Lumen

by Joseph Eastwood

  “The way your friend—”

  “Jac,” Daniel interrupted.

  “Yeah, the way Jac put it, it sounded like you fought off a shark with your bare hands,” she laughed.

  “I’m hungry,” Jac whined, flopping on the bed.

  “I have to go, Jac can’t leave the room and I need to go and get lunch for us. I’ll phone you back later though.”

  “Sure, but if I don’t answer then my father’s probably taken my phone from me,” she said, hanging up.

  “Bye,” Daniel said as fast as he could and then pushed the phone into his pocket.

  “So you’re the one who go into this school, not me,” Jac grinned.

  “Whatever.”

  “I’m just trespassing.”

  “And eating all the food, and making a mess and—”

  “Okay, okay. I’ll give the room a bit of a clean and I’ll try and eat less.”

  “I’m joking, you can eat as much as you like, I’d rather you got fed than the people here.”

  “Well, I am the only one who truly knows the meaning of slumming it,” Jac grinned. “So are you going to get me something, or do I have to starve?” he asked, holding his stomach as he started to curl up into the foetal position.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Daniel made his way back up the stairs to his room with two brown paper bags. The servers must have caught on because they gave him double without asking, that or they thought that Daniel needed to bulk up some more.

  Three loud bangs rasped against door. Daniel knew it was his door, there was something in that echo he’d heard before. Jasper’s voice was the next thing to tremble, demanding that the door be opened. It was definitely his door.

  Daniel teleported back into his room. It was clean and empty.

  “There are some people wanting to get into your room,” Jac whispered.

  “Where are you?” he asked.

  “I’m hiding in the closet.”

  “Come out then, I’m back now. No wait,” Daniel opened the closet and threw the two paper bags inside. “I’ll see what they want.”

  Jac was stood, startled to see Daniel’s face when the closet door opened. He closed it as Daniel rushed to the door before another round of knocks.

  Daniel unlocked the door and Jasper tugged on the handle and pushed it open. “What do you want?” Daniel said.

  “Are you sleeping with Carlie?” Jasper asked. His forehead turned red and his lips thinned as he asked him again.

  “No,” Daniel laughed.

  Jasper took a deep breath and then punched Daniel square in the mouth. He stumbled backwards, holding his jaw. He pushed it side to side, rolling it until it clicked. He could taste the iron from the blood and see the light red gloss over his fingertips. He stumbled forward and the door slammed shut as he walked out into the hallway.

  “I think it works,” Mark said, looking down at Daniel’s feet.

  “What?” Daniel asked, seeing a faint glow connect three stones. “What is it?”

  “Why, does it hurt?” Jasper grinned, turning to Mark and high-fiving him.

  Daniel reached out to touch the spectral film encasing him. He pushed his fingers through it and tore a hole, his hands slowly started to blister and turn red.

  “Don’t. That will hurt,” Jasper said.

  Daniel clenched his jaw harder as the pain touched his nerves. He continued to rip at the barrier, but it kept on filling back up, even covering his fingers.

  “What is it?” Daniel finally asked, rubbing his hands.

  “You people shouldn’t have power. So you gotta give it up. Give it all up,” Jasper said.

  “Why? Why don’t I deserve power but you do?”

  “I deserve power because I have wealth, but for you it is a way to get by, therefore if your power goes, then you’re gone,” he replied with a snort of enthusiasm.

  Mark sliced both of his hands through the air, and moments later Daniel fell to his knees. He turned and noticed blood, it was starting to soak the back of his jeans and pool on the floor.

  “You’ll heal,” Jasper said, looking at the horror on Daniel’s face.

  “But why are you doing it!” he shouted.

  Mark swiped his hands through the air again and acted like he’d hit something, but tore right through it. Slowly, a light red line broke open on the back of Daniel’s hand, quickly covering him in more blood.

  “You’re at your weakest when you’re cut, or bleeding. And I wouldn’t try and use any of that flare of yours in there,” Jasper laughed. “It can get a bit, chilly.”

