Parker's Plights

Chapter Thirty-Two | Parker's Plights

The first night out on his own was an absolute terror. Parker had kept up his pace and walked longer than he anticipated, leaving no time to make a well-protected camp. He had managed to find some loose roots of a nearby tree and had wiggled in between the tangle of wood.

He curled up in the cloak he kept from Kers and wrapped it around him tightly as he gazed up at the tangled branches above him which blocked out part of the night sky. Parker had hoped that his senses would ease and that he would readjust his reality to all of the new things he was now hyperaware of. Evidently, it wasn't something that he could turn on and off like a light switch.

Every twitch or scurry of the insects just outside of the roots woke Parker up from his attempt at sleep. A few large creatures that looked like racoons walked directly over him, plunging him into darkness. Parker had never experienced fear like this before, and it didn't stop while he was awake.

His nightmares returned more visceral and intense than ever.

The dream that plagued him was of hushed voices all talking behind his back. Looming shadows laughed as they pointed at him. They echoed all around him, making him feel smaller and smaller until he was just a speck on the ground. Some shadowy figure grabbed his hand and pulled him into an embrace, but he couldn't tell what she was saying.

The dream shifted into screams. Someone was being pulled away while that same shadowy figure shielded Parker with her body. She was sobbing as she held onto Parker. He could barely make out the words when, like a whisp of smoke, they were gone and once again Parker saw water all around him.

Choking water splashed him in the face and drenched him. The deathly tight grip on him slipped. Parker remembered sobbing and shouting, but when he opened his mouth, water filled his lungs.

"Hang on!" he heard the female voice shout as he felt himself tumbling weightless and unable to breathe. He looked over his shoulder and caught a glimpse of fading figures drifting away on the water as he barely made out the features of the woman who was holding onto him. "No! No! We have to go back!"

"It's too late!" someone else shouted as the figures vanished into the darkness. Lightning lit up the sky and Parker found himself alone as rain pummeled him further and further into the mud.

Parker gasped and lunged upward, absolutely drenched; however, it wasn't just his sweat that had him completely soaked. Rain dripped in through the branches above him and had partially filled his hiding place with water. It was flooding fast.

Parker wriggled free and pried himself and his pack out of the branches as his hair stuck to his forehead. He tried to wipe away the mud and grime, but it did little good considering he was filthy.

At least I have water now. Parker thought as he opened his container and pressed it against a nearby leaf. His container filled and he continued his journey. Trudging through the mud which came up to his knees was more of a challenge than Parker thought. It was so bad that he actually considered walking on the sidewalk, at least for a little while.

There were few cars out and no one was out and about, meaning he would be relatively safe walking close to the sidewalk again. So, that's what he did.

Parker hoisted himself up onto the pavement and trudged forward. He stopped frequently to drink from the rain to keep his water supply at maximum, but he found no shelter from the relentless rain that varied from pouring down massive drops to barely drizzling.

Still, Parker pursued his goals. He couldn't stop now. He refused to stop.

By the time it was starting to get dark, however, the fire was going out of him. Cold. Wet. All alone. Parker was starting to consider that he may not be able to do this all on his own, but he was too far away now.

The young teen's mind wondered what his mom was doing at that moment. Was she looking for him? Was she angry with him? Did she ever want to see him again? Or was she safely snuggled in her warm bed reading a book or listening to the next episode of their shared podcast glad that he was gone?

The thought brought tears to Parker's eyes.

As he walked on, he noticed an old boot discarded on the edge of the road tucked into some brush and decided it was as good of a place as any to sleep. At least it was covered unlike his place among the roots the night before.

The smell was an atrocious one, but the little warmth Parker was able to gain from the narrow walls of the leather around him made him the slightest bit grateful. He curled in on himself as he hunkered down under the cloak he borrowed from Kers and chewed on some wet cracker.

Remorse mixed with his anger, and both turned inward toward him.

I said such horrible things to her. I hurt her. I hurt my mom.

"No! She's not your mom," he spat aloud as he pulled his legs to his chest while staying huddled under the cloak.

Yes. She is. You know that. She was just trying to do what was best for you. She didn't know the answers. It was an honest mistake.

"She lied! She should've told me. If she loved me, she would've told me. She would've told me. She… she should have…" Parker choked on his sob and curled in tighter. He wanted this waking nightmare to end. His pursuit of the truth put him here, and he was going to see it through to the end. He just wished he didn't have to hurt like this.

Nightmares were waiting for him as he finally drifted off to sleep from pure exhaustion. It was a lot of the same images, but the faces seemed more familiar and more pronounced. Whether it was because his brain was overcharged with information or these things were being pulled from somewhere in his brain, he wasn't sure.

