Blinded

The door creaked open. In the silence that had formed between Lucas and me it was hard to miss. My eyes darted in that direction, cautiously as I wasn’t sure if the blinding lights were still turned off. In the dim light of the room it was hard to see who the new visitor was. The shadows by the door hid him and though I squinted I couldn’t make out his form. I couldn’t really say he was even male, except he took up a large space. He stepped forward slowly, as if being wary of something. I stole a glance at Lucas. His eyes were narrowed into a glare. I turned back just as the stranger spoke.

“Our patient is awake I see. You couldn’t even send me notice? I gave you so much help and yet here you are hiding her away, going as far as to tell the maids to keep things quiet.”

“I can care for her by myself father,” Lucas growled out. “You’re help isn’t needed anymore.”

The man sighed and I realized I knew that voice. My mouth dropped before Ike even managed to walk into the light. No wonder Lucas looked like Ike. They were related. Lucas was one of his troublesome sons. I compared them. Lucas’s eyes were lighter. His hair pure white. Ike wore his blond locks longer, longer than before even. Lucas’s hair stuck out at odd directions. I took a deep breath. I didn’t even know where to begin. Thankfully they were talking to one another and not really paying much attention to me at all. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. I cleared my throat and they both looked at me. Lucas moved to fill my glass with water. I had asked him for some before Ike had joined us. Ike smiled softly and waited.

“I am still a little confused, more than before actually. I...” I looked between them again. “You were following me,” I finally managed when my mind stopped shifting all over the place. I was focusing on Ike now. Lucas, as a dog, couldn’t be at fault. He had to have some innocence in all this. “You ...... how ... no why? What was the purpose of all this? Did you give me this cold? Are you even a doctor?”

Ike stepped closer. He studied my face and then looked to a monitor to my side. I had seen it with numbers sprawled across it. I didn’t understand its purpose. No wires connected to it. “It wasn’t my intention for anyone to see you as a threat. I am afraid because of the position I put you in you were poisoned. A severe case of jealousy.”

“What? That doesn’t make any sense.”

“If anything this is Lucas’s fault. He’s a very popular bachelor in the immortal realm. Unfortunately, someone stepped over a line they shouldn’t have. Happens too often if you ask me, our young should be taught, as I taught Lucas. It is a lucky thing you gave the right command so Lucas could get the help you needed in time.”

More questions piled up. I wasn’t getting anywhere. I lost my place in the mental list I had created. Priorities were rewritten and pages scattered in the wind. “Who poisoned me? When? How, for that matter?”

“How about we start from the beginning? Lucas is more than capable of telling you the story and from beginning to end it should answer what you need to know. For now your vitals are showing you have accepted the antidote, I wish to see it continue to work till the last traces of poison are out of your system. Your blood pressure should be higher.”

“You can tell all that by looking at me?”

“No, you’re connected to the machine.”

I looked beside me. The monitor did have a set of numbers flashing red. All the rest were green. “That thing is monitoring my vitals?”

“Spirit technology is very advanced in some realms. I wish the humans would catch up. It would make my job easier. I wouldn’t have to hide behind the lacking machines you currently have.”

“What do you mean realms? Like other planets?”

“You could say that.”

“So you’re aliens.”

Ike chuckled. That seemed to bother Lucas. He patted my head, like one would a child, as he reprimanded his father. “It isn’t that funny. Think about how Kale must feel right now.”

“It’s the first time I’ve been called an alien.”

“Father you’re unbearable.” Lucas turned to me and very casually explained at last. “We are immortals. Gods to be more precise.”

“Right,” I answered slowly as I took it in.

Ike leaned down and pulled a pen out of his pocket. When he pushed a button at the end a flash of light hit my eyes. I flinched and looked away. “Still sensitive to direct light. It might be a couple days before that wears off. Any headaches?”

I shook my head.

“Dreams?”

I paused. “Why?”

“Curiosity.”

“I saw memories of my past. Not what I would deem a dream.”

“Then maybe it is true.” I gave Ike a look. Lucas would know it. If his father was smart he’d pick up on it too. “I had an inkling that a specific drug would make you dream free. Helps in the healing, or so research has shown. In your case I would say it has.”

