head with the reality outside—they still sat in the back bedroom, with Wren staring out the window, silent. Silence reigned inside as well, without Michael or Bryan having much to say. Until now.
Because Michael had to tell them about her.
What did you mean, do I see her? Bryan asked, Michael watching as his mind came back from the darkness.
The three of us need to talk, Michael said. I see something different than before and I'm not sure what it means.
* * *
" W ren ," Bryan said. He watched Wren turn to him, away from the window. "Michael says he needs to talk."
Wren's eyebrows raised and he turned the rest of his body, becoming actively engaged. Bryan knew what the man thought of him. Wren saw him as a lost cause, something hosting his son right now. He gave no indication of wanting Bryan's help or to even keep him up to date. All of that was fine with Bryan. He had no desire to support Wren. In fact, with Michael now in his head, he wondered if he had made a mistake.
Because Bryan was dying when this was over—he would entertain no other options. And from what he could tell, Michael had nowhere to go. He couldn't get back to his body, now owned by an alien in another part of the house. What did that mean for him, when Bryan passed from this Earth? Nothing good. That's what Bryan was beginning to think.
I'm seeing something , Michael said from inside his head.
Bryan's eyes focused back on Wren, still staring expectantly.
He didn't know how much Michael knew or how much he could see from his vantage point—but Bryan wouldn't try to hide what he saw as the end. Michael needed to face it just like Bryan. Just like Thera.
"He says he's seeing something," Bryan said, becoming the middleman for Michael's words.
"What?"
Bryan listened, taking in what Michael gave him, putting it into his own language—understanding it—before speaking.
"It's something like her. Like Morena. Except white. A white aura, like Morena's green one."
"Where is she?" Wren said. "He's still … inside you, right?"
"He says she's in there with him. He's sitting in a desert …." Bryan felt a smile tug at his lips, knowing what Michael didn't say: the desert was what his personality had left. "And he sees her standing across it."
"What's she doing?"
"She looks like she might be walking to him, but he can't tell. She's far away and it's dark."
Bryan paused, unsure if he should say the next word, unsure why Michael said it. Like he couldn't help it.
"He says she's beautiful," Bryan whispered. He tried to see her even as he said the words, wanting to peer into whatever world Michael inhabited. He couldn't though. All he saw inside himself was blackness. No light. No creature.
"You're not giving me much here, Bryan," Wren said. "What's it mean? What's he say she wants?"
Bryan shook his head, coming back to reality. "He doesn't know. He just wants us to know what he's seeing."
Wren stood up and walked over to Bryan. Both looked at each other, Bryan knowing what Wren wanted but understanding he wouldn't get it. Bryan would never be Michael, no matter how hard or how many times Wren looked into his eyes.
And Bryan didn't want to look at Wren anymore.
He didn't want to look at anything.
Because he saw only darkness when he looked inside himself, and the light out here, the light shining off Wren's eyes, only put a spotlight on the area that Bryan couldn't enter anymore.
Even coming out of the darkness, coming out to talk to Michael, to relay this information—all of it created more pain. Because Bryan was changed, more than anyone else involved, and he wasn't changing back. Unending black waited for him in this life and it waited for him in the next, too.
He moved to the side and then around Wren, heading to the bed. He lay down and closed his eyes. Michael fell silent and the blackness took over.
* * *
D isbelief wasn't a word that Wren would ever use again. He could see nothing on this Earth, or in this universe, too strange
Because Michael had to tell them about her.
What did you mean, do I see her? Bryan asked, Michael watching as his mind came back from the darkness.
The three of us need to talk, Michael said. I see something different than before and I'm not sure what it means.
* * *
" W ren ," Bryan said. He watched Wren turn to him, away from the window. "Michael says he needs to talk."
Wren's eyebrows raised and he turned the rest of his body, becoming actively engaged. Bryan knew what the man thought of him. Wren saw him as a lost cause, something hosting his son right now. He gave no indication of wanting Bryan's help or to even keep him up to date. All of that was fine with Bryan. He had no desire to support Wren. In fact, with Michael now in his head, he wondered if he had made a mistake.
Because Bryan was dying when this was over—he would entertain no other options. And from what he could tell, Michael had nowhere to go. He couldn't get back to his body, now owned by an alien in another part of the house. What did that mean for him, when Bryan passed from this Earth? Nothing good. That's what Bryan was beginning to think.
I'm seeing something , Michael said from inside his head.
Bryan's eyes focused back on Wren, still staring expectantly.
He didn't know how much Michael knew or how much he could see from his vantage point—but Bryan wouldn't try to hide what he saw as the end. Michael needed to face it just like Bryan. Just like Thera.
"He says he's seeing something," Bryan said, becoming the middleman for Michael's words.
"What?"
Bryan listened, taking in what Michael gave him, putting it into his own language—understanding it—before speaking.
"It's something like her. Like Morena. Except white. A white aura, like Morena's green one."
"Where is she?" Wren said. "He's still … inside you, right?"
"He says she's in there with him. He's sitting in a desert …." Bryan felt a smile tug at his lips, knowing what Michael didn't say: the desert was what his personality had left. "And he sees her standing across it."
"What's she doing?"
"She looks like she might be walking to him, but he can't tell. She's far away and it's dark."
Bryan paused, unsure if he should say the next word, unsure why Michael said it. Like he couldn't help it.
"He says she's beautiful," Bryan whispered. He tried to see her even as he said the words, wanting to peer into whatever world Michael inhabited. He couldn't though. All he saw inside himself was blackness. No light. No creature.
"You're not giving me much here, Bryan," Wren said. "What's it mean? What's he say she wants?"
Bryan shook his head, coming back to reality. "He doesn't know. He just wants us to know what he's seeing."
Wren stood up and walked over to Bryan. Both looked at each other, Bryan knowing what Wren wanted but understanding he wouldn't get it. Bryan would never be Michael, no matter how hard or how many times Wren looked into his eyes.
And Bryan didn't want to look at Wren anymore.
He didn't want to look at anything.
Because he saw only darkness when he looked inside himself, and the light out here, the light shining off Wren's eyes, only put a spotlight on the area that Bryan couldn't enter anymore.
Even coming out of the darkness, coming out to talk to Michael, to relay this information—all of it created more pain. Because Bryan was changed, more than anyone else involved, and he wasn't changing back. Unending black waited for him in this life and it waited for him in the next, too.
He moved to the side and then around Wren, heading to the bed. He lay down and closed his eyes. Michael fell silent and the blackness took over.
* * *
D isbelief wasn't a word that Wren would ever use again. He could see nothing on this Earth, or in this universe, too strange
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