YJL

“I’m your mother,” she claims.

The woman I have known for my entire life is whom I called by mother, even after I realized that I was adopted. In my heart, I wanted her to be an impostor, not my adoptive mother, but every instinct in me is telling me that she is my mother, and she has the ability to insert.

Kate is clinging to my arm, standing behind me, asking what is going on in whispers. She knows it’s serious, or I wouldn’t be risking exposing myself and calling in four Protectors while our family is all around for holiday. I can feel her trembling hand, she isn’t sure if that is our mother in front of us.

The woman is looking at us with confidence and a smile that could melt hearts, didn’t even flinch when four people appearing in strange dresses, while others slowly keep distances farther and farther away, leaving us in the living room.

Maintaining the smile as she begins to approach us, they block her immediately, she wouldn’t be able to reach us close and she is fully aware of that.

“Kate, do you remember what you said when you first saw Keith in the crib?” she asks.

I know what she is doing, but Kate isn’t answering her yet. She wants to get to Kate first, if she can’t physically get to us. If you can do insertions, you can find out the answer easily, so do have the right question to gain Kate’s trust.

“He looks like a little pea in a pod,” they say in unison with giggles.

No idea why I looked like a pea, I’d have to find out about that afterward, but I must be distracted more than I expected.

“It’s okay, hon,” she says.

Kate has reached out to take her hand, I am already too late to stop, they have hold hand in hand. I can see her hand that Kate is holding dearly.

“No, you can’t be,” I say.

The glowing green light shades underneath her wrist, from the activation of the bracelet. Our mother is an Inserter, one of us, that’s why I can sense her presence, though I haven’t figured out why only moments ago.

“Two hours before Christmas midnight, 1705, England,” she answers to our silent, yet to popped question.

It’s pitch black everywhere, but I know we are standing on a hill, or a place up high, because I can see dim and flickering lights around us. The ground is soft, covered in snow, the air is cold and chill. It’s dark and silent.

Three of us, alone, I can call in supports, but I want to know what this is about, why she brought us here, to this time period. She walks a few steps forward, looking for something.

“There, it’s about to start,” she points at one dark direction.

I can barely see anything, there are some houses, a few lights, but that’s all I can make out with my naked eyes. She is still standing in front of us, anticipating something to happen.

“How could you be my mother?” I ask.

She doesn’t answer, not even turning back to look at me, but we both know. Even though we are here for a reason, I need to ask for an answer that I don’t even need, or which wouldn’t change the fact. Kate doesn’t understand why I wanted to ask that question, not even that question actually meant to ask, but she knows that’s our mother.

“She isn’t just our mother, she really is my mother,” I say to Kate.

She finally understands, the thing clicks into her mind. Mom turns back to us, smile again before continuing.

“I was on a mission when I found out that I was pregnant with you. I couldn’t just come back with a big belly, so I did the best as I can, pretending someone dropped you on doorstep. Your father still doesn’t know you are his own blood,” she has confirmed that I have inferred.

Kate assures me that everything turns out great, but I really can’t be sure about anything. I thought I was adopted, then ended up being part of an organization. Out of blue, discovering my own mother is an Inserter, and now we are standing in a place, three centuries ago.

It doesn’t take long to know what she is waiting for. The light starts to grow bigger and brighter, then dogs bark, people start to shout, a fire has broken out, and turns into a giant fireball engulf the town below.

“You have to save her,” she points again.

It’s the nearest building, a window of upper floor, there is someone standing by an open window, seeking for help. This side has no accessible road, no one can see her but us.

“You know I can’t do that,” I respond.

We are not allowed to intervene unless for correcting the history. I don’t know who she is, or if she would survive the fire. She might, but by someone else, if I go in, history might be changed; she might not, then history definitely is altered.

As an Inserter, she knows the rules, but she says no more, just watching that girl calling desperately for help at that window. Kate urges me to do something.

“Damn it! Fuck!” I curse twice, first one for breaking the rule, second one for the coming danger in the room.