“Goodbye father, you got what you wanted.” Lucas’s growl was hard to miss; it was less throaty now that he was in a human form.

“Really Lucas, my earlier actions were for your own good. To progress things,” the doctor mused on his way out of the room. “If you need anything simply call out Isaak and I shall come.”

“I thought his name was Ike,” I mumbled as I stared at the door.

“His nickname is Ike at the moment. This is his realm so to call out his birth name means he can hear what you have to say to him no matter what the distance. Considering it like tuning in to a radio station. I suspect using his nickname does the same, though he denies it. ”

“Lucas,” I said lowly, it was the tone I took with him when he was a dog when I was attempting to correct his behavior. Not that it always worked the way I hoped, I was eager to find out if it would work this time.

“I’m sorry. Things are... out of whack, as you humans tend to say. If you promise not to interrupt I could tell you that story now.”

I nodded in relief. Finally answers. I patted the bed. I was almost certain it would be a long story. No need for Lucas to stand the entire time. He slowly plopped down and cozied in. His presence was nice. I had longed to actually talk to Lucas, and in a human form I could do just that. “Thanks by the way,” I added before he began. He tilted his head and stared at me. “What?” I asked as I stared at his confused look.

“A human hasn’t ever thanked me before. What are you thanking me for anyway?”

“I appreciate that you’ve taken care of me all this time. I didn’t realize the situation was so dire.”

“You’re welcome,” he whispered. It sounded like he was testing the words. If a human hadn’t thanked him had he ever had a reason to say that before? After a moment he cleared his throat and looked at the wall farthest from us. “My story begins with my mother and father, before this realm had been created along with its planets.”

“Mother was the most beautiful of all goddess, not just for her outward beauty. Her heart was pure. Father would tell us that no other could be as beautiful as her. Her power flourished in life. Plant life in particular. She’d spend hours amongst her creations. Soon they grew so many she sought to have a place for them to dwell. Mother’s garden was created. Not from fire and ice, as many humans speculate. She carefully created this world. Each little idea was carefully looked into. Everything had its purpose. One dark horror to balance the light. Everything in its place, as she would say. In time her plants interacted and continued to grow in a way they wouldn’t have been able to without the atmosphere she created.

Most gods have a way of stepping back, observing life. Mother and father always live amongst the garden. Helped it along with little pushes, never interfering too much. Things thrived and even evolved, much to mother’s delight. Eventually our family expanded and my two older brothers were born, one year apart. They were taught how to nurture the garden. At long last mother determined her garden needed a name. She called it Gaia, which in turn devolved to Earth.

My brother’s came to love learning. They moved on to other realms to see what was to be seen. I was born a short time after this and I too took to nurturing the garden. Mother and father showed me how life interacted. I learned of death and life woven together, so tightly, it formed a balance that could never be broken. I helped my father develop creatures to inhabit mother″s garden. Most of the original animals have become extinct, others evolved. As the planet continued to prosper and evolve my oldest brother returned. He brought with him a creation of his own. He made a request to add it to mother’s garden. Mother’s rule for living creatures were all had a mate and so the first man and woman were created. The planet continued to blossom. For a time. A short period, for gods, passed and then mother knew something wasn’t quite right with her garden.

All planets are not as simply created as you are led to believe. Each planet carries deep within it a soul. This soul is created of pure energy harvested by the gods. This soul can only support a certain amount of energy. Human growth continued so swiftly the planet couldn’t cope. It was dying and would continue in a downward spiral unless a boost to the soul could be added. Unfortunately no one’s energy seemed compatible with the Earth. Another soul would have to be given to combined with that of the Earth to help sturdy the planet. That too was a sensitive area. Mother was too caring and couldn’t see her garden wither back to dust. Knowing only her soul would do, she committed the ultimate sacrifice. She fused her soul with the Earth so that her garden could thrive again.”

“The old man in the park... he was telling me this story.”

“Yes, he summarized it.”

“Could you talk to him?”

“Through a form of meditation we could communicate. Shall I continue with the story.”

I wanted to ask more about the homeless man; perhaps I could later. I held my tongue and nodded.

