by Aaron Slade
She swallowed hard. “Since before I moved to Fallon.”
Disappointment hit me right in the chest. “And you’ve just been pretending not to know the woman that’s going to kidnap Adam?”
“It’s complicated, Casper,” Evee said.
“How complicated?” I raised my voice. Colonel Ford was working with the people trying to tear my family apart and possibly kill me.
She grabbed my hand tightly as if afraid I would pull away from her. “I didn’t want you to know, because I was afraid of what you might think of me.” She looked afraid. She could tell I was angry.
“How can I trust you?” I said. “I have to help my family, and you’ve had information this whole time about Zana. What do you know about her?”
Evee snarled at my anger with moisture in her eyes, but spoke softly. “I know that if she’s here with my father, something bad is going to happen.”
“What do you mean?”
“My father and Zana are the reason Seattle was destroyed. What they do is horrible. I think they’re in Fallon looking for someone. My dad has been chasing a certain person for the last few years, chasing them from city to city.”
“What do they want with Adam?” I demanded.
“If they find someone with an ability that’s… helpful… they recruit that person to help them… sometimes forcefully. But I swear I had no idea they might come after you. You have to believe me.”
I couldn’t look at her, but I didn’t want to be mad. “How could you not tell me the Military is involved with this?”
“I have to protect my family, too, Casper!” she shrieked. “He’s horrible, but he’s the only family I have.” She began to whimper. “I wish I could pretend harder that you’re my family, but we’ve only known each other for over a month.” Her eyes watered.
“Look, I’m sorry,” I started. “I’m just…”
“I think you should go,” she interrupted. I heard her try to control the quiver in her voice.
Her words stabbed like a knife right in the heart. I got defensive quickly. “I’m not leaving.”
She wiped the tears away. “I need to be alone. You don’t understand what I’ve been through. You don’t know what I know, what I’ve seen, and it’s not just something you tell someone because they’re your boyfriend. I don’t know how to talk about it.” It was the loudest I’d ever heard her.
I pulled her close. “I want to know! You don’t have to be afraid to tell me these things.”
She pushed me away. “Just leave,” she begged.
Her words and tone felt more like a spear in my stomach this time. I could feel the pain I was causing her. I felt compelled to stay until we could fix things between us. I needed us to be alright.
“Are we okay?” I asked.
She nodded and I could feel her distance even though she was standing next to me. Her aura buried itself deep under her sadness. “I’ll be fine tomorrow.”
I shook my head, trying to put my arms around her. “I don’t feel right about leaving.”
“Please,” she urged, recoiling from me. “Just leave. Go warn your family.” Her voice was barely audible.
There were so many mixed emotions. I was angry with her and with myself. Seeing her sad and crying hurt me even more than what she said. Against all my instincts, I left without saying a word, driving my car off the base. I drove the straight shot to Fallon at eighty miles per hour.
My stomach tied itself in knots the whole ride home. By the time I got into Fallon city limits, nausea had taken over my body. I didn’t like that she was mad at me, and I hated it even more that she refused to work it out. I handled the situation as delicately as possible, but there was no denying that her father was helping Zana. Evee knew the whole time, and she was covering it up for her father.
I arrived at the house and I went straight in my room and started another Hitchcock movie. I sat on my bed, and thought how wonderful things had been an hour ago. I didn’t plan to get much sleep tonight; sleep seemed impossible when I knew Evee was sad and alone. The movie started and nothing felt right. I wasn’t going to be able to stay here and watch a movie.
My eyes turned towards my window. It was calling to me– an escape. It would open so easily, and I could just fly out. I got out of my bed and locked my door. I had to be quick before Uncle Jesse tried to stop me. I ran to the opposite side of the room and unlocked the window, lifting it up and letting the cool air fill my room.
This wasn’t smart, but I had to do it. She’d fixed me; now it was my turn to fix her.
