Balancer's Soul

by H. Lee Morgan, Jr

  ***

  “HEY BLACK SHEEP!” Sarah clearly heard over Rhoda’s and David’s heated debate for a surprise after party for Connor and the rest of them. She fervently wished she didn’t know who called the name, but did. “Well let’s see how he squirms away from Connor this time? I’m not going to stop him from that ingrate again.” And a tight lipped smile crept onto her lips.

  They all sat together in a circle, watching each other. She looked around and spotted where the voice originated from, but a clear view was obstructed by a mass of people crowding around like spectators in an arena. Sarah could hear Connor’s deep voice talking, but she sat too far away to hear precisely what he said.

  The group had a quit all conversations. “Did I just hear someone call someone a sheep?” Jillian asked confused. “Is that some kind of nickname?”

  “Is anyone that childish?” Jack looked down and asked his mate.

  “That’s Connor’s old nickname that the students offered him unjustly.” Mark explained to everyone, looking outright angry. His fists were clenched tight and his knuckles stood pure white in the blue contrast to the pulsating veins.

  The look on Jenny’s face was that of torment and rage. Apparently this seemed to be the first time she has heard that nickname for her son. Also Connor’s grandparents had the same look on their faces as their daughter did.

  Kara was the first of them to abruptly stand. Her face flushed red with anger and her voice seethed cold rage. “I hope Brother throttles him!” She stormed away towards the crowd and suddenly vanished within the wall of bodies. Mark instantly took off after her, looking ready to throttle someone himself.

  “Who would try to pick a fight with him? He’s so big…” Jillian asked and everyone turned to look at Sarah for an explanation.

  “That would be Mathew.” she sighed. “He would be the student who made me fall off the desk. Connor was the one who caught me and scared him off.” Sarah looked at her parents meaningfully.

  “When did all this happen?” Jenny looked at Sarah and it struck her that they didn’t tell anyone besides her parents. And astonishingly, Kara kept the secret.

  “Two months ago.” Sarah turned to David and Rhoda. “Also on the last day of school we had a carnival and during some games, Connor held off seven people in a game of tug of war all by himself. Then Connor, with Mark’s help, pulled Mathew into the mud pit! Everyone laughed at Connor’s tormenters.” and David’s smiled in satisfaction and a moment later it vanished.

  “I say we should see what all the commotion is about!” Jack stated, standing up. The party followed wearing expressionless masks on their faces.

  Sarah stood up and walked in front and pushed her way through the crowd. It took longer than she thought to make it to the front, but only a few seconds passed in reality. She was elbowed and had her foot stomped on twice. As she pushed her way in Sarah felt the bond with Connor tell her that he wasn’t afraid, but the danger was real. Since her stature wasn’t large she used it to an advantage to slip closer till she reached the front of the crowd.

  It took only a moment to clearly see the two combatants. Her knight was crouched in his battle stance, back arched and arms slightly spread to react to a variety of outcomes while his legs bent slightly, ready to leap. His fists were tightly clenched enough to show that his knuckles were white. Connor’s eyes remained focused an unwavering on the enemy while his neck and jaw muscled bulged and flexed.

  Mathew stood not far away wearing an evil smile while he held up something up in his hand and pointed it directly at her husband. Sarah heard the tail end of the conversation. “…to equalize the game.” She finally made her way completely to the front line and could finally see everything, it all happened within an instant.

  Connor quickly glanced at his sides and didn’t sidestep knowing that someone else could possibly get hurt. Instead he crouched down even more and she could see the extraordinary muscles in his legs bunching up beneath the pants, ready to be unleashed. He knew they had to hold onto their secret so he did everything at his human speed. As Connor sprang forward at him, head on in a tackling manner, Sarah finally processed what Mathew held towards her love.

