The Visitor

I remember that day very well. It was fall, and it was just starting to get cold. I heard Mama come in, so I ran down the stairs to ask her a question. The expression on her face told me not to ask. I backed up the stairs before she saw me. But I could still hear everything. "Max." Her voice was low, harsh.

I imagine that Daddy looked at her. "Tess? Why are you home so early?"

"Max, we have a problem. A big one."

I could hear the tension in my father's voice. "What is it? The kids?"

"The kids are fine." Mama said.

"Then what is it?" A long, long pause followed, but the lights flickered on and off. The house shook.

"You're a fool." The voice wasn't Mama's anymore.

"Nasedo." Daddy didn't sound anything anymore, except maybe mad.

"In the proverbial flesh."

"Where is Tess?"

"Oh, somewhere." The man's voice sounded like he didn't care.

I was bewildered, what happened to Mama? I was only eight then, so I ran downstairs and hurtled into the room. "Where's Mama?" I demanded of the stranger.

"Eli, go upstairs now." Daddy said.

I felt my eyes widen. Why was Daddy mad? "Daddy?"

"A little boy." The man looked at me. His eyes were so cold. I didn't like him. "Come here."

I shook my head. I may have acted a little dumb, but I was not stupid. There was no way I was going near that guy.

The door opened again. Daisy, my little sister danced inside. "Hi Daddy! Eli." She stopped as soon as she saw the man. Mama followed her. She went stiff, like she wanted to scream. "Kids, go outside and get in the car." She said.

"Now Tessie." The man crooned. "Is that any way to speak to your future ruler's grandfather?"

"Ruler?" I asked. "Grandfather?"

"Go outside. Now." My father said.

"You didn't tell them yet? I can't say I approve, training should've begun as soon as they were old enough to walk."

I didn't understand, but I grabbed Daisy's hand. We ran outside. But the window was open, so we still heard everything.

"Tess, you can leave." The man said.

Mama got the look on her face that I recognized from Daisy. It meant she was about to throw a temper tantrum. "No." She said. "If you're here that means there's a problem, and if there's a problem, it affects me and my children."

Daddy got a funny look on his face. "She stays." He sounded like the president or something, deciding who does what.

"You are the boss." The man sounded like he was making fun of Daddy, but I couldn't tell why it sounded that way.

"Eli." Daisy tugged on my sleeve.

"Shh." I told her.

She pouted. I crossed my fingers that she wouldn't have a temper tantrum right now. I spent a few minutes making sure she wouldn't yell, so I missed most of what they were talking about. I only caught the tail end of it. The man was talking. "You must! It's the only way we can hope to survive."

"Max said no." Mama sounded angry. She was using the voice she used when I brought the stones Daddy called 'orbs' to school and showed them to my class. "He's the leader. He makes the decision."

I thought the man might hit her. I started look for a stick to throw at him if he did, but instead he spat on the floor. I was breathless. What would mommy do to him? She always told me that spitting was rude, and I got yelled at every time I did it. I was very disappointed. She didn't say anything to him, except, "Don't come back."

His face didn't change at all. It was creepy. "I'll be back when this feud with Michael blows up in all of your faces."

Daddy frowned, in what I call his 'you're in big trouble' face. "Keep in touch, but don't come to the house. It's too dangerous."

"Train those children. They have unimaginable power." The man said, as he walked out.

He looked straight at me as he went around the house to a Jeep in the driveway. I felt very little, like ants must feel when people stand over them.

"Mama?" I ran inside, with Daisy. We both hugged her. Mama sat down on the couch. "It's all right." She whispered again and again. "It's all right."

"Who was he?" Daisy asked. I wanted to know too.

Mama looked at Daddy. "He was someone you don't have to worry about." She finally said.

"That's not enough." I insisted. "What did he want?"

"Eli, listen to your mother." Daddy yelled. I was shocked.

I hugged Mama harder, and she nearly squished me and Daisy, before she pushed us off. "Max, please don't yell." She said in her 'I'm really mad but I can't scream right now' voice.

He made his 'You're in big trouble' face again.

"Babies, for a special treat we're going to go to the Crashdown tonight." Mama said. "Eli go upstairs and get your coat. Daisy, sweetie, will you find my cell phone please?"

Ever since she was a baby, Daisy has been really good at finding stuff people lose. Daddy was late for work, and none of us could find the car keys. Mama was joking and asked, "Daisy, where are the keys?" Daisy rolled over and crawled and picked them up. She found them, when none of the rest of us could.

We left, but I stayed outside the door. Hey, I'd been doing it all day, why stop now? I peeked in. Daddy was kneeling on the ground, with his over the place the man had spit. Daddy's hand glowed for a second, and then he said to Mama, "It's fine now."

Mama looked really sad. "Thank you." She was hugging herself, like she was cold. "Do you think what he said was true?"

"No." Daddy said, really fast. "No, of course not."

"But just in case."

"There is no just in case!" Daddy yelled.

Mama looked scared, and cold, and sad. "Oh no, of course not. The almighty Max has taken care of everything." Now she sounded mad.

Daddy looked at her, with the mean look. He was about to walk out the door. Mama grabbed his arm. Now she looked scared too. "Max, please, don't go." It sounded like Mama was crying, but Mamas don't cry. Do they?

"I'm not going any where." He said. He hugged her. "I just- I don't want to go to the Crashdown. I can't see her tonight. Not with Guerin. I have a lot of work to do anyway."

"Of course." I saw Mama rub her face, fast. "The kids and I won't be too late. I just don't want them to ask a lot of questions."

"They will though. They can't help but be curious."

"I know, and we'll tell them everything someday. They just aren't ready now."

"Eli's older than we were."

"And Daisy's younger. Please Max."

"Fine."

Mama looked very, very tired. "I love you."

"Same." Daddy said. He kissed her on the cheek. "I might go to Isabel's tonight, to see if he's been anywhere else."

"Of course." Mama's voice sounded different now. She wasn't really angry or sad, just tired. "Say hello to them for me."

"I will."

I ran upstairs, and found my coat right away. Daisy and Mama were waiting downstairs when I joined them. We went out to dinner, but I didn't enjoy the Crashdown as much as usual because I was confused. I didn't even remember to look for Alana Guerin that night, if that's any measure of how distracted I was. I just kept thinking, Who was the man, and what was the secret?

October 2027-

I'm sixteen now and honestly I didn't think about him for years, but now I have to. The man who was at my house that day is back. But this time, he's not going to make Dad yell or Mama cry. He's dead.

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