by Adi Sethupat
She stood outside one of the dorm rooms. From within, she felt loneliness tolling…anger and…and a deep-down resolve to do right. Chrissy hoped it was Michael as she let herself in and slammed the door behind her.
“What?” He sat up. “Who’s there?”
Chrissy released and let Michael see her.
“Okay,” she said, “I’m ready. Let’s get out of here!”
Michael nodded and stood. He walked to his dresser and pulled a leather satchel from the top drawer. She sensed some fear in him but, mostly, overwhelming determination. They would escape.
“Okay, I’m ready too. I’ve been ready to get outta here for a long time.” He stood looking at her expectantly.
“What’s that?” she asked.
“Money,” he replied. “Well, more specifically, it’s gold. Gold coins.”
“Gold coins?” she asked. “Where did you get them?”
“I won them in a friendly, little competition. Look,” he said abruptly, “are we were going to get out of here or did you just want to stand around talking?”
“I want to go,” Chrissy affirmed.
“Okay then,” he snapped.
They stood looking at each other.
“So…” she said, not understanding the reason for the silence.
“You’ve got to be kidding me!” said Michael. “You don’t have a plan? You came here without a plan?!”
“You said if I needed help, I should come to you,” she reminded him. “I thought you would help me. Don’t you have a plan?”
Michael sighed loudly. “Look, you’re the uber-super, and I’m just the stupid kid with no gifts.”
“You’re the nice kid,” Chrissy countered, “who offered to help me…Michael…Mr. Kerberos wants me to have surgery…They want to cut out part of my brain.”
Michael’s pale face got even whiter. “I will help you, Chrissy, and they won’t catch us,” he asserted. “Let’s think.” His blue eyes wandered to the ceiling as his mind flipped through the possibilities, searching for a plan. “What can you do?” he asked, after a while. Chrissy could see his ideas coming together like pieces of a puzzle.
“I can do pretty much anything anyone here can do,” she replied, “so long as we’re in range.”
Michael shot her a dark look and, even though she could read his thoughts, she couldn’t guess its meaning.
“Fine then,” he said briskly. “Let’s just fly, cloaked, directly from my window for as far as we can, until we’re off school grounds at least. And then we can figure things out from there.”
He flung his window open as wide as it would go. The sun had almost set; the faint glow in the west lingered just at the horizon. The School for the Gifted was an old building with a decorative stone ledge beneath the windows, wrapping its way around the structure, complete with the heads of lions and eagles. Chrissy hesitated. Should she tell him that she had only practiced flying in her room, that she had never done it from so high? She moved to the window and looked down. His room was on the seventh floor. It was unlikely they would survive a fall that far.
“Let’s go,” he commanded.
Chrissy felt the confidence he was exuding and was filled with courage. She could do this. Chrissy moved to the window and clambered out onto the ledge. Michael came out behind her. Making a quick flip in her mind, she wrapped them both in cloak.
“What direction shall we travel in?” she asked.
“North. I’ve heard tell of a mystical resort north of here. I’ve always wanted to go.”
“Your father doesn’t know you want to go there, does he? We don’t want him to be able to guess where to look for us.”
“My father doesn’t know a thing about what I want,” Michael said, waves of anger flowing from him.
“North it is, then.”
Slowly, the black anger dissipated.
“You will have to hold onto me very tightly,” she warned.
“I understand,” he said. “Perhaps I should wrap my arms around your middle; that way I’ll be riding on your back once you’re flying.”
“That sounds right,” she agreed. He leaned down a little behind her, put his arms around her waist, and held on tight. Chrissy had a sudden urge to giggle but she suppressed it. She had to concentrate. She focused inward. They lurched off the ledge, upwards, at a crazy angle. Then they began to plummet toward the ground. Still she felt Michael’s arms, wrapped tightly about her middle, and his determination. They would make it. They would get away.
Chrissy leveled out just before striking the earth. Then, slowly, she brought them up, over the tree line.
“Wow! Some ride!” he said, shifting a little for comfort but still keeping his grip on her.
She could breathe. They were okay. The full moon lit their way as they skimmed over the forest. She came out over a farmer’s field and saw a river off to her right. The white light of the moon played upon the water like a silver ribbon in the darkness. Chrissy shuddered and they dropped a few feet. She began to lose connection with that which held them aloft.
“Get us lower!” Michael yelled.
Chrissy turned back the way they had come. Her control grew stronger again and she brought them down neatly on the edge of the farmer’s field.
“Phew! That was a close one!” said Michael, releasing her. “Good flying, by the way. Excellent job.”
“Thanks.”
“Come on,” he said, as he set off across the field. “We’ve got a very long walk ahead of us.”
She marveled at his long strides and hurried to catch up. She knew she had been right to trust him.
Chapter 4 - Mountain Springs Resort and Spa
It was a steep climb up the path to the hillside resort. Chrissy and Michael had been on the run for almost two days - walking steadily when it was light out and resting when it was dark. They had slept one night in a barn and one night in a field of long grass. They had encountered no one on the way.
“Is this the only road?” Chrissy complained. “My feet are killing me and my shoes are almost slipping off.”
