The Immortal 5 The Beginning: Rena's Story

Meeting Kali

Later that morning, as Rena walked home from the grocery store. A girl who wasn’t paying any attention to where she was going ran right into Rena. As she went slamming to the ground, Rena felt two things at once the pain in her butt and that all too familiar feeling that usually meant trouble.

“Watch it kid. You could really hurt someone rushing around like that. Not to mention yourself.” She chided, but the girl wasn’t really listening to her. She watched as the girl helped her pick up her groceries. The girl looked tired and pale. Something told Rena that they would cross paths again.

“I think I know one thing about you kid. You’re like me, we are different from the rest of the people in this world.”

Just as she stopped speaking, she heard the footfalls of many men rushing in her direction. Looking in the direction of the sound, she saw that there were at least a dozen men coming this way. She felt instead of seeing the girls’ reaction.

“If you need a place to stay, I’m in the phone book. My name is Rena McDough. Now you had better hurry up if you want to out run those guys.”

The girl smiled and took off running. Rena realized that she had forgotten to ask the girl her name.

“Hey kid, what is your name?” she hollered after the girl.

The girl stopped at the corner and yelled at the top of her lungs.

“My name is Kali, Kali Turnike.”

With that, the girl took off again. Rena picked up her bags just in time. Because the guys chasing that poor kid came rushing by her, almost making her lose her bags again. She shook her head at their haste and she began to walk again. She hoped that Kali got away safely. She pondered about the girl all the way home. She wondered why those men were chasing her. As she took the stairs up to her home, Rena thought back to the girl’s face and how it looked as white as snow and she looked so scared. Rena gave herself a mental shake trying to clear her head of the girl. She looked up just in time to miss getting hit by the door. She looked up to see Omri was holding it open for her. And as she passed, he took one of the bags from her arms. She smiled thanks as she went into the kitchen.

“Don’t let Riley in those bags. There are sweets for later when I bake some cookies. If he gets those sweets before I can make my cookies, I’ll kill him myself.”

Omri laughed at the thought. Then he helped Rena put things away. Little did they know that at that very same moment Kali was making her way through the tunnels that ran under the city, shivering because the water was almost like ice. But they were busy putting things away to even think about the things that went on outside their home. Riley walked into the room as they were putting things away and began to search out the sweets he knew were going to be in the bags.

“Riley, get out of those bags, there is nothing in there for you.” which effectively

ended his search for the sweets. As they continued to put things away, the phone rang and Riley went to answer it. Rena and Omri couldn’t hear what was being said. They were just finishing up when Riley came back into the room about five minutes later. He was wearing an odd expression on his face.

“That must have been some phone call. Because you seem a little thrown.”

Omri laughed out loud at that. Laughing earned him a scowl from Riley. Which only made Omri laugh harder.

“Yeah, some phone call. Actually, it wasn’t for me, it was for Rena. Some girl named Kali. She said to tell you that she wants to come by and see if your offer from this morning is still open. She said she was going to come by later tonight. She sounded like she had been running. So what gives who is this girl?”

Rena stared at Riley for a moment. Then she chose her answer very carefully.

“I met her this morning on my way home. She was running from some guys in suits. She seemed very scared. She isn’t like mortals at all. She has a gift. I don’t know what it is but she has one. They must have been after her for her gift. Anyway, I told her if she needed a place to stay she was more then welcome to come here. There is plenty of room.”

Omri seemed interested in what she was saying. Because he wanted to know what this girl looked like.

“Well, she is blond, I think, though I couldn’t tell from all the dirt she was covered in. She was maybe a little shorter than me. I can’t tell you what color her eyes are because I never got the chance to see them. Wait, why am I telling you this? You can see for yourself when she gets here.”

Just a few hours later, when Rena was just going to start making her cookies when there was a knock at the back door. She set the bowl down on the counter and went to answer it. She pulled the door open and was surprised to see a very wet Kali standing there visibly shivering. She beckoned her to come in. As she entered the house Rena looked around outside to make sure she wasn’t followed by any one. Satisfied that no one was out there she closed the door.