It was cool outside so I grabbed my green FHS jacket. I didn’t know if I could fly again. I closed my eyes and let her blue eyes fill my head. I imagined kissing her the same way we had in the library, and my heart pounded. The tingling sensation spread all over my body from the base of my spine to the top of my head, and my whole body felt lighter. My feet left the familiar floor, lifting into the air. I took one last look at my door, and remembered Uncle Jesse’s warning. Evee was worth the risk, and I was confident I wouldn’t be seen in the night.
I floated out my window as if gravity no longer existed. It was a lot like swimming, but more with my mind than with my arms and legs. I pulled with my arms, trying to get a feel for how it worked. I glided up above the roof of my house, gaining a momentum that felt impossible to stop because there was nothing to hold onto or grab. I was afraid to look down, but I forced myself to look at the miniature houses and streets. The higher above Fallon I soared, the city lights turned to fireflies, and something consumed me– silence and freedom.
STARRY NIGHT
Evee:
I couldn’t fall asleep, which I hated because I needed the numbing escape of a deep, dreamless sleep. I felt doomed to relive all of Dad’s atrocities that I had discovered over the years- not to mention my own atrocities. Casper trusted me, and I betrayed him. Somehow, I screwed up Shannon’s vision, and I feared the future wouldn’t happen now. I’d be alone. Casper could never love me after this. His family could never forgive me for what I’ve done to Adam. I should have warned them about Zana. I should have chosen them over Dad.
I reached out of bed, switched on my lamp, and readjusted on my pillow, facing the wall. It was hard to look at the pictures on my nightstand: Casper’s innocent and pure face; my mother’s selfless smile. I was nothing like them. I wanted to cry, but I couldn’t– too many other emotions crowded my mind, running amok. I felt angry with Dad, but more upset at myself. Mostly, I felt an intense sadness for lying to Casper. I knew he would never talk to me again.
Tap tap tap!
I jerked out of bed. The sound came from my window. Casper’s face appeared in the glass, staring at me through the window. A part of me was afraid and ashamed to face him, but after he gave a sympathizing smile, I was relieved he was here. I didn’t want to be alone in an empty house. I wanted to be with him.
As I ran to the window I remembered that it was about twenty feet off the ground, and gasped when I realized that Casper was using his extra-human trait. I swung the window open nearly hitting Casper in the process. He looked pleased with himself for flying, giving me a cocky, self-satisfied grin. Had he forgotten he could be killed for flying?
“Casper, you can’t be seen.” My voice balanced between an urgent yell and a soft whisper.
“Then you better let me in!”
I stood out of the way as he flew swiftly in the window, bringing the cool air with him. He closed his eyes and concentrated, making an awkward landing next to my bed. His first steps wobbled gracelessly, and he gripped my bed frame for balance.
“That’s a rush!” he exclaimed. His grin grew five sizes. “That’s the first time I’ve felt so– so free!” He breathed as if he’d been running.
I couldn’t help but grin, but I knew the two of us had to talk. There was an awkward tension in the room; neither of us knew quite what to say.
I started with the most obvious question. “What are you doing here?”
“I couldn’t sleep,” he said, moving closer to me.
“Me either.” I stepped towards him.
“I’m sorry I upset you.” He bit his lower lip, waiting for me to accept his apology, but it was me who owed him an apology. I felt guilty that he blamed himself at all. Everything was my fault.
“Casper,” I said, controlling the tremor in my voice, “it wasn’t you.”
“What’s wrong then?” he asked. “If you’re sad, I want to help you. I want to hold you until you feel better.” He put his arms around me and pulled me close.
For a millisecond I resisted, but I couldn’t fight him for long. I relaxed and in an instant, everything felt better. The rustic scent of the desert saturated his jacket, giving off the aroma in my room. He didn’t say anything - he just held me with one arm around my back and the other cradling my head. It was the most beautiful moment I’d ever shared with another person, reminding me that there was still some good left in the land. We held each other just to hold each other. There was no sound or silence, only our breathing and the light rhythm of his pulse. I rested my head on his shoulder and tightened my arms around him.
