A Time to Be Young

"That was just a taste." the voice said. "Now comply or the second round will be worse."

"I don't understand. What do you want me to do?" Johnny tried to say but only the thought could be created.

The second round of pain hit him and true to what the voice had said it was indeed worse than the first. It was many orders of magnitude worse. The pain was so terrible that all Johnny could do was whimper as he laid on the floor drooling. The pain lifted and the voice again came to him.

"I have taken men's lives for less. Why test me so? Your unwashed garments belong not where you have set them. Are you really so ignorant and stupid as to not understand this? You belong not in an institution of tertiary education if this is so. I will give you one hundred and twenty seconds. Understand well, the third round of pain will kill you. I have already set it in motion. Comply not with proper decency and I will simply not stop it from removing you from the world. Obey or say goodbye to your life."

Johnny got to his feet and put his eyes on his roommate. He removed his socks from the back of the chair and once he did he could suddenly hear again all the small background noises that the brain usually doesn't notice.

"What just happened?" Johnny asked.

With the same sinister tone as the voice in his head his roommate answered him. "Were not you there and party to the events?"

Fear ran cold through Johnny as he backed away.

...

Jill saw him as she hovered just above in the sky. She saw her brother running for his life through a hostile desert as men on horseback over came him. Her brother stopped not knowing which direction to turn. He tried to make a run through a gap but then a lasso caught him around the neck and he was pulled off his feet. Her brother tried to scream in pain but the lasso was cutting off his air. The men, dressed like some kind of strange warriors of the bronze age in Mesopotamia, came forward to grab David and bind his hands and feet. Then suddenly one of the men raised up a wooden club and just as it was about to strike her brother on the head ...

Jill sprang up off of her sheets and sat up in bed. She was covered in sweat as if she really had been in the desert seeing those things.

Her apartment was quiet, with only the faint sound of her housemate sleeping in the other room.

...

The first thing Paul thought when he turned off the alarm on his phone was that the damn thing sounded way louder than it should. The second thing he thought was to question why he had a massive erection. The third thing he thought was the thing that propelled him out of bed. He rushed to the mirror and looked at his face.

Still young.

He stared.

Still young.

"Ok." he said as he started to accept that maybe he was either sicker than he realized or this was a real thing that was not going to just go away after a good night's sleep.

Cautiously he got ready to go take a shower. Did everyone else see him the way he saw himself? It was very early in the morning so no one else was up yet. He would not encounter another person until he was fully ready for the day and already working at the RA booth. He checked the previous days messages and reports when the first students started to just go past him without anyone really paying him any notice. Paul was dying to get someone to tell him what he looked like but he didn't know how to ask where it didn't sound dumb.

...

Jill was waiting tables at the restaurant when she saw her brother come in. She quickly turned to keep him from seeing her. It wasn't like she disliked her brother but their relationship was very weird. She had so many opposing emotions when it came to him. On the one hand he was her brother so she should love him. On the other hand, they hadn't seen each other for a long time so she hardly knew him at all. Then there was the guilt she felt for the fact that she had abandoned him. That wasn't Jill's doing but she still felt guilty for having benefited from freedom while he suffered. Then again, he'd never complained to her about being left in foster care.

All of that was easy to manage while her brother was far away and the only interactions she had with him were over the telephone. Now that he was here in the flesh and he seemed to be expecting to have some kind of closer relationship with her she felt the pressure of it and she didn't like it. She didn't want to move forward with anything with him unless it was in her own time.

She hid from him in the back and peeked from a window to see another server take her brother's order. After the other girl put the order into the computer Jill called her back.

"What's the deal with him?" Jill asked.

"That guy? He's cute, huh." Bridget answered.

"Not the information I'm looking for. What's he doing here?"

"You're seriously asking me that?"

"Yes. Did he say anything? Did he ask anything?"

"He told me that if someone asks me what he was doing here that I should tell them that he came here because we're open and serve good lemonade. This is so weird."

"He told you that?"

"Yeah. He must be like psychic or something."

"No, he's not psychic. If he was he'd know I'm about to go out there."

