Prologue: An Explanation1
I found an old typewriter, stuck in the back room. I think it might have been Thoman's at one point. But whatever. Anyway, I’m typing on it at this moment. Why? Because, friends, I have a story to tell! A story about me, my friends, my enemies, my adventures.... About a bunch of stuff, actually. Love, hate, conflict, passion.... Oh, wait. Does that sound like the back of a romance novel or what...? (Eww!)
Well, whatever!
Anyway. Wanna know all the details?
Read on, then!
(What, did you think I’d tell you here? Retard.)2
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Chapter One: Bacon6
"Yee-oww!"
Note to self; when making bacon, always wear something with sleeves.
I rubbed the spot on my arm where the bacon sizzle had stung me. I watched as the spot turned from ivory to red, then straight back to ivory. It didn't hurt for more then a second; a definite advantage to my 'advantages.' (Hah. I'm funny.) I rubbed it one last time, then returned to my cooking experiment. My inability to sleep had led me to try and find ways to entertain myself while my team snored the day away, and it had come to this. Instead of waiting for Ben to get up at the crack of twilight and cook, I’d decided to try my hand at it. I was the female, after all. Cooking should come with my Y chromosome, right?
I'd give Ben one thing; Cooking definitely wasn't as easy as it looked. Caleb and Samuel could hassle him about it all they wanted, but the guy had my respect. If canned and packaged food was this difficult to prepare, I couldn't imagine how hard all the made-from-scratch crap was. Not that Ben made anything from scratch much anymore; too little space for all the ingredients needed. But we were fine with Pillsbury biscuits, as long as there was something to eat.
Besides cooking, I’d also gotten into sewing and sweeping. I was becoming a regular Martha Stuart, going about the house and cleaning up and patching up clothes. Being in our Hole (as we affectionately called it) for such long periods of time had made me realize how messy it was. Since day two of my hunting ban, though, The Hole had become much tidier. With some candles and flowers, and the ignoring of a stray sock or two, the place wouldn't even look like it housed three teenage guys. HUNTER teenage guys, at that. But candles were strictly off limits, and I had no idea where on Earth I’d get flowers in the middle of Chicago. Oh. I'm rambling, aren't I?
I managed to get the bacon onto a paper plate, right when the oven dinged at the biscuits were ready. I put the bacon plate on the countertop and ran to the clunky metal device, forgetting all about an oven mitt. I lowered the door and reached in to grab the pan, but wound up burning my hand. I yowled, but kept hold of the biscuits, placing them on the stovetop. I yowled again as I held my hand close to my chest, looking down at it just in time to see the skin burn, then regenerate just as quickly. The pain was gone in a few seconds, but I waved my hand anyway before grabbing the biscuits and placing them next to the bacon, mumbling to myself.
"What's all the racket?" came a sudden voice, scaring the crap out of me. I jumped and turned around in the blink of an eye, already in a defensive position. I just as quickly relaxed my stance, though, when I saw who it was; Ben. Ben, mind you, with his bedhead of blonde hair, standing in his blue plaid bathrobe, navy slippers, with his glasses cockeyed. Not all that threatening.
"I heard yelling," he continued when I didn't respond any further. He scratched his head and yawned, his grey eyes looking groggy as he quickly looked me up and down. Once he was sure I hadn't burnt myself to a crisp, he exhaled quickly and shook his head, running his hands through his hair, looking annoyed.
"Sorry," I apologized, shrugging my shoulders as I took a piece of bacon and offered it to him. He gave me a skeptical look, and I felt a pang of annoyance. What was with that?!
"What?" I asked sharply, feeling hurt by the message in his eyes and posture, "I can cook, too, you know. I can be feminine."
"Oh, don't worry. I know you can," he rolled his eyes, walking over and taking the bacon grudgingly. He bit it and chewed slowly, as if thinking it over. I rolled my eyes, grabbing a piece and chomping down on it myself. Ben continued to criticize my work internally, then finished off the meat strip. I shook my head as he made the face of an acclaimed food critic and grabbed the jelly from the fridge.
"Caleb! Samuel!" I shouted, banging the jelly bottle down on the table in order to make the loudest sounds possible. I gave a few thumps on the wall and continued to shout, Ben scared out of his skin at the abruptness, "Get your butts down here! Breakfast!"