“Thank you,” I whispered. He knew exactly what I needed.
We sat on the bed, but he still kept me in his arms.
“I don’t blame you,” Casper said. “It was only natural what you did. He’s the only family you have. I would have done the same for my parents.”
“I’ve kept quiet about it until now,” I said. “There are so many innocent people getting hurt, Casper! I can’t keep quiet about it anymore. I don’t want anything to happen to Adam, but I was afraid of what you would think of me if I told you about Zana.”
“I’m not going to think differently of you, and I…”
I placed my hand over his mouth, forcing him to listen. “My dad has done so many terrible things. Just being his daughter makes me guilty. I’m afraid something is going to happen here.” I removed my hand. He needed to hear that before anything else. I knew the signs, and Fallon wasn’t safe.
“What’s your dad doing in Fallon?” Casper asked. “You said he’s looking for someone.”
“The reason my dad and I move so much is because he’s been tracking someone all these years. I don’t know much about the person, but only that they’re a threat to the Military. Future Intelligence is a team of psychics who study the future. They tell my dad where to go to find this guy. And they think my dad will succeed in Fallon.”
Casper told me about an escaped convict my dad arrested in the desert. “Is he the one your dad is after?”
“Maybe…” I said. “I don’t know much about his work. I started using my ability to spy on him a few years ago, and what I discovered…” There were no words for me to continue. I choked up.
“What?” Casper asked. “What did you find out?”
I gathered my thoughts for a second. I didn’t want to say it aloud. “In San Diego, I followed Dad one night– I left my body at home, but followed him in my phantom body. I found him talking with two soldiers in a private room on the base. He gave them an order to dress like civilians and start a fight with each other in the middle of the city the next morning.”
Casper didn’t understand, but he looked afraid.
“The next day, there was a huge fight in downtown San Diego. Many people died, and the newspapers had a field day. The soldiers were both class ones.”
“People died?” he asked. His forehead creased in wrinkles.
I nodded. “The Military is a big lie. Dad and Zana are the reason that Seattle was destroyed. They want people to think they’re not safe, so that people will think they need the Military’s control. Innocent people’s lives are being ruined because of it.”
After a minute of silence, Casper finally spoke. “What do we do?”
“There’s nothing we can do,” I said. “The Military has everyone convinced that they’re good. We can’t stand up to them.”
“We can tell my parents,” Casper suggested.
“NO!” I shrieked. “The Military has ways of silencing people who know the truth. If we try to speak against them, it won’t just be us in trouble. They’ll attack everyone who knows the truth. They’ll kill as many people as they please. The situation is hopeless, Casper.”
Casper pulled away as if I’d just insulted him. “Nothing is hopeless, Evee,” he said. “I’ve spent my whole life thinking things are hopeless, but it’s not true. Astonishing things happen all the time and they give us hope.”
Casper pushed himself off the bed as if jumping, but he didn’t’ return to the ground. He floated above me, sending chills through every inch of my body. His movements were swift and graceful.
“Follow me,” he said. He flew in a circle around the ceiling before exiting out the open window. I ran to the window ledge, leaning out to see him. I didn’t know how he intended me to follow, but there were more urgent thoughts running through my head. He levitated outside of my window on the Military Base. It wouldn’t be good if he was seen, and soldiers patrolled the base regularly.
“What are you doing?” I asked. “Someone could see you.” I folded my arms to find warmth near the window.
However urgent I looked, Casper didn’t care. He kept his smile as he hovered between my window and the thick branches of a tree limb. He extended his open hand towards the window, and I realized he intended for me to take it in mine.
“Fly with me,” he whispered. He nudged his hand closer.
“Casper,” I said. “Now’s not the time, and it’s not safe for you. We should listen to your uncle.” We couldn’t afford to make a mistake when lives were at risk– plus, I was in my pajamas.
