Michael knocked on the door while John waited behind him beside Rogalia. Michael was livid, and fiercely bounded on the door. John thought that he should be angry as well, but was willing to give Jennifer a chance to explain herself.
A few hours ago Michael got a call from one of his friends in the military. Michael’s friend told him Jennifer turned down an offer for the group to join them against the aliens. This is what Michael had been trying to achieve for the last two months. He couldn’t understand why Jennifer turned it down so easily, especially without consulting them.
John himself was eager to help save the world. He didn’t understand how anybody wouldn’t be. Isn’t it your duty to do all that is asked of you in these situations? John didn’t understand Jennifer’s decision either, but he was more curious than angry.
Rogalia had come along because she wanted to see how Myra was doing. John didn’t mention that it was early in the morning, and she would probably be asleep anyways. Well maybe not after the ruckus Michael was making.
After banging on the door for the third time, Jennifer answered. She was in her bathrobe still, but she clearly had not been asleep. She looked as if she had been up all night.
“What the hell were you thinking?” Michael yelled.
“Keep your voice down please. Myra is sleeping, and she hasn’t been getting a lot of sleep lately,” Jennifer replied. She moved to one side and motioned for them to come in.
“You should have talked to us before you go off making them kind of decisions,” he said, but in a lower tone this time.
“Can I assume you both feel the same way?” she asked John and Rogalia.
“I would still rather stay out of it,” Rogalia said. “I just came to see you and Myra. I haven’t seen either of you for a while.”
“I would be interested in hearing why you turned down the offer,” John said.
Jennifer walked to the living room area and grabbed what looked to be an alcoholic drink. She took a drink and sat down. “It wouldn’t have mattered either way. They were only interested in making it appear like we were involved, and in keeping a closer eye on us of course.”
“What is that suppose to mean?” Michael asked. “No wait. It doesn’t matter. It’s our duty to do whatever we are asked.”
Jennifer considered his response. “I thought you had a higher duty to protect your people,” she said. “You know it isn’t always the same, doing what your told, and protecting the people.”
“I’m well aware of my duty missy,” Michael retorted. “I don’t need a lesson from you.”
“Well in that case,” Jennifer said, “I’ll just say my duty, above and beyond anything else, is to my daughter. That is why I turned down the offer.”
“That don’t make no sense,” Michael said. “If the aliens win, your daughter will be killed or worse. By your own admission you should be helping in anyway you can.”
“I’m not a warrior Michael,” Jennifer said. “I’m only a mother, and not a very good one at that apparently. It is your duty to save the world. I only know how to take care of my daughter.”
“They aren’t going to let us help, unless you’re joining us,” Michael said. “They must see some value in you if that’s the case.”
“No,” Jennifer said. “They’re only interested in using us to boost their approval ratings. Otherwise, they would be glad to accept you too without me wouldn’t they? If you ask me, its them you should be yelling at, not me.”
Michael stared at her. John wanted to jump into the conversation, but could think of nothing to add that would be beneficial.
Before anyone could speak again, a voice from the back room interrupted their thoughts. John listed for a few seconds before he realized it was Myra’s voice coming from the back room. She was clearly distressed, but she was speaking in Biaz. John had learned enough to recognize the language, but didn’t understand any of the words Myra was saying.
Jennifer got up and swallowed the last gulp of her drink and headed for the back room. Michael was in front of her. John looked around for Rogalia, and realized she was no longer in the room. He decided to follow the others into the back room.
They all walked into Myra’s room, where Rogalia was standing over Myra’s bed. Myra was tossing and turning, still speaking in Biaz.
“What is she saying?” Jennifer asked Rogalia. “I don’t understand most of the words.”
“I’m not sure,” Rogalia said. “She is using a dialect not often used, except in old literature. She is speaking about Asuiza, an ancient Biaz queen. She attempted to betray and kill her sister Aiusiz. In the end Aiusiz traded the right to rule over one of the greatest empires in Biaz history for her sister’s life.”
“Well how the hell does Myra know about all of this?” Michael asked. “I mean you didn’t tell her, or teach her Biaz did you?”
“No I didn’t,” Rogalia said. “I don’t know how she knows about all of this. Is it a human thing?”
