The Light, the Dark and the Ugly

by Bryan Cohen

  William's guards opened the doors into the throne room. Since their absence, a table had been prepared with cooked meats and sweet pastries. He wondered if the flesh and blood version of the strange animal statues on the wall had made it into this meal. Their aroma made Ted realize just how hungry he was. He salivated and swallowed.

  The General didn't seem to notice. "I've heard they have a saying on Earth. History is written by the victors. We didn't even come up with the terms light and dark." He gestured to one of the chairs beside the dinner table. "It's just like your ancestors labeled themselves the Allied Forces and their enemies the Axis of Evil during World War II." William lightly chuckled. "World War. How cute."

  Ted sat down in front of what looked like a Thanksgiving turkey. It was larger and darker, but the smell brought him back to November. A man wearing a faded blue jumpsuit sliced off a few pieces of the bird and placed it on a plate with several pre-selected pastries. The food was calling to him, but Ted forced himself to remember where he was and who was feeding him.

  "How do you know about Earth sayings and World War II?"

  The General sat across from him, barely visible through the mounds of food that lay atop the table. When he cut off a piece of the bird and began chewing, Ted took his cue to do the same. It was savory and delicious.

  William took a sip of a dark blue drink to wash down the food. "Watching your world isn't difficult, Ted." He looked toward the room's side door. His mind seemed a thousand miles away. "What's hard is watching our people suffer here when there's a solution at hand."

  Ted had pulled off and eaten a chunk of a sticky pastry when he realized what the General meant.

  He lifted his honey-free hand to rub at his mouth and chin. "Why don't you give the people what they need? You seem to be doing pretty well in your ivory tower."

  William smiled. "Feeding and clothing hundreds of thousands of people is a lot harder than wining and dining one VIP." His grin faded. "We've had to close our doors to all but a few religious pilgrims. There are thousands of villages like the one you saw in the wastelands. The people there suffer in silence far beyond my protection."

  Ted thought of Vella and wondered how many girls like her didn't have a superhero to swoop in and stop a gang of raiders.

  "And you want to give them a ticket out. That's why you want to possess our dead."

  The General held up two fingers. "Not all of them. Just enough to reduce our numbers. Fewer people to protect and mouths to feed. It'll keep our people safe. It'll keep them from starving."

  Ted thought back to the vague explanations Erica had given him upon learning the origins of his powers. She said the dark souls wanted to take over the Earth and the light souls wouldn't let them. He'd believed it was nothing but a territorial power struggle all this time. Maybe it still was, but the possession of Earth's dead would at least keep dark souls like Razellia and Vella from starvation.

  Ted's train of thought derailed when he remembered all the carnage the dark souls had caused. Aside from killing Sandra and Farraday, they'd destroyed Redican's home world and orphaned him. The dark souls had killed and turned a gatekeeper, and then paired her up with Kable during the deadly rally. What the General was saying and what Ted had seen didn't seem to add up.

  Ted let his utensil clang against the plate. "If your motives are so altruistic, then why start a murder spree in Treasure? Why attack the mind-reader home world? Why make Adam an ally and attack hundreds of innocent people in the streets?"

  Ted thought the General would show frustration or anger at his insolence. Instead, Ted's mirror image smiled and took another drink of the blue beverage. "War is a calculated game of chess, Ted. The light souls won't ever make concessions if they think we're too weak to fight back." He wiped his mouth on a napkin. "Besides, if it weren't for all that, I wouldn't have gotten this one-on-one with you." The General leaned in, as though his next sentence wouldn't be heard by the guards who blocked the exits. "You hold a lot more power in this conflict than you think."

  Ted had been on a need-to-know basis for most of the last year. Erica had held him back from the books and other powers that were in reach. Obviously, one of the reasons was the insanity that befell Adam, but perhaps she and the light souls didn't want him going between worlds because of his influence.

  Ted furrowed his brow. "You're saying that making a deal with me could end the war?"

  The General let the question hang in the air as he pushed back his seat and walked to the other side. The man in the jumpsuit quickly and silently placed another chair beside Ted.

