by Jerry Hart
* * *
Owen spent that night in another room Nikki had set up for him. There was a mattress on the floor, with a relatively clean blanket. Candles were lit up around the room, since there was no electricity. He could see how Nikki lived this way; it was fairly comfortable, but also a little lonely.
He held the orb in front of him now, running his fingers over its surface. His head was hurting the way it always did whenever he thought of his father, which was what he did now. Why was he thinking of Dad? He missed him, sure, but....
Owen suddenly realized he was thinking of home. He had no home now. The condo was off-limits to him, and the thought of going back to his house in Birch nauseated him—too many bad memories.
That left him only one option: this place. Nikki had said he could stay with her and Darlington for as long as he wanted.
But this place would never truly be home without his friends.
Nikki and Darlington seemed nice, but Owen barely knew them. They were friends of a friend, but that wasn’t the same. Well, Nikki made Owen feel surprisingly comfortable. The initial creepy feeling she’d given him upon their first meeting had long dissipated. Now he felt good around her. He couldn’t explain it.
And Darlington.... Owen didn’t think he’d ever feel comfortable around that guy. It had nothing to do with Darlington’s unusual appearance, either. It was something else. There was something he...couldn’t remember. Did he know something about Darlington that—
Owen winced as his head throbbed more. “Fine!” he shouted. “I’ll stop thinking.”
Who am I talking to? he asked himself.
Instead he decided to think about his friends, those no longer with him. Daniel, the softball god with the smartest mind Owen had ever seen; Alyssa, with the kindest heart; Chris, with the courage of a knight.
Owen suddenly laughed as he realized his friends were like the characters from The Wizard of Oz. But it was true: He’d had some fantastic friends, and they hadn’t deserved what happened to them. He didn’t doubt he’d see them again, one way or another. Perhaps when Owen died, they would all meet up somewhere. Heaven, perhaps. Dad might be there, too. If there was a heaven.
Every time Owen closed his eyes, he saw strange things: There were giant creatures that looked like giraffes; small creatures that looked like mutated puppies; vast cityscapes and fields with yellow and purple flowers; temples and chambers built for giants.
And then there were bright, orange eyes. That was all Owen could think of, those eyes staring out from the darkness. What they had belonged to was a mystery, however. He could not see a clear face whenever he tried to focus on the image. Had he seen those eyes in a dream or in real life?
Yesterday had been one of the longest in his life, and he was exhausted. He was also suffering from a crippling amount of sadness. For reasons unknown, he felt like he’d lost his friends more than once. How could that be?
Suddenly, Nikki walked into his room and stood at the door. She crossed her arms as she leaned against the frame. “How are you holding up in here?”
“Good, I guess,” Owen replied. “Thank you for letting me stay here until I figure out what to do.”
She walked over and sat next to him on the floor. He smelled some kind of flowery perfume coming from her and found it very pleasant.
“You’ve been through more than anyone should ever have to experience in one lifetime,” she said quietly.
He nodded; his eyes were growing heavy again, but the headache remained. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure,” said Nikki.
“Is it scary, being able to read people’s fortunes the way you do?”
She thought about it for a moment, and then said, “It was at first. I was just a little girl when I realized I could do it. My parents didn’t understand—well, my dad didn’t. He left my mom and me when I was young.”
“I’m sorry,” Owen said kindly.
“It’s okay. It was my fault....” She paused. “Well, it was Mom’s fault. I could see with my abilities she was cheating on Dad, and I told him. And he left.”
“Did you ever blame yourself?”
“In the beginning, yeah.” She sighed. “But Dad thanked me for telling him. That was the last thing he ever said to me before he left. Sometimes I wish he’d taken me with him.”
Owen looked at her for a moment as they sat in silence. Finally, he said, “My mom left my dad and me when I was younger, too. I still don’t know why.”
Nikki studied Owen, as if trying to see the patterns around him. He knew she was trying to help solve the mystery behind the disappearance. In the end, though, she frowned and said, “I’m sorry, Owen, but I don’t see anything. I don’t know where your mom is.”
“That’s okay. I’ll figure it out someday. Thank you for trying.”
She continued frowning, though. “It’s unusual for me not to see something. It’s like it is with the orb.”
“Do you think the two are related somehow, my mom and the orb?”
“I don’t know. That would explain a lot, I suppose. You have quite a few mysteries surrounding you, Owen Walters.”
They smiled at each other.
Someone else entered the room just then. Standing in the doorway was Darlington. He looked completely expressionless as he stared at Owen and Nikki on the mattress.
Almost immediately after laying eyes on the strange man, Owen’s headache became worse. It felt like his skull was about to split open. He winced and rubbed his temples.
“Are you okay?” he heard Nikki ask.
“It’s my head. I get these headaches every now and then.”
Nikki looked at Darlington again. “Owen, earlier tonight, you were about to say something about Darlington. Do you remember?”
Owen tried to remember, but the moment he even thought about it, the pain spiked again.
“You need to get some sleep,” Nikki suggested.
