Fragments of Light

by Beth Hodgson

  After she deemed it safe, Emerald lifted her head out of Kyle’s jacket, glancing to the side. They had passed the palace area and were moving into the eastern sector. With each block they passed, the lighting changed to a dimmer tone with neon signs in poor condition, and the streets became lined with trash. Back to the usual appearance of the lower levels.

  Coming up on a parking garage, Kyle pulled in and parked. They hopped off the bike and exited, walking into the bustling street.

  Kyle pointed to a platform across the street. “That’s the platform we need to get to. I think there’s an escalator that will take us up to the mid-levels,” he stated, looking upward.

  “Mid-levels?” Emerald said excitedly. Finally! She would be able to see what the mid-levels were like.

  “Yep. First time playing in the mid-levels. I don’t know how the hell Remy was able to get a gig there, but he did. It’ll cost a shitload of tax, but the venue is paying us extra to cover it.”

  Emerald froze for a moment, thinking about her paying the tax to cross levels. She would need to provide an ID when paying the tax. Her eyes shot to his, suddenly nervous.

  “Don’t worry,” Kyle said quickly. “I got you an ID. It’ll get you through.” He gently slid his guitar case off her back, then slung the shoulder strap over his body and across his chest, playfully grabbing her hand.

  With a relieved smile, Emerald nudged Kyle, holding their entwined hands up. “I would have never guessed a tough guy like yourself would hold a girl’s hand.”

  Kyle, lighting a cigarette, began to puff it. “Oh? Well, I don’t have to,” he teased, dropping her hand quickly and walking away.

  “Hey! Wait for me!” Emerald ran to him, as he was already a few feet away, then ran in front of him, crossing her arms. “Why did you do that?”

  “I thought you were complaining.”

  “No, I rather liked it,” Emerald said, grinning at him.

  Seizing the cigarette from his mouth, Emerald then placed it between her lips, taking a deep inhale. Immediately, her lungs burned and itched, her eyes watering simultaneously. With a sudden force, she hacked out a loud, deep, chesty cough.

  Kyle laughed, taking the cigarette from her hand and throwing it to the ground, rubbing it in. “Wow, Em, I didn’t expect that. You okay?”

  In response, Emerald continued to hack, nodding.

  “It feels like shit the first ten times you do it,” he said, rubbing her back in a circular motion as she bent over, still hacking.

  “I wanted to… give it a try. Now that… I have, I have decided that… it is completely and utterly… horrible. How can you do that to yourself?” Emerald asked, forcing the words out of her mouth.

  “Believe me, it gets better.” He stopped patting her back. “It’s a lot like fucking. The first several times, you have no idea what the hell you’re doing. After that, it gets good.”

  She stood up straight again, catching her breath. Her breath tasted awful, like burnt dirt on her tongue. “Thanks for that comparison.” She continued to cough, giving him a look.

  “Yeah, you’re right. Probably not the best analogy,” he said, giving her a playful grin.

  Kyle gestured for her to follow, leading the way through the maze of Arcadia’s busy skyways, coming upon a set of escalators. They took the pair high up, reaching the highest level Emerald had ever been since she had left the palace. She glanced below as they stood on the escalators, looking down at the sprawling city below.

  The escalators led them to a large platform. It looked like one of the public transport stations, but it was different. Toll signs were posted everywhere, and attendants sat in booths, collecting money from citizens.

  Kyle walked up to one of the booths, showing both of their IDs while he slid the toll money to the attendant. The man behind the station scanned the IDs, then took the money, nodding for them to proceed through the station.

  “By the way, where did you get that ID?” Emerald whispered to Kyle as they stepped onto the next set of escalators.

  “I got friends.”

  “Diego?”

  “Oh, God no,” Kyle laughed, lighting a cigarette. “That guy wouldn’t even know how to plug in a monitor.” Emerald let out a small giggle. “No, my friends from the wastelands.”

  “How were they able to get you an ID?” Emerald asked, surprised. “They are out in the desert! And that quickly?”

