Questions

 Albert was now sitting on my bed tinkering with my cell phone, as I began to pack. "Let's see. I think that five shirts, two pairs of jeans, and one pair of shorts will hold me over, don't you?" I asked Albert. He didn't look up, but nodded. I turned back to my suitcase and folded the clothes into it neatly. "Now for my toiletries." I said to myself, and ran off to the bathroom. Before I could make it though, my mother called my name. I sighed and quickly took the steps two at a time. When I had reached the living room, I saw that she was not alone. Guess who was with her? That Matt kid from earlier today. I took one look at him, than at my mother, and then back again. My mom spoke first, "Kerii, this is Matt. I believe he goes to your school?" "I know who he is." I said flatly. She smiled nervously and said, "Well, he wants to ask you some questions about History class." "He's in my History class?" I mused aloud. Matt spoke at that moment, "Erm. Well, no. But I sort of. Fell asleep today in class. I knew that today was a note-taking day. So, I was wondering if you had the notes." "Oh." Was all I could say. I nodded, and turned. I expected for Matt to see that as a sign for him to follow. He took the sign and began to walk toward me. My mom went back to whatever she had been doing before, and Matt and I walked up the stairs and into my room.

 

I suppose that we startled Albert, because when I opened the door, he jumped almost two feet into the air. "Sorry. Didn't mean to startle you." Matt said. Albert just stared at him. I jumped in and said, "Albert. This is Matt. From School. Matt, this is Albert." No one spoke after my introduction. Albert glared at Matt and then finally said, "Hello, Matt." From the sound of Albert's voice, it sounded like he had met Matt before. "I'm sorry, do you guys know each other?" I asked, testing my hypothesis. Matt answered the question, "Yes, actually." I darted my look toward Albert. He shied away from my look and said quietly, "We met, a couple of months ago. He's the reason why I know about that scientist in Mexico." I couldn't help but gasp, "What do you mean?" Albert went quiet for a moment, and cautiously said, "I bumped into him in a department store one day and he asked me if I was alright, because I assume that I looked upset." "You looked terrible, like you were about to commit suicide." Matt added. Albert looked over at him, "I guess. Anyway, we went for a walk and I told him that I was looking for a scientist. Someone who didn't live here, who maybe was a little insane and liked to experiment on people." Matt nodded, agreeing with Albert's part of the story so far. Albert continued, "So then Matt told me that his father was a scientist, and was pretty crazy, but he didn't normally experiment on humans, he normally tested on animals. And then he told me that his father lived in Mexico, on the shore of Rancho Nuevo beach." I gasped again. This was unbelievable. Matt perked up, figuring that Albert had finished, "And that's the reason I've come here, it has nothing to do with History notes, to find out if you've gone already, and why you want to meet him anyway. Personally, I think he's messed up in the head. I haven't spoken to him in over five years." I swallowed and said, "No, we haven't gone yet. We were planning on heading down there Friday morning." I had skipped over answering WHY we had to meet his father. Matt had noticed, though, and asked again, "Why do you need to meet him?" Albert took the reigns then and said, "If you want to know, you better sit down." Matt strode over to my computer chair and plopped himself down, waiting for the story to start.

 

