The Family Wolves
"Mom?" Nina says again. "What...what you are doing? Why are you here?"
"Oh, honey," her mother says, her voice low and condescending. "I told you about that new group I was joining, didn't I?"
"The Children of Cronus?" Nina says. "That's who kidnapped us?"
"I only asked that they bring you here," her mother says. "Come on out of that van, please, and discuss this like adults." You and Nina exchange a look and then her mother says, "And we can discuss your friend, too."
You both step out from the back of the van. Instinctively, you look up, but the stars are still gone.
You hear Nina tell her mother how her 'new friends' hurt you. "They could have a concussion!" Nina says, her voice raised almost to the point of yelling. You wonder if anyone would hear.
"I'm sorry about that," her mother says, her voice still filled with condescension. "I told them you would be alone and they must have panicked and thought your friends was dangerous. You really should have been alone. What were you doing out so late with your friend?" She says the word 'friend' as if it's a knife or razor blade, something to be handled with caution.
"That's none of your business," Nina sharply replies. "Tell me why you brought us here."
"Honey," her mother says, "I just wanted us to be together. For the end."
"The end?" Nina says. "The end of what? Our relationship?"
"The end of the world," her mother says, as if it should be obvious what she was talking about.
"The world's not ending, Mom," Nina says.
"Oh, honey," her mother says, raising her hand to try and caress Nina's cheek. Nina recoils as if her hand was a snake. "Of course the world is ending. It's been ending for a while. Here, Doctor None always explains it better than me."
A man steps out from the crowd of people that you didn't even notice had surrounded the van. They all wear the same brown hoods over their faces, but the one stepping forward pulls his down, displaying a man in his late thirties, red hair and green eyes. "I'm sorry for the unfortunate introduction, Nina," Doctor None says, "but your mother was very worried that you wouldn't be here when it ended. If you'll come with me, I can explain everything."
"No," Nina says and pulls out the silver gun. "Explain it now."
You wonder then if it was a good idea to let Nina hold the gun: she's confused and angry at her mother. You're confused as well, but for some reason, there's no anger. You wonder if there is any way to get out of this with no one being hurt (beside you, that is).
Doctor None raises his arms, but you can see in his face that he is not afraid. "I know how hurt you feel, Nina," he says. "How betrayed. I feel betrayed, too, when I first learned what was going to happen to us. I thought I had saved myself. I thought I had done everything right and I was going to get a reward."
"I don't need any of your Christian preachings," Nina says.
"Not Christian," Doctor None says. "I don't believe in Christ or God. I do believe in beings that are bigger than we are, higher than we are. I worked for one of them. I'm a doctor, I swore an oath, did you know that? But when I met this...higher being...I broke my oath. I worked for it because I wanted to work for something greater than myself. I wanted to touch something more. And did you know what I learned, Nina?"
"That you're a goddamn lunatic?" Nina spits out.
"I learned it didn't mean a damn thing," Doctor None says. "You can shoot me if you want, Nina. You'll actually be doing me a favor. This world won't be here for long – it's disappearing, bit by bit. Falling into stillness and nothing. It can't be saved, Nina. But the people here, they can go out better. They can go out before the world disappears."
"Oh god," Nina says. "You're not the Children of Cronus, are you? You're the Empty Set."
"We have plenty of names," Doctor None says. "The Empty Set is one of them. The Children of Cronus is actually a misnomer, but we've used it anyway. We've been called the Drummers, the Bright Shiners, the Unknown Men. You can call us what you like."
"You people are insane," Nina says. "Mom, do you know what these people want to do?"
"Of course I do, sweetie," her mother says. "And I trust them. You have to trust me, it's all for the best. I'm looking out for you."
"What?" Nina says. "Me?! Did they say they could save us if you gave them more money? Is that what they're after?"
"They didn't ask for any money," her mother says. "They didn't need to ask. I would give them everything, because they're our family now, Nina. We're all a family now. And listen to them."
You tug at Nina's sleeve. "I think we should go," you whisper.
"No," Nina says, the gun pointing at Doctor None. You wonder if Nina has ever shot a gun before. You wonder if you'll get out of this alive. "I want to know what you're planning."