What Parker did know was that he would be at his destination that afternoon, and it was about time.

When he woke up, Parker saw bright sunshine highlighting every speck of rain that fell from the day before. Massive puddles were everywhere. Little streams were now roaring rivers of danger, but it didn't stop him.

Parker dared to sprint across several roads, the sun-warmed asphalt smell invading his nostrils, as he finally recognized his old neighborhood. Parker felt relief for the first time in days, but also something else.

Nostalgia, and not from recent memories.

He wasn't sure what it was, but as Parker was walking along the edge of the sidewalk, he glanced over at a nearby drainpipe on one of the houses and, for one reason or another, found it familiar. Lured by the faintest of memories, Parker forced his way through the yard toward the house until he made it to the pipe.

Nothing was off at first glance. It was a simple metal pipe that led up to the roof and the gutters. Parker's discouragement immediately flipped to confused excitement as he looked behind the pipe. Right there was a small scratch mark that looked like a cartoonish drawing of a cat. There was also a piece of trim that was loose on the edges.

Parker reached out and touched the loosened trim. Somewhere in his mind, some odd memory scratched its way through some weird mental barrier and, suddenly, Parker remembered this place.

"It's the sign of the cat. It means this place is dangerous to live in."

"Cat?"

"Yes, a cat. That's why we needed to leave and why we're going someplace new. Don't be scared, my love. You'll be safe. We'll protect you."

Parker flinched away from the wall and looked at the house. He wasn't sure who he heard, but he had an idea of who it was. The thought was enough to make him shiver all over. It was unnerving to remember something that came from seemingly nowhere.

He glanced at the building once more before walking parallel to the building. As he rounded the corner of the yellow trim house, he spotted the park. Just the sight made his insides churn uncomfortably. The Borrower teen crouched low and listened hard as he squinted his eyes.

So far, no one else was there playing on the rain soaked swings or muddy monkey bars.

Good.

It would take Parker another hour to cross the parking lot, which made his heart skip a beat every few steps. It took a few tries to jump up onto the curb and hoist himself up, but Parker finally made it. He walked along the curb, balancing like a graceful cat, and walked around the outside of the playground.

All of the smells and sights unlocked memory after memory, and most of them were with his mom. There were a few, however, that didn't belong to his mom. Parker walked around and around before spotting the bench where his mom would always sit.

Is this the place?

Parker approached the overgrown poles supporting the bench. His heart was slowly starting to pound harder and harder. Something about forcing his way past massive blades of grass was familiar. He remembered this place, and not because of a memory he shared with his mom.

The metal pole's base was relatively clear and gave the small boy a reprieve as he finally made his way up to it. The moment he did, however, Parker's knees buckled at the sight.

Right there at the base of the metal support pole were more scratch marks. They were too fine and precise. It was obvious they couldn't have been made from a human, meaning they had to be made by someone like him. It was in an awkward place where no human could reach easily. Parker's eyes locked with the scratches, and he felt his eyes tearing up.

A tiny cross had been scratched into the plastic covering of the park bench along with a little heart with the name "ZEKE" scratched under the cross. Parker touched the scratch marks. His fingers ran over the exposed rusted pipe and the rough edged plastic. His chest clenched. It felt like he was being crushed by a smothering blanket.

Parker fell to his knees as he kept his palm pressed against the pole next to the name.

It couldn't be anything else.

It had to be related – it had to be him.

Zeke. That was his real name; or, rather, the name his parents gave him.

Parker swallowed dryly as though he were sucking on a sponge. Already aching and dehydrated, he surprised himself when his body started to tremble and shake as tears dripped down his cheeks. A few hiccups escaped him as he wiped his eyes with the back of his filthy hand.

They were here. They came back. Someone came back and looked for me. Or… maybe… someone wanted to remember this place.

A passing cloud over the sun cast darkened shadows over him and, in a flash, another memory pulled Parker into what happened years prior. Parker turned wildly to his right as he remembered rain pouring down over him. Someone held him close.

"It's going to be okay Zeke. Just hang onto me," said the female voice. The whole world was rocking back and forth. Parker remembered a toy boat and that this whole area was filled with water.

"We're off course!" someone shouted. "The water's taking us the wrong way! Hold on!"

Parker heard other people screaming around him. They were tossed and turned from left to right. Water poured over the edges of the boat. The rims were blue. Parker winced and held onto his temple as his head swirled. He gasped for air as he remembered the next part of the memory.

"Hang on!" the female voice shouted at him. Parker remembered choking on water as he tried to breathe. He cried as the woman held him close. "It's okay. Momma's got you. Hang on! Hang onto me! Hang on!"

