Chapter 22

"As I was saying earlier, I modified your parents memory a wee bit."

"How much?"

"I erased the 'We are committed to be with each other no matter who we have to kill." statements. They will remember the evening but will be fuzzy on some parts. They were in shock. You acted so out of character that they were discussing having you committed." TreFual gave me the hairy eye. "You created a lot of work for me with your little display."

His hand shot out and grabbed my throat. His eyes narrowed and his lips twisted into a cruel smile as his grip tightened like a hydraulic clamp. I struggled breath as he lifted me into the air. I tried for his hand. "Don't touch me." I dropped my hands. The pressure in my head was immense. My eyes opened wide as I struggled to get air. The world was turning gray. My mind was mush. TreFual spoke and punctuated every word with surges of energy that created agony in every nerve of my body. Warm wetness flooded my crotch. "The next time I tell you that I think something is a bad idea. You had damn well better listen."

He lowered me to my feet and let go. I collapsed into a heap. I took great gasping gulps of air, and tried to raise myself up. TreFual savaged me, kicking me again and again. I curled into a ball and fought the urge to uncurl as he kicked my kidneys. "You jeopardized your mandate. You could have destroyed your entire service. We told you the price of failure. TreFual kicked me harder. "Is this how you want to spend your eternity? I promise you, one more fuck up and this," The tip of his shoe drove into my nuts and the world exploded. "Is ****All****that you have to look forward to."

After an eternity, the kicking stopped. I waited. After a moment, I rolled on my back. TreFual stood over me his hands on his hips. "When you're done fucking around sit at your desk. I have to put some filters in your mind to keep this from happening again."

I laid there for a few minutes. I groaned as I got to my hands and knees. TreFual's back was to me. I reached within and began to form power. "Are you really that stupid, kid?" He turned to me. "If you want to give it a go stand up. It'll be between the two of us. No teacher, no student, No HIMS, just you..." TreFual tapped himself. "and just me. God to abomination."

TreFual stepped to me and grabbed my chin forcing my head back. His face twisted in rage. "I hate you. Your kind cost me more than your hybrid mind can conceive." He spat in my face. "You are just a means to an end. The moment you quit being useful to us your pathetic little existence ends."

TreFual shoved me and stepped back. "What will it be? Stand and fight or crawl to that chair like the Taumon you are?"

I weighed my options. I stood no chance. He would kill my family the moment he conquered me. I shuddered at the thought of my parents as his playthings. My eyes narrowed, as much as I wanted to stand, the price for failure was too high today. I gritted my teeth and crawled across my bedroom and climbed into the chair.

I woke up to someone shaking me. Dad was standing beside my bed. He had bags under his eyes and hadn't shaved. He smiled at me. "Good morning." I yawned and nodded. "Good morning, what time is it?"

"About 9:30. Get dressed, You and I are going out for breakfast."

"What about Mom?"

His face tightened. "She just went to sleep about twenty minutes ago."

I sat up "Is she all right?"

"Nowhere even close," I started to get out of bed. Dad pushed me back. "She spent the night crying because of your antics. Right now, she just needs to rest. Get dressed and meet me down stairs." He left the room. TreFual looked at me. "You've got a hard day coming. You might as well get to it."

Dad and I took his company car and got some drive through. Dad surprised me and drove to the high school football field. "C'mon" He grabbed his food and strolled to the bleachers. I grabbed my stuff and hurried to catch up. Dad was already sitting. I sat beside him and waited. He took a drink of coffee and surveyed the empty field. He looked at me, started to say something then seemed to change his mind.

He watched the field for a moment and set his cup down. He spoke without looking at me. "I don't know what happened to you, John. However, I am going to find out. You've hurt your mother more than you can ever know. " Dad turned to me with pain filled eyes. " She lay in my arms and sobbed for five solid hours. I've never seen her like this. I had to give her two sleeping pills."

"Dad -"

"Please let me speak, son. I've always loved you and I always will. I've always been proud of you. Last night, I felt something that I never thought I'd feel about you. I was afraid. Afraid of you and afraid for you."

I hung my head. I could feel my face burning and tears in my eyes. This man had never been anything but good to me and I had brought pain into his life. TreFual was right. I had been out of control.

I shook as grief overwhelmed me. "I ... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to act like that." Dad wrapped me in his arms as I cried. I think he cried as well. After I calmed down, Dad handed me my cup. I took a gulp, wiped my eyes and looked at him.

"Like I said last night, we'll work through this together," His voice took a hard edge. "If you ever look at me or your mother again like you did last night. I'll knock you on your ass."

I nodded.

"Now, we're going to deal with this mess. Your mother was all for having Kim arrested and you committed. The way you were acting I almost agreed." He paused as his eyes searched mine. "I decided that we're going to hold off on that for now," His face lost all expression. "How long we hold off is for you to decide. If you and Kim play ball, we can come to a solution that we can all tolerate. If you don't, you get enrolled in the 'laughing academy'^ and Kim gets a room at the 'Cross bars hotel'^."