Creatures of God

Words of Devotion

"Hey, how are you?" Elliot asked.

He and Mimi met outside of old Anderson, the Science Center still ravaged weeks following the battle with the Canines. Beyond the scorch marks and laser damage, however, were the signs of reconstruction — smooth, new walls and emboldened beams; a front entrance that widened in wormhole fashion; an updated defense shield that hummed and gleamed about the entire structure. But, while the changes reflected an overall effort to restore the damaged facility, the building remained better remembered for its battle with Gevaudan's army. Such truths cannot be covered up with shields and sealants.

"I'm well, I'm well," Mimi answered in a faded sort of way, as if she were standing in an empty room with an echo, as if she had to repeat her words to believe them herself.

The meeting time for the pair had been specific, following sunset, such as to accommodate Elliot's incompatibility with the sun, and yet it was still bright enough outside to see the surrounding landscape — the bending branches of the tall evergreens, the swirling flow of the golden switchgrass fields and the rocky up-shoots of conglomerate earth. Despite the pretty scenery, the day's details were in danger, threatened by the approaching darkness of the night.

Mimi faced a growing, brisk wind, her hair blown back and across her face. Across from her, Elliot stood hunched over, his back to the whipping wind. He held his head low, his now longer hair fluttering about his face, partially covering it.

"I haven't seen you around here much," Elliot said.

Mimi looked at her feet and shuffled about, clicking the heels to her boots. She noticed a detail to her treads, only to freeze and gaze back, wondering if Elliot had noticed her lost attention. The two had not spoken since the battle with the mongrels; really, not since Elliot had become a vampire.

"Yeah, well, it looks like you've been kind of busy," Mimi said. She pointed to Anderson's structure with her chin.

"Yeah," Elliot agreed. "We've been doing a lot of firewall reconstruction. It can still be used as a hospital like before, but beyond that, I don't know... "

He noticed that Mimi was avoiding looking at him.

He continued, "... for now, we cannot safehouse the students. We don't really know what the Canines know, about its structure, and what they don't. Gevaudan may be dead, but his wolfpack endures. When the new alpha emerges, maybe we can reach out and rebuild relations, but until then, we don't really know. Maybe we'll end up having two science centers."

Elliot smiled, but Mimi retracted her lips to the side.

"Have you been working in the lab?" she asked.

"Ah, no, that probably cannot happen anymore. But I'm advising Dr. Rache as she takes over the department."

Mimi nodded.

There was an awkward pause.

"Where are you staying now?" Mimi asked.

"Umm, well, I like to stay up in the mountains. There are a lot of caves there. It's nice and quiet. But I try to come back often. Stay in touch with everyone, all the scientists... "

Elliot pursed his lips.

"... but there's one person whom I haven't been able to stay in touch with... "

"Oh, really?" Mimi cut him off. "Well, I wonder who that could be?" She stepped away.

Elliot frowned.

The two became silent again, as if playing a game of hide and seek.

"Have you transfigured since the battle?" Mimi asked, changing subject.