  Daniel’s body started to burn where he’d been cut and the slow healing process had already begun. He held his fingers out and watched as they turned blue and swelled like ripe aubergines.

  “Jac!” he stifled, coughing into his hands. “Can you hear me?”

  “Yeah, what’s up, I’m eating,” he replied, stuffing his face with potato waffles.

  Daniel’s teeth chattered in his mouth, talking among themselves. “I don’t care who sees, come and – come and – help.”

  The door of the dorm room burst open and all heads turned to see Jac, standing makings fists at his side. Jac stared at Jasper and Mark, he was stumped, he’d always prided himself on being the quick one who’d survived surprise attacks in lived in the forest for all those years. He glanced at Daniel, hunched over with his hands tucked into his stomach.

  “Who’s this?” Jasper snapped.

  “No, who are you? And what are you doing?” Jac asked, kicking one of the stones out of place.

  “Just messin’ with our friend,” Jasper grinned, stepping backward.

  Mark lifted his hand into the air and he twist them like he was twisting a lime from a tree. Daniel fell harder on the ground, groaning as the cuts on his body opened a little more. His skin, now blue turned a bit darker.

  “It won’t properly hurt him,” Jasper said.

  Jac kicked the stone again and it inched away slightly. Daniel continued to force himself to the ground, coughing and cowering into his arms.

  “What have you done?” Jac shouted through his gritted teeth.

  “Nothing you do can stop us taking all that power.”

  Jac shook his head; he knew differently, he knew that they couldn’t take any power, and even if they tried to sample it they’d keel over and wake up in a hospital room without any recollection of who he was. He smiled at the thought.

  “You will regret trying! What have you done?” Jac asked, glancing from them to Daniel. He noticed tiny crystals from inside the stones glow and then explode with colour. He took it at gut instinct and stomped on the stone, shattering the hold they had over Daniel.

  Jac dodged Jasper’s fist as he threw it, aiming for his jaw.

  “You shouldn’t have done that!” Jasper shouted, reeling in all the energy he’d used trying to punch Jac.

  Jac took the chance and pulled Daniel from the ground and ushered him back into his room, leaving a trail of blood and a large smeared pool on the floor outside. He turned and caught Mark’s punch in his torso. It left him wheezing and grinding his teeth, trying to remember everything that he’d learnt and all the people he’d been up against before. He lifted his gaze and looked Mark in his eyes.

  “I can defend myself. I’ve had to defend myself. Daniel hasn’t always needed defending, and you’ve just been spoon fed, thinking that you’re greater than everyone else,” Jac shook his head and grinned.

  “You couldn’t hurt us,” Jasper said, snarling his lips.

  “We can hurt you though,” Mark said, swinging a punch and hitting Jac in his chest.

  Mark’s fist stayed against Jac’s chest for several seconds. Jac didn’t flinch, he’d closed his eyes as Mark dropped to his knees like Jac had gripped his hand and was twisting each of his fingers off.

  “Dirty tactics,” Jasper said, kicking Mark slightly to get him away. “Scum, just like Daniel.”

  Jac grimaced; he looked at the crushed stone on
the floor and shook his head. “You’re the ones with the dirty tactics.”

  “Let’s go,” Jasper said, pulling Mark off the floor. The rushed off, leaving the stones on the floor and the smeared pool of blood leading to Daniel’s room.

  When Jac got back into Daniel’s room he saw Daniel laying on his bed with his arms clutched against his chest. His body had taken on a more fleshy tone to it, but there was still a tint of blue in the ends of his fingertips.

  “What did they do?” Jac asked

  “I didn’t think they’d go that far,” Daniel said. “They wanted to kill me.” He coughed at the knot in his throat.

  “They won’t be bothering you, not when they know who you really are. I need to tell you something, Daniel.”

  Daniel laughed weakly. “What did you do to them?”

  “I stood strong, I rooted myself. That’s not what I need to tell you. This is something you need to be fully functioning for. You need to listen to me when I tell you this. Are you listening to me?”

  Daniel looked up at Jac and then nodded.