“I’ve tried. I keep...” He kept what? Having nightmares? Terrible visions that made his heart race every time he closed his eyes? How could he tell Nikki what was wrong when he didn’t even know himself.
The headache grew even worse. So bad, in fact, his vision began to blur. He was faintly aware of Nikki calling to Darlington, and Darlington running up to join them. And then the pale man was placing his hands on Owen’s head.
And then the pain was gone. Everything was gone.
Almost as quickly everything was back. Owen found himself lying on the mattress, looking up at the ceiling. A few of the candles had gone out, but the room was still relatively bright. Nikki and Darlington were gone, leaving Owen to wonder how long he’d been asleep.
As he sat up, he realized his headache was completely gone.
D was still standing in his corner, powered down. Everything seemed normal, yet at the same time, everything was strange. It was just a feeling, but not an unpleasant one.
Owen got to his feet and walked out into the main floor of the gift shop. He peered through the purple curtain and saw Nikki’s reading room empty. Where was everyone? He looked out through the large windows to the fairgrounds. It was still night, but the moonlight shone brightly down.
That was how Owen saw him over by the box office.
Owen ran out of the gift shop and then just stood there, staring at Chris Weaver. Chris smiled. Owen was almost too afraid to move for fear of undoing what he saw. Chris looked real enough, but this could be a trick, or a hallucination. If Owen took a step forward, would his friend disappear into a cloud of smoke? Would he be there and then gone in the blink of an eye? Just in case it was the latter, Owen kept himself from blinking.
And then he took a step forward. Chris did the same. The two of them kept this up for a minute until they met in the middle of the fairgrounds.
“Is this a dream?” Owen asked.
“It seems like it,” Chris replied.
“I thought you abandoned me.”
“I did. But now I’m back.”
&
nbsp; “Why did you leave me?”
“Guilt.”
Owen laughed. “Why did you feel guilty?”
“Because I failed you.”
Owen shook his head as tears ran down his cheeks. “No, Chris. You didn’t fail anyone.”
“Thank you.”
Though Chris was smiling, his responses seemed automatic. Owen looked around as the entire park sprang to life. All of the rides lit up and began their cycles; gift shops and snack bars and photo booths joined in as well.
“This is a dream,” Owen said to himself.
“Or it could just be magic,” Chris countered. “Or it could be Nikki and Darlington.”
Owen started at the mention of Darlington’s name. “He did something to me. I remember now. He got rid of my headache, I think.”
“And maybe he gave you something happy to think about,” said Chris. “Or maybe not.”
“Then why aren’t Daniel and Alyssa here?”
“Maybe Darlington wanted to make it as believable as possible, so you wouldn’t think you were dreaming.” Chris’s smile grew wider, warmer. “Or maybe not.”
Owen chuckled. “You’re not going to give me a straight answer, are you? On whether or not this is a dream.”
“It’s whatever you want it to be,” Chris replied. “You’ve earned it.”
Owen stopped smiling. “I want it to be real.”
“Then it is real.” Chris looked over at the rides roaring to life. “Come ride the roller coaster with me.”
He started off toward the coaster, which was just behind the Ferris wheel. Owen watched him go, still pondering his friend’s words. Was this a dream, or had Chris really returned? Did Nikki and Darlington manage to power up the park just for this moment?
Did any of it really matter?
Owen decided that it did not.
As he ran to catch up to Chris, he also decided that if all of this really was a dream, it was the best one he’d ever had. Nearly his entire life consisted of tragedy; he would take the wonderful moments where he could get them.
Chapter 23. A Secret World
Daniel still didn’t know where he was, though he did know he was no longer alive. He was in an eerie, silent world of gold and black that shimmered all around him. The strange energy actually formed shapes, however, and he couldn’t help but feel he was in some bizarre landscape, like a canyon.
There were hills and pillars, but no wind or sand or grass. The ground was firm, and every time he took a step, there was some ripple effect just under his feet. When he looked up, he saw a large golden sun that radiated no heat whatsoever.
“Where am I?” he asked himself.
He stood in place and looked around to get his bearings. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been in this place, but he felt like he wasn’t alone. In fact, he kept seeing shadowy forms in the corner of his eye. Whenever he actually looked straight at them, however, they vanished.
“Hello?” he called out loud. His voice seemed to fall flat on the glimmering landscape, though. He waited for a moment. Nothing.
Then, “Daniel?”
The voice had come from straight ahead, just over the hill directly in front of him. A moment later, she appeared.
“Alyssa!” he screamed as he ran to join her.
They embraced for an eternity. When they stopped hugging, Daniel felt like it hadn’t been long enough.
“I can’t believe you’re here,” she said to him.
Daniel looked her up and down; she looked exactly the same as he remembered her. “I never thought I’d see you again,” he said as the tears flowed down his cheeks.
Alyssa cupped his face in her hands. “Well, then, shame on you.”
He smiled. “Do you know where we are?”
She looked around. “I have no idea. I’ve seen others. I can’t talk to them or touch them, though. I feel like I just got here, but at the same time, I feel like I’ve been here for a while.”
“We’re dead, you know.” Daniel tried to say it as gently as possible.