“This is where my story takes focus. Mother meant everything to father. She showed me everything I knew. I couldn’t accept watching the human race continue their destruction to the garden she had so carefully created. I wouldn’t protect the humans as my father had done for so long. I didn’t stand on the side lines either. I tried to take action. Father was much wiser than I and turned against me. It worked for a time, until I got into a particular rage and attempted to reduce up the population. I guess father had enough and came up with...”

I raised up my hand and Lucas stopped. “How?”

“How what?”

“Did you reduce the population?”

“Oh, a few thousand years ago I created a plague. I can’t recall what you humans label it as.”

“The black plague? Are you referring to the black plague,” I asked horrified. Lucas’s smile turned upside down at the sound of my voice.

“Please remember, I am not the same person anymore. I believed at that time it was the best chance I had to protecting my mother’s legacy. I know now I went about it the wrong way.”

“What makes you better now than before? What’s changed between now and then?”

“I met you,” he replied, the sincerity and seriousness of his voice swept away the air in my lungs. I could feel the warm blush of my cheeks. I didn’t know how Lucas could say something so corny, so smoothly without any reaction on his part. Thankfully I didn’t have to respond. Lucas picked up the conversation where he left off. “My actions resulted in father learning and studying medicine. Any attack I made he reflected with his ‘science’. With my last attempt father determined it was best to make my punishment something more severe. I would have to depend on the creature I had come to hate most. I spent a few generations as a dog before father found you. He figured your stubborn, unbearably independent, stupidly protective nature would be a good lesson.”

I let Lucas have a moment. I didn’t brother to correct him with his description. People called me stubborn all the time, I called myself independent, and he was probably right about the protectiveness. I reached for my glass of water. After finishing a few mouthfuls I offered the glass to Lucas. He had talked a while, surely he was thirsty. I didn’t see another glass around and it wouldn’t kill me to share. Not to mention there were not many people who could say they shared a glass with a god. That got me thinking. Was I really going to accept his story just like that? It was a lot to take in. Any logical mind would deny it. However, not many people had spent so long living with a dog they believed was too smart to be a dog in the first place.

Or this is all a dream and I will wake up in bed, Lucas beside me, once my alarm goes off. I frowned. No one said everything was a dream in a dream. I took a deep breath and turned back to Lucas. He was handing me back my glass after taking the smallest of sips from it.

“Are you okay?” he was doing that head tilt thing again as he peered at me with concern.

“Yeah, this is just a lot to take in.”

“Do you want me to stop?”

“NO,” I said a little too loudly, “no,” I tried again. “I’d like to learn more. Please continue. Your curse, what did it entail exactly?”

“Curses are complicated things. For immortals most curses take time to set in and time to cast. There are many types but the strongest are personalized for the receiver. That means it attacks the strongest traits and skills of the god or goddess. Those traits become weakened. More complicated curses involved adding terms and conditions to be met. Only the most powerful of gods and goddesses can create a curse in the first place, particularly a personalized one.”

“I take it your father is quite powerful,” I added, nearly silent.

“It would have taken a lot of time to create the curse he did. I wouldn’t be surprised if he said he had been planning it since before the plague stunt.”

“You’re so calm about all this. Aren’t you mad? You were trapped, as a dog, for what would seem like forever to me. This would have caused some damage in my relationship with my father if he had done something to such an extent to me.”

“I had a long time to think about it.”

“Just like that you’re okay with it.”

“Not at first. I tried to get back at him, only without my powers to fully rebel I had to stay put. Anyway, we’re veering off topic. Where were we? Father cursed me, found you... oh and so this time, after many incidents from my previous relocations, he made it clear there would be consequences if I didn’t behave. He placed me with you and, despite not liking the situation at first, I came to enjoy your company because I was not an animal to you. Your respect for my being, even as a dog, proved there were those humans who could treat animals equally. I began to see what potential my mother saw in the human race in you. I wanted to protect that.”

Lucas stopped and I remembered our rough start. It was after a routine developed, after my many interactions he became more bearable. I hadn’t thought about it, it was just second nature. “What about your television habit? If you hated humans so much why watch our news?”

“It was the weather more than the news. I was out of the loop. I tried to keep up with the actions of the immortals. Certain weather patterns are caused by battling gods, a god’s death, or even the movement of a large mass of what you would call magic. The plummet in temperature and the snowstorm were two things caused unnaturally.”

