The Stelter City Saga: Ultranatural

by Stefany Valentine Ramirez

  “Well,” began Kasper, “Dylan Dade contacted me. He says he wants you on his show again. This time, bring Lee.”

  Lotus groaned, “Do I have to?”

  “You’re little co-star guy is gunna be there too,” Kasper informed, “What was his name? Zach? Whatever, but it’s that little comedian you saw on the beach.”

  Lotus raised an eyebrow, “What? Why?”

  “Not sure.” Answered the manager as he loosened his tie some more, “Dylan’s probably gunna have you talk about that movie and obviously Lee- Haileigh, whoever, is being interviewed.”

  When Lotus huffed, she managed to send a strand of hair off her face. “I really don’t want to.”

  “I know.” Replied Kasper, “And I would have told Dylan’s people no if they hadn’t already booked your little co-star.”

  “Spectacular.” Grumbled Lotus. Her eyes rolled over Kasper’s image and rested on her granny costume piled up by her bathroom door. Not even twenty four hours ago, and she was dressed in that marching across the beach looking for her sister.

  “Lotus.”

  “Hmm?” asked the heiress.

  “You’re doing it again.” Kasper grumbled.

  Lotus giggled as she tucked her hand beneath her chin. “Sorry Kasper, I’m just so…” she was at a loss for words so she smiled brightly at her manager.

  “You’re so…” Kasper made the same face to complete his sentence and they both burst out laughing.

  As Lotus’s lips pulled back into a smile, she couldn’t help but think how wonderful of a day it was. Now it was coming to a close and she was simply laying on her bed laughing the time away with her manager. “Oh, Kasper.” She sighed when their laughing stopped. “I can’t remember ever being this happy.”

  “Well in that case Lotus, I’m ecstatic that you are in such a delightful mood.” As he gave a courteous half-bow, his eyes collided with his wrist watch and for a moment he examined the time.

  “What time is it in… wherever you’re at?” she asked.

  “I’m in Tarrillian City right now.” He replied, “And it’s two-”

  “Kasper!” Lotus gasped, “I had no idea it was so late! You should have told me!”

  The man chuckled as he scratched his ash colored beard stubble. He had just shaved that morning but it was growing out already. “Don’t worry. I’m flying on a plane with your father tomorrow. We’re going to inspect a manufacturer in Denver. I’ll probably just sleep it off then- speaking of your father.” He cut in before Lotus could change the subject. “Did you still want to tell him? Or shall I?”

  The billionaire readjusted herself on the bed as she nibbled on her lip. “I guess…” she began hesitantly, “You know what? I have a better idea. When does Dylan want me to be on his show again?”

  “This Wednesday I believe.”

  Lotus beamed, “Great! Tell dad to watch that episode. Tell him his daughter has a surprise.”

  Kasper frowned. Lotus hated seeing him like that. She knew she was being stupid and he was about to call her out on it. “Lotus,” Kasper began, “he’s going to hear about it before then. Please put some effort into contacting him. He’s your father. He wants to hear from you.”

  “If he does than why doesn’t he just call me?” she spat. She didn’t mean to come off harsh. Not when her day had been going so well. But talking about her father was always a touchy subject.

  Kasper stared at her through the screen. Even if he wasn’t there in person, Lotus could feel him burning her with his eyes. “I don’t know Lotus.” Even if he had known, Kasper wouldn’t have bothered to explain for Lotus wouldn’t have listened.

  They sat there for a moment without speaking a word. Finally when Lotus couldn’t bear it anymore, she grumbled, “Fine. I’ll call him tomorrow. Lee’s probably going to make me do it anyway.”

  A faint smile made its way to Kasper’s lips as he tugged off the rest of his tie. “Good. But don’t get mad if he doesn’t answer, okay?”

  “It wouldn’t be the first time.” Lotus grumbled.

  “And I promise I won’t say a word about Hails until you do.” He continued, “Does that sound fair?”

  Lotus nodded, “Speaking of Haileigh.” she began, relieved to have a change in topic, “Do you want to say hello to her? She’s been wondering who you are all day.”

  Kasper froze. He stared blankly back at Lotus as if she were a bear riding on a unicycle. The thought of seeing her little sister had never even crossed his mind until then. “No,” he declined, “not right now. I think… I think I’d like to meet her in person. But I imagine she looks just like you.”

