The Shadows- Fire's Hope

by E Kathryn

  Gliding forward, unstable, Mark skated on a small rink arranged by the Shadows within the room. Innocent, it was all Mark could think to himself as he mimicked the Shadows’ rhythm. Kip rushed forward to playfully skate next to Mark. “Hey, you’re getting it. Have you skated before?” he asked, slightly throwing Mark off balance.

  Being unused to the skates, Mark flared his crimson eyes at Kip before responding, “I haven’t skated in years.”

  Kip nodded, gracing along as if the eight wheels were a part of him.

  Emilie whizzed past them suddenly, barely touching the ground as she flew around the wide circle. The tip of his front wheel collided with Emilie’s skate ever so slightly and his balance flew to the wind.

  He stumbled, fighting impossibly hard to stay at Kip’s side. He couldn’t focus enough on where he was falling to look forward. He swerved, sending him headlong into Silverstonarellena’s path. Sil was traveling the same direction as Emilie, and Mark slammed into him at full speed, knocking both to the ground.

  “That—” Sil got up before Mark even determined which direction was down. “—is… it! If you’re going to be stuck here with the rest of us, you need to get a hold of your Shadow before you kill someone!” Ice formed over Sil, covering his face with fractals, and stiffening his long white hair, even his golden eyes turned pale as ice.

  “I didn’t even do anything. Emilie just—” Mark said, wobbling, giving all he had to not slip.

  “Emilie knows how to skate. You’re the one who lost your balance.” Sil twisted Mark’s reaction. “Like Shadows, you need to know how to skate before you can ever skate around others. You’re a hazard!”

  “Sil’s right.” Emilie slid to a halt after reversing direction and taking sides as if it had been her plot from the beginning. “A Shadow shows control and strength; that is what a Shadow is. The only reason you would run into him is if you were attacking him… unless you’re as big of an idiot as you seem.” Engineered perhaps, she had designed it so Sil would have a reason to fight Mark.

  “Are you kidding!” Mark burst, seeing through what Emilie was trying to do. “You tripped me!” He certainly didn’t want to start a fight, but Emilie was making it unavoidable.

  The other Shadows cleared the common area of the room as if it caused less damage to let any fight with Sil or Emilie happen. Elise stepped back from Sil’s growing hostility and headed to the wall. She pulled a switch and Mark awed as the bedrooms were sealed off with a bright, glowing reddish-bronze shield.

  “Sil, don’t be ridiculous. Mark just got here, and Emilie, don’t antagonize him!” Elise insisted with panic in her voice, though she tried to hide it in a leader-like tone.

  Sil raised his hands bearing long sharp threads of ice, ten towering, glittering tendrils growing from his fingertips. “You ever wondered about the whole reincarnation crap Keller’s tried to teach us? Our Shadows will always come back, different form, different body. It’s been like that for generations!”

  Sil swung his hand out, slinging thin, sharp needles at Mark. It was beyond Mark how he managed to summon the agility to dodge it on his skates, diving to the floor.

  “Yes, but he won’t. Quit screwing around. Haven’t you lost enough!” Ocie cut in. Mark stiffened, Sil’s words freaking him out. Reincarnation? Looking between Ocie and Sil, he realized Sil did this all the time. He picked fights. He antagonized everyone.

  “It’s been too long since we’ve had a good fight.” Emilie flew over to Mark, crossing her arms with a sadistic grin. “Let’s see what you’ve got, Shadow Fire!” With a simple touch, Mark began to float, but only with Emilie’s touch could he remain in the air. Emilie took him higher and higher. At the skylight, she turned him around.

  “What are you doing?” Mark panicked, flailing his arms and legs but unable to gain any control over his surroundings.

  Emilie looked at him with a sly grin. She grabbed him by the collar with a fierce grip, hoisting him up so his head nearly hit the skylight. Then, without warning, she dropped him, sending him tumbling to the floor.

  Mark shrieked as he fell at the mercy of gravity, terrified until he landed in a deep snowdrift, shocked into a fully alert state he had never felt, only ignited by the cold. His adrenaline spiked, his heart racing. A strange lucid mental state filled his head as he bolted to his feet, fire igniting in his palms.

