Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
The rustic cabin in Virginia was now empty compared to the mass of people who had occupied it just a day ago. Two lone companions remained and were not exactly on speaking terms since their scuffle from the night before.
Rustling noises came from the kitchen as Sydney hobbled down the hall toward the disturbance. He had awoken from his spot on the pinstriped couch to hear a woman's shriek as something crashed to the ground in the kitchen. Staggering through the oak doorway, Sydney saw that everything seemed to appear fine, save for the two egg splatters littering the wooden planks on the floor. Attempting to bend down and clean up the mess, Sydney was stopped by the gentle hand of the blonde who had been busying herself cooking their breakfast. Knowing better than to argue with Miss Parker's sister, Sydney sat himself down in a nearby chair at the round table. They remained like this for a few moments until Sydney broke the silence.
"Molly, I want to tell them, really I do. Its just that I have made a promise to a dear friend, long ago and I can not break it."
Molly looked up at him solemnly while pouring their milk, "I can't force you into anything."
Sydney sighed, "You are so young, Molly! You couldn't understand! It was a long time ago, still, but these kept secrets are important to Jarod and Miss Parker's safety. To their lives."
"Yes, Sydney," Molly afirmed sternly, "they are important to their lives-"
"Important to be kept," Sydney interrupted.
Shaking her head, Molly groaned, "No! There will be conseqences if you don't tell them. You have to tell them. For their sake as well as your own."
"You were not there! Do you even know what it is I keep hidden?" he inquired as the thought suddenly crossed his mind.
"I-- no. I'm not supposed to know. Some things, they just don't tell me. Some things, they tell me too much, far too much. I am only told what I need to know to do what is right and help you to do what is right," Molly's voice suddenly grew soft, "I understand your pain; I understand your doubt. Yes, they will be angry at first, but you know they will appreciate your confession after all these years. My sister and Jarod, they need closure. Without your knowledge, they will never gain the security and comfort that they so desperately need."
They stared at eachother as Molly sat across from him at the table with their breakfast. Solemnly, Sydney picked up his fork and began shifting the scrambled eggs on his plate.
Under his breath, he mumbled almost inaudibly, "I hope you are right, Molly."
*****
Three bodies climbed out of the darkness into an open field after moving the heavy lid off of the "dead end" of the ventilation system. The bright sunlight caused their eyes to simultaneously squint as they hustled out of the hole.
"Dejavu," Miss Parker muttered under her breath.
"For the third or fourth time," Jarod replied.
Emily took a deep breath of air, relishing the feeling of sunilght on her pale skin, "Freedom. It feels so amazing to be out of that cheese factory. How'd you do it for so many years, Jarod?"
"Without the knowledge of those feelings you have right now," Jarod replied as he lead them in a frantic I'm-late-I'm-late-for-a-very-important-date kind of walk through the woods to where Miss Parker's car awaited.
"So, where are my rescuers taking me anyway?" Emily asked as she hustled to keep up with the two.
Jarod and Miss Parker's eyes met as Jarod explained, "We are headed to the lovely Shady Oak, Virginia. We have some friends there who also need our help."
"We're just a regular super hero duo, needed everywhere at all times," Miss Parker clarified.
Emily nodded as Miss Parker slid into the driver's seat of her car. Jarod preceeded to hold the door open for Emily into the backseat.
"So you can rest," her brother explained.
"Thanks," Emily replied with gratitude. After she and Jarod were in the car and Miss Parker had started the engine she said, "You guys mind if we get something to eat on the way. I'm about ready to run back in The Centre and have a bite of Mr Lyle."
Miss Parker smirked and casted Jarod a humorous glance, "that would be ironic wouldn't it?"
"What comes around goes around," Jarod replied, "we'll definitely stop somewhere, Em."
Emily nodded, though she didn't understand the "inside jokes" that were roaming between the two in the front. This brought her to the realization that she and her family would never know Jarod quite as well as those who had been there while he grew up, no matter how hard they tried. Jarod turned around and eyed his sister, sensing her uneasiness.
"It'll be okay. We're going to make up for lost time."
"Yeah, I know." Emily turned to face the window and watched as The Centre faded away behind them.
