Chapter 12
Her pain and her sorrow seemed to disappear at the sight of Marcus. She had no idea why Liz trusted him so much before, but now she knew. Marcus’s mother walked over to his body and sat on his claw to look out over the water to the city beyond. It was a good view, but she wondered if he would take offense to it; sitting on his paw. He did not seem to mind. Marcus lifted his head high into the air and looked over the falling sun.
It was probably around six o’clock in the afternoon at that time; the sun was a few inches above the horizon. Marcus loved the view of the sunset, and he had no intention of leaving before it happened. His mother said, “Is their any hope? For the others, I mean.”
“Who, your family? I would not give up hope so quickly, but do not let hope consume you, lest it turn to disappointment later on in life. We still have no idea if the rest of the world even exists.”
She started to cry and he said, “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“I just want this all to be over, is all.”
“Listen to me; this new world will one day change for me as I am immortal. Yet, you will not live to see that new world. Nor will any human alive today, in point of fact. You are probably asking yourself, ‘why is he telling me this?’ Well I’ll answer that question. I’m telling you this because you, as a parent, live to make the world a better place for your children. Everything you do will affect the world of tomorrow, and since we will live forever, everything will have a greater ripple effect than it would for a normal person. I tell you this because you’re still a parent.”
“But you’re a freaking living god, I don’t think you need me as a parent anymore.”
“You’re not getting off that easy. I cannot say I am your child anymore. Yet, we are both the parents to the same person.”
“Liz.”
“Precisely. It is for her sake that I am talking to you. She fears for your safety and your sanity. Liz told me she thinks you might snap and hurt yourself. I love her and you, so I consider this kind of thing to be paramount.”
“Well, I always cared for you. Losing the others was bad, but seeing my baby surrounded by monsters…it broke my heart.”
“That is very good to hear, but now Liz needs to know that. She must know that you care for her and for that reason you will stay sane.”
“While you were out training her, I was up all night worrying about Liz and if I would ever see her again. I haven’t slept for three days.”
Marcus nudged his claw to push her up. She stood and Marcus said, “Follow me.”
She walked beside him and they moved off the road to where Marcus usually slept. He said, “If you ever wish to speak with me, and the soldiers you ask say that I am not doing anything, than I am here trying to sleep.”
He set himself down and his mother took a position on his claw. Three minutes of silence went by when Liz walked into the area. She said, “Well well well, aren’t we comfortable.”
Their mother responded, “I haven’t slept for a while. Leave me alone.”
Marcus said, “Now if only father were here.”
“I am,” said a voice a few feet behind Liz. Their father walked out from behind a tree and said, “Now we’re one big happy family.”
Marcus groaned and joked, “Does this mean we get to fall asleep to one of your old stories about family values?”
“Yup. And Liz already told me how your kind can’t sleep.”
Their mother did fall asleep, Liz showed off her blade, Marcus told stories about their journeys, and their father told about his ordeals with the military. They talked until the eastern horizon started to lighten. Finally, their father placed his head to the ground and fell asleep. Liz did as Marcus told her and followed suite, as did Marcus. They slept as a family for the first time in two months, and Marcus could not be happier.
It was probably around six o’clock in the afternoon at that time; the sun was a few inches above the horizon. Marcus loved the view of the sunset, and he had no intention of leaving before it happened. His mother said, “Is their any hope? For the others, I mean.”
“Who, your family? I would not give up hope so quickly, but do not let hope consume you, lest it turn to disappointment later on in life. We still have no idea if the rest of the world even exists.”
She started to cry and he said, “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“I just want this all to be over, is all.”
“Listen to me; this new world will one day change for me as I am immortal. Yet, you will not live to see that new world. Nor will any human alive today, in point of fact. You are probably asking yourself, ‘why is he telling me this?’ Well I’ll answer that question. I’m telling you this because you, as a parent, live to make the world a better place for your children. Everything you do will affect the world of tomorrow, and since we will live forever, everything will have a greater ripple effect than it would for a normal person. I tell you this because you’re still a parent.”
“But you’re a freaking living god, I don’t think you need me as a parent anymore.”
“You’re not getting off that easy. I cannot say I am your child anymore. Yet, we are both the parents to the same person.”
“Liz.”
“Precisely. It is for her sake that I am talking to you. She fears for your safety and your sanity. Liz told me she thinks you might snap and hurt yourself. I love her and you, so I consider this kind of thing to be paramount.”
“Well, I always cared for you. Losing the others was bad, but seeing my baby surrounded by monsters…it broke my heart.”
“That is very good to hear, but now Liz needs to know that. She must know that you care for her and for that reason you will stay sane.”
“While you were out training her, I was up all night worrying about Liz and if I would ever see her again. I haven’t slept for three days.”
Marcus nudged his claw to push her up. She stood and Marcus said, “Follow me.”
She walked beside him and they moved off the road to where Marcus usually slept. He said, “If you ever wish to speak with me, and the soldiers you ask say that I am not doing anything, than I am here trying to sleep.”
He set himself down and his mother took a position on his claw. Three minutes of silence went by when Liz walked into the area. She said, “Well well well, aren’t we comfortable.”
Their mother responded, “I haven’t slept for a while. Leave me alone.”
Marcus said, “Now if only father were here.”
“I am,” said a voice a few feet behind Liz. Their father walked out from behind a tree and said, “Now we’re one big happy family.”
Marcus groaned and joked, “Does this mean we get to fall asleep to one of your old stories about family values?”
“Yup. And Liz already told me how your kind can’t sleep.”
Their mother did fall asleep, Liz showed off her blade, Marcus told stories about their journeys, and their father told about his ordeals with the military. They talked until the eastern horizon started to lighten. Finally, their father placed his head to the ground and fell asleep. Liz did as Marcus told her and followed suite, as did Marcus. They slept as a family for the first time in two months, and Marcus could not be happier.
Chapter 13: Coercion
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