Chapter 4: Befriending the Undead

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CHAPTER 4

Befriending the Undead

            Pete was overwhelmed.

            Once again he’d fallen asleep at his desk while pretending to study for a test he couldn’t pass. Usually, he’d wake in the middle of the night and climb into bed, but this time he remained fast asleep until his alarm clock greeted him the next morning.

            He passed his finger over the touchscreen button on his wrist-phone and the buzzer instantly shut off. His cellphone told him it was Friday morning, but Pete didn’t care about going to school. He was far too tired, and laying at the desk all night had made him sore. He stood, stretched and started for the bathroom. As he opened the window and breathed in the fresh spring air, he thought of his upcoming graduation and what he was going to do with the rest of his life.

            Damn, this sucks.

            Pete sighed, reminiscing on the days when life was curse free and normal. He’d never been an unpopular child, and he was never unliked, but as soon as he started seeing Kinetics and wanting to kill them, he spent less time on schoolwork and sustaining friendships and more time searching for ways to numb his misery. 

            At least I still have track, he thought. Running is the only thing I can do without having to like people, though Coach Gibson keeps nagging me and Mina’s a mirthful pain.

            Feeling disgusted with himself, he left the bathroom and decided to get ready for school. What would he wear? Something comfortable for that damn test he was going to fail. Track pants, a t-shirt, his pillow and robe… but of course, first he needed to go running.

            Pete face-planted onto his bed and laid there for a moment. When he decided that his hatred for school rated at about a ten today, he rolled over and opened his eyes.

            Pete sucked in air. “Kaia, what the hell!” Kaia was standing over him, her round eyes questioning and her hands behind her back. Pete quickly sat up. “At least knock before you come in and invade my privacy. What if I was naked? What if I brought a girl home last night and we were having steamy morning sex?”

            Kaia giggled. “Don’t be ridiculous, Pete. I already know you’re too afraid to have sex with a human.”

            Pete glowered. He rose to his feet and started for his dresser. “Whatever, Kaia.” He pulled open his topmost drawer and slipped off his shirt. “Why did you stop by, anyways? I still haven’t taken my morning jog yet. You’ll just be here by yourself.”

            Kaia was moving behind him. “Uh, Pete? Aren’t you forgetting something?”

            After quickly slipping on his running shirt, he slid out of his pants from yesterday and located his shorts. “Yeah, you’re right, I should do some warm-up exercises. I’m kinda stiff after falling asleep at my desk.”

            Kaia came up beside him. “No, Pete. I’m talking about your brother.”

            Pete frowned. He finished pulling the shorts over his underwear and looked at her. “My brother? Allen?”

            He felt a slight ping of pain in his chest, just as he always did when remembering the night that his father and brother disappeared. Great, now he was going to have nightmares tonight. What brought this up, anyways? Kaia knew better. Allen was a delicate subject that only came up when they couldn’t avoid it, which was rare.

            Kaia nodded. She faintly smiled, though she didn’t look happy. “You’re going to apologize for trying to kill him, right?”

            Pete’s frown deepened even further. “Kaia, what are you…?”

            It happened in an instant. Suddenly, images and visions from yesterday afternoon flashed before his eyes—the restaurant, the blond Kinetic, his dead brother’s terrifying resurrection and then his invasion of Pete’s home. He looked at the bed, his eyes wide, then he looked at Kaia, then back at the empty bed.

            He stepped back and ran his fingers through his hair. “Shit,” he hissed. “How the hell did I forget?”

            Pete spun around, prepared to make a break for the door, then he stopped short and turned back to face Kaia. “Where is he? Did you see him? Did he let you in?” Pete gasped. “What about mom! She didn’t spontaneously come home and see him, did she? Dammit, this shouldn’t be happening. Why the hell is he back from the dead?”

            Pete hurried out the door without waiting for Kaia’s response, searching every corner of the small condominium. The living room was empty, as was the hall, but when Pete started for the kitchen, he paused when he heard the sound of running water.

            He’s in the shower, Pete thought. Mom’s shower? Or is that only mom?