"Oh, and look, he gave me a hundred dollar tip before the food even arrived."

"A hundred dollars!"

"Yeah. Look."

"Where did he get a hundred dollars?"

"Do you know that guy?"

"He's ... I used to live on the same block with him when I was really little before I moved here."

"Oh. Do you think he came here looking for you?"

"Of course."

"A neighbor from when you were really little tracked you down and came here to order lemonade ... why?"

"It's complicated."

"You dated him."

"Ew, gross. No."

"What? I'd date him."

"You'd date anyone who'd give you money."

"Take that back. It's not true. Do you even hear yourself?"

"Ok, fine but please get rid of him as soon as you can. Please. I don't want to deal with him right now. If he asks about me don't tell him anything."

"Whatever." the other server girl was saying as she unbuttoned her top down a bit. "I doubt he'll be asking about you after he gets a glance at these."

...

Paul hung by the front of the cafeteria looking at his phone until his daughter passed. Only then did he move. He got behind her in the line and grabbed a tray. He tried to make it look like his choice of seat was not because of her. He debated in himself whether he should take the seat directly next to her or one seat over from that. In the end he sat next to her but didn't engage in talking to her right away. For that moment it was enough for him to be able to be near her without his ex being able to stop it or complain about it. Just the thought of her caused him to look over his shoulder.

Paul noticed when Lilith looked at him. Her eyes stayed on his for longer than might have been the case if Paul looked like someone she'd never seen before. The fact that Paul looked like a young version of her father whose face she knew so well caused her to look and stare at him for long enough to almost count as gawking.

"Uh, hello." he said to her.

"Hi." she answered.

So this was decision time. Should he go ahead and tell her that he was her father and then be unable to explain why he looked so young while at the same time causing her to be embarrassed to be seen with him; OR should he just pretend to be someone else. But if someone else then who?

"Are you Lilith Jackson by any chance?"

"Paul, we meet again. How do you know my name?"

"My uncle told me that you were going to be attending."

"Your uncle?"

"My uncle Paul. He said if I bumped into you that I should say hi."

"How ... um, are you talking about my dad? Are we cousins? I've never heard of you?"

"You've never heard of me? What! You're kidding. I spent Thanksgiving at your house when I was nine."

"You ... You did?"

"You forgot me? Whoa. That hurts."

"Who are your parents?"

"Your dad's cousin's nephew Bill, you know when he got divorced, I was one of the little secrets he was hiding from his wife that blew up in his face. So you can imagine what my childhood was like. Man I remember your place so well. I remember you and your mother. I remember your mom burning the turkey so your dad made the best pizza in the world. That was one of my best memories growing up and ... you forgot me."

"I didn't forget. It's just, I haven't seen you in such a long time. The pizza Thanksgiving, that brings back so many memories. Don't take this the wrong way but for just a second I thought you were my dad with a fake beard."

Paul made a show pretending not to allow that comment to annoy him. "Yeah, I've heard that a lot. You don't know how often my mom would bring that up when she'd be talking to my dad on the phone."

"That you look like my dad?"

"Uh ... I mean, your dad and my dad look really alike, almost like twins. So actually look like my dad and my mom would bring that up to my dad though I guess it also means I look like your dad."

"Right. Ok, I think. And you were named after my dad?"

"Yep. We had the same birthday, remember. My mom went through a phase of calling me junior to maybe imply something and piss my dad off but that didn't take with my dad not being around very much."

"Well, anyway, it's kind of funny that we would be going to the same school."

"Not that funny. But I think it'll be nice."

"Yeah. And we can see each other around campus. Are you in the dorms?"

"I'm the RA, remember."

"Oh, right."

"Yep, doing RA work."

"Well, it was nice to meet you under better circumstances. I'm so sorry about my mom."

"Yeah, what was all that about? I was so confused."

Lilith smiled and Paul couldn't help but smile back at her. "We thought you were my dad and I was going to come and say hi."

"I heard about some kind of divorce or something. Is your dad ok?"

"Don't you know more than me?"