*****
"It's better this way, Deb." Broots was trying to reassure his daughter as they pulled into the driveway of their home in Blue Cove.
"Whatever," Debbie muttered as she opened her door. The light went on inside the car as she stepped out. It suddenly flickered before melting away completely.
Broots groaned, shaking his head, "I can't believe it."
"Well, believe it, Dad! You're throwing your life away and making me suffer along with you! You are just like Mom!"
Flabberghasted, Broots got to his feet outside of the car, "Wh-bu-I.. Is that what this is all about? Your mother? Its not your allergies, its not that you are treated like a child, its not that we're leaving Miss Parker and Sydney. You're angry at your mother aren't you?"
Debbie, who had by now reached the front door, suddenly turned around and marched down the steps of the
porch, "No, Dad! I am angry at you. I'm angry that you are becoming just like her."
"How am I like her?"
"You're forgetting me." The girl turned around and ran into the house. Broots could hear her running up the stairs and he shouted at her.
"I was talking about the light in in in the car!" With no response, he grabbed his laptop from the backseat and looked at the dead light, "this is all your fault."
*****
Miss Parker, Jarod, and Emily had been travelling for an hour and had driven through the drivethru window at the closest fast food restraunt they found. Jarod was content following his double burger with a chocolate milkshake, while Emily sipped on a Diet Coke in the back. Miss Parker had finished her Dasani and salad a long time ago and was content driving in silence. The bumps of the road were quite calming and Emily was quickly drifting off to a peaceful slumber.
"Thank-you, Parker, for helping me save Emily. This means a lot to me," Jarod spoke quietly in the dark.
"Any time, PEZ-head." She turned and smiled at him. He returned it and sighed.
"So where do we go now?" Jarod asked as another car drove by and illuminated the inside of the vehicle for a brief second.
"Let's go over this again. We are going back to the cabin with Sydney and Molly-"
Jarod laughed, "I know that, I mean what do we do now. We can't stay at that cabin forever."
"Yeah. Well, I don't know. We'll have to have Syd and my sister's input on it I suppose."
"Mmm," Jarod nodded as he took another sip of milkshake with a loud slurp as he did so.
Miss Parker rolled her eyes and grabbed the cup from him. She rolled down the window and pitched it out onto the side of the highway. "It is gone, Jarod. It has been for about 10 minutes."
Jarod smiled, "That's littering you know."
"Well, Captain Planet, I think you'll just have to live with that," she replied, the wind blowing her hair wildly as another flash of light dispensed itself around them. Jarod sat, content to watch her for a moment, feeling the cool wind on his face. Miss Parker leaned over and turned the radio on to some soft music, so as not to wake their sleeping passenger.
I feel your pain
I feel the rain
What happened to you?
I can't get to you
Feeling his eyes on her she glanced at him, "take a picture. It lasts longer."
"Sorry. You're beautiful out here, Parker."
Cuz there's a wall in your heart
And no one can get through
She glanced at him again before returning her eyes to the road, "You shouldn't say things like that, Jarod."
"Why? Give me a good reason why, Parker."
And it's cold and it's dark
And you don't have a clue
"Because you just shouldn't," she muttered. Her voice wasn't angry, solemn.
Jarod stared out at the passing scenery with stubborn sad cocoa creamy eyes until the wind dried them too much so that he had to close them, "I don't know about you, but that's not good enough for me."
But this wall it will fall
If it's the last thing I do I'll get through
This wall in your heart
Miss Parker looked at him briefly before returning her eyes to the road before them, "Its going to have to be good enough. Its just the way things have to be. We're supposed to be like this."
"Running? That's how you want to spend the rest of your life, looking over your shoulder?" Jarod persisted insistently, near desperately.
"Yes--no. I mean, I don't know," she relented. They drove on.
I know your soul
I know I'm home
Just come here to me
Let you run right through me
"You know, we used to be best friends. I mean, when did that even end? Has it really?" Jarod was hesitant in his questions, but forcefully waiting for an answer.