"Albert, maybe I should tell it-" I began to say, but Albert cut me off with saying, "About four years ago I was walking through a valley, heading back home from staying with my dad after school. It was about ten o'clock, and I had lost track of the time, and I was rushing so that I would get home before my mom did. I decided to take a short cut down a neighborhood; a bad neighborhood that people at school had so many rumors about. I ignored the voices telling me to be careful, and started to walk through it. Before I had gotten past two houses, I heard a voice tell me that if I screamed, then they would kill me right then and there. What could I do? I pressed my lips together and waited for whoever it was to fulfill whatever their wish was. I expected them to take my wallet, or something normal like that. That was obviously not the case, because I then felt my hands being shoved together, and I felt a wire being tied around them. Despite the darkness already surrounding me, everything went pitch-black, and I knew that I now had a blindfold on. I felt myself being shoved into a car. I heard tires squeak, and for the longest time I sat in darkness. The car stopped, and I was pushed out of the car, and I hand was placed on my back, leading the way. We went down so many flights of stairs I lost count. Finally, the person's hand grabbed my shirt in order to make me stop. And then he spoke, 'Here you are. In my domain. My disease. I have made it. With chemicals. You are like a guinea pig. Yes, a guinea pig. I will experiment it on you. I hope it works.' And then he laughed maniacally. I remember being clamped into a chair, with chains holding me down. A hand grasped my neck tightly as a liquid poured down my throat. He made me swallow the foul-tasting liquid. Then, I heard his footsteps leave the room. I relaxed for a moment until suddenly I felt so much pain in my chest and in the left side of my head; it was completely unbearable. It felt like hours until the pain ceased. By then, the man was back again and he spoke quickly, 'I brought a girl back with me. Yes, a girl. She will have the disease, too. Both of you will have it. How do you feel?' I couldn't speak; my throat was drained. I finally managed to swallow enough times to say, 'Weak.' He laughed and spoke again, 'Good. Good. That is what it will do. Many things become of my disease. Many things. You, since you are male, will have visions. Visions of bad things. Bad things that happen. You won't be able to see whom the bad thing happens to. You will torture. The one you love. You will have a vision of her. Of her death. And by the time you figure out she's in danger. It'll be too late! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!' I was in disbelief of this man. Who could do such a thing? Create a disease that tortures people? 'But that isn't all.' He continued, 'this girl, she will travel to places that she has never been to before. One of those places, I will be waiting. If you want the antidote to this disease, you must find me. And tell me my name.' I was barely conscious, but I tried to focus on his words. 'What else is there?' I croaked. 'One thing that will be an advantage is that you both have telepathy. But it is only between your two minds. That won't come right away. It will appear about four years later. Which reminds me, better find me and the antidote quick, because your life span is cut in half when you have had the disease for twenty-four hours.' I shook my head back and forth, trying to understand all of it. 'Why are you doing this?' I said in a whisper. 'Games are fun. I decided to create a game myself, except people's lives were in hand in this game. When I created the disease as a game, I had to test it on someone. Two people. A male and a female, to see if the outcomes would be different. And they are. Or they will be. I have tested both of you, by getting a skin sample, and I can see what will happen to you when the disease takes full effect.' Before I was able to ask another question to this obviously insane man, his footsteps told me that he had left. He had left me and that girl who I didn't know where she was in this room, alone."

 

Albert finished his story and we all sat, thinking about it. "So, you think that my father is the insane scientist who gave both of you that disease?" Matt asked. Albert answered immediately, "No of course not. I believe that your father can help us figure out who the scientist is. Or perhaps has a clue on where to find him." Matt seemed to be pondering over his next question, "Is this disease contagious?" I answered this one, "We're not really sure. We have both had it for four years, and nothing has happened to any of the people that we are closest to." Matt nodded. He seemed to be trying to grasp all this. "Alright. I'll call my father, and tell him to expect visitors sometime between Friday and Saturday." I nodded, "Thank you." "Yeah. Thanks." Albert said, sourly. Matt said his goodbye in his smile, and left.

 

"Do you have something against Matt or something?" I asked when I was sure Matt was out of the house. "No. He just seems...suspicious." I rolled my eyes, "Matt seems really nice. Kind of forward, but nice. I'm sure we are going to be seeing a lot more of him now that he knows about the disease, better get used to him." That was meant to end the conversation, but I could tell that Albert wasn't finished. I didn't let him protest anymore by telling him to go home and eat dinner. "I'll see you tomorrow." I said. "Sure." He said, and walked out.

 

The door slammed behind him, and I slumped onto my bed, exhausted from the excitement today. The bed felt good against my sore body. I curled up in the sheets, and rested my head on the pillow. Within minutes, I was deep into a dream.