"I don't know where he is. It's like he's in hiding or something."

"I want to call him but if I do my mom will know."

"Call him from my phone in the RA booth."

Lilith shook her head. "He knows my number. If he wants to talk he knows he can call me. He knows I'm not crazy like mom."

"I see. I'm sorry this is hard on you."

"Why don't couples ever think about their kids before they just run off to get divorced?"

"I don't know. Maybe adults need to learn to be more responsible, huh?"

Then to Paul's complete surprise his daughter reached out for him and hugged him.

...

George was sitting at his desk doing his usual work when a light tap came to his door. This was very odd since if anyone wanted to talk to him his secretary would buzz them in and announce them. No one had knocked on the door to his office in a very long time.

"Yes." he said to be polite as he didn't know what could be going on.

A young man of many contradictions entered his office. He was young, maybe only about 20, but his countenance showed a seriousness that would be difficult to find among the current generation of teenagers. He was dressed in a very nice suit that looked tailor made to fit so this young man came from a wealthy family. George quickly began to deduce that perhaps he was working in his family owned pharmaceutical company and was coming to pay George a visit for some reason.

"May I help you?" George asked.

"No but perhaps I may be able to help you. May I sit?"

"Help me with what? What is this concerning?"

"I sent an email to you about ten minutes ago. It appears that I was put into your junk mail folder. Please check it for details."

"Alright. May I have the pleasure to know who I am speaking with?"

George expected the young man to produce a business card but he did not. Instead he just addressed the formalities verbally. "Who I am is not important. What is important is the fact that there are already 40,000 cases and only 2 survivors. The bacteria is immune to all currently known antibiotics."

"May I know how you came by this information?"

"How I know is not important."

"Excuse me but I believe it is. How do I know that any of this is accurate?"

"Mr. Brown, by all means, take not my word for anything. All the details are there. Have your people check it. Have them get samples. And when you're finished disbelieving have your men find a cure. You have very little time, maybe three years at most, before the pandemic hits every country on the planet and by then it is too late. Find the cure now or you can say goodbye to air conditioning. You can say goodbye to running water. You can say goodbye to everything outside your window that you call modern society. 90%. Let the number sink in."

George swallowed as the full scale of the danger became real to his mind. "From China again?"

"Where else? Of course from China. I have made arrangements for one hundred and twelve billion dollars to be transferred to this company and others. That money is for finding a cure. That is all the help that I will give you. When I leave this room you will never see me again. You will never find me if you search. This is all I will ever help. Waste not this opportunity."

"Wait. What money? Whose money?"

"90%, Mr. Brown. Care you whose money it is?"

...

Averium did not fully understand this place where he had arrived. The smells were all wrong. The colors of the sky were all wrong. There was too much noise in every direction. Even far away from the nearest settlement he could sense the junk and garbage left behind by humans to stain the wild places.

Where were the animals. In every direction there seemed to be nothing but insects and the most docile of creatures. Even though there was nothing but forest surrounding him in every direction for some great distance, man had apparently cleansed this place of all predators and threats. Averium did not like this. The trees surrounding him were like a lie. This place was not natural. It had been pacified and the natural habitat destroyed by humans. All the big animals had been driven off.

Averium felt himself anger, not only because such a place would provide few advantages for him to do his work, but also his anger encouraged him to put right this injustice. That would have to wait however. There was a task at hand and a target to find. It was very faint but there was a trail to follow. Averium could track anyone. His prey would not elude him. His prey was weak here. His prey could be killed here.

...

It was getting dark as Lilith walked with Paul aimlessly around the campus talking. She seemed to really enjoy his company. He wasn't like other guys who all so quickly tried to move things to a date, and then to a kiss, and then to sex in the span of a few minutes. Paul was nice in that he seemed genuinely interested in her and just liked spending time with her without sex hanging over them. It was so odd how he already knew so much about her but was still eager to know more but without pressuring her. Perhaps he was the one guy who actually would just want to be her friend. Lilith didn't really believe that deep down but maybe he was putting the breaks on because he knew they were sort of distantly related. Lilith didn't even know how to call him. He wasn't her cousin. Or maybe third cousin once removed or something like that. She didn't know how all of that worked. He was on her family tree somewhere but not nearly close enough for her to be worried.

