AB: Hello, everyone! I hope you have had a good week so far. I will admit that my week has been long so far. Not much is happening here; I still cannot find anyone. In other words, I am starting the chapter. Trigger Warning: Child Abuse in the third section of the chapter! I will give a reminder when we get there! Disclaimer: The Secret Saturdays belongs to Jay Stephens and Cartoon Network. Here is Chapter 20: WHAT IS LIFE?!
(3rd person POV)
The woman smiled up at the man who had rescued her. He was incredibly handsome. His expression was soft and loving. Then the woman took a closer look.
"Ningirama?" she asked. He nodded. "Your Holiness," she whispered as she bowed before the god. She was completely ignorant about how to act around the god.
Ningirama smiled at the woman. "Hello, Mashdaria. No need for that," he said as he helped her on her feet. Mashdaria brushed the sand off and tried to make herself look more presentable.
Then Mashdaria thanked Ningirama for helping her, and their affections for each other were planted.
(Iris's POV)
A loud knock at the door breaks our "family bonding time." I jump up and race to the door, beating Zak to it by a hair; Zak returns to the living room to sulk. Then the phone rings, distracting me from the door, and Mom reaches for it, stepping into the kitchen to talk in private. Fisk asks what is going on, but a series of loud knocks prevents me from answering. Dr. Saturday says to answer the door, so I pull it open. My jaw drops to the floor.
"Hello, Iris." I blink several times to make sure the person before it actually there. The person is definitely there.
"Dr. Saturday," I call, my mind too shocked to think of anything to do. Dr. Saturday gets up and comes to the door; he expression changes to one of anger and shock when he sees the person.
"What are you doing here? Haven't you done enough?" Dr. Saturday asks scornfully.
"Please, just hear me out. I-"
"Why should I?" Dr. Saturday slams the door and walks away. I am left standing at the door wondering what just happened. Mom comes back and looks at me with dismay. I am not really sure I want to know what is about to happen.
"Iris, we are going back to Orono. The cryptid is back." I hang my head. "I know, Iris," No, you do not know. "but we need to go." With that, Mom disappears into the living room to tell the others. Again, I am left alone to figure what just took place. This is going to be one heck of day, especially with the unexpected trip to Orono. I take one last look at the door, knowing no one is there anymore, and walk away. But I get the feeling someone is following me, scrutinizing my every move. I wish the feeling would go away, for good.
I rejoin the others in the living room right as Mom announces our return to Orono. Fisk groans, and Zak attempts to bash his head against the wall before Zon stops him. I do not blame him one bit; Orono is one of the last places I want to return to.
After much turbulence and several hours later, we land in Orono; even with an airship that flies seven times as fast as modern planes, the flight is incredibly long, even if it is only an hour. Everyone gets off the airship and immediately begins cryptid hunting. Meanwhile, Doyle and I stay in the airship; he is not feeling very well, and I do not really want to see the effects the cryptid has had on my hometown. At least, I think that is why I do not want to go out; I may just be scared of seeing someone I once knew.
Suddenly, my stomach tightens, and I feel extremely queasy. My heart starts racing, I have a terrible gut feeling. Something bad is about to happen, I just know it, but I have no way to prove myself. In a desperate effort to relieve my nerves, I go check on Doyle. He seems to be a little better, but he still looks unwell.
"Are you sure you are feeling better, Doyle?" I ask, hoping he is, yet also hoping he is not. I do not want to be alone, but I do not want him here should anything happen.
" Yeah, Demi-Drew. Just recovering from a little motion sickness is all," he replies.
"You do not get motion sickness, Doyle. Even I know that."
"You're right. I just have a bad feeling about today."
"Me too." We stop talking for a while, which, in my opinion, only makes my nerves worse. I just wish I knew what is causing this dreadful feeling. Quietly and unsurely, I ask Doyle about my nickname. He smiles and laughs, saying that he knew I would catch on.
Doyle, still feeling sick, takes some medication and goes to sleep. Though I would love to be him, I stay awake and on guard. I refuse to let anything happen to Doyle, the airship, or me. The others are, unfortunately, on their own.
RRRIIINNNGGG! The shrill cry of the phone snaps me back into reality. How long was I asleep?! I leap to answer the phone before it wakes Doyle up; it is a combination of Fisk, Zon, Komodo, and Zak all yelling into the phone. There has been an attack, and Mom an Dr. Saturday have been hurt.
With Mom and Dr. Saturday in the hospital, Zak, the others, and I are left to our devices. They suggest we go into town, but I bluntly reject the idea. When confronted, I simply say that it is a bad idea with a cryptid running around. Komodo then suggests we go visit Mom and Dr. Saturday after the accident yesterday. Everyone else agrees, so I submit.
At the hospital, I sit and watch as Zak talks with his parents. Part of me knows I should be in there too, but part if says I should stay out here. What if they die? They just agreed to seek help for their marriage. What will happen to me? I know the others' fates, but mine is so blurred by the looming threat of the second will.
"Iris, Dad wants you," Zak says as he walks up to me. I thank Zak and enter Dr. Saturday's room.
