Muts Page 5

  “I’ll fight you about it when my head isn’t hosting a battle of the bands.”, she shot back at her grumpily. I didn’t even bother listening to their bickering anymore, I had never been in Carrie’s room before and I was completely distracted. The paintings lining her walls were breathtaking, perfect pictures of everyone.

  “Carrie… these are incredible…”, I said softly. Carrie quickly stepped beside me to view her most recent pieces with a prideful smile.

  “Thank you, I’ve always loved to paint. After all, nothing says surrealism like a bunch of mutants during the apocalypse right?”

  I could only nod in response as I absorbed all of them in their various stages of completion. Allana’s portrait was focused on her mirrors, and it was obvious that Carrie had taken hours getting the playful lighting just right. Next to it was a portrait of Matthias. His was just a sketch on canvas so far, but I had a feeling it was going to look awesome when it was done. Carrie was in the process of drawing his wires perfectly, and his canvas was covered in random, dark pencil marks that would only make sense to her. Maria’s was laying on the floor, drying I assume, and it reminded me of a Baroque painting. The various vibrant shades of green framed her pose in complex swirls of color that I couldn’t replicate if my life depended on it. Then, there was Sasha’s. It was a bust painting, closer to being finished than any of the others, which would make sense with how much time they spent together. Surprisingly, Carrie had filled out Sasha’s antlers further than they had already grown, but it was obvious that they’d follow the same curves. Right now she only had two distinct points, but in the portrait she had over eight and was wearing them like a queen wears a crown.

  “Sasha! This is gorgeous!”, I turned back to Carrie, “How long have you been working on hers? You painted each individual curl! This must’ve taken hours.”

  “I’ve been working on her piece for about six months now.”, she agreed moving closer, “I wanted her looking out the window. She has this look of ‘beautiful sadness’ when she zones out looking at the trees.”

  I turned back to Sasha just in time to see her wince as another blot of pain crashed through her head.

  “We’ll be right back Sasha. Try to not fall asleep. Come on Clint, I’ll show you to your room.”, Carrie directed at me, the pride evaporating from her tone quickly as she saw that Sasha was in pain.

  “Hold on.”, she said, trying to rise from the bed. We both rushed back to her, but she fended Carrie’s hand off, opting to lean on my arm instead. “I don’t want to be just stuck in here, I’ll just hang with you all day. Is that okay?”

  “For someone whose head injuries way too much, you’d think you’d know when you need to rest by now.”, Carrie said with one brow raised. Sasha waved her off and headed back to the door with a surprising amount of balance. If I was her I would’ve been in bed for the next few days minimum, and I would be a whiner the whole time. As soon as we entered the hallway Carrie gave a deep, exhausted sigh that could only mean trouble for her and I turned to see Terrence standing at the end of the long hallway, hands on his hips angrily staring at a closed door. It was one of the ones that Carrie put an X on, and it seemed as though the X was confusing him. Luckily he seemed to hear Carrie’s sigh which pulled him out of whatever nonsense was happening in his head.

  “Miss Carrie! Why won’t this door let me pass? This X keeps telling me that my ticket is invalid, and I have a meeting in five minutes!”, he smacked the door angrily. She pinched the bridge of her nose with another deep breath while Sasha hid a giggle behind her hand.

  “Terrence, the meeting was moved to the greenroom.”

  “But there’s dirt in there! That’s not good... dirt means stains on paper...I must inform them…”, he trailed off. His eyes glazed over before he turned and gave us a goofy smile, it seemed like his brain had looped again. Every time I ran into this weirdo he would forget whatever was happening every ten seconds. Convenient for when he got confused, but it mainly pissed me off.

  “Here is one, but where is the other? I’m asking of the sister but not of the brother.”, he rhymed with a grin that oozed insanity. Before anyone would respond to his weird riddle thing he just giggled and started spinning in circles with his arms outspread.

