by Brown, Allen
Traveling to nearly the other side of the city, I landed on a rooftop skidding across the wet clay shingles. Leaning against a chimney erupting out of the rooftop, I crossed my legs and watched Sonia below, I can pretend that this is coincidence, or I can just admit that she comes here every Tuesday at noon to buy her favourite fruit from this particular vendor. Partially hidden under her umbrella and like clockwork, she dropped the usual silver into the vendor's hand before they took a parcel out hidden below the stand out and handed it to her.
Her healthy glow reminded me of the never ending days we had, the ones where she tortured me, not in the gruesome way, but in a way that couldn't be seen. Her hair was different, the bright golden shade shined even on this dank day in a way I only could've dreamt of. It was longer too, falling slightly below her waist. I stared at her red moist lips long enough for people to think I'd be a lip reader, but like hell if I could. It was just an uncontrollable urge, like flinching at an unexpected punch that clearly would have never landed its mark. Her smile that couldn't be matched and the way she laughed, covering her mouth to be modest, wasn't her. She's being reserved, like a trained animal obeying the rules of captivity. This wasn't the same girl I met on the bay boardwalk late at night in Alexandria, dancing and laughing for the crowds of cheers.
Moving on from the vendor, she ripped open the parcel paper to reveal freshly cut fruit in a small container she picked from. She headed down the roadway away from me, again, this is where I must say farewell. She has no place with me, especially after nearly killing her. It's better this way, its safer.
"I am surprised she's alive." A voice said behind me, a familiar voice, a voice I thought I'd never hear from again.
"Fatima?" I said turning around to see her standing above me in her robes. Pieces of her black outfit were torn and charred from Al Shayir's attempt to claim her life.
"Yeah." She said guarded.
My inner self pleaded to escape, it senses the looming danger that I may face and wanted to protect my body. Its body. I couldn't have him interfering right now, I have questions, Fatima owes me answers. "Why did you do it?" I said to her facing her fully, I crossed my arms easing her a little bit.
"I am Hashashin Jinn." She said, "It is my duty as part of the ancient syndicate to protect the world from entities like yourself."
Her words hit me like an elephant, the person I was with is part of the notorious assassin group. Worse yet, she claims I am something from a mythical child story used to simply scare them to behave. "Entities?" I asked her, feeling the stir within.
"You were possessed by something in that monastery. The syndicate buried that church long ago, trapping something in it." She said, "I am surprised you are still alive honestly, the elders say it usually fully takes over the host's body."
"I see..." I said trailing the edge of the roof with my feet, something else ran through my mind, but my tongue couldn't hold back. "So you were just spying on me the entire time huh?" I asked trying to hide the scorn in my voice. My legs couldn't stay still, I had to move, I started to walk along the roof top. Fatima trailed right behind me, like a balloon following behind a young boy holding it in its grasp.
"What? No, Jinn what we were... was more than this." She said stepping forward.
"Doesn't look that way, it really doesn't Fatima."
"It only turned into work when you wouldn't give up with that damn monastery."
"It was my way out."
"How'd that work out for you?"
"Well I’m out... and I have a new friend that I talk to, in me... that sounds weird doesn't it." I said with a laugh, "There is no need for you to do what you have to. I will control it and make sure he doesn't hurt anyone, I promise."
"Jinn, there is no way you can control such a power. I am sorry... but this only ends one way." She replied, more than ever I could feel the demon raging within me. But I had a promise to keep, I couldn't let him hurt her. She is still the girl I trust, someone who had my love. As I turned to face her, maybe one last time, she leaped into the air without warning. Two metal blades shined the magnificence of the sun as it flew towards me burrowing themselves firmly into my flesh just below my shoulders. My arms dropped to my sides instantly as the energy coursing through my veins seemed to have ruptured. Red, for a moment, it was the color I couldn't understand no matter how much of it I saw. The force that transferred through the blades was enough to push me off the roof. Not to mention, Fatima landed a kick squarely into my chest to put the star on top of the Christmas tree. Now, the only thing in sight was the hidden sun peaking between the cracks of the clouded sky like someone sneaking a peak of their crush, it risked that one moment to take in their everlasting beauty. And it was always worth it.