“We’re the bank deposits from you too?”

“Father’s way to compensate you for the difficulties you may have had to experience. He has many connections, as you can imagine. He made it impossible to trace the deposits. The bank would have had you turning in circles until you gave up. Or he hoped you would give up. You are stubborn so he also created a distraction. It was not in a fashion that I approve of, even if his presence was beneficial.”

“His meeting at the hospital?” I asked with uncertainty.

“No, the shop. He used his outgoing nature to make you question his motivations so you would be too busy to question other oddities surrounding you.”

“Being so busy I am surprised he had the time.”

“Father doesn’t fear me. Others would have run because I would have scared them away. I don’t like people near my space.” I frowned and Lucas quickly added, “you’re the exception of course. I wouldn’t ever mind your presence.”

“The day you ran off in the woods? Or the time you were gone all day? What happened? Did I do something wrong? Was it because I mentioned the vet?”

Lucas laughed heartedly and I waited for him to calm down. “The first time I caught a whiff of old magic. I wanted to make sure it wasn’t a threat to you. At that time I didn’t realize it wasn’t the only thing I was sensing. The day I was gone an enemy, the woman who poisoned you, she had taken to hiding in the wooded area. She draws strength from certain plants. Trees mostly. She used it to protect herself while threatening you. I couldn’t have that. I had father take you home. I tried to create a barrier around the woods, to contain her. It didn’t work so well with my dulled state. Father ensured your safety that day,” Lucas growled the last bit out, “he placed a protection bubble over your residence.”

I was growing tired. My head was a little dizzy. I tried not to move so much so I wouldn’t give anything away. I still had a few more things to clear up. One in specific. “What broke the curse?”

“Clearly it was because, even though I thought I was above you, I ended up falling in love with you, a mere human... no wrong wording. You are not mere, far from it.”

Loud laughter filled the room. It startled me and I turned my head to the door. I didn’t remember hearing it open or close. I was so fixated on Lucas’s tale. In the middle of the room Ike stood and in his hands was a tray of tea related items.

“If I remember correctly, you enjoy a few teaspoons of milk in your tea correct?” Ike asked as he placed his burden upon the end table. My glass had vanished in mid air and I stared dumbfounded before nodding to the question that had been asked.

“Why do you laugh father?” Lucas demanded. “You startled Kale, you need to be more careful when she is around. She can’t sense you coming.”

“My apologizes,” he mumbled as he stared directly at me, “I didn’t mean to cause you fright.”

“I’m fine,” I said. “Was there something terribly funny in what Lucas said?”

“Lucas, you spent all that time trying to break the curse, and you do just that without fully understanding the action that broke it?” Ike was pouring tea. He handed me my cup as he spoke and then handed one to Lucas. “I did not require you to fall in love with a human, or humans. I wished for you to finally understand the importance of humans. I required you to see what they were capable of with time, aside from destruction.”

“I did. I realize not all humans are the same. Kale has shown me to judge each human individually. If that was what needed to break the curse then why didn’t I turn back months ago?”

“That wasn’t exactly it either.” Ike took his own cup in hand and sat in the chair off to the side of the bed.

Lucas felt like he was suddenly closer to me. It was just a small bed to begin with. It had felt roomy enough even with both of us sitting shoulder to shoulder. Now Lucas was pressed to my side tightly. I looked over to see he was growing frustrated. His personality hadn’t changed. He really was the same person, be he dog form or human form, his possessive nature shone through.

“What exactly did break the curse?” I asked, turning back to the doctor.

Ike cleared his throat and continued. “My dear son had to lower himself on behalf of a human. He had to give up his pride and act like a dog. What was the last thing he did for you Kale, before you fell unconscious?”

“He got me my phone,” I replied, though most of the event was a foggy memory. Before Ike said anything more I knew. I had spent forever attempting to get Lucas to do the one thing that would have freed him. He had finally obeyed only in the moments when I was completely helpless.

“Lucas followed a human command to fetch,” the doctor finished.

“Really father? If I had just fetched in the beginning I would have been free?”