Parker remembered feeling weightless as he tried breathing and yet couldn't. His eyes stung. His lungs burned. He was chest deep in mud and all alone. He looked over his shoulder and caught a glimpse of fading figures drifting away on that blue trimmed boat. The woman, with her kind brown eyes, was nearly throwing herself off of the edge of the boat. She was wailing, "No! No! No! Zeke! Zeke!"

"We can't do anything for him now. You'll drown if you go overboard."

"I don't care! We have to go back! Zeke! Let me go!"

Parker remembered calling out to the woman and trying to run, but the mud practically swallowed him as he fell face first into it. Chest deep again, he looked up to see the fading figures.

"No! No! We have to go back!"

"It's too late! I'm sorry! He's gone. He's gone!" The figures vanished into the darkness as lightning illuminated the sky. Parker remembered the feeling of abandonment as rain pummeled him further and further into the mud. Parker remembered grabbing onto a nearby rock and pulling himself free. The only thing in his arms was his little toy which was attached to his belt.

He tried running down the water, but he stopped and remembered what that woman – his mom – said. If you're lost, stay where you are. I'll come back to find you. Stay hidden. Stay small. I'll be back always for you, Zeke.

The rule was what made him stay. That rule was what made him hide there by the base of the pole there in the park. He wasn't sure how long he was out there, but he did remember the looming shadow of Amanda and how loneliness and survival drove him to go with her that day.

Parker crumpled. He turned and leaned his back against the pole and let his head fall. Knees clutched to his chest, Parker stayed huddled there for what felt like hours. Emptiness filled him, but he wasn't hungry. His entire body felt cold despite the heat of the day beating down all around him.

The humidity and the pounding in his head were the only things that prompted Parker to take a sip of water from his canteen. He swished the water around in his mouth, but it didn't make him feel any less parched. His eyes flicked back over his shoulder at the little cross and the carved name, memorizing the scene.

The young teen didn't know what he hoped to accomplish when he came out here. Maybe he hoped he would find someone like him who would tell him where his parents were. Maybe he would find more of a sign of them other than a simple scratched message that was as old as he was. Maybe he hoped some feeling of accomplishment would come over him now that he unlocked those nearly forgotten memories.

None of those sensations filled him.

He didn't feel accomplished.

He didn't feel proud.

What he did feel was alone and ashamed. He had come all the way out here, run away from home in the process, with nothing more than a note to his mom.

Yes.

His mom.

Amanda was right. She might not have given birth to him, but it didn't change the fact that she had tended to him all this time. She made sure he had everything he needed and more. She'd taken care of him during his times of sickness. It was her who helped him study for countless tests and read to him out loud so many nights.

She was his mom.

No other face truly appeared when he thought of the word.

Does she even want you? After what you said? Will she even want to be your mom again?

He had to try.

Parker wiped away the tears and knew what he needed to do.

It was time to go home.

Parker took a few shaky breaths in and out to calm his pounding heart before forcing himself to his feet. Knees quivering under his meager weight, Parker turned back just one more to steal a glance at the marker meant for him and hoisted his bag onto his back.

"Goodbye," he muttered.

The trek back through the weeds felt rougher leaving the park bench behind. His arms quivered as he hoisted himself back onto the curb and rolled onto the hot concrete. He walked along the top, glad not to be fighting all of the stems and grass that was bigger than him and started heading for the parking lot.

The pavement felt warm under his feet, making him quicken his pace. Parker noticed a space not too far away that was shaded and decided it would be better to walk there rather than in the blazing hot sun. He looked left and he looked right, but there was no one in sight. All he had to do to walk in the shade was cross the parking lot and start the journey home.

Parker jumped down and began jogging across the vast open space. Something about being completely out in the open was making Parker anxious, and he wasn't about to have his good luck turn.

He was about halfway across the lot when something caught Parker's attention. It was a low rumbling in the pavement below him. His heart was pounding faster and faster. From across the lot, a familiar looking car pulled into the vacant lot.

Sudden relief washed over him as he recognized the figure stepping out of the car.

It was his mom – Amanda.

Parker felt like he could cry he was so happy.

She… came! She came looking for me! She must want me back!

Parker looked yearningly across the parking lot. She had chosen one of the furthest spots away from the playground, which made him deflate. It was going to be quite the trek to get over to her, and Parker suspected he didn't have a lot of time to do it.

Thankfully, she looked like she was moving slow, keeping her eyes fixed on the ground as her head moved from side to side. She was obviously scanning the ground, and she was probably watching out for him. It looked like she had something in her hand, but Parker couldn't tell what it was.

It didn't matter.

He had so much he wanted to say to her. There was so much that he needed to apologize for. Exhausted, Parker suddenly found a new reserve of energy he could pull from and began running across the parking lot.

