Chapter 4: Acceptance

A half-hour later, Theo emerges from the bathroom carrying his head in a towel and wearing a comfy hoodie and sweatpants. "Mom?"

He hears laughter and the sound of an unfamiliar voice from the kitchen. Followed by his mom calling out, "It's ok, Theo. I want to introduce you to an old friend. He's going to help."

Theo cautiously walks into the kitchen and immediately notices the burly man wearing a police uniform.

The man glances over Theo up and down. "A walking corpse. Not something I see every day."

"Hey!" Theo's mom exclaims. "My boy is not dead."

"Haha, of course, he's not," the officer grins cheekily at Theo. "I'm Chief Randel Yore. It's a pleasure to meet you, though the circumstances are odd."

"Nice to meet you too…" Theo says, uncertain about the mountain of a man before him. Although the chief seems friendly, Theo can't help but be intimidated by the size of the man's biceps.

"Theo, Randel says that there is something he can do to assist in this situation, but he refused to say what it is until you were present." She looked as though she was genuinely trying to figure out what possibilities her old friend might have up his sleeves, her face scrunching up as she thought hard.

Chief Yore stares at her momentarily, shrugging and continuing the conversation. "Yes, I do indeed. It is a rare opportunity that only someone who has accidentally triggered one of the artifacts left behind by the scholars can ever hope to experience."

Theo's eyes light up as he realizes the connotation behind the chief's words.

"There is a special top-secret program for training people who have gained abilities mimicking a mythical creature. We've got a Greek satyr, a Japanese ogress, an Egyptian sphinx, and more. You would be the first from the Celtic pantheon." Chief Randel pauses for a moment, holding a firm gaze on Theo. "You're also the first with such a unique physical alteration. Most of the time, the relics only give the person the creature's abilities. It doesn't change their appearance." 

"That sounds dangerous," Theo's mom fuses.

"Lira, I understand that you are worried, but I am positive that your son has the potential to become the strongest person in the program. For goodness sake, he's practically immortal, seeing as though he is alive despite his head being removed from his body." Chief Randel attempts to soothe her, but he does not have much success.

Theo speaks up, "Mom, I should go. What else am I supposed to do when I look like this now? Besides, it's almost time for my military service anyway. Starting a few months early isn't an issue for me."

She hesitates for a moment. "Are you certain, Theo?"

"Yes, Mom. I can do this. I know I can." He flinches slightly when his mom envelopes him in a tight, unexpected hug.

"I know you can do it, Theo." She whispers. "But that isn't going to stop me from worrying."

Chief Yore clears his throat. "Alright, I'll take me leave now so the two of you can have some time together. I'll come by later to pick Theo up. I would give you more time, but I'm afraid it's running out." He sees himself out the door, giving Lira and Theo an understanding glance on his way.

Theo hears a high-pitched humming as a car is turned on. A few seconds later, the sound fades as the car drives off.

"Mom, please. Let's talk."

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About two hours later, Theo is helping his mom by cooking breakfast, even though it is still very early in the morning. Their talk went smoothly as both unloaded their feelings about the situation and helped each other come to terms with what was happening. Theo now has a good understanding that his mom acts strong in front of him, so he doesn't worry about her, but in actuality, she is terrified of what he is going through and the uncertainty in his future.

Theo smiles at his mom, watching her flit around the house as she talks to herself to ensure she doesn't forget anything on the list of what needs to be packed. "Mom, breakfast is ready. Let's eat first, then figure out what I will need."

She turns to him with a tired look on her face. "Alright. What did you make? It smells good." 

Theo cheerfully answers as he puts food on plates, "Blueberry buttermilk pancakes with bacon on the side. Your favorite."

She smiles at him as she sits at the counter. "Thank you, Theo. I love you."

Theo sets a plate in front of his mom. "Love you too, Mom."

They eat in silence, enjoying what will likely be their last meal together. When they are finished, Lira insists on cleaning up as a thank you for the food.

"Hey, Mom?" Theo says after thinking for a moment. "Want to play a game while packing? Whoever packs the most useful items wins."

Lira looks at her son determinedly. "You're on." She grins broadly at him.

Theo grins back, relieved that sparking his mom's competitive side cheered her up. The next few hours are going to be chaotic.

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Theo sat down heavily next to the pile of bags they had packed. A few minutes in, the winner of the competition became clear. Theo could only use one hand to grab an item to pack, which slowed him down considerably. His head was on the other hand, so he could see what he was doing.

"You win." He says with a mirthful laugh. "I should have expected this, but I didn't consider that my head would get in the way."

His mom smirks triumphantly. "Stupid."

Theo shakes his head. "Yep, I'm stupid."

Lira takes a seat next to him. "Thank you, Theo. I needed that."

"Don't mention it. I'm glad you had fun with packing." Theo looks around the house with a slight look of guilt. "However, we completely wrecked the house in the process. I'll help you put things away."

His mom giggles. "That we did. Not sure when exactly my giant teddy bear got flung halfway down the staircase."

They both stare at the neon pink teddy that is taller than Lira. It is splayed haphazardly on the staircase, its face shoved into the corner where the wall meets the stairs. Its head is also slightly squished, so someone probably stepped on it at some point. Finally, neither can hold it in anymore, breaking into belly laughter.

Theo is laughing so hard that he lets go of his head to grab his sides because they're hurting so much. His shaking causes his head to roll off his lap without him noticing, and it bumps into a wobbly table, causing the white tablecloth to slip off it and cover his head.

Theo doesn't process this for a few moments, but when he does, he panics. "MOM! My head! Where did it go? I can't see!"

Theo's mom stops laughing and looks around. She quickly notices the suspicious lump under the fallen tablecloth and peaks under the fabric. Theo can see again and finds himself looking directly into his mom's eye.

"This is strange," Theo mutters. Sometimes, it's like my vision switches between where my head should be and where it actually is. It's only completely clear if I'm looking directly through my head, though."

Lira picks up Theo's head and brings it back to him. "Also, when you speak, you're not speaking from your mouth. It's coming from when your head belongs."

Theo frowns, "I guess these are things I will figure out at the training program."

Lira nods in agreement, although she has become somber. "Yeah, I hope you figure it out."

They sit silently for a while longer, waiting for the inevitable moment.