  Cold, but suddenly empowered, Mark bore his fists and briefly looked at the intense flames in his hands. This was real, not just his dazed state. The fire was real. That was all that mattered. In and out of his fingers, climbing his wrists and licking at his sleeves. This was his alone.

  Sil stepped closer, bearing ice in his hands as he placed them on his hips smugly. “You’ve got good instincts,” he analyzed as if this was some kind of lesson. “Can you feel that rush?” he goaded, bringing up the snow on the floor into a blizzard-like spiral that traveled across his hands. “Let it fuel you. Your body creates that adrenaline for a reason. Use it!”

  Mark stood five paces from Sil, the fire on his hands singeing his sleeves, and he clenched his fist, wincing at the heat. The fire was starting to burn him, and he had to stop, consciously telling himself the fire couldn’t hurt him. He wouldn’t let it.

  Trembling, his entire body shook, and his palms opened. His heart raced, and like Sil, the fire traveled across his hands whirling around him like a storm. The fire flowed through the air like unsettled water lashing out at the snowflakes that neared it, but at the same time, it calmed Mark, steadied his heart, and focused his Shadow.

  “You actually have no concept of fighting, do you?” Sil mocked, spinning the snowflakes together like thread and compacting them into hard, dense, opaque ice. “Get used to it. The better you can use your Shadow, the better you’ll fit in.” Sil breathed of the cold, smiling grimly and using the Realm to cloud Mark’s perceptions, tugging him into that dark world. “Refine your Shadow,” Sil whispered through the darkness, “and practice!”

  Taking hold of the ice in the air, Sil reeled his arm back and hurled it forward at Mark like a baseball. Mark stood shocked, readying himself and thinking maybe he could burn up the orb of solid ice, but he was distracted and amazed by the precision Sil showed with his Shadow.

  Sil’s wild, white hair whirled around him, his stance certain and golden eyes powerful. Mark didn’t dodge until the last second, letting instinct take control, but the ice ball still struck him on the shoulder.

  Giving a cry from the sudden impact, Mark lost all focus and the flames withered and vanished. The ice ball hit the floor, bouncing once dully against the white tile before Sil took control of it, causing it to crumble, and again, it became nothing more than snowflakes. Holding his left shoulder as the pain wore off, Mark glared at Sil. “Just stop it! I don’t want to fight you!”

  Sil laughed at him playfully, sending a flurry of his storm directly through Mark’s footing, throwing off his balance and stance. “Are you getting angry yet?” he taunted, creating a new ball of ice.

  Mark couldn’t see a thing through the whiteout. He was getting cold and frustrated. Under no circumstances was Sil going to listen to him. “What are you trying to prove?” Mark shouted. “That you’re the strongest here? What do you want?”

  There was stark silence throughout the intense storm. Mark couldn’t see Sil, and his panic rose. Mark’s eyes flared crimson cherry, highly visible in the blizzard.

  He let his heart open, let all his senses work together to feel into the tempest, and for only a second, he let his mind drift into his secret place. The Realm burst around him, black and all-encompassing, but for only a second as the wind blew over him.

  It was quiet. He couldn’t see Sil, but in the white-out, he knew exactly where he was. No human sense conveyed it to him. He just knew.

  The fire exploded within his palm, then imploded, going volatile, and the crimson flames glowed brighter. Mark had never focused on one object harder in his life. The sight of the fire he created alone was enough to
reassure his doubts. On instinct, using the adrenaline pulsing through him, Mark flung the tightly wound orb of fire, hurling it at Sil as hard as he could.

  A fluster of fear and dread filled his heart, then it was overshadowed by an incredible elation, overconfidence, and power. The fear flowed from his secret place within the Realm, but it wasn’t his own. It surrounded him.

  The snow crackled, fire and ice trapped together in midair, before hitting the floor and shattering like glass.

  “Mark, don’t!” Emilie screamed, grabbing hold of his shoulders, but she was too late.

  The fire had already consumed all the ice, evaporating, filling the room with steam. However, the initial blast struck Sil in the chest. The whiteout cleared enough for Mark to see and he paled. Sil’s clothes were on fire, and he was panicking.

  The flames had taken over his shirt, and the unnatural fire clung to his skin, eating away. Collapsing to his knees, crying out, Sil tried to freeze the fire, but it wasn’t working.

