Necro 9 - Ch. 2

Chapter Two of Necro 9. Levi encounters the Necro leader, Alma. Cameron decides to come out to his mother. Secrets are shared, and new characters are introduced.

Yesterday, my world almost came crashing down around me. Yes, I am a teenager, and I am my mother's son. We use that “crashing” expression a lot. But this time it means something.

When Levi and I reached my house, we came in to total darkness. My mom, Lydia, was sleeping, as is often the case when I come home. She leads a busy life as the head of a charitable non-profit organization, and she works mostly from home.

As I sat down on my bed next to Levi, I began to explain how I work mostly from home as well, except, in my bed. He and I would have had a big laugh over the whorish connotation of that last sentence if we weren't both emotionally drained at that point.

“It happens when I fall asleep,” I continued explaining. “I'm immediately carried to what we call the Astral Plane. It takes up the same space as this world, but it exists outside of time...”

I was whispering. I certainly didn't want Mom hearing this discussion. Levi put the finishing touches on the gauze-wrapping of my injuries as I continued.

“So, tonight, when I fall asleep, I'll be taking that... that creature's soul to the Cleansing Plane, across the Phoenix Bay Bridge.”

Levi fell back onto his pillow with a sigh. “God.... This is all too much.” I wrapped my injured arm around his chest and buried my face in my pillow.

“I'm sorry 'bout your dad,” I said when I came up for air. “It's not right.”

Levi huffed and punched his pillow, barely missing my face. I pretended not to notice that part.

“Hey,” I began, “When Mom's awake tomorrow... I'll ask if you can stay here.”

“You mean, you'll come out to her?” he asked. He looked stern.

“Yes,” I said firmly. What I felt inside, however, was mixed. Part of me is afraid of coming out to my Mom, it's true.

Between Levi, his dad and me, I felt there was enough frustration to turn us all into Revenant zombies right then and there. Well, at least, it made me wonder what kind of pain a person has to experience before a person becomes a Revenant.

I've been dealing with them for more than four years now, but I honestly can't say I fully understand how someone can harbor so much pain and hatred within their being that their spirit refuses to move to the Astral Plane.

In the middle of all this musing, a warm light began to spread from a corner of my room until every inch was bathed in sepia brown. Levi bolted upright.

“Is it a Revenant!?” he cried. But before I could hush him, Alma had taken human form and put a finger to her lips.

“It's all right,” she said smoothly. “I've taken us to the Astral Plane. Lydia can't hear you.”

Alma has a cold look about her beautiful features. In terms of age, Alma looks to be about 25. She's been around far longer than that, though. She has pale skin, long black hair, gray eyes and what you might call a long face. She seems to have a perpetually tragic, but beautiful, expression.

Once Necros reach a certain level of maturity, we can alter our appearances any way we choose. Most choose to appear as if they age naturally--those that live alongside other humans, that is. We are never to reveal our angelic powers to ordinary humans. That is scriptural law, passed down to us by the Seraphim themselves.

And seeing Alma appear in my bedroom in front of Levi, I realized that scriptural law was exactly what this visit was all about.

Before I could do anything she had rushed toward Levi and put her palms around his face.

“Alma! Wait!”

Levi's eyes closed, and he slouched, motionless onto the bed beside me, becoming a soft pillar of white light as, I described before, humans appear in the Astral Plane.

“I didn't hurt him,” she said, before I could ask. “He's asleep.”

“What are you going to do about him?”

“Don't worry, I'm not going to take it to the Seraphim,” she said.

“You mean, they don't know?” I asked.

“I won't tell if you won't,” she said. “They're not all-knowing, and I believe that they would decide to have him killed and reincarnated.”

It's true. The Seraphim have strict rules about humans witnessing supernatural events. The truth is, it happens all the time, but rarely does an angel do anything other than muddle human memories of those events.

“...But this time, Cameron, I'm going to leave it to the Nine to vote on clearing his memory of this evening's altercation.”

“Alma, he would have found out about me eventually, somehow.”

Her stern expression was impassive. “Relationships between Necro and humans are strongly discouraged. You know that. They also happen to be fickle and are prone to end tragically.”

I stared into those cold, gray eyes and said, “I love him, Alma.”

