by J. M. Pierce
“Leave it alone, Casper! Another time!”
As Test propped himself on an elbow, he suddenly felt something around his neck. He struggled for his next breath and climbed to his knees as he looked at the glowing figure that stood before him. The smile on Casper’s face was insidious, but Test could see the pleasure taken in the pain he was inflicting.
Allowing the rage within him to break free, Test’s body ignited and he threw an arm forward. The pulse hit Casper with enough force to send him into the opposite wall. His airway finally clear, Test coughed as he took a much needed breath before he turned and reached out to grab Ashley.
Though he expected her to defend herself, the sight of the boy igniting with color shocked him. He watched as the boy raised his right arm, and suddenly felt a strong pull from his core. “No,” he thought to himself, knowing what was about to happen. Instinctively, he phased to the Shadow realm and felt the pull disappear. He watched as the boy lowered his arm and then recognized the horror on the ground behind him. He strained to see what he knew to be the broken, lifeless bodies of Iku and Lieutenant Richardson lying on the floor amidst pieces of concrete and steel. His heart lurched as he scanned the room for Prim, but it stopped when he found him.
Staring through the haze and blur into the world of the living, he saw Prim hovering in the air just in front of the fractured entrance to the corridor. His arms were pinned to his side and his mouth hung agape while his eyes rolled into the back of his head. He looked to his right and saw Ashley with her blazing red arms reaching towards Prim. Standing to her left was the boy. He too had an arm extended, only the energy streamed up his arms instead of down.
Moving with the speed his ethereal form allowed, he raced towards Ashley and the boy, phasing back into the world of the living just before impact. He felt a surge of pain in his knee as it collided with the boy’s head. In the same moment he took a fistful of Ashley’s hair and pulled her to the ground with him. Before he could recover, he felt the pressure around his neck once again and knew that Casper had awoken from his temporary slumber. As quickly as it appeared, his breath had returned, and he heard Prim shouting through labored breaths behind him.
“Come and get me, you little bastard!”
Test rolled over in time to see Prim turn and run down into the darkened corridor. He watched as Casper followed without hesitation. Just as he tried to get up, he felt an impact on his cheekbone that nearly forced the light of the room to disappear. He quickly rolled to his side and felt another impact in his ribs which sent all the air to race from his lungs. As he pulled into a fetal position, his mind swam in and out of consciousness while he braced for the ensuing blows. But they didn’t come. Instead, the sounds of a struggle filled his ears.
Quickly releasing his legs, his body screamed in pain as he spun on his knees to see what was going on. He could not have predicted what his eyes would see.
There in front of him, some five feet away, stood Ashley with an arm draped around her neck. Test followed the arm until he saw Iku’s face. Confused, he looked down to where he’d seen Iku’s body lying in an unnatural and twisted position on the floor. The body remained. The grotesque pose of Iku’s empty shell was something that his eyes could barely make sense of. He looked back to Ashley and the revelation that he was seeing Iku in spirit form struck him with such force that he lost the meaning of the moment. Instead of acting, he watched as the spirit of Richardson came into view and grabbed Ashley’s left arm. A split second later, Cliff appeared, clutching her right.
He stood and walked forward two steps. Had the situation been different, he might have taken some sort of pleasure in the wide-eyed fear on Ashley’s face. Instead, he was numb.
As if walking through a dream, the fog lifted slightly when he looked down to see the boy lying unconscious on the ground. He knelt down, rolled the boy onto his back, and placed a hand on his chest. He felt it rise and fall and, though the child had nearly killed Prim on two occasions, he felt a strange sense of relief. There was a deep cut over the boy’s eyebrow, and blood streamed into his eye and over his nose.
“Leave him alone!” shouted Ashley from above him.
Test looked up as she struggled against the spirits surrounding her with a twisted sneer on her lips. Test surmised that, along with the constant and steady pull of the three spirits, she must have exhausted herself prior to their arrival as her pulses of energy were only faintly visible as they flashed down her pale-skinned arms.
“What is his name?” he asked calmly.