            “Holly wasn’t here when I showed up,” Kaia said from behind him. “Allen’s in the shower. You could probably wait…”

            Kaia trailed off as Pete darted for his mom’s bedroom.

            He’s probably not that dangerous, Pete thought, but I can’t be too certain. He’s a Kinetic, he’s an erratic alien, he attacked me and he looked at me with those cold blue eyes. What does she expect me to do? Sign a peace treaty between Cain and Abel? We’re brothers, not Canadians. I’ll talk to him, I’ll apologize and try to make him feel welcome, but there’s no way in hell I’m letting my guard down for a second.

            Pete stepped into the room, and with utmost caution, he opened the bathroom door.

            The place was at least ten times foggier than Pete’s steamy sex fantasy. He peered through the clouds and saw that, behind the cylindrical, warped glass, there stood the lean figure of Allen Glass as the jets from overhead rained down upon him.

            The stranger immediately spoke up. “Kaia, which button turns off the fountain?”

            Pete felt himself smile. “The red one.”

            “Oh, brother, it’s you.” He turned off the shower and slid open the door, revealing a warm, smiling face framed by incredibly long black hair. With an expression like that, it was hard to believe he didn’t want to be alive. “I’d like to thank you for your hospitality. You’re much kinder than I imagined.”

            As Allen spoke, Pete’s eyes seemed to be drawn downwards. It was a mistake. When he saw the prize his supposed twin brother possessed, he regretted ever stepping into the room.

            Damn him and his Kinetic superiority.

            Pete grabbed a towel from the tiny shelf and threw it at him. “Cover yourself up, will you? Nobody needs to see that.”

            “See what?”

            Pete groaned. He ran his fingers through his damp hair and turned away. “Never mind, Al. Just… just do me a favor and stay away from Kaia, okay? You can be her friend, but that’s it. I don’t want her ending up like my mom.”

            Allen seemed to wear a permanent frown. Though Pete still thought his brother was a bipolar freak, he knew that as long as the sun was out and Allen wasn’t afraid, he might’ve been comparable to a normal, emotional human being.

            “You know our mother?” Allen asked, his human innocence nearly convincing. “Are you certain the two of you are biologically related?”

            Pete released a breath. “Even if she isn’t our real mother, she’s taken care of me for the past fourteen years. She’s not perfect, but she loves me. If that’s not proof enough then I don’t know what is.”

            “She could be fooling you, trying to lead you into a trap. She could even be the reason for why I’m—”

            “Kaia told me about what happened to you, about how you were murdered while our father stood by and did nothing.” Wrong choice of words, but Pete couldn’t help himself. He felt the adrenaline leaking into his veins, cold and overflowing with vice. “Have you ever thought that maybe Kinetics are all the same, that even our father shut off his empathic senses when he realized your death needed to happen?”

            Allen gritted his teeth, then as quick as his scowl came, his expression softened and he looked away. “You’re right. I’m a terrifying animal that deserves to be put down. A beast so horrific couldn’t possibly deserve to live.” Sarcasm. Allen glared at him. “So then help me. My other half won’t allow you to kill me, but we can at least find the person who brought me to your world.”

            “Fine.”

            “Splendid!”

            “Then we’ll start today. First things first—we’re retracing your steps. And you’re gonna behave yourself, okay? No freaking out and going all cold-eyes.”

            Allen’s glare seemed to deepen, a hollow glint dwelling within his electric blue eyes. Then his gaze truly did soften. He shook his head and looked away. “Brother, my other half is summoned through fear. I’ll try to restrain him, but if he escapes, there’s nothing I can do.”

            Pete pursed his lips. He was quiet for a moment, considering the sincerity of his brother’s words, then he sighed and stiffly nodded.

            “It’s okay, Al.” Pete bitterly smiled. “You’re my brother. If something does happen, I’ll protect you, okay? I may not look like much, but I’m actually pretty strong, and I could run like the wind if I wanted to. So you—” he pointed at his brother, his smile evanescent. “Don’t do anything. Don’t flinch, don’t cry for help, don’t run headfirst into battle. I’ll be the monster for you, okay? You can count on me.”

