Chapter 29 [Smallville Cemetery—After School]

Lana parked the blazer in its usual spot by the cast iron fence. Depression pressed down on her. Three

surprise quizzes had soured her mood. Still the discussions in English and Art classes cheered her somewhat. Miranda's text over lunch picked her mood up further.

Still the new abilities threw everything into a tailspin. They overwhelmed her to say the least. She had to force herself to plod so as not to start running in a hypersonic burst. Her forehead had flushed a few times. She had to be careful of her strength. In addition she could have sworn that she could see through things.

How does Clark deal with this? She got out of her vehicle and eased the door shut. Then she walked slowly through the gate. Her feet guided her on their familiar trek through the stones. Can he help me master these things? I almost feel like I have to bubble wrap myself. She rolled her eyes. Then she stopped short of her expected destination.

In front of her parents' grave, her prospective interview stood and spoke to them. Between their feet and the monument, white and yellow roses rested in a bouquet.

She shivered at a sudden chill. She wondered at its source. For some reason, the elements didn't seem to bother her as they might have a day earlier. Still she felt an icy psychic wave coming from Dave himself. She squirmed suspecting the source. I know that he saved us. Still does it have to be so cold and scary? I…

AIN'T AN 'IT', TOOTS! a low voice cut through her psyche.

She looked around. Fear had her on edge.

He sighed and turned to face her. "You're not helping, Lana." He turned to face her. "He's not going to hurt you. Neither will I. Ever."

"I know that, Mr. Dubois. Still…he…well he's scary and cold. I'm feeling this weird vibe from you. I don't understand how but I'm feeling it." She frowned.

"He can be. Listen to him though." Angie inspected Lana. "Something else wrong, Lana? You seem out of sorts."

"Something's different about her." He assessed her as well.

"What?" Lana stiffened. She wasn't about to admit to her new secret. "I don't know what you're talking about. Sorry but we just met."

He spasmed. A low growl escaped his lips.

His wife squeezed his hand in hers. Support flowed from her into him. The two visitors exchanged looks.

Then Angie cleared her throat. "We've known you since you were a baby, Lana. I carried you away from here during your parents' funeral myself. We protected you against a big threat." She motioned to him. "He knows more about your family than just about anyone on Earth. You've been kept in the dark for a reason."

"For a…what?" Lana trembled. Anger surged through her. "WHO ARE YOU THAT YOU JUST SHOW UP AND…?"

He shuddered. His right eye shut. His left eye glowed at her. Then the Child spoke. "Lissen up, Sweet Cheeks! YER FAMILY DID T'IS TA ME! YA WAN' TA KNOW? AH CAN TELL YA!" He pointed at the grave. "Lau…ra asked we keep ya safe! She knew!" He sniggered. "Ask Lexie. Look at Auntie's portrait!" He sniffed at her. "Somethin's messin' w' ya, Toots. Ah don' need t'is." He grabbed Angie's arm. "Mon. She needs 'er Mama an' Daddy." He teleported them away in a dark flash.

Lana narrowed her eyes. Power surged through herself like a dark flood. She felt as though she held onto a branch or a plank by her fingertips. She trembled. Indignation burned at her. She couldn't believe the nerve of those people. She knew that they couldn't have been there because of Arighatto. Still the fact that people knew about her past. They could've answered her questions but chose not to.

They knew and chose not to.

"Hi, Mom and Dad." She let the greeting hang in the air. Her mind struggled to decide on another response. "I wish I knew what to say. I used to get mad at Clark for keeping secrets. After finding out about his ancestry, I get more cryptic hints about ours? What else can happen? I feel so out of control. What happened? What was so bad?" She slumped to her knees. She trembled. Numbness robbed her of feeling in her arms and legs. Tears streaked her cheeks.

Be careful of what you ask.

She jerked her head up. "No more mysteries today! Please!" She stared at the grave. Her forehead grew flushed again. Her eyes glowed.

"Calm yourself." Louise appeared off to the side. "Your friends are right, Lana. There's a great deal you need to learn. Perhaps though this might not be the time…."

"Not the time? Aunt Louise, I've been bombarded by Clark's family secrets and ours for the last two weeks! I thought this was going to be a simple poetry reading! So did Clark! So did Miri! Now our lives have been turned upside down. Clark and his Dad are barely talking. And now Mr. Dubois' changed into that creature again. Why is everyone making this so difficult?" Lana demanded.

"Difficult?" Louise pursed her lips. She sniffed. "Lana, we're protecting you. Nell wanted you to have a normal life. She knew about all of this. Your mother researched the genealogy along with Mr. Dubois. She encountered our ancestors and their ghosts along with them." She bowed her head. "Our family has a dark secret. You might be sorry if you discovered it."

"How bad can it be? Auntie!" Lana protested.

"They twisted Mr. Dubois into what he is now. Alexander has seen his share of their malice as well. Ask him," Louise revealed. She glanced off to the south. "Perhaps Clark and you might wish to ask Alexander for further detail? Even your friend, the Princess, knows some things."

On cue, the familiar blur streaked through the gate and through the stones. Clark stopped right in front of them. "Lana! What's wrong? I could feel your pain."

"Clark, we…we're in the middle of a mess. We need to talk to Lex about it." Lana grabbed onto him.

He glanced at the spirit. "What happened?"

"Talk to Alexander. It's time you both knew." Louise vanished from view.

He hugged Lana closely to him. "Are you sure you want to know?"

"Clark, we have to. I have to. After this, I appreciate more than ever that you're being honest with me. Maybe Lex might know more." She trembled. "Come on." She turned and trudged toward her blazer.

Now what? Lex, what have you done now? He pursued her toward the vehicle.

Seems the more attempts to fix things, the more messes came up…..