Walking Among Humans

Chapter 3 - Part 2

Mona

Ten minutes later we are sitting in John's office waiting for him to arrive. Since Ben is his son, we rarely have to wait in the outer office. Today is no exception. I am grateful for this perk because there must be three dozen people already waiting to see him.

We sit in silence as we wait. I can tell by the look on Ben's face he is already contemplating who he would like to have on my guardian detail.

Ben turns to me as if he is about to say something when John walks in.

"Good, you're both here. Sorry I wasn't here when you arrived, but Lois wouldn't let me out of the suite. She's quite upset at the prospect of Abaddon being here on Earth. Like the rest of us, she had assumed that his execution had already taken place years ago," John says as he sits down in the chair across from us.

When we don't say anything, he goes on. "I'm glad to see you two have patched things up. As you both are aware, I've been going over the list of graduating students trying to find the ones that are ready for duty. I'm afraid that with only thirteen graduates this semester the list is already short. They are all excellently trained and mentally and physically ready. I would be happy with any of them being on the team."

Ben sits up to grab the files off the desk and starts looking at the names on the tabs. "I know most of these candidates, Dad. They're all good, but they lack experience."

"All the experienced guardians are already assigned. All the candidates have received the highest marks throughout their training. I couldn't imagine a better group of graduates to be up for the task."

He looks through the file tabs one last time. "I'd like to see all of them in the gym in an hour if that's possible."

I'm impressed by Ben's seriousness. It's obvious to me that he will stop at nothing to keep me safe.

John looks at the clock. "That's fine. I'll call the Residential Coordinator and have her notify the candidates." He stands up and walks over to his desk. "Please do me a favor, son. Go see your mother before the meeting. She's worried sick about you two, and seeing you would go a long way toward putting her mind at ease."

Ben looks at the clock and grabs the extra file on the table. "Will do."

A look of relief washes over John's face, and he picks up the phone receiver to start making calls. Ben and I stand up and walk out of the office.

Once we are in the hallway Ben stops. "We don't have much time to waste with my mom. I don't want to be late to this meeting."

"I could always wait in the gym."

"Don't be silly, I'm your guardian now. I can't leave you alone so I can go talk to my mother."

"Do you think she'll be happy?"

"Doubt it. But she'll get over it. Let's go." He takes my hand and leads me upstairs to the Headmaster's suite on the fifth floor.

We walk through the door and as soon as Ben has the door closed, Lois comes barreling out of the kitchen. As soon as she gets to where we are, she throws her arms around both of us and starts crying. Once she is convinced we are really there she lets go and looks us each over with a scrutiny that only a mother would use.

Satisfied we are both safe and healthy, she relaxes a little. But she is still tense because she knows the danger that is lurking in the shadows. And she has a better idea what might be coming. She once knew Abaddon because of my mother.

"Mom, I'm sorry, but we can't stay long. We have a meeting in the gym with the upcoming graduates to select Mona's temporary guardian detail. We might be a little late depending on how long the meeting takes, but I promise we'll come back for dinner."

A confused look comes over Lois' face. "Wait, why are you selecting the guardians? Why isn't your father doing it? Or even the teachers?"

"Well, I only agreed to this on the condition that Ben is on the detail and that he gets to help select the rest of the team. John has already gone through the list of candidates and has given his approval on all thirteen. Ben is just helping select the ones that fit the best. He was reluctant at first since Ben is still a year from graduation. But I told him I wouldn't take a detail if I couldn't have Ben."

"Do you really think putting his life at risk as well as your own is a good idea? After everything this family has done for you, you would put my only son at risk? Did we raise you to be this selfish? Or do you just not care about him enough to care if he lives or dies?"

I am about to start yelling back at her about how much I love Ben, that unlike her and John, Ben has never lied to me. How I am never happier than I am when he's with me. That the only way I feel safe is if I always know where he is because it's the only way I can stop him from dying as I'd seen him do in the dream. But before I have a chance to start yelling, Ben steps between us.

"Mom, I understand your concern. Really, I do. But the fact of the matter is I had a choice in all this. Mona asked me if I wanted to do this. I love her and want to make sure she stays safe. From the time she was a baby, all I have ever thought about was keeping her safe. All my life I've been going out of my way to protect her, at your and Dad's request. And now that there is a real danger of something horrible happening to her, you want me to bail? I'm sorry, Mom. But I would rather die protecting her than live knowing I failed her."

I am just as shocked as she is at his declaration, and can only stand there with my mouth half open.

When Ben finishes he glances at the clock on the wall and I can see a spark of anger flash in his eyes. "Now we're late to the meeting. We can finish this argument at dinner with Dad. We have to go now."

He turns to face me. I am frozen in shock. I've never seen him so passionate about anything before, and I am overwhelmed with a sudden feeling of pride.

"Come on, Mona. We have guardians to select. Mom, we'll see you after the meeting."

He ushers me out the door and down the hall to the stairwell, where he scoops me up into his arms so he can take the stairs a flight at a time to the basement.

When we reach the gym, fifteen minutes late thanks to Lois, we see thirteen of our classmates standing in a perfectly straight line in the center of the room. They are all standing tall, backs straight, shoulders square, chins held high, waiting. Not a single one of them even blinks when we walk in. They are all so still that an onlooker might think that they are carved out of granite.

There are seven boys and six girls, each seeming quite proud of their accomplishments during school and excited at whatever prospects this meeting will bring. It causes me great anguish to know that four of these young men and women will be risking their lives for me, but it is what it is.