The Light Tamer (The Light Tamer Trilogy)

by Dawson, Devyn

  A girl in a floral sundress and flip flops jumped up and said that it made her feel happy.

  Grandma crosses the room and eyes the group slowly. “Can I get everyone’s attention please? I know that everything sounds fun and exciting, but I need you to pay attention to what I’m about to tell you.” She reaches in her pocket and pulls out one of the flashlights. “This little thing here will be a necessity for you to carry with you at all times. So, if I’m in the Wal-Marts and I see you and ask for your flashlight, you’ll pull it out of your pocket and show me. I’m sure we still have doubters in the room. If you’re one of those, raise your hand now.” We all look around the room and notice one hand go up. The girl is dressed in a pair of red shorts and a white spaghetti strapped top. The Freckle fairy had speckled freckles all over her face and shoulders.

  She looks innocent enough, I think.

  She straightens out her shorts as she stands up. “Are you all listening to yourselves? Seriously, this guy tells us about the light flingers and everyone is automatically cool with it? Give me a damn break,” she fumes and crosses her chunky arms over her chest. “For all you know, they drugged us and are about to sell us on the black market as sex slaves. Get over it,” she says to the room.

  “Annie, that is your name right? Good for you for figuring us all out. Since you feel that way, why were you the first one to dance in the light? You can’t figure it out can you? Sit down and listen to what Ms. Gayle has to say,” Gabe says.

  Oh look at him being all manly up there. I guess that’s where Caleb gets it from. Swooning. I look up to see Caleb grinning at me. Crap.

  Grandma grins knowingly at me before continuing on. “Annie, I’m over it, are you? We had an electrician here for most of the afternoon to wire us up for the next demonstration. We’re going to go into the back yard. I’d like Clark and Jasmine to be the head of group one, which is the girls. Group two will be headed up by Amber. Good thing she’s putting Amber with the guys, she might hurt a girl. Split up and head to the back yard. We’ll be out there in a couple of minutes. Right as she says that, the doorbell chimes start going off.

  Are we missing anyone? Caleb looks at me and shakes his head back and forth. Gabe opens the door and we hear murmured whispers. His dad is usually overly nice but I get a vibe of irritation. Caleb leans in to me and whispers that he’ll be right back.

  Two months ago I was sitting in my Computer Science class and talking with Jersey when she told me about the time her and Jimmy Johnson made out. I actually remember being literally jealous of not kissing the kissing slut of the school. I wonder what Caleb would think if I upload the picture of us horseback riding as my profile pic on Facebook. I bet Jersey would drool all over her keyboard if she saw a picture of Caleb. What in the world is going on to take them so long?

  Caleb crosses the room staring intently at me. Are you mad at me? You look mad.

  “No, of course I’m not mad at you, c’mere” he says. The next thing I know he is kissing me. The taste of Dr. Pepper lingering on his tongue, and then I realize what he is doing.

  A drunk Otto is on the porch telling Gabe that he is in love with Amber and needs to know where she is. Caleb tries to explain to him that they are having a family gathering and it isn’t the right time. Light Tamers are essentially family now right? They argue for a couple of minutes until another guy walks up. He isn’t a SLIder, he does go to our school though. Caleb mentally prays that he doesn’t recognize any of the cars up and down the street. He locks eyes with the guy and tries to force his thoughts to him. Pleading with his eyes to take Otto and leave. Oddly, that is exactly what he decided to do. Otto badgered Caleb until he realizes it wasn’t getting him anywhere. Finally, they decide to leave. His dad checked to make sure the guy hadn’t been drinking before shooing them away. They watched as the Dodge Charger drove past the house and they heard the faint noise of his car driving away.

  Caleb pulls away and his tingle still rested on my lip. Hell! What are we going to do?

  “We only have a week and a half left, so we have to hope this all goes to plan. I’ll get things started outside, you take Amber and fill her in,” Caleb said and gave me a quick pop on the butt.

