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Chapter 64: Aunt Caroline
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The True Nature Series Chapter 65: Bobby's Warning
I PLOPPED DOWN ON my bed, letting its softness comfort me. It was my safe place and the site of many conversations with Ruthie. We told each other everything here. And now we could add supernatural secrets to the list. Rubbing a hand along the yarn tied into the quilt, I thought of my mother making it. I realized she was wrapped up in the sense of security I felt here, making my bed like sacred ground to me. And as our lives had taken such an ominous turn, I drew strength from both the blanket and my best friend. We batted around the implications of this mysterious cousin and where he or she could be. Perhaps the child had been adopted. Maybe the kid was dead. I hoped not. The upside was that I might not be the last hope for my family's gene pool. Maybe it wasn't all up to me.Ruthie's phone cackled suddenly, startling both of us. It was the laugh of the wicked witch from The Wizard of Oz. I smiled and shook my head at Ruthie. Her mom was a lot cooler than she gave her credit for.
The True Nature Series Chapter 66: VX
IN THE MORNING I was surprised to hear the doorbell ring instead of Ruthie's car horn. I zipped up my backpack and headed downstairs, following the voices to the kitchen. Dad and Ruthie huddled around the counter."What are you two up to?" I called out, already guessing.Ruthie whipped around, a toothy grin on her face. "It's hot cocoa day!" she quipped, holding out her paper cup. I looked out the window to see a bright sunny day awaiting us. Last night's cold fog had disappeared and been replaced with brightness and warmth. It didn't seem cold enough to warrant hot cocoa, but this was Ruthie Robles we were talking about."Every day is hot cocoa day for you," I countered, with a knowing smile. Dad stocked up on disposable mugs just for Ruthie's requests."It's the least I can do for Ruthie since she won't take any gas money," inserted Dad, topping her cup with a large helping of whipping cream.Ruthie's head vibrated with excitement. "Thanks Mr. Parker! You've got the best recip
The True Nature Series Chapter 67: Flowers-in-the-Attic Scary
MY SLEEPLESS AND DREAMLESS night suddenly caught up with me, and before I knew it, I was snoozing.**I was in an unfamiliar house, furnished with denim and suede fabrics, heavy draperies, and shiny crystal chandeliers. Clearly this was another vision. My eyes followed the patterns along the hallway rug until I noticed Zena pressing herself against the wall beneath an ornately framed Monet-like painting. She bent her ear toward the sound of voices arguing in the next room."How much longer do we need to prove ourselves to the Kasadu? I'm sick to death of this nowhere town. We're stuck here while our friends back home are getting blessed. Millisande must laugh every time she thinks of us.""Your sister would never do that," said a man."I can't believe it! You still have a thing for her," accused the woman in an acrid voice. I recognized the voices now. They belonged to Mr. and Mrs. Tayler. Zena's parents."We have a good life here," Mr Taylor said. "Why can't you be happy?""B
The True Nature Series Chapter 68: Vexed
ON MY WAY HOME, I weighed the pros and cons of telling Ruthie about the Taylors, because it led to another secret I'd been sitting on. Should I tell her that Zander's father was the Collector, too? How much could I divulge if I didn't? I wondered again if I was risking her life in some way. Before I stepped out of her car, I casually dropped the first bomb, as if it was simply another item on our list of things to bring to the beach. She gasped dramatically. The car lurched forward before she remembered to slam on the brakes and put the car in Park."You think the Taylors are freaking spies for the Collector?" she screamed at me.I nodded, shut the car door, and walked off toward my front door. The hum of the car window rolling down had me spinning back to see her raising a shaking fist. She didn't leave without extracting a promise of details once she returned from grabbing all her beach gear.She showed up twenty minutes later with the top down on her convertible and her bodyboa
The True Nature Series Chapter 69: Beach Day
"IT'S COLD!" WHINED RUTHIE. We were piled high with our towels, bodyboards, food and sunscreen. Ruthie was disappointed to see new clouds forming in the sky, obscuring the sun. And without the naked blast of sunlight, the cold air caused goose bumps to spread along our uncovered legs. I was glad I brought a sweatshirt. "I thought it was going to be a nice day." Ruthie scrunched up her shoulders and made a face."It will heat up soon. Positive thoughts.""I hope so," she whined."It usually does. I bet the water is warm, though. Well, warm-er." Movies like Blue Crush or Point Break built up expectations of bikini babes, hot sun, and bath temperature water. That was southern California, not up north in the Monterey Bay. More often than not the fog didn't dissipate until late morning and then it crept back in by mid-afternoon, providing a short window of warmth. "It better be warmer than last time," grumbled Ruthie, referring to our last foray to the sea when we hadn't thawed o
The True Nature Series Chapter 70: When Seals Pop ...