I jump forward as the flame like a living monster wanting to consume me, the room is blazing hot, everything is burning and crackling. This building wouldn’t last long. I can’t hear that girl crying for help, looking over, she is about to climb over the window. She wants to jump, but at this height, she might not stand a chance. Sitting on window frame, peeking down with scare.

“Don’t!”

She is about to flip over to the other side, hearing my voice and turn to look at me, joy at first, then a confusion shows on her face. It could be just she doesn’t recognize me, or someone wears clothes she has never seen. Either way, I rush to her, pull her into my arms.

“What? I, where?” she asks incoherently.

I have brought us back to the hill, where she can see the burning house which she was just sitting on window frame a moment ago, now on white snow, in a dark night out. She has no clues what just happened, still trying to make a sense.

“What are you doing?” I ask in awe.

My mother has taken off her bracelet and activated the emergency homing countdown — the same one that saved my life in that alley — she slaps it on the girl’s wrist, shrinking down, another surprise for the girl, she is trying hard to grab that bracelet to no avail, then a ring of red light glowing before she is transported.

“What the heck were you doing? You can’t just send anyone,” I ask again.

Almost like scolding other newly recruited Inserters, who can’t follow the strict regulations and rules.

“That’s you, isn’t it? Holy molly, mom, you are three hundred years old!” Kate comments in excitement as if she just discovered a vampire or some sort of undead creature.

Kate recognized the girl, who looked like photos from mom’s early photos, she can see some similarity. Our mother has more secrets than I thought I have learned enough. She was born in 1689, died at age of sixteen in a Christmas fire, body was never found.

“Let’s go back first, we don’t want to be seen. Christmas eve, 11:30, on roof. Yeah, I know, even I told you not to, you two still climb out to roof,” she says.

One hand on Kate’s, another on me, beckoning me by shaking my hand. I just forget the girl has the bracelet, and she wouldn’t be able to perform insertion anymore.

“Jesus Christ, I am too old for this! This is really the last time, no more roof!” she gasps almost fell off roof.

We help her sit down on the sloped roof, waiting her to calm down, catching her breath, and scolding her two kids for being risking their lives on a roof.

“So, what are you? I must be out for very long time, is there an detection upgrade in bracelet now?” she asks curiously.

“Keith is the Prime Inserter,” Kate proudly informs our mother about my position.

“Prime?” surprised, but doesn’t sound happy.

She looks at me, we still hold in hands, I can feel her hand squeezing mine. Mom turns to ask Kate what she is since Kate clearly is with me and aware of everything, trying to avoid questions from me.

“Just a tag along big sister,” Kate says heartily.

Mom laughs, but eventually she has to tell us why she felt sad. After the laughter die down, we all look at the sky in silence.

“On numbers, I am 325 years old, but we all know it’s much more than the number says. Do you have any idea how old the Director is? The more important you are, the less chance you can get out and still be alive and live to a natural death. I am happy, met your father, married, have a great family finally,” she says.

As Kate growing up, she knew Kate and her were the two women she met hundreds of years ago. She thought I was someone else, as I getting older, she knew I was the guy who pulled her out of fire and older her sent herself to a long journey.

She was like me, only she brought herself in, I was by someone else. Everyone in it has very limit personal life involving people outside since outsiders die inevitably, mostly have no relationship inside or outside. I don’t know how my parents met, but she must have received a special permission and treatment since she has appeared to age normally, at least in my eyes as I grew up.

“I knew this day would come, both of you would be involved, nothing I can do to stop it. Just I didn’t expect you are the Prime. Keith, you are more important than the Director,” she continues.

That speaks all her concern. I have never thought about the end, the tangling threads keep you away from those thoughts, I am just starting, still thrilling every time I went on something. If the age of the Director is such mystery, I can’t imagine how old I would be in the future.

“Take care of each other,” she says softly to us.

She knows we might be in it for very long time as her own experience speaks for itself, and this tag along sister might be getting herself into an extremely lengthy life.

Giving us some gentle petting on back of hands, reminding us to oversleep to miss unwrapping as we should before leaving us alone on the roof.

“Don’t even think about it. Again!” Kate warns me.