All Things in the Shadows

by B. D. Messick

  “I have plenty of fun.”

  “Really? You mean watching TV with your teenage daughter, or maybe going to the grocery store on a Friday night?”

  She rolls her eyes at me.

  “You know, if you're going to go shopping on Friday night, you could pick up more than bread and milk,” I say, laughing again.

  “Oh my gosh. What am I going to do with you?”

  “Nothing, because you know I'm right.”

  “Fine. I'll try and have a little pleasure with my business while I'm gone.”

  “Good.”

  “Now, what about you? What are you gonna do this weekend?”

  “Not sure yet. Probably call Amanda and see if she wants to do something.”

  Mom nods before opening her purse. She pulls out a couple of twenty-dollar bills and hands them to me.

  “Well, there's plenty of food in the house, but take this in case you go out.”

  “Thanks.” I slip the money into my pocket.

  My fingers brush against Kateri’s paper and I suddenly feel guilty about lying to her, but I can't tell her now. The last thing she needs is to be distracted by my problems when she has her own worries about this new project. Maybe when she gets home we can have a long talk. A car horn honks twice and she looks at me.

  “That's my taxi,” she says, pulling me into a hug. “Thanks for breakfast, honey, it was delicious. I love you, Eve.”

  “You're welcome and I love you too, Mom. Kick some ass,” I reply, hugging her back.

  “I will.”

  I help her carry her bags outside and down to the car. She climbs into the back seat, and just before the car pulls away I yell to her.

  “Oh yeah and have some fun!”

  She sticks her head out the window and shakes it while rolling her eyes at me. I wave as the taxi turns the corner and disappears. I pull my phone out of my back pocket.

  11:35 a.m.

  How the hell am I going to wait till nine to meet Kateri?

  I spend the rest of the morning and what I thought was most of the afternoon trying to make the time pass as quickly as possible. I watch some TV, surf the net on my laptop, clean my room (kinda), have lunch, and read for a while. When I check my phone, it's 2:25.

  Are you serious?

  I wish I had some way of contacting her. A phone number, or a strange piece of parchment that I can send a message on. I can't ever remember being so anxious and eager to be somewhere, not even when we went to see Coldplay last summer. This feels like torture. Wandering into the living room, I flop down on the couch, hugging one of the soft corner pillows and closing my eyes for a few minutes. I wake with a start, my breath catching in my throat for a second. I look down at my phone on the floor.

  7:25.

  “Shit!” I jump to my feet and vault up the stairs to the bathroom.

  Forty-five minutes, six outfits, and three hairstyles later I descend the steps to the landing outside the kitchen. I'm wearing my favorite pair of black, skinny jeans, the ones that make my butt look awesome. A bright red tank top, and red Nike's. The brown leather jacket my mom got me for Christmas last year completes the ensemble. I'm normally someone who doesn't care too much about their appearance. I mean, I don't go out looking like a slob or anything, but I don't dress up either. I figure you either like me for who I am, or not. Fancy clothes and makeup are the shell, it's what's beneath the surface that matters. And speaking of makeup, I put some on, which I almost never do. I'm getting dressed up for someone who may be nothing more than a figment of my imagination.

  8:15.

  I can't sit around here waiting any longer, so I decide to head to the park. Maybe she'll show up early. I'm hoping for some answers tonight, and not a bunch of new questions.

  Indian Lake is about a ten-minute walk from our house, but I cover the distance in less than five. It's one of three parks in our little town, but it's the biggest and the nicest. There's a small man-made lake ringed by a mile-long walking track. Two covered bridges are set on opposite sides of the water and help bring a country feel to the whole place. There are two other trails that wind up into the low hills that surround the park. The place is rarely deserted. There are always joggers, fast-walkers, hikers, families with strollers, and/or people fishing for trout no matter what time it is. The place is so popular in fact, the city installed lights along the track last year.

