Chapter Three - I Am an Immortal

Thomas sat at the kitchen table glaring at the phone in his hand. His wife just finished washing the last dish in the sink and picked up a towel to dry her hands. She turned to look up at the wall clock then down at her husband.

"It's been twenty minutes," Nancy told him. "Maybe try now."

"I can't believe it is almost nine O'clock and no one is home yet." Thomas grumbled.

"Well, someone has to be home soon. Kenny did say they would be home late." The blond woman reasoned.

"Fine," Mr. Tucker sighed through gritted teeth.

He dialed the number again. It rang four times before a male voice answered.

"Hello," Stuart answered, his voice sounded groggy.

"Ah, hey Stuart, it's Thomas. I just want to let you know your boy is at our house."

"Oh great, what has that little shit done this time?" Mr. McCormick grumbled.

Thomas opened his mouth in shock, unsure of how to respond to Stuart's comment about his own child.

"Well, you're son has saved ours earlier this evening, and since it is already late, Nancy and I were wondering if it be ok if Kenny just stayed the night." He finally said.

"Oh you are talking about Kenny." Stuart forced out a laugh before adding, "I thought for a second it was Kevin. Sure, he can stay the night. I'll come by in the morning before picking up Karen at her friends."

"Ok, sounds good. Talk to you tomorrow then, thanks." Thomas sang before he hung up the phone.

Mr. and Mrs. Tucker smiled at each other in relief before Nancy placed the dishtowel on the counter, and walked out into the living room.

The Tucker kids and Kenny sat on the couch watching a movie. Craig's eyes drooped heavily as his head gradually tilted over towards the cushion beside him.

Mrs. Tucker walked up to them.

"Kenny," she said. "We finally got hold of your father. He said it is ok you stay the night here."

"Ok," the little blond boy nodded.

Nancy noticed her son, barely keeping his eyes open. She was about to say something directly to him when she caught Kenny stifling a yawn as well. With a sigh, Nancy knelt down to stroke her son's head, and looked up at Kenny in a nurturing manner.

"By the looks of things maybe you two can finish this movie tomorrow and get some sleep now." She said in a motherly way.

"The movie is almost over, just ten more minutes." Craig muttered in a half-sleepy tone.

"Alright, ten more minutes. Then all three of you must get to bed." Nancy instructed before standing up and walked back to the kitchen.

"Awe," Ruby moaned.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Sure enough, ten minutes had passed before the end credits scrolled up from the movie. That was Nancy and Thomas's cue to escort all three children upstairs. As the boys, followed by Mrs. Tucker, walked into Craig's room, Mr. Tucker took Ruby to hers.

The tall blond woman pulled back the blankets and ushered the two boys to crawl into bed.

"Ok, in you go." She ordered.

With no arguments, Craig and Kenny did as told. The moment the two of them lied comfortably beside each other, Mrs. Tucker covered them up with the warm blanket.

"Good night, you two." She said before leaving the room and closing the door behind her.

Both boys had their eyes closed and appeared to be almost asleep. Craig forced eyes to open as he turned his head towards Kenny.

"Why did you do it, Kenny? Why did you save me? You could have died you know." He said in a monotone voice.

Kenny blinked his eyes open and glanced back at Craig.

"You didn't think of that, did you?" The raven-haired boy deduced. "You just jumped right on the ice and a slid out to where I was, and pulled me out."

Again, Kenny lied there blinking silently at Craig.

"During that whole time did you ever wonder what would happen if the ice didn't supported you as you were rescuing me? What would you have done if you fell in too? Did it ever occur to you that you might have died trying to save me?"

"Yes," Kenny answered flatly.

Craig froze; he did not expect Kenny's immediate response.

"You were in danger Craig, I had to do something." The blond boy continued. "Sure I could have stopped to call someone, but by the time any help may have shown up, it would have been too late."

It was Craig's turn to lie there and blink back at Kenny.

"As for the possibility of me dying, well, yeah...that could have happened. I'm no stranger to situations like that."

"You tend to take risks like that a lot?" Craig asked.

"Not a lot, sometimes I'm just walking across the fuckin' street and death comes and kicks me the ass." Kenny replied bitterly before letting out a big yawn.

"Oh," the young Tucker boy nodded. He stopped when something about Kenny's last sentence didn't make sense. "Wait, what?"

Kenny finished yawning before looking back at Craig.

"What did you mean by death kicking you in the ass?"

"It just means I've experience death a lot, but I end up coming back." Kenny answered. He had realized he must have been quite tired to give Craig that much information.

"You're not making any sense." Craig shook his head slowly from side to side. "I don't think anyone can come back from the dead, unless they were Vampires or Zombies."

It was at that moment that Kenny felt he had to tell Craig the truth, even if he knew the other boy would not believe him.

"I can't die, Craig." He clarified. "Any time I was ever killed, I end up just coming back. You know, waking up in my old bed, and wearing my old cloths."

He paused when he recognized the same puzzled expressions that his friends would have anytime he tried to explain his accursed powers to them.

With a loud sigh, he continued. "Look you don't have to believe me if you don't want to. I don't even know why I'm telling you this. It is all rather crazy. Even I don't get it."

The boys were quiet for a moment as Craig absorbed Kenny's words.

"Ok, so let's say this is all true - why isn't there evidence that it happened?" Craig finally asked.

Kenny coughed out a laugh. "That is the funny part. No one ever remembers... Well, except my parents for some reason."

The blond boy turned his head to look up at the ceiling. A brief silence filled the room before Kenny spoke up again.

"Look, I don't know how to explain this any better. I have no clue what I am - I just know I'm different from everyone else."

Craig struggled to keep his eyes open. He realized would not be able to fight sleep any longer.

"Ah," was all he said before he rolled over. "G'Night," he sighed before falling asleep.

Kenny rolled over so he was facing the wall. He pulled up the covers so they covered most of his face.

"Good night," he muttered through the sheets.