Cuz there's a wall in your heart
And no one can get through
And it's cold and it's dark
And you don't have a clue
But this wall it will fall
"Things change," she stated as she turned the wheel to the left, eyes directed straight ahead.
If it's the last thing I do I'll get through
This wall in your heart
"Only to a degree. I won't pressure you into anything. I just," he paused, "just want you to know that even if you don't, I still care. About you. About us and what we had. It could be so perfect, Parker. Like, I don't know, what we always wanted. Like a dream."
"Nothing's perfect," the pessimistic side came out, the more dominant side. The car came to a stop as they reached a four-way intersection.
I know your soul
I know I'm home
Just come here to me
Let you run right through me
"Its truly a crossroads now," Jarod smiled gently.
Cuz there's a wall in your heart
And no one can get through
And it's cold and it's dark
And you don't have a clue
But this wall it will fall
If it's the last thing I do I'll get through
This wall in your heart
Sighing, Miss Parker returned, "Yes, it is. Isn't it, Jarod?"
We'll break down all of the troubles we have found
And I'll find a way to mend your broken pieces
Let's hold hands and be friends till the end
And our love will be forever
Jarod didn't answer as her lips were now sealing his shut, as innocent as their first kiss at childhood, and as pining as the exchange at the lake in Virginia. His hand caressed her face gently, and as abruptly as it had begun, it ended. Miss Parker pulled back abruptly and began driving again. They remained silent, listening to the words on the radio come pouring into their ears like a sweet God-sent message.
Cuz there's a wall in your heart
And no one can get through
And it's cold and it's dark
And you don't have a clue
But this wall it will fall
If it's the last thing I do I'll get through
This wall in your heart
"I'm not making you any promises, Jarod."
He nodded quickly, his eyes still a little shocked, "I know."
*****
"Mr Cox's death will prove quite an inconveniance, Briggite,"
Mr Parker's heartless voice repremanded her. The two walked along the dark halls of one of the lower sublevels and spoke in hushed voices. The walls have ears.
"He knew too much anyway," the blonde casually assured her husband.
"That doesn't give you the right to sit by and watch his murder. Are you sure that my angel killed him?"
"Angel," Briggite laughed aloud, "I'm pretty sure. You can go check the security footage. She's on Jarod's side, now. I'm sure of it. It was inevitable from the moment you let them communicate as children. We all knew it was destined to happen."
"Don't say that! Did you see Molly with them?" Mr Parker brushed by, letting the comment slide off his stone ego.
Sighing, Briggite threw the loli-pop stick into the trashcan as they walked by, stopped them both and placed her hands on her husband's shoulders, "As I have told you several times, they were alone. It was just Jarod and Miss Parker, myself, the former Mr Cox, and Emily. They, specifically Miss Parker, killed Cox and left, taking Emily with them. You do believe your own wife don't you?" Her voice turned sweet with the last sentence.
"Of course I do," he brushed her hands off of him and strutted to the nearby door and spoke without looking back, "notify me of any progress in their search."
He had walked away before she could even reply, left in the frigid wake she muttered, "of course."
*****
Sydney sat on the couch comfortably. He had forced Molly to take a nap, insisting she needed her rest and that he would be fine fending for himself. Absorbed in his most recent novel, Sydney was content in the quiet. He started when he heard the insistent ringing of the cell phone on the coffee table. He picked it up and pressed the appropriate button to answer his caller.
"This is Sydney," he stated in simple monotone.
"Milkshakes never last as long as they should, don't you agree, Sydney?" the expected voice of Jarod inquired.
Sydney chuckled, sitting up, "I suppose not. What does this pertain to, Jarod?"
"Well, I wasn't finished with mine and Parker threw it out the window," his voice sounded hurt, "I suppose its somewhere along the Deleware state line now."
Sydney heard an unfamiliar laughter in the background and then Miss Parker's voice stating that he could have finished it twice by then. "So, I thought this was only for emergencies, Jarod."
"Well, I'm thirsty. Isn't that emergency enough?" Jarod replied, grinning.
"I'm glad to recieve your call anyway. I was getting worried. You rescued Emily I presume?"
