this was one of her messed up dreams. She wondered if being in a baby made Rain more of less a murderer but hurriedly pushed the thought away. Thinking like that would get her killed.
"What?" They were back stage waiting for the next act to begin- Rain was dressed in a jogging suit. She reached out to rest a hand on Clemie's arm, face concerned.
"Please…" Clemie gritted her teeth, mouth curling and Rain took her hand away quickly, mouthing 'sorry' and looking at her pityingly.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing." Clemie shook her head, "Just hard to believe I'm…I'm…"
"Such a good actress?" Rain asked brightly.
Living with Skin-walkers…Still alive…going to school… "Yeah." She nodded.
"One minuet!" Petals walked over, looking balefully at them from under his cap, which had LED's in the brim so he could read from his clipboard.
Clemie was convinced that he only used a clipboard to make himself look important; scowling at him she received a scowl right back. Though he had come here with Rain and Roots he had ended up getting misplaced in a warehouse and was a couple of years younger. He was also going to become a Seeker as soon as his zits cleaned up. He was already working on being a dick…he'd almost perfected it, she thought.
"Oh make a Nice Face!" Rain reached out and grabbed his cheek, pinching it with affection.
"Get off!" he scowled even more, went red and stomped away trying to look important.
Rain giggled, and Clemie did too.
…
The curtain came down on the second round of applause, Clemie was amazed at how buzzed she felt. Like she'd been running, but without the deathly fear.
Rain was grinning so wide her teeth look showed, eyes shining. Clemie was amazed to find herself with the same silly grin as the other players.
"We did it!" Rain gathered her up in a hug, crushing her close. She'd always been very 'touchy', Roots had said she'd been like that as a Flower, though Clemie had no idea how plants could touch each other.
"We couldn't have done it without you!" She whispered in Clemie's ear and the human felt herself relax into the hug as the urge to fight died. Rain felt the change and smiled, looking smug and refusing to let go.
"You See…you DO like being hugged!" She said happily, grabbing hold of Petals and hugging him too. He seamed to enjoy it much more, though Clemie suspected that his enjoyment was more…hormonal…then hers.
"Party tonight!" Rain announced, an arm around each of their shoulders.
…..
Clemie felt bad, very bad. This was like that time she'd eaten choke berries, only she wasn't puking anymore- she'd done all of that at Rains house. She vaguely remembered vomiting…frowning at the memory of a golden toilet bowl. She shook her head as she waved unsteadily to the taxi driver and headed into the apartment building, taking the steps to clear her head. Reaching her door she pushed it open, she thought suddenly of how dad had told her that in the old days everyone had a key that opened only their own door. Weird idea…she staggered into the house and made it as far as the sofa before collapsing and falling asleep.
She woke up feeling…well, not as bad as she'd thought she would but not wonderful either. There were the sounds of cooking in the kitchen, plates being set and the skillet on the stove…something greesy and hot smelled sooo good right now. She rose unsteadily to her feet, wondering why she was on the sofa and headed into the kitchen.
Ellen was in her robe, humming a happy tune as she scooped bacon and eggs onto two plates, coffee and juice were already on the table.
"Perfect timing mom!" Clementine said as Ellen turned, mouth dropping open.
"I…thought you…when you didn't come home…Rains house."
"I'd have had to share a bed…she's got two sisters and a creepy little brother." Her eyes narrowed at the way the baby had stared at her.
"Smells great!" Ralph, also wearing a robe…wearing her robe Clemie realized with a flash of anger…walked in. His mouth also dropped open when he saw her.
Silence.
"Fetch me another plate from the cupboard Ralph!" Ellen said brightly, smiling so tightly her face looked like it was shrink fitted to her skull, "Lucky I made plenty!" She laughed. She was the only one who did.
Clementine stared hard at them both.
They sat, moving food around their plate's but only Ralph ate anything, when he was finished he looked at the two women, "I…Uhm…should be…unless…?"
"Uhh…no," Ellen shook her head, "I…have, Uhh, things to do…."
"I…I'll…"
"Call later OK?" Ellen started to gather the plates, "Maybe come round tonight?"
Clemie make a sound that was a cross between snorting and choking.
"Yes!" He nodded as Ellen returned to the table, leaning over to kiss him on the cheek.
"See you later then, Ralph."
He rose, a certain amount of spring in his step, which was only slightly damped when Clemie called after him, "Yeah Ralph….we'll see you later."
…
"And then he said he'd be back tonight!" Clementine couldn't believe she was pouring her personal issues out to a worm. Even for a Worm Rain was sickeningly nice…she was in training to be a Comforter.
"That's kind of nice." She said, "I mean, your mom's been alone for a long time…I always thought she looked lonely when I was in her lectures. Plus she still has some childbearing years left...shame to waste those egg's."
"ICK!" Clementine shuddered, "Your not helping!"
They were in Rains room, which was filled with stuffed toys of every kind. A tribe of them lived on the computer desk, where Clemie sat. Others, too numerous for the shelves, were strewn over the bed where Rain reclined.
