by Bryan Cohen
The torturer walked forward with a scowl on his face. "He wanted this so badly, but I knew it'd be more trouble than it's worth."
The General primed his biceps for a striking blow. "So, you're working for someone else. I'm going to kill you where you stand."
The torturer frowned. "Not very likely."
Before the General could move forward, his entire body relaxed completely, as if someone had thrown a switch. He felt the torturer moving around inside his mind. Memories shuffled from place to place and his body remained motionless. The General tried and failed to speak.
Pluric stared deep into his eyes. "It's no use. These episodes are becoming more and more frequent, but I'm learning all of your hiding spots." His lips curled. "Soon enough, everything you are will be erased for good."
The General reached for the thoughts he'd had over the last few days. Memories of Natalie Dormer and their near-death fall from the skies. Razellia and Vella's kind hospitality in the dark soul village. Even his reunion with Erica in the light soul capital. The memories disappeared as soon as he tried to access them. Soon enough, his eyes and mind went blank. Pluric relaxed his gaze as well.
The General clutched his forehead and bent at the waist. "Pluric. What's happening?"
The torturer took his leader by the shoulder. "I'll explain it all later, General, for now, you should rest up. You took quite a beating."
The General didn't remember a thing, but he could feel a pulsing pain in his face and back. "That's a good idea. Thanks, old friend."
Pluric nodded and quickly shut the doors behind him.
That's when all the memories came flooding back in.
Starting with the last few minutes and working their way backwards, the General could see the quarrel with Pluric, the telekinetic display of powers in Clance, and the past memories of Ted Finley. Everything the torturer had done reversed itself within a few moments.
Part of the General wanted to re-enter the room and slice Pluric's throat, but instead he walked down the hall to his throne room. He attempted to process everything that went through his mind, but it still didn't make sense.
"I can't be him. There's just no way to–"
He looked down at his hands. He'd killed with these hands on countless occasions. Unless those memories had been placed there to paint over the truth.
The General's throat started to close up. "But how can I know for sure?"
14
The Sheriff watched the men, women, and children shuffle into the building from his spot in the corner of the parking lot. He didn't recognize any of them, but a few short months earlier they were all in the same exact place. Some had been maimed. Others were starving. No matter what ailed them, they'd been given a second chance at life.
And now they're repaying that debt. We're repaying that debt.
Sheriff Norris looked down at his phone to check the time. He wondered if Erica LaPlante would still be awake past 11 p.m. He'd told the protector that she'd be the first to know of any developments, but she hadn't exactly come through on the Jennifer front.
He planted his feet firmly. "If she's not going to hold up her end of the bargain–"
His thoughts were interrupted by a portly man and a pre-teen boy who walked over. The chubby gentleman had rosy cheeks and a smile plastered on his face. The boy was cautious, as if he feared something would jump him from the shadows at any second. The man extended his hand and introduced them as Dale and Evan.
Dale shook the sheriff's hand with vigor. "Can you believe all of this? I thought the General would never come calling." His smile grew wider. "Just when we were getting used to humanity."
The sheriff attempted to return the smile. "And this is your son?"
Dale laughed and slapped his knee. "Oh no. The General gave some of us special orders to sneak out the kids. Getting him here was easy. Getting him back without getting arrested is gonna be a challenge!"
That Dale found all of this so funny unnerved the sheriff. He looked down at the child, who seemed just as undone by the jovial man in their midst.
Evan spoke in a near whisper. "I wasn't a kid on the other side. But war… did some things to my head."
Dale slapped the newly-minted kid on the back. "And he's playing it off as a brain injury from whatever killed the human whose life he took over. It's brilliant!"
Evan nodded. "We should probably go in now."
Sheriff Norris looked up. The steady stream of people into the building just outside of Treasure was diminishing. He slowed his pace to match the waddling of Dale, as the three of them found seats toward the back of a rusty-smelling room with a high ceiling. The sheriff sat between the mismatched pair, and Evan seemed to sigh with relief from the buffer.
Despite not being asked, Dale was determined to tell his entire life story in five minutes. He'd been near-starvation for years, which made his fat lifestyle a major treat. His human wife was pushing him to start a diet to tamp down the heart condition that killed his previous inhabitant.
Dale leaned in as if he was about to tell the funniest joke imaginable. "Fat chance of that. Fat chance!"
The two of them had driven four hours to be there. He'd gotten word of a meeting six hours away in Virginia, and another one up in New York State. Sheriff Norris wondered just how many meetings were about to take place. Hundreds? Thousands?
The lights dimmed and a large white screen came into view. The sheriff looked around and saw anticipation on most of the attendees' faces. He pursed his lips and thought of Jennifer as the General appeared on the screen.
Dale cheered, and he wasn't the only one. Over half the room started applauding until a few dark souls running the show calmed them down.
The General smiled like a king might. Or at least, like a person who was about to be crowned. "Good evening in the United States. And good morning, afternoon or middle of the night throughout the rest of the world. I come to you today with a great feeling of pride."
The sheriff glanced left and right. The dark souls around him were entranced. He considered the man before him. A man who'd stood by and watched as his family died around him. A man who'd given him a second chance, only to place him in a life with a daughter who hated him.
