The Quell

My marriage was not what it seemed. Phillip kept reassuring me that everything was going to be alright and that the sinking feeling in me would soon disappear, but it never did. I knew that he had two sons who were in their teens going into this, but I had no idea how much they loathed me. It wasn’t exactly me they hated; it was the fact that I was their step mother now. I’ve tried to talk to them and warm up to them, but Zach, the oldest, wants nothing to do with me and just completely ignores me when I talk to him. Shaun at least looks at me and holds a conversation. Although it seemed forced most of the time, it is a small one none the less. Many days Phillip is at work and I keep the house and make sure the boys get to school alright. That’s the only time they listen to me; that and when dinner is ready.  They don’t talk much, but I am assuming that is because I am their step-mother; must be the stereotypical fear of the “evil step mother.” No matter what I try, I can’t prove to them that I am a good step mother because they don’t give me a chance to show them.

I could hear Zach softly playing a videogame and trying to keep quiet. He was wearing his headset and was talking to other people through it. I walked into the living room and watched his game in interest, waiting for his round to finish before getting his attention. He looked at me with his steel colored eyes, and I warned him that he could do one more round before it was time to shut the game off. He continued to stare at me for a few seconds before returning his attention to the game. Knowing that he heard me and that he would follow my directions, I walked to the small artist study that was off to the side of the room and tapped my fingernail on the door a few times to not startle the artist at work. I heard Shaun tell me that I was allowed in, and I quietly entered. I slightly cracked the door open and told him that he needed to clean up and finish what he was doing since it was getting late. I immediately felt the room fill with hatred regardless of his focus being on the clay vase that he was working on.

I went back to the kitchen to finish cleaning up, and there was a small folded piece of paper on the bar. Confusion flickered through me as I picked it up and sat down at the table. I turned it in my hands slowly before deciding to open it.

I’m sorry.

I blinked a few times before rereading the extremely small note. Phillip isn’t the kind of man just to leave a note and disappear from thin air. At a loss of what to do, I stood up and walked back into the living room. I leaned against the doorframe and watched Zach finish up the game he was playing. He saw me and told me that he had to find a save spot before he could quit. A minute or two passed before he stood up and turned his game off. He put it away and started to head upstairs.

“Zach.” I spoke. “…a moment.”

He stopped and looked at me, halfway up the stairs. I think he intended to just brush off my comment, but when I showed him the paper he gave a slight frown. I gave it to the boy and he read it in silence. I saw rage consume him as he closed his eyes and crumpled the note in his fist.

“He’s a bastard.” The teen hissed as he fought to keep his temper. “A coward and a poor excuse of a father.”

“What do you mean?” I asked softly so I wouldn’t startle Shaun. “Your father loves you.”

“Bullshit!” He fired back. Off in the distance, we could hear Shaun shouting in surprise by the sudden noise and something breaking.

“Zach?” Shaun came up the stairs. “Is…everything okay?”

“If he loved us, he wouldn’t leave us for dead! He wouldn’t abandon his family in their time of need! Not now…god not right now…”

The younger brother’s face drained and he struggled to find his voice. “…he…he…”

“He fucking left us! That bloody coward! He didn’t want to be Taken, so what does he do? He runs away so that he can be safe and sound while one of us goes to The Quell!”

“And we’re next…?”

“Our neighbors were Taken last week! Of course we’re next!”

“Boys!” I shouted over both of them.

“You’re not our Mom! You know nothing about The Quell! It ook our Mom and now It’s after us!”

“If you want to survive and not get Taken, it is best if we all cooperate.” A beat of silent agreement passed between the three of us. “Good. Glad we’re on the same page. Now look; I know you two hate me because I’m your step-mother. I know more about this…thing…than you think I do.”

“Are we…going to die?” Shaun was visibly shaking.

Zach threw his arms around his brother. “No; I won’t let it take you. We’ll figure something out; I promise.”

The teens sat down on the couch while Zach kept reassuring him that nothing bad was going to happen to him. Seeing how protective he was over his brother reminded me of my own I had years ago. He was Taken; he went in my place because he wanted to give his baby sister a chance. I saw his bright green eyes flicker dimly in my mind, but I quickly brushed it away, knowing that they needed me. Zach told me that it would be best if I left the room so Shaun could speak freely, and knowing better than to argue, I retreated back into the kitchen and continued cleaning the countertops.

About an hour or so passed before I heard the boys go downstairs. I turned and watched the door to the Artist Studio, and a small smile touched my lips when the familiar whirr of the pottery wheel filled the otherwise silent house. I felt like I needed to be down there to comfort them, but at the same time, I felt like I needed to keep my distance. As I finished up what I was doing, I looked out the window and saw the Quellmasters approaching the house. Biting my lower lip, I made the decision that my late brother made for me years ago.

“Shaun…” I called down. “Turn the wheel off and stay absolutely silent. The Quellmasters are here.”