  Once more the smile that consumed Lotus’s entire face reappeared. “She does! It’s almost freaky, but that’s how I know she’s my sister- do you think she’s like me?”

  Kasper’s eyebrow arched quizzically.

  “I mean, do you think she can do… what I can do? I want to ask, but you made me promise not to tell anyone so…”

  Kasper shrugged and rubbed the grogginess from his eyes. “She’s your sister. I say go for it, I mean it would only make sense but,”

  Lotus cringed.

  “That’s only going to lead into more questions; I can already see that happening.”

  Lotus swatted at the screen as if she were slapping Kasper’s arm playfully. “We’ll just have to add that to the pile of unanswered questions.” Lotus opened her mouth to say more, but her voice was drowned out by the sound of Kasper’s phone ringing from the other end of the world.

  “Who’s calling me at two-thirty in the morning?” he grumbled as he reached for his phone. His eyes read the screen and his whole visage fell. “I’m gunna have to take this one Lotus.”

  “That’s fine,” she replied, “I haven’t finished getting ready for bed anyway. I’ll see you soon?”

  Kasper smiled weakly as he answered his phone. “I’ll see you soon- Hello?” Then the screen went black, and Lotus was staring at her reflection on the blank tablet.

  “I didn’t even get to say goodnight.” She huffed to herself as she set the tablet on her nightstand and marched straight for the bedroom door. If she wasn’t going to say goodnight to Kasper, than she most definitely would say goodnight to her sister.

  She wasn’t sure where Lee was, and when she cast her eyes down from the banister, she wasn’t surprised to find the living room empty. But down the hall a little further the sliver of light seemed to be the only thing illuminating the space.

  “Lee?” Lotus called as she nudged the door open.

  At the sight of her sister, Lee sprang from her seat on the bed and threw her arms around Lotus.

  The heiress gave a slight gasp of surprise but her arms slid around Lee’s back and they embraced for a long moment. How wonderful it was that they had this opportunity. Never in a million years had Lotus thought she would ever be hugging her dead sister and wishing her goodnight.

  When they finally slid apart, Lotus gazed at her sister’s slightly pink face and big green eyes. They were so familiar and looked as open and bright as she had remembered. “I just wanted to say goodnight.” Lotus finally smiled.

  Lee beamed at her sister. When standing side by side, Lee seemed to be taller even though she was four years younger. “Goodnight Lotus. I’ll see you in the morning.” She replied. “Thanks for the pajamas by the way.”

  “No problem, what’s mine is yours. We’re family.” Then she turned to glance around the room, “Where’s your boy?”

  Lee chuckled, “Ace? Oh, he said he’d go sleep in that gym. He’s feeling a little awkward since this is the first time he’s ever lived in a house that he hasn’t owned.”

  “Oh,” Lotus remarked with a slightly relieved tone. She wasn’t too fond that her baby sister’s boyfriend was spending the night anyway. “Well, I don’t think Kasper’s going to be back for another week, so he’s more than welcome to stay at the gym.”

  Lee couldn’t stop smiling, “I’ll let him know. Thanks again.”
r />   “No problem, Haileigh- or, Lee. Sorry.” Lotus made to turn toward the door, but Lee brushed her arm.

  “I like it when you call me Haileigh.” She said quietly, “It makes everything real.”

  Lotus stopped and stared at her. Come to think of it, this was the first time they had been alone together all day. Lotus had never been a night person, but having this time just to be with Lee made her forget how sleepy she was getting. Instead of marching out the room, Lotus turned around and sat on the edge of Lee’s bed. “I can keep calling you that then.” She remarked as Lee sat down beside her, “Actually, Lambert and I used to call you Hails. Dad was the only one that ever called you by your real name.”

  “Haileigh Grace?”

  Lotus shook her head, “Just Haileigh.” A moment lingered and Lotus laid back on Lee’s soft white comforter. “It’s so weird,” Lotus exhaled, “Thinking that you don’t remember the things I do.”

  Lee too laid down and rolled on her side so she could stare at Lotus’s blank ceiling-bound gaze.

  “Maybe we could go back to Tarrillian.” Continued Lotus, “We could go back to our home. I don’t know if they ever cleaned it up. But we could. Just for old time’s sake.”