“A human thing?” Michael asked. “No, not it isn’t a human thing.”
Jennifer pushed her way through the now crowded room and went to her daughter’s side. She gently reached out with her hand to wake Myra. When Myra opened her eyes and saw her mother she screamed and jumped back nearly falling off the bed. When she recognized who she was looking at she calmed down a bit. When she turned around and saw everyone else staring at her, she jumped away from them, but this time was blocked by the head board. She lifted up her covers to her chin, and stared at the people in her room.
“Hello,” she said.
Rogalia leaned towards John and whispered, “Is this a human thing?”
“Not a normal one,” John replied.
“Oh. Just checking. Humans can be weird sometimes you know,” she said.
“Myra, how are you feeling?” Michael asked.
Myra looked at him and then stared at a spot beside him. She then looked back at Michael. “I’m feeling fine,” she said.
“Do you want to have sex?” Rogalia asked. “Maybe that will help.”
“No thank you,” Myra replied in a casual tone, as if it was a question women asked her all the time. “I’m not in the mood. Maybe later.”
She then turned back to the spot next to Michael she had been staring at earlier. “My twin says that you’re from the southern tip of Royua,” she said to Rogalia. “Is that true?”
Rogalia was frozen with surprise. “Humans are definitely not normally this weird,” she said.
“Is she right?” Michael asked.
“Yes,” Rogalia said. The group stared at Myra again.
“Does she have a twin?” Michael asked.
“No,” Jennifer answered. “She is apparently seeing someone that looks exactly like her.”
“And this twin can speak Biaz, and knows about Velarian cultures?” John asked. Nobody answered, but that was what John expected.
“My twin says human culture considers it rude to talk about people while they are still in the room,” Myra said. “You should be talking to me.”
“Myra, how would you like a hot shower?” Jennifer asked. Myra looked at her mother as if she was a stranger in the room.
“Ok,” she said. She got up and walked out the door. Jennifer followed. The others looked at each other for a second, and then rushed out the door to follow her.
When they reached the living room, Jennifer was pouring another drink. John wanted to say something to comfort her, but nothing came to mind. It seems the others were having similar thoughts, as they too remained silent.
It wasn’t until the shower started and Jennifer had finished half her drink that Michael spoke up. “Did you take her to see anybody, a doctor, or psychologist?” he asked.
Jennifer shook her head. “Of course I did, many of them. The best that I could find.” She looked at him in the eye. “Now do you see why I can’t join the government?”
“I’m really sorry,” Michael said. “What did the doctors say?”
“Nobody knows what is wrong with her,” Jennifer said. “How can they? She is speaking Biaz for god’s sake. I’ve also heard her speaking other languages as well.”
“You said the military tortured her?” Michael asked. “So it was them that did this to her?”
“Yes,” Jennifer replied.
“How can that be?” John asked. “The military doesn’t speak Biaz, not to mention the means to implant the knowledge in her mind.”
“How then?” Michael asked.
“Well we were gone for days before we just appeared on that ship right?” John said. “Someone out there did something to us during that time. They must have put the knowledge into her mind at the same time.”
“Some god like alien that gets their jolly from making little girls crazy?” Michael said. “I’m not buying it.”
“That was probably not the intent. Maybe it was just a side effect,” John said. “I bet…” He was interrupted by the sound of glass breaking down the hall. John turned to stare at the hall. Then he looked at Jennifer. She raced towards the hall. Everyone followed her.
She forced the bathroom door open. It wasn’t locked. “Myra!” she yelled, and rushed inside. John rushed to the door, and peered around Michael who had beaten him there.
Myra had broken the mirror above the sink. Glass littered the floor. She sat on the far side of the room against the wall. A blood soaked towel covered her body. She held a large piece of glass in her hand, and was cutting herself as she screamed, “I want to get her out! I don’t want her in me anymore!” Blood dripped down from her hand where it was cut from gripping the glass too hard, and from her chest where she had cut herself.
Jennifer rushed to her side, and forced her to release the piece of glass. Myra began to cry as Jennifer held her in her arms. “Make her go away,” she pleaded in her mother’s arms.
“Shhh,” Jennifer said, also in tears now. “It will all be ok. I promise.” John was sure it was a promise she was not going to keep.
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