  “Ugh, just forget it. His rhymes never did make sense.”, Carrie muttered with a shake of her head before gesturing for us to follow her past him to yet another door at the end of the expansive hallway with an X on it. Carrie sure was weird about who went where in her house. I just wanted to open all of those doors and see everything.

  The only room that didn’t have someone already living in it was an old servant’s space at the back of the house that Carrie’s mother had turned into a billiard room on one of her whims. I knew that it hadn't been used since the bombs probably fell by the smell that wafted out as soon as she opened the door. But it was Carrie’s anger at wiping the chalk X off of the door that cinched it. This was an absolute mansion of a house, but Carrie seemed to keep most of it closed off. Trying to preserve what was left of her past I guess. I led Sasha to a chair in the corner, then swung my bag onto the table and glanced around before tossing a bottle full of pain pills to her which she quickly pried open. This room was obviously not meant for others to see. Compared to the rest of the house, it looked like a cardboard shack. Most of the room was dominated by a giant wooden pool table, and the back wall was covered by boxes stacked to the ceiling with “J”s written on each. I turned to thank Carrie, this was more than I could’ve hoped for, but her eyes were tight as she looked at the boxes.

  “Well, at least I’ll have my pool game on point.”, I said jokingly, trying to lighten her mood. But, I thought about Abby again and any happiness I had before vanished, “I’m not going to be here forever though, I have to find my sister sooner rather than later.”

  Carrie flipped her hair over her shoulder as she walked out, her shoulders stiff and her back ramrod straight.

  “Leave whenever you want, dude. No skin off my back.”, she said brusquely. As the door snapped shut behind her I couldn’t help but to wonder what I did to offend her. It might just be best to let her deal with herself in peace. Sasha followed her sudden exit with questioning eyes before turning to me.

  “Sorry about the room, you’ll have to sleep under or on the pool table, but it’s better than out there right?”, Sasha asked me with a slight grin. I couldn’t help but to smile back at the image of me trying to fit in that small space. She seemed to be recovering quickly, thank the universe.

  “Want to head downstairs and see what’s for dinner?” Sasha gestured towards the door, and I reached back to throw my bag over my shoulder before offering her a helping hand. She did use my strength, but only to stand. Then, she started marching towards the door as if she wasn’t leaning drunkenly. As we walked down the thick carpeted hallway I was sure to stay behind her but close enough that I could catch her if she stumbled. Out of the two of them, Sasha I could understand the most. I might have a friend after all, I thought with a grin. Right then Richard exited his room a few doors down, glancing at us through his glasses. Great. Before he could even open his mouth, Sasha quickly grabbed the bag from me and shoved it roughly in his hands.

  “Here, make yourself useful and go through this with Carrie. She’s in her room I believe.”

  “No, I’m here. I need to check on dinner”, Carrie’s voice cut in as she snapped her bedroom door shut behind her. She took the bag from Richard’s hands, not catching the resentful look in his eyes as she swung it over her shoulder. Before any of them could get out a sound, she had whipped around and was already striding down the steps. Richard quickly followed after her, talking rapidly to Carrie in a hushed voice. I don’t know anything about that guy except that I didn’t like him and he better keep his hands to himself. He had the most annoying patronizing voice and he had to act like he was better than everyone. Mutant or not, I had a good feeling that I could snap the annoyingly little man like a twig if needed. Not gonn
a lie, the thought made me smile. After their voices faded I started looking around curiously and asked:

  “That has to be where Richard sleeps, but where do the rest of these doors go?”

  Sasha briefly explained who was in which room, with details about each; warning him not to go in the library until after noon at least because Allana and Matthias were late sleepers. Nobody wanted to face the wrath of a grumpy Allana, and I couldn’t blame them. However, thinking about how she ripped that one mut’s throat out I caught myself rubbing my own absentmindedly. Safe to say, I was going to avoid that room like the plague. She tried to skip over one of the doors like I wouldn’t notice her change of tone, but Sasha was also a horrible liar it seemed. Well, if I ever needed information I know who I’m going to first. She’s an open book.

