by N. Phillips
“I will run various tests in an attempt to find a cure for the virus,” he claimed in an exasperated tone. “What may appear to be a hostage environment would actually be a home for those who could do harm to the city. I believe I am more than qualified to be in charge of Operation Dreamcatcher: a plan that will allow the world to still function as it does on a daily basis.”
“Careful,” I said with a smirk. “You keep patting yourself on the back like that and your arm’s gonna fall off. It’s funny how the villain always thinks he’s the hero. I’m not being a part of this, Alvin, and that’s my final decision.”
“Then I’m afraid I have no other choice.”
Taking that as an immediate threat, I bolted toward the closest door before he could move or utter another word. My attempt to flee came to a quick and painful end, however, after bumping into a suited man with a similar build to those who restrained me earlier.
“Let go of me,” I hollered, fighting to break away from the man’s bear hug. He lifted me off my feet with ease and carried me over to Alvin.
“Miss Dawn, you will do as I ask, understand? That is, if you care for your family as much as you care for making the world a better place.”
The suited gorilla began to squeeze the life out of me. I gasped from the crushing of my ribs, screaming as my welling eyes were ready to leak at a moment’s notice.
“Put her down,” Alvin commanded. My body was thrown to the ground with force. “Please, I do not wish for you to see me as the bad guy,” he said, kneeling down to my level.
“You are the bad guy. But I’ll do what you want. Just leave my family out of this.”
“As you wish, Aliyah Dawn.” He offered his hand to take. “Welcome aboard.”
CHAPTER 19
“And that’s everything that happened yesterday.”
Mylene gaped at me as I told her the events that unfolded in the laboratory. She laid back on my bed when the story concluded and stared at the ceiling in astonishment.
“Wow. Talk about intense. The world puts people in positions to think and do sinful things every day, so it’s not like we can go around telling everyone, ‘hey, stop feeling this way or else the planet’s gonna be destroyed by your negativity.’”
I fell on the bed next to her and exhaled into the pillow. “Tell me about it. There’s times when I still can’t believe any of this is happening.”
“Are you sure you didn’t see where the lab was located? Like landmarks or anything?”
“No. I was blindfolded and pushed into a vehicle. When the car stopped outside my house, they removed the cloth and told me Alvin will be in touch. The whole thing was surreal.”
She placed her hand on my arm and half-smiled. “Well, I’m glad you’re alright. And look on the bright side, at least you didn’t get in more trouble with your parents.”
“That’s what scares me the most, Maylene. I walked inside expecting to be yelled at and punished for life, but all I saw was my parents making Mya breakfast for dinner. Mom would never approve of that. There’s more going on than just a virus. The Shadows are involved as well.”
“Spooky. How does it feel living with a possessed sister?”
“Terrifying. Not only do I have to deal with the demon influencing Mya, but signing up to help Alvin was like making a deal with the devil. It’s stressful. Not to mention there’s school tomorrow and I haven’t done any of the homework assignments.”
She yawned and lifted herself off the bed. “Don’t worry, I’ll help you. I’ve got nothing else to do, really. Whenever I’m not working at Starbucks on the weekends, I mostly stay at home and stream TV shows with my Grandpa or go to the library. Those things are fun, but hanging out with you? Shit’s a rush.”
We both shared a laugh before I replied, “Well, of course. I’m freakin’ awesome.”
She rolled her eyes. “Anyways, I’m heading home to take a nap before I research this Alvin guy later tonight. Did you see or hear anything else that could be important?”
“I don’t think so. He did mention an organization called Obsidian, but—”
“Did you say Obsidian?” Her voice raised in shock, and I was certain the temperature in the room increased. “I overheard my parents whispering that word a lot before they passed. Are you sure he didn’t say anything else? Names, numbers, anything?”
“No, I’m sorry.”
Her eyes wandered around the room as if to avoid mine. “It’s alright. Forget I asked. What do you have planned for today?”
“Well, I wanted to get that demon out of my sister’s head, but my parents took her somewhere. Probably out to spoil her and buy her robes made of the finest silk or something. But anyways, I’m gonna hang out with Tyler at the mall for a bit. He’s been really depressed since I told him what happened in the hospital with Valeria, so hopefully I can cheer him up and maybe find an outfit on sale at the same time.”
She shrugged. “Cool. I’ll call you later or whatever.”
“Hey, wait.” I got off the bed and approached her. “Was everything okay with Lucas when you brought him home? I’ve been calling his cell since I got in last night, but I haven’t been able to get through to him. And when I called his house, his dad answered and said he was in his room sleeping.”
