Chapter 33
Marcus spent the next half an hour trying to explain to his mother why he had to leave. She did not respond to any of this, but walked over to his claw and laid herself down on his middle fifth finger. Marcus said after he was done explaining, “What is your opinion of this? You don’t seem to be showing the same emotion as Father did.”
“I’m thinking. So you and Liz are going to Japan, China, Russia, and Europe to kill off the undead?”
“That is what we plan to accomplish. Mother, your tone is worrying me. Perhaps you do not realize that you will likely not see me or Liz for a long, long time.”
“I guess it just hasn’t sunk in yet. I’ll probably latch myself to your paw and start crying your name.”
“I have thought of a different reason. This may be a wild guess, but due to the differences between me and my old self, the one you knew, you just haven’t made the connection between who I am and who I was.”
“Maybe. We’ll find out tomorrow morning. Until then, I’m…”
She trailed off as she saw in faint light Isaac and Liz sitting at the top of the tall hill. She said, “Is my baby girl being held by an ass?”
“Isaac is a good person.”
“From what Liz told me about what he did today, no he isn’t.”
She stood up and tried to walk up the hill, but she saw Liz grab Isaac and pull him out of view. She gave up and walked back to Marcus. She said, “Does this make me a grandmother?”
“I do not think so; it would take a few decades of reverse engineering to make something like a living child conceivable. Unless he did something to her like I did to myself.”
“Do I want to know?”
“I set my form so I could reproduce if paired with the proper mate. Yet, I don’t think there is a living female in existence that would do.”
“There are a thousand women in the camp that would love to try.”
“I’ll save their lives and utilize that as a last resort. For tonight, go to sleep. I will be waking early, so get what rest you can.”
Marcus placed his head down and let himself sleep. He took every memory of his family and friends, and placed them under primary concerns. Until they died, that was where they remained. Time seemed to melt away as the inside of his eyelids started to lighten. He lifted his head and licked Liz, who was lying on his claw. Then he realized that he just licked his mother and called her, “my child.”
Marcus stood and his mother tried to, but her back was in pain where Marcus licked it. Marcus said, “If you cannot stand, then at least let me carry you.”
She gave him the privilege and Marcus was careful not to scratch her. He lifted her in a single claw and took flight. He reached their house and found Isaac sleeping on the lawn. Marcus dropped his mother on the lawn next to Isaac and said, “Do you enjoy sleeping under the stars?”
“No, I decided to be a nice guy and walk Liz home. She pulled me inside and the rest was history until your father caught us. My will dropped like a stone when he said you were coming and he was able to throw me outside. Please tell me you don’t plan on killing me.”
“I never planned on it. In fact, I told Liz to find you. And I saw what you were doing. Answer me this; did you change your form so you could procreate?”
Isaac had no idea what to say. He said, “I have no idea what you are talking about.”
“I saw every project before it was approved. Do you think I was gullible enough to overlook your slight changes?”
Isaac changed back to his neutral face. He said, “We will find out if it worked in a few months. Let it rest for now.”
“If you do not marry her by the time a child is born, I will see to your demise personally.”
Isaac nodded and Liz walked outside with a grin on her face. She walked over to Isaac and kissed his cheek. Marcus said, “Do that in my presence again, and I’m ripping Isaac’s skin off.”
Isaac wordlessly jumped to Marcus’s back. Liz hugged her mother goodbye and ran into the house to do the same to her father. They waited a full minute before she left the house and another thirty seconds of saying goodbye to her mother. When she was satisfied, she jumped to Marcus’s head and grabbed onto one of his nostrils. Her feet were locked at the edge of his mouth and Marcus took flight to Angel Island for the last time.
“I’m thinking. So you and Liz are going to Japan, China, Russia, and Europe to kill off the undead?”
“That is what we plan to accomplish. Mother, your tone is worrying me. Perhaps you do not realize that you will likely not see me or Liz for a long, long time.”
“I guess it just hasn’t sunk in yet. I’ll probably latch myself to your paw and start crying your name.”
“I have thought of a different reason. This may be a wild guess, but due to the differences between me and my old self, the one you knew, you just haven’t made the connection between who I am and who I was.”
“Maybe. We’ll find out tomorrow morning. Until then, I’m…”
She trailed off as she saw in faint light Isaac and Liz sitting at the top of the tall hill. She said, “Is my baby girl being held by an ass?”
“Isaac is a good person.”
“From what Liz told me about what he did today, no he isn’t.”
She stood up and tried to walk up the hill, but she saw Liz grab Isaac and pull him out of view. She gave up and walked back to Marcus. She said, “Does this make me a grandmother?”
“I do not think so; it would take a few decades of reverse engineering to make something like a living child conceivable. Unless he did something to her like I did to myself.”
“Do I want to know?”
“I set my form so I could reproduce if paired with the proper mate. Yet, I don’t think there is a living female in existence that would do.”
“There are a thousand women in the camp that would love to try.”
“I’ll save their lives and utilize that as a last resort. For tonight, go to sleep. I will be waking early, so get what rest you can.”
Marcus placed his head down and let himself sleep. He took every memory of his family and friends, and placed them under primary concerns. Until they died, that was where they remained. Time seemed to melt away as the inside of his eyelids started to lighten. He lifted his head and licked Liz, who was lying on his claw. Then he realized that he just licked his mother and called her, “my child.”
Marcus stood and his mother tried to, but her back was in pain where Marcus licked it. Marcus said, “If you cannot stand, then at least let me carry you.”
She gave him the privilege and Marcus was careful not to scratch her. He lifted her in a single claw and took flight. He reached their house and found Isaac sleeping on the lawn. Marcus dropped his mother on the lawn next to Isaac and said, “Do you enjoy sleeping under the stars?”
“No, I decided to be a nice guy and walk Liz home. She pulled me inside and the rest was history until your father caught us. My will dropped like a stone when he said you were coming and he was able to throw me outside. Please tell me you don’t plan on killing me.”
“I never planned on it. In fact, I told Liz to find you. And I saw what you were doing. Answer me this; did you change your form so you could procreate?”
Isaac had no idea what to say. He said, “I have no idea what you are talking about.”
“I saw every project before it was approved. Do you think I was gullible enough to overlook your slight changes?”
Isaac changed back to his neutral face. He said, “We will find out if it worked in a few months. Let it rest for now.”
“If you do not marry her by the time a child is born, I will see to your demise personally.”
Isaac nodded and Liz walked outside with a grin on her face. She walked over to Isaac and kissed his cheek. Marcus said, “Do that in my presence again, and I’m ripping Isaac’s skin off.”
Isaac wordlessly jumped to Marcus’s back. Liz hugged her mother goodbye and ran into the house to do the same to her father. They waited a full minute before she left the house and another thirty seconds of saying goodbye to her mother. When she was satisfied, she jumped to Marcus’s head and grabbed onto one of his nostrils. Her feet were locked at the edge of his mouth and Marcus took flight to Angel Island for the last time.