  “What’s in that one?” I questioned her, taking a step towards the door nestled behind a large grandfather clock.

  “I don’t know,” she said hesitantly, “Carrie didn’t tell me so I never tried to unlock it. Seemed rude.” I raised an eyebrow at her choice of words, and she quickly realized what she let slip. Yep, total open book this one.

  “Tried to unlock it? So, it’s locked then?”, I started walking towards it with my hand stretched out. She grabbed my arm and pulled it down.

  “Fine. It is locked, and I did try it.”, I crossed my arms and looked down at her, waiting. She sighed in defeat before continuing, “Carrie caught me and she was royally pissed. I haven’t tried it since. Seemed very personal to her, even though she doesn't go in there very often.”

  I looked at the door again, stroking my chin, “Still seems suspicious.”

  “Calm down Sherlock, it’s probably just a family thing. Carrie lost all of them in the blast, and you may have noticed the Xs all over everything? Besides, aren’t all uber rich people supposed to be ‘eclectic’?”

  I opened my mouth, but was cut off by angry voices floating up from downstairs. Sasha sighed, listening to Carrie’s angry screech.

  “It’s probably just Allana and Maria at it again,” she explained as she turned to head down the stairs. She seemed exasperated at the thought of dealing with the two of them.

  “Do they fight a lot?”

  “They used to, thankfully they haven't had a big blow out in a few months, mainly snide comments on occasion. I have a feeling it wouldn’t be as bad if Allana didn’t antagonize her. Allana just cracks jokes on her constantly, and you’ve seen how pretentious Maria can act.”, we rounded the corner and started heading towards the kitchen, “Once Allana asked Maria if the reason why she hates her is because she’s the only mirror she can’t admire herself in. Carrie’s fine china died a bloody death that day.”

  I chuckled at that, but cut off when a loud crash came from the kitchen, accompanied by more of Carrie’s yelling and what had to be Richard’s deeper tones. I’d bet on it.

  Chapter Four

  Sasha

  I swung open the kitchen door to see Carrie and Richard angrily glaring at each other, faces red, with Clint’s bag open on the floor between them, orange pill bottles littering the tile. Maria and Terrence were sitting side by side at the table where they were previously cleaning green beans and chatting, but now they were both watching the fight silently with their mouths open. Maria was desperately clutching her vial that swung from a chain around her neck out of nervous habit, and she still had beans slowly sprouting from the thick layer of soil on her arms. She was so absorbed in their fight that she didn’t even seem aware that they were growing. Terrence was riveted as well, but his head kept ticking to the side like he was losing track of what was happening. Carrie took a step closer to Richard, until they were only a few inches apart, and leaned her face into his.

  “Don’t forget who exactly is in charge here, Richard.”, every syllable dripping with venom.

  “How can I with you throwing it in my face every conversation?! I get to keep the medicines because I am the only one with any real responsibility around here.”, he replied, sneering down at her through his glasses. Carrie let out a bark of mirthless laughter.

  “You think that you’re the only one who’s responsible here? Who makes sure that everyone’s getting along? Who went to get the medicine? Who doesn’t sit in her room all day and sulk and then have a big ego about how much you’re needed?”, her voice lowered into a deep, warning tone, “And for the record, I’m already an inch away from kicking you out of my house simply because your only responsibility is to make sure we’re all healthy. You couldn’t even bother to do a proper check up on Sasha after dingus over there whopped her in the head.”

  “It doesn’t matter. She wasn’t seriously injured, and I had better things to do. Besides, I’m the man of the house. I don’t have to take care of things like when your klutzy little friend gets another bump on the head as if it’s an actual emergency.”

  “Man of the…”, she shut her eyes for a second, collecting herself, “This is my house. You will do as I say. As long as you want to pretend you’re a part of this group, you will take care of those that are hurt. You will follow my every word. And, you will shut your pretentious, misogynistic mouth before I shut it for you. Agree to that right now, or you can live out in that bullshit with only your toxic masculinity and ego to keep you warm at night.”