“Well, I expected you a little later but I am just glad to see that you’re all right. My god, you are soaking wet. I suppose we need to get you warmed up. Come with me.” she said as she moved to the hallway. She waited for Kali to follow her.

“First, it’s a nice warm bath for you and a change of clothes. You can wear some of mine until we can get you some of your own. I am a little taller then you so my clothes may be a little big on you. But here we are.” she said as they stopped in front of Rena’s bedroom.

She went in the door and crossed to her dresser. She pulled out several items. Turning she crossed to the door and reached behind it. Pulling her arm back she held her robe in her hand.

“Now, it is into the bath with you. Take as long as you like. That room is going to be your room while you’re here.” she pointed to the room across from hers. “Here we go. In with you. Now as soon as you’re done, I want you to go and lay down. You look as if

your about to fall over. So take your bath then into bed with you.”

Rena handed her the items. And begun to move down the hall. But she was stopped by Kali.

“Rena, I wanted to thank you. For everything you’re doing for me. I also wondered who else lives here with you.”

Rena looked over her shoulder at her before she answered.

“I live here with two others. They are like brothers. They will not let anything happen to you, I will see you downstairs in a few hours.” with that she made her way to the kitchen.

As she stepped into the kitchen she heard the water running. She resumed her baking. She was measuring out the flour when Omri walked in. He set down on the stool by the counter and watched. He didn’t say anything until he heard the water running from upstairs.

“If you’re down here then who is in the bathroom?”

Rena smiled this was going to be fun after all she thought.

“Kali is in the bathroom taking a bath. She came here about fifteen minutes ago. She was so cold I could see her shivering. So I told her to take a bath and after her bath I told her to lie down and take a nap. She was about to pass out on the floor up there. But she is going to be staying with us for a while. She needs our help and I am going to give it to her no matter what.”

She saw the look that crossed his face before he could hide it. But there was nothing she could do about it. If he wasn’t about to share with her just yet she wasn’t going to push him into sharing.

“Omri, she is scared that those guys will find her here. I won’t let them take her from my home. So we need to be on alert for anyone we don’t know. I don’t want anyone to bring any one home unless they know something about them that will keep Kali safe. So is that clear? I will tell Riley the same thing.”

She finished speaking as the water shut off. They didn’t hear anything for a moment. Then the floor above creaked as Kali moved to the tub. Rena breathed a sigh knowing that she was still here. She looked at Omri as he looked up at the ceiling. She couldn’t make out his expression. So she didn’t say anything.

“Hand me that cookie sheet from the cupboard please.”

It took a minute for him to register that she had said something. He looked at her for a second then moved from the stool to the cupboard on his right. He bent to open the door when Rena spoke to him.

“Omri, I know that I shouldn’t say anything but I want you to be careful with her. She is frightened. I know you feel connected to her. But be careful. I am serious, please listen to me about this. I don’t want to over whelm her.”

He looked up at her and nodded. He knew she was right. But something was drawing him to her. He straightened with the pan in his hand. He let the door close by itself. He handed the pan to her and said.

“I don’t know what it is about this girl but ever since you said something about her I have felt this connection to her. I will not do anything to harm her. I just want to

know what is going on.”

She stopped pouring ingredients into the bowl as he finished speaking. She looked up sharply. He never wanted to see the look that was on her face ever again. It was a look that expressed her concern and her mounting anger. This was going nowhere. She had to do something.

“You know what? I think I have a way to help protect her from anyone who wants to harm her. But I don’t know if she is willing to go for it.”

It was now Omri’s turn to look concerned. He had only seen this once in his life and it was his sister who had that look the same on that Rena had. It meant someone was in for a severe change. Before he could say anything Rena was already moving.

“Wait, I thought you were making cookies? Are you not going to finish them?”

Rena stopped threw her hands in the air and walked back to the counter. Shaking her head. It was like she was in some kind of trance. At least when it came to things like make-overs. She went back to making her cookies. Omri was trying so hard not to laugh but he couldn’t help it. He let his head back and laughed out loud which that earned him a scowl from Rena. She could help herself either. So she joined him. They were still laughing when Riley came into the kitchen. Rena was the first to attempt to gain control of herself.