Hitting the empty paved road felt like it was all about to end, there was so much pain coursing through my body that I felt nothing. My vision blurred, either from the tiredness or from the blood flowing into my eye. I couldn't hold it back anymore, I gave in to my other self. I can't die here, I have yet to prove myself and make something of myself in this life before I move to the next. Al Shayir may be the demon that wrought destruction on the world, but he is now my savior. Slowly, I could feel the darkness carry through me taking over every inch of myself. The pain was more excruciating as it worked on fixing our mangled body. Fatima leaped off the rooftop, she managed to arm herself with two daggers that it looks like she wanted to land on.
"Work faster!"
"Next time do not resist me."
As my body transformed into its shadowy state, it grappled Fatima by the throat in the air. Words couldn't be formed as she held onto my arm, clawing at my skin for her life. It was too late, I couldn't help her now. I could feel her skin on the tips of my finger, the same skin I felt nights so long ago. Her skin slowly began to chap, "Do you know what a thousand years of life feels like? You are about to." My voice echoed to her. I could feel the heat in my body being transferred through my arm into her, she tried to scream in pain yet her voice was muffled in pain. The tears in her eyes, staring right at me without quit, ran dry as soon as they left until everything turned black. Her body turned to ash as it floated through my fingers down to the street below.
"No! Stop. I don't want this."
"It is too late, the deed is done."
"Leave!”
As quickly as it began, it was over. No matter what I do, I seem to always find myself crawling along a deserted street in hopes of finding what I want, yet it is never there. Blood dripped from my mouth onto the road, and my shoulders ached as fuck as the pain returned from its recess. Another day has passed where I had grown in more ways than I have imagined, the trails of this life can be onerous. Alas, like the beats of a warring drum this won't be my last, this is just the beginning, as I may have found my spark to life. And with this newly spark I wield, I pray that only greatness awaits. I extended my hand into oblivion, clawing at anything in its wake, it landed at the feet of a stranger.
"I was told you need some help, young chap.” An older man said standing over me, my vision fading.
"Who are you?" I said in a voice that struggled to breathe.
"Balan."
Winter Wonderland
By Allen Brown
"The mind is everything. What you think, you become."
- Buddha
SIX
Alice
Clouds hovered from my breath as my chest heaved uncontrollable to stabilize my racing heart. Hiding behind a tree, I took a peak from the corner, my face plastered against the cold bark. My palms sweaty, knees heavy from snow sticking to my pants, I must run, I cannot stay here. If he catches me, he will kill me.
By the time I stopped running, I didn't know where I was. It was down in a valley, over a land bridge into an opening in the forest. I remember the frozen pond in the middle of the expanse because it perfectly echoed the light blue skies and the grand mountain towering over me. Walking up to the pond, a frog sat frozen in place atop a lily floating on the hal
f frozen water. Thick trees surrounded the entire enclosure, void of life. The stillness of the forest scared me.
Crouching behind a tree, I hugged my knees, I sank my head into my puffy snow pants, enjoying the darkness. I waited, for what? I’m not entirely sure. I only wished this day to be over, maybe it is but a dream, a nightmare.
“ALICE!" A voice echoed in the distance, "Get the fuck out here Alice."
Holding my breath, I squeezed my legs until my knees cracked. I could hear the snow crunching beneath the weight of his feet as he got closer. I had to run again, but what if I stayed still and he went by me, what if he didn't. Why is this happening to me.
It wasn't until I heard his breath, and his shadow penetrating the treeline. It was almost instinct, I ran. I turned and ran to the other side of the pond with every ounce of strength I had left. The cold wind touched my cheeks making them glow a hot red. My boots sunk into the ground with each stride, I could no longer feel my fingers. My vision blurred, the only thing I could see was the opening to the forest ahead of me, just a few yards away.