  “I’d like that.” Muttered Lee, “Maybe seeing something will spark my memory. That’s what happened with Ace when he saw that picture of the garden.”

  Lotus made a face as if suddenly a light bulb illuminated in her mind. “Didn’t you say Mirage gave him that picture?”

  Lee nodded as Lotus rolled over to be more involved in the conversation. “Do you think she knew then?” she asked eagerly.

  “Knew what?”

  “Why you can’t remember your childhood and why I can’t remember certain people of the past..?”

  Lee stared at her sister’s blue eyes. At first, she had thought that they looked far too identical. Now, after being with her for a day, she was beginning to notice the slight differences. “But she can see into the future.” Lee answered. “I think that’s how she knew. Besides, there’s no way we could ever know for sure now.”

  Lotus sighed, “I guess you’re right.”

  Lee wasn’t able to infer anything from her sister’s tone. She wasn’t sure if she had hit a sore spot since Lotus and Mirage had been close friends but Lotus only seemed to stare blankly back at Lee as thoughts churned inside her mind.

  “I know things are complicated now.” Began Lotus almost hesitantly. “But there’s one thing I still haven’t told you.”

  Lee raised her eyebrow not sure if she should be excited or nervous. “What is it?”

  Lotus sat up slowly, “I can’t tell you. I’m going to have to show you.” And with that Lotus marched around Lee’s bed to enter the bathroom. “Just a heads up though, what you see is only going to complicate things even more.”

  “I don’t get it.” Lee confessed as Lotus flicked on the lights. Instantly the image of two sisters reflected in the mirror came to view. But Lee had no time to admire the red fading from her skin. “Lotus you’re actually kinda freaking me out.”

  The older sibling shook her head and reached to turn on the sink. “It’s just a little something Kasper made me swear never to tell anyone.” She spoke over the rush of falling water. “But I’m showing you because you’re my sister.”

  Lee took a hesitant step back as she watched Lotus extend a hand to the cascading water. “Oh my,” she gasped piecing the pieces together before Lotus even did anything, “You’re a supernatural!”

  “Not quite,” as Lotus spoke the water, instead of falling down in straight lines, began to wobble. “I’m only half.” Then the water began to fall upward as if gravity had suddenly moved for the ceiling. The small stream of clear liquid looped around the room as Lee watched with her mouth open. It was as if an artist had taken a paint brush to midair, the water whirled around until Lotus turned off the spigot.

  “That’s incredible.” Lee marveled. She had never seen water so pure before and she reached out a hand to touch it. The sensation was like running her fingers through a gardening hose except this water was immobile like a puddle.

  “A supernatural has super strength and speed.” Lotus began. When she whirled her hands, the water began to spin and collect into a ball in the air between just under the ceiling vent. “I’m not strong, and I’m not fast. I’m one of a kind.” She said as Lee watched the water turn into a globe of liquid. “As far as I know,” continued Lotus, “I’m the only half-natural. But you’re my sister.”

  Lee’s eyes tore from the perfect sphere and fell on Lotus’s. There was a light spark about her gaze as if she were edging Lee on; trying to get her to confess that she was a half-natural too.

  “How did you do that?” asked Lee bewildered.

  Lotus shrugged as she glanced back up at the levitating ball of water. “I think of it as an extended limb. It took me some time to figure it out, but if I imagine it’s a part of my body… it just kinda,” she pointed at the ball that was now rotating playfully. “Does that.”

  Lee nodded as she glanced down at her own fingertips. “This makes so much sense.”

  “You can do it too!” exclaimed Lotus as she sent the rubber-less water balloon down the sink.

  “Well not exactly.” answered Lee, “Sometimes, things just happen around me and electricity. Ace likes to joke around and say I’m a supernatural, and I just don’t know it. But this makes sense. Half-natural.” Lee glanced up at Lotus. “I’m not gunna lie, that’s really cool.”

  “What happens around you and electricity?” asked Lotus curiously.

  Lee shrugged as she glanced back down at her fingers. As she spoke, she imagined a lightning storm on the tips of her fingers. “I get shocked all the time, and I know when thunderstorms are coming…”

  “And your hair is always frizzy?” asked Lotus as she reached out to flatten it. Just before her hand touched Lee’s silvery hair, Lee caught sight of a narrow strip of lightning strike Lotus’s hand.