  The stun gun in Mathew’s hand shot two needlelike electrodes and what looked like confetti directly at Connor. Both of the barbed electrodes pierced into his chest and flesh. As Sarah heard the diabolical Click, Click, Click of the stun gun sending the electricity through the cables she saw Connor crumple to the ground hard. He smashed face first on the concrete as his momentum looked to make the fall even worse. Mathew held the trigger of the weapon and she heard it continuous clicking. Connor started convulsing involuntarily due to the electric current coursing inside his body. Connor couldn’t do anything at all as he was being shocked and kicked in the ribs by Mathew.

  “CONNOR!” Sarah shouted, but she couldn’t even hear her own voice over the roar of the crowd’s anger and outrage.

  She tried leaping to Connor to see if she could help, but thick, fat arms wrapped around her neck in a choke hold. A menacing voice in her ear said “Stay where you are traitor! This is the punishment that has been coming to that cocky freak for a long time now.” Sarah tried turning her head to see who held her and froze when she finally got a good look at the person. It was her colleague. The morbidly obese and balding Mr. V.

  “Let go!” She shouted and used her fake normal human strength, trying to escape. He held her high enough so that she couldn’t stomp on his feet or sweep her heel at his groin. “Not until justice and punishment is served.” He said with a wicked smile.

  Several things happened all at the same time. Sarah found Mark and Kara across from her predicament, on the other side of the mass of people. They didn’t see her, but as she watched, Sarah noticed Mark swiftly and easily leave Kara’s side with a red face of fury. He slowly stalked behind Mathew with both fists clenched.

  Mathew walked around and continued kicking the other side of Connor’s ribs as he remained faced down on the concrete, still convulsing.

  Her parents and the May’s made their way to the front as well. As Sarah spotted them, they spotted her. David and her father’s features went to pure murderous expressions as they saw how Mr. V. held her hostage by the throat. Jenny, Rhoda and Jillian looked towards her in fear, shock and then it changed as a primal fury began to dominate them all. Her father and David moved side by side to come and help her. Both of their fists were clenched and they didn’t look at each other as she knew what was going to happen to her captor next.

  Sarah tore her eyes away to look back at her defenseless husband getting stunned and kicked repeatedly. She went still as she saw his face and felt his unleashed emotions nearly knock her unconscious. His face was dripping in blood, from the fall, but Connor’s eyes were looking right at her as he remained laying on the ground. His eyes were by far the most murderous of all.

  “HAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Sarah and everyone present heard Connor’s battle cry for the first time. A frightening roar that put fear deep in the soul itself. His body started to convulse less as his roar ripped through the entire area. His rage consumed him.

  Everything and everyone in the courtyard went silent and still except for the continuing shocks from the stun gun. Mark stopped just a foot behind Mathew and Sarah’s rescuers stopped seven feet away to look at Connor in surprise. The arms around her neck ever so slightly eased their pressure, but still remained firm.

  A massive, pure surge of energy emanated from Connor as he gave off another loud battle cry. Sarah knew he was calling on the power of Terra to his aid because she noticed sand gathering on the ground all around him. The sand skirted barely over the concrete, as she glanced down at her feet, coming at his command.

  “HAAAAAAAAAAA!!!” He roared again and this time Connor’s arms moved by his very own will.

  While the electrodes continued shocking, Connor used his arms to slowly push his body up. He then slowly brought one leg up and planted it firmly beneath himself. T
he sand and dirt encased and surrounded Connor’s black leather shoes, but not one set of eyes, other than hers, noticed. He still felt the shock, but not anywhere close enough to hinder his movements now. All stunned eyes watched him stand under impossible circumstances.

  Mathew still held the trigger, but stared up at Connor in total disbelief as he towered over the small child. Mathew stood far too close to her mate to make it anywhere to safety.

  It was over.

  With blinding speed, Connor grabbed Mathew by the throat and lifted him with one hand, at least two feet off the ground and held him there. Mathew should be honored that Connor didn’t crush his windpipe, but that would be the least of his problems. With Connor’s back turned to her she saw that since he touched Mathew, the electric current somehow altered direction and jumped into Mathew, through his throat. As the current went into him his hand tightened on the trigger and he became the one to convulse.