Then everything shifted, the world turned onto itself, the ground fell from beneath me as the sky came into view, the clear blue sky with only a single puff of a cloud to be seen. Jake sat atop of me, holding me firmly to the ground. My hands moved all over, I'm not sure where, they were moving of their own accord. Once to his face, then to his hands, they attempted to push his body away, and then retreated under the snow.
"Why!" He yelled at me, "why did you do it?!"
"Please... Jake, please don't hurt me." I pleaded from him, yet his eyes of rage, and face of steel looked down onto me like a cold hearted executioner.
"You're crazy... I can't..." He said with fear, his hands trembled as they crept up my body onto my neck. His grip formed around my throat and got tighter.
My ever searching hands rose from the pure white snow and plowed to his head knocking him over. Jumping onto him, I raised the rock above my head and slammed it down again and again watching his blood pollute the ground beneath me.
FIVE
Jordan
This night wasn't a night of fairy tails, it was a night of power and illusion. It was the night I danced with the devil.
Taking a puff from my cancer stick, I released a phantasm in the air that twisted with the winds before disappearing into the night sky. The stars were out in full force tonight, always feeling out of reach, they shimmered along with the echoes of the northern lights. Something so beautiful, yet ignored by this small Albertan city hunkered down on the side of a snowy mountain for the winter, once it becomes a daily pleasure; I guess it loses its sustenance.
Bill, my superintendent, stood beside me shivering uncontrollably, "Godammit man, where is she?" He said commandeering my stare. Surveying his posture, a slouch as always, noticing me he quietly returned to his cigarette.
Bill wasn't especially bright. Don't get me wrong, I don't particularly dislike the guy, but if you're standing in minus thirty degrees weather with your jacket unzipped... Well, you see where I'm headed. Although, I can't totally fault the man, he's a Brit. They're not accustomed to the Albertan cold - the one that lasts six months of the year. Transferring out here only three months ago he should still be adjusting, and by the looks of it, he tends to need adjusting frequently.
We stood outside waiting the delivery of one lone survivor of an avalanche that happened nearly two weeks ago, god knows how she survived. It was a definite surprise, since we pegged them all dead already, case closed. I'll never understand why these young men and women put themselves in such extreme conditions for an adrenaline rush, to be frank, it’s stupid.
"I'm going back in, call me when they fucking get here."
"Yessir!"
Falling into my chair, I could feel the ice melt in my pours, my skin finally able to breathe. I try to conjure my memories of my last vacation with my wife, ahh, Bora Bora it was, that sweet white sandy paradise. Sitting in the hutted restaurant on a blissful Sunday morning overlooking the beach, I had an all American breakfast, eggs, bacon and bread. Oh, that bacon... there is nothing better than pig lining my insides.
Crashing through my office door, ripping the beach from my grasp, Bill came in and dumped a bag onto my desk. I could hear as the contents spill onto the desk, some landing upon my lap. Oh how I wish I can stay in this dream.
I could hear the air being sucked in by the skin of his teeth, "Uh, sorry, she's arrived. I placed her in the interrogation room." He said, trying to gather the pieces.
Waning back to reality, my gaze was fixated on a small black book. Must have fell from the bag, a journal or diary, I would guess. Reaching forward, I lifted it off the desk. It was small enough to fit into the palm of my hands, the weak, feather-like pages trickled against my numb fingertips. Words and drawings scoured the pages of the book, some written on the lines with order, others drawn across multiple pages. If I were to guess, this was a glimpse of the inner workings of a woman's mind.
The pages began to wrinkle, showing the roughness of its words towards the end. That is, until the last entry made me forget about the cold sweat that scaled my face. The color of the ink grabbed me by the collar, the dark red scrubbed onto my thumb as I brushed it.
It was definitely blood. Sprawling onto the page, it read:
"Yes, we did it. We killed them all."