            It was hard to fathom, but Allen actually looked relieved. He believed that Pete was strong and would protect him, not only from the threats, but from himself. And who knows? Maybe it was true. Pete didn’t hate his brother. Though he had his issues, they were nearly the same. Both Pete and Allen were victims in a cruel game that the Fate’s had devised against them.

            Allen didn’t say anything. He just smiled and nodded, a grateful look in his eyes. Meanwhile, his towel slowly slipped from around his waist. 

            Pete groaned. He looked away, shaking his head. “And put some clothes on, would you? We’re leaving ASAP. You’ll be able to handle that, right? Going outside?”

            Allen was securing the towel around his waist. He nodded. “Your city is vast, but I’d like to see more of it. If you’re there, I should be fine.”

            Pete smiled. “Good. I’ll send Kai in with some clothes.” And then he turned and left the bathroom just as his brother lost his grip around the towel.

                                                                  *     *     *     *     *

            “I don’t understand,” Allen said. “This technology makes no sense. How does lightning power scraps of metal?”

            It was lunch time and Allen was looking over the menu on the table at Charley’s Bar and Grill. Structurally, it was a thin sheet of stainless steel with a high definition screen that allowed food to be ordered without a human waiter. They were called WM’s, but evidently Allen had never heard of them.

            Pete sat beside him. He turned over his own menu and tapped the smooth backside. “There’s a computer inside, then more wires and other electrical stuff that makes the screen light up. I thought you people knew this stuff.”

            Allen looked distressed. “My dictionary cannot translate the definition of computer or wires. And how is ‘screen’ a noun?” 

            Pete frowned. Did he just say my dictionary?

            “You know what?” Kaia looked cheerful. “Let’s just forget about technology for a moment and order our food. Here, let me help.” Kaia stood from her chair and came up beside Allen. She slid her finger across the screen to change pages. “It’s really simple to work. See?”

            Allen smiled, though he still looked upset. “I don’t understand this sorcery, but it seems simple, yes. If I press this image, I can place my order?”

            Kaia nodded. “Yup! See, it’s not that bad, is it?”

            “No, not at all. This technology is actually very fascinating. I never knew an inanimate object could be telepathic.”

            Kaia giggled.

            Pete sighed and shook his head, returning to his own menu. His brother was an idiot. Didn’t he know that Kinetics were the sole reason for why Earth was so technologically advanced? He must’ve grown up in a monastery. Either that or a cave.

            “Now don’t order too much,” Pete muttered, scrolling through his own menu. He checked the box next to the baked macaroni meal and beamed, satisfied. “I don’t wanna spend all day waiting for food. We still have to stop by a million different parks.”

            Allen had claimed that he’d woken in something that reminded him of a park, but the city was “so confusing” that he couldn’t remember where anything was. So instead of going straight to a particular park, they were going to spend the entire day walking around town visiting courtyards and searching for patches of trees.

            After Pete put in his order, he returned his WM to the slot in the center of the table and removed one of his old packs of cigarettes from his pocket.

            He’d started smoking about three years ago around the time he began seeing Kinetic auras. He was freaked out and needed temporary relief, and it just so happened that cigarettes were addictive. And then last summer, about the time Pete was a walking chimney, he was forced to quiet when Mina caught him smoking and snitched to Coach Gibson. If he wanted to make it to the state finals, he had to stop, but Pete’s craving for a taste was so overwhelming that he had to sneak into his secret stash and grab a pack.

            It was a relief, being able to smoke again. He could feel all the stress from his brother’s invasion melt away as the smoke mingled with the air inside his lungs.

            Disgusting, he thought. I’m so disgusting.

            They were outside, of course, but mostly because Allen was fascinated by the sky. He loved how blue it was, and how the clouds were so fluffy and white. On Ecual, he claimed that the sky was coated in an iridescent film that changed colors depending on the angle of the sun. The clouds were the color of fire, the sun was blue and the shores were salmon pink while the water reflected black. It seemed to be very bright and colorful, but he claimed that it was too commonplace. Earth was much more fascinating because the contrast between pastels and dark shades was otherworldly. 