  “I’ve been trying to think of how or when I should tell you this. I’m not sure how, but it was either me or your dad. He said that I had to do it,” Jac said, sitting down beside Daniel.

  “What is it? Is it—Is it—” Daniel stopped as several sharp knocks rapped against the door.

  “I’ll hide,” Jac said.

  It was too late, Reuben pushed the door open, jolting it from its hinges. He walked over with Jasper and Mark following behind, both clutching their bodies like they’d been seriously injured.

  Jac stood still as they joined the room. His eyes popped open glaring at the three of them. He glanced down at Daniel and all he could think about was how he needed to tell him that he shouldn’t be afraid, that he should be their superior.

  “You!” Reuben shouted, pointing at Jac who stood still between Daniel and the open closet.

  “I’ve done nothing wrong,” Jac protested.

  “Trespassing and hurting my students. Well that doesn’t seem like nothing,” Reuben said.

  “They were hurting him first. They cut him pretty bad, they had him on his hands and knees,” Jac said, throwing his hands in the air, pointing at Jasper and Mark.

  “Is this true, Daniel?” Reuben asked, combing a hand through his slick-back black hair.

  “Yes,” Daniel said, sitting up as thousands of little electric bullets jammed inside his chest, jolting him.

  “Do you have any proof?”

  “Yes,” he said, trying to stand. He turned to show Reuben the back of his jeans. There was no sign of blood; he then noticed that there wasn’t a trail leading into the room and nothing outside either.

  “You’re lying,” Reuben said.

  “But there was, they had me in this force field square and they said that I didn’t deserve what I had, and that I was, scum,” Daniel said in a forceful tone.

  “Is this true?” he asked turning to his nephew, he shook his head and wore a look of fear. “Why would my nephew lie to me? And why is he on my land?” he pointed at Jac.

  Jac stuttered in thinking up an excuse. Reuben’s nostrils flared as he raised his staff from the ground. He took a swipe at Jac and before it made contact with him, Jac had vanished.

  “And I revoke your access to go off the island and off the campus!” he shouted at Daniel. He turned, and a second later the three of them vanished. The door picked itself back up and secured itself back in place, “and you’re being locked in!” his voice came again and roared inside the room.

  Daniel’s heart raced around his body. His fingers shook as he shoved his hand in his pocket to pull his phone out.

  He called Mia. “Meet me!” he said.

  “I’m having dinner, I’m nearly done though,” she whispered.

  “Mia, off your phone at the table,” her father shouted in the background.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Daniel stood on the edge of the tall building where Mia lived. He let his feet itch closer to the edge, his toes hanging over, clutching to the building. He closed his eyes and let the air whip around his face, throwing his head back his glanced up at the half crescent moon. So bold and powerful against the black, he thought.

  The squeak from the hinges of the door on the roof startled Daniel, jumping backwards off the ledge to the building. “I could have fallen,” he said to her, smiling.

  “But you didn’t,” Mia said, hunching her jacket over her shoulders. “So what happened then?”

  Daniel glanced to the ground and then back up at Mia, she was waiting for an answer. “Um. I feel stupid saying this, but I got beat up,” he said, “and then Jac vanished, I don’t know where he’s gone, I can’t talk to him or anything. And Reuben revoked my permission to come here.”

  “You—you have to go then,” she said.

  “No, you’re the only one I can speak to about this.”

  “Yeah, and I want to, but I don’t want you to pay for it. I don’t want you to die.” She walked closer to him and looked straight into his eyes. “Just phone me.”

  “They can try to kill me. They can try,” he said.

  “Go back,” she said, placing a hand on his chest.

  He gripped her hand and pulled her to the edge of the building. “I want to show you something,” he said. “They said I shouldn’t do it, but you know what, I’m gonna.” He peeled her hand from his chest and turned. He took a step on the ledge and looked over.

  “You’re not going to jump off!” she said, gripping his sleeve.

