4.20 Changing Circumstances

Stumbling forward Andrew fell to his knees. Sharp rocks tore ragged holes in the fabric of his jeans. Blood dribbled down his calves from the cuts. The mutants were relentless in their drive to continue despite his injuries and fatigue. They pulled on the ropes like someone would do with a dog trying to in the wrong direction.

Andrew lost all sense of direction and time as he staggered along. As the night fell upon them the mutants red eyes glowed in the dark making Andrew shiver with fright. It was as if their eyes absorbed the light. He found himself memorized by them. Following their disembodied eyes in the dark. He preferred to think of them that way. It was in the light that fear washed over him. Their sharp razor like teeth that could slice through skin and bone like paper.

He stumbled into a warm body. A hand steadied him keeping him from falling. He refrained from thanking the creature wondering about the kindness that prompted the mutant to help him. Was he just giving it human feelings it didn't have? Even in the human camp there had been few if any human kindnesses. It was strange.

From Andrew's experience with the so called humans this was the most kindness he'd seen. Andrew couldn't believe this was the future of humanity. His deepest wish would be that his family had long since died out before whatever happened happens. He didn't think he'd be able to cope knowing his descendants were living as mutants or humans in this world.

***

"Are you planning to stay the night?" Charlie asked the girl who hadn't budged from guarding the door.

She rolled her eyes ignoring his hostility. "I'll stay as long as it takes for Andrew to complete his task." She gave him a mischievous grin "don't tell me you're tired of my company."

"What would give you that idea?" he rolled his eyes flopping back on the couch. The dog whining beside him or at least he imagined it would be whining. It actually hadn't made a sound since Quinn had commanded it to be quiet. "If your here because of that stupid promise you made Andrew. Couldn't you just put a force field around the house so that I can't leave even if I wanted too?"

Her eyes lit up a the idea "that might be doable if it takes him much longer."

He gave her a baffled look "it better not take too much longer. I don't have that much food left."

Unmoved by his complaints she sighed loudly "for someone whose supposed to be the protector you sure do complain a lot."

"I'm not used to being the protectee," Charlie mumbled crossing his arms.

"I imagine if Andrew were in your situation he'd complain a whole lot less," Quinn said.

Charlie opened his mouth to make a comeback only to shut it a moment later. It was true. Andrew seldom complained. Oh he complained about being separated from him and Emmaline when he had been guaranteed inside the cage. It had always been Charlie who had been the more vocal one when it came to complaining. He chafed under the rules of the group they had been with. It was his fault they were out here on their own without the groups protection. His fault that Emmaline was mutant food. He laid back on the couch closing his eyes, groaning softly.

***

"I don't want to go," Emmaline shouted.

"Honey please" Caleb heard Drew entreat their teenage daughter as he came down the stairs for breakfast.

"I'm not going," Emmaline insisted her voice rising "you can't make me."

"I'm your mother...."

"Big freaking deal" Emmaline shouted "where were you when I was fighting for my life? I didn't need you then I don't need you now."

"Don't talk to your mother like that," Caleb said coming into the dining room voice sounding like thunder in the silence that had fallen between mother and daughter.

Emmaline stared at him "I don't need you either," she shouted stomping her foot before turning and running from the room.

Caleb stared at the spot his baby girl had stood. Distantly he heard her bedroom door open and bang shut. What happened? He couldn't believe that was his precious little girl. Nearby sobs broke through his reserves.

"All I wanted," Drew gulped "wanted to help..."

Gently Caleb wrapped his arms around her "you told her about taking a trip and getting away didn't you?"

Drew nodded against his shoulder "she went crazy like I was being unreasonable. Kept saying I couldn't control her. Couldn't tell her what to do." She twisted her hands in Caleb's shirt "I didn't think she'd be ecstatic to leave. I expected her to resist. I know she wants to be here when the boys get home."

"But you didn't expect her to reject you either," Caleb finished for her. He ran his hands through her long purple hair "she's not angry at you. She's angry at the situation.

"I know," she mumbled "It's just...I've already lost one daughter. I don't....I won't lose another."

"Give her time to adjust" he said hugging her close "she's spent months taking care of herself. Fighting to stay alive. It's not going to be easy adjusting to being home." Drew shuddered in his arms "I'll talk to her."

"Alright," Drew sniffed in his arms.

"It's going to get better," he soothed "I promise."