Michael stopped abruptly. “Do them up tighter, then.”
Chrissy sighed as she saw he was waiting for her to comply. She untied her laces and then cinched them up tightly.
“There is another road,” he said, “through that ditch and beyond the hedge of trees. The service road. But it’s just as steep and that’s where the heavy trucks drive. This is the best path. I’ve looked this stuff up online when I was back at the School for the Gifted. I’ve always wanted to try to get to this resort.”
Once Chrissy finished, they resumed their trek.
“Why did you want to come here, anyway?” she asked him finally. The days of silence and his brooding were beginning to wear on her. That and all the walking, compounded by the non-stop silence in her head, made her feel very unhappy.
“The waters in the pools of this place are said to be healing waters. My father…he always maintained that I would grow into my gifts. That I had to be gifted because he is and my mother was. I’m hoping these waters will be able to unlock whatever’s inside me…if there is anything inside. This is my last and best hope.”
She was quiet then. The heat of the day made Chrissy feel faint. She had no hat and they had brought nothing to carry water with them. With her next step, she swayed a little.
Michael noticed and stopped to stare at her. “You don’t look well. Let’s rest for a few minutes.”
Gratefully, she followed him to the shade of a tree at the side of the road.
“Sit down,” he instructed.
With relief, Chrissy sank down into the soft grass. She leaned her back against the rough bark of a thick tree and closed her eyes. Sleep overtook her and she slipped into blissful unawareness. When she awoke, the sun was already setting in the western valley below. The clouds were pink and the light was golden. Michael was sitting near her, studying her face. She blinked in surprise at seeing him so close.
“Finally,” he said gruffly. “Let’s go. I wanna get up this hill before dark.”
“Why didn’t you wake me sooner?” Chrissy protested.
But Michael made no answer. Soon they had gained the crown of the hill and stood beside sand-colored, stone walls surrounding the resort. The thick wooden doors of the gate were still open but black metal bars blocked the entranceway. Michael shook the bars.
“It’s locked.”
“Call for someone?” Chrissy suggested.
“Good idea.” He looked at her expectantly.
Chrissy sighed. “Hello?” She called into the small courtyard beyond. “Hello? Is anyone there?”
A very tall man, at least nine feet in height, stepped into view.
“How can I help you?” he asked placidly, upon reaching the gate.
“I’ve heard about the healing pools you have at this resort. We’d like to book a room for a few days.” Michael retrieved the small bag of gold from an inner pocket and held it up to the tall man.
Without so much as another look, the man removed a locking bar from the gate and opened it to admit them. The daylight was almost completely gone.
“This way,” said the man, “I’ll show you to your room.” He led them to a luxurious sleeping area, hung with tapestries and lit with oil-burning lamps. Chrissy took off her shoes and felt the softness of the thick burgundy carpet beneath her feet.
“Ahhhhhh,” Chrissy exclaimed as she made her way to one of the two beds. “It’s nice here.”
Michael closed and locked the door. Chrissy poured herself a cool glass of water from a pitcher on the table.
“Let’s sleep,” Michael said. He flounced down on the other bed, kicked off his shoes, and threw off his coat. He didn’t bother to climb under the covers.
Chrissy finished the water and snuffed out the lamps before allowing herself to sink down into the soft bed. Again, she was asleep almost instantly.
The sunlight filtering though the high window was already a strong yellow when Chrissy awoke. And Michael was no longer in the room. She jerked out of bed. Chrissy was not used to being alone. She hurried out of the room in search of Michael. The hallways were quiet but she heard something from beyond an archway that led out into the sunlight. Following the sound, Chrissy tried to calm her racing heart. Stepping out into the light, she saw seven pools of clear turquoise water in a large open area. The pools were cut directly into the sand-colored stone. She saw men in some of the pools and women in others. She noticed the tall innkeeper relaxing in the water…and there was Michael! He grinned as she approached. Wearing a pair of shorts, he sat neck deep in the water.
“It’s fantastic here,” he said, looking up at her. “Some of the pools are hot and some are cool.”
“Yeah?” she queried, looking deep into his blue eyes. She couldn’t tell if that meant he thought it was ‘working’. With so many people nearby, it wouldn’t do to ask. She hated being without her ability to read people. It was like missing an arm. He was grinning at her. Chrissy decided she liked the way his eyes crinkled at the edges when he smiled. She smiled back, shucked off some of her outer clothing, and slipped into the pool beside him. There was a gasp from one of the women in a different pool, and several people muttered under their breath. Michael’s grin broadened.
“I think you just broke a rule,” he explained. “Typically, men and women here bathe separately.”
Chrissy felt a blush burning on her face, despite the coolness of the pool.
“It doesn’t matter,” said the innkeeper from an adjacent pool. “You have different customs. We welcome you.”
The other patrons averted their eyes. Chrissy pulled her head under the clear water and resurfaced. The water felt wonderful. Perhaps it would do them some good.