  When I get there, the place is packed, especially for a late April evening. It's kinda warm, but there's a definite chill in the air. It's one of those nights when you can see your breath, if you make a concerted effort, even though it's not quite cold enough. The lake sits down in a small depression, so when you first come through the gates, you can see the whole place laid out below.

  I stand at the entrance, trying to see if I can spot Kateri, but no such luck. I'm at least half an hour early and for all I know, she could be anywhere, in any of a thousand shadows cast by the moon or the lights. I start down through the parking lot, making my way past the collection of minivans, motorcycles, and sports coupes. As I approach the walking path, the voices suddenly start. It feels like thousands of them all talking at the same time. The power of so many at once makes me dizzy, and I stumble, barely catching the side of a sign post to avoid falling.

  A few people walk past and glance at me, but no one stops to ask if I'm okay. It takes a few minutes before I'm able to concentrate enough to essentially turn down the volume and start to control the overwhelming input. Leaning heavily on the sign for a few more minutes, I slowly start to make my way onto the track. I spot a dark figure standing near the water out of the corner of my eye. Normally, when I turn to look directly at one of these shadowy figures, they vanish, like they aren't even there, but this time, it's different. For a second or two, I can see him clearly. He's tall, thin, with pale skin, brown hair, and dark eyes. His clothes look like something you could buy in a thrift shop or discount store; old jeans, a dark colored button-down shirt, and a long black trench-coat. Nothing too odd or old, but nothing new or hip either. He looks back at me, and the expression of shock on his face must be similar to my own. For a couple of seconds, we just look at each other and then he steps into a shadow cast by a tree next to the water's edge and vanishes, exactly like Kateri when she melted into the darkness in my room.

  I sigh and shake my head.

  Maybe I am going crazy.

  A couple of joggers pass me by as I merge into the flow of park visitors walking along the path. I wish Kateri had told me where to meet her. The park isn't huge, but it's big enough that finding a single person in the dark is pretty hard. I spot the small gazebo situated a little way from the track, and about twenty yards from the water. No one's there, but I figure it might be a good place to wait for her. Since I'm early, I'm hoping she'll spot me when she arrives. Two solar powered lamps cast a surprisingly bright light across the wooden structure. I pull out my phone to check the time.

  8:31

  Then I pull out the little slip of paper and open it slowly, and even before it's fully unfolded, I can tell the wording is already different. My heart beat increases at the mere thought of another message from her.

  Be there soon, ran into a ... problem ... wait for me.

  Kateri

  A problem? Even though it's just a written message and not her voice, there's something in the wording that tells me it's more than a missed alarm. I slip the paper back into my pocket and sit down on the bench. A second later, my phone rings.

  “Hey, Mom,” I say after swiping the screen.

  “Hi, honey. Whatcha' up to?”

  “Nothing really. Down at Indian Lake.”

  “Are ya? You and Amanda?”

  “Nah, just me. Felt like a walk.”

  “That's cool. Things are busy here. Trying to get ready for the meeting tomorrow.”

  “I'm sure you'll do great, Mom.”

  “Thanks, baby. Did you have something for dinner?”

  “Yes, Mom. Don't worry, I'm eating,” I
say, lying a little bit and realizing for the first time I haven't eaten anything since lunch.

  “Okay. Well, I gotta run honey. They're taking me out for drinks.”

  “Good. See, I told you, have some fun.”

  “Yes dear,” she says laughing. “Love you, Eve.”

  “Love you too, Mom. Bye.”

  I end the call and slip the phone back into my pocket. I have to stifle a scream when Kateri's voice comes from behind me.

  “Aw, that's sweet. Mom out of town?”

  “Jesus, Kateri. Do you have to sneak up on me every time?” I turn just as she appears out of the shadows on the other side of the railing that surrounds the gazebo.

  “Sorry, it's what I do.”