  The General sat down, mimicking Ted's posture. "I am. It's an old law, but it's bound in spirit. The living soul is the arbiter of all the worlds. What he or she says goes."

  Ted considered his options. He knew the basics of the thousand-plus-year conflict. People were dying on multiple worlds because of the war. He'd lost friends, and while he didn't want to think about it, he might lose more before the war was over. Unless, of course, it ended before he finished his dinner.

  He looked straight ahead into the General's eyes. The powerful man with the teen veneer looked kind and forgiving.

  He's a wolf in my clothing.

  Ted stood up. "You made sure I was worlds away from Erica before you pitched me on this." He took a gulp from his cup of blue liquid, and the sugary concoction trickled down his throat. Ted put the goblet back down. "There's no way I'll agree to anything without seeing her."

  The General took in and let out a deep breath. "So much for the easy way." William pushed back his chair and stood eye-to-eye with Ted. "You humans take too long to make decisions."

  Ted lifted his chin. "So says the General in the thousand-year war."

  William turned with a flourish and headed back to his throne. As he sat, the shadow once again masked his features. "You've been on the outskirts of this entire conflict. You don't know what it's like to see your loved ones suffer." A flicker of light brought his sinister smile into view. "But you will. Very soon, in fact."

  Maybe it was because a person who looked exactly like him uttered the words, but Ted was able to read between the lines with ease.

  "Natalie." Ted's blood boiled. "What did you do to her?!"

  The General gave a dismissive wave with his hand. "Guards. Take him to her." He leaned ever so slightly forward, bringing his eyes into the light. "Come back when you want to talk, hero."

  Ted reached out with his powers; he wanted to rip the General's throat out. But with a host of dark souls around him, his efforts unsurprisingly had no effect. His heart expanded and retracted at a marathon pace as he was led from the room.

  I shouldn't have let them take her. I'm going to kill him.

  The guards guided Ted down multiple new corridors. None of the decorations and ancient stonework made much of an impact on him, as his rage kept his mind from doing any kind of sightseeing. When they opened the door to what looked like a dingy hotel room, Ted heard a low moan from inside. Before he could turn to scream at the guards, they shut and locked the door behind him.

  Ted dashed across the room and turned white when he saw the trail of blood leading him on. It stopped at the base of a bed that Natalie lay upon. Bruises covered her face and neck. While the shirt she wore covered most of her midsection, the small bit that was exposed revealed multiple shallow cuts, each of them several inches long. Natalie was awake, but it was difficult to tell with one of her eyes swollen shut.

  She turned her body toward Ted with significant difficulty. "Great." Her voice was hollow. "I guess I got enough torture for two. This must be what pregnancy is like."

  Ted's mind raced and he looked around for something to patch up Natalie's wounds. "Oh my God, Nat. I'm gonna fix this." He breathed heavily and scampered from point to point in the cramped space. "I am so – oh man."

  When Ted passed in front of Natalie, she grabbed him by the collar. "Stop moving."

  Ted looked down at the impression left by the ropes on Natalie's wrist.
"What did they do to you?"

  Natalie rolled her good eye. "They served me tea and crumpets." She squinted and let out a low moan. "What did they say to you?"

  Ted looked at Natalie and then at the door to the main hallway. He shook his head. "He said that my loved ones would suffer." Ted took Natalie's hand off his shirt and linked her fingers with his. "Unless we surrender the war."

  Chapter 20

  Jennifer couldn't remember the last time she'd felt as happy as she did when Erica and Redican pulled up to the farm. With any type of communication off limits other than disposal cell phones, the only way to know her friend was safe was to see her in the flesh. When Erica hopped out of the driver's seat, Jennifer ran across the dirt path and leapt into the protector's arms. She cinched her arms tight around her neck and Erica spun several times.

  Jennifer let the warmth spread through her body. "You're alive!"

  Erica giggled. "And you're way too excited."

  Jennifer planted her feet back on the ground. "Why shouldn't I be? You got the staff?"

  Erica reached back and pulled the backpack out of the truck. She smiled. "I did."