His relaxed tone and demeanor seemed to incense her as she spat on him before replying. “To you, his name is Death!”
Instead of growing angry, Test looked upon the Reaper with a deep sense of pity. He thought about both Lauren and Iku; the few stories they had shared of their former lives were tragic. He couldn’t help but think what she would have been like if Isaac had never found her.
Shaking his head, Test replied. “I don’t intend to harm him.” As he spoke the boy began to stir.
“Destin!” shouted Ashley, beginning to thrash wildly. “Wake up! Help me!”
In a panic, Test stood and looked to Cliff. “You’ve got to get her out of here.”
“We’re not going to leave you alone with this boy,” Cliff replied firmly.
“Let me worry about that. I stand a better chance of dealing with him without her here to influence him!”
“But what if…”
“Damn it, Cliff! We don’t have time to talk about this! Get her the hell out of here before the kid wakes up!”
The old man scowled at Test, but didn’t argue again. In unison, the three spirits turned her towards the exit and began the slow ascent to the ground above.
****
Cliff led the way as Lieutenant Richardson and Iku held Ashley’s arms tightly. As they neared the surface, Ashley began to giggle.
“I don’t know what you’re laughing at, bitch,” said Richardson piously, “but in case you haven’t noticed, you’re team isn’t doing so hot.”
She snickered once again as she replied. “You cling to your false hope, soldier boy. Soon Davis will be joining you in that see-through suit. When Destin wakes up, Test will die, and then the boy will come for me.”
Richardson clenched his fist and reared back. “How see-through is this?” He didn’t regard her as a woman—he saw her as a monster that had taken away his life. His fist collided with her jaw and her head snapped sideways.
“That’s enough of that!” shouted Cliff as he watched Ashley’s head roll back around towards the Lieutenant.
Richardson watched as she rolled her tongue around in her mouth, licking her lips grotesquely before she spat a wad of blood laced saliva on his chest.
“That the best you got?” she asked, smiling with blood covered teeth. She turned to Iku. “What about you, Iku? You ready for Test to join you?” She winked. “Karma’s a bitch, ain’t it?”
Iku glanced to Cliff. Knowing full well that her words could become reality, he was struck by the wistful expression on the old man’s face. With a wink of his own, Cliff looked up and smiled. Iku followed his line of sight and saw three figures standing on the steps above them.
“Where are Prim and Test?” shouted Lauren while skipping steps as she rushed towards them.
“They’re still down there,” shouted Cliff in reply.
Lauren looked to the soldier who was clutching Ashley’s left arm. She was unsure if he was a spirit or not. With Iku, Ashley, Cliff, Alyssa, and Aiden all standing so close together, it made it nearly impossible to sense who was in what state of being. “Who’s this?” she asked, pointing to Richardson.
“Lieutenant C.S. Richardson, ma’am,” he replied with a saddened attempt at a smile.
“You’re a fresh one, aren’t you?” asked Lauren, taking an educated guess.
“Lauren!” gasped Alyssa who was standing just behind with Aiden holding her hand.
“What?” Lauren replied defensively. “
I don’t mean anything bad by it, that’s just what we always called them.”
Alyssa’s eyes drew to slits as she replied. “Well, don’t do that anymore. That is so disrespectful.” Turning to the soldier, Alyssa’s voice softened. “I’m very sorry.”
Hearing a distant clang from below, Cliff felt forced to break up the moment. “I don’t mean to be heartless,” he interrupted as he gestured with his free hand, “but we still have a job to do.”
The old man’s voice seemed to echo in the tall, narrow tube that lined the staircase. The air was thick with regret, but each of them knew he was right.
“Alyssa, you’d probably better change and get down there,” said Cliff. “Test is with the boy right now. He was unconscious when we left, but there’s no telling when he’ll wake up, if he hasn’t already.”
Looking down to Aiden, Alyssa tried to speak in a comforting voice though her anxiousness to get down to Test was extreme. “I want you to stay with Auntie Lauren, okay?”
Aiden grimaced. “Why? Why can’t I come?”