She continued to stare for several moments before she said, “We'll see. Tomorrow night we convene. We'll put it to a vote. Understood?”

I sat there on my bed, feeling bruised both physically and emotionally.

“All right,” I said.

“I didn't see you fight the Revenant myself, but from the way you look...” she paused, her features unmoving except for her eyes. I realized she was watching the battle through my eyes--she was reading my memories. Had no other spiritual being seen what I had done?

“I'm glad you succeeded without sustaining further injury,” she said. “I'm... sorry I didn't realize it was so dangerous a Revenant. I would have asked others to help you, had I known.”

I sighed, a little too loudly. “Just please... try to understand how much this means to me. Levi needs to know the truth. He means everything to me! At least... let him be present. Let him meet the rest of the Nine before you decide. Please.”

Alma seemed to smile as her body began to glow a little around the edges. “All right. Until then, Cameron.”

“Thanks,” I said softly as she vanished in a burst of light.

Somehow I felt lost. I was once again in my room on the Terran Plane. Levi lay in a deep sleep beside me. My physical body was already beginning to heal"more quickly than an average human's--but I still needed another kind of healing that only rest can bring.

I put my arms around Levi and let sleep take hold of me, angry as I was.

* * *

I had not found my rest or my healing after I had taken Heather across the bridge. I spent a long time sitting at that spot on the highway, musing over what to do next.

At some point I heard, or rather, felt, the voice of one of the Nine calling for me. It was Salvatrice.

Levi. May I see you?

Yes, I replied.

Her glowing entrance as an emanation of light was brighter than Alma's had been. As a friend, I felt closer to Salvatrice. Up until that point, she was a mentor and a guide in a way that Alma had not been. For some reason, at that moment I wondered if there was a connection.

Salvatrice, like Alma is one of the “oldest” Necro. She will proudly tell you her age, which she says is 264. I know, because she reminded me last Thursday. What's unique about Salvatrice is her appearance. She has always looked to me like an eight-year-old with long, bright red hair and an adorable freckled face.

She once said, “It is the same face I've had since I was that age, and I haven't changed it since.”

Whether or not anyone believes her is up to them.

I do.

But there she was, wearing a simple white dress, slivers of light still shining around her frame until she was fully materialized.

The look on her face was simply sad, not pitying. She looked tired, and it was odd to see that expression on so young a complexion.

“I see you've had a rough day,” she said as she sat down next to me on the bridge.

“Alma has let her thoughts be known,” she said.

I understood immediately. I took Salvatrice's words the way she most likely meant them; rather than telling the other Necro Seven verbally, Alma had telepathically shown the others what had happened on the jetty. They would also know of the vote that was to be taken the next evening. We often communicate telepathically, mostly with images and emotions.

“May I see your thoughts, Cameron?” she asked.

Bless her. I realized that she could, if she wanted to, “see” my thoughts at any moment, whether I consented or not. I nodded, and almost immediately after, she responded.

“What Alma did was diplomatic, but was not wise,” she said. “I see Levi through you. I know him, and I know that the bond you share has the potential to span lifetimes. You should be allowed to tell him everything.”

“Exactly!” I said. “Thank you!”

Her expression did not change--she still had a placid look on her face--but I sensed that she was happy for me.

I almost asked for her prediction of the impending vote, but held my tongue. I was afraid. I tried to take comfort in her analysis of my relationship with Levi.

“I can take your 'fifty-or so' charges to be cleansed.”

“Oh! No, that won't be necessary,” I said, embarrassed. My mood had improved enough to realize that to shirk my duty to the spirits was not a helpful way to channel my emotions.

“Would you like some company?” she asked after we had stood.

“Absolutely.” As I reached to take her by the hand, I found hers already outstretched.

“Thank you, Salvatrice,” I said.

She smiled.

* * *

I chose to awaken the next morning at six to be sure that Levi would not be up before me.

I lay there till seven. I didn't want to think of all I'd tell him, only to have him forget if the Necro vote was not in my favor.

At eight, I withdrew my iPod from the drawer beside my table.