  Just wait, one day when you least expect it…you’ll get your butt smacked by me.

  “I’ll be anxiously waiting,” he says with a grin.

  Ugh, I’m so damn mentally clumsy, I can’t even think tough.

  “Nope, you aren’t tough.”

  I ran outside to grab Amber, telling Jasmine to take her place. We sit in the bathroom so I can tell her about Otto. As I tell her the story, she flips out. Her arms start flailing around and her voice got louder and louder as she talked. Talk, probably isn’t the word I’d use.

  “That dumb-ass. Who does he think he is, coming to Caleb’s house when it is obvious they have company? I am ready for this to be over. The nerve of him,” Amber fussed.

  “I wanted you to know, but we have to get back outside. Don’t stress, I’m here for you. Come on.”

  “Stressed, who me? Whatever, I’m cool,” she says and brushes off her shoulders.

  A teacher by the name of Melissa Murdock went out to her car and brought back a pet crate of some sort. She was a large woman, yet she moved with grace and authority. She’s dressed in a trendy maxi dress with a matching wrap in her hair. She looks high maintenance as my dad would say. She fumbles with the cage door and finally she pulls out a little black Pomeranian. From the girl side of the room an echo of ahhhs and ooos were heard. She set the little dog on the ground and for a moment he looks okay, until she calls for him to come to her. He takes his front legs and uses all of his strength to drag himself across the grass to his owner.

  “He had an allergic reaction to his vaccine and his rear legs haven’t worked in almost a year.” Her words came across with a small hilt to her voice.

  Oh, he’s so cute. One day Caleb and I are going to get a little dog. Oh poo I thought that around him.

  “Jessie, I want you to come over here,” Grandma says. I take a deep breath and stand in front of everyone. I’m a New Yorker with a funny accent and the ability to turn off street lights. They are going to think I’m dumb. I bet the hater girl is already thinking up jokes to say about my boobs. They probably wonder what Caleb sees in me. Shut up brain! Stop the commentary! “Caleb, turn on the lights. Jessie, I want you to sit on the ground with the dog. Put your hands on him and feel the power of the light flow through you.”

  I sit down in front of the little dog. His hair is all fluffed up and his big brown eyes are staring me down. He gave me a little warning bark as I reach over to pet him. Mrs. Murdock whispered to him that he’s fine and he’ll get a cookie in just a minute. I close my eyes concentrate on the dog. The lights were sending ripples of energy all around me. Not only in me, but around me. I could smell the energy. I lean forward over him and whisper over and over it’s okay, you’re going to be okay. A promise is only a promise, until you bring it to fruition. I gently massaged his neck and ran my hands over his spine. In a moment of true and honest oneness with the world, light shot from my hand into the dog. I fall over onto my back. I didn’t black out, but I can’t stand up either. As I mentally count, I feel the weight of the little dog move and heard the crowd gasp. He stood on my chest, no small feat and licked my face energetically. I wrap my arms around him and sit back up. Mrs. Murdock tosses a little ball across the yard and the petite dog chased it as if nothing had ever happened. His owner was sobbing and saying how she had tried so many times to heal him and it didn’t work.

  I stand up on shaky legs. Caleb, I don’t feel so well. I need you. Come hold my hand please. I feel like I’m about to faint.

  “Dad, will you flip the switch. She needs to energize, hurry!” Caleb yelled out to his dad.

  Caleb wraps his arms around me from behind. I feel the curve of my butt touching his thighs. His chin rests on my shoulder and he whispers sweet things to me. It takes all of my self-control to not pull h
im across the yard and make out with him in the moon flowers. The rush of blood to my cheeks and brain literally make me swoon. You’re going to pay for this.

  “I can’t wait,” he whispers back. “Have I told you how irresistible you are in that top? Your endowment is very much appreciated.”

  I take a deep breath and feel my breast heave up.

  “Yeah, see when you do things like that…it kinda makes me a boob guy. Just sayin,” he says and shrugs his shoulders.

