Dark Fall: The Gift

by KD Knight

  The space behind my eyes began to throb.

  "What's up?" Kamila approached from the side. Kamila Gopal is a short Indian girl from my math class who has a head for numbers and a love for all things glittery.

  "My blood pressure," I answered, rubbing my temples.

  "I thought I just saw you talking to Boothe."

  "You did."

  "The hottest guy in school was talking to you! His muscles. His perfect face-" she squealed. "What did he say? Tell me everything."

  "He scolded me for dating Marcus. Wait, that came out wrong…"

  "I knew it! It's all over the school that you and Marcus are officially an item." Kamila was grinning with excitement.

  "Marcus and I are not together!" my voice was louder than I anticipated. A few students stopped and looked over. "This is unbelievable! What do I have to do to get Marcus to leave me alone?"

  "Jane, you have one of the hottest and most popular boys in school after you. And now Boothe has joined in. This is every girl’s daydream; well, at least it's mine."

  "Why would Marcus spread such a lie?" I was horrified.

  Kamila broke the seal on a new hot-pink lip gloss and smoothed it over her entire bottom lip. "I think you should go on a date with Marcus." "I don't date."

  "Like you've never been on a date? Ever?" Her eyes widened. "What sixteen-year-old hasn't been on at least one date?"

  I raised my hand. "Me."

  "Then Marcus will be your first."

  "No, he won't. I don't feel that way about Marcus. To be honest, he creeps me out."

  "Okay. Well, what about Boothe?"

  I paused for a moment looking absently at the textbook I had in my hand. I thought back to his piercing grey eyes and held my breath, again.

  "I'm allergic to jerks," I said finally. "Whenever I'm around one, I feel like kicking them in the knee."

  "You do like him," Kamila insisted.

  "Clearly you are not listening. I've got to do something about Marcus,"

  "Hey, guys," Lisa approached us on her way to her locker.

  "I'll just pull Marcus aside." I continued, unintentionally ignoring Lisa's arrival. "Talk to him one on one…"

  "Talk to Marcus about what?" Lisa’s face was stern.

  "She's going to tell Marcus that she's not interested in dating him because she's fallen for Boothe." Kamila answered. "Too bad I can't be around to see that. I’d love to be there for Marcus and offer him a shoulder to lean on." She applied another coat of gloss. "I've got music next period so I'll see you two later."

  "I'll go with you." Lisa zipped up her backpack and slung it on her back.

  "I don't think that's such a good idea. I need him to be focused on what I have to say, not on how much he hates you."

  "So you're going to talk to Marcus by yourself?"

  "Yes. Why are people talking about Marcus like he's dangerous?"

  "People?"

  "First Boothe, now you."

  Lisa bit her bottom lip. "What did Boothe say?"

  "Something about him not being what he seemed. None of what Boothe said made any sense." Especially the part about him following me.

  "What else did Boothe tell you?"

  "Why are you all of a sudden so interested in what Boothe says?"

  "No reason." She shrugged and returned her focus to the contents of her locker. "I still don't think that talking to Marcus alone is such a good idea. Boothe knows Marcus, and even he warned you. Please promise me you won't go after him by yourself."

  "I still don't understand…"

  "Because he’s dangerous," Lisa blurted. "Marcus is the reason Dr. Coy and I want you to come to our meetings." She grabbed my hand just as she had when she appeared in my dream. "We're meeting with Dr. Coy on Friday. If you come, he'll explain everything. If you still want to talk to Marcus after you hear what Dr. Coy's got to say, then I won't stop you."

  "Your meetings are about Marcus?" I asked curiously.

  "Him and others like him." She lowered her voice, so that only I could hear her.

  "And by others like him, you mean what? Teenage boys? Is this after-school thing a sex education class?"

  Lisa bit her lip. "I mean, you should come to Friday's meeting and find out. You're so curious about everything else, but you're not the least bit interested in our meetings?"

  "I don't find extracurricular school work as exciting as you do."

