good.” She seemed resigned that Jason would see the vision through to the end.
Jason followed Dean, puzzled. He answered all his own questions using Emma’s power to read Dean’s thoughts. He heard the frantic panic in Dean’s mind.
“Not fair. Not fair. All that’s left is this one, and she’s been dead for days. There may not be enough to feed one of us. Never mind all three. How do I pick which of us gets to eat? That’s not fair. Not fair. Not fair.”
Jason was surprised at the clatter in Dean’s mind. The repetition seemed so out of character for his meticulous, organized brother.
The half-breed finally arrived at the Parish residence — or what used to be the Parish residence. The exterior was now in complete disarray. There were no cars in the driveway.
“I can’t believe they still live here — after all this time,” Jason said, gazing at the house in confusion.
“Is there anything I can do to keep you from going in the house?” Emma squeezed Jason’s hand, but he was single minded.
Dean bent and picked up the corpse, throwing it over his shoulder. His strength seemed diminished. He opened the door to the living room, and Emma and Jason slipped in behind him before the loud click closed the half-breeds in their horrible world.
Dean tried halfheartedly to instill some manners in his brother. “If we take small sips, we can each have a little.” Dean held his hands out as he spoke, an offering and surrender with one gesture.
Jason had the bizarre experience of standing in the same room with his future self. The eyes of the self he saw were black. His hands had formed permanent fists. Seriana was barely moving, strewn on the couch like a forgotten doll.
Then the sickness in his mind filled the room. Jason had to guess no longer. His diseased future brain was on a loop. Interspersed with nonsense and children screaming were the events that had brought the Parishes to the squalor in which they now lived. Future Jason ran through the list of appalling events like a mantra, over and over:
First Emma was my angel.
Angel went to Hell.
Sky turned red and animals died.
Then we ate the people.
Then we eat the people.
Emma pulled on his arm. “Please, please? Can we go?”
Jason watched his own face as if it were a carnival mirror. Future Jason spotted the cold body and a toxically competitive look crossed his face as the smell of dead meat hit him between the eyes.
Dinner.
Future Jason jumped with an agility his brother seemed to lack. Seriana held her throat; she was too weak to move. Being crazy made future Jason strong and selfish. He tore into the neck and growled when he discovered the blood no longer flowing and hot.
Jason let Emma pull him from his future self. She brought him outside, but the sight would stay forever in his mind.
He stood still as the beautiful angel went through her motions, kissing his lips and wrapping him in her wing as if it were a toasty beach towel. But not even her magic could warm him now.
They landed softly in the present, in the clearing where they’d fought Everett together.
Jason stood in shock. Emma bit her lip and looked toward the sky.
“You son of a bitch! You knew what we’d see. That’s why you didn’t stop us, bastard!” Emma beat on Jason’s chest, trying to pull him out of his instant depression. “Don’t let him win, Jason. Please? Can you understand that the future’s always subject to change? Those things you saw? Those were weapons for him.”
He felt her hands warm on his face. Finally he looked into her deep gray eyes. She was frantic and determined.
“That wasn’t you. That wasn’t you! You couldn’t ever do those things. I know you.” Emma put a kiss on his lips, trying to get him to see it her way, feel it her way.
Beautiful angel, don’t you see? That’s already lurking inside me. I’ll outlive my brother and sister and everything on earth. It’ll be me eating cockroaches like popcorn at the end of
Jason followed Dean, puzzled. He answered all his own questions using Emma’s power to read Dean’s thoughts. He heard the frantic panic in Dean’s mind.
“Not fair. Not fair. All that’s left is this one, and she’s been dead for days. There may not be enough to feed one of us. Never mind all three. How do I pick which of us gets to eat? That’s not fair. Not fair. Not fair.”
Jason was surprised at the clatter in Dean’s mind. The repetition seemed so out of character for his meticulous, organized brother.
The half-breed finally arrived at the Parish residence — or what used to be the Parish residence. The exterior was now in complete disarray. There were no cars in the driveway.
“I can’t believe they still live here — after all this time,” Jason said, gazing at the house in confusion.
“Is there anything I can do to keep you from going in the house?” Emma squeezed Jason’s hand, but he was single minded.
Dean bent and picked up the corpse, throwing it over his shoulder. His strength seemed diminished. He opened the door to the living room, and Emma and Jason slipped in behind him before the loud click closed the half-breeds in their horrible world.
Dean tried halfheartedly to instill some manners in his brother. “If we take small sips, we can each have a little.” Dean held his hands out as he spoke, an offering and surrender with one gesture.
Jason had the bizarre experience of standing in the same room with his future self. The eyes of the self he saw were black. His hands had formed permanent fists. Seriana was barely moving, strewn on the couch like a forgotten doll.
Then the sickness in his mind filled the room. Jason had to guess no longer. His diseased future brain was on a loop. Interspersed with nonsense and children screaming were the events that had brought the Parishes to the squalor in which they now lived. Future Jason ran through the list of appalling events like a mantra, over and over:
First Emma was my angel.
Angel went to Hell.
Sky turned red and animals died.
Then we ate the people.
Then we eat the people.
Emma pulled on his arm. “Please, please? Can we go?”
Jason watched his own face as if it were a carnival mirror. Future Jason spotted the cold body and a toxically competitive look crossed his face as the smell of dead meat hit him between the eyes.
Dinner.
Future Jason jumped with an agility his brother seemed to lack. Seriana held her throat; she was too weak to move. Being crazy made future Jason strong and selfish. He tore into the neck and growled when he discovered the blood no longer flowing and hot.
Jason let Emma pull him from his future self. She brought him outside, but the sight would stay forever in his mind.
He stood still as the beautiful angel went through her motions, kissing his lips and wrapping him in her wing as if it were a toasty beach towel. But not even her magic could warm him now.
They landed softly in the present, in the clearing where they’d fought Everett together.
Jason stood in shock. Emma bit her lip and looked toward the sky.
“You son of a bitch! You knew what we’d see. That’s why you didn’t stop us, bastard!” Emma beat on Jason’s chest, trying to pull him out of his instant depression. “Don’t let him win, Jason. Please? Can you understand that the future’s always subject to change? Those things you saw? Those were weapons for him.”
He felt her hands warm on his face. Finally he looked into her deep gray eyes. She was frantic and determined.
“That wasn’t you. That wasn’t you! You couldn’t ever do those things. I know you.” Emma put a kiss on his lips, trying to get him to see it her way, feel it her way.
Beautiful angel, don’t you see? That’s already lurking inside me. I’ll outlive my brother and sister and everything on earth. It’ll be me eating cockroaches like popcorn at the end of
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