  “When I was at Diego’s yesterday looking for a guitar, I contacted my friend Garrett online. He uploaded data on an old ID card I picked up from some random dealer while I was out.” They continued to rise on the escalators. “Besides, I knew you were gonna need one ever since that ordeal at the motel.”

  Emerald flushed, a bit embarrassed. “Thank you.”

  “No need to thank me. You just need to get out more,” he joked, putting his arm around her. The heavy leather of his jacket weighed on her bare shoulders, giving her warmth.

  The escalator brought them to another platform, this time being settled in the heart of the mid-levels. There were walkways and shops lined up throughout, connecting to the various buildings encompassing them. A multitude of skyways, escalators, and elevators dumped crowds of people into the hub, packing the level with crowds of Arcadians. Large neon advertisements in various screen sizes competed for the crowd’s attention while the noise of street musicians, shop music, and laughter filled the hub.

  As they walked past the shops, Emerald saw a glimpse of herself: an advertisement that used an image from a photo shoot she had done with Haze before she left the palace. There her image stood, plastered for all the world to see, sitting in a regal fashion with her emerald-green hair flowing to her sides, displaying a perfume in her hand.

  Flushing red, she grabbed Kyle’s hand, walking quickly. She didn’t realize how easy she was to spot, even with red hair. “Come on,” she urged, yanking him.

  He stopped right in front of the picture, then turned around to face her. He pointed with his thumb back to the advertisement, and smiled. “Hey, Em, she looks just like you,” he joked.

  Emerald’s heart went into shock. It was the perfect time to tell him, but her mind went numb with fear.

  Pulling him quickly, she stated, “Not even close.”

  Kyle managed to keep in step with her fast pace, still being pulled by her grip. “You sure? The face resembles yours,” he said casually, taking another drag of his cigarette.

  Emerald ignored him. He was obviously teasing her. Did he really suspect something more? Why couldn’t she just tell him?

  As they made their way through the mid-levels, they came upon a nightclub, all lit up in blue neons. Kyle flashed his ID to the side door, and they were both escorted in, passing a crowd of people outside the club.

  “There are so many people,” Emerald said in awe, giving the long line of people a once-over.

  “Yeah, looks like it.”

  As they entered, Emerald smiled excitedly at the layout of the venue. It was beautiful, not in terms of traditional architecture, but very modern, decorated with large glass squares on the walls and floors. Every so often, the square would flash an electric blue, then slowly fade away into black as if it had a heartbeat of its own. The bar in the back was lit up in violets and had several water tanks brightly lit up in a neon aqua color, water bubbles rising from the bottom.

  Kyle shrugged, looking around for the others. “Must be early.” He turned to her. “I’m gonna go backstage to start setting up. The guys are probably back there.” He flashed her a charming smile and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “Be close, will ya?”

  “Of course,” Emerald said, smiling at him. “I wouldn’t dream of being anywhere else.” A sudden twang of guilt came over her.

  She had to tell him…

  ***

  It was minutes before the band was about to go onstage, and Emerald had to use the restroom. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t contain herself any longer. She had to forgo her spot up front and cent
er, reluctantly leaving it for other fans to fight over.

  Sorry, Kyle, she thought, cursing herself for not going when they first arrived at the venue.

  Squeezing through the excited crowd that was waiting for the show to begin, Emerald pushed her way to the side of the room. She found the signs that pointed upward to the bathrooms, then took the industrial metal staircase upstairs.

  A strange feeling came over her, like someone was watching her, causing her to shudder.

  Glancing anxiously over the metal bars of the staircase, there was nothing or no one unusual that stuck out to her. Casting the disturbing feeling aside, she turned her gaze away from the crowd.

  The top of the stairs was packed full of latecomers to see the show, hoping to get a good view since the floor was crowded. In the far corner, a hot pink glow indicated the women’s bathroom, and Emerald headed in that direction.

  Inside the lavatory, which was stylishly decorated with vibrant pink and polished chrome, Emerald chose a stall and relieved herself. After, Emerald washed her hands, glancing over to a woman next to her, who was also washing her hands.