  There was sincere concern in Lisa's eyes that I had only seen once before when she told me Dr. Coy's daughter was missing. Thinking back, I realized this was the same worried look she had given me in my dream. "Fine, I'll come."

  Lisa let out a deep sigh. "Great! I'll tell Dr. Coy. Remember your promise. Don't talk to Marcus till after the meeting."

  Lisa was beginning to concern me with this after-school meeting stuff.

  The hallway was empty, but I was still idling by my locker. I'm going to be late for class, again.

  "AAGH!" I yelled. My loud voice echoed through the empty hall. Someone had grabbed my waist from behind and sent my heart into a frantic gallop.

  "Hey, Gorgeous," Marcus whispered in my ear.

  I turned to face him and he pressed my back against the cold locker. He set up a barricade with his arms. "Marcus, I don't like this." My chest began to burn and my inhaler was out of reach in the back of my locker.

  "You don't like when I do what exactly?" He wore a devilish grin. "Maybe I can try something different."

  The veins in his forearms rose high above his skin as his face inched closer to mine. A cold, hollow feeling gripped my chest and crept over my spine.

  "I want you to leave me alone." I watched his dimpled smile shrink into a one-sided grin. "Look, Marcus I think you're an alright guy. No, that's not true. I think you're pushy, arrogant, and hard-headed, but you have the potential to be a nice guy. I just don't want anything to do with you."

  "Fine, we don't have to date. We could just hang out, have a little fun."

  My stomach churned as I thought about what type of fun he had in mind. "Not in your dreams. I'm not interested in you, Marcus. I've tried avoiding you, even giving you subtle hints." I ducked under his arm. "The next time you harass me, I'm going to…" My voice grew louder the more I thought about his audacity.

  "You're not interested in me?" Marcus's expression grew dark. The coy playful smile was replaced by a bitter scowl. "You should feel lucky that someone like me is even paying you any attention." He stepped closer with each word until I was once again backed into the lockers. He stared at me with a daunting expression.

  Almost instantly, his expression changed back into the calm, ever-smiling boy I recognized. "If you let your guard down, I am positive that I can make you see things my way. I can be extremely persuasive."

  All the bells were going off in my body. My chest begged for my inhaler. My legs wanted to break out in a sprint. I ran my fingers over Gran's necklace. If I had gotten more sleep, my mind would’ve been clearer and I could have figured a way out of this situation. But instead my head was cloudy and I could barely process all the messages my body was sending.

  "I know what's going on," he said, leaning forward. "Hugh."

  There was nowhere for me to run.

  "Boothe wants you for himself. He said he wasn't interested, even tried to talk me out of pursuing you. Do you really think he'll keep you after he's had his fun? He'll throw you away as he has all the rest. I, on the other hand, want you for much grander purposes."

  "This has nothing to do with Boothe, and everything to do with you." I fiercely reclaimed a step. "I can totally see why Lisa hates you. Stay away from me."

  A look of resolve, not anger, surfaced in Marcus's still dark eyes. "You're right, this is about me. I've been letting this game between Boothe and I overshadow things. Trust me, Jane, it won't happen again."

  "Good. We have an understanding."

  Marcus gave a one-sided smile, but said nothing. As he walked down the hall, I ran to my locker, dug through my
bag and took two long pulls of my inhaler.

  ~Jane~

  Chapter Eight: Crosses

  {misfortune, bad luck}

  "Wake up. Pay attention," Gran said. "The time has come to stand up and fight. No more running."

  "Gran, please tell me. Who is the person chasing me? Who is the man with the wings?" I asked.

  "I'll show you." She said, pointing into the darkness.

  The soiled wings of my attacker came into view as he stepped forward. He stopped just on the border between the light and the darkness. He lingered there for a while, his body exposed in the light, his face hidden by the shadow. Along his hands and stretching up to his forearms were charcoal coloured markings. I would call them tattoos, but they looked deeper. They looked like they were embedded by birth rather than imprinted by choice.

  "Show yourself!" My grandmother commanded. He did not move. "Your time on earth will come to an end. It is time to go back to your maker. Step into the light so the chosen one may mark her enemy."