“Honey, I don’t have time to explain, okay? I just need you to listen to me and do as I ask.”
Though she was hesitant to show it, being called Auntie gave Lauren a surge of happiness. With a weak smile, she reached back and ruffled Aiden’s hair. “You can hang with me kid, okay?” She turned back and grinned at Ashley. “You can help Auntie take out the trash.”
“Who would’ve ever thought?” snipped Ashley. “Lauren becoming domesticated?”
In the subdued light of the tube, Lauren’s power ignited as she held a pulsing hand to Ashley’s cheek. “Keep running that mouth of yours and I’ll show you who’s domesticated.” As Ashley opened her mouth, Lauren pinched her throat closed without touching her. “Shhhh,” she whispered, leaning in to Ashley’s ear. “There’s a kid in the room. I don’t want to have to kill you in front of him.” She pulled back and, with a cheesy grin, released the Reaper’s neck. The look of fear that she’d been waiting for had finally appeared.
“It’s time, Alyssa,” said Cliff.
Giving Aiden a kiss on the top of his head, Alyssa released him and stepped down to the step on which Lauren stood. She studied Ashley’s entire body carefully. After little more than a minute, she began the change.
“What are you doing?” asked Ashley as she suddenly found herself staring at her own face.
“I’m going to save that boy from the poison you put in his mind,” replied Alyssa.
“Destin will know you’re not me. He loves me.”
“Destin?” replied Alyssa, her voice now sounding like Ashley’s. “Thank you. I was going to ask you for his name, but now I don’t have to.”
As yet another errant clang echoed from below, Cliff took Alyssa’s elbow. “Get going,” he said.
She turned and smiled at Aiden. “You listen okay? Auntie Lauren’s in charge.”
Aiden stared at her with a grimace, struggling to recognize her as she appeared before him. In a tiny, disconcerted voice, he replied. “Okay.”
Alyssa turned to Lauren. “Take care of him, please.”
Lauren grinned playfully. “I will, besides, it’s not like…”
Alyssa lifted a finger to stop her. “Ah…”
“Kidding, sis,” replied Lauren. “Just kidding. You can count on me.”
A wave of energy swelled through the ground, but only Ashley and Lauren felt it. Rolling her head back, Ashley giggled to herself as Lauren motioned with a twitch of her head for Alyssa to go.
Without hesitation, Alyssa released Lauren’s power and floated through Ashley and down the staircase.
As Alyssa passed through her, Ashley shivered.
“I’ve got her fellas,” said Lauren as she placed her hands lower towards her mid-section. Ashley’s arms folded into her sides tightly as Lauren squeezed. Richardson released the Reaper as Lauren passed by to get behind Ashley. As she began to move forward, Iku stopped her.
“We can manage her,” he said forcefully. “You should go down and help.”
Though she’d promised Alyssa she’d stay, Iku’s words sent a charge through her that she couldn’t ignore. It was what she wanted to hear. Seeing Prim and making sure he was okay was paramount. She backed away and, releasing her hold on Ashley, motioned for Richardson to take his place. “There you go, soldier boy,” replied Lauren. “What do you plan on doing with girlfriend here anyway? You got any ideas?”
“No,” he replied. “I thought you guys had that all figured out.”
Lauren raised her eyebrows. “To be honest, I’d hoped they’d be dead by the time I got here. I wasn’t planning on taking prisoners.”
“Cliff, the Lieutenant, and I can hold her,” said Iku.
“I can help!” shouted Aiden.
Iku looked down and, with a genuine smile, replied. “You sure can, little one. You sure can.”
Aiden stepped forward and rested a hand on Ashley’s leg. Though Lauren was right next to him, supplying him with all of the strength and energy he’d ever need, he tried to concentrate on taking it from the stranger.
Just as Aiden’s tiny hands touched her, Ashley kicked her leg sideways, but Aiden held on determinedly.