Later that morning, after a scrumptious fruit breakfast in the outer courtyard, they returned to the pools. Chrissy still had not had a chance to speak with Michael privately, to ask him if he felt any different. This time, Michael chose a warm pool and Chrissy followed him in. She pointedly ignored the glares from several of the women and sat close to him on the bench cut from stone. The mountain air was cool, so that, even during the heat of the day, the warm pools didn’t feel too hot.
The sound of heavy trucks approaching broke the tranquility of the morning. Shouting in a language she didn’t understand overwhelmed the sounds of the coming trucks. Men spoke rapidly to one another and leapt from the pools. They were pulling clothing on as they rushed toward the main gate. The women, apparently having been told something by their men, scurried for the shelter of the inn. The tall man was also out of the water, carefully drying himself with a large white towel.
“What’s happening?” Chrissy asked Michael in a low voice.
“I don’t know,” he replied. “Let’s check it out.”
They got out of the pool and jerked on the white robes provided by the inn. Still barefoot, they went in the direction that the men had gone. They found them, now armed with a variety of crude weapons, at the main gate. Chrissy and Michael stood with the group and looked down into the valley. No one was on the path leading to the Mountain Springs Resort.
“They’re on the service road,” explained one of the men in a thick accent. “It’s the Black Empire.”
The tall man came toward the group, also wearing a white robe.
“Come away from there, my brothers. Let us close the door and perhaps they will not breach this fortress.”
But the men made no move to comply. They only leered out the doorway.
“Come,” he said again, and turned away from them, toward the inner courtyard where the pools were.
Men dressed in black, with covered heads and faces, rushed up from the bushes toward the resort.
“Come on,” said Michael, taking Chrissy’s arm, guiding her away. “Let’s get out of here!” They followed the tall man into the pool area. Scuffling and shouting began behind them.
“It’s best not to rush toward trouble,” said the innkeeper, closing the heavy wooden inner door, blocking the sight of men getting thrashed, and muffling their cries. “Rather, let it come to you, if it must.”
They stood with the innkeeper, waiting. The howls of agony ceased and all was silent.
“Go inside the inn,” said the tall man quietly. “You will be safe there.”
Michael didn’t move.
“I have turned them back, time after time,” said the innkeeper. “I will do so again.”
Finally, Michael relented and led Chrissy into the building. “How will he be able to vanquish that whole army alone?” he lamented aloud as they walked down the short hall to their room.
“He said he’s done it before,” said Chrissy.
“Yes but…how?”
They went into their room and locked the door. Chrissy sat down on one of the beds and Michael came to sit next to her. She reached for his hand and held it. He didn’t say anything but gripped her hand in return. Chrissy felt a heat rising from her face. It seemed odd…she didn’t think she felt embarrassed to touch him. All at once, she felt as though she couldn’t breathe. Could he really have such an effect on her? They had touched before. Then, with a sickening feeling of dread, she lurched away. The feelings weren’t because of him at all. She was changing.
“Open the door, Michael.” The words were a struggle. Chrissy collapsed onto the floor. Her head resting on her knees, she felt as though the world were spinning. She heard the click of the dead bolt sliding aside and the whoosh of the door being flung open. She stood and staggered toward the exit. Chrissy didn’t see Michael anywhere. The last thing she remembered, as the color faded from her vision, was feeling thankful he had the sense to stay out of the way.
Chrissy awoke, feeling pain all over and seeing the black and white image of a terrible beast nearby and the arms of another such creature even closer. And she felt…rage. It was a battle, where the men that came at her were like insects to be slapped away. Her conscious mind
closed off again, leaving only an animal behind.
Then she was lying on her back in the outer courtyard, eyes open, staring up into the sky. Chrissy sat up and saw the innkeeper in a fresh, white robe.
“What happened?” she asked, looking down at her own robe that was torn and…was that blood? “What have I done!?” she gasped.
The tall man moved toward her, as if remembering her for the first time. “Only what was needed, my child.” He bent down to help her stand. “Only what was necessary to drive the rebels away and save all of those inside.”
She squeezed her eyes shut but the dreaded memory of what had happened did not come.
“Go and rest,” the man commanded.
Michael took her arm and gently led her away. She leaned on him as he guided her to their room. Chrissy took off the sullied robe and fell into the bed. As she drifted into sleep once more, she thought she heard Michael saying that they would leave the next morning. She was glad but…where would they go?
Chapter 5 - To Slum City
The next morning, Chrissy and Michael sat eating fruit with the innkeeper in his private courtyard. The platter was filled with the choicest of fare. Chrissy selected a strawberry and popped it into her mouth. The innkeeper was drinking a large cup of fresh coffee. It smelled delicious but, having tasted the vile brew before, Chrissy had opted for milk instead.
“So,” said the tall man to Chrissy, “I finally meet one. You are Aylward.”
“Aylward?” she echoed.
“Yes. One able to wield all the gifts. Your kind is meant to be a noble protector of our people in times of need.”
Chrissy nodded as she pondered his words. Yes. A protector. That was what she wanted to be. She glanced at Michael. The expression on his face was dark and angry.
“My gift…” continued the tall man, “seems a violent one. But it can be useful. And thank you for your assistance yesterday.”
