Special thanks to Malady for his help in editing and ideas.

Author’s Note: This chapter is rated as having violence, although there is no violence described as happening in the narration -- rather, the aftermath.

The Letters Chapter 9

The thing stepped into view. It seemed partially transparent, and Gracie had to stare to see it properly. It was a kind of amorphous blob, that seemed to move like a cell. In fact to say it appeared to be a giant leukocyte would not be wrong as there seemed to be several dark gray spots inside it, not unlike seeing a white blood cell under a microscope, although this thing seemed to be nearly twelve feet in diameter.

The spots slowly faded, except for one larger spot in the center, which almost seemed focus on her like an eye.

“YOU ARE GRACE!” came the booming voice again. “SO WAS THE CREATURE I CONSUMED/STUDIED/QUESTIONED.”

“Which was it?” Greg asked. “Consumed, studied, or questioned?”

“ALL,” the creature answered, the central ‘eye’ seeming to focus on him.

“Well, that explains why your dead-man switch seemed to lose her,” Greg said quietly to Gracie.

“Yes,” Gracie said. She wanted to say more, but couldn’t. She knew what this monster was, and why it was there. Why it had – taken? – them. As she heard it’s declaration, she involuntarily shook. She had been determined to end that twisted line herself, but the thought of a version of herself being ingested… engulfed by this enormous cell – frightened her beyond imagination. If she ever got out of this place, she vowed to try to work with her other lines. Not against them.

But getting back from wherever she was just didn’t seem likely anymore.

The thing seemed to focus once again on Gracie, and she decided that whatever the gray thing was, it functioned as an eye.

“MY EXAMINATION OF THE OTHER GRACE’S BRAIN/THOUGHTS/SYNAPSES SHOW THAT YOU CAUSED THE DRAIN.”

“You mean this is one of the inhabitants of that planet?” Greg asked her incredulously.

“Yes,” Gracie said.

“IS YOUR ANSWER TO ME OR TO GREG?” it asked.

Gracie seemed too frightened to answer, so Greg took a step forward. “You will not consume her.”

“YOU WILL STOP ME?” It seemed amused.

“Maybe not, but I will certainly try.”

“YOU ARE WEAK/INFERIOR/INCAPABLE.”

“I am willing to try.”

Suddenly, the creature started moved forward by flowing like an amoeba, all the while, somehow, keeping it’s ‘eye’ focused on them. Gracie grabbed Greg’s arm and stepped backwards, but he shook her hand away and remained in place.

The thing made some kind of rumbling sound, then said in a much softer ‘voice’ “You are amusing/brave/determined, Greg. You have no chance, but you remain/stand firm, facing me.”

“You will have to go through me to get to her.”

“One would think you have some kind of love/romantic/erotic feelings for her, yet she is you and you are her.”

Greg decided to change the subject. “Why do you give synonyms for certain words?”

Again the creature made the rumbling sound. “You think I am speaking, don’t you? In fact, my thoughts are moved/transmitted/transferred to your mind. That is the way my culture/people/race ‘talk’.” It rumbled again, and then, sounding amused said, “Thoughts are probably the wrong/incorrect ‘words’ to use. You misunderstand my meaning/reference/definition.” It seemed to consider, then said, “In fact, there is no real meaning/reference/definition to what you are receiving. Possibly thought would be better described as thought/feeling/emotion.” It rumbled again.

“You’re laughing at us,” Greg accused. “Why?”

The rumbling grew in intensity. “Because you are so weak, and you haven’t realized that since I have absorbed the other/first Gracie’s thoughts/brain/synapses, I understand you more/better/greater than you do.”

Grace took a faltering step forward, and said to the creature/thing/amoeba/alien, “Then you know that I want to stop the drain.”

“Yes, I do.” It then explained, “You transmit/move/send your thoughts to me as I do to you. Your definition does not contain person. Why?”

“I don’t know what you call yourself,” she said defensively.

“Yet you know that I am a person. Your bravery/determination is showing in your mind now. You are conversing not out of fear/weakness/inferiority now.”

“You could have consumed/engulfed/eaten us by now, if you wished.”

It rumbled. “So I could.” Suddenly it became serious and the rumbling stopped. “I will allow you to stop the drain/stealing of our sun/energy/power. According to the other Grace’s thoughts/brain, you will need to convince/compel/force the others like her to stop it as well.”

“Yes.”

“Then I give you one of your weeks/time periods to do just that.”

“Or?” asked Greg.

“Simple. I consume/eat/ingest you.”

-=#=-

Suddenly, the two were in the intersection with no sign that they had ever been away.

“How did that happen?” Greg asked. “I mean – I’m assuming you just saw and heard what I did.” It wasn’t really a statement. More a question.

“I have no idea. Unless that person has the ability to move through the wormholes and manifest itself here.”

She noticed that Greg wasn’t looking at her. He was staring straight ahead, and for a moment she thought he might be seeing the thing again – until she looked down the hall. Ahead, lying on the floor was the other Gracie.

Greg was a peculiar shade of green, and she thought she might lose the last of the food she had eaten at Denny’s that morning. Morning? Had it really only been that short time ago? She wished she could just go back to being the young Greg with no knowledge of what was now happening, but it was no longer possible. She suddenly realized that she would never want to become Greg again. Grace was who she was. Grace was who she had always been. The knowledge of the creature and the drain was what she wished she could lose. She would happily give that up.

The two stepped forward to look at their sister. Looking down at her, it was apparent that she was dead. It looked like she’d been stabbed over and over. Not far down the hall was a crossbow like the one that was still in Greg’s hand. The marks all over her body appeared to be caused by a bolt, but where was it? Her right arm seemed undamaged, but the rest of her body, except her head was riddled with wounds. Her face was turned away from them, so reluctantly, Greg reached down and turned her head.

They found the crossbow bolt.