  With the threat of eviction in the air he fought to keep his tongue behind his teeth, but it seemed to be giving him physical pain to keep his mouth shut. There was a large purple vein in his forehead that was pulsating menacingly. Carrie bent to pick up the bookbag at her feet, shoved everything back inside, then zipped it shut and tossed it over her shoulder. She took a breath then looked back at Richard’s red, mottled face.

  “I’m going to say this, and I’ll only say it once.”, she straightened her back and stuck her jaw out, “In 2 days, after Sasha has healed, we’re going to this…”

  She hesitated and gestured to Clint for the words.

  “Berkeley Institute for Rehabilitation.”, he filled in quickly, fighting to hide a smile.

  “Thank you. Yes, we’re going to this Berkeley place, and we’re going to find and rescue his little sister. But, you are not going to leave this house. Sasha, Clint, James, Allana, and I will be going. Maria?”

  She turned her black eyes to her, and Maria nodded and gracefully stood as she awaited her orders.

  “You’re to stay here with Richard and Terrence and make sure that he does the only things he’s supposed to do. Help us if anyone is injured and keep his trap shut.”, she swung back around to pierce him with a warning glare, “To quote my father, you are to be seen and not heard. Got it?”

  Richard seemed to be chewing a hole in his cheek in an effort to not smart off to her, and Carrie was silently daring him to say a word. After a tense silence, Richard gave her a curt nod then turned on his heel and marched from the room leaving an uneasy silence behind.

  * **

  I really, really hated how much I drool when I sleep, I thought to myself as my eyes slowly opened. After the three of us returned to Carrie’s lair, we spent all of the afternoon and most of the evening pouring over maps of the area, trying to find the institute. We managed to figure out it’s approximate location before I eventually passed out on Carrie’s large bay window. Thankfully she had some old geographical maps that I could use with Clint’s picture to narrow down the area to a two-mile radius. At least all those years of me plotting hiking trips for the perfect picture came in handy.

  I opened my eyes fully to realize that my face was so close to the window that my breath was fogging it up. I couldn’t help but to admire the barrenness of the world. I would’ve preferred to open my eyes to sprawling grass and waving trees, heavy with leaves, but the almost desolate feel of the world was starting to grow on me, it had an unconventional beauty to it. Kinda like being at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. I realized that I even liked how the moon had a deep red tint due to the mist of debris floating in the atmosphere. Staring up at the foreign sky, I recall
ed when I used to sleep in my old bay window, looking up at the moon back when it was a luminous white and clear as day. I wondered how long it would be before I could see the moon like that again, then... if anyone ever would. I quickly rolled over when I felt tears prick the back of my eyes. I never would’ve guessed that when I lost every facet of my life the only pain that wouldn’t fade with time is the craving for a bright, white moon under the stars.

  Carrie was sitting cross legged on her bed, an explosion of maps all around her with red ink scribbled on every page. She had her head in her hands, staring down at another one resting in her lap. Clint, however, was sprawled across the foot of her bed, one leg dangling off the edge, and snores that sounded like a lawnmower that had seen much better days. She must’ve felt my eyes on her because she turned her head to look over at me. I smiled at her and flicked my eyes to Clint’s distorted sleeping position. She gave me a weak smile in return, then cocked her head at the door as if to ask me if I wanted to leave. I quickly rose, and we tiptoed out of the room. His snores didn’t even pause in cadence. The man slept like a hibernating bear.

  Wordlessly, we crept down the dark stairs and were almost to the front door when I caught sight of a light peeking out from under the kitchen door. I reached out to touch Carrie’s arm before jerking my head towards it. She nodded at my silent question, and I swung open the door for her to enter first. Maria was sitting alone at the kitchen booth, cradling a mug of steaming tea in her hands. She was wearing a red silk robe she ‘borrowed’ from Carrie’s mother with her hair piled high upon her head in a matching satin bandana. She paused with her mug halfway up to her lips before giving us a soft smile.