  The bronze-colored energy field protecting the others vanished from Mark’s side and he tensed, taken off guard as Ocie rushed out to him, taking his hands, and instantly enveloping them in water to put out the fire. “Mark!” She pled, “listen to me. You need to completely stop using your Shadow. Focus on me, okay?” She placed a hand on his face, startling him. Outside his control, his gaze locked onto her oceanic-blue eyes, and he was lost in them.

  The fire died, and Ocie left him, hurrying to Sil with Emilie already at his side. Mark hesitated, his feet glued to the floor as his heart raced. The adrenaline held him fully alert and in a rush, but the crash was hitting him hard already.

  Sil screamed, unable to pat out the searing flame. Mark stood petrified watching him panic, drop to the floor to attempt to pat out the fire, but Sil was unable to compose himself enough to freeze it.

  “Sil!” Emilie yelled. She could only watch the fire take over his clothing.

  Ocie grimaced on her knees, too late to prevent Sil from getting hurt. She grabbed his shoulder to hold him steady, but he writhed away from her touch. “Sil, you need to calm down. Hold still! I’m going to douse you with water.” Her fingers nearly freezing as she contacted his skin, she placed a hand on his left cheek and tried to get him to look into her eyes.

  Sil refused, pinning his eyes shut. For the few seconds Ocie coated his skin in water, and Mark winced. He had never been seriously burned in his life, he had no idea how much it hurt. But from the look on Sil’s face, it was constant pain, too unbearable to function.

  “You…” Emilie growled, turning her attention to Mark and storming over, stamping her feet, thoroughly enraged. “You moron. Idiot! Are you completely brainless? What in the world were you thinking? I ought to drag you up and throw you down so there’s nothing you can do to save yourself!” Emilie ignored the fact that the elevator door was opening, but Mark saw it.

  Keller burst into the room followed closely by men in light gray uniforms. They looked like police officers, and Mark’s heart sank even lower. They gathered around Sil in a frenzy. “What on Earth happened in here?” Keller demanded, shouting directly into Ocie’s face.

  She didn’t answer him, only briefly glancing at Mark long enough for Keller to know everything. Keller glared at Mark as Emilie drove him back with insults. “Separate them!” he yelled to his men.

  Three men in uniforms rushed Mark and Emilie, causing him to panic. Rather than resisting, he pushed himself toward the man who took him by the arms and dragged him away from Emilie.

  It took two men to restrain Emilie and pull her back as she bucked and kicked with her feet in the air. Mark’s brain was dead as he let the man hold him firmly. In the silence of his heart, and the draining rush of adrenaline, he realized Emilie was unable to float these two men using her Shadow.

  Finally, the elevator opened again and a woman entered the room. She wore the same uniform but loosely unbuttoned over an informal black dress. Mark’s eyes locked on her, confused, but in awe as his vision blurred.

  The woman carried a lightweight stretcher, and over her shoulder, she had a trauma kit with a first aid cross on it. But Mark’s focus was on her long, strawberry-red, curly hair tied in a high ponytail.

  “Not again!” she said, scarcely sparing a glance at Mark as she knelt down to Sil and tore away the remains of his shirt. “Can you stand, Sil?” she called down to him.

  Sil’s face contorted with intense pain, but he opened his eyes and the woman got him to sit up. Sil winced and cried out when she urged him to stand, pulling him onto his feet, supporting him by his arms and back.

  Sil could walk, but he was slow, wincing at every movement. Keller and the other men followed into the elevator, leaving the Shadows behind. The two men waited, refusing to release Emilie until the room cleared.

  When the elevator door closed, silence overtook the whole space, and all eyes fell on Mark. Emilie glared at him, an unhampered anger raging inside her.

  Painstakingly slow, all the Shadows moved to their beds, but Mark remained standing, too afraid to take a single step like any movement would trigger Emilie to attack him.

  “Look…” Mark’s breath quivered, attempting to reason with Emilie. “That was just an accident… I couldn’t see him,” he insisted, but Emilie’s pent up rage drove her closer.

  She dashed to the switch for the shield which would trap him on this side of the barrier with her. Slamming down on it, she flung herself off the wall like she was swimming and propelled herself at him. Mark could feel the bronze light behind him as if it was hot. It illuminated against his skin and he feared the moment he impacted the surface.