NOW SHE UNDERSTOOD WHY I was so worked up. "Exactly," I said."Does anyone else know? Besides us and Bobby?" asked Ruthie. I knew what she meant by it. We had to contain the knowledge that Dante drove me home from school that day."Zander does, of course. I don't think Bobby told anyone other than Shrina, at least so far. I'll remind him to keep his gob shut when we get back to school. And to tell Shrina the same thing."Ruthie nodded. "Well, his eyesight getting better is kind of odd."I clenched the blanket tighter."Do you think Dante changed him when he knocked him out?" asked Ruthie."He didn't change me." I met her gaze as she raised an eyebrow. "You know what I mean. Anyway, what if I did something to Bobby, that day at lunch when Dante first noticed me? Dante said I fixed him. He could tell I was doing something, through my aura. Man, I wish I could jump back in time and do things differently."I flopped down and I tried to move back into the body mold I'd burrowed into
The True Nature Series Chapter 71: Shark Attack
I RAISED MY HAND as they drew near, and then shaded my eyes as I peered out into the waves, panic beginning to bubble up inside me."Nice ride in, Tru," smiled Isaac, his eyes glinting with appreciation."Where's Ruthie?" asked Phoebe."I don't know," I said, breathing fast. "She was right next to me.""Is that her board out there?" asked Isaac, pointing to a red spot far from shore.A bodyboard bobbed, like it was being pulled down, its end tipping all the way up."Holy crap!" I screamed. "That's her!" It looked like something was pulling her under.We ran into the water. "Maybe she's stuck in a riptide!" I cried, fear for my friend choking me.Isaac and Phoebe swam so fast that they outdistanced me in no time. Then they dove under just as Ruthie's head bobbed up. She sucked in a gulp of air before shrieking in terror, her arms crawling toward us. A dark fin poked out of the choppy water near her. My heart stopped. That is no riptide, I thought before she went under again.
The True Nature Series Chapter 72: Superpowers
I TURNED MY ATTENTION to Ruthie. Dark eyes blinked at me. "I hope he didn't get her," she whispered between chattering teeth."He?" I asked, relieved to see her responding. She was going to be okay."Ja-jaws."I cracked a smile. "You're all right."She coughed, a hiccup-like explosion that I recognized as a poor attempt at laughter. "I look like Edward Scissorhands, don't I?" Her mouth turned down, trembling.I hugged her, grateful to hear her talking, no matter how self-deprecating she sounded. She lifted a shaky hand to touch her face."Don't!" I blocked her hand. "You'll make it worse.""Worse?" she croaked. "Why doesn't it hurt?""You're still in shock, sweetie, but at least you're talking now. I'm glad you can't feel them yet." Before peeling off the towel to look at her injuries again, I lowered her down to the sand and grabbed our backpacks. I stuffed them under her feet. I found another scratch down her back and a cut on her foot. None of her injuries would kill her
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The True Nature Series Chapter 230: The Promise
ZANDER WAS STILL GROGGY, and I helped him lean up against the railing of the general store. I wanted to stay with him, but another problem had cropped up. Polaris was trying to move Dad, and Knox wouldn't let them. No one wanted to risk getting close to his teeth and I feared they might try to drug him or something worse. I sighed and pushed myself up."I'll be right back," I told Zander.I headed across the road and carefully approached the growling Knox. "Hey there, buddy," I said in a soothing voice. "You still have me, remember?" I reached out my hand, letting it hang in the air like Dad had taught me the first time Knox and I had met. Knox's ears flattened, and he whined as he pressed his nose into my fingers. If dogs cried, I'd say Knox was crying now. His eyes looked sticky wet. I ran a hand down his neck, coaxing him off Dad's body and toward me. With a hand on his collar, I eased the two of us several feet away, allowing the others to move Dad. When his limp head dropped t
The True Nature Series Chapter 229: Picking Up the Pieces
BOTH POLARIS AND THE Efotis arrived within minutes of each other. The folks from Polaris had found several locals disabled or dead outside the park, as well as two empty police cars. Someone must have called the authorities about the gunshots or the helicopters. Others had probably been curious enough to investigate the noise themselves. The Nasaru had silenced them before they could see anything. With heavy faces, Polaris began searching the perimeter for more victims and loading up bodies on stretchers to take them away. When the Efotis arrived, Caroline rushed up to me, her eyes wide and desperate. She grabbed me and hugged me like she was never letting go. Despite my reluctance to admit she was my mother, I found her arms comforting. It just felt right. Thaddeus stood as still and straight as a fencepost watching us with soft but wary eyes. I completely understood. My reintroduction to Caroline had been rocky. In fact, it had been like meeting her for the first time, because I'