  "Wake up. Wake up." A voice called in the distant.

  I woke up to a robust woman shaking my shoulders. The bright sun stung my tired eyes.

  "I was about to see..." I whispered as I rubbed my eyes.

  "Di bus come," she pointed to the idling vehicle. "Wake up!"

  I'd been daydreaming. My nightmares have now invaded my days. This time I wanted the dream to play out. I needed to see the face of the man who hunted me at night. I'm certain that the creature in my dreams is an angel. I am equally positive that he is no carrier of good news or divine messenger as described in the symbology books I got from the library. I think it's the exact opposite; my grandmother was the divine messenger, and the angel, well, I don't know.

  I stepped onto the bus and looked around at the near empty carriage. There were a handful of students from the local public school sitting in the back.

  I took my usual spot at the front of the bus, sinking low into the worn faux leather seat. On walked an older woman. She reminded me of my gran. She smiled warmly, making the delicate lines around her eyes and mouth fold. She reached into the shoulder of her blouse and pulled out a small change purse no thicker than a few sheets of paper. She moved slowly and eventually sat in the seat beside me.

  "Looks like rain," she said tenderly.

  Her voice was soothing. Every muscle and joint in my body seemed to relax all at once.

  "Yes it does. I forgot my umbrella." I felt so relaxed that it felt like a chore to open my mouth to speak.

  "Here, you can have mine." She handed me a small black umbrella.

  It took a few moments for my tired jaw to open. "Where did you get this from?" My words were slurred. My mind was foggy but I do remember that she came on the bus empty-handed.

  "It's necessary to anticipate the unexpected."

  Her tranquilizing voice was at odds with the fearful and tense expression in her eyes.

  "I feel so dizzy." I couldn’t help but lower my head towards my lap. My vision was blurred so badly, I had a hard time focusing on her face.

  "That's my gift," she replied. "My voice acts like the venom of a spider. It tranquilizes the senses. But it's not my gift that's important.” She reached out and touched my hand. “Wake up, Jane. Pay attention. The time has come to stand up and fight. No more running."

  My gran had said these exact words to me in my dream. "Who are you?" I pulled my hand away.

  “I am one of your many…” Suddenly a look of panic crossed her face. "Get down!"

  Right then a shattering explosion filled the bus. My ears rung. Shards of glass struck my face hard. My entire body lifted off the seat and hurled violently to the ground. There I laid face down, shielding myself from further attack. I couldn't see what was happening. I could only hear the ringing. As the ringing faded, I began to hear the desperate screams of the passengers. I opened my eyes and slowly raised my head. Millions of tiny glass fragments were scattered around me. I rolled slowly onto my back. Suspended above me, extending from the frame of the mangled bus window through the seats were large steel beams. One of the beams ran straight through the centre of my seat.

  "Miss! Miss! You okay?" A deep voice called aloud.

  "Help. Someone please…" I replied in a laboured voice.

  "I have you. Don't worry." The voice’s owner reached under my arms and began to pull me from my place on the ground.

  The old woman lay motionless beside me. Blood flowed from her body. A large beam pinned her down.

  "Wait. Leave me. Get her," I said, reaching for the woman. He continued to carry me from the bus. "No. Stop. Help her!"

  My rescuer ignored my pleading and pulled me off the bus, leaving the old woman behind. It wasn't long before police, ambulance, and concern citizens poured onto the scene. I watched from the curb as they carried the unconscious old woman off the bus and loaded her into a gurney. I got up to follow, but staggered and fell back to the ground.

  "That is quite an accident," Marcus was standing above me. "You made it out unharmed?"

  I continued to watch as rescuers came running from the wreckage carrying young students in their arms.

  "Jane, are you hurt?" Marcus asked again.

  "I'm fine."

  "Let me help you up." He grabbed my arm before I could object.

  "My knee!" Marcus caught me as my knee gave way.

  "So much for you being fine. There are some first aid supplies in the school office. You think you can make it?"

  "The police are here. They'll take care of me."