“Yeah, I believe he was fine. I dropped that edgy chick off at the hospital first before I had him tell me where he lived. He tried asking me what happened, but I figured I’d leave that explanation to you.”
Good idea on her part, but the problem was that Lucas didn’t care to communicate with me. Was he hiding something? Did Cassandra still have power over him from the grave?
Or, did his lack of communication have something to do with Robyn and he wasn’t telling me?
I sighed with discontent.” Alright. I’ll try back later tonight after I talk with my sister. If speaking to her doesn’t get rid of the Shadow, I’ll have to purge it out of her mind. I still don’t understand why I couldn’t sense it before.”
“Maybe because she’s your sister? I mean, think about it for a second. Shadows might be different from the regular demons you fight. I believe they’re born from people and didn’t come out of some fiery hellhole like the others.”
She was definitely on to something. “Continue.”
“Mya’s Shadow was born from her resentment toward you, but you’re still her sister at the end of the day. She doesn’t truly hate you, and it’s not like the Shadow is making her do anything dangerous. My guess is that you couldn’t detect it before because it was too weak to sense. But, due to recent events, her animosity for you is growing, and that’s how the Shadow became strong enough for you to see and feel.”
“And the Shadows,” I began to pitch in, “must call the lesser demons, the Shade Crawlers, to defend them while they feed on a person’s negativity. That’s why they’re always around someone with evil aspirations. Girl, you’re a genius.”
She hunched her shoulders. “I read a lot.”
We left the room and walked downstairs to the front door, where Cinnamon greeted us with an opened mouth and a rapid tail-wag. Both Maylene and I knelled down to rub her fur when she asked me a question.
“Hey, so are Shadows always attached to the hip of their host? Or do they hang out wherever they feel like? Cause I mean, wouldn’t your dog be in danger if your sister’s demon was still in the house somewhere?”
“No. Shadows stay in the same area of the person they’re manipulating. Not to mention Mya would never wish any harm on Cinnamon.”
We stood up and walked out the house. “Got it. So did you want a ride to meet your friend?”
“Sure, how could I say no?”
The foggy sky loomed over the city as Maylene navigated through traffic. She parked the car near the corner of a bustling street, where we saw Tyler looking down at his phone by a hot dog stand outside of a large building.
“Thanks, Maylene. I appreciate it.”
I got out the car and pushed past a throng of p
eople with different styles of attire and ethnicities. When I reached him and saw the cell phone in his hand, I couldn’t help but say, “You’re still using that outdated thing? Gosh, Ty. Be normal.”
He smiled and shrugged. “Social norms are outlines for people with no identity.” He then slid his phone into his jacket pocket and hugged me. “I’m glad you made it.”
His tight hold on me was comforting, as if we both needed this moment to be free with someone we cared about. It only confirmed that I made the right decision meeting him here, regardless of how much trouble I could be in later.
“Before we go inside,” he began, “I want to apologize for not telling you what happened between Lucas and Robyn. Trust me, I was ready to kick his ass after I found out she was pregnant. I wanted to come by the hospital and tell you, but I knew you were still recovering, and I didn’t want to make things harder for you.”
“It’s fine, I’m totally over it,” I claimed before turning my head away from him. “I think...”
“Are you staying with him? He spent hours trying to convince me not to tell you about it. I was going to, but—”
“Ty, it’s fine, okay? I’m not mad at you. Let’s just go inside and have fun.”
We stepped inside the giant mall with multiple floors hosting various name brand stores. Countless people strolled the plaza in search of merchandise and products from popular markets.
“It’s been forever since I’ve been here,” I voiced while looking around. My elbow nudged his arm before I asked, “You ready to hold a lot of bags?”
“Not really. And what money are you shopping with? Did the government start paying you to be a superhero?”
I responded with a sarcastic gasp. “They should, right? But no, I still have the credit card my parents gave me earlier this year. It should be enough on it to buy a couple of outfits.”
“Oh boy. Well, let’s get started.”
We strolled around and entered every boutique on the first floor in a quest for desired clothing and accessories, but came out empty-handed every time. We then decided to explore the second floor.
“You’re so damn picky,” he complained, ambling alongside me up the stairway.
“What? You couldn’t tell that fur was fake? And the cashier kept checking me out like I was cheese and he was a starving rat or something.”
He chuckled. “Speaking of rats, remember in seventh grade when that guy put a mouse in your locker after you told the class you were afraid of mice?”
“Yeah. I also remember you knocking him out because that made me cry. Ugh, I hate mice. Isn’t that guy on our school’s football team now?”