"I don't know, umm. Parker, did we find Emily?" Jarod's voice seemed farther away as he wasn't speaking directly into the phone. Sydney could make out the 'Jarod!'s in the background and stifled his amusement when he heard Emily's voice clearly speaking to him.
"She is quite fine and she thinks that her older brother should," her voice turned to a scolding one, "act a little more mature!"
Jarod's voice came through faintly, "Give me the phone, Emily! I swear, you had better give it back or else--"
"Or else what, you'll have your girlfriend throw me out the window?" Emily taunted playfully. On the other side, Sydney's eyebrows went up and knew that Emily would pay dearly for that remark from both Jarod and Miss Parker. Surprisingly, he only heard Miss Parker's quick 'hah' and the struggles of Jarod and his sister.
"Finally, you know I bought this phone," Jarod's voice returned, but Sydney could hear Miss Parker's remark that the money he bought the phone with was The Centre's anyway, "talk about immaturity. Anyway, we should be home in a couple hours, is there anything you need, Sydney?"
"No, I don't believe there's anything. I have Molly with me, I'm fine."
Miss Parker's voice replied from a distance as she was obviously driving and yelling to be heard, "Tell Freud, that if he allowed Broots to sleep in my bed there will be Flemish gray matter all over the walls as soon as I return."
"Umm, I hope you got that," Jarod said hesitantly.
Laughing, Sydney replied, "I did. You can tell Miss Parker that Broots and Debbie have returned to Blue Cove to keep suspicion from arising."
"All right, I will. Let me go before Parker throws my phone out the window as well."
"Good-bye, Jarod."
Sydney turned the phone off and chuckled to himself before returning to his reading.
*****
Lyle sat in his office. Fortunately, his recent stay in the recovery ward hadn't lasted long and he was able to return back to work, well what everyone thought was his work. He was now on his own personal saga for the truth. He internally vomited at the thought that he was becoming more and more like his sister and her lab rat, Jarod. The truth the truth the truth, blah blah blah. Who I am. He had already found the lie that started it all and now more and more were branching off from it into fabricated lives of The Centre he had grown to know so well, or so he thought anyway. Oh, there was no way that he would let anyone with anything to do with this to escape his wrath.
And his revenge started with Mr Parker.
Rustling noises came from the kitchen as Sydney hobbled down the hall toward the disturbance. He had awoken from his spot on the pinstriped couch to hear a woman's shriek as something crashed to the ground in the kitchen. Staggering through the oak doorway, Sydney saw that everything seemed to appear fine, save for the two egg splatters littering the wooden planks on the floor. Attempting to bend down and clean up the mess, Sydney was stopped by the gentle hand of the blonde who had been busying herself cooking their breakfast. Knowing better than to argue with Miss Parker's sister, Sydney sat himself down in a nearby chair at the round table. They remained like this for a few moments until Sydney broke the silence.
"Molly, I want to tell them, really I do. Its just that I have made a promise to a dear friend, long ago and I can not break it."
Molly looked up at him solemnly while pouring their milk, "I can't force you into anything."
Sydney sighed, "You are so young, Molly! You couldn't understand! It was a long time ago, still, but these kept secrets are important to Jarod and Miss Parker's safety. To their lives."
"Yes, Sydney," Molly afirmed sternly, "they are important to their lives-"
"Important to be kept," Sydney interrupted.
Shaking her head, Molly groaned, "No! There will be conseqences if you don't tell them. You have to tell them. For their sake as well as your own."
"You were not there! Do you even know what it is I keep hidden?" he inquired as the thought suddenly crossed his mind.
"I-- no. I'm not supposed to know. Some things, they just don't tell me. Some things, they tell me too much, far too much. I am only told what I need to know to do what is right and help you to do what is right," Molly's voice suddenly grew soft, "I understand your pain; I understand your doubt. Yes, they will be angry at first, but you know they will appreciate your confession after all these years. My sister and Jarod, they need closure. Without your knowledge, they will never gain the security and comfort that they so desperately need."
They stared at eachother as Molly sat across from him at the table with their breakfast. Solemnly, Sydney picked up his fork and began shifting the scrambled eggs on his plate.
Under his breath, he mumbled almost inaudibly, "I hope you are right, Molly."