“Hey Riley, whatcha doing today?”

“Nothing really. Who is in the bathroom? I needed to use it but the door was locked. Then I heard someone singing and it sounded female. So, are you planning on telling me who is in there?”

Rena looked at Omri before she spoke.

“Her name is Kali and she is our guest maybe even new house mate. So don’t get any ideas. She needs our help. If you have any more questions they can wait until Kali is ready to discuss what is going on in her life. And by the way, where have you been by the way?”

He shrugged his shoulders. Not really giving her an answer. He turned and looked out the window. She getting what she thought was the brush off. She would get the answer right now.

“Riley, you had better tell me what in god’s name is going on with you. You live in my house and eat my food. You come and go at all hours of the day and the night. So I think I deserve a little respect. Now tell me what is going on right now?”

He turned as she started to go off on him; she had only done that one time before. And he never liked it. Which meant that he had to tell her everything because if he didn‘t she wouldn‘t be satisfied with anything that he told her.

“I have been working on something that is very top secret. Even I don’t know what is going on half the time. They have me looking for this girl. Some girl that escaped their custody. She has the ability to change the earth’s elements at will. All she has to do is think about it and it happens. I have stalled long enough. They are getting very angry with me. I have to find this girl or they will have my head on a platter quite literally. I am a dead man if I don’t do as they say.”

No one heard Kali come in the room until they heard her gasp. Riley turned

sharply. Seeing the girl that was their new house mate. It was the same girl that he was supposed to find. This really messed things up for everyone.

“So they sent you to find me?”

That was all she said. Nobody could say anything. But Rena knew someone had to say something.

“Honey, nobody is going to help the guys that are after you. Riley is not going to turn you in. I, for one, will not let him do that. Because if he does he will not only have me to deal with but Omri as well. Also he forgets that I know where he sleeps at night. And I also know things about him that he wants no one to know. Isn’t that right, Riley?”

He looked over his shoulder at her and she smiled ever so sweetly. He nodded his head. Then he looked over at Omri before he looked at the girl that he was supposed to bring in to the men that created her. There was something about this girl that not even he told the others.

“I am supposed to bring you to them when I find you. But since I have just been threatened by my dear friend. I think I might just have to find a way to lead them in another direction. But the question is what do you have that they want so bad, beside the ability to change elements for them?”

Kali turned pale. She also looked uncomfortable. She didn’t look like she was going to tell them anything. But they were surprised when she did speak.

“I was created by a bunch of scientists. I wasn’t conceived naturally. My mother was a test subject. She agreed to have me for them since they had compensated her fully for her participation in the experiment. I do have a father as well. He is one of the scientists, I think. But anyway they injected a lot of chemicals and other things into the embryo. When they finished and made sure that it was stable. And when they found out that is was they implanted into my mother. When she came up pregnant they were elated. They monitored everything that she did as well as everything that went into her body.

When she was about six months along they did some tests to assure that I was coming along the way they wanted. But something wasn’t right with some of the tests that they preformed so they redid the test. And the same results up. They noted the results and upped the chemicals that which I was not responding to. It made my mother a little queasy. They gave her something to combat the nausea. The chemicals that they had upped mixed with the ones that they gave her to ease her stomach. Well what they didn’t expect was the side effect of the mixture. They never ran any more tests until the last month of her pregnancy. Nothing came up that they seemed concerned about. So any way the birth was easy.

I arrived healthy. I wasn’t supposed to be a girl; I was supposed to be a boy. They never checked the s*x of the baby that they were creating. But they thought that this was better. A girl was even better. I had a feminine touch because the elements were of a female origin. So anyway they started all the tests to check if they were successful in creating a real life time bomb. Since I could do the things they wanted they over looked one thing. I had the ability to change biological chemistry as well. They never knew that I could change a person’s biological chemistry. When I learned that I could do this, I started doing things to change several of the tests they performed on me.