"So, that's my plan." Paul was explaining. "When I finish I'll probably have to hop from military base to military base teaching but, you know, it's ok. I'll get to see the world and live overseas. It could be a lot of fun."

"You are so lucky. Only a freshman and you already know what you want to do." There was a hint of admiration in her voice that she tried to keep in check. There was no reason to give him a big head and mess up a perfectly wonderful time.

"And you don't?"

"No. I told my mom I'd be premed but I honestly don't know if I'm really going to do that."

"I bet you'd make a good doctor."

"It's scary, though."

"How so?"

"I started reading up on it and there are all these stories about people who tried to be doctors but couldn't handle it when their first patient died. When parents are telling their kids to go be doctors so they can have a big payday they don't think about that part."

"It's hard to imagine but yeah, you probably have a point there. Still the world needs doctors and you never know. You might be stronger than you think."

"Thank you for listening."

"You're welcome. We're not that closely related but we're sort of family so we have to stick together."

"Yeah, I'd like that. You're really nice."

Outside in the dark next to a tree and a little bit far from the nearest street lamp Paul held Lilith's hand. She was looking at him and he was looking at her. She smiled as her eyes locked onto his and they both shared a laugh though there was nothing funny for them to laugh at.

"I really like spending time with you." he said.

"Yeah, me too."

"Well, you always get to spend time with you but for me this is a treat."

"Not what I meant." she countered.

Lilith didn't want to say goodbye to him. Things were going so well. This was so nice. She wanted to hug him but then wondered if that would be going too far seeing as how he was just some distant relative. Fuck it, she thought as she leaned in for a hug. He gave her an opening and she embraced him eagerly.

...

When Paul got back to the dorm after spending time with his daughter he saw that kid he let use the phone that one time on his hands and knees in the lobby.

"Hey, you ok?" Paul asked.

The boy looked up at Paul and for just a moment he thought he might finally have run into someone who would recognize him for who he really was. But then the boy spoke in a way that seemed to indicate that he did not.

"The power for this building. I believe some of the main cables run under here."

"Perhaps. I wouldn't know."

"Suppose you that the building plans are accessible?"

"I don't know about all that. Did you ever get to go see your sister?"

"My sister?"

"Jill I think you said her name was."

The boy got to his feet and had an unreadable expression. "I thank you for your kindness but no. Not yet. It's not time."

"Sooner is better than later if you ask me."

"May I call you Paul?"

"Sure, go ahead."

"It is true what you say, that sooner is better than later. But in my life I have learned patience."

"It is possible to wait too long for some things. Maybe you wouldn't believe me but I know."

"There's a saying where I come from. Drink not the milk that is a year old."

"See, there you go."

"But also, eat not the wedding cake before the wedding."

Paul grinned despite trying not to. "Well, you could if you really wanted to."

...

The dreams came night after night without end. Before Jill even went to sleep she already knew the dreams would come. What would it be this time? She'd seen her brother tortured, beaten, and used as slave labor. She saw him hungry as his body wasted away while an overseer struck him with the lash opening up fresh wounds on David's back atop the scars he already carried. Tears came to her eyes as she could not get the visions out of her head that David was suffering.

It was earlier than usual but not that far off from the time that Jill normally woke up so she decided to just get ready and get an early start.

Jill got to work, clocked in, and started to get ready to go out and serve customers. Her coworker Bridget clocked in after her and then put her finger in Jill's face.

"No rush, honey. You hang back for a moment."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jill objected.

Once out on the floor she discovered what it was probably about. Almost timed perfectly her brother was coming into the dining area just as Jill was coming out of the kitchen. He didn't look at her. Instead he just followed the usual procedure for getting a table and he sat down. Jill purposely avoided him but that was easy to do because Bridget didn't even give David enough time to look at the menu. She was already there at his table flirting with him.