***

Emmaline found the solid bang of the door a satisfying sound. Even with the feeling of satisfaction she still found her nerves jumping at the noise she created. She half expected a horde of mutants to break down her door or Itchy would appear to snarl at her for making noise. When would she start to believe what her eyes were telling her? When would she become used to the drudgery of doing homework and not preparing for battle? When would something happen?

A knock a few minutes later had her heart racing. Her dad stuck his head inside her room. His eyes were serious. The sparkle she remembered was gone. She felt a momentary stab of guilt at what she had done. Then her annoyance over shadowed her guilt. Why did they have to insist on treating her like a child? "What do you want?" she snapped.

"That's enough," Caleb spoke keeping his voice firm and devoid of emotion "you are not our equal to be able to use that tone with us."

"I'm not a little girl either" she hurled back at him.

"No you're not," he nodded a hint of sadness in his eyes and voice that he couldn't hide. "I'm sorry for that. I miss my little girl."

His words were like a slap in the face. Her eyes teared up, her lips quivered. She wanted to ask for forgiveness. She wasn't sure why though. She hadn't done anything to be sorry for in her opinion. She took a deep breath her resolve hardening "I'm not going" she insisted crossing her arms "you can't make me."

"That's where you're wrong," he told her keeping his voice carefully neutral "every group has a leader. Their orders and commands are to be obeyed."

Emmaline stared at him wanting desperately to deny his logic. She kept thinking about the cold impassive face of the group leader. No one ever argued with him when he gave an order. They jumped to obey. Disobedience was punished immediately. The disobedient were expelled from the group. Slowly she nodded.

"In this group" Caleb continued once he knew he had his daughter's attention "I'm the leader. You will listen to me and anyone I say is in charge in my absence."

Again Emmaline nodded her conditioning kicking in. You always listen to the leader if you wanted to survive.

"Good. Now that we're on the same page" Caleb took a deep breath "you're going to Isla Paradiso with your mother. While you're there you will listen to your mother as you would me."

Her chin rose in defiance only to be replaced with a sullen nod "ok" she mumbled.

Turning Caleb opened the door turning to leave. He stopped "I'll let you know if and when the boys come home."

She stared after him letting his words sink in. It was reassuring to know she had a leader someone she could turn to. She had been feeling lost, confused, directionless coupled with fear and concern for her brother. She should have been there to protect him while Charlie was recovering from his injuries. Why should she be safe when they were still in danger? She wouldn't relax until they were home.

***

Caleb joined Drew downstairs. She half rose from the couch when he walked into the room. He waved her to sit back down and he joined her "she's not happy but she's going."

Drew leaned into him "what will I do if she does this while we're gone? I won't be able to control her. I" she swallowed shaking her head "I don't know what to do."

"Honey she'll be ok," Caleb assured her "I explained how things are. She lived within a hierarchy. She needed to know who was in charge. Who the leader was." He smiled down at her "as the leader I appointed you as my second in charge. While I'm gone you're in charge."

"That sounds awful" Drew shivered "we're family not a pack."

"I know but she needs time to adjust" he sighed "we'll have to adjust to meet her needs. I'm sure she's still expecting mutants to attack. I'm sure she finds being around a lot of people unsettling."

"So I shouldn't plan many group activities," Drew concluded "I'm beginning to understand."

"I knew you would," Caleb smiled "it might help if you asked her opinion on things. Maker her feel a part of the decision process. It might help her feel not so lost."

"I'll try" Drew agreed "I just want my little girl back."

"So do I," Caleb pulled her close "so do I."

***

"Have you found a new roommate yet?" Randy asked as he come inside to get the last of this things.

"Not yet" she muttered her face buried inside a book pretending to be studying instead of watching him.

Shrugging Randy walked past her frowning at the disgusting mess their little house had become since he had been gone. "You might try cleaning the place" he suggested as he walked over a pile of clothes to get inside the bedroom "it might increase your chances of getting a roommate."

As expected she came charging into the room "don't presume to come in here and tell me what to do. You don't live here anymore."

"Good thing too" he grumbled "this place is a pit"

"I like it this this way" she asserted.

"Obviously" Randy shrugged looking in the closet. As he suspected the only things in it were his clothes. He packed the few things he had left in the empty boxes he had brought. He looked up to find Indira still staring at him her eyes bright with anger. "You could have helped if you were just going to stand there and watch me," he said closing the closet door when he was finished.