At the sound of 'breakfast,' I heard feet hit the floor, a sudden thump from Samuel's room (followed by an "Ouch!"), and then two pairs of feet come down the hallway. I rolled my eyes when I saw Caleb run in and grab a biscuit, followed by Samuel, who was hopping on one foot every so often.
"Use a plate," I reminded them, pointing to the paper plates i'd set out on our dingy, beat-up wooden table.
"Okay, mom," Samuel replied, oozing sarcasm. I grabbed a spoon and wacked him over the head with it. I hated that stupid name he'd taken to calling me. Samuel yelped and rubbed his head, giving me a look. I arched my eyebrows and looked back at him. He turned away in an instant.
"Be nice," Ben stated simply, grabbing two biscuits and putting them on a plate. He took a seat next to Samuel, reaching for the jelly as he did so. Caleb stood, leaning against the wall and munching on his biscuit quietly. He seemed very content, though a bit quitter then usual. I looked at him curiously; He caught my gaze, looking at me intently, and I quickly looked away. Caleb had a way of making my heart race when he looked at me like that.
"Where're we going today?" Samuel chimed suddenly, looking over at Ben, who was chewing silently. He glanced at Samuel, swallowed, and cleared his throat. He thought about it for a second, then looked back at Samuel, interlacing his fingers and resting his chin on them.
"Actually, i've been thinking...," he started.
"Oh, God," Caleb groaned. He ignored a harsh look from Ben, and I stifled a laugh.
"And," he continued, as if he hadn't been interrupted, "I think that we should each go patrol a different directional area."
I stopped in the middle of chewing on my second strip of bacon, abruptly turning to face Ben. Was he being serious? He wanted us to all go alone?! Caleb and Samuel seemed just as shocked as I was. We all stood there, silent, frozen in time for a moment, waiting for someone to shout, "Joking!"
Nobody did, though, and Samuel was the first to eagerly break the silence.
"Dibs on South!" he called, bringing his fist down on the tabletop to make it official. Caleb, eyes closed as he chewed, simply said, "West," and continued eating.
I, without thinking, shouted out, "North!"
Everybody's eyes were suddenly on me. I blinked, surprised at my own eagerness. That energy quickly faded, though, when I felt Ben's burning glare go though my soul. I winced and turned, preparing for a lecture. Ben was on his feet, looking at me with a hard gleam in his eyes. His glasses had slid down his nose, and his piercing blue yes were directly on mine as he started to talk.
"Catherine," he reprimanded, voice calm, using my full name, "I think we all know that you're not going."
Okay, okay. I know I really shouldn't have bothered. I should have said 'okay' and just dealt with it. But, no. I, Cate, had to go and open my big mouth. I just had to fight back, get my two cents in. So, I furrowed my eyebrows and glared, my jaw set as I halfway shouted, "Why?! Why can't I go, Benjamin? Huh?!"
His eyes narrowed and his voice rose ever so slightly as he replied, politely, back, "You know very well why, Catherine. I'm not letting you out there. You'll get killed."
"What do you know?!" I screamed back, my hands balled into fists at my sides, "You can't predict the future! How do you know what'd happen?!"
"That attitude," he growled, his teeth grinding together between sentences, "Is exactly why you aren't going!"
"You're a coward!" I screamed, resisting the urge to punch him in the face.
"No, i'm not! I'm being logical and protective!" He barked back, "I'm letting you get hurt, Catherine! Think reasonably for once, please!"
That did it. I unclenched my hands and then balled them up even tighter, advancing towards him the fastest I ever had. Samuel was out of his seat and Caleb was off the wall in a second, behind me and holding me back. I gasped and became angrier then before, trying to wrestle away from him as Ben looked at me with a glare.
"You're not going," he stated simply, his eyebrows low on his forehead.
"Who died and made you king?!" I screamed in his face, Caleb tightening his hold on my arms. I flailed, hitting in the face as I hollered, "Let go of me!"