  Daniel brushed her hand away as he unzipped his jacket and took it off. He threw it to the ground and then took his t-shirt off. His chest fell laden with goose pimples as the cold took a hold. He shivered and rolled his shoulder blades, there were several cracks and clicks, and before Mia’s eyes two huge arched wings formed on his back. The feathers were darker in colour; it had been a while since he’d projected that much energy out of his body.

  “You’re an angel,” she whispered. “Am I dead? Are you taking me to heaven? Did I jump?”

  “No, what are you talking about,” he laughed, “I’m not an angel or from heaven, but I can grow these at will and people have said that it meant I was special.”

  “Oh, I—I—I knew that, yeah, you are pretty special.”

  “The first time we met you were ready to jump. Would you have gone through with it?” Daniel asked.

  Mia’s smile faded and she looked away, anywhere but into his eye. “I don’t know.”

  “Well, do you want to know what it would be like to fall?”

  “I’m scared of heights.”

  “Then it’s lucky for you that I can use these,” he grinned as they spanned, making a whooshing sound.

  Mia took a deep breath. “Will they carry us both?” she asked, biting the inside of her lip.

  “You’re probably lighter than Jac and I’ve saved Jac quite a few times with these. So yeah, probably,” he said, holding his hand out for her.

  She took his hand and he pulled her up to the ledge. “What do you want me to do?”

  “Climb on my back,” he said. “But don’t strangle me or lean on a wing. I don’t think there’s anything worse than spinning out of control; I should know it’s happened before.”

  Mia rolled her eyes at him as her grip on his hand became tighter.

  “Right, so hop on,” he said, turning on the spot so she could jump on his back. She was almost pushed off by one of the wings but she didn’t let go of Daniel’s hand for even a second.

  “Are you sure it’s safe?” she asked. Daniel knelt slightly so she could wrap her arms around his neck, and when he stood she swung her legs around his waist.

  “Trying to stop the circulation?” he croaked. He coughed and Mia loosened her grip around his neck. “Are your eyes closed?”

  “No,” she lied through her gnashing teeth.

  “Good, because I’m closing mine,” he said and then they toppled from the top of t
he building.

  They were falling, slicing through the air, their streamline bodies created a vacuum of intense g-force. The pressure kept Daniel’s feathers sleek and Mia’s hair stick to her scalp. She had burrowed her head into Daniel’s neck, keeping her eyes closed and her mouth shut. She wasn’t breathing.

  The butterflies in Mia’s stomach were now too much. Her chest thumped against her vocal chords as she tried to speak. “O—open your eyes,” she spat, lifting her head slightly.

  They’d only fallen halfway down the building before Daniel swooped back up. The force tugged at Mia as they gained height, and she wrapped her legs around his waist a little more tightly. Daniel dropped again and this time her arms around his neck jolted like the mouth of a snake when it had caught its prey.

  “Mia, it’s fine,” he said, easing his neck out of her strangulation.

  “Just—just slow down,” she said.

  “Don’t worry… they’ve only failed me once.”

  “What if people see us?”

  Daniel slowed to a hover, half-way between the road and the roof of the building. “They might, but nobody will say anything for fear of everything thinking their crazy,” he smiled. “Should we go and see them?” he asked, and before she could answer he’d already swooped and headed for the road below.

  She started to strangle him again, reining him in before he started a witch hunt, that or she’d faint. “Please, can we go back?” she shouted.

  There was a pop. A fizzle. Colour faded out of Daniel’s eyes and before he realised what had happened, someone had spotted them, almost like someone had taken a photo. He dropped just above the people and darted over their heads, following a trail of popping lights.

  “Up! Up! Take me back!” Mia said.

  “No. I can’t. She knows,” he said, seeing the girl move just as fast as he was, she must have been a faint flare to the rest of the crowd.

  She stopped and turned to look at him. It was the girl from the coffee shop, the one he’d shared thoughts with. She was like him. She had to be like him, there was no other way Daniel could process how she moved through the crowd or spoke to him.

  Daniel halted in the sky as she entered his mind. “Don’t come any closer! You’ll expose us all; at least I can clean this up! Just go!” she boomed throughout him.