Chapter 15: Juggling Chainsaws

Diana glanced over the room. She frowned at the feathers and busted pillows, as every mother would. But then she saw her three oldest sons lying among the feathers and a smile tugged at her lips. They were lying there so calm and serene; she couldn't bear to disturb them. She sat down on the bed quietly and was careful of Taylor's feet as she did. She was almost afraid to wake them for dinner, but she had to. She reached down to gently shake Zac by the shoulder when he said something in his sleep. Diana froze in her position and listened to her son's mumbling.

"Alanis, I'll find you. I don't care what they say. And if I can't get to you, Divia will. She'll find you. Then we'll be together."

A tear came to Diana's eyes. But she quickly shook it away. Zac was growing up. She could no longer stop her children, she could for a while, but then Alanis came and stole her babies away. She hated Alanis for that but Diana remembered that Alanis had also kept her children on earth, by warning Isaac and Zac of the car crash and finding Taylor. That is why she loved her. Zac loved her also, and Diana knew it. Somehow, someway…those two teenagers were connected. Maybe it had to do with the tragedies that had affected that family and Diana's own but…

Diana shook everything out of her head and slowly reached down again to shake Zac. Right before she touched his shoulder Zac heard something.

"Zac, I'm alive"

Zac snapped awake. "She's alive…I can't believe it. She's ALIVE" he whispered. He barely heard his mother tell him that dinner was ready and that he needed to go eat.

Zac pulled away from the table. Taylor eyed him as Zac picked up his plate and started for the kitchen to dump what was left. Only Taylor noticed the huge mound of food left on it. Taylor scooted his chair back and kept his eyes on Zac the whole time he dumped his own plate.

"It won't solve it, not this way" Taylor whispered as he passed Zac who was going out. Zac gave him a weird look and then went on his way. Taylor shook his head and watched Zac out of the corner of his eye. 'I'm watching you, bud. You won't do this to me. I thought the exact same thing too. That I could get what I wanted if I didn't eat,' Taylor thought. He didn't see Zac look back at him with wondering and listening eyes. 'You'll eat, bud. You'll eat or I'll shove it down your throat' he continued lecturing Zac in his head. Zac gave a scowl and turned away from his brother, bitterly feeling betrayed of some secret. Zac didn't even receive the last bit of the message.

'I don't want you to die. I love you, bud. I won't let you do it to yourself or anyone else. Think of Alanis. Think of Divia. Think of Mom. She'd be heart-broken if she found out. I won't let you do it. I won't let you die' there was a pause in Taylor's thought. He stood still and considered it.

'But I won't tell' he thought and scraped the last bit of food from his plate. He rinsed it and set it in the sink. Then he went to his room.

"Bye Mom, bye Dad. I'll see you guys tomorrow. I gotta get back to the apartment so I don't wake the guy who owns the place" Isaac said and stuffed a roll in his mouth. He pulled on his jacket, waved again and struggled with a goodbye through the thick roll and he was gone. Jessica and Avery looked up and frowned. They weren't used to saying goodbye to Isaac so much. He used to be home a lot, until he had his own home. They didn't like it. But they couldn't help it. He had to go sometime, being 21 and all.

Zac sat on his bed and listened to Isaac start his car and leave. He sighed and stared at the ceiling. He decided since he was going to stay up for the rest of the night because of his nap, he might as well do something. He reached over to the desk and opened a drawer. He searched around until he found something that felt like a book. He picked it up and brought it to his face.