Inhumanism

Chapter Two

A thousand questions run through my head.

'Where?'
'What will the people think?'
'How will we get away without anyone noticing?'
'What if this group finds us?'

I say nothing.

I stop eating, put my cutlery down and stare into my lap. I am about to ask her how my mother's reputation would be diminished if we left the people on their own when Otty beats me to it.

'But, Mother, what about the people? You would be criticised til the end of time if you just abandoned them.  What if this group took hold of the country?'

'Great minds think alike.' I mutter, under my breath. Otty has a strange habit of saying whatever is on my mind. It's quite irritating at times.

'We are not going to inform the country that we are going into hiding.  That would defy the entire point of hiding in the first place, as well as ruining my reputation.'

I silently agree with her, wishing that I didn't or I could think of something clever to say to rebuke her argument. As much as I admire Mother's work, I have never considered her to be a parental figure. She is the mother of the country, not mine, and not Otty's. In a figurative way, I am an orphan.

'When?' I ask, my curiosity getting the better of me.

'Next week. Next Tuesday, Otis and I are going to fake our own deaths. It will not be easy, considering the publicity that the cases will receive. Mr. Surrey will be the only person outside our family who knows of the plan. He will be responsible for the manipulating the case, and will keep us informed of any necessary precautions whilst we are away. I have discussed it extensively with him.'

'And how exactly are we supposed to die? Suicide? Murder?'

My mother looks me in eye as she speaks.

'Elektra, you are going to be responsible for our deaths.  Apparently still maddened by the death of your father, the people will be made to believe that you slit mine and Otty's throats while we slept before fleeing the scene.

I nod, grossed out by the concept. My imagination has always been too vivid for my liking.

'So, what happens after that?' I ask.

'I have bunker in the north island. It was built in the Old Age, by paranoid billionaires. But, as you two would know, Vulcan hit earth too soon and-'

'Too hard. Everything on one side of the world was wiped out, and Armageddon bloomed out of that.'

My mother turns around to face me and scowls; the pinprick of life in her eye has turned to a glint of annoyance. I've gone too far, I know, but my mother has interrupted me too many times, I couldn't help myself. Not to mention the confusion and anger I'm experiencing on my own, being fourteen.

'So, when will I be killing you two?'

'Tuesday evening. Otty and I will slice open our hands so that the other investigators will be able to find some of our DNA. The rest will be fake blood. With the help of Mr. Surrey, it should be enough to fool them.'

'And your bodies?'

'That hasn't been figured out yet. Surrey and I will discuss it tomorrow.'

I nod and continue eating.

My mother stands up and bumps the table by accident, making the cutlery clash against the plates.

'Look, I'm so sorry for this, but we all know it is necessary. It's most likely that your lives are in greater danger than my own in the first place. I'm not the one who even suggested this - it was Surrey.' She looks at me, then over to Ollie. 'You are dismissed.'

I stand up and start making my way back to my room. I don't even bother to stop at the zen garden.

~~~

On my way back, as I'm passing the spas, I am met by Otty. He jumps out of corner, looking anxious, his hands clasped together in desperation.

I raise an eyebrow.

'Hello.'

'Hello. Could I speak to you?

'Ok.'

Otty's personality is hard to describe. He's friendly, at times, and menacing at others. Menacing around my mother. Perhaps a more accurate description would be 'fiercely loyal'. He loves her totally, incomprehensibly; sometimes I wonder to what extent. An infinity, he would reply.

When I get back to my room, Otty finds his place on my armchair and I sit on my bed.

'What do you want?'

I put my hand over my mouth, surprised by my unfriendly tone.

'I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that.'

He waves it off. 'Doesn't matter. I- I wanted to speak to you about this plan of mother's.'
'Ok.' I brace myself, ready to hear his praise of the genius behind it and how clever Mother is and how much trust he has in it that it'll work.

'I don't want to do it.'

I almost fall backwards. Otis Hawke, not wanting to go through with his mother's plan? I have to struggle to stop my mouth dangling open in surprise.

'It's out of our control, so I don't know what I can do for you.'

Otty considers this and sighs. 'You're right, I'll go.'

He stands up, and smiles at me before he leaves. I hear his footsteps echoing in the halls outside as I lay down on my bed.

I can't stop thinking about what he said.