  Connor lifted him even higher and slammed Mathew on the concrete, back first as if he were a ragdoll. It was hard enough for everyone in the audience hear and feel the thud of the impact in their breast, but not enough to kill. After Mathew collided into the courtyard he dropped the stun gun and the shocking immediately ceased. Connor stopped the flow of power he emanated as the last Click died.

  Connor instantly turned around to look directly at Sarah. His masculine black undershirt had become ruined in dirt, rips and holes. It was beyond repair, luckily they bought it outright and didn’t rent it. His face continued dripping and streaming in blood profusely. He looked her up and down for a moment and then set his eyes on the man who held her.

  Hazel eyes were more murderous than she has ever seen them before and his emotions washed her fear away. He was her protector and Mr. V. made the mistake of breaching a fatal line. Connor was in no mood for games. He slowly started walking and stalking in her direction and Mr. V’s. Arms tightened around her neck, but she barely noticed.

  Connor stopped and spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear. His spoke slowly with a voice was laced with a command and murderous intent. “I will not repeat this Mr. V.” Connor’s bloody face and body arched into another battle stance. “Take your filthy hands off my…WIFE!” Connor yelled Sarah’s title.

  Everything became even more silent. Her heart still beat wildly.

  The arms around her barely loosened and he said quietly in astonishment “Your…wife?”

  Sensing a moment to break her bonds Sarah sharply elbowed the fat man in the ribs and escaped behind her husband when the arms were loose enough. Connor’s wide back comforted her with a feeling of safety and it told her that she no longer stood in danger. Mr. V. tried running away, but as he turned around he saw five stone faced figures standing shoulder to shoulder as a barricade.

  From the left stood Jenny, Rhoda, David, Jack and Jillian. They were all standing tall and their faces were impassive, if it weren’t for all of their fists being clenched one would never knew what they were thinking. “Boy, you have screwed with the wrong family.” David said in his deep, dangerous voice.

  “You should know to never harm a lady. Especially if her husband is as big as my son-in-law.” Jack said in a menacing threat.

  Mr. V. tried running away to an open spot in the crowd, but Connor struck far quicker. With one hand he grabbed his former teacher by the back of his shirt and threw him on his back, picked him back up by the collar of his shirt and with both hands he brought up the wide eyed man to his eye level. He said loud enough for the crowd to hear. “I saw you in the corner of the gym earlier.” He pulled him closer to his face. “You were the one who gave Mathew this weapon.” Connor dropped the man down to the ground forcefully, wrapped his hands around the electrodes and yanked the two barbed needles out of his chest. Each needle had been coated red with Connor’s blood.

  Moments later Mr. V. found his demeaning voice. “What proof do you have for your accusations?”

  Sarah walked to the side of Connor to see him smile. “Are you honestly that stupid? Oh right I forgot you are!” Connor pulled off a piece of confetti from his clothing. It was a small circular orange piece. “When you fire off a stun gun, these are shot out. They are like the striations of a bullet. Each stun gun is unique. They are branded with a serial number that will be traced back to you.”

  Connor lifted the man to his stubby feet, crouched down and brought his right fist back. Short of killing the man, Connor wouldn’t let him go without punishment. With one quick movement he punched his teacher directly in his stomach with enough for to deliver him unconscious. As the man started to fall, Connor caught him and threw the limp body over his shoulder like he was nothing. He stood tall as he turned to Sarah.

  “Are you alright, Princess?” Connor asked quietly.

  “I am, but you’re not!” She tried to touch his bloody face, but he stepped back, grabbing her hand gently and releasing it just as quick.

  “You can work on me later.” He smiled and turned his head sharply.

  Sarah turned to look in the same direction and saw Mark holding both of Mathew’s arms behind his back. He still wore his silver suit and didn’t ruin it somehow. Kara stood to the side of Mark, glaring at Mathew as he was struggling to free himself without luck. “He tried to escape while you were working on that porker, Buddy.” Mathew tried squirming, but screamed in pain when Mark tightened his grip, almost dislocating his shoulders from behind in the process. “What do you want me to do with him?”