  “Ouch!” both girls exclaimed recoiling. Lotus massaged her fingers as Lee patted her scalp.

  “See what I mean?!” exclaimed Lee. “Stuff like that happens all the time! Help me figure out how to work this! Oh my gosh- Ace! He’s going to freak out when I tell him- or, I can tell him, right?”

  Lotus’s brows folded, “I suppose. I mean, Kasper didn’t want me showing anyone, but you’re my sister. Now that the cat’s out of the bag…”

  “I won’t tell him if you don’t want me to.” Lee offered, “I’m way better at keeping secrets than Ace is.”

  Lotus massaged her temples. Normally doing things against Kasper’s will set a terrible feeling in Lotus’s stomach. But with Lee in the picture, and the picture still missing many pieces, Lotus felt that exposing who she was- who they were, was just one way to bring the answers to them. Like bate on a hook, maybe if she could get this new information out, something would get lured in. “No, go ahead.” Lotus answered, “You can tell him in the morning. I’m sure he’s asleep by now. What time is it?”

  Lee spun around and poked her head out the bathroom door. On her nightstand sat the time. “It’s past midnight. I’m not tired though.” She finished, “Help me figure this out!”

  Needless to say, that was how the Stelter girls spent their first night.

  Chapter 9 Ithaca

  ~Above the wall of mirrors lining the yoga studio, the first ray of Heleow sun beamed through a small window. Its golden light plastered against the pale blue wall like a spotlight and with each passing moment, slowly began to sink until it rested over Ace’s eyes. The boy sat up with groggy hast and was yawning before he could even remember where he was.

  Pressed into the corner of the studio was Kasper’s queen sized bed, and along the mirrored wall rested his assortment of bedroom furniture. A clock ticked against the far wall echoing across the empty space like a rhythmic hammer. Ace didn’t want to glance at the time. He had slept horribly last night with so many thoughts tumbling around in his
brain; his night had consisted of brief napping intervals in between half-dreaming, half-pondering states.

  Lee of course, had been the root of his thoughts. As he sat there rubbing the restlessness off his face, he remembered pondering how out of his league she was. With her kind heart and his rouge past, they were a contradictory pair. But to stretch that contradiction to the point that they were on opposite ends of the universe, Ace had found out she was the daughter to the richest man in the world. Out of his league? More like out of his millennium.

  Then again, what if he wasn’t as big a slum as he thought he was? The one memory in his pool of darkness had been in the Stelter garden with a faceless friend named Grace. Not to mention, in his earliest twelve year old recollection, he had been wearing an expensive shirt and tie. Who was he really? Street rat, or the child of a corporate boss like Lee?

  Ace groaned as he swung his feet off the bed. Surely by now someone had invented a drug for the removal of sledgehammering headaches. At that moment, his was so bad it felt like someone was in his brain, pounding on his skull. And there was a pounding, just not in his head.

  Someone was knocking frantically on the front door and Ace removed the fingers from his face to glance out the studio doorway. Down the hall, Lee’s silhouette shone through the glass door. Without thinking twice, Ace was on his feet and marching past the unused gym equipment. As his hand reached for the door, he couldn’t help but wonder why she was up so early.

  “Ace! Good morning!” she exclaimed the moment the door swung open.

  “Lee!” was all he managed to croak before she snatched onto his hand. The back of her hair seemed frizzier than usual and she was still wearing yesterday’s pastel jacket. Lotus hadn’t been joking about the sunburn-pill. Lee’s face had calmed to a salmon color and a slight puffiness to her eyes alluded that she hadn’t slept last night, but the cheeriness in her tone could have fooled anyone.

  “I have to show you something!” she practically sang as she tugged him down the steps.

  Damp morning air rippled through Ace’s hair as he used his free hand to rub the last of the sleepiness from his eyes. Once more it was a cloudless day in Heleow and against the flat horizon; the sun’s perfect circle seemed larger than usual as it brightened its way into the sleepy sky. From the ledge of the rooftop, Ace could see the long stretch of tower shadows, perfectly spaced between buildings like fingers reaching for the dark ocean.