“Oh God, Oh God, Oh God

“Oh God, Oh God, Oh God!”

The mantra seemed to keep me going as I leapt over a fallen log. I ducked under a tree and listened intently. I didn’t hear any sounds of pursuit. Charlie was still probably distracting them, giving me time.

Gotta keep moving. Gotta keep moving. I jogged through the forest heading southeast as Charlie told me. This was southeast wasn’t it? I swallowed a yelp as my skin and clothes were torn by brambles and low branches. I fought through the pain and kept going.

An angry howl shattered the calm, silent night. I gasped and turned to stare at the path behind me.

“No.” I protested to the empty air. “No.”

I turned and ran as fast as I could. Should I climb a tree and hide? No, they could smell me. I couldn’t keep running like this. They hadn’t fed me yesterday…or the day before that I think…I wasn’t sure. Another howl, closer this time.

Tears clouded my vision and clogged my throat. I shook my head and kept going even thought my lungs burned. I had to escape! I…I wasn’t going back there! They’d have to kill me first! As I made that decision, I heard an excited bark. They were right on top of me!

I pushed myself to limit nearly tripping over my feet in my haste. I looked up and screamed, stopping violently. He was there. He smiled at me, but it was cold and lifeless. It made sense knowing what he was.

“Girl.” He said smiling wider. “You try my patience.”

I swallowed hard. Then turning I tried to bolt into the forest. He was quicker however and grabbed me around the waist throwing me to the ground. His brother, still in wolf form, bounded into the clearing panting and salivating. With an awful scream, it turned back into a Human and watched silently as He kept a boot to my chest.

The third came next switching back to Human also from his previous form as a crow. This one pranced and skipped about excitedly.

“Oh, let me have some fun with her too!” he cried wringing his hands together. He and the wolf man howled in unison begging for blood. My blood. He took his boot off my chest and turned to the other two. I crawled back slowly, scooting on my butt to the edge of the clearing.

“What do we do with the traitor boy?” the illusionist asked. He was fairly skipping with glee at the prospect of ripping out his brother’s throat.

“He amuses me.” Said the first. “He makes decisions that have no gain for him. I wonder what we would find if we took off the top of his head and looked at his brains. Would his be like ours?” he looked at them both. “No, probably not. We may be blood, but that means nothing to him apparently.” He said, answering his own question.

The wolf man, staring intensely at me, nodded in my direction. The first turned and grinned in his malevolent way. He jumped, so fast he was barely a blur, and landed with his feet on either side of my feet. I froze and he dropped to his knees and leaned down to my face.

“You, little girl, are never getting out of here.” He said trailing one finger idly down my face. “You are going to stay here and rot. Keep in mind that if you ever try this again, we will kill your beloved ‘Charlie’. Do not doubt it. He may amuse me, and he may be our blood, but he is nothing. I could kill him with a snap of my fingers and not lose anything.”

I shivered and shot my defiance in his face. “I am not going back.” If these were my last words, I’d make them count.

He blinked at me in surprise and behind him I heard a roar of rage and a squawk of delight. Wolf man and the Illusionist were both expressing their emotions violently. Wolf man turned back into his preferred form and tore at the trees while the Illusionist pulled a knife from his pocket.

“Should I cut out her tongue for her insolence, brother?”

The first shook his head seemingly in awe. “You speak as though you have a choice.” He said suddenly smiling again. But his eyes blazed. “You are mine. Never forget that fact. Charlie cannot protect you. You are dead to the world.”

Tears started to flow out my eyes.

“That is right.” He said. “Accept your fate. Submit to us.”

Anger blazed through my heart telling me to make one final stand. “I will not submit!” I screamed then snapped my fist up into his stomach. I gasped and brought my hand back. It hurt to hit him.

He snarled at me and wrapped his hand around my neck strangling me. As my vision faded, I prayed to any God who was listening. Please, I begged, protect Charlie. Then I slipped off into darkness hoping I’d never wake up again.

“AHHHHH!!” I screamed bolting up. I looked around frantically searching for my brothers who would surely kill me if I lingered in one spot for too long. Once I calmed down, I reluctantly sifted through the dream vision.

Four? Four brothers? Three of which wanted me dead?

Great.

--

I struggled off the small cot they’d put me on and winced as my feet hit the cold metal floor.

Clothes would be nice. I thought searching for them. I was in one of those dinky hospital gowns that covered nothing. Erg.

Check the cabinet on your right. Charlie said softly.

Thanks. I said and to my surprise, he was right. There were some of my clothes neatly folded that awaited me. I put them on quickly and bemoaned about the lack of socks or shoes.

Are you…are you all right? Charlie asked. He sounded strangely anxious.

Yeah. Except for the whole nightmare thing. But, even with that, I’m ok. I told him. What’s wrong?

I was so scared he’d hurt you. He whispered and I found myself being pulled away from my consciousness. I landed hard next to Charlie and when I looked around, I was surprised. This wasn’t my usual mindscape. It was the same place, but instead of sun, there were dark, gray, clouds that drizzled rain on us as we got up.

“Yeah, about that.” I said standing and pulling him up with me. “Who was he?”

“Ryan.” He said darkly and I watched as his eyes darkened and his usually open and friendly face clouded like the sky above us. He imagined a coat and turned up the collar.

“C’mon.” he said and led me around the mansion to the front. It wasn’t like the Xavier Mansion. This one was darker and the place itself seemed to have an aura. I didn’t like it. Charlie tried the door and to my surprise, it was unlocked.

“Who lived here? Did we?” I asked. He ignored me and imagined the both of us dry as he took off his jacket.