In no time, the house returned to the silent, death-like state that it was in only a few minutes ago. I quickly ran through the house and turned out all the lights, stopping in the artist room last. Both the boys looked at me in fear; the terror of one of them being Taken suffocating the room in a thick aura. I knelt down to their height and hugged them both. After a few seconds of unease, they relaxed. As I looked at them, I felt like my brother was right next to me, getting ready to say what I was about to tell them.

“You have your whole life ahead of you.” I told them. “Live it to the fullest and don’t mourn for me. I’ll always be with you; I promise.”

“No…” Shaun whispered. “Dad will be devastated if he lost you.”

“You’re more important to him than I am.” I dried his face gently. “It’s going to be okay; I won’t let them take you away from your brother.”

Shaun hugged me and thanked me as he tried not to cry too loud. Once we parted, I faced Zach, who was fighting to keep his poker face. I held my hand out to him, and after a few seconds, we shook hands. To my surprise, he pulled himself into my arms and hugged me back, choking back sobs.

“Katheryn.” Zach whispered, his voice deep from crying. “You’re the best. I love you.”

It was my turn to fight tears. I brushed his hair out of his face and returned the gesture. I felt a slight pain shoot through me as I stood up and left the room. After Shaun turned out the light in the room, I closed the door and returned upstairs. I went into the small bathroom and fixed the mascara that had run down my face from tears, and I made myself relax before leaving. Returning to the kitchen, I sat down at the table and absent-mindedly flipped through the pages of a book that was there. Not much later, I heard someone pounding on the door. It was so loud that it echoed through the entire house and I thought he was going to break it down. Slowly, I turned out the light and faced the door. Making myself breathe and not have my fear show, I opened the door.

“We are here to collect Shaun Whitney.” The leader spoke, his deep voice monotone.

I closed the door behind me. “I am here in his place.” I answered. “He is currently out, and I am sure the Quell would not want to be kept waiting.”

Although at a loss that the plans had changed, the men nodded and we headed out into the night. That actually worked? Well, that was a surprise. Despite the fact that all I wanted to do was head back into the house, I walked towards the ruins in silence. The stories my parents used to tell me and my brother resurfaced about how the old town was destroyed by The Quell and how it took over. Dad used to tell me that it was a monster, and Mom said that it was a sickness. I closed my eyes, and I could still see the Quellmasters taking my brother away. Their voices still lingered in the edges of my memory, talking about how the Grand Quellmaster was going to decide his fate. I wrapped my arms around myself, feeling my stomach fill with queasiness. The dreary atmosphere continued on and on until a great granite building greeted me. After reminding myself to breathe, I walked through the glass doors.

The entire interior was as monochromatic as it was outside. Black granite made the walls and white marble coated the ground. Everything else; the windows, the tabletops…were a slate grey color. I knew that this was a place of fear and hatred, and the color reflected the emptiness that everyone feels when they walk into this terrible place. Our footsteps echoed through the entire pavilion, and soon a blood red door greeted us. It stuck out horribly, and I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to keep calm and not lose my mind. Slowly, one of the Quellmasters approached the door and knocked on it. As soon as he was done, the gigantic doors slowly opened out into the main hall. Unlike the rest of the building, the walls were stark white and the floor a black void; the exact opposite of the room I had just come from. There was a desk at the back of the room and a man was slaving away on documents. As soon as the door closed, there was a moment of silence.

“Did you blindfold them like I asked?” he spoke without looking up.

“There has been…a change of plans.” The Quellmaster answered softly. “Their mother took his place.”

“Their mother is dead.” The man looked up and his face read fear and confusion.

“…Phillip!?” I nearly choked. “You’re…you’re…”

“Katheryn?” He was just as surprised as I was.

“You’re the Quell!?” I found my voice and was screaming at him. “You were going to sacrifice your own children?”

“No; I’m the Grand Quellmaster.” He stood up and approached me. “I am not the being itself. I didn’t want one of my sons to see me before I had to-”

“You didn’t fight for them! What kind of a father would send in his own child to suffer this kind of a horrible fate?”

“I didn’t have a choice! I don’t choose the sacrifice; the Quell does. It said Zach, but I couldn’t give him up.”

I felt my mouth open on horror. “So you wanted to feed that monster Shaun?”

He was silent for a few seconds, trying to find the right words. “He wouldn’t stand a chance in this world.”

I walked up to him and smacked him across the face. “And neither would Zach; he would be totally lost without him. He was right; you are a poor excuse of a father.”

Phillip faced me. “…when did he say that?”

“After you dropped off your note.”  

He returned to his desk and pulled out a small medallion by the chain. He told me to give him his hand, and with a heated glare I obeyed. He placed the pendant in my hand and soon the face of it was stained upon the palm of my hand. As soon as he moved it, a screech filled the room. The walls began to quake and the floor jolted; whatever was trying to come in was coming through the floor.  I looked up, but Phillip and the Quellmasters where nowhere to be seen. The high pitched scream filled the room again as the floor exploded outwards, allowing whatever monster was trying to break out go free. I was thrown back by the blast, and once I regained my balance, I stood face to face with the hideous being that was The Quell.

It’s piercing scream was the last thing I heard before it all went dark.