  It was the woman’s eyes that caught her at first, shocked by her deep-purple mohawk. The woman appeared about ten years older than her, with a gaunt face and high cheekbones. She was exotic in appearance, with soft brown skin and cool violet eyes. In the middle of the woman’s forehead was a small ornate violet jewel. A hoop ring clung to the woman’s sharp nose and one of her ears were pierced from the bottom all the way to the top of her ear, dangling with long silver earrings of different designs. But unlike its mate, the other ear had a single stud in it.

  She has violet eyes…

  The woman glanced at Emerald for a moment as she washed her hands, then thought nothing more of her as she turned away to dry them. Emerald watched her in the mirror’s reflection until the woman exited the bathroom, then grabbed a paper towel.

  Muffled music came from outside the bathrooms; Kyle’s band had started to play their first song.

  Quickly finishing up, Emerald made her way back downstairs to the main floor. There was absolutely no room for her. It was far too crowded. Emerald decided to get a drink at the bar in the back, since that seemed like the only place with room for her to stand.

  Shouldering her way along the sides of the wall, that overwhelming feeling of someone watching her returned, and her stomach started to twist. Glancing over her shoulder, all Emerald saw were screaming fans having a good time. She even caught a far-off glimpse of Kyle, singing with a demanding presence.

  Smiling at the sight of Kyle, Emerald turned her attention back to the bar.

  Her heart stopped.

  A tall, slender older man with a shaved head and thick-rimmed glasses was watching her. His eyes were like a magnet, snapping his face in her direction with a riveting expression. Or with a lack of expression; Emerald couldn’t tell. Her heart beat furiously in her chest, and the bad feeling was replaced with dire alarm.

  The man cocked his head strangely as Emerald took a step backward. The man continued to stare at her, his gaze fixated on her every move, instilling an immense fear.

  In a split second, Emerald fleeted in the opposite direction, shoving her way fearfully through the crowd. People cussed and yelled at her as she did so, pushing her back in the process. Second by second, her fear rose, her heart pounding. She had to get away from that man and get near Kyle. She felt safe around him.

  There was an orange flashing glow in the crowd behind Emerald as she caught the light in the corner of her eye.

  Oh my God. He has magic, like me!

  The man was suddenly twenty feet behind her. He made no movement, only standing there with a lack of emotion across his face. Shaking in disbelief, Emerald rapidly pushed further through the crowd. A few seconds later, the magical orange flash appeared again from behind, but this time closer in proximity.

  Emerald screamed, but it was no use. The crowd screamed along with her, but for different reasons. It was like no one else saw the man. Instead they gave Emerald dirty looks and pushed her aside.

  Another magical orange spell flared through the crowd, this time across the whole venue. Faces in the crowd finally noticed the magic, turning their heads toward the direction of the magic, confused.

  The man appeared right in front of Emerald, his eyes burning with orange power, expressionless, rendering her frozen in denial. He was somehow instantly in front of her, no matter how much distance she put between them. The man’s face warped in and out of reality, from smooth skin and thick-rimmed glasses to a half-robotic machine with a mechanic eye.

  “Please…” Emerald begged, taking another step back.

  The bionic eye focused on her, glowing with intensity. As he fully extended his right arm, warm orange magic swirled around it. Fingers gave way to a machinelike arm, shooting out blades from his fingers, readying himself to attack her.

  An orange glow swelled in his hands.

  Without a second thought, Emerald bolted.

  ***

  Everyone saw it, Kyle included. A big fucking bright-orange flash.

  Eclipsing the orange light was Emerald, hurling herself toward the stage with her arm outstretched. Her mouth formed a scream, but the crowd was too loud for him to hear her cries.

  With another sudden orange burst, a bionic man appeared behind Emerald, latching on to her. He yanked the princess back toward him, then the two of them vanished instantly.

  The crowd went nuts. The people who were near the magical flare were running like scattered rats, trying to push over others that stood in their way.