  "I think they should focus on the others. Not everyone was lucky enough to walk away with only bruises. Don't worry, Jane; I'm not going to bite."

  I hesitated. Again, I had that feeling in the pit of my gut that told me to run from him.

  "Look, I know we've had our little spat earlier. I apologize for carrying on the way I did. Allow me to make up for it. Let me help you."

  I peered down at the blood that trickled down my calf.

  "If you try any of that stuff you did earlier, I'll scream for the police." I warned.

  "It's a deal"

  "I can walk on my own." I decided to refuse Marcus's outstretched elbow.

  We walked towards the school campus. Well, he walked, I hobbled. A few students rushed past to catch a glimpse of the scene. I looked back. The crowd of spectators had expanded. What is it about carnage that peaked people’s interest?

  I looked at Marcus. He was watching the crowd and smiling.

  "What are you smiling about?" I asked.

  He slowly turned his eyes to me. "I'm just happy that those poor people are getting the help they need." His smile was sweet and fake.

  I had only stepped onto the first step leading to the school’s entrance when my knee buckled. I fell to the floor, screaming in pain.

  "You are so stubborn." He said, easily scooping me into his arms. He was stronger than I gave his average frame credit for.

  He had bypassed the steps. "The school is in the other direction." "Where are you taking me?"

  "To my car"

  "The parking lot is in the other direction too."

  "I parked in a different spot today." He said with a devious grin.

  "Put me down or I'll scream." I struggled to free myself from his grasp.

  Marcus quickened his pace and tightened his grip.

  I continued to struggle. "Put me down. Now!"

  "Don't make things worse for yourself. I want you conscious when you meet my father the General. If you continue to fight, its lights out," he warned.

  My chest was tight. My lungs burned for air. "Marcus, I'm not joking, put me down!" I braced my palms against his chest and pushed with all of the energy I could muster. He stumbled backwards. I fell out of his arms and landed on my bruised knee. My knee pulsed in pain as the pressure on my chest heightened.

  "Nice trick. You're more aware of your gift than I thought. Have you met with Dr. Coy yet? Has he invited you to join his pathetic group?"

&n
bsp; "Stay away from me." My mind was screaming for me to run. But there was a small voice prompting me to defend myself. It was the voice of my gran: The time has come to stand up and fight. No more running. Guided by the small voice I braced my palms against the ground and pushed as hard as I could. The ground shook, knocking Marcus off-balance. Instantly the pressure in my chest lightened.

  I looked at my hands in disbelief. How did I do that?

  “You’re a natural. But you don’t really know how to use your gifts do you?” He regained his balance quickly. He peered wickedly at me. A fire ignited in his eyes. "In our world ignorance is not bliss. It's death."

  "You stay away from her!" Lisa yelled as she ran towards me.

  "Lisa," he sighed. "You're like a biting mosquito I can't wait to crush."

  I stared at Marcus's face. His boyish looks melted away like hot wax. The brown freckles that dotted his nose darkened. His brown eyes transformed to a blood red.

  This is not real! This is what happens when you don't sleep, you begin to see things. I squeezed my eyes tightly. I hoped that when I opened them I would see clearly. I would see Marcus's boyish face again. But when I opened my eyes, I realized that that boy had gone. I didn't recognize the demon standing before me.

  The tightness in my chest returned stronger than ever. This time it was accompanied by a strange coolness which crept up my spine the longer I looked into Marcus's eyes. His smile, now wiped from his face was replaced with a scowl. He clenched his teeth tightly as his eyes sunk into deeper pools of blood.

  "You know the rules, Marcus," Lisa said angrily. "You agreed to them before Dr. Coy let you come to this school."

  "When have you ever known a Nephilim to follow a Normals' rules?"

  "Wha…" is all I could get out. I wanted to demand to know what was going on, but my lips quivered instead.

  All at once, a gust of wind flashed before me, creating a high pillar of dust and gravel that surrounded Marcus like a tornado. He stood in the midst of the storm stumbling back and forth. Moments later when the dust settled, Marcus was kneeling on the ground with Mark standing above him.