  I have to admit, I'm happier to see her than I ever expected. I can feel my pulse rocketing up as I gaze at her beautifully proportioned face, and then I notice the angry red cut on her left cheek. Without even thinking, I stand up, reach out and touch her face. When my fingers brush her skin, I feel something like an electric pulse course through my entire body, ending deep down inside me. For her part, she flinches for a second, but does nothing to push me away.

  “What are you doing?” she asks.

  “Nothing ... I uh ... I saw the cut. Are you okay?” I ask, now quickly becoming self-conscious about touching her, but I don't pull my hand back quite yet.

  She looks at me, those mesmerizing multicolored eyes transfixing me and then she reaches up and touches my hand, gently pulling it away from her face. It's not a gesture of rejection, but more one of friendly gratitude and perhaps a little shyness.

  “I'm fine. Got into a little scrape, that's all.”

  As she releases my hand, I let my fingers brush along hers and then I grow embarrassed about how bold I must seem.

  “Sorry, I didn't mean to ... to just touch you like that.”

  “It's cool,” she replies with a smile as she comes around the side of the gazebo and up the two small stairs. Her sword clinks on the side of the bench as she sits down a few inches from where I'm standing.

  Tonight, she's dressed in tight fitting black jeans, a black tank top, and thigh high black leather boots. Everything looks well worn, but in good condition, sort of like they've seen a lot of action. Her dark hair hangs in loose curls around her face.

  “You got dressed up,” she says, with a wicked little grin.

  “Not really.” I sit down as I feel a blush move across my skin.

  “Pfft ... I've never even seen you with makeup on.”

  I frown a little. “How long have you been watching me?” I ask, more than a little annoyance in my voice.

  She shrugs. “Few months, maybe a bit longer.”

  “You some kind of stalker?” I suddenly become a little uncomfortable.

  What have I gotten myself into?

  Now it's her turn to frown. “I'm not a stalker.” She stares at me. “I'm a guardian.”

  “A guardian?”

  “Yeah”

  “What are you guarding?” I ask, sort of not wanting to hear the answer.

  “You.”

  Chapter Five

  “What are you talking about? Why would you be guarding me?”

  She looks at me and smiles, her multi-colored eyes sparkling. “Because you're important, and besides, it's my job.”

  I shake my head. “Wha ... what? Why am I important? I'm nobody.”

  She seems genuinely stunned by my statement. She shakes her head slowly. “You're not nobody,” she says, reaching over and taking my hand in hers. “Do you really not know any of this?”

  “Do I seem like I know what the hell is going on?” I look down at our coupled hands.

  Her fingers are as soft and gentle as I imagined in my dream, and her touch sets off a myriad of sensations throughout my entire body. Fireworks explode in my head, my heart speeds up ten-fold and it feels like a spark ignites deep down in my soul. She pulls her hand back quickly, looking slightly embarrassed.

  “Sorry, I didn't mean to grab you,” she says.

  “It's cool,” I say, echoing her reaction to my touch.

  She smiles again, and we both laugh quietly.

  “So, your mother never told you any of this?”

  “My mother? What does she have to do with this?”

  “Craaaap. Listen, I need to take you to see someone,” Kateri says with a worried look on her face.

  Now, it's me who grabs her hand. “I'm not going anywhere with you until you tell me what the hell is going on.”

  She sighs before placing her other hand over mine, patting it gently. “Eve, you have to trust me. I'm going to take you to someone who can explain everything.”

  “Who?”

  “We call him Father.”

  “Is he a priest or something?”

  “Not exactly.”

  I can tell she wants to take me to see this ‘Father’, but she also wants me to stop asking questions even more, unfortunately I can't do that, not yet anyway.

  “What does ‘not exactly’ mean?”

  “He's someone who guides us and helps us with our work.”

  “So, he's your leader?”

  “I guess you could say that,” she says.

  I stare at her for a few seconds before abruptly standing. “Fine. Take me to your leader,” I say, realizing how stupid I sound after it's too late.

  “Seriously?” Kateri asks, shaking her head.