The redness of the words seared into my vision, and followed my gaze around the room, similar to how the sun would make its mark on your vision.
Bill was mostly silent on the way to the debriefing room, carrying an awkward smile. Walking along the narrow brown hallway, Debra, was hard at work on the phones. I believe she had the worst job here. She was responsible for filtering the crap from the actual crimes that happened in this city. You wouldn't believe some of the obnoxious calls we got. One occasion, a caller claimed that a certain fast food restaurant gave them five chicken nuggets instead of eight. It’s absolutely ridiculous.
Once we arrived at the room, Bill barged in without care, he plopped down into the farthest chair in the room. I was still at the door when he started; "Ello miss, my name is Bill, and this 'ere is the Captain."
The girl shook with fear from his overzealous voice, shriveling like a snail approaching salt. Her fists clenched, and withdrew into her chest guarding herself. Leaning forward against the small metal desk, her dirty blond hair ran over her face. That was when I managed to get a glimpse of the deep blue eyes staring at me from under her haven. Her eyes surveyed more than it should for a young person, it reminded me of a wolf I encountered a few years ago while hunting. Dug into the snow, we came across each other on route to our game. Staring me in the eye, we both waited, wondering what we had to do to dine that night.
The ticking of the clock echoed the loudest in the room as we waited for the next move. Bill was back in his chair wrestling with god knows what in his nose, I tried to ignore him the best I could, as I gave the girl my full attention.
Huddling over her hot chocolate, she embraced the steam traveling from the cup into her face. Her eyes closed, she looked relaxed, breathing deeply. Her grip on the cup absorbed every bit of heat it radiated. Still, her lips trembled, and her legs fidgeted restlessly under the table. It was the sound of her pants made as her heel bounced on and off the ground like a basketball.
Yet... I felt a smile lurked somewhere under her still expression.
"I'm Brad, the commissioner." I started the conversation.
She didn't pay heed to my pleasantries, "May I have your name miss?" I continued reluctantly. Trying to wave her attention, I reached forward on the metal desk with my hands down.
Still nothing.
Withdrawing, my hand left a wet print on the cold desk. Bill, as I should have expected, gave me a shrug and a face one would expect from an infant being taught rocket science.
Taking the hint, he pulled up in his chair and said: "C'omon doll, give us a word er two." To top if off, he gave me a confident nod afterwards.<
br />
Perfect.
He was definitely the type that gets comfortable too quick, and by the look she gave him, she thought so too. I decided it was best to have Bill get us some refills, something he humbly accepted. Remaining seated, patiently by my untouched coffee until it refused to procure the heavenly scent that brushed my nose.
"Alice," She finally muttered in a hoarse voice, clearing it, she repeated: "It's Alice."
"Hi, Alice." I replied with a warm smile. Waiting a moment before continuing, "could you tell me how many people were with you?"
"Four." She replied turning her attention to her nails.
"Where are they?" I said.
Her eyes started on me before trailing around the room. First she landed on her mug, and then locked onto the door. "Alice, you need to tell me what happened. The parents of those kids." I said, collecting my thoughts, "They need to know, they deserve to know what happened to their kids."
Alice rested the mug on the table, and took a deep breath with her eyes closed. Holding it, she released slowly while opening her eyes. Looking right to me, I could see every muscle in her body went dormant. Falling into her chair, the legs scrapping along the floor. She started in a crystal clear voice, "Everything went wrong since the drop..."
FOUR
Alice
Disappearing into the clouds, the helicopter left the four of us standing upon the edge of the world with only the sound its blades swiping through the air. Knee deep in snow, we looked over at the entirety of the valley below. I felt like a giant, standing above the world, wielding this raw power of strength. But, there was a loneliness to it. Up here, you were another cog of nature, existing at the mercy of the silent winds and the rumblings of the mountain. The ground trembled and the mountain moaned with the shifting of snow. Thankfully, it lasted only for a moment.
