The Shattered Genesis (Eternity) (126 page)

             
“Why didn't you?”

             
“Because I was a coward, like you said. As awful as it sounds, I knew that it was either me or her. Believe me, I hate myself fo
r that now. I can see in your eyes that you hate me for that, too.”

             
“I don't hate you. I'm having a hard time loving you the way I did before. But I definitely don't hate you, Maura. I just need to understand, for my own mind, how you could have let somet
hing so terrible happen to her.”

             
“My pride was involved, too. I couldn't stand that my husband desired a nine year old child and not me.”

             
“You're not helping your cause.” I stood up and moved away from her, fuming. “Saying things like that will make me h
ate you.”

             
“It's the truth. There's no point in lying about any of this anymore. The Earth is gone. The players in that horrid production are either dead or far from me. You're the only one within earshot now, so I'm telling you.”

             
“Well, you should tell B
rynna.”

             
“I should tell Brynna that I wanted to preserve my own well-being over hers and that my ego was destroyed upon finding that my husband wanted her and not me? Yes, Violet. That will resolve our differences.” Her eyes met mine. “I deserve everything
they've done to me here. The beatings were my punishment for what I did. I feel like I can finally let go of the anger I have towards myself about that.”

             
“Well, I'm glad you've found your peace.” My sarcasm could not be ignored. She laughed bitterly.

             
“W
ho says that I've found my peace?”

             
“You just did.”

             
“No, I didn't. I said that I can let go of the anger towards myself. I said nothing about the anger Brynna feels, or you feel. Only after I have her forgiveness will I have yours. Only after you've both
forgiven me will I find my peace.”

             
“You've sat by and watched them sacrifice people. Do you really think that's normal, Maura? Do you really think that's what God wants?”

             
“Of course not, darling. But didn't what I allowed to happen to Brynna prove to you
that I will not stick my neck out for anyone? I couldn't do it even for her, and I loved her...” She stopped, closing her eyes for a moment before she continued. “I
love
her more than anything.”

             
“Well, I'll give you one thing: at least you're not deceivi
ng yourself the way the rest of these freaks are. They accuse us of being evil and yet they're murdering innocent people. They're justifying their evil by saying that they're acting in the favor of good.”

             
“Wow. You sounded so much like her when you said t
hat.”

             
“I know I did. Are you angry at her for telling me?”

             
“Of course not. I told you that I deserve for you to hate me. Besides, I'm glad she finally told someone. Has she told that man?”

             
“You know perfectly well that his name is James.”

             
“He's a
monster. I hope that she has guarded her heart the way I taught her to.”

             
“She loves him. He loves her. There's nothing else to know. No guarding of hearts is necessary.”

             
“There's plenty more to know!” Maura snapped at me. My surprise at her sudden burst
of anger must have shown on my face because she offered me a quick albeit sincere apology.

             
“This is some fight, isn't it?” I whispered and tears rushed into my eyes as I studied her. Both physically and emotionally, she was almost unrecognizable. Gone was
the strong-willed, intelligent woman that had helped raise us. Brynna had always blamed Maura's red hair for her sassiness while ruing her own dependence on stereotypes. But I had always agreed with her, saying that in Maura’s case, the cliché was spot on
.

             
“It is. Who would have ever thought that we would find ourselves on opposite sides?”

             
“Are we on opposite sides, Maura? Are you really so dedicated to these people? Do you really believe what they believe?”

             
“Of course I don't. But I am devoted to your
father.”
             
“Yeah.” My voice crackled as the pressure in my throat intensified. “You've always been loyal to him. You've proven that not only here, but on Earth, too. Maura,” I knelt in front of her and grasped both of her hands. “Look at me,” She did. “He w
ill never love you the way that you love him. I'm starting to believe that he's incapable of loving anyone.”

             
“Is that what Brynna told you to say?”

             
“Why are you two so narcissistic and so obsessed with her that you think she spends all of her time talkin
g about both of you?!” I raised my voice and broke away from her. There would be no reasoning with her. My father would always be to blame for her never-failing inclination to abandon all those she professed to love. He was, in the most pathetic way, her g
uiding light.

             
“She hasn't spoken of us?”

             
“No! In fact, she told me the reason why she never talks about you, Dad and Mom. Do you want to know what it is?”

             
“Enlighten me.”

             
“She never wanted us to carry the same anger that she carries in her heart. She n
ever wanted Elijah, Penny and I to hate you. She said that there was no point in all of us carrying that hate. She wanted to carry it alone.”

             
“How noble of her.”
             

             
“I know you're being sarcastic and you have a lot of nerve, Maura! You tear her down when s
he is ten times the person you are! If that happened to me, I know that I would turn everyone I knew against the people they loved if those people were responsible for something so terrible! Mom and Dad cut her off after what happened to Lucien. You did, t
oo! It wasn't her fault, don't you see that? How could you all have let her believe that it was?”

