False Dawn #23: "Life or Something Like It" Part Four of Four: Domestic Dispute Short Story Format Devin Leigh Michaels
I am sooo out of the loop here. I’m also not in the suffocating headlock that Lance entraps Kaiona’s little brother, Krisk, so I should take that as a good sign.
“Ral, get over here,” Lance demands, even as Krisk struggles.
I blink at the gun trained upon Kainoa. “Dude, what are you doing? These people saved me from those government WHACKOS.”
“You know WHY they saved you?”
“Does it matter?”
“Because they want to EXPERIMENT on you, Ral! Your parents are immortal. You don’t think Defenders of freakin’ TIME wouldn’t want to know what makes Addy and Connor and maybe even you tick?”
I look back at Rena and Artemis. “Josh, honey,” Rena pleads. “I know Lysander—”
“Lysander?” He motions toward Kainoa. “Try your son, Mrs. Ryder. Your own kid tortured me to find out why I’m immortal, so don’t stand there and tell me you don’t want to do the same thing to Ral.”
“Lysander? Torture?” I glance back at Kainoa, who averts his shameful eyes. “What…What is going on here? How do you guys even KNOW each other?”
Casia comes forward, her hand out to me. “Now’s not the time, Ral. Let’s get out of here while we can.”
“Sorry, that’s not possible.” Behind Lance and Krisk now stands Sawyer, blocking our exit. “Hello, Joshua. It’s been a couple of years.”
“Gatekeeper,” Lance clips. “Move or the kid—”
“Y’know, your parents used to ask me what they could do to reach you.” He crosses his arms like an authority figure. I hate when adults do that. “Just how could they get their son back on the straight and narrow? Y’know what I used to tell them?”
“Let him watch Showgirls?”
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