*****
Three bodies climbed out of the darkness into an open field after moving the heavy lid off of the "dead end" of the ventilation system. The bright sunlight caused their eyes to simultaneously squint as they hustled out of the hole.
"Dejavu," Miss Parker muttered under her breath.
"For the third or fourth time," Jarod replied.
Emily took a deep breath of air, relishing the feeling of sunilght on her pale skin, "Freedom. It feels so amazing to be out of that cheese factory. How'd you do it for so many years, Jarod?"
"Without the knowledge of those feelings you have right now," Jarod replied as he lead them in a frantic I'm-late-I'm-late-for-a-very-important-date kind of walk through the woods to where Miss Parker's car awaited.
"So, where are my rescuers taking me anyway?" Emily asked as she hustled to keep up with the two.
Jarod and Miss Parker's eyes met as Jarod explained, "We are headed to the lovely Shady Oak, Virginia. We have some friends there who also need our help."
"We're just a regular super hero duo, needed everywhere at all times," Miss Parker clarified.
Emily nodded as Miss Parker slid into the driver's seat of her car. Jarod preceeded to hold the door open for Emily into the backseat.
"So you can rest," her brother explained.
"Thanks," Emily replied with gratitude. After she and Jarod were in the car and Miss Parker had started the engine she said, "You guys mind if we get something to eat on the way. I'm about ready to run back in The Centre and have a bite of Mr Lyle."
Miss Parker smirked and casted Jarod a humorous glance, "that would be ironic wouldn't it?"
"What comes around goes around," Jarod replied, "we'll definitely stop somewhere, Em."
Emily nodded, though she didn't understand the "inside jokes" that were roaming between the two in the front. This brought her to the realization that she and her family would never know Jarod quite as well as those who had been there while he grew up, no matter how hard they tried. Jarod turned around and eyed his sister, sensing her uneasiness.
"It'll be okay. We're going to make up for lost time."
"Yeah, I know." Emily turned to face the window and watched as The Centre faded away behind them.
*****
"It's better this way, Deb." Broots was trying to reassure his daughter as they pulled into the driveway of their home in Blue Cove.
"Whatever," Debbie muttered as she opened her door. The light went on inside the car as she stepped out. It suddenly flickered before melting away completely.
Broots groaned, shaking his head, "I can't believe it."
"Well, believe it, Dad! You're throwing your life away and making me suffer along with you! You are just like Mom!"
Flabberghasted, Broots got to his feet outside of the car, "Wh-bu-I.. Is that what this is all about? Your mother? Its not your allergies, its not that you are treated like a child, its not that we're leaving Miss Parker and Sydney. You're angry at your mother aren't you?"
Debbie, who had by now reached the front door, suddenly turned around and marched down the steps of the
porch, "No, Dad! I am angry at you. I'm angry that you are becoming just like her."
"How am I like her?"
"You're forgetting me." The girl turned around and ran into the house. Broots could hear her running up the stairs and he shouted at her.
"I was talking about the light in in in the car!" With no response, he grabbed his laptop from the backseat and looked at the dead light, "this is all your fault."
*****
Miss Parker, Jarod, and Emily had been travelling for an hour and had driven through the drivethru window at the closest fast food restraunt they found. Jarod was content following his double burger with a chocolate milkshake, while Emily sipped on a Diet Coke in the back. Miss Parker had finished her Dasani and salad a long time ago and was content driving in silence. The bumps of the road were quite calming and Emily was quickly drifting off to a peaceful slumber.
"Thank-you, Parker, for helping me save Emily. This means a lot to me," Jarod spoke quietly in the dark.
"Any time, PEZ-head." She turned and smiled at him. He returned it and sighed.
"So where do we go now?" Jarod asked as another car drove by and illuminated the inside of the vehicle for a brief second.
"Let's go over this again. We are going back to the cabin with Sydney and Molly-"
Jarod laughed, "I know that, I mean what do we do now. We can't stay at that cabin forever."
"Yeah. Well, I don't know. We'll have to have Syd and my sister's input on it I suppose."
"Mmm," Jarod nodded as he took another sip of milkshake with a loud slurp as he did so.