The General stared straight into the camera. "You've done an incredible job assuming your roles on a new world… a world that will soon become ours."
Dale and Evan joined the chorus of jubilant cheers, and the sheriff participated to keep from looking like the odd man out. Was he truly the only one whose life was just as hellish as the one he'd left? And what did the General mean by the world becoming theirs?
The General continued. "The first phase of the plan was a success, thanks to you. Now the second phase is well underway."
Dale poked the sheriff in the ribs. "What do you think it'll be? Mass killing spree? I've already met a few humans who could stand to be replaced."
The sheriff's stomach sank. If some dark soul went on a rampage in Treasure, would Jennifer and her friends survive? Would he be responsible for letting it happen?
He spoke in hushed tones. "That would break the peace agreement. We wouldn't be able to send more people over."
Dale blinked without a trace of understanding. "Oh. Who cares?"
The sheriff took in a deep breath and looked back up to the screen.
"In a few days, I'll be attending a world summit, where the guest speaker is none other than Ted Finley."
Boos filled the room from top to bottom.
The General put up his hands as a response to the negative reaction that must've been replicated in meetings throughout the world. "Don't be so hard on our living soul. He gave us the keys to the castle." The General beamed. "And after the Summit, we'll have the keys to every kingdom."
The sheriff pretended to listen to the rest of the presentation and let himself react appropriately in all the right places. Meanwhile, his mind considered the possibilities. If the General successfully infiltrated the Summit, it'd be days before the
dark souls had key authority posts in the most powerful nations on Earth. They'd control the decisions. They'd control the military. At that point, it wouldn't matter if they broke the treaty. Earth would be theirs.
Sheriff Norris left the building with Dale and Evan and walked the unlikely pair to their car. As Dale chattered away with the dark souls at the car next to him, Evan tugged at the sheriff's shirt.
The sheriff crouched to bring him to eye level. "What is it?"
Evan seemed calmer, as if the presentation had given him a touchstone to settle himself. "I can see that you're scared." He stood at attention like a soldier. Despite his height, the boy was a soldier. They all were. "Killing is never easy. Every person you kill stays with you, but it's different when you do it for your people." He extended his arm. "We're brothers. No matter what memories we have of the humans, we need to fight for each other."
The sheriff nodded and took Evan by the arm. "The army was lucky to have you."
Evan's eyebrows darted upward. "And they still are."
Dale finished his conversation and gave the sheriff a big bear hug before they drove off.
Sheriff Norris turned his car radio as loud as it could go, but it still couldn't drown out his thoughts. Evan was right. Telling Erica what the General was planning would be a betrayal of the cause. But failure to share the information might doom Jennifer.
He leaned back and sighed. "I've done all I can." Tears came to his eyes. "I'm not her real father." He changed lanes to the left and sped down the Pennsylvania highway. "If the world needs to burn… I'll let it."
15
Jennifer stood by Dhiraj's side in the concessions line at the movie theater on Main Street. Even in the cacophony of noise that came from brightly-colored arcade games and patrons scrambling to get to their seats in time, she still couldn't tune out Dhiraj's yammering.
He looked straight ahead, as if he were talking to the menu of high-priced popcorn and microwavable snacks. "So, if I can get the Senator behind me, I wouldn't have any problem winning a seat. Isn't that crazy?"
Jennifer stepped forward as the line moved ahead. "Yup."
Dhiraj laughed. "I'd barely be old enough to vote, and I could be the one making decisions in the capitol. Plus, I wouldn't be the youngest, but I'd be one of the first Indian teenage state reps. My dad would be over the moon. He's never really been into this superhero business."
Jennifer let the sigh trickle out. "Mmm-hm. Can I ask you–"
"I mean, ever since we had to fish him out of a burning house, he's been trying to get me to go back to being a part-time student, part-time businessman, no-time hero helper. So, if I stop going on FBI missions with Ted, then–"
Jennifer huffed. "Hey, I think I'm gonna go get some air."
She didn't wait for Dhiraj to answer. The cold breeze outside the theater felt good on her cheeks. As good as the silence felt on her ears. The latter was short lived.
Dhiraj balanced a soda and two buckets of popcorn on his forearms as he lightly pushed through the door.
He groaned. "Man. I don't know how waiters do it. Anyway, so my dad–"
Jennifer turned away from him. "I think I'd actually rather go on a walk. If that's okay."
She stormed off, glad she'd worn her flats as her feet pounded against the sidewalk.
Dhiraj called out to her. "Hey, do you mind if I scalp these tickets first? It's a sold-out show."
Jennifer didn't acknowledge him. She'd been hoping to have at least a good 30 seconds to vent about her dad. To vent about Erica, with whom she'd exchanged about five words since the morning after her frat escapade. But Dhiraj wouldn't let that happen. He was the person who was supposed to listen. It was part of his job description, but he was falling way short.
Two minutes later, Dhiraj jogged up beside her. He was out of breath, but the smile was still set on his face.