At nine, I realized that the spell that Alma had placed on Levi was one meant to be broken by me. I went down and threw breakfast Hot Pockets in the microwave. Mom was either still fast asleep or in her study. Then I returned and, after some more contemplation, reluctantly shook his shoulder, and Sleeping Beauty awoke.

“Oh my God!” he said as all the events of the night before came rushing to his mind.

“Now who's got the morning breath?” I said.

Insensitive? So shoot me.

“Have you told your mom yet?” He asked at the breakfast table.

Grr...

Okay, this was it. The big event. At least she's not a Christian, I told myself.

I knocked on her door. She was awake and on the computer. Yes, good morning... we said our pleasantries...

“Mom, I'm gay,” I blurted. It was in the middle of a conversation about women's rights in the Middle East. Some article she pulled up.

“What?” she was still looking at the computer.

“I said... I'm gay.”

“Oh,” she said. “I've known for a while. I believe we've already had the safe sex talk.”

“Mom?” I reached out and hugged her. This was unexpected--surreal, even. This was Dr. Phil good.

“You're okay with me and Levi? There's more....” I explained his Dad's reaction and his homeless situation. I asked Mom if he could stay.

“Of course, Cameron.” She looked at me and smiled. “I'm just glad that you came and asked me.”

We hugged again. Let me tell you, I have always felt spoiled by this woman I call Mom--unusually so, but this defied my expectations.

Before I left though, she stopped and pointed her finger at me.

“Cameron.” Something about her tone bothered me.

“You will have children,” she said. “You will be a father.” It was not a question.

“...Of course, Mom.” I was all smiles. She smiled back and then turned to her computer.

* * *

The first thing we did to celebrate Mom's reaction was to walk to Miss Kaneko's house down the road to tell her the good news.

Naomi Kaneko is a sweet, elderly woman who has known Levi and me since we were children. She has also known for a couple years that we're partners.

“That's good to hear,” she said, nodding.

I love how non-judgmental she is.

“I am not pleased with Richard's attitude, however,” Levi tensed in his seat. “He's going to get a call from me and a long lecture.”

I laughed a little inside. Levi's dad is a frequent shopper at Miss Kaneko's personal vineyard. She sells a single red wine that she calls “Retreat.” I think each bottle has a picture of a hammock on it. At least, that's what it looks like to me.

“Did I ever tell you how, as a child, I was imprisoned in an internment camp, simply for being a Japanese-American?”

She had, and she knew she had. I realized this was for Levi's benefit. His father was going to get an earful.

Before long, we left Miss Kaneko's and continued our conversation.

“You remember Leroy, don't you?” I asked Levi as we headed toward the Phoenix Bay Bridge. I was giving him the grand tour of my rounds.

“Leroy! Of course I remember your dog,” he said, smiling. “You had him till you were... ten?”

“Actually... Leroy stayed with me a lot longer than that.”

“Wait... you mean?” Levi's expression was one of wonder.

“One day I let Leroy out to pee, and... he didn't come back. I waited for a week for someone to answer my lost dog posters, but eventually, Mom and I had a long talk, and that was that.... Until one Saturday night, when I was just getting into bed, and I heard a bark outside. Leroy was standing in the lawn....

I ran outside as fast as I could to catch him and bring him in, but he ran up the street, so I chased him around one block, then two, then three. He made me run for at least a mile before I saw what he wanted me to see. There he was... his body, at least, on the side of Chesnutt Boulevard, all... all of it.”

Levi and I had stopped walking now. He was staring at me. I guess he was wondering if I was making it all up.

“No, he stayed with me for years after that. I never told Alma or anyone. I'm not sure if they know.

"He would come out only at night when I was asleep, but I would see him and play games with him on the lawn....

“A couple years ago I felt... something was wrong, you know? I felt I was keeping him from a better life. One night I walked him here, and I let him go.”

I pointed up the street toward the bridge. We didn't go near it, though. For some reason, even during the day, I felt wrong about crossing that bridge.

I took Levi's hand and we headed out for some lunch. I tried not to think about the encroaching evening as much as possible.

Author's Note

Aaron
[email protected]

Reviews

[JulieZee]

I love this story. There is such a depth to Levi and Cameron and even the supporting characters. Please tell me there is another chapter coming soon.
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