by J. M. Pierce
“And now, unfortunately, you must die,” said Anil in a nonchalant voice. “I really had high hopes for you, and I must say that I’m more than a little disappointed. You could have been so much more.”
Anil pushed Test to the ground. Test lay on his back, exhausted and ready to accept his fate. The scar-faced Reaper held out both palms over top of him, and Test watched as his torso ignited with the brilliant red light. He watched the pulses race down his arms until they were moving so fast that it no longer appeared as a pulse, just a brilliant red glow that bled into his palms. Nearly blinded by the intensity of the light, Test watched as Anil held one hand over his head and the other over his chest. He closed his eyes and began to feel a vibration building from within his body. It felt as if he was made of sand, and he was being disassembled grain by grain from the inside out. He began to have trouble breathing, so he stopped in hopes that death would come more quickly. Just as he’d resigned himself to this fate, it all stopped.
Not knowing if he was dead or alive, he could hear the sound of someone choking. He opened his eyes to see that Anil was still standing above him, but his palms were now to his throat. He was being choked by an unseen hand, and though he couldn’t breathe, his demeanor remained calm. He closed his eyes and quickly the glow from his core faded. As if released, he was able to take a deep breath.
“Foolish old man,” said Anil. “I have lived for over six-hundred years. Would you think I’ve not fought a spirit among the…”
Cutting off his sentence, the unseen hand began to choke him once more. The look on Anil’s face had quickly changed to one of confusion.
“You call him a foolish old man. Your power has always been outmatched by your arrogance!” screamed Lauren.
Test rolled to his side, and behind him, Lauren stood by Alyssa’s body with energy waves racing from her core. With her hands flared from her sides, she began to walk towards them. The light from within her slowly became solid, just as Anil’s had been only moments before. She stopped just in front of him.
“Put him to his knees, Cliff.”
Test sat up on the concrete and noticed the fear in Anil’s eyes. It was of no comfort to him. He was terrified of the scene playing out before him, yet unable to stop watching it just the same.
With Anil now on his knees, Lauren held her palms over his head. The intensity of the light from her palms flashed brilliantly, and Test watched as Anil’s flesh began to dance as if he were made of dust. The light from Lauren’s core exploded, and with an incredible flash, Test was blinded. He raised his arms to block it out, but even through the muscle and bone, he could see the brilliance burning through his eyelids.
And then it was gone.
With his eyes planted firmly in the crook of his arm, Test waited for a sign. In the background he could hear sirens and people screaming.
“Test!”
He heard Lauren’s voice and slowly lowered his arm. She was squatting beside him as she shook his shoulder. Behind her, in the doorway of the hotel room, Alyssa’s body lay in a grossly contorted manner. Out of strength and out of control, Test broke down and began to sob.
“I’m sorry, Test. There’s nothing we can do for her.” She placed her hand on the side of his head. “We have to go now.”
She turned to look behind her and then stood aggressively, igniting her power once more. Test then heard gun shots and watched as bullets rained to the ground around them.
“Test, I’m weak! I can’t stay. You have to come with me!” screamed Lauren.
Test took one last look at Alyssa’s body and pounded his fist on the concrete. Slowly he stood and could see a wall of police cars at the end of the parking lot. Behind them were ten to twelve officers, each with a weapon aimed and firing. Lauren held one palm out towards them and the other reached back for Test.
“Take my hand!” she yelled.
Test took her hand into his, and the two of them shifted. Though they were hidden from view, Lauren’s determination and intensity hadn’t changed. Test could still see the police, but they were no longer shooting. Lauren, still clutching Test’s hand, ran down the hotel sidewalk, dragging him along until they reached the end. Now out of the police’s line of sight, Lauren shifted them back. Without letting him have a breath, she asked, “Can you pulse?”
Test was numb. He had and felt nothing. He wasn’t even sure that he didn’t want to walk back into the line of fire and let a bullet take him to his family.
“Hey!” screamed Lauren.
“No!” yelled Test. “I’m empty and broken!”
Having no time for his self pity, Lauren walked behind him and held her left palm over his chest.
“I don’t have much left either so I don’t know how far I can carry you. We don’t have to go far. If I drop you, well….” She shrugged her shoulders. “I’ll try not to drop you.”
Test felt her power reach around him, and the two of them launched into the air. Part of him wanted to be left him behind.
Chapter 25
Lauren had set them down a couple of blocks away in a dense stand of trees behind a truck stop. For Test, it was somewhat reminiscent of the tree line at the pasture party in Lincoln.
“We can rest here,” said Lauren.
Test didn’t respond. Instead, he lay on the ground with his knees bent and his fingers laced behind his head; tears flowing from his eyes.
“I couldn’t save her. She saved me, but I couldn’t save her.”
Without much sympathy, Lauren did her best to comfort him. “I wish I could say that she had a chance, but she didn’t,” she replied coldly.
Test glared at her. “Why?”
“That’s what we….” Lauren closed her eyes for a moment, “they are. When you were chosen, someone close to you had to die. Unfortunately, she was there when they found you.”
Test rubbed his eyes and took a deep breath, the numbness filling him completely.
“Why are you doing this?” he asked. “Why did you come?”