The True Nature Series Chapter 228: Of One Mind
THADDIE AND I JUMPED away from each other, our eyes wide as saucers. "Shanna!" I breathed out in surprise. But her voice had faded away. "What the heck?" Once again, I'd lost my connection to her."Your eyes turned blue," said Thaddeus with surprise. "Does that happen often? Was that our sister?"I pressed my lips together, frustrated that we'd been so close to talking to her. "Yes, it was Shanna. But she's gone now. Dang it." He opened his mouth to say something else, but I beat him to it. "Wait. Did you just say my eyes turned blue?" "Yes," he answered, looking at me strangely.I thought my eyes had done that before, too, when I'd heard a strange voice. But at the time, I'd convinced myself that it was my imagination. Did this happen every time she talked to me? I held out my hands to Thaddeus, hoping that together we could bring her back. He looked at my outstretched arms with confusion."Just testing a theory," I said. "Take my hands. Maybe we need to be in physical conta
The True Nature Series Chapter 227: Retreat
"THADDIE!" I choked out."You know him?" asked Maverick in surprise.I huffed out a deep breath as we heaved another dead body off his wing."Yes," I said, giving him a watery smile. "He's my brother."Maverick stared at me slack-jawed. After tonight I didn't think anything could surprise him. "You're kidding," he muttered."Yeah, I was going to tell you about him. Turns out, the other sharum guy was my biological father. Is," I corrected, reminding myself that if they took him, he must still be alive."The other guy with Dr. Frankler?""Yeah, I know," I nodded. "Just when you thought it couldn't get any weirder."Maverick grunted an agreement.I examined Thaddie, who still struggled with consciousness. "Let's carry him to a brighter area. It will be easier to help him there."Together, we maneuvered him onto Maverick's back. Amid grunts and gasps, he carried Thaddie to the center of the main street and set him down near Zander, who was still unconscious and oblivious to the
The True Nature Series Chapter 226: The Aftermath
I GAVE MAVERICK A wan smile. "There're gone," I sighed, standing up to move wearily to the next body. Kneeling by the woman from Polaris, I gently closed her eyes. There was no fixing her. The other Polaris soldiers were no better. The rest were Gerard's men. My heart pounded, knowing I'd have to face my dad's body now. I dragged myself to my feet and looked toward Dad. A furry head rested on top of his chest. I ran over to them, wondering how Knox could still be alive, not to mention how he had moved. As I dropped next to them, Knox whined softly. I bent over to press my head against his. "Oh, Knox. You're okay," I wept, running my hands along his fur. Blood matted in several spots, but I couldn't find any injuries. Shaking my head at the miracle, I hugged him. "I know, boy," I crooned. "Dad isn't ... he's not waking up. But you still have me." Knox's tail pounded on the dirt, but he remained pressed against Dad.I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up to see Maverick. "I'm
The True Nature Series Chapter 225: Just Like Dante
THE CIRCLE OF SOLDIERS tightened around us, drawing my attention away from my disappearing friends. Zander pulled me to his back, spinning us around as we faced their weapons. It quickly became clear that even with our abilities, we wouldn't be able to overpower them. "Tru," Zander said, mind-speaking. "This is going to hurt, but you can heal yourself. Protect your head." "What?" I barely had a chance to gasp before he grabbed me, lifted me up in the air, and threw me over the heads of the soldiers. I cleared them by at least five meters and landed in a dense thicket near the line of trees. Branches jabbed me, cutting my skin and shredding my already ruined dress.I groaned. What the heck did Zander think he was doing? I started to crawl out of the bushes and yelped when I felt a sharp pain in one hand. It felt wrong, like broken wrong. Looking up, I saw a few of the soldiers peel away from the circle around Zander and head toward me. "Run!" Zander yelled in my mind.The path
The True Nature Series Chapter 224: From the Frying Pan ...