"Mom! Mom!" Parker shouted at the top of his lungs. He knew he was too far away for her to hear him, but it felt good all the same. His legs pumped as fast as they could. They were still an entire parking lot away, but still he kept running.

As he did, however, Parker had a bad feeling creep up his spine.

Something – someone – was approaching.

The young teen glanced over his shoulder and, to his horror, looked around just as a figure eclipsed the sun above him. Whoever it was rode a bicycle and had stopped right beside Parker as he stumbled to the side to keep from being crushed.

Parker was used to seeing his mom towering above him, but seeing this stranger made him shake in his shoes like he had never experienced before. It was sheer terror that now drove him to run faster.

The Borrower looked around desperately for a place to hide, but he was in the middle of the lot and the only place to duck under was the bike, which was the last place Parker wanted to be.

"Woah! What are you?" It was a girl's voice, and he sounded just a little younger than Parker. All he had to do was wheel forward a few steps and he was caught up with Parker again. Looming digits suddenly emerged from the shadowy figure way above the infinitesimal teen.

Parker didn't even have a chance to say anything as he felt a sharp pinch on his back. His arms were suddenly drawn backward and restrained. The pavement below him vanished as Parker was suddenly suspended in mid-air. He barely managed a shout of surprise as he was suddenly brought up to the kid's face.

The kid had countless freckles and these cold blue eyes that made the hair on the back of Parker's neck stand on end. She had thick brown hair that hung in his face. Though lean, the kid was obviously strong; and Parker didn't just think that because he was being held aloft by this stranger. There was a deceptive leanness to her muscles, much like Parker's build, that undoubtedly held more strength than she knew.

Parker heaved in breath after breath as he tried fighting back against the kid's grasp. Finally, he managed to grunt out, "Let me go! Put me down!"

"Woah!" Parker didn't like the way the kid's eyes widened with eager curiosity as he examined Parker. There was something almost familiar about the girl's features, but Parker couldn't place it. "It talks too? Are you alive?"

"Of… course… I'm… alive!" grunted Parker as he attempted to reach back and smack the kid's fingers off of the back of his backpack, which seemed to be the thing that the kid was hanging onto to keep Parker restrained.

"No way! Dude! This is awesome!" grinned the girl. "Wait 'til my friends see this."

Parker felt his stomach drop.

"Wh- No! No, you can't! My mom is over there. Can't you just… please take me over to her?" asked Parker. That gleam returned to the kid's eyes and she looked at Parker.

"There are more of you around?"

Parker felt his mouth dry immediately.

"N-n-no… No there's not. That woman over there. That's my mom!" pleaded Parker. "Please, just take me over there to her."

The girl lackadaisically glanced at Amanda, who was still on the other side of the parking lot, and then back to him. It was obvious she didn't believe him.

"That's impossible stupid. You're too tiny for her to be your mom." Parker didn't get another word in before the girl unscrewed a water bottle that was in a holder on her bike and began lowering Parker into it. Like a cartoon, Parker continued to struggle and keep his legs propped on the opening.

"What are you doing?!" he shrieked. "I'm a person! A real person! Just like you! Let me go!" The girl rolled her eyes and huffed as if she were frustrated and had so many more better things to do.

"Seriously? You're just making things difficult," she grumbled. Parker watched a gleam in the girl's eyes as she reached down and pinched Parker's legs together. In an instant, he was swinging upside down and was being lowered into the sparkling water bottle. She reached up and pinned his arms as he was forced headfirst into the water bottle.

"No! Stop!" Parker pleaded, but it was too late. He felt the pressure around his legs vanish as he plunged headfirst into the bottle. Thankfully, there was only about an inch of water left inside, but it didn't stop him from hitting his head or being awkwardly scrunched into the bottom.

It took only a few seconds for Parker to be sealed away inside of the bottle. He banged furiously on the edges, trying to make as much sound as possible, but it didn't matter. The jostling all around him could only mean one thing – the girl was riding away.

The water bounced and splashed into Parker's eyes and nose. He gagged and coughed as he tried to keep his balance. It was pitch black all around him. Keeping his hands splayed and his arms out the whole time was the only thing he could do to keep from slamming into the walls.

He heard it.

It was faint and the rattling of the bottle and the sound of water was echoing all around him, but Parker could have sworn he heard his mom calling out for him.

"Parker! Parker!"

The sound came and went quickly, as though the girl were riding right past his mom.

"No! No! Please! Stop! Stop the bike! Mom! Mom! I'm here!" Parker shouted as he kicked furiously against the metal container, but it was no use.

He was trapped.

He was caught.

All of those warnings from the Borrower family back in his home about humans capturing Borrowers was true. So, as Parker continued to struggle, his emotions ran wild with despair and frustration as he was taken against his will to an end he couldn't begin to imagine.