“I know, Daniel.”
“So, do you think this is heaven?”
“Maybe. Feel like exploring?”
He nodded. She took his hand and they went over the hill together.
Even though they walked for what felt like a significant amount of time, they saw the same old black-and-gold landscape. Daniel felt like they were getting absolutely nowhere. He was thankful his feet didn’t hurt; he wasn’t out of breath either. Was he even breathing?
“Have you seen Owen and Chris?” Alyssa finally asked as she took Daniel’s hand.
“No. They’re not dead, are they?”
“No. I saw them, though. When they were racing home to save you from Michael. I don’t know how, but I saw them when I closed my eyes and focused. I was afraid they were going to get caught up with red lights or cops and I didn’t want that and...somehow they made it without trouble.”
“Not in time,” Daniel said quietly, remembering the fight with Michael.
“I know,” she replied. “I’m sorry.”
He stopped walking. “Oh, no, I don’t blame you at all. I didn’t mean—”
Alyssa shook her head, her eyes watery. “I know what you meant. I’m still sorry you died.”
“I’m not. If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t be here with you.”
She smiled, grateful. “This place isn’t all that great.”
“As long as we’re together, it’s better than it was.”
“Thank you.”
They stared at each other for a moment. Then Daniel said, “They never found your body, did they?”
“They will. I know they will.”
“I feel bad for Owen and Chris,” Daniel said as they started walking again. “They’re all alone.”
“They won’t be for long.”
“What do you mean?”
Alyssa smiled. “The Unstoppable Titans will live on.”
“How do you know?”
“I don’t know how I know. This adventure we had was just the beginning. Even though we’re dead, that doesn’t mean we can’t help out in the future. We’re still part of the team.”
“Really?” Daniel closed his eyes. “You said you thought of Chris and Owen real hard and you saw them, right?”
“Yes,” he heard Alyssa say.
So Daniel thought of his friends. What he saw in his mind startled him. “They aren’t together. I see Owen, but Chris is.... I don’t know where he is.”
“I saw that too,” Alyssa replied as Daniel opened his eyes. “They won’t be separated for long, though. I don’t know that for a fact, but I truly believe they’ll find each other again. Until then, we’ll help them whenever we can.”
“We can’t help them now?”
“I don’t know how.”
Suddenly a bright light appeared next to them. Daniel was amazed he could look at it without hurting his eyes. The light was in the shape of a person. It began to dim and Daniel saw a beautiful woman in a white dress standing there. She had long brown hair that reached past her shoulders.
“You’re right, Alyssa,” the woman said. “You will be able to help your friends, and I can show you how.”
“Who are you?” Alyssa asked.
“My name is Seneda. I’m Owen’s mother.”
Daniel was speechless. He didn’t know much about her because Owen had never spoken often of his mother. Nor had Daniel ever seen a picture of her. He believed her to be who she said she was, though.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am,” said Alyssa.
“Yeah,” Daniel said simply. It was all he could manage.
“Likewise,” Seneda replied. “As you’ve already figured out, you aren’t alive anymore. This is a place where the life force goes when its shell is destroyed. I know that sounds a little crude, but it’s the best way I can explain it.
“You see, some people on Earth are special. They were created by a force. Once those people die, they go to a special plac
e.”
“Here?” Daniel asked, skeptical.
“No, not here. There’s a better place. I came here to escort you there.”
Daniel and Alyssa looked at each other. And then they took each other’s hand once again and followed Seneda. A door made entirely of light opened before them. Seneda stepped through and disappeared.
Daniel stopped before the door, dragging Alyssa to a halt. “I’m scared,” he said.
“Don’t be. We’ll be together, no matter what.” And then she kissed him on the lips.
He brightened at that. Finally, they stepped through the door together. What they saw on the other side was beautiful beyond anything they could have imagined. They would gladly wait there until it was time to help their friends once again.
Part 2: Invaders’ Wrath
Chapter 24. A Desperate Plan
Claude Bannister ran through the cold night air, furiously wiping away the nervous sweat from his forehead. It was surprisingly bright in the city due to all the snow. He leaned against a guardrail and looked down at the river that flowed there. The entire city had been built into a mountain crevice, forming a long V that looked like it shot forward for at least a mile.
Standing at the base of the V, just at the entrance of the city, Claude wondered where his brother was. He wasn’t at their apartment, nor was he in the chamber of the Seat. The Seat was the ruling power of this world, comprised of three determined men. Or three always-angry men, Claude amended. They had reason to be in dire spirits, considering the situation they were all in.
Armenus was still missing, having taken a powerful weapon with him. Everyone desperately wanted him back, none more than Armenus’s own father Demetrius. And Demetrius was one of the Seat members. Claude was just waiting for the leader to come up with something drastic in order to find his son.
As Claude stood at the fork, wondering which side of the city to search, he wondered what his brother, Calvin, was up to. It couldn’t have been good—Calvin was always the most troublesome of the twins. Growing up with Calvin had been difficult but never boring. Most of the difficulty came from the premature graying of their hair when they were in their early twenties, though quite a few girls had liked that about them.