  Jennifer let out a sigh of relief. "Did the DHS give you much trouble?"

  Erica seemed to scan her memories as she tossed her head from side to side. "Nah. Did spend some time with an old friend, though. How was Treasure?"

  Jennifer fidgeted and tucked her hands in her pockets. "The same and not the same. Thanks for the backup."

  Erica winked as the rest of the gang came out to greet them. It was almost like everything was back to normal, aside from them being in the middle of nowhere and on the run. The silent crops around them seemed to turn up the volume on their conversations. Everybody shared stories of their exploits, with particular attention paid to the flirting clinic Beth and Winny put on back in the lair. Jennifer knew she wanted things to go back to the way they were, but there was also something about seeing the gang together that completed her. If the book and staff worked, then maybe Ted and Natalie could join the party too.

  When she went inside, she saw that Kelly and her dad were struggling to move a couch to clear some portal space. Jennifer hopped over and lifted her dad's end.

  Kelly let out a laugh mixed with a wheeze. "Kids today. They don't understand when a pair of old men want to do something by themselves."

  Jennifer could see in her dad's eyes that he appreciated the support.

  "Speak for yourself. I think you're just mad we're back. You can sit around alone drinking scotch anymore."

  They maneuvered the furniture through a doorway and into the other room.

  Kelly grumbled. "Freeloaders I can handle, but alien freeloaders?"

  Jennifer's belly laugh almost made her lose hold of her corner. She steadied herself. "Most of us are human."

  When they reached a clear spot on the carpet, the three of them lowered the couch to the floor.

  Kelly rubbed one hand with the other. "You sure that boyfriend of yours isn't from Mars?"

  Jennifer winked. "Who's to say he isn't?"

  Her father laughed while Kelly shook his head. The sheriff's old army buddy patted her dad on the shoulder. "When most people say they need help, they need to borrow a truck for a day or get fifty bucks for a late payment. You ask to turn my quiet, happy farm into the Weirdo Motel." Kelly smirked. "You know you owe me about a million favors."

  The sheriff nodded. "I know. We'll start a list."

  Kelly gave a grunt and went back to the other room.

  Jennifer leaned on the couch. "Is he actually mad?"

  Her father grinned and she saw more wrinkles on his cheeks than she'd ever noticed before. The man who'd made her who she was today was definitely getting older.

  "Nah. He's just an old fart like your dad." He limped over to Jennifer and put his arms around her. "You hanging in there?"

  Jennifer loved the warmth of her father's hug. She wondered how many times she'd nuzzled against his chest to bury her worries. "Piece of cake."

  Dhiraj's voice echoed from the other room. "Come on, guys! Movie's starting."

  Jennifer rolled her eyes as her father gave her a kiss on the top of the head.

  He let her go but kept his arm draped on her shoulder. "Let's see if all that trouble was good for something."

  As they exited the room, Jennifer realized everybody was waiting for them. After she apologized, they took the big empty spot on the couch. Jennifer sat beside Dhiraj, while Travis and Kelly assisted Redican and Erica at the front of the room.

  Erica cleared her throat. "Alright, guys. If everything goes to plan, Redican will take the staff and the book in his hands, and a portal will open up to the Realm of Souls. From there, we can figure out where Ted and Natalie went."

  Travis raised his eyebrows. "And if it doesn't work?"

  Erica was about to speak, but Redican cut her off. "If it doesn't, the power might char me from the inside out. You'll be picking up pieces of me in every room of the house."

  Jennifer paled at the thought of dodging parts of Redican flying through the air. Dhiraj raised his hand.

  Redican pointed to him. "Yes, Mr. Patel?"

  Dhiraj let his Cheshire grin loose on the room. "Should we get some ponchos?"

  After several groans, Jennifer slapped her boyfriend playfully on the shoulder. Erica stomped her foot, drawing everyone's attention. "Enough, guys. We're not going to blow him up." She gave Redican the stink-eye. "Can we just give this a go already?"

  Redican returned the disdainful look before giving her a nod. Erica cued Travis, who removed the book from its plastic covering while donning thick work gloves. Kelly twisted the two ends of the staff together, and they connected with a glow. Everyone in the room held their breath as Travis and Kelly handed the objects to Redican. He hesitated.