  “Let's just go. How far is it?”

  “It's a few miles from here.”

  “That far? Do you have a car?”

  “No. I have something better,” she says as she takes my hand, and pulls me into the shadows cast by the solar lamps on the gazebo.

  As she begins to melt in the darkness around us, she smiles at me. “You ready for this?”

  Before I even have a chance to reply, everything around me goes black, and then it's like a flash bulb goes off and we're at the entrance to the park. I feel lightheaded, and Kateri grabs my arm and holds me up.

  “You okay?” she asks.

  “I think so, just a little dizzy. What the hell was that?”

  “Shadow streaming. It's how we travel.”

  I turn and look back at the gazebo. It's not that far away, but it certainly would take more than a split second to get from there to here.

  “That's how you were able to get to the top of that building the other day,” I say, looking at her.

  She nods. “Yep. You can travel almost anywhere, in any direction as long as you have an unbroken line of shadows. That was a short one,” she says, nodding toward the gazebo. “It can be a little ... disconcerting for newbies.”

  “I'll say. So, you can take anyone with you, by simply touching them?”

  For a second, she doesn't answer, and I frown.

  “Not really. I just figured I'd give it a try. You have to be ... um ... unique to do it.”

  “Unique,” I say, my hand on my hip.

  “Let's just ... you ready to go again?”

  “Sure. By the way, how do you change direction, or stop?”

  “You have to keep your eye on your destination. It takes some practice. First time I did it, I nearly fell off a bridge into traffic,” she says laughing, although it doesn't seem that funny to me.

  “If I'm ‘unique’, does that mean I can do it on my own?”

  “Maybe, but it's not safe. I figured I might be able to give you a kick-start so to speak. This time,” she says, offering her hand to me, “we're going a bit further, with a couple of jump points.”

  I nod as I take her hand, gently squeezing her fingers.

  “Here we go,” she says as we step into the shadow cast by the parking lot streetlamp.

  This time I try and concentrate on what's going on, and things are a lot different. I can see a blurry and dark version of the city rushing by us, as we move silently, and seamlessly from shadow to shadow. It's hard to describe exactly. I don't feel weightless as we're moving, but as we're approaching a smal
l convenience store about half a mile from the park we move effortlessly from the ground to the roof and then from there to a fire escape on building a few hundred feet away. It's like parkour on steroids, combined with base-jumping in the dark, but that doesn't even really come close to describing it. Suddenly, we stop on the top of a three-story apartment building and I lose my grip on her hand. I stumble forward on the rough surface.

  “Eve!” Kateri yells as she grabs my arm and pulls me back from the edge.

  I wrap my arms around her, almost as a reflex and she looks at me and smiles.

  “Gotta watch your step,” she says, peering over the side of the building into the trash strewn alley.

  “Thanks.”

  That lovely scent of lilies and sunshine drifts over me and I gaze into her color speckled eyes. It's a few seconds before I suddenly realize how long I've been holding her. I step back, and feel a blush run through me.

  “No problem,” she says with a quick smile.

  “This is how you travel all the time?”

  “Most of the time, but it's actually a little harder at night.”

  “Really? I figured it'd be easier. It's dark everywhere.”

  Kateri nods. “You'd think, but darkness is not the same as shadows. We can 'travel via the shadows thrown by the light, but not the darkness cast by the night',” she says and then laughs. “That's a little rhyme we learn when we first start streaming.”

  “But how do you tell the difference?”

  “Practice, practice, practice. Sometimes they're both there at once, especially at night, which is why it's so much harder after the sun goes down. It's easy to spot a shadow when the sun is shining.”

  “How much further is it?”

  “Not far. See that building over there, the one with the faded red roof?”

  I look off into the distance and spot the old creamery factory.

  “Yeah. That's your headquarters?”

  She laughs and shakes her head.

  “We don't call it that, but I guess that as good a word as any.”

  “But there's nothing there. The place has been closed for more than thirty years.”