Alex Wayne

Chapter 5

I'm home now. The silence is deafening. I can't take it anymore. I have to ask. I have to know the truth. But I'm dreading the truth. What if it's all real. I want this to be a mistake, a joke. It would be a really unfunny joke but please let it be one.

I can't hold it in anymore," Did Aunt Mara really kill Mom? Did Grandma Karen really train you and Mom to be killers?"

Uncle Ted and Jenna freeze. Jenna whips around to look at me. Her face shows absolute confusion. As though she didn't understand what I asked. Uncle Ted was a different story. He turned towards me with guilt ridden on his face.

With only that look I knew it was true. I felt the tears rushing out. My strangled sobs from me trying to hold them back. I'm crying and Jenna is just confused.

Jenna looks so lost and asks,"What is she talking about. That's not true. There's no way."

I heard her voice crack at the end of her sentence. Meanwhile Uncle Ted wears a solemn expression. I wait for a explanation. I need to hear one.

"It's true. Come follow me," Uncle Ted says.

He starts walking towards the basement. Jenna and I exchange looks. We both start to follow him.

What we see chills me to my very core. A room filled with many weapons. I look in awe and fear at it all. Jenna wears a similar expression to mine.

"Dad... what's going on?" Jenna asks.

"It started a long time ago."

"What?" I ask.

"Along time ago. When Teresa and I were children. You both know where we were before foster care. I was in an orphanage in China. But suddenly I was on a plane to America. A woman wanted to take me in. That's what I was told. I arrived in the house. Teresa was already there. She had been there for two years already. I on the other hand was there for less than a day. Karen our foster mother greeted me warmly. I spent a week there enjoying things I could never have had. That was until I learned the truth. She said I was going to learn how to defend myself. But in reality I was being forced to commit terrible acts."

"Terrible acts. Like what?" Jenna asked. Her voice was trembling.

"I killed people."

Jenna gasped. I just let the reality wash over me. They weren't lying to me at all.

"That's not all Jenna. I learned to become desensitized to it. To me killing another person was just a job. Teresa always argued the opposite. She hated it so much. She cried after each kill. I only began to agree with her when Sam came. I was thirteen and then came this nine year old kid. He was the same age as me when I had came. He was scared out of his mind when he learned the truth. Suddenly those feelings I had when I first came resurfaced. I felt remorseful for my actions. Soon Teresa, Sam, and I all had to look out for each other. We had to protect each other from Karen and others. When Mara came she was ten but she quickly adjusted to the killing. Mara wasn't fazed by any of it. In fact she always seemed a bit excited. But that didn't matter to us because she was our sister. Soon we all protected each other. Then Karen went missing. I was eighteen and decided to leave. We were finally free from our foster mother. Teresa looked after Sam and Mara. I met your father, Alex on my trip across the world."

"Really?" I ask.

"Yes and then he met your mother. We became very close friends. He knew about my past as well as your mother's."

"Is that why he never stuck around? Is it because of Mom's past?" I ask.

"It wasn't because of that. Your parents just decided that they didn't love each other. Your mother had no idea she was pregnant then. Anyways after your conception our foster mother finally resurfaces. Except she's dead. And with her body was something important. It was a list of influential people. A hit list so to speak. Your mother took it and hid it."

"What's so important about this list?" I ask.

"Those people hold the secrets to a very secret project. It's a drug that will give people the power of God. So I heard. They guard it so no one can use it ever. Killing them would mean it's for the taking. Since Teresa had it she was killed for it. Mara most likely wants it for herself."

"You mean my mother was killed for a list for a super drug? That would change the human race forever. Aunt Mara wants that. What is she planning to do with it?" I ask.

"World destruction."

"What the hell!?" Jenna exclaims.

"Mara has always wanted the world to burn. She believes all people need to kill themselves off so the world will be better. Apparently if people have the powers of a god they'll destroy themselves and the world can start anew."

"That's insane. Oh my God, Aunt Mara is insane!" I say.

"I know. No matter how much we try to help her it never gets through to her. We always loved her so much even if she did horrible things."

"I get. She's your sister. You'll protect her even at the cost of others. You try to save her from herself," I say.

"Exactly. Well now you know the horrible truth. I hope you two know why we never told you. It was for your own protection."

"I'm not going to say we could've handled this information because clearly that would be a lie. But could you maybe not hide important information like this ever again?" Jenna asks.

"There's more. I know where Teresa hid the list. Mara would most likely come after me. It wouldn't be safe for either of you. Especially you Alex. Mara wants to make sure there's no one who stands in her way. She would kill you. And yes even you Jenna."

"So what's going to happen to us?" I ask.

"Well Jenna can take care of herself. Jenna knows what to do. Besides she's studying abroad. She was supposed to leave today for her flight. As for you Alex. I think you would be safe with your father."

I wanted to say no. I didn't want to be a burden to him. I mean I know he never knew about me but I don't want to be a burden. I just want to stay with Uncle Ted and Jenna. I don't want my life to keep changing like this. What if he doesn't want me when he finds out about me?

I try to shake the thoughts out of my head. I don't want to deal with this anymore. I run up to my room and slam it shut.