“I don’t care about that,” Casper said. “If this land is as bad as you say… let’s leave it behind just for a night.” He pushed his hand closer waiting for me to take it. “There are places we can go where no one can follow us… trust me.”
I wanted to take his hand. I wanted to fly again. How many more chances would I have? “What’s it like?” I wanted to know more than anything, hoping it would convince me to take his hand.
Casper beamed, and I could see all the thrills of flying in his eyes. “It’s amazing. I can’t really explain it. It’s an intense feeling you can’t control. When your feet lift off the ground, you forget everything. Sometimes I hear music, but it’s not something you can really hear. I feel it spark inside of me. And then suddenly… I’m soaring into the air. As long as you’re holding on to me, you’ll fly too.”
It sounded marvelous, and I knew I couldn’t resist. I looked back at my room, wondering when Dad would be home. If I left the house he might know, but if I had to choose between Dad and Casper, I chose Casper.
Desert-chilled, night air poured into the room through the window. Hesitantly, I placed my hand in Casper’s, feeling the weightlessness spread over me and the cold air turned warm. My feet lifted off the floor, and in seconds, all my worries disappeared, replaced by a joyful feeling that only felt possible when someone experienced something truly miraculous.
Casper pulled me closer into him. “Don’t let go,” he whispered.
“I won’t.” My body shook a little. Every movement I made was fluid, like swimming in a pool. I glided with ease to the top of the tree still holding Casper’s hand. When I looked at the ground, my grip on Casper automatically constricted.
“It’s okay,” he said, securing his grip on me. He found my reaction comical, holding back his laughter. “You don’t have to be scared.”
We slowly drifted higher into the boundless sky above the Military’s living quarters. Casper was in no hurry and had no fear of being seen. It was dark enough to hide– I hoped. Nothing could ruin this moment with him. We stared into each other’s eyes as we drifted further away from the ground and my house– now the size of a miniature model.
Then I heard it– or felt it, rather. Harmonic chords resonated from inside me as Casper had said. The gentle music felt wondrous. “This is amazing,�
�� I said.
He pulled me closer, hugging me against him with his tender arms, and then took off into the sky. “You haven’t seen anything yet.” He soared faster, and the wind blew in our faces, rushing through my hair as we hurried into the free sky.
I screamed as we accelerated towards the infinite dark blue, feeling the exhilaration of flying in my stomach like an extreme tickling feeling. Uncontrollable laughter escaped my mouth. Casper placed one hand under my chin, lifting my lips to his. In the instant our lips touched, our speed increased as we zoomed directionless through the night. We moved so fast the wind roared in my ears, and I closed my eyes. The wild sensation of flying increased as I was cut off from my sense of sight and hearing. I feared flying into something, but what would there be to fly into in the sky? Casper stopped as our lips parted, but my eyes remained closed.
He laughed at me. “Will you not open your eyes?”
I felt my hand quiver in his. Warmth radiated from his skin, but I couldn’t stop shaking. “I don’t know if I have a problem with heights or not, but it feels like I’m really high up.”
“How often do you get a chance like this? If you don’t open your eyes, you’ll never know what you missed.” He talked sweet and delicately.
I relaxed, trying to take a few deep breaths, but even breathing seemed out of my control. When I finally opened my eyes, there were no words, only the unrecognizable utterance of incoherent syllables.
From where we were, Fallon was a misshaped square of lights. Not far from Fallon was the Military Base, which seemed like a much shorter distance from the aerial view. The base appeared smaller than Fallon, but was still large enough to be seen. The moon shined bright enough to illuminate the ground outside of the city, revealing the mountains and giant sand dunes.
“Can you see my aura right now?” I asked.
He nodded. “Our aura is the pearl color now, but I can still find the blue in your eyes.”
I held myself closer to him, wrapping my arms around his slender waist and standing on his feet. I looked up at his face, and suddenly the severity of the situation caught up with me.