"What happened?" I ask. Dr. Saturday's entire body is covered in bandaged areas.
"The cryptid attacked us. Zak made it leave, but he came a moment too late," Dr. Saturday explains. I look down at the ground in thought as Dr. Saturday keeps talking.
"I am sorry. I am sorry that I was not there to help."
"I'm glad you were not there. I have a feeling that it would have been a lot worse. Now, I think Drew wanted to see you." I tell Dr. Saturday goodbye and make my way to Mom's room; it is only two doors down, but there are a lot of people here. Mom, like Dr. Saturday, is covered in bandages. She does not notice me at first, so I stand silently. Then she looks at me and smiles as she calls me over.
"Dr. Saturday told me what happened. Will you all be all right?" Mom nods and reaches for my hand; I grasp it firmly. "I love you, Mom," I whisper.
"I love you too, Iris." There is silence for a while as we enjoy each other's company. Finally Mom says that I should probably scoot along. I step out of the room and let Doyle talk with his sister.
"Iris?!" A familiar voice calls my name; I know that Scottish accent anywhere!
"Lindsey?!" I ask as I turn around. All I see is a curly mop of red hair as the person hugs me; it is definitely Lindsey. Lindsey pulls out of the hug and looks at me. She has changed so much over six years, but so have I. She grabs my arms and stares the scars adorning them.
"Did your mentor abuse you, or did you do this yourself?" She asks, concern embedded in her voice.
"The former of the two. How have you been?"
"Oh, Iris, I'm so sorry!" She exclaims, disregarding my question. I tell her everything is fine now because I have moved in with another family. Then I ask about her life. But she does not answer my question; instead she starts prying into my personal life. The situation gets progressively worse. Desperate to end the uncomfortable conversation, I ask what brings her to the hospital. Lindsey stares down at the ground.
"Lindsey, is everything alright?"
"Some creature attacked my father the other day; it got my mother the last time it was here." Not wanting to make this about myself, I swallow a gasp.
"Is she okay?" How stupid am I?!
"If you call missing okay, then she's never been better." I explain that the Saturdays and I are in town because of the cryptid and that we will keep an eye out. Lindsey smiles sweetly. When I inquire about her father, she shrugs and says she does not know and will not know for some time. Then she asks where I live now, so I reply with Seward. Lindsey seems surprised by how far that is from here, but it is really not that far from WeirdWorld.
Our conversation is cut short, much to my relief, when Doyle says that Mom and Dr. Saturday should be discharged at any minute. Next thing we know, Mom and Dr. Saturday are being wheeled into the waiting room of the ER. They are discharged with orders not to walk for the next couple days, so Zak and I are sent to get the wheelchairs I never knew the Saturdays had, from the airship. Then we return to the hospital, pick up Mom and Dr. Saturday, and come back. Nobody says a word.
Trigger Warning: Child Abuse mentioned in this section. Scroll to next bold to skip!
"Iris," Mom whispers the following morning. I slam a pillow over my head in response. "Iris, it's time to get up. We're meeting Dr. Cooper today, remember?" I groan; it is way to early to be seeing a therapist.
Reluctantly, I leave my warm bed for the cold bathroom. I get dressed and ready for the day before meeting Mom in the living room. The sun has not yet risen; the others are most definitely asleep. Mom guides me to a hangar and explains that we are taking the Griffin to see Dr. Cooper.
"Mom, you are in a wheelchair."
The door to the waiting room swings open. In walks a woman around Mom's age, with dark purple hair and glasses; her arms are decorated with red scars. She introduces herself as Dr. Hannah Cooper and leads me into her office. Then she sits down in a chair, and I sit on the couch.
"Iris, before we start, I want you to know that this is a safe place; whatever you say will be completely confidential. Okay?" I nod. "Drew tells me that you have suffered a damaging past. Are you willing to talk about it?" Again, I nod and take a deep breath.
"I was adopted as a baby, and my father loved my very much; then a mother figure came into my life, and everything was great. But one day, when I was seven, a man and his servant showed up at our house and took me away, saying that I was to be the man's protégé. I never saw my father or my mother figure again.
"When the man, his servant, and I arrived at his house, I discovered the truth. The man did not want a protégé, but rather another servant, one with powers. The man, whom I called 'Master' until recently, was never satisfied and spoke only in French to me. Every time I slipped up, he beat me and would torture me in the dungeon. My education did not continue, and-" My voice breaks as I stifle the tears. "And I fell behind.
"The house, or manor really, was a nightmare factory. Master, whose name was Argost, kept all kinds of memorabilia of intruders the house claimed. He had skeletons everywhere, and everything was a trap. I wanted out of that house so badly, and I cried every night. That only angered Argost, though, so he would beat me to a pulp and then chain my up in a dungeon cell. I remember hearing the sounds of the animals in their cells at night." I pause as fight tears and the emotions I longed to bury. "He tried so often to take my powers from me, and he even threatened to kill me when he could not take them.
"After a long time, my mind twisted to see good as evil and evil as good, but it was never enough for Argost. Even after my mind twisted, I wanted out, even if it meant death. Six years after Argost took me, a war took place; the war claimed Argost and my father. Father's will said the Saturdays got custody of me, but things have been falling apart since then."