I GASPED, RECOGNIZING Gerard's creepy grin. "No! It can't be!"He laughed, throwing back his head and clasping his hands together. "You've done me a favor, my dear. I may have lost my mate." A fleeting look of sorrow crossed his face. "Trust me, you'll pay for that. But now I have an even more powerful aramusatu, one that will link you and me together forever." He laughed again, and then held out his hand. "Join me, Tru. You belong with your family."I gagged and stepped away. Had I only made things worse by killing Gerard? "No!" I yelled. I felt the world caving in as Wynona's words flitted through my mind. She's a soul jumper. At that time, she'd meant Ruthie. But apparently, she wasn't the only one. Somehow, Gerard Hughes's spirit had taken over Peter's body. I had a feeling that I'd just leaped from the frying pan into the fire."What happened to Peter?" Gerard's eyes swirled, shifting to yellow slits. He squeezed them shut and shook his head. When he opened his eyes, they w
The True Nature Series Chapter 223: Backfire
OBVIOUSLY, I WAS A healer. But I was definitely no savior. But what about destroyer?The thought of that destiny had filled me with dread before, but now I wanted it so badly that everything but my enemy faded away. I wished I could channel my healing ability into a weapon. Then it struck me. If I could heal wounds why couldn't I un-heal them? I stared at my hands, wondering if it was possible. A dark feeling swirled inside me, like attempting such a thing was straight up wrong, but as Gerard stepped closer to Ruthie, and as Zander continued to bleed out, I knew I had to do something. With shaking hands, I laid Dad's head on the ground. It was too late for him but I might be able to help the others. A fiery rage whipped up inside of me and my eyes locked onto Gerard. He wore a demented look of his own as he considered the chaos around us. I took off toward him. When I was almost upon him, he saw me and pulled out his gun. I plowed forward anyway and tackled him, sending the weapon f
The True Nature Series Chapter 222: Inconceivable Choice
I YANKED AWAY FROM the guard holding me and ran back to Zander, who gasped, "I'll be fine, Tru. Go to him." I knew he meant my dad and that he'd realized the same thing I had. Ignoring the guns pointed at me, I rushed toward Dad and Knox. Donavitch was grinning at me, clearly enjoying my terror, and Knox was barking out a warning to Mrs. Taylor as she pointed her gun at Dad. "Look out, Dad!" He looked from me to Mrs. Taylor and flinched when he saw the gun pointing at him. "No, Eleria!" yelled Mr. Taylor.Crack!In the blink of an eye, two bodies fell to the ground. At the last second, Mr. Taylor had raced after his wife and thrown his body in front of my dad. They both went down. I fell to the ground next to Dad, frantically searching for his wound. A bright red stain in the center of his blue flannel shirt expanded to the size of my hand within seconds. Had the bullet gone through Mr. Taylor and Dad? Of course! The gun had been loaded with cutters, the Nasaru's usemi-killin