"Of course," Doctor None says. "We're going to put the world to sleep, Nina."
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"Oh, honey," her mother says, her voice low and condescending. "I told you about that new group I was joining, didn't I?"
"The Children of Cronus?" Nina says. "That's who kidnapped us?"
"I only asked that they bring you here," her mother says. "Come on out of that van, please, and discuss this like adults." You and Nina exchange a look and then her mother says, "And we can discuss your friend, too."
You both step out from the back of the van. Instinctively, you look up, but the stars are still gone.
You hear Nina tell her mother how her 'new friends' hurt you. "They could have a concussion!" Nina says, her voice raised almost to the point of yelling. You wonder if anyone would hear.
"I'm sorry about that," her mother says, her voice still filled with condescension. "I told them you would be alone and they must have panicked and thought your friends was dangerous. You really should have been alone. What were you doing out so late with your friend?" She says the word 'friend' as if it's a knife or razor blade, something to be handled with caution.
"That's none of your business," Nina sharply replies. "Tell me why you brought us here."
"Honey," her mother says, "I just wanted us to be together. For the end."
"The end?" Nina says. "The end of what? Our relationship?"
"The end of the world," her mother says, as if it should be obvious what she was talking about.
"The world's not ending, Mom," Nina says.
"Oh, honey," her mother says, raising her hand to try and caress Nina's cheek. Nina recoils as if her hand was a snake. "Of course the world is ending. It's been ending for a while. Here, Doctor None always explains it better than me."
A man steps out from the crowd of people that you didn't even notice had surrounded the van. They all wear the same brown hoods over their faces, but the one stepping forward pulls his down, displaying a man in his late thirties, red hair and green eyes. "I'm sorry for the unfortunate introduction, Nina," Doctor None says, "but your mother was very worried that you wouldn't be here when it ended. If you'll come with me, I can explain everything."
"No," Nina says and pulls out the silver gun. "Explain it now."
You wonder then if it was a good idea to let Nina hold the gun: she's confused and angry at her mother. You're confused as well, but for some reason, there's no anger. You wonder if there is any way to get out of this with no one being hurt (beside you, that is).
Doctor None raises his arms, but you can see in his face that he is not afraid. "I know how hurt you feel, Nina," he says. "How betrayed. I feel betrayed, too, when I first learned what was going to happen to us. I thought I had saved myself. I thought I had done everything right and I was going to get a reward."
"I don't need any of your Christian preachings," Nina says.
"Not Christian," Doctor None says. "I don't believe in Christ or God. I do believe in beings that are bigger than we are, higher than we are. I worked for one of them. I'm a doctor, I swore an oath, did you know that? But when I met this...higher being...I broke my oath. I worked for it because I wanted to work for something greater than myself. I wanted to touch something more. And did you know what I learned, Nina?"
"That you're a goddamn lunatic?" Nina spits out.
"I learned it didn't mean a damn thing," Doctor None says. "You can shoot me if you want, Nina. You'll actually be doing me a favor. This world won't be here for long – it's disappearing, bit by bit. Falling into stillness and nothing. It can't be saved, Nina. But the people here, they can go out better. They can go out before the world disappears."
"Oh god," Nina says. "You're not the Children of Cronus, are you? You're the Empty Set."
"We have plenty of names," Doctor None says. "The Empty Set is one of them. The Children of Cronus is actually a misnomer, but we've used it anyway. We've been called the Drummers, the Bright Shiners, the Unknown Men. You can call us what you like."
"You people are insane," Nina says. "Mom, do you know what these people want to do?"
"Of course I do, sweetie," her mother says. "And I trust them. You have to trust me, it's all for the best. I'm looking out for you."
"What?" Nina says. "Me?! Did they say they could save us if you gave them more money? Is that what they're after?"
"They didn't ask for any money," her mother says. "They didn't need to ask. I would give them everything, because they're our family now, Nina. We're all a family now. And listen to them."
You tug at Nina's sleeve. "I think we should go," you whisper.
"No," Nina says, the gun pointing at Doctor None. You wonder if Nina has ever shot a gun before. You wonder if you'll get out of this alive. "I want to know what you're planning."
"Of course," Doctor None says. "We're going to put the world to sleep, Nina."
th