Of Monsters and Humanity: The Genesis

Chapter 57 - Damian

Six days before....

Damian, chill. This is just Uncle Alvah.

But something told me that this man wasn't the uncle that I used to know.

Terra encouraged me to go to the office when we met up today. And I saw Agent Byligan here, so that means that her psychology rotation today wouldn't just be her and Xander alone.

My nerves were on edge, and I knew that this wasn't a good thing. I remember having similar anxiety before my first official soccer game. My mom told me to make her proud. She knew how hard I had practiced to make it to varsity in my sophomore year of high school. Her brother, who lived and worked in New York, had even come down to support me.

Now, though, times had been changed. I was in complete fear of the same man, and I was uncertain if he would find out about the security footage alterations. And if he did find it, if he would figure out if Terra was talking to Xander about breaking out. And if he would put Terra away. Or, better yet, if he would put me away. And if he did put me away, what my sentence would be and what that sentence would ensue.

After Terra disappeared into the Observation Room for her rotation, I quickly yanked my phone out of my pocket and hit the first number on speed dial.

"Hey," she greeted cheerfully.

"Hi, Flora Mae," I responded. My hand was shaking as it held the phone. I bounded up the stairs and headed towards my uncle's office. "I just wanted to hear your voice."

A cute giggle. "That's so sweet."

"I know--hey, can I tell you something? You can't be weirded out."

She didn't say anything.

"Okay, fine, you can be weirded out. I mean, you have freedom of speech. And of thought. Big Brother doesn't exist right?" The last sentence made my heart skip a beat. "So you can totally decide to stop talking to me, and you can--"

"Damian, what is it?" she asked, her voice suddenly annoyed.

I gulped. "I know that we've only known eachother for a few weeks, but I really care about you. Okay? I just wanted you to know that." I was just a few hallways away from my uncle's office, and my footsteps slowed. I didn't want to go in, not yet. My heart was beating too fast and my nerves were too shot.

After a second of nothing went by, I heard a sigh on the other end. "God, Damian, you scared me. I thought you were going to tell me.... You were going to tell me...."

I stopped walking. "Tell you what?"

"That you slept with Terra or something."

My body relaxed. "No. I never slept with Terra." She and I decided to keep the moment in the Supply Closet a secret. Uncle Alvah told me that she was in there gathering supplies for him, and I'm glad that he did. I needed to talk to her about what I said, to tell her that I realized that we needed space, but things got too out of control. I'm glad that it didn't go any further, but it went far enough as it was. She always had a way of hypnotizing me when I least expected it, and I didn't think that she even knew that she did it. Maybe that was how she got Xander.

God, no. That's a disgusting thought. I needed to stop thinking that. It wasn't even funny.

"Okay, good." She didn't say anything and I didn't take one step forward--I knew she wasn't done there. "Listen...I know that you guys had a brief thing. And I really hope that you're honest with me about you guys. If you slept together, or if there's still something there, I really hope that you tell me. And I really respect that you can both hang out with me so much despite your past."