“Yes. I knew you wouldn’t. Your pride was too much. For you to lower yourself would be a difficulty. I have watched you your entire life and I planned out every detail to fit your every action.”

The tea was soothing and the silence was lulling me off to sleep. One more thought came to mind. “Will I be safe when you leave?”

“What nonsense are you talking about,” Lucas said before another word could be spoken.

“I was poisoned by this goddess. It does beg the question of my safety when you’ve gone.”

“Who said anything about leaving? You’re going to stay with me, naturally. I can’t have you wandering around.”

“Lucas think about what you are saying,” his father inserted. “Kale is human, you can’t simply expect that she will want to leave her family behind chasing after someone who may get bored in a few years anyway.”

“I’ve already told you father. I will not be leaving Kale.”

I could see this was going to be difficult. I would try to lay it out nicely. Maybe a little blunt to make it clear. “You’ve lived for thousands of years. I would be considered lucky if I see a hundred of them. I will become old and shriveled. I have my own pride Lucas. There’s no way I will pull you down that path. The best thing to do is for me to be on my way.”

“This is not acceptable. I blame you father for putting these nasty thoughts in her head.” Lucas was suddenly gone. I felt a shift of air and the space he had occupied was now vacant. The door hadn’t opened earlier. I really hadn’t heard it. Ike and Lucas were just not using doors to begin with. All I could think about was the relief I felt knowing I wasn’t going mad. Amongst that emotion I perceived a small tug of my heart as I tried not to think about why I was so depressed.

“I apologize, he is no more than a late teen in age of gods. He can be responsible when needed. Once he sets his sights on something, and doesn’t get it, we tend to have these tantrums to deal with.” Ike was looking at his hands. He seemed uncomfortable.

“I am sure his infatuation is simply from having no one else around for so long. Once he’s gotten back into whatever routine he had in the past he’ll see that.”

“I would love to support you in that thought, if it were true. I fear my son’s affections for you is more than the puppy love you’re imagining. He may have imprinted on you.” I didn’t ask. I shouldn’t have to. In the end I didn’t have to press on, Ike explained on his own. He rose and walked to the window. Drawing the curtain back, I could see it was night. The moon was a sliver in the sky. I hadn’t noticed how heavy the curtains were before and took to staring at the tassel Ike was knotting to hold back the curtain as he spoke. “We live long lives and we tend to find comfort with a partner to live with. Occasionally we find someone who means so much to our souls we imprint a part of our soul onto that person. It makes a type of bond. Didn’t you ever wander how Lucas found you at your workplace without having ever been there? He was following the piece of him he latched onto you. Lucas shall forever know where you are, at any time, because he cares for you more than you think.“”

“But...” I said when he didn’t continue. I knew it was there. There was always a ‘but’.

“Lucas is young. Much younger than any others to imprint and it is rare to imprint on a human. I am not sure how conscious he was when he imprinted on you.”

“Why would that matter?”

“If done right Lucas may very well be correct that you will never leave his side. When humans were first created and still believed in us they would give the gods what were called human brides. If the god enjoyed his bride he could elongate her life. Lucas wouldn’t, or rather shouldn’t, know how to do such things, as I said he is young, he has not been taught. If he has, then you would be bound to him and in turn you would be able to live at his side.”

“You’re saying I could be immortal from his imprinting?”

“No, you will always be human. If that bond is broken from Lucas’s denying or rejecting you, or in the event of his death, you would continue to age once more where you left off. Moreover, you would still have a higher risk of death. The proper imprint strengthens your immune system but a fatal hit could kill you. There are a rare few human brides still around, though most have passed on. Lucas would have to spend a fair amount of time keeping you safe if you remained with us. As much as I would like to make this decision it isn’t my choice. I can’t let Lucas decided either. I will honor what you decide.

“Right,” I mumbled. I didn’t like the idea of having to choose something that would determine not only my fate, but someone else’s. I combed my hair with my fingers and took a deep breath. “Do you mind if I had some time to think on my own. This is a lot to be dealt with at once.”

Ike smiled and turned to the door. “Sleep well and sweet dreams,” he said as he opened the door and closed it with a small click. My eyes were too heavy and all too soon I was back asleep without thinking anything over.