Lauren ignited and regained her grip, seething through clenched teeth as the wind rush from Ashley’s lungs. “Do that again, and I’ll turn you into a pile of dust,” she growled. “To be honest, I’d prefer it that way, so if you want to do me a favor?” Her grip was so tight that she knew Ashley couldn’t reply. She relaxed it a touch to see what the Reaper had to say. With no response other than a fearful glance, Lauren turned to Iku. “She’s all yours,” she said. “Scared to death and weak as a new born chick.” She waited for him to ignite and to take over her grip on Ashley, but he only stared at her with a blank expression.
“Well?” asked Lauren impatiently.
“I’ve got her,” replied Iku humbly. “You go on ahead. Prim needs you.”
Without averting her stare, she stepped down one step and released her hold on the Reaper.
“Go!” commanded Iku.
Lauren looked to Aiden. “I’m supposed to keep an eye on him.”
“He’ll be alright with us,” replied Cliff. “We’ll watch over him.”
“I’ll be fine, Auntie, really,” said Aiden as he gripped Ashley’s leg. “Grandpa Cliff will keep me safe.”
She couldn’t help the upturning of her lips. “Damn, he’s cute,” she thought to herself. With one last rub of his head, Lauren turned, phased to the Shadow realm, and raced towards the world below.
“You sure about this?” asked Cliff of Iku.
“About what?” replied Iku.
“The three of us keeping her under control?”
“Four!” shouted Aiden as Lieutenant Richardson stepped around him.
As he placed a hand on Ashley’s back, the Lieutenant looked down to Aiden and then lifted him into his arms. “That’s right, kid. Four,” he said with a wink.
“Hey, you wink like Grandpa Cliff,” exclaimed Aiden.
The adult spirits all glanced to one another and, with an affirming nod, took their final positions and began their ascent. With Iku on the left, Richardson and Aiden behind, and Cliff on the right, Ashley put up little if any resistance.
Step by step, the climbed higher until they could see the light filtering in through the opening just above. Wisps of dust were swirled around it, propelled by what appeared to be a strong breeze.
“Leave the talking to me,” said Richardson as the light of the surface touched their faces. “My commander will hopefully have a plan on what to do with her.”
Their heads breaking into the daylight simultaneously, Iku, Ashley, and Cliff squinted as their eyes adjusted to the light. The crack of a single gunshot echoed in their ears and, before anyone of the spirits had time to react, Ashley’s energy disappeared as the back of her head exploded and her body dropped to the ground.
Losing their source of power, each of the spirits’ form fa
ded as they looked to the ground. There Ashley lay with a single bullet hole in her forehead; her eyes rolling eerily into the back of their sockets so that the whites were nearly all that was visible.
In shock, Cliff looked to Richardson and realized that Aiden was gone.
Chapter 34
Playing cat and mouse in and out of the Shadow world used to be fun for Prim. When he was younger, he and Jenz played it all of the time. It was one of the things that helped him to realize that his abilities were above what most of his kind were given. Now, it was the only advantage keeping him alive.
With his energy already depleted, phasing in and out of realms taxed his stores even more. When he’d arrived at the main room at the end of the corridor, his stomach turned at the sight of the dead infants lying on the ground amongst the debris. He tried not to look at them as he passed, instead, choosing to focus on the far corner of the room.
The bodies of what appeared to be two lab workers were piled in front of (by appearances anyway) a closet door. Though both of them lied face down, Prim could still see that their heads were oddly shaped and he had no desire to investigate the cause.
Knowing that Casper would be coming any second, he had no choice but to hide in the closet and to try and let himself recharge before he was found. He quickly phased, stepped through the door and, for a moment, thought his eyes were playing tricks on him.
As he phased back, he found himself standing at the end of a cavernous room. It was easily the length of a football field and had a ceiling that was over forty foot high. It almost reminded him of a coliseum, as there were what appeared to be viewing areas along the walls that were set off the ground mid-way between the floor and ceiling. At the far end was a row of three large overhead doors and, running down the center of the room, were giant column of woven steel that served as supports for the ceiling. These were connected to a network of steel trusses high overhead. About every twenty feet, an insanely bright light hung, and Prim could hear the hum of the electricity flowing through each of them.