  I take my foot and stomp on his toes with my heel.

  “You don’t want me to like your…girls?”

  “Girls, seriously? You didn’t just go there,” I say, a little louder than I intended.

  “Oh, I went there and you liked it. I bet your going to like it when I tell you that I think you’re the most beautifully built girl in this yard. The next time you fuss at your mirror after a shower, I want you to remember what I just said.”

  Beat one, beat two…

  “What on earth is he saying to you? Snap out of it, we’ve got a backyard full of teens and your grandma is practically baking smores with the lights,” Amber growls.

  “You feel better Jess?” Caleb asked with his hands rubbing up and down my arms. It occurs to me that we’re swaying back and forth to imaginary music.

  “I feel great.”

  “Great, rub it in. He’s over here thinking naughty thoughts, you’re about to rip your clothes off and I’m about to slap you both into reality,” Amber huffs.

  “We know who the Miss. Congeniality award isn’t going to,” Caleb teases as he bumps into Amber.

  “Yeah, well you weren’t so pleasant before Miss. Thang here showed up,” Amber retorts.

  “True, but I didn’t try to spread my venom. Don’t worry about Otto, I think this plan will work and he’ll be history. That isn’t a play on words either…he is already history. Get it?” Caleb says.

  “I need you all to CONCENTRATE,” Grandma says. “You have to fight the euphoric feeling. This plan will not work if you can’t get passed the giddy happy stage.”

  Gabe switched the light boards off and left the regular lights on. “Listen up, this isn’t a game. We are dealing with an entity we don’t know much about. In mythology, he was ruthless and I need you to remember that when he is around…you aren’t safe. Now, I’m going to have the guys go inside the house, girls stay here.” He smiles awkwardly at the group of girls and tells us how he wants us to pull the energy away from the lights. He said we could each focus on one light bulb and draw the energy.

  “What’s it like to have a bond with a guy?” A girl with black and green hair asks me.

  “To be honest with you, I don’t know if it feels any different than a regular relationship. There are other tamers of the same sex that bond together and stuff, and it isn’t romantically. I think it helps the boyfriend-girlfriend thing, but I’m not sure. The strangest part is how we became so close so fast,” I reply.

  “Right on. Every girl at school has tried to score him, I’d watch my back if I were you,” the girl said.

  I furrowed my brow as I look at her nametag. “Madison right? Why should I watch my back? Everyone here seems really nice?”

  Putting her hand on her hip she leans in and lowers her voice. “We aren’t the only tamers at school. I’d say over half of the school is a tamer. I think my gift or whatever you want to call it; is to sense a tamer. If I go to the store with my mom, I can tell who one is and who isn’t. I can even sense if a baby is one of us. There is a group at school that actually wants to be a Dark One. They would be what some call gothic, but this group is serious. This one girl Beth is the leader. She is neither nice or liked.”

  “Girls, you need to focus. Jessie, stop distracting people,” grandma says.

  “We’ll talk when everyone leaves, if that’s okay with you,” I say to Madison.

  “No sweat off me, but know the girl in the sundress…they are trying to recruit her. I’d be careful. I don’t know if she knows Otto or whatever his name is, but she isn’t to be trusted.”

  “Thanks,” I say and mentally breathe. “I’m surprised there are so many. It’s a small town to have so much power.” I look up in time to see Grandma Gayle cross her arms and give me the stink eye. “Hey, I’ll talk to you in a few. I think we’re almost finished with the girls and then the guys have to try it.”

  “No problem.”

  Caleb, earth to Caleb. Did you know there are two hundred Light Tamers at the school? That’s ridiculous!

  After the guys finished up with the exercise, grandma announced she wants everyone outside for one last test.