Miss Parker rolled her eyes and grabbed the cup from him. She rolled down the window and pitched it out onto the side of the highway. "It is gone, Jarod. It has been for about 10 minutes."
Jarod smiled, "That's littering you know."
"Well, Captain Planet, I think you'll just have to live with that," she replied, the wind blowing her hair wildly as another flash of light dispensed itself around them. Jarod sat, content to watch her for a moment, feeling the cool wind on his face. Miss Parker leaned over and turned the radio on to some soft music, so as not to wake their sleeping passenger.
I feel your pain
I feel the rain
What happened to you?
I can't get to you
Feeling his eyes on her she glanced at him, "take a picture. It lasts longer."
"Sorry. You're beautiful out here, Parker."
Cuz there's a wall in your heart
And no one can get through
She glanced at him again before returning her eyes to the road, "You shouldn't say things like that, Jarod."
"Why? Give me a good reason why, Parker."
And it's cold and it's dark
And you don't have a clue
"Because you just shouldn't," she muttered. Her voice wasn't angry, solemn.
Jarod stared out at the passing scenery with stubborn sad cocoa creamy eyes until the wind dried them too much so that he had to close them, "I don't know about you, but that's not good enough for me."
But this wall it will fall
If it's the last thing I do I'll get through
This wall in your heart
Miss Parker looked at him briefly before returning her eyes to the road before them, "Its going to have to be good enough. Its just the way things have to be. We're supposed to be like this."
"Running? That's how you want to spend the rest of your life, looking over your shoulder?" Jarod persisted insistently, near desperately.
"Yes--no. I mean, I don't know," she relented. They drove on.
I know your soul
I know I'm home
Just come here to me
Let you run right through me
"You know, we used to be best friends. I mean, when did that even end? Has it really?" Jarod was hesitant in his questions, but forcefully waiting for an answer.
Cuz there's a wall in your heart
And no one can get through
And it's cold and it's dark
And you don't have a clue
But this wall it will fall
"Things change," she stated as she turned the wheel to the left, eyes directed straight ahead.
If it's the last thing I do I'll get through
This wall in your heart
"Only to a degree. I won't pressure you into anything. I just," he paused, "just want you to know that even if you don't, I still care. About you. About us and what we had. It could be so perfect, Parker. Like, I don't know, what we always wanted. Like a dream."
"Nothing's perfect," the pessimistic side came out, the more dominant side. The car came to a stop as they reached a four-way intersection.
I know your soul
I know I'm home
Just come here to me
Let you run right through me
"Its truly a crossroads now," Jarod smiled gently.
Cuz there's a wall in your heart
And no one can get through
And it's cold and it's dark
And you don't have a clue
But this wall it will fall
If it's the last thing I do I'll get through
This wall in your heart
Sighing, Miss Parker returned, "Yes, it is. Isn't it, Jarod?"
We'll break down all of the troubles we have found
And I'll find a way to mend your broken pieces
Let's hold hands and be friends till the end
And our love will be forever
Jarod didn't answer as her lips were now sealing his shut, as innocent as their first kiss at childhood, and as pining as the exchange at the lake in Virginia. His hand caressed her face gently, and as abruptly as it had begun, it ended. Miss Parker pulled back abruptly and began driving again. They remained silent, listening to the words on the radio come pouring into their ears like a sweet God-sent message.
Cuz there's a wall in your heart
And no one can get through
And it's cold and it's dark
And you don't have a clue
But this wall it will fall
If it's the last thing I do I'll get through
This wall in your heart
"I'm not making you any promises, Jarod."
He nodded quickly, his eyes still a little shocked, "I know."
*****
"Mr Cox's death will prove quite an inconveniance, Briggite,"
Mr Parker's heartless voice repremanded her. The two walked along the dark halls of one of the lower sublevels and spoke in hushed voices. The walls have ears.
"He knew too much anyway," the blonde casually assured her husband.
"That doesn't give you the right to sit by and watch his murder. Are you sure that my angel killed him?"