"Calm down," Caleb's soft whisper reached my ears. I felt tears rush to my eyes; Part from anger, part from betrayal. Was nobody on my side? I glanced at Samuel in a desperate attempt for some sibling support, but he was just looking down at his feet guiltily. I felt my bottom lip betray me, as well, as it started to tremble. Ben's attentful gaze noticed this, and a smug look entered his pupils. That was too much for me.
I tore away from Caleb, tears escaping my eyes as I ran out of the kitchen, holding back sobs. I tore down the hallway and into my room, slamming the door behind me. I locked the doorknob when I heard a pair of footsteps come down the hall after me. After a second, I heard the doorknob jiggle, then an exasperated sigh from the other side of the wood. I slid down to the floor, my forehead on my knees, my arms covering my head. After a while, I heard a knock from the other side of the door and Caleb's soft voice going, "Cate?"
"Go away!" I screamed back, surprised at my own ferocity. I heard Caleb shift from foot to foot, debating. He eventually knocked again.
"Catey Bug?" He asked, using the name only he called me, "C'mon. Open up. I'm sorry, okay?"
"Get the hell away!" I growled, clenching fistfulls of hair as fresh tears rolled down my cheeks. I heard Caleb sigh and scratch his head, trying to figure out what to do. I continued to sob quietly, finally screaming, "I hate this! I hate Benjamin! I hate what i've become! I hate it all!"
Caleb, on the other side of the door, slid down to the ground and talked through the keyhole, on his knees.
"C'mon, Catey Bug," he whispered soothingly, "Open the door, and let's talk about it...."
"Oh, now you want to hear me out?" I cried, squeezing my hair harder. Caleb, ever the patient one, sighed on the other side of the door.
"I'm sorry, Catey, okay? I really am. I'm sorry, i'm sorry, i'm sorry," he repeated desperately, his voice sincere. I know that he heard me sniffle and take a shaky breath. I know that he heard me slowly let go of my hair, reach up, and unlock the door with a faint, sharp click.
The door opened the best it could with me leaning against it. I shifted and looked up as Caleb poked his head in, looking down at me, blubbering away. I felt my throat clog up and my eyes get runny again as his dark eyes softened at my sight. He stepped inside, with some difficulty, and closed the door behind him. I choked and sobbed when he leaned down beside me, smiling comfortingly and gently turning my head to face him.
I let out an audible sob and flung myself on him, hugging him tightly. He seemed shocked at first, but his arms soon wrapped around me, too, and held me carefully, warily. He hushed me once or twice, patting my back.
"Its okay, Catey Bug," he whispered, trying to soothe me, rocking me back and forth, "its okay."
"I'm turning into a monster," I sobbed, even though my words were perfectly clear. Caleb exhaled, unsure of himself as he gently rubbed my back, searching for the right words. He eventually shook his head, breathing evenly as he replied.
"Catey, you know that's not true. You're no monster...," he trailed off at the end of his sentence.
"I will be soon enough," I replied bitterly.
"Don't talk like that," he mumbled firmly, holding me tightly in an attempt to comfort me.
"But it's true," I continued, my tears stopped but my voice a bit shaky, "That's why I can't go out."
"Ben's just being protective," he whispered reassuringly, "You know that."
"Of who?" I demanded.
"You," he replied, hesitating a bit beforehand, "You and us. Everybody. Everybody."
"Everybody. Because I’m a monster," I concluded, feeling new tears come to my eyes. Caleb sighed, holding me and rubbing my back, trying to comfort me. We were silent for a long time, unsure of how to cure the odd silence. He rocked me back and forth, trying to think of what to do, what to say.
"Well," he said eventually, "If it means anything...."
I looked up at him, tears still on my cheeks. He smiled, trying to be sincere again.
"I don't think you're a monster."
I was shocked for a moment. Had Caleb said that? Though astounded, I found it in myself to smile back shakily.
"Thanks...."
"No problem, Catey Bug...."
Author notes
Okay. It's not my best, it IS my first post, and please don't eat me alive...! I'll try very hard to post the rest, though it'll probably come in incriments. I'm guessing it'll be around 26 chapters around the end. Also, I haven't introduced my favorite character yet, but he'll come in in the next chapter. =]
Also, thank you for reading! Feel free to comment ad give advice. ^-^
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