  “I know it’s been a long night, and I’m glad you all came out. There are a lot of Light Tamers that aren’t here tonight, so I want you to share what you’ve learned tonight, with them. I want everyone to see Jessie on your way out and program your phone number in her cell phone. I’d like us all to meet again in three days. It’s very important that you stay away from the shadows. Everyone has done fine with being protected up to this point, but now you’re vulnerable. Flashlights people, flashlights! With that being said…everyone turn on your flashlight. Now, I want you to make a giant circle and hold hands. Share the holding of the flashlight with your partner, but make sure you are skin to skin. You’re old enough to figure it out. Those that around bound together don’t touch the other couple that is here,” she says taking a pause to sip on her water. “Gabe, will you please turn off the lights?” Grandma asked.

  I don’t want to hold hands with the creepy guy that is standing on the other side of me. His hand feels like an ice-cube. Dude, ease up on the crunching of my bones. I turn his direction and pretend I’m checking out the circle. I give him a quick smile, the kind you do when you get caught staring at someone…the no teeth smile. He takes it as a hint to embed the flashlight into my hand, I swear! I’m going to bite this guy in two seconds if he doesn’t stop smashing the flashlight in my hand. Focus…what is she saying now? Dammit, she said something but I didn’t hear her. Caleb leans in and whispers that we’re going to concentrate on turning on all of the lights. You’re such a good boyfriend.

  “Remember that later,” he whispers. Not fair!

  “Think about the light and how beautiful it is,” Gayle says. Nothing happens. “Only think about the light, clear your mind of everything else.” Nothing.

  “Grandma, what if we all hold our hands palm side up. The way people do when they meditate, only we’re holding hands…softly,” I say. Maybe dufus over here will realize he doesn’t have to squeeze my hand. “Everyone, close your eyes and think about the lights being on.” It was no more than thirty seconds and I feel a rumble vibrating through my hands. I peek out to see the circle and I see other people peeking too. No one made a sound. The vibration radiates through me, chilling me to the core of my soul. It isn’t the same feeling I get when I touch Caleb, no it is more of a powerful feeling. In one giant swoosh, light flew from the palms of our hands and into the bulbs. Everyone lets out a surprised gasp, but we held our hands together.

  “Now, I want you to concentrate on bringing the light back to your hands,” Gabe says.

  Without any trouble the light made a giant arc as it connects us to the light, and then it was over.

  “You can let go,” grandma said excitedly.

  Everyone let out a sigh and then started laughing and high-fiving each other.

  Amber bounces over to Caleb and I. “That was flippin’ awesome! Did you feel it? I felt like I could take on anyone. Amazing shit man,” Amber says and jumps up and down.

  It seems as though the group works well together. I watch as everyone gathers up their stuff to leave and like obedient robots they put their number in my cell phone. The last straggler comes over and I notice its Madison.

  “Do you have time for us to talk?” I ask her.

  “Yeah, I have about 45 minutes before curfew.” Madison said. “Look, I can’t get caught talking to you, or life will be hell at school.”


  Caleb took my hand in his and pulled me closer to him. I hear Amber sigh in disgust and I laugh a little.

  “You might find it funny, but those girls will bring everyone down that gets in their way,” Madison says.

  It takes me a second to realize what she’s talking about. “Oh, no, no, nothing like that. I snickered at Amber over here, sighing about Caleb holding my hand.”

  Amber takes a strawberry Twizzler and chomps down on it. “You know, how do we know you’re not a spy?” She bites the other end off of the candy and attempts to look through it. “I mean, I’ve gone there a long time and you’ve always been quiet. Now, you’re in-the-know about the secret Dark Ones group.”

  Madison rolls her eyes at Amber. “Right, I warn you in my secret plan of good versus evil. Whatever, believe what you want.”

  “I’m just sayin’” Amber antagonized.

  “Okay…both of you need to calm down. Madison, thank you for giving the heads up, it is always good to know who to watch.” Caleb said as Amber stormed away. He turns back to Madison. “Don’t worry about her, she’s upset about Otto. She really liked him and feels like a fool for trusting him.”