"Angel," Briggite laughed aloud, "I'm pretty sure. You can go check the security footage. She's on Jarod's side, now. I'm sure of it. It was inevitable from the moment you let them communicate as children. We all knew it was destined to happen."
"Don't say that! Did you see Molly with them?" Mr Parker brushed by, letting the comment slide off his stone ego.
Sighing, Briggite threw the loli-pop stick into the trashcan as they walked by, stopped them both and placed her hands on her husband's shoulders, "As I have told you several times, they were alone. It was just Jarod and Miss Parker, myself, the former Mr Cox, and Emily. They, specifically Miss Parker, killed Cox and left, taking Emily with them. You do believe your own wife don't you?" Her voice turned sweet with the last sentence.
"Of course I do," he brushed her hands off of him and strutted to the nearby door and spoke without looking back, "notify me of any progress in their search."
He had walked away before she could even reply, left in the frigid wake she muttered, "of course."
*****
Sydney sat on the couch comfortably. He had forced Molly to take a nap, insisting she needed her rest and that he would be fine fending for himself. Absorbed in his most recent novel, Sydney was content in the quiet. He started when he heard the insistent ringing of the cell phone on the coffee table. He picked it up and pressed the appropriate button to answer his caller.
"This is Sydney," he stated in simple monotone.
"Milkshakes never last as long as they should, don't you agree, Sydney?" the expected voice of Jarod inquired.
Sydney chuckled, sitting up, "I suppose not. What does this pertain to, Jarod?"
"Well, I wasn't finished with mine and Parker threw it out the window," his voice sounded hurt, "I suppose its somewhere along the Deleware state line now."
Sydney heard an unfamiliar laughter in the background and then Miss Parker's voice stating that he could have finished it twice by then. "So, I thought this was only for emergencies, Jarod."
"Well, I'm thirsty. Isn't that emergency enough?" Jarod replied, grinning.
"I'm glad to recieve your call anyway. I was getting worried. You rescued Emily I presume?"
"I don't know, umm. Parker, did we find Emily?" Jarod's voice seemed farther away as he wasn't speaking directly into the phone. Sydney could make out the 'Jarod!'s in the background and stifled his amusement when he heard Emily's voice clearly speaking to him.
"She is quite fine and she thinks that her older brother should," her voice turned to a scolding one, "act a little more mature!"
Jarod's voice came through faintly, "Give me the phone, Emily! I swear, you had better give it back or else--"
"Or else what, you'll have your girlfriend throw me out the window?" Emily taunted playfully. On the other side, Sydney's eyebrows went up and knew that Emily would pay dearly for that remark from both Jarod and Miss Parker. Surprisingly, he only heard Miss Parker's quick 'hah' and the struggles of Jarod and his sister.
"Finally, you know I bought this phone," Jarod's voice returned, but Sydney could hear Miss Parker's remark that the money he bought the phone with was The Centre's anyway, "talk about immaturity. Anyway, we should be home in a couple hours, is there anything you need, Sydney?"
"No, I don't believe there's anything. I have Molly with me, I'm fine."
Miss Parker's voice replied from a distance as she was obviously driving and yelling to be heard, "Tell Freud, that if he allowed Broots to sleep in my bed there will be Flemish gray matter all over the walls as soon as I return."
"Umm, I hope you got that," Jarod said hesitantly.
Laughing, Sydney replied, "I did. You can tell Miss Parker that Broots and Debbie have returned to Blue Cove to keep suspicion from arising."
"All right, I will. Let me go before Parker throws my phone out the window as well."
"Good-bye, Jarod."
Sydney turned the phone off and chuckled to himself before returning to his reading.
*****
Lyle sat in his office. Fortunately, his recent stay in the recovery ward hadn't lasted long and he was able to return back to work, well what everyone thought was his work. He was now on his own personal saga for the truth. He internally vomited at the thought that he was becoming more and more like his sister and her lab rat, Jarod. The truth the truth the truth, blah blah blah. Who I am. He had already found the lie that started it all and now more and more were branching off from it into fabricated lives of The Centre he had grown to know so well, or so he thought anyway. Oh, there was no way that he would let anyone with anything to do with this to escape his wrath.
And his revenge started with Mr Parker.