  “I’m sorry!” Mark shrieked, his arms flying up to protect himself. He stumbled, forgetting—other than the intense pressure on his feet—he was still wearing skates.

  He reeled backward, collapsing, and heard Kip shriek as he plummeted onto his spine. Mark knocked the wind out of himself and felt his shoulder blades throb from the fall. The pain worried him since he already had back problems, but not more than seeing Emilie rushing at him through a fog of red.

  She crashed into the transparent ward, sending her flying and tumbling to the floor. Only then did Mark realize he had fallen through the bronze-red shield.

  The Shadows sat shocked, staring at the sight in complete awe. Emilie sat up on the floor, shaking off her disorientation and the temporary canceling of her powers. “What the…” she breathed, staring at Mark’s rollerblades sticking out from the other side of the transparent curtain.

  Mark scurried backwards, fully inside the energy field in case Emilie changed her mind, and decided to attack him. He saw the rage in her eyes die as she stood in amazement. Kip ran up to the shield with wide eyes. “Mark! How did you do that?”

  Wincing from the fall, Mark got up, a sharp pain shooting down his back. “What?” He didn’t know what they were surprised about, but he didn’t doubt the look in Kip’s eyes.

  Curious, Mark reached out to touch the energy field, but his hand passed through it.

  Amazed, Kip did the same, but it sent his hand flying back, firing electricity through his arm. Mark jumped when Kip winced and stepped back almost losing his balance on his skates.

  His friend massaged his hand, used to the occasional sting. “Do you know what this means?” Kip whispered, his voice a little strained.

  Mark shook his head, and the hopefulness in Kip’s eyes struck him.

  “You can defy the ASH! This shield can’t hold you back!” he said, jumping with excitement. “Here!” He extended his hand just far enough to not touch the shield. “Pull me through.”

  Mark reached out reluctantly. It felt like nothing separated him from the others. He could still feel them like they were waiting within the Realm, hiding.

  He grabbed Kip’s hand through the shield, taking it firmly and yanked. Kip stumbled, passing through the energy field with ease. The boy gasped, utterly shocked as Mark steadied him. “I didn’t feel a thing!” he declared. “Jus
t contact with you makes it so the ASI doesn’t work on me either!”

  Emilie set her feet on the floor, and cautiously, each Shadow gathered closer, their minds in tandem with the Realm, thinking only one thing, the Exodus has come. A powerful wave rushed over Mark in the Realm, and the phrase shook his core. But there was still doubt in their voices, a worry that this might not be the answer to the hopes they had only dreamed of for years.

  Kip stared at Mark in surprise, grabbing his hand tighter, walking back through the shield toward the other Shadows. Mark protested in a few steps but let himself glide forward on his skates. While Kip still held onto his hand, Kip entered the Realm and pulled Mark with him.

  Mark felt thrown into it, the darkness bursting around him, and Kip’s immense form of light overpowered him. Shadows appeared like fiery pillars and moved closer, surrounding him and his fear rekindled as never before.

  Feeling his worry and the crippling fear, Emilie floated nearer, gazing deeply into his form so he would feel her anger slip away, revealing only the strongest desire to escape and be free. Mark had never met another being with a more intense need for freedom, even within these walls. Emilie, beyond all others, wanted nothing more than to leave the ASH.

  Emilie scrutinized Mark’s fiery hand reaching toward her, blazing, warm and bright. Mark hesitated to meet her eyes, but in return for her change of heart, he offered her his confidence.

  The fire flickered as he touched her hand, but when their Shadows combined, her will met his. Mark allowed her to see the freedom he had before now. He knew through the Realm that in her heart, she wanted it.

  Emilie gasped at the visions Mark imparted to her. She stepped out toward the Shadows. This is our ticket out of here. We have been waiting for this. You can share your power with us and help us escape.

  Wait! What are you talking about? Mark cried out through the blackness. What’s the Exodus?

  A softer Shadow neared him, gentler than Emilie, and bright as a star. Mark was slow to assess that this was Kip until the boy explained. The Exodus is an event that happens every generation. Humans hate Shadows and try to imprison them, but a time always comes for us to be free. No one will be afraid of us anymore.