Vertex

Stranded in Parallel [Chapter 16]

Mom nearly force-fed me breakfast when she found out that I hadn’t eaten yet. That was followed by a regimen of pills, both from the doctor’s office and ones that she had picked up at the drug store. I kept myself covered through most of it, hiding my temporary tattoos. Even when I was starting to overheat and sweat more, I could barely uncover myself, under risk of her popping back in at any moment.

Over the sound of the TV, I couldn’t help but listen for her doing something other than hoping to come to bother me. When I heard her start to work through the dishes with water running and plates clattering, I jumped up and snuck back upstairs, my tired legs wobbling the whole way.

Once I was behind the locked bathroom door, I began to scrub at my exposed skin and the unexplainable and certainly conspicuous marks. Neither water nor soap made any visible difference. Before Mom decided to come up and investigate the endlessly running water, I dried myself off and ducked back across the hall to my room in search of something with long sleeves.

I ended up in my hoodie before heading back down, most of my exposed skin covered. Mom was already at the bottom of the stairs, her trap sprung.

“Oh, that’s where you were.”

“Bathroom,” I sighed, trying to push past her.

“Are you drinking enough fluids? I can get you more juice.” She said, following after as I shuffled back to the couch. She stroked my arm, feeling at the sleeve of my hoodie. “Are you cold? Do you need another blanket back here? We can take your comforter off your bed since I’m planning on washing your sheets. They haven’t gotten washed since—“

“I’m fine,” I hissed, yanking myself out of her reach. “Do whatever!”

“Natalie,” barked Mom suddenly, freezing me in place. “I know you don’t feel good, but please don’t take it out on me. I just want to help.”

I shifted back to look her in the eyes. “You didn’t have to come home early today!”

Mom huffed, hands to her hips. “Well, here I am. You know, sometimes I want to have a little extra time off for myself, too. Besides, you shouldn’t be alone when you’re feeling sick.”

“I’m not alone!” I shouted without thinking. I huffed and leaned my face away, wondering why I had said that and how to backtrack. “I mean, I was just gonna’ sleep and watch more TV.”

Mom shook her head and frowned. “Fine, go do that then. I won’t bother you anymore.”

I opened my mouth to say something back, but Mom pushed around me and up the stairs before I could think of anything to say.

I wavered about the hallway until I made it back on the couch. The TV was playing some loud, nagging advertisements to break up whatever show I had tuned the TV to earlier. Despite seeing Mom march up the stairs, I still looked back at the hallway to make sure she wasn’t there.

I slid up the sleeve of my hoodie to see how much of the pen drawing was visible. The marks on my hand had faded just a tiny bit from my scrubbing, but everything up past my wrist was still as clear as day. I pressed at the center of my palm until it hurt, one of my vertices that Ohanzee had described. I shook my head, biting my lip. “What am I doing?” I mumbled to myself, shoving my hands back under the blankets at my side.

My fingers traced the edge of the notebook still hidden underneath. I turned and glanced at the hallway once more. I flipped through the pages absentmindedly.

Yet another page had been filled out. Freshly drawn were the outlines of two humans, or probably just one person, viewed from the front and the back. Their arms were held up in the air at their sides, legs spread just slightly. Within the confines of the drawing were multiple points and arrows and intricate lines, some resembling the inscriptions that Ohanzee had written on the previous page with his notes.

A sole caption at the bottom was written in Ohanzee’s careful writing. The Vertices of the human body and how to find them.

A tracing of one of the books in the library.

I’m in danger. I’m sorry.

I blinked at the last line, then read it again. The writing was thin and sloppier than the others, as if it were running out of ink. I glanced over my shoulder at the hallway. I nearly picked up the pen and started writing when a sudden thump shook the ground floor.

A pile of laundry making its way down the stairs was the culprit, followed by Mom kicking along a handful more. I slid back down into the crevice of the couch, holding the notebook tightly into my chest.

“How many times have you worn those pajamas since they last got washed?” Mom called out.

I silently tucked the notebook back down by my side. “They’re fine,” I called out sheepishly. I spied the pink-purple hue of my sheets in the pile of laundry.

“Well, I’m doing a load or two,” Mom said with a sigh, placing herself in the doorway. “It will make you feel better getting into some fresh clothes. And with your… body, it certainly wouldn’t make you feel any worse.”

I slapped my hands on the back of the couch. “I thought you weren’t going to bother me anymore!”

Mom jutted her head my way. “Sorry for trying to keep you and the house clean so you’re not exposed to every little germ that waltzes its way in here. A normal girl your age would be helping with these sorts of chores. Maybe I won’t bother taking you to the clinic for your treatments every week.”

I stared back at her, ignoring her hollow threat for the truth she had blurted out mid-sentence. “Sorry for not being born normal,” I huffed, settling down behind the cushions of the couch.

“Natalie, that’s not…”

“I know what you mean. It’s why Dad left, isn’t it? He didn’t want the responsibility of taking care of someone like me.”

“Don’t talk about things you know nothing about.”

“I know that he’s nowhere to be found. In my life or yours.”

Mom shook her head sadly. “And I’m truly sorry that I can’t change that fact. If I could have things another way, I would. But life doesn’t work like that. The last thing I want you to do… to ever do… is to blame yourself.”

I wanted to shout something back, but I couldn’t think of anything to say. I gazed at Mom tiredly over the back of the couch before sinking back down, making sure the notebook was still hidden away beneath the blankets.

“Fine,” I huffed finally, grabbing up the TV remote and pumping up the volume as if I cared what the screen was showing.

---

After what felt like forever, Mom switched off from noisily doing laundry and vacuuming to clattering around with dishes and silverware in the kitchen. I soon began to smell the scent of something being cooked.

I took that moment to flip out the notebook again, hoping to find more writing. The rough responses on the page made my stomach flip.

Please let this reach you. I am departing the halls of the academy.

Some little snakes— trouble makers— decided to ruffle my feathers for daring to enter the library on a day off. They tried to take these notes away. An elder got involved and saw what I had been researching and copying down. Asked me why I was doing so. I pulled away and hid. I beg he did not see your words.

I am writing this as fast as possible. If I flee too far from this location… I may lose you. I wish for you to follow. As soon as you are able.

The west of here… a confluence of two rivers into one. A vertex of Elohi. Please.

I could feel my hands shaking. My eyes ran over the words, followed by my fingers. Even though I could feel nothing but paper, I could sense the desperation and earnest in the hastily-scratched letters.

“Are you feeling good enough to eat?” Mom called out.

I jerked the notebook hastily back under the covers. “I… I guess.”