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Chapter 88: To Be Decided
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The True Nature Series Chapter 89: Brink of Extinction
ZANDER'S EYEBROWS SHOT UP, as if he'd finally realized he had stepped into a minefield. "No! Of course, I don't. I think they're ... great.""But you were taught that idimmu are mutants."He looked down at the ground, kicking a rock across the trail. "My teachers said that sometimes nature screws up and creates things that become detrimental to the rest of us. Sethians, the Nasaru, are just weeding out these mistakes so the rest of us can thrive.""Weeding out?"Zander sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Okay. Listen. Crossbreeding across species creates weaknesses. For instance, in the animal world the environment eradicates undesirable mutations, right? That's nature taking its course. But unfortunately, nature isn't doing what it's supposed to and the weak anomalies are propagating, which puts everyone, human and supernatural, in danger. But why let that happen if we can stop it? That's where the Nasaru comes in.""How?" My stomach felt sick. "How is the Nasaru doing this?"He hesi
The True Nature Series Chapter 90: Liar, Liar, Pants On Fire
"I SUSPECT THAT YOUR aunt was a highly coveted research subject," said Zander. "And I don't think she's on the Most Wanted List because she's a criminal.""Then the Nasaru made everyone believe she was a criminal so that they could lock her up and do whatever they wanted to her.""I'm sorry, Tru. It was wrong." His face drooped with regret. At least he knew right from wrong, despite his father and his upbringing. "You didn't know. But she must have been so miserable," I said. "I'm not surprised she ran away when she got the chance."Zander seemed lost in thought. Perhaps his imagination was running wild like mine. I thought about how terrifying it must have been for Caroline. In my mind I saw myself being forcibly fastened down on a gurney as heartless doctors drew my blood or worse, screaming as they performed questionable experiments on me. I shivered. "I hope they never find me," I whispered. For a split second I reconsidered running away with Zander."Tru, I won't-- No, I c
The True Nature Series Chapter 91: Breaking News
THE NEXT EVENING, MY dad's strangled voice yelling up the stairs tore through my homework bubble and I bolted out of my chair, almost knocking it over. I hustled downstairs expecting the house to be on fire.When I skidded around the corner of the family room, Dad was perched on the edge of his leather recliner with the tv remote in his hand. It was almost his football game pose, but the lines on his face were deeper and more solemn grooves than I was used to seeing. He looked like he'd received the worst news ever. I moved closer to the tv screen, to see what had caused this transformation."-- teacher found behind a dumpster early this morning," reported a newswoman. "Her wounds indicate an animal attack ..."I tuned out some of the reporter's words as the victim's picture appeared on the screen. It was Mrs. Jackson, the strange substitute I'd been so afraid of. Pieces of the story infiltrated my paralyzing shock. She was dead, her throat torn out. Family had already been notified
The True Nature Series Chapter 92: Good Vibrations
ONCE THE FOOD WAS gathered up and pooled in the center of the bed, we surrounded our stash like children with Halloween candy."Ready for Hurricane Ruthie?" I smiled."Good name for her," he said. "Should be interesting to see what Conrad thinks. He's a bit unconventional himself.""Awesome!" I pulled out my phone. "I predict he and Ruthie will hit it off. Based, of course, on the phone call I overheard - you know, in my true dream that night I saw you talking to Conrad.""True dream. Good name for it." Zander dialed his friend first."Hey, Zan my man!" A friendly voice spilled out of Zander's phone. "How are those California vibrations?" He started singing Good Vibrations. It reminded me of the delicious pulse that Zander and I felt when we touched. Oh my gosh! He must have told his friend. My face heated up."Conrad!" Zander hurried to cut off the singing, which only dimmed a little. He held his phone up to his mouth and cleared his throat. "I want to introduce you to someone
The True Nature Series Chapter 93: Fact or Fiction
"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING about?" I asked."Tru," Ruthie said, her voice tinged with excitement. "You couldn't have aced your tests like you did most of last year in zombie mode, unless you have a super sensor. When I asked you how you did it, you said you picked the answers that felt right. I used to think you had some kind of ESP going on but you never seemed to hear me when I tried to speak to you with my mind."I didn't know what to be more shocked about, the fact that Ruthie believed I had some psychic power or that she tried to speak telepathically with me. "So," said Conrad with awe in his voice. "Are you saying Tru is some kind of lie detector?"I shook my head in denial but Ruthie kept going. "I think so. Maybe we can do a little supernatural true or false."Zander raised his eyebrows and tilted up one side of his mouth as if to say, "we might as well try.""I don't know, guys," I hesitated. "I don't think I can say for sure if something is true just like that." "Yes, you
The True Nature Series Chapter 94: Cursed
"WAIT, GUYS. WHAT DOES 'cursed' even mean?" asked Ruthie. "Maybe it isn't so bad."Zander looked at me. I was starting to feel anxious. My sethian acquaintances included Conrad, Zander and his brother - and the Collector in a roundabout way. I had a pretty good idea who in that group might belong to the cursed category."I don't know," I said. "Maybe.""Well, if we get to vote, I vote that Zander's jerk face brother is cursed," said Ruthie. Zander scowled but didn't comment."I-I think we need more information," I said. "Before we get too upset about this cursed stuff."The silence coming from Conrad spoke volumes. His head must have been spinning. I wondered if now was the right time to tell Zander about his father, about him being the Collector, Dante's boss. "You're right," said Zander. "I say we let Conrad try and dig up something to support these ideas before deciding what to do with them." His face was pinched, like he was thinking too hard. I decided I couldn't accuse h
The True Nature Series Chapter 95: Red-handed
MONDAY MORNING, I KNEW something was wrong as soon as I walked into the kitchen. Dad stood in the middle of the room, his hands on his hips and scowling. What now? My stomach clenched. Had he somehow found out about Zander being in my bedroom last night?"What's wrong?" I asked.He pressed his lips together, staring at me like he'd never seen me before. Then with a grunt of disappointment, he ran his hands through his hair and pointed to the kitchen table. "Sit."With robotic movements, I settled into the nearest chair, burying my nervous hands under my bottom.Dad lowered himself into the chair across from me."Tru, I received a surprising phone call this morning. Can you guess who it might have been from?"With a loud swallow, I said, "No." Who tipped him off? Did a neighbor see Zander leave?Dad shook his head. "Tru, I think I've been too lenient with you since your mother ..." He broke off, unable to finish his sentence. "But not anymore," he rallied. Oh no! Would he keep
The True Nature Series Chapter 96: Proposal
EVERYTHING THAT HAD HAPPENED to me was suddenly too much to handle. And now I was having a real panic attack."Tru, let's get going," Dad called from the hallway. I couldn't answer. I could barely breathe. Zander's anxious voice called to me from my phone. I wondered if he was feeling what I felt, like he had the night Dante dumped me in the cellar and I busted my ankle. I had to calm down, for Zander. My eyes bounced around the room landing on the beanbag chair. I thought about how cute and clumsy he'd been when he'd tried to get out of it. I thought about the sweet way Zander had apologized after we argued. I thought about the warm feeling that overcame me every time we touched. The black dots began to recede."Tru?" Dad stepped into the room. "Honey? Are you all right?"I could only nod my head. As I slowed my breathing, I realized that I was curled up on the floor in a fetal position. I didn't recall dropping down. I had just enough mental clarity to reach over and end my ca
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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