"What are you so upset about?" She asked, "I met Ralph when he was…was…"
"Stalking me around the Campus?" Growled Clementine, "Looking for an excuse to set this…this Thing off!" She held up her hand, exposing the bracelet of doom.
"I'm sure he is just doing what he thinks is best." Rain pointed out.
"What he thinks is best is for me to be dead!" Clemie hissed the last two words, trying not to cry.
"Oh…Well." Rain frowned, "That's not a good starting point for s relationship."
"Change the subject." Clementine snapped, "Its bad enough living with the Sword of Damocles over my head."
"Who's Damocles?"
"Old story…a guy hung his sword over the dinner table on a thread while everyone ate."
Rains eyes wrinkled, "Why?"
"To scare them…to make them see they could die at any moment." Clemie shrugged, "My dad told me that story."
"Humans are weird." Rain looked at her oddly, "Your not going to do that are you?" she made a motion vaguely indicative of hanging something up high above them.
"Shut up." Clementine rolled her eyes.
"Hey- here's something!" Rain grinned, "Last night someone puked in Petal's Tuba!"
…..…..
Ralph sat in his office reading the report, turning pages with one hand and sipping coffee with the other. The door to his office stood half open.
"Working hard?" he jerked, spilling coffee on his desk, "Sorry!" The speaker stepped into the room, pulling a handkerchief from her slacks pocket and helping him mop up the mess on his desk.
"I'm Sorry!" She was a woman in her late 40's, handsome rather then pretty, "Didn't realize you were still jumpy!"
"Just Caffeineated, Kelly." He smiled, as she sat on the desk surface to chat, "Missing me in LA?"
"Just catching up on meetings…overnight Shuttle…" she sighed, "One day we'll have the whole system organized so the reports will be where they're meant to be…."
"Sure…" Ralph agreed sagely, "The day AFTER we eliminate the last wild human and pack up the office."
"You think we'll EVER do that?" Kelly asked.
"Its our Calling." Any other possibility had never occurred to Ralph, "making the world a better, safer, place."
"That's true." She agreed, "So how are you liking your new post?"
"It is very comfortable."
"Yes…" She looked at the two cardboard boxes piled on the spare chair, "Tell me you've unpacked at your new apartment….please?"
"Uhh…" He reddened, "Well, I have been busy."
"You got all the records you requested?"
"Yes." He nodded, rubbing his eyes, "Though I am becoming to regret taking on this task…"
"How many you have on the books now?"
"Sixty seven…in the America's. I have asked a college to co-ordinate Europe and Africa."
"Sixty seven…" She whistled, "That's a lot of tame humans."
"Semi-tame." Ralph scowled, "The security devices will prove useful as they grow larger."
"Sure will- your partner came up with those didn't she?"
"Ellen is not my partner." Ralph scowled morosely.
"Oh…well, I guess I'll have to keep an eye on you then…" She winked, laughing as he reddened, "Joking…" She patted his arm and then brushed a strand of blond hair out of her face.
"How goes it tracking Leo?" Ralph knew that thoughts of revenge were un-Soul like but he had to confesses (even if only to himself) that the thought of Leo being captured was gratifying.
"He's dropped off the map." Kelly threw up her hands, "probably licking his wounds- we'll get him one day."
"One day." Ralph agreed.
…..
Clementine was in the cave, the old cave which she'd grown up, only now it had a desk in it. She watched herself, as you sometimes do in dreams, from outside. The Clemie at the desk was reading reports, turning pages with a concerned expression-lips pursed tight as she reached for a cup of tea in a pink Hello Kitty mug.
The was a handgun on the table, she knew that it was a Glock, Glock 17 which she had always liked…except that made no sense because some part of her brain told her that she had never had such a gun. She'd had a Walther pistol she'd taken from a Seeker, and once a Browning, never a Glock.
The Other Clemie didn't move right either and she felt a growing sense of wrongness that made her feel sick. The Other Clemie suddenly looked up, eyes highlighted by the ugly desk lamp flashing Silver as they looked at her.
"I'm your mom…"
Jerking awake suddenly Clementine screamed, thrashing about with her arms and breathing rapidly.
"Uhh…Clemie! Are you OK Clemie?" Rain had dozed off too, half buried under animals she had been snoring slightly.
"Yeah…Uhh, Oh, that was weird..." Clementine shivered, looking around the room at the creepy cat-with-a swinging-tail clock, "How long was I asleep?"
"'Bout twenty minuets…What?"
"Bad dream…." She shuddered.
"Yeah…nasty!" Rain made a face, "I had them for a whole month once-" before she could go on she was interrupted by the door to her room opening, Rains Mother, who looked much like an older, short haired version of Rain poked her heads in.
"Is everything OK? I heard a noise…"
"Clemie had a bad dream." Rain explained, her mom made sympathetic noises in her throat though she eyed the girl warily. She was always polite, kind even, but it was clear-at least to Clemie- that the woman didn't like her very much.