They couldn’t find out what was going on with me. I even changed several things about them to. Like I induced heart attacks and some other things I can’t quite remember. But things became easier for me. They let up on the tests for a while. And they stopped the constant watching. They started talking about how the others were trying to escape and some did get out but they were caught. And then I realized I could get out and I started talking to the others about how they got out. They helped me make my plans. They told me about when the guards went on break. When the best times were to leave.

They told me about places that they knew of that the guards never knew about. And when the time came I made my move. The others helped me by causing as much disruption as they could. Ever since that night I left I have been on the run. And I will never go back. I am free for the first time in my life. So that’s pretty much it. That‘s why those guys want me back so badly.”

Rena watched Kali as she finished speaking and knew that this girl felt safe enough to tell them all of her story. The timer went off in the background. She went over to the oven and opened the door while reaching for the oven mitt. She spoke as she pulled the baking sheet out of the oven to let it cool.

“Well, that seems to tell me a lot. So, the basic jest of your story is your chemically enhanced? Well, let’s see what we have going on in this house. I have telekinetic powers, wait Omri what is your power?"

"I can hear peoples thoughts and can make them do whatever I want by controlling their minds. I was told its telepathy." He quietly said to them.

" Well, Omri has telepathy and Riley has the ability to change shapes at will. We make quite the group. But thing one thing we have in common is we are immortal and we have to change with the times so now you can change to. We are going to make it to where the people who are looking for you will never find you, isn’t that right guys?” She looked from Riley to Omri waiting for them to agree. As they did she moved around the island to stand in front of Kali. She took her hands and held them out to each side. She looked at Riley.

“You’re not going to do anything stupid, are you?”

He shook his head. Rena turned back to Kali and looked her in the eyes.

“I’m going to make sure that you don’t go anywhere. That’s a promise. And I don’t break my promises. In just a few short days I have gained a family. I do hope that you think that you can be a part of my family. Because I never had a sister before. So this should be fun. Let’s go make you a new life, Omri, love, could you finish the cookies for me?”

With that she pulled Kali behind her and walked up stairs to begin the transformation from the old Kali to the new and improved version.

Once in Rena’s room she sat Kali down in front of her vanity. She picked up her brush and began to comb through her hair.

“You have the most beautiful hair I have ever seen. I don’t want to change the color at all. I think you could do with a different length though. It will change the shape of your face cosmetically. You’ll still be you. Plus, it will make you look a little older. We can change the shape of your eyebrows with a little wax. It will hurt the first time but

will lessen as you keep up maintenance. I think these small changes should through those guys off don’t you think?”

She knew that she was overloading Kali with all this change at once but it for her safety. So Rena reached for her scissors. She parted Kali’s hair and looked up into the mirror. She saw that Kali had closed her eyes. She patted her shoulder trying to comfort her. It only took about forty-five minutes to take off about eight inches. She added some long layers. She put down her scissors and told Kali to look at her reflection. She watched as Kali opened her eyes. She watched as the incomprehension cross her face quickly flowed by the realization dawn that it was indeed her that she was looking at not some stranger. She leaned closer to get a better look. She caught Rena’s eyes in the mirror and smiled.

“I take it you like the new you?”

“I can’t believe this is really me. I have never thought I could look like this. I look so different. They will never recognize me now. Thank you Rena I, for the first time, feel like a different person.”

Rena laughed and went to her bedroom door.

“You want to put it to the test. I can think of two gentlemen who got a real good look at you when we were downstairs. Let’s go and try this out.”

She held her hand out and waited for Kali to take it. When she did place her hand in Rena’s she felt Rena give it a squeeze of reassurance. They walked down the stairs and Rena looked in to the living room to make sure the guys were in there. She motioned for Kali to stay right there by the door. She walked in and stood behind the couch.

“Hey, guys, Kali is ready to show you the new her. So do me a favor and close your eyes.”

She waved for Kali to enter when the guy’s eyes were closed. She pushed her in front of the couch where the guys were sitting watching TV.

“Ok, guys, open your eyes. I present to you the newest member of our family.”

She watched the guys reaction closely, first it didn’t really dawn on them that it was indeed Kali standing in front of them. But Riley was the first to speak.

“Good grief Kali is that really you?”

Kali smiled a grin that meant she knew that her new look could fool even the closest people to her.