  In a deep commanding voice Connor ordered “Knock him out cold!”

  Before Mark could react Kara stepped closer. She swung her arm back and with a force Sarah never expected her to have, she struck the back of his head to make him go limp.

  Everyone in the audience stared at her with wide eyes. Mark started laughing “That’s my girl!” then copied Connor by throwing Mathew over his shoulder with ease. He turned to look at Connor. “What are we going to do with these two Ass-Clowns?”

  Connor turned to the crowd. “Will someone please go retrieve Deputy Burrow!” several people ran off, following Connor’s order while the others remained dumbfounded and spellbound.

  “Sarah.” Her head spun back to Connor’s bloody face. “Would you please pick up that stun gun and wrap up the coils? We will need the evidence.”

  “Ok, but when this is over I will need to clean those wounds.” He smiled down at her. “What’s that smile for?”

  “It looks like you can take your revenge on me for the time I cleaned out those scrapes on your hand and applied the sage…”

  “Hey your right… you really are going to get it!” She shot him a playful smile.

  “WHERE ARE THEY!?” A deep male voice called from the back of the crowd seconds later. “MOVE ASIDE!”

  With the weight of his unconscious teacher draped over his shoulder Connor walked over to stand with Mark who carried Mathew over his shoulder.

  “Who called for me?” A tall, slender man wearing a brown deputy sheriff’s uniform appeared in the crowd. He was a middle aged, ebony skinned gentleman who has always treated Connor with respect. He shaves his head and always carries a smile wherever he’s called.

  “I did, Deputy Burrow.” Connor raised his free arm.

  The deputy walked up to Mark and Connor and started laughing. “Wow, Connor you look like hell. What happened? And what is up with that new growth over your shoulder?” He smiled brightly at the two young men.

  “Oh this little ol thing?” Connor shifted Mr. V’s. weight on his shoulder. “Oh he only handed a weapon over to Mathew. Who by the way, is hanging over Mark’s shoulder. Mathew here” he pointed on Mark’s shoulder. “used a stun gun on me without provocation.” Deputy Burrow’s constant smile vanished. “Oh it gets better… Mr. V. put my wife in a chokehold and held her captive.

  “While he was shocking and kicking me, while I was down eating the concrete mind you, I stood up and slammed Mathew on the ground. I was glad my wife was able to break free from this teacher and I also in
capacitated him until you arrived.”

  Deputy Burrow looked angry “Is your wife ok, Son?”

  “I’m fine officer.” Sarah walked up to Connor with her hair billowing and her blue dress gracefully shimmered in the sunlight. “I hope this helps convict these two men?” Sarah stepped forward and placed the stun gun in his big hands. “Oh wait…” She walked up to Connor and picked off a few pieces of the stun gun confetti. “This will help as well.”

  With the stun gun in one hand and solid evidence in the other, the deputy asked the crowd “Does anyone else have anything to say otherwise in my report?”

  “I do!” One of the guys who asked Connor to play Football with them stepped forward. “Connor, actually tried to talk Mathew out of this foolishness. Plus he saved me as well.”

  “Explain.” The officer said seriously.

  “Connor, took the shock head on. I saw how fast he is capable of moving. If Connor did dodge the gun, I or maybe someone else would have been seriously hurt. He took getting shot on purpose.” The guy said honestly.

  “That’s all I needed to hear.” Deputy Burrow said and his smile returned.

  “Where is your cruiser?” Connor asked, gaining the deputy’s attention again.

  Mark and Connor followed the officer and were followed by Sarah and Kara. The two of them threw the Ass-Clowns, as Mark happily and aptly named them, into the back of the cruiser, still unconscious.

  They were both being charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, discharging a weapon in public, endangering the public, holding a hostage and a few other charges thrown in just for kicks. As Deputy Burrow rolled down the window of his cruiser he said “Son, you need to clean yourself up. You have had a rough of a day. Want a ride to the hospital?”