"Is she going to stay the night? I can get some blankets…or I can run her home in the car." She obviously preferred the latter option.
"I'll walk." Clemie said- she could use the exercise and getting outside sounded pretty good to her right now.
"If you're sure…tell me if you want a ride."
"Thanks Jane." She nodded as the other woman closed the door.
"You're going to walk?" Rain asked, Souls were-in Clemie's opinion-very lazy about physical exercise.
"Your mom doesn't like me." She changed the subject.
"Oh…she's just being a mom, you know how they worry."
"She's not really your mom, though, is she?"
"What a perfectly horrible thing to say!" Rain looked shocked, so Clemie backpedaled desperately.
"I…Uhm, I mean, she's a Wo- a Soul…"
"She grew my Host in her body, Clemie. She fed me milk when I a baby like Charles…of CORSE she's my mother."
"But your from the Flowers, she didn't hatch you out of an egg or something…."
Rain giggled, "You really don't know much about us, do you?"
"So tell me." Feeling defensive Clemie locked her face into an unmoving mask.
"In our Species a Mother gives herself for her Children…she dies to give them life. That's why Mothers are so special among us. They give everything for the next generation, it's a sacred thing."
"Oh." That explained how she was in her current situation, alive, "Will that happen to you?"
"Oh no!" Rain giggled, looking embarrassed or maybe just shy, "I could never do that- even if I were able-I'd be way too scared!"
"You don't all do it?"
"Oh no…that's why it's so special."
"Got to go." Clemie wondered why her father had never bothered to find this simple fact out about them. Rising she let herself out of the quiet house and began to walk in the crisp clean night air, looking up at the stars. It was a lovely clear night.
….
When she got home her mom and Ralph were nowhere to been seen. She could, however, hear them in the bedroom talking softly.
Scowling she banged her door on her way to bed, falling into a deep dreamless sleep until the morning.
"What?" She jerked suddenly awake, Ralph was standing at the foot of her bed, "Uhh….That's creepy, even for you." Spying on her in bed...at least she was wearing pajama's.
"Put your hands on your head." He had his gun out, hammer cocked, and she knew that he would just love to put a round between her eyes.
"What?" She blinked; her mom was standing beside Ralph weeping, "Oh…" She sneered, "So you decided three in the house was too much, mom? Decided you don't want to be my mom anymore now you've got Ralph?"
"Don't speak to her like that." Ralph hissed, "I know…I know what she did for you." Ellen gasped softly amid her tears, "You don't even…." He shook his head, "Hands on your head, then get out of bed and kneel….face away from me."
She obeyed, mute as he cuffed her hands behind her back.
"Why Clemie?" Ellen sobbed, "Was it me? Was it because of Ralph?"
"What are you talking about?" She wasn't sure what was going on, but she was alert to the rough feel of the muzzle against her ribs as she was pulled to her feet.
"Why…why Rain? She was such a nice girl….and the baby…" Ellen crumpled to the floor, tears streaming, "Just a baby Clemie! How Could you?"
Ralph's attention was on Ellen for just a moment. Deceiving that she was dead either way Clementine acted, twisting her body away from his sidearm she shove him roughly, making him stagger for a second. She lashed out with her feet, catching his shin on the first and his knee on the second kick. AS he fell she jumped up, belting her other foot into his ribs full force. She kicked his pistol away and rolled backwards, thankful that she hadn't gained too much weight living in civilization. She leaned backwards, slipping her cuffed wrists under her own backside and down her legs. When her hands were in front of her she threw her legs up and then down to swing herself upright. She gave Ralph another two satisfying kicks to the ribs, and one more in the crotch before looking over at her mom who was watching with an 'O' of horror on her lips.
Clemie fumbled through his pockets, finding the keys in his outside jacket pocket, undoing the cuff's she pulled his hands behind him, snapping the cuffs and frisking him rapidly.
30 seconds from standing up…her dad would be proud. She tossed his phone.
"Hey Ralph…Good morning." Rolling him over she was amazed at how she felt; she should feel fear, terror even. Instead she felt…good. The world was sane again.
She began methodically breaking Ralph's ribs.
"Clemie! Please!" Ellen said, "Please don't!"
"OK." She paused to think, "Uhh…what the hells going on?"
"Rain…you murdered Rain and her family." Ellen started crying again, "Ralph said you were Evil...but I couldn't believe it until now..."
"Rain's dead?" Clementine's eyes widened, she felt a flash of….of something, an emotion too unfamiliar to name, "When? How? I was just with her….last night."
There was a buzzing sound in the corner where she'd thrown his phone.
"That's the Seeker Station." Ralph smirked pretty triumphantly for someone about to cough up his own testicles, "If I don't call back in three minuets they'll activate your device."
She looked at him, wondering how much pain she could inflict in a three minuet period.
He was a jerk, a sneak, and A Seeker but she didn't want to spend any time-let alone the last three minuets of her life- with him.
The phone buzzed again.