"Can you believe I made a 20% ROI on those tickets and the popcorn? People pay top dollar if they can get something without waiting." Dhiraj's breath was loud and obnoxious through his nose. "Speaking of which, can you wait up? You're walking super fast."
Jennifer didn't slow down. She turned her head slightly. "You know, if you can't keep up walking, you probably won't be able to run for office."
He let out a sharp laugh. "Touché. But seriously, can we slow down? This is reminding me of when you chased down Redican and my lung exploded."
Jennifer stopped and crossed her arms. "Your lung didn't explode."
Dhiraj put his hands on his knees. "You're right. That's happening now."
Jennifer leaned against a brick building, and Dhiraj followed suit. She shook her head. "You know how sometimes when a person leaves, they don't want to be followed?"
He furrowed his brow. "But it's date night."
Jennifer threw out her arms. "Right. It's date night. It's not the Dhiraj-a Monologues."
He smiled as his he caught his breath. "Good one, Cents."
Jennifer flared her nostrils. "And another thing. Why are you Dollars and I'm Cents? Do you think you're worth more than I am?"
Dhiraj stood up straight. "I have a feeling this isn't about our nicknames."
Jennifer felt her pulse quicken. "Date night is supposed to relax us. So why do I feel like I'm about to blow up?"
Dhiraj almost touched Jennifer's shoulder but seemed to reconsider at the last second. "Is there something you wanted to talk about?"
Jennifer's eyes watered up. "I want to talk about my dad, Dhiraj."
Dhiraj paced a few steps away before turning back. His face wasn't one of comfort. "I don't know what else to say, Jen. It's all you want to talk about."
Jennifer's blood simmered. "My dad died, Dhiraj. It's not something you get over in three months." She balled up her fists. "I can't believe you don't understand that!"
Dhiraj put his hands on his hips. "I do understand."
The tears started to flow. "But you don't care? Is that how you feel?"
Dhiraj raised his voice. "You want to know how I really feel?"
Jennifer matched his volume. "While you're telling me all this crap I don't care about, you might as well squeeze in your feelings."
Dhiraj lowered his eyes. "My mom is gone forever. I'd do anything to get her back. I'd even take a slightly warped version of her."
Jennifer lost all control of her decibel level. "That thing isn't my dad. You want me to hug and kiss and love some stranger?!"
Dhiraj looked back into her eyes. "Honestly, yes. After all, you and Erica–"
Jennifer kicked the wall, sending a sharp pain through her ankle. "You don't understand. All you care about is trying to be President some day."
Dhiraj's voice grew cold. "At least I'm trying to move forward. You're in a cycle that you brought on yourself. And you won't let yourself out of it."
Jennifer ignored her throbbing foot and used her eyes like daggers. "You're right. And I think that cycle is this relationship." She let all the air out of her lungs. "It's over."
Dhiraj shook his head. "That's not what I want."
Jennifer pushed down all her emotions. She wasn't going to spend another night crying. "You'll probably lose more than me on your way to the top."
She walked away, attempting to hide the limp from the injury she'd self-inflicted.
Jennifer wasn't sure how she found her way back to her car. Everything was hazy. Darks were darker and lights just made the world blurry. She drove around for the next 20 minutes. Her mind was blank, which was the only thing that kept her feelings at bay. She found herself driving down her old street. Torched by flames just three months ago, everything had been rebuilt as a carbon copy of what it once was. Even her house looked like an exact replica. Only one thing was different about it.
Jennifer rolled down her window to get a better look. Knocking on the front door of her fake father's house was her supposed best friend. Erica LaPlante turned to see Jennifer speeding away down the road. She made it three minutes before the moisture in her eyes cau
sed her to pull over.
Her father was dead. Her best friend was having secret conversations with his evil doppelgänger. Her relationship was over.
I've got nothing left.
She undid her seatbelt and lay across the passenger seat. The tears streamed down her cheeks, trapped by the soft, blue upholstery. The only thing that broke the silence were her sobs.
16
Natalie ignored the tightness of her hamstrings as her feet thumped against the dimly lit dirt path. Without a near full moon, her midnight run would have nothing but stars to light her way. Given her condition, she would've risked the increased chance of tripping or twisting an ankle. While nothing had come close to working in an effort to clear her head, at least the late night runs tired her out long enough to sleep until the sharp, painful ringing of her alarm clock.
As fast as she could run, nothing could increase the distance between her and her brain. "Why are you being such a slut?"
Natalie thought back to her early days in Treasure. After Dhiraj had brought her into the fold, she and her two best friends would mock the ridiculousness of rumors that trickled down to their low rung of popularity. If someone like Winny or Beth had cheated on their boyfriends, the three of them would mock the unfaithful femme fatales with all they had. Natalie, Ted, and Dhiraj couldn't fathom ever being in a situation where they'd betray another person's trust.
"We were dumb back then, but we were better people, too."
It wasn't like she'd ripped the bandaid off and gone full cheater at once. It started with the kiss on the other side of the portal. Then they started finding reasons for alone time. Sneaking behind the gym or floating up onto the roof of the newly-constructed school for a few forbidden lip locks was exhilarating. About a month into their tryst, Natalie wanted to call things off. That's when the nightmares started taking over her life.