“No. Our brothers came here on holiday once and befriended the eldest son of the man who lived here. They used to come back every year for a vacation. One year we brought you along and you became friends with the youngest one.”

“What was his name?” I asked looking around the entrance hall. Stairs on both sides leading to the upper levels. Paintings, hangings, chandeliers; it was a beautiful home.

“James.” Charlie said. “The older one was John the third.”

“James.” I repeated. “That’s a nice name.”

Charlie turned and looked at me with a sad smile. “You said that the first time you met him.”

I smiled back and ran a hand through my hair. “What happened to him?”

Charlie looked at me with a sad face and then he looked away quickly. I could see his mouth opening and closing trying to form words.

“We…never found him.” He finally said. He looked downcast. “I looked for him. The others didn’t care. After the older one died they saw no point in coming, but…one year…”

“Yes?” I prodded. It might not be a particularly important time in my life, but I knew so little…

“Never mind. One year I stopped bringing you. That’s it.” He said as he started climbing the stairs.

“Don’t lie to me.” I said struggling with my disappointment. “If you know something, you should tell me.”

“Some things are better left forgotten.” He said cryptically without looking at me.

I glared at his retreating back and I stopped following him up the stairs. Eventually he noticed I wasn’t behind him and he turned.

“Look,” he said. I waited, but it took him a moment to spit out my name. As if he…

“You know my name.” I said in disbelief. “You know…”

“No, Mae, I don’t know anything ok? Just…come on?”

“No!” I exploded stomping up the stairs. “Tell me my name! Now!”

He ignored me and turned to go back up the stairs.

“You tell me my name, who that other man was, everything you know! Tell me!” I screamed at him and ran up the steps turning him back around.

He looked at me passively and didn’t move to protect himself as I slugged him hard in the chest.

“You…you…” I yelled. “You big jerk! How dare you!”

He still didn’t react and for some reason it infuriated me more. I drew back and punched him with all my strength right in the nose. He fell back onto the stairs gagging on his blood.

“I probably deserved that…” he said.

“Yes!” I snapped interrupting him. “You did. Do. I should beat you black and blue until you tell me what I want to know.”

“And what do you want to know?” he asked and sat up. I was outraged that he’d imagined himself clean and his nose wasn’t broken anymore.

“Who I am!” I bellowed at him. “You frigging imbecile! You have to be upsetting me on purpose, because no one could possibly be that stupid!”

“Mae…” he said in a placating voice, getting to his feet.

“What’s my real name!?” I shouted and pushed him back into a sitting position.

His eyes blazed and he shot to his feet grabbing my wrists quickly. He glared at me before getting a hold of himself.

“I realize that you are upset.” He said in tight clipped tones. “However, you must understand I have reasons for what I do.”

“Forget you.” I spat and wrenched my arms out of his grip.

I stalked down the stairs and I could hear him behind me coming after me. I was at the door when I stopped and turned around.

I looked him straight in the eyes and told him, “I hate you.”

For a moment, he just stopped his jaw dropped slightly in shock and all the fight went out of his eyes. It was like blowing out a candle. The light that always seemed to emanate from his being faded and it got physically colder. The lights went out in the room and we were plunged into darkness. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the dark and just when they did, I saw him move.

Everything blazed back to life and his eyes were flaming in indignation, hurt, betrayal, and something else I couldn’t put a name to. He was on me in a second, slamming me up against the wall. He was hot. The places he grabbed me felt like I had been sunburned instantly. The lights were suddenly too bright and I could see flames jumping out of nowhere.

“You little wretch!” he hissed. My heart jackhammered in my chest.

“After all I’ve done for you, after all I put myself through, all the torture I endured for you, and you dare to insult me? You walk away, you hit, and you talk!” he snarled at me shaking me roughly.

“I saved you countless times. I fed you, clothed you, and you…” he growled before throwing me to the ground behind him.

“I am working to save your life, even now!” he shouted through the burning house. I watched as the flames licked at the roof hungrily. I tried to inch towards the door without him noticing, but he caught me. He stomped over to me and wrenched me up to my feet.

“Take it back!” he bellowed at me. “Take it back!”

“I don’t hate you Charlie.” I whispered. But, I do fear you now.

His tense shoulders dropped, his back straightened, the fire burned out, and he relaxed so much he dropped into a sitting position on the floor. I dropped with him and watched him warily. He took deep breaths in through his nose and out through his mouth and eventually he sat up straight.

“I’d prefer,” he said adjusting his collar and smoothing back his hair. “If you wouldn’t do that again.”

“Okay.” I whispered still eyeing him. I had thought that only three brothers wanted me dead. But what if Charlie wanted me dead too?

I sniffled and he looked over at me coolly. Then his face softened and he scooted over by me.

“Hey.” He said pulling me against him as I shook trying to contain my tears. “I’m sorry, Mae. I didn’t mean to over-react. I know you don’t hate me. I don’t hate you either.”

“O-kay.” I said shakily.

“We’ve got to work together to make sure you’re taken care of. And we wouldn’t want Rain to get hurt, would we?”

I shook my head.

“Alright then. When the time comes, I’ll show you what I know. But, it isn’t the time.” He said softly and brushed my hair out of my face.

“Here.” He said and picked himself up, helping me up too. “I’ll put you back.”

I was silent as I felt the pull away from my sub-conscious and I woke up on the floor of the med-lab with a very large headache and several new and annoying pains. I pushed myself up off the floor and shook my head. That was a mistake. I let myself be pulled down by an invisible weight and rested my forehead against the cool metal floor. I tamped down my desire to barf my guts up and raised my head slowly.

I sighed. Good ol’ med-lab.