  “I’ll take good care of him.” Sarah came up and wrapped her arm around Connor’s. The officer nodded and drove away with the criminals.

  “Brother, are you ok?” Kara asked. He looked down at Sarah and then to Mark who all shared the same expression. He must have look really bad.

  “I will be after I get cleaned up.” Connor then looked at her with a smile. “You remembered your training, Sis.”

  “Well duh. I’m not your typical frail female.” She shook her head.

  “What training?” Sarah asked and all looked to her.

  “Do you honestly think that Brother is the only strong one in the family?” Kara lifted her dress high enough to show Sarah her sculpted quadriceps. Mark came up and playfully poked her leg to see if her muscles were real. “Stop that.” She said, smacking his hand away playfully.

  “Wow Kara I never realized.” She looked up at Connor. “I see now why your sister has your hearing as well.”

  “Sorry about that.” Kara apologized a little too easily to be believed.

  “I need to clean up.” He said to everyone and they didn’t argue as his face still bled.

  They said goodbye to the whole family and the four of them left first. Jenny wanted to have him checked out at the hospital, but as stubborn as she is Connor told her all was fine. On the ride back Mark reminded everyone of their graduation camping trip tomorrow. After they got out of the car, Sarah and Connor quickly ran back to their home in the woods.

  Sitting down on the dining room chair, Sarah told him to remove his shirt as she ran into the bathroom to get the first aid kit and some towels. After Connor’s ruined shirt was unbuttoned and stripped off he noticed two deep puncture wounds on his torso. One landed above the left nipple and the other just caught under his right collarbone. The bleeding finally stopped, but it still stung something fierce.

  Sarah came in with a handful of clean towels and the first aid box he stocked in the house just incase of an accident. Only because they live so far out in the woods they might need them. She sat them all on the table and walked around to the sink and filled the empty fruit bowl full of hot water. She brought it over and sat down in a chair in front of him. As she cleaned his chest wounds first she asked “How were you able to stand while being shocked.”

  Remembering back he explained “When I saw you being held I was so furious that I couldn’t do anything to help you. My mind raced for a solution that didn’t give away what we are and I found the answer to my problems. I knew that I needed to direct the electricity away from my body. I used Terra to pull the electricity away through my feet. I couldn’t get rid of it all, but I managed to direct enough away. I was really amazed when I was able to get hold of Mathew be able to direct it all into him without any pain to me.”

  “I have to admit that Mathew deserved far more than that slam you delivered.” She smiled as she dipped the towel again in the water. “I’m finished with this part, lean over here and let me work on your head.”

  Connor leaned down as she used the warm and wet washcloth to wipe the blood out of his eyes first then moved to his cheeks. She wiped away the blood in his forehead lastly. “There is only a deep scrape; at least there isn’t a deep, fleshy gash like I feared.” She cleaned the wound quickly and removed all of the dirt and any foreign objects from his head with peroxide. She added an ointment and one gauze patch to cover the wound on his forehead and two smaller adhesive bandages over the puncture wounds on his chest.

  When she finished Connor grabbed her bottom and sat her down side saddle on his lap. She squeaked from the suddenness of her movement and felt large arms wrap arms around her and clutched her tight to his breast. Connor laid the side of his cheek on the top of her head, telling her “When I saw his arms around your head I thought he was going to break your neck.”

  She wrapped her arms around him as well. “I was worried that Mathew was going to kill you too.” They held each other for several minutes in complete silence. She moved first and raised her head, speaking softly “I love you, Connor.”

  “I love you too, Sarah.” And they kissed each other in comfort and safety; not passion.

  She stood later and made dinner while he washed his blood out of the towels and threw away the rubbish from the first aid.

  They ate a large meal again before taking a shower together and fell asleep not long after.

  This day didn’t turn out as expected. It wasn’t happy, but it reminded him of what is truly important of this life.