"You didn't need my help," she hesitated a moment before leaving the room.

Randy watched her go. What did she want from him? He had never known. One minute she was vulnerable. The next she hated him. He had put off coming here as long as he could but since things had calmed down in Moonlight Falls with Adam's return he thought he'd better collect his things while he could. He had hoped she'd still be at home where she belonged. No such luck. She never did what everyone else would consider normal.

Picking up the boxes he made his way through the piles that made traversing the small house a hazard. After he had collected all his things he stopped in the living room "how's your family?" he asked.

Rolling her eyes she shrugged dramatically "you haven't even asked about me?"

"I can tell how you are" he said becoming annoyed "you're still a spoiled self-centered brat who expects everything to revolve around you."

She glared at him "and you're still a stick in the mud."

"Why?" Randy asked "what makes me such a boring person? Is it because I won't cater to you? I tell you the truth. I don't pull any punches." He waved his hands around the filthy surroundings "how can you live like this and still maintain that there's not something wrong with you? You condemn your brother for being gay. Yet you're a filthy lazy slob that no employer would want to hire if they saw how you lived. You're nothing but a hypocrite. Setting standards for everyone else that you don't intend to live up to yourself."

"Get out," she shouted.

"Gladly" he turned slamming the door behind him.

***

Stumbling in the dark Andrew marveled at the mutants ability to continue. Their eye sight must be better than his in the dark allowing them the agility to move quicker than he could. They seemed to be discussing what to do with him as they continued to point at him and tug on the rope as if encouraging him to hurry up.

One burly creature must have become impatient and charged towards him. Andrew screamed in protest when the mutant tossed him over his shoulder and continued on picking up the pace over terrain Andrew knew he wouldn't have been able to manage. In a strange way he felt grateful the creature had picked him up giving him the chance to rest. At the same time he was humiliated that even the mutants recognized him as a weakling.

He was dumped unceremoniously on the floor in the middle of a well lit room surrounded by several boiling bots and skinned animals.

An older female mutant moved towards him sniffing. He tried to pull away hoping she was not sniffing him in the prospects of cooking him for dinner. The mutant put a hand on his stomach grimacing at him in a way that he was sure was a meant to be a smile despite her razor sharp teeth. She grunted in what appeared to be satisfaction emitting happy sounding grunts. Her happy grunts turned to squeals of displeasure when someone moved a little too slow for her liking.

He was presented with a bowl of steaming hot soup. Sniffing it made his stomach growl with anticipation. It smelled delicious. Unsure how long he was going to be inside with the mutants Andrew knew he had to keep his strength up. He lifted the bowl to his mouth lacking utensils to eat it any other way. He took a hesitant bite then another finding it to be as good as it smelled.

As his hunger abated he slowed finding time to look around his surroundings. He was definitely in a kitchen of some kind. Some large animal carcass was hanging skinned and flayed. It was familiar looking. He had a feeling he should recognize what kind of animal it was. He averted his eyes not wanting to look at it too closely preferring not to know. There was a pile of fur to the side and skin drying nearby. Were they trying to make leather from the skin?

He looked into his bowl almost tossing it the floor upon finding a fingernail floating in it. A fingernail he could handle. Some mutant cook lost it while preparing the meal. It meant nothing to them evidently. In a place like this they couldn't afford to be picky. He tried to convince himself that all he had to do was pick it out and pretend it wasn't there.

He may have been able to do that if it weren't still attached to the finger it belonged to. He felt the soup he had eaten rising inside him as he dropped the bowl to the floor retching. The flayed animal carcass. Not an animal. Human. The pile of fur. Human hair. His mind reeled in revulsion as he realized he had eaten some unfortunate human. He couldn't stop heaving even when his stomach was empty. He could here screams and grunts all around him. None of it meant anything to him. Not even when the behemoth picked him up and threw him inside a cage. The ropes removed replaced with a vile smelling blanket.

He shivered under the filthy blanket glad to be inside the cage. Was this his fate? Soup? When he was too old or feeble to make mutant babies. What about his unborn child? What if it wasn't a progenitor? Would it become soup? He'd rather be dead then let that happen to his child. He felt the bulge of the beacon in his pocket. Was he close enough to where it needed to be set? Regardless it was being set here come what may.