  "If I don't make it, it was nice knowing all of your secrets."

  Jennifer rolled her eyes at that, but despite all the evil things he'd done, she certainly didn't want him dead. Jennifer took Dhiraj's hand and waited.

  After a few seconds, Redican gripped both objects at once and pointed the staff toward the wall. His body pulsed and his silvery hair began to rise as if he'd rubbed it against a balloon. As he shook more violently, a deep moan left his throat. In the spot he pointed the staff, a blue spark appeared. Soon enough there were several such sparks, and they all seemed to slam into each other. The resulting shape was a portal no bigger than a button. Redican's voice grew louder and he shook harder and harder.

  Beside Jennifer, Dhiraj used his free arm to cover his eyes. "I knew we should've gotten ponchos."

  Jennifer nudged him, though she didn't know enough about this ancient magic to rule out the possibility he was right. As Redican's moan became a scream, Jennifer put a hand in front of her eyes. Before any rain gear was needed, Erica ripped the staff out of Redican's hands. He dropped the book to the ground, and the small portal he'd created disappeared with a pop.

  Redican collapsed to all fours and moaned once again. "That was not fun."

  Jennifer got up from her seat and knelt by his side. "Are you alright?"

  He gave her a cursory glance and looked straight back down. "I could use some air."

  Jennifer helped him up, but her father came to take him off her hands. He put Redican's arm over his shoulder, and Kelly obliged by taking the other arm.

  Jennifer's dad gave her a wink. "I don't want him to puke all over you or anything."

  Jennifer shrugged. "Whatever you say."

  Sheriff Norris grinned and nodded at Kelly. "Let's get him outside."

  The three of them slowly stepped out the front door, letting a cool breeze waft inside. Erica, who was now wearing one of the gloves, flipped through the pages of the book.

  She shook her head and mumbled to herself. "It should've worked."

  Jennifer sat beside her. "It almost worked. I think an ant could've gone through."

  Erica looked up from the book and gave a half-hearted smile. "Alway
s the optimist."

  Jennifer draped her arm over Erica. "Someone's gotta be."

  The sound of vehicle driving up the dirt path caught all of them by surprise. Nobody had so much as paid them a visit in their entire stay on the farm. Jennifer's heart skipped a beat as Erica stood up cautiously.

  She looked at Travis. "Get the weapons ready."

  He nodded and darted into the other room.

  Erica made sure she had Jennifer and Dhiraj's attention. "Do not take your eyes off the book or the staff. Okay?"

  Jennifer nodded, but she had a bad feeling about this. Through the window, she could see Kelly having a conversion with an older man in the truck. He seemed to be alone. Perhaps he was a neighbor dropping by for a cup of sugar. Erica walked over to the door and opened it.

  A gunshot rang out, and Jennifer saw the bullet wound splatter open on Kelly's back with a burst of red. Dhiraj reached for her as she dashed off, but Jennifer pushed his hand away. Several more gunshots went off as she ran toward the noise. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the gunman point his weapon straight toward the door. Right where Erica stood.

  The shot fired just as Jennifer slammed into Erica's midsection with all her might. They tumbled onto the ground and the shot slammed into the doorway above them. By the time Jennifer had her bearings enough to look up, the man had already backed halfway down the driveway.

  She looked to her side. "Are you okay?"

  Erica nodded, but her eyes weren't on Jennifer. Dread filled Jennifer's mind as she followed her friends' eyes to the dirt path. She screamed as though her world had come to an end.

  Dhiraj rushed to her side and froze when he saw the same horror.

  "No!"

  Jennifer stared at the bloody bodies laid out in front of her. Kelly, Redican and her father lay motionless. She ignored the hot tears that watered her cheeks as she sprinted ahead.

  Her knees skidded across the dirt and she cradled her father's head in her hands. "Daddy?"

  His eyes were open but lifeless. He'd taken gunshots before, but never one so expertly placed through his heart. Jennifer's father was dead.