  Ripping off his guitar in a frenzy, Kyle dove into the crowd where Emerald was a moment earlier. The band continued to play a few seconds then the music slowly died out, the guys clearly confused whether to continue to play or stop.

  “Em!” Kyle yelled, jerking his head in each direction, wondering which way to go. It was no use; the crowd was in complete mass hysteria, and she was gone. Kyle fought the crowd as they scurried over each other, pushing him down. Kyle swung wildly to give himself room to get to his feet.

  Another bright-orange flash appeared. This time it was by the back emergency exit.

  “Em!”

  Keeping his eyes fixated in the direction of the burst of light, Kyle pushed his way to the exit, slamming the double doors open. The emergency alarm sounded, stirring more commotion from the crowd.

  “Em? Where are you?”

  “Hey, you can’t be here!” yelled a security guard from behind the door.

  “The hell I can’t be here!” Kyle roared, turning each way in hopes to spot Emerald down the concrete hallway.

  “Oh, wait, sorry about that…” the guard apologized, recognizing Kyle as one of the band members.

  “Have you seen a girl with red hair just now?”

  “No, I just happened—”

  “Forget it,” he said, cutting off the guard, turning away from him. “Em?”

  He heard her muffled screams in response, coming from down the hall.

  Running as fast as he could, Kyle saw an orange flash near the second emergency exit.

  Charging down the hall, Kyle felt the air around him shift, the weight of the draft heavier.

  Trusting his gut, he jumped into midair, hoping to land on the invisible man. Instead, the wind shifted, and Kyle landed right on his ass.

  “Kyle!” Emerald’s voice called out. “Behind you!”

  Kyle turned around quickly. Materializing out of a gust of orange-red wind, the mechanical man was suddenly before him, the princess in his grasp. His bionic eye glowed orange, focusing its lens on Kyle while his real eye, also orange, stared from behind his odd glasses.

  One of the man’s arms extended, and intricate circuitry lit up his arm and hand. Long, sharp clawlike needles protruded from his fingers, swinging wildly at Kyle while the other hand held Emerald firmly in place.

  Kyle rolled out of the way, barely avoiding contact with the claws.


  What the fuck is that thing?

  Having no time to try to figure it out, Kyle threw himself toward the cyborg.

  The mechanical man’s entire body began to pulsate with a bright-orange glow. Right when Kyle was about to make contact, the bionic man and Emerald became a hologram, causing Kyle to aimlessly plow right through their image and slam against the hallway.

  A dark-green glow appeared in the air, gathering in one area, its brilliance highlighting a strange halo on Emerald and the mechanical man, revealing their exact location to Kyle. He lunged at the energy, landing on top of solid, firm “air.” He was on top of the cyborg. Better yet, Kyle realized he was holding on to the cyborg’s neck.

  He couldn’t have asked for a better position.

  Kyle locked his arm around the bionic man’s neck, squeezing with all his strength. He knew he couldn’t overpower the cyborg, but it was enough to stun him.

  With an orange flash, the mechanical man and Emerald appeared in full view, his grip around her weakening. Emerald broke free.

  “Get out of here! Go!” Kyle urged her.

  “I can’t leave you here!” Emerald said. “You have no chance against him.”

  “Better me than you!”

  Emerald hesitated.

  Kyle saw the mechanical man glow again for a quick second, then turned to glance back at Emerald. They were fucked and had little time.

  “The authorities will be here any second! I will catch up. Promise,” Kyle said, waving her away.

  Nodding, Emerald was down the hall in a split second, making her way toward the exit. The bionic man jerked, then turned his attention to the princess. The cyborg shot in her direction, almost as if he was flying, with orange winds powering his body from below.

  As the cyborg flew by, Kyle lunged at the bionic man, landing a punch in its side. The cyborg whirled to the wall, then shot out his mechanical fingers, summoning orange-red flames within his palms. The mechanical man hurled a fireball toward Kyle, missing. With another quick jolt, the cyborg slashed his clawlike hands at Kyle, determined to get rid of him one way or another.