Polynatural-Book 1

Chapter 21

Parker's POV 

Where is she? It's already almost twelve. She should have been here a long time ago. I get being late for a party, but never this late. It would be over in an hour. Ugh. Damnit. I knew it. She stood me up. I should have known good things don't happen to me.

"Parker, have some fun man. You've been a dud all night," says a guy with his arm wrapped around two girls. He takes a sip of his beer and then awaits my answer.

"I am having fun," I reply monotonously.

"Bull! What's the matter with you? Ain't you s'pose to have your list to attend to?" He slurs out drunkenly. 

"She's not here yet."

"Woah now. Since when does Parker have only a she? It should be shes, plural."

"..."

"Come on man, there are tons of girls here, it's your birthday, your pick."

The two girls around him straighten up a little and look at me flirtatiously. Last year I would have been on board with this idea, but not this year. I easily dismiss their batting eyelashes and seductive glances. Tonight is my birthday, and I want to see Lacey.

"Don't get too drunk," I say to the guy and pat him on the back.

I depart my party and get in my car. If Lacey isn't going to come to me, then I'll go to her. I put the key into the ignition and turn on the radio.

Shawty's like a melody in my head  

That I can't keep out  

Got me singin' like  

Na na na na everyday  

It's like my iPod stuck on replay, replay-ay-ay-ay 

Lacey, you're like the melody in my head. A song that I just can't get----What the? I immediately slam my foot on the brakes and the car screeches to a halt.  A few feet ahead is a car parked at an awkward angle on the street. It blocks the whole street, making it impossible for me to bypass. I step out of my own car to see if the person parking the car would kindly move. As I approach the car I notice no one is in the passenger seat. In fact, the car is empty. Oddly enough, a pair of keys dangle from the steering wheel. Hmm that's strange. Who leaves a pair of keys and a car unattended in the middle of the street? I shrug my shoulders and dismiss it as a drunk driver. I've got a special lady to attend to anyways, one that has a duty to satisfy my needs. I'll just go the other way. After that, I didn't put any more thought into the matter. My sole purpose now is to go see Lacey. The other way will only take a few minutes longer anyways. I reach Lacey's living quarters shortly. Before exiting the car I check myself in the mirror. My appearance is clean and respectable. I am glad I made the decision of skipping out on drinking for the night. My knuckles tap the front door three times. A middle aged man, named Tom, according to Lacey, opens it up.

"Why hello Parker," he speaks in a cheery but slightly confused tone.

"Hey."

"What brings you here? Don't you have a party to attend to?"

"Yeah I do. I was just wondering why Lacey wasn't there."

"What do you mean?"

I furrow my eyebrows at his response.

"She never showed."

"Hmm, that's strange." He crinkles his eyebrows as well. "She left from The Bosses house and not here...something about his wife insisting on dollying her up. You should check there."

"Oh, okay."

"Sorry, I can't be more help."

I rush to The Bosses houses and repeat the same coversation I had earlier with Tom.

"That's ridiculous. I saw her drive off myself." 

"When was that?" I'm getting concerned...

"Roughly 2 hours ago."

"2 hours ago? That's not possible. I waited and she never came."

"Maybe you didn't see her."

"Oh trust me, I would have seen her. Maybe she didn't leave her room."

"You calling me a liar?"

"No, I just...I don't know...What if something happened?"

"Lacey is a big girl she can take care---oh shit! Shit!"

"What?"

"Parker come with me. We need to go to the society's headquarters, immediately."

"Wait, what? why?"

"It slipped my mind. I'll explain when we get there."

I follow The Boss as he exits out of the door.

"Damnit! Where's my car? Oh right! Lacey took that. We'll borrow my wife's. Get in!"

I obey his command and jump into the car.

Hastily, The Boss puts the key in and begins stepping onto the gas pedal. The hand on the speedometer increases upward as we go down the street. Suddenly, The Boss stops abruptly. My whole body surges forward and then falls back. Ahead is the same car that I had trouble with earlier.

"Oops, I forgot to mention that there was a---"

"WHAT THE FUCK! THAT'S MY CAR RIGHT THERE! THAT'S SO IRRESPONSIBLE OF THAT CHILD TO LEAVE IT ON THE STREET LIKE THAT!"

Red rises to the brims of his cheeks. He rushes out of the side door and up to his car. I follow, confusedly behind. As he reaches the window he opens his mouth to begin a strenuous line of yelling, but then his mouth shuts and his eyebrows furrow.

"No one is in there. I checked earlier," I say.

I watch as The Boss twists his mouth in confusion. His eyes then scrutinize every inch of the car, stopping right in the front. He bends down and more confusion hits him in the face. I follow the direction that his eyes are looking and I spot something that I hadn't noticed before. Staining the front rim of the car is a rusty color. Fear creeps up into the iris of my eye as The Boss continues to examine the rusty patch of color. Oh god, what happened here. Where's Lacey? I stand there stunned as The Boss brushes his fingers on the blood. 

"She hit something...not quite animal or human. You see this molecule pattern staining my fingers?"

I inch closer and stare at his fingers. "What do you mean neither animal or human?"

"I have a hunch of what it is, but I'm not positive. I need to take samples of this to The Society to get analyzed."

The Boss stands up and places his hand onto the car window. A red luminescent color appears around the edges of his hand. He then conspicuously shoves the glass inward. It easily falls into the seat. Without wasting anytime, The Boss reaches into the car and grabs from the front seat a plastic baggie and a knife. He then skillfully scraps off the crusty blood into the plastic baggie.

"Come on Parker. We have to get moving."

I respond with a simple nod.

AT THE SOCIETY

I anxiously pace around the outside of the lab. What happened and where is Lacey? The Boss comes out of the lab with a solemn expression.

"What is it?" I hesitatingly ask.

"My hunch is correct...There's something about Lacey that you don't know, something that she doesn't even know."

"..."

"I'm not exactly entitled to say any of this to you, but now since you're kind of involved.... Are you prepared to hear this?"

I lump forms in my throat as I forcefully try to swallow.

"Yes," I manage to forcefully choke out.