             
“I don't know.” Maura shook her head. “I guess to avoid admitting that it was our fault. You're right; I don't come close to what she is. She's stronger than
the three of us combined. I'm glad that she has passed that to you. The four of you were born and raised by weakness. I'm glad that Brynna possesses such great strength. I suppose everything happens for a reason. What happened with Michael was for the bes
t.”

             
I stumbled over my words as I tried to respond to such a ridiculous statement. For a moment, I believed that she was merely being sarcastic. But upon looking at her, I saw that she was merely spouting off what had been forced into her head. I knelt in
front of her again and put both hands on her face.

             
“Maura,” Tears were rolling down my cheeks and my voice had shattered completely. “Come back. Snap out of it! It doesn't matter anymore, okay? All that matters is that we have to get back to her and Eli.
We have to go home!”

             
“I can't leave him. I can't abandon Danny. I love him.” She cried to me with a fear so potent in her eyes and voice that I was able to picture her forty years younger, clutching a blanket to her chest as she stared into the darkness
that surrounded her. Her body was wracked with deep, shuddering sobs that far surpassed my own.

             
“I know.” I whispered as I eased her head onto my shoulder and squeezed her tightly. “I know you do. But he let them do this to you, Maura.” I wept softly into
her shoulder for a minute before finally finding the strength to continue. “I don't even recognize you anymore.”
             

             
“I know. I'm so sorry.” She managed to gasp out to me. “I want to leave here. They hurt me, Violet. They hit me and they all...” Her
breathing became ragged suddenly and her hands clawed at my back as she tried to breathe normally. “Those terrible men… They are so cruel, Violet.” She cried even harder. “I already said I was sorry! I said that I believed but Tyre told them I was lying! A
nd I am! I am lying, Violet! Oh, God, they’ll kill me when they find out! But they know! They already know! She said they’ll do it soon! They wanted me to be an example, to show people what will happen if they’re stubborn. When they kill me, it will be ano
ther example, he said. Oh, God… Oh, God…”

             
“No.” I told her firmly. “Maura, everything's going to be alright. We're going to leave here. You're coming with us. Even if you don't want to, you are.”

             
“I do want to. Violet, how could Danny have let them do th
at to me? How could he have let them hurt me like that? I love him. I’ve loved him for twenty five years…”
             
That was it. My heart broke apart into fractions. The rapidly falling snow couldn't match the tears that were streaming down my face. The howling wi
nd was merely a whisper compared to the hoarse, quivering sobs that fell out of me like the most sorrowful melody ever sang.

             
“I know you love him. But I love
you
, Maura.” I whispered to her. “And I'm not going to let anyone hurt you again. I know that's h
ard to believe, coming from me. I know you must think that there's no way I can really protect you, but I will. I promise you, I'm going to take care of you.”
             

             
“I believe that. The four of you are capable of anything. I know I'm safe now.”

             
“Are you ready
to leave?”

             
She nodded vigorously.

             
“Then, let's go get Penny and Nick. We're out of here.”

XXX

             
“Don't take anything.” Nick gently took the rations box from my hand and placed it back on the counter. “We'll get by.”
             
“Are you sure? There aren't any
plants up here that we can eat. You know that we'll need water. The last thing we need is to be tricked by the Shadows again.”
             
“I doubt you'll ever be tricked by a Shadow again.”

             
I remembered the terrible pain that I had suffered through after being atta
cked by so many of those hideous creatures and I shuddered. Nick's arms were around me and I was squeezing him back,
drunk on the much-needed comfort. The knock at the door broke us apart.

             
“Go in the other room with Penny.” He told me and the intensity in
his voice forced me to look at him. I gasped when I saw that his eyes were white. He was ready for the fight.

             
“Change them back!” I grasped his face. “Look at me!”

             
When he did, I saw that the ocean was dancing to the shore and back again in his eyes. I
kissed him.

             
“Keep them like that. They'll kill you, Nick.”
             
“I know. Go.”

             
I hurried into the room where Penny was fast asleep on the bed, still clutching the torn and beaten children's book that Maura had brought for her. I picked it up, observing the wa
ter-worn cover:
Where the Wild Things Are
. I remembered overhearing Maura telling Penny that the book was forbidden. I tried to remember the controversy that had surrounded the classic children's tale on Earth but my heart and mind had remained behind with
Nick. I faced the door, closing my eyes, and listening closely.

             
“Where is Violet?” My father's voice.

             
“She's asleep. Why? Is there a problem?”
             
“There most certainly is.” Rich replied. “Step aside, Nick. Daniel, I'll talk to her alone, if you don't mind
.”

             
“Maybe you should get Mary...” Daniel started to say.

             
“Daniel...” The edge of warning in his voice set my absent heart beating at an even more rapid pace. The door opened and Rich Bachum stood before me, grinning from ear to ear with the same menacing
mischief of his wife's sadistically gleeful smile.