"And have you gone back to the manor, or to your hometown?"
"Yes to both."
"How did it make you feel?"
"Like I wanted to get myself as far away as humanly possible. Everything replayed so vividly in my mind; I do not know if it was worse because of my powers."
"What are these powers you speak of?"
"Memory, healing, elements, and cryptid, though my cryptid ones are almost gone."
Dr. Cooper shifts in her chair. "Iris, I do think this is PTSD. What Argost did to you was horrible, but you need to understand that it was not your fault. You never asked to be taken or abused, nor did you ask for your father's death." Dr. Cooper and I finish our session, so we walk back out to the waiting room. Then Dr. Cooper pulls Mom aside and they start talking. I catch the words "PTSD" and "abuse," but nothing else, until I hear one particular sentence. "Drew, she's delusional." WHAT?! HAS MY LIFE BEEN A LIE?!
Mom and I fly back in total silence. We both dwell in our own thoughts, barely recognizing the other's existence. The US passes underneath the Griffin in a blur as we race to return to the others. Why are we racing? I wonder to myself.
Start reading here if you skipped previous section!
My night was haunted by Dr. Cooper's words; drowsiness clouds my vision. I swear I see a face I hoped to never see again, sitting in the living room. Sauntering through the living as well as a half-asleep person can, I force my way into the kitchen and collapse into one of the chairs. My head hits the table with a soft thud, and I go back to sleep.
Fisk yelling in my ear wakes me up. I jolt into an upright position and mentally prepare myself to kill Fisk. Then Doyle and Komodo enter the kitchen, so I back down.
"You're awake now, Demi-Drew. Drew wants you in the living room," Doyle says. I shoot Fisk a laser glare and trudge into the living room. The person I never hoped to see again is surely in front of me; if my jaw drops any lower, it will dislocate itself. I sit down in a chair silently and unsurely. This whole situation is odd, and I do not want to make it worse.
"Hello, Iris." I nod quietly in response to the person greeting me. "How are you doing?"
"I am well," I manage to stumble out. "And you?"
"I've been better. Thank you." There is an awkward pause for a long while. "What brings you all to Orono, Drew?"
"A cryptid," Mom replies. "What brings you here?"
"I'm visiting some family." An even longer awkward silence settles in the air.
"Miranda, you seem to know the city pretty well. Would you mind helping us search for the cryptid?" Instant fear flashes in Dr. Grey's eyes, but it is gone as quickly as it came. I wonder what she is hiding. Is not bad enough she is possibly the enemy? Now she is going to "help" us capture this cryptid; she could easily lure us into a trap!
"Actually, Drew, I'm leaving later today. I'm sorry I can't help you." Mom smiles and says that it is all right. Mom then asks how Ms. Grey is doing, and Dr. Grey says Ms. Grey is recovering well. Suddenly, Dr. Grey asks, "Drew, what do you remember about Jordan?"
Mom's brow furrows together. "Jordan from college?" Dr. Grey nods. "Not much. She was so sweet and innocent; her emotions gave her such a passion, and she loved life. I can't imagine who would want to take her out of this world."
"Drew, I came across a note from Jordan the day before she died. Could she have killed herself?" Mom bites her lip as she thinks.
"Yes, but why? She had such a love and appreciation of life. Why would she end it?"
"She just found out her fiancé died. I guess it was too much for her to bear." When I see the conversation no longer involves me, I try to excuse myself, but Mom's deadly stare keeps me in the living room.
"Who was her fiancé?"
"Derek." Mom draws back in shock. "Yes, my brother was engaged to Jordan."
"Miranda, I had no idea. I'm so sorry." The conversation pauses, so I take advantage of it.
"Dr. Grey, do you have a picture of your brother or Jordan?" I ask. Dr. Grey nods and pulls out a small picture from her pocket. I gaze intently at it, and the shape of her brother's face, his cheekbones, his eyes, even his nose, all remind me of- "-Munya." Both Mom and Dr. Grey gasp as they look at the picture. Dr. Grey suggests we look at a picture of Munya, so the three of us head into the computer room. Once a picture is pulled up, and the one of Derek Grey scanned and displayed next to it, we all take a closer look.
"You're right, Iris. Munya and Derek do look alike, but Derek died thirteen years ago," Dr. Grey sighs. Mom then tells me I had better go, so I slip from the room. I hear Dr. Grey struggle to restrain her tears before saying that she has to go or she will miss her flight. The doors to the computer room open, and Dr. Grey hurries out, leaving without a goodbye.
Mom then emerges from the room and silently walks back to the living room. Watching Dr. Grey leave so quickly has me on edge because she could tell any, if not all, of the Secret Scientists where we are. I decide to go warn Mom, but something tells me not to. I hope nothing is going to happen.
AB: So that is all I have for this chapter. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and let me know what you all think! What do you think was the point of Dr. Grey's visit? What is significant about Jordan being engaged to Derek? Is Iris's hunch correct? Let me know your theories and speculation! Do not forget to follow, favorite, and review! Thank you all so much for reading; I love you all!