“I needed a friend,” she replied as she glanced away smiling slyly.
“Bullshit,” snapped Test.
She turned to him aggressively. “Don’t,” she commanded, holding her index finger in the air.
Test rolled onto his side, turning away from her, and he heard the brush crackle as she sat behind him.
“They saw something in you; something that they thought could be useful. They sent me to find you, and when I did, I saw something in you too.”
Test could hear her voice suddenly soften.
“I saw someone who could change the way things are. The way things have been.” She placed her hand on his arm and pulled him onto his back in an effort to see his face. “The way things are to be.”
He could see the sincerity in her eyes as she spoke.
“If you think this is over, you are wrong. Find comfort where you can now, they will hunt you again.”
Test swallowed hard. “How many are there?” he asked.
“Now only three,” she replied. “Two of them are young, born only a century ago; twins, a man and a woman; a unique occurrence among Shadows.”
“And the third?” asked Test.
Lauren picked up a rock with her left hand and threw it. “Isaac. He is the eldest of the Reapers; possibly the eldest of any Shadow that has ever been.” She looked back to him. “He is very powerful.”
“More so than Anil?” asked Test.
“Yes. Much more, and in different ways.”
The two of them sat quietly for a moment, both exchanging uncomfortable glances with the other. Finally Test, broke the silence.
“Why do all of the Reapers look so young? I mean, if Anil is six-hundred years old, why does he look like he’s a little older than me?”
Lauren huffed as she stifled a laugh. “When the transformation completes itself, we stop aging.”
Test reflected for a moment. “So I’m always going to be eighteen?”
“Your body will always appear
to be eighteen. Your mind and powers will continue to grow.”
Test sat up and wrapped his arms around his knees. He picked up a small twig and gave it a toss. “I healed myself today. Is that normal?”
“Yes. No one knows why or how. It has just always been,” she replied as she turned from him and lay on her side.
“What about…”
She quickly snapped at him. “I’ve told you all I care to for now!” She stopped herself and took a deep breath. “I’m tired and need to recharge. You are far worse off than me and it would do you well to get some sleep.”
Unable to get a gauge on her moods, Test thought it best to agree to be silent. He lay down on his back and within a minute was sound asleep.
*****
The sound of a car alarm sounding off woke him from his slumber. As he sat up, he inadvertently touched Lauren’s arm as she lay asleep next to him, causing her to stir briefly. His bare feet were chilled by the night air that had blanketed them since they’d first arrived in the grove of trees, and he rubbed them to try to warm them up. As he did, he released weak pulses to his hands, causing a gentle heat to saturate his skin.
“Test.”
He heard the whisper in front of him, and flinched in surprise. No one was there. He shook his head as if to clear the hallucination, and began to once more warm his feet. The instant he began to pulse, he heard it again.
“Test, I’m here.”
This time he held his pulse and realized that there was a light mist hovering harmlessly in front of him.
“Who’s there?” he asked, his voice filled with hope.
“You…nee…pul…harder…”
The words faded in and out of audible sound, but he understood the meaning. The excitement of the moment made it nearly impossible to control the flame within. Thin red pulses flowed down his arms and a gentle blue and red glow covered the ground by his feet. He held his palms out forward, and watched intently as the mist began to solidify into a white cloud. And then, as if someone poured a bucket of color over her, Alyssa appeared kneeling in front of him.
“Oh my God,” whispered Test.
“It’s okay, Test. It’s all okay,” said Alyssa as she held her palm to his, interlacing their fingers.
Test could feel her just as if she were still flesh and bone. He looked at their hands and marveled at how real and alive hers appeared to be. He examined every inch of her. The farther away from him a part of her was, the more faint her image.
She released his hand and moved forward, wrapping her arms around his knees. She peered into his eyes and whispered. “Harder.”
Test increased the intensity of the pulses and grinned as her smiling face materialized fully.
“I…”
Alyssa quickly put her finger to her lips. “Don’t be,” she replied. “I’m not. Everything happens for a reason, remember? Now we have even more in common.”
Test wanted to believe what she was saying, but the guilt was unbearable.
“How can you say that?” he asked with a wavering voice. “You’re…you died. Alyssa, they took everything away from you.”
As he spoke, Alyssa had begun to shake her head. “No, don’t you see? I never belonged anywhere but with you.”
“And they took that,” replied Test, choking on his sadness.
Alyssa began to laugh. “Cliff was right; you really aren’t too bright sometimes.”
“Stop it,” snapped Test. “How can you make light of this.”
“Don’t you see? They haven’t taken anything away from me.”
Test watched her with welling eyes.
“I’m right here, with you, where I belong. As long as I’m with you, I can be as real to you as I was before.”
Test paused with revelation, the look on his face giving Alyssa cause to laugh once again.
“So you…”
Cutting him off, she leaned into him and placed her lips forcefully upon his. She took his arms, and pushing them behind his head, forced him onto his back while she placed herself on top of him. They parted lips and she gently stroked the side of his head.
“How real did that feel?” she asked.
Suddenly, from beside them, Lauren shot to her feet and began to walk away from them.
“Oh, for the love of God!” She glanced over her shoulder, her twisted expression revealing her irritation at being awakened. “Get a room, will ya?”
