Radioactive - Book 1: Birth 🪼

Twenty Five

Dad brings the car around and parks it in the front of the hotel. He carries my suitcase to the car since I'm still in a bit of pain from the surgery and also carries Nalak's stuff for some reason. We only had two so once done, Dad closes the back door and stands with us in front of the hotel.
"Please be careful, son. There are a lot of dangers out there. Be aware of your surroundings and don't talk to strangers."
"Why are you giving me the 'first time doing it by yourself' talk?" I ask with a face.
He smiles and rustles my hair. "I'm just worried about you going to the Badlands. Even though the Arlecchino separate the Badlands from Section N, Alters can still get through them. For some it's not that hard."
"We'll be fine."
He smiles and pulls me into a hug. I hug him back, getting the feelings I've been getting since he's been here with us in the city.
"Dad?"
"Yeah?"
"I know you won't tell me but please at least..." I look up at him as he waits calmly. "Is there something going on? Is something bad going to happen?"
Dad smiles and cups my chin in his hand. "Not for you, my son."
Well that doesn't make me feel any less worried. He playfully punches my chin and kisses the top of my head.
"You don't need to worry about what's happening with us at home. You just get Nalak to the Badlands safely."
"Yeah, of course."
He hugs Nalak and whispers something in his ear but rustles his hair too and smiles at us both.
"Good luck you two."
"Thanks. Love you, Dad."
"I love you too, son."
"I'll call you when I'm coming back home."
He nods a little. "Indeed."
I get in the driver's seat and start up the car.

*********************

We're pretty silent as we drive through the city, still waking up and stuff, but I'm still scrambling with what Dad said before I left. "Not for you, son." What did he mean? Was the rest of my family in danger?
"R?"
"Hmm?"
"I was thinking... if this friend of yours lives so close to the Badlands then... maybe I could just stay with them. That way I could visit you or you could visit me without haven't to go through things like that Arlecchino thing."
"Well, I don't think many people care to visit the Altered usually. Most people aren't friends with Altered people."
"That's true. Which makes me think that maybe just staying with your friends is even better."
"I don't know. I mean, we can't just assume that they will keep you there."
"That's true too... Well, hey, maybe they'll be nice enough to let me stay."
"Don't take this the wrong way, Nalak, but Sakina is taking care of her brother and niece, making money the only way she knows how and that's... well, she's doing stuff. Unless you could find a way to hide the fact that you're an albino and get a job to help out, I don't know what they would do."
"We could just room together? I mean, you look normal and the only way they would find out anything about you would be if they do blood tests, right? I think it'll be cool."
"That does sound great but I mean..."
Nalak looks at me sadly. "You don't want to stay with me, do you?"
"It's not that I don't, really, it's just... I don't know. My dad keeps making suspicious remarks about me not coming home but then keeps saying that I'm welcome if I want to be. I feel like something's happening and I can't say anything for certain until I know you're safe and I am confident that my family isn't in danger."
"Do you think they are? From what though?"
"I don't know. My dad's been acting really weird ever since I said I wanted to take you to the Badlands. When I talked to my family, they all acted like I was never going to see them again. Everything sounded... final... as if..."
Nalak makes a face as he looks out the window.
"I hope it's not like my parents."
"Me either."
"Can you stop the car please?"
"For what?"
"I'm about to puke."
I put the blinker on and go to the side of the road. As the car stops, Nalak opens the door and starts to vomit in the dirt. I wait awkwardly in the car for him to finish up and he getsback in, wiping his mouth.
"Do you want me to stop at a gas station or something?"
"Yeah... I just want to wash my mouth out."
"Did you eat something bad?"
"No, I don't think so... I'll be fine, I promise."
"I hope you don't get what I had."
"Yeah..."