            At least, this is what Allen thought. He seemed like the real alien of the two, but his ignorance concerning technology was frustrating. 

            It confused Pete. Weren’t Kinetics said to be technological geniuses? Over a century ago, they’d built needle-like spaceships that infiltrated Earth under an invisible shield, then these few hundred or so Kinetics lived amongst the humans incognito, developing technology, planting deep roots within the planet’s most powerful nations and creating the catalyst for World War Three. This was their plan to wipe out the human race so they could take Earth for themselves. However, none of them had anticipated the betrayal of Leone Gallaway, their most honored second in command.

            So how did Allen not know this? Surely a few Kinetics had escaped back to Ecual and told the tale of their failure. And even if they hadn’t, where was Allen’s knowledge of technology? So far, it seemed like their civilization was moderately primitive.

            “Seriously? You’re smoking again, and in front of your brother?”

            Pete looked up from the end of his cigarette and Kaia was glaring at him. He blew out his first puff of smoke and replied. “Our current situation isn’t exactly stress-free. If you smoked, you’d understand.”

            “Yeah, but he doesn’t need to suffocate.”

            Kaia’s glare was steadfast.

            Pete rolled his eyes. Determined to have his way, he turned to his preoccupied brother. “Al, does this bother you? If it does I’ll put it out in a minute or two.” He remembered how Kinetics had a delicate sense of smell and sincerely hoped that it didn’t bother him. After spending an entire morning watching his brother gawk like an innocent child, Pete realized that he cared for Al, and he didn’t want him to experience unnecessary discomfort.

            Allen frowned and shook his head, his gaze returning to the WM. “It smells like virma tecu. My brother and I would burn it for recreation, though not necessarily in that manner.”

            Kaia glowered.

            Pete was genuinely surprised. This goody two-shoes smoked with his brother? He hadn’t expected this, and it made him wonder if their father had been in more relationships than one. “You had another brother, Al?”

            Allen calmly nodded. “He was a Numan bastard of the Darim. We were both adopted by the archpriest and his mistress as children. Kaia, will you please explain what type of food this is? I don’t understand ‘pasta.’”

            As Kaia explained, Pete continued to wonder about his strange brother. He was adopted, he never grew up amongst Kinetics, and the world he lived in was technologically impaired. This was the complete opposite of what Pete had expected. In the very least, he thought that their father would’ve been an important figure in his life, but evidently, Leone Gallaway had abandoned Allen when he was young. 

            And then there’s his brother, Pete thought. He had another sibling, somebody that actually grew up with him. How do we differ? Does Allen compare me to him? I’m sure I’m worse. Why was I so mean to him? He’s innocent and stupid, not an uncontrollable monster.

            Pete was incredibly self-conscious now. He wanted his brother to like him, buy so far Pete had been nothing but an ass. It even showed in Allen’s actions. He hadn’t ask Pete to explain pasta, he’d asked Kaia, as if she was more approachable and friendly. And maybe she was. Maybe Kaia was so naïve and open minded that Allen preferred her over his own brother.

            “No, that’s not it,” Allen muttered.

            Pete frowned and looked up. At the same time, Allen met his gaze.

            “Kaia reminds me of my adoptive mother, a Numan of astounding beauty and wisdom. She brought truth to the saying that a Numan’s heart is as pure as their wan complexion.” Allen smiled and gazed at Kaia, who stared back with wide eyes. He returned to Pete and allowed his smile to fall. “I miss my home. Someday I’d like to return to Ecual if that’s possible.”

            Pete slowly nodded. It made sense that Allen was feeling nostalgic, but at least now he didn’t want to die. “Ecual is over a million light-years away, just at the edge of the universe. We’ve nearly finished reverse engineering the ships that the Kinetics used to get here. You could join the Kinetic prisoners on the flight back.”

            Allen frowned. “Your language fails to make sense to me. Are you saying that a vessel will transport me back to Ecual?”

            Pete half smiled. “In a sense, yes, but it might take a year or ten to get there. We still don’t really know.”

            “But a ship? Like one that floats in the sea?”

            Pete frowned. He didn’t understand why his brother was so oblivious, and it

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