“Yeah. Candice won’t shut up about him.”
I pointed at him with my tongue sticking out. “Ha. I laughed so hard when you texted me that she was your partner for the math assignment. I mean, Candice of all people?”
“Don’t remind me,” he said before his eyes landed on the food court, which hosted a sizeable selection from famous fast-food restaurants.
“I’m getting something to eat. You want anything?”
“Two slices of pizza and a fruit punch,” I replied.
“Fatty.”
“No, the only fat thing is my ass.”
His head jerked back as he started to laugh. “I didn’t expect that to be your comeback.”
“Really? It’s like you don’t know me.”
“Yeah, well, a lot has changed since you been gone, so I guess it’s surprising seeing some things stay the same.” He frowned, turning away from me. “I’ll be back with the food.”
I sat at the small, steel bench nearby and looked around the crowded mall until I saw a group of friends entering a clothing store. Memories of hanging out with Valeria, Lucas, and Tyler played in my mind until flashes of Val’s death began to surface. Thoughts of the dreadful moment would have continued had I not saw Connor exiting the theater section with a girl who wasn’t Mya.
“Hi, Connor,” I stood up and said with a jolly voice. My lip curled as I looked the girl up and down. “Hi, girl-who’s-not-my-sister.”
She scrutinized me with a sharp glare. “Connor, who is this?”
“No one you need to be concerned about,” I answered for him. “How’s my sister doing, Connor? You know, the fifteen-year-old you brought to an adult club two nights ago?”
He stuttered and failed to speak a coherent sentence. The girl standing next to him glowered in suspicion.
“You told me you were at a family reunion two nights ago. You’re such a player.”
She stomped away from the scene, and I couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “Awe. Busted?”
“Alright, you got me. Thing is, I really like your sister, just not in that way.”
I stepped in his face. “So why lead her on?”
“I didn’t mean to, I swear. Mya’s a cool person to chill with, and I like how artistic she is because I’m an artist myself, but I’m not interested in a relationship with her. She started calling me her boyfriend out of the blue, and I never agreed to that. I think she wants what you and Lucas have or something, I don’t know.”
His confession made me question Mya’s desire even more. How could controlling our parents have something to do with wanting a relationship like mine?
“Did you ever think to be a man and tell her you’re not interested?” I asked him. He opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off. “You know what? I already know the answer. I want you to call Mya and tell her the truth. If you don’t, we’re gonna have a serious problem. Understand?”
He bobbed his head in agreement. Tyler approached me with our food and drinks in hand as Connor scurried off.
“Hey, was that guy bothering you?”
“No, he’s just a scared, lost puppy.”
We walked over to the food court and sat across from each other at a table.
“So, how’ve you been since you got home?” he asked, sinking his teeth into the cheeseburger in his hand. “Adjusting easy?”
“I’m doing the best I can. You were right, though. A lot has changed.”
“It definitely has. I still can’t believe what happened in school with that James guy. But I guess situations like that are common for you, huh?”
“Pretty much,” I replied after taking a sip of my drink. “But never as dangerous as that. I’m just glad some of us survived.”
We continued eating until he tapped the table to get my attention. “Do you remember who that is?”
I looked in the direction he was facing until I recognized an elderly woman with a cane.
“Yes. My gosh, she used to give the best Halloween candy. I remember we’d always play with her dog whenever her husband would take him out for a walk. Where is her husband, anyway?”
“He’s dead.”
His grim response swallowed my enthusiasm. My downcast eyes observed the slices of pizza in front of me until my stomach would no longer neglect its calling.
“They say when someone close to you dies, you realize how short and precious life really is,” he said. “But it’s not precious at all, to be honest. Life is pointless.”
Words of consolation should’ve flowed out of mouth like it usually does when someone needs help, but a part of me knew it would be pointless to say anything. His aggressive views on life could only ever be soothed by Valeria. Without her, I feared he may never be happy.
He took the last bite of his burger before speaking again. “What’s so special about this world, anyway? You’re born, you live for a while, and then you die. That’s it. Nothing more, nothing less. There’s senseless violence everywhere, corrupted governments run by power-hungry madmen, and diseases that can take your life away whenever it wants too. I mean, what the hell is the point of living?”
“Sometimes, I question that too,” I finally spoke out. “But I think the purpose of life is to be happy doing what you love the most, no matter what it is, and keeping humanity alive so the world can grow and prosper. I know how morally
correct that sounds, but that’s what I believe to be true. Wishing not to be alive isn’t a healthy way of thinking.”
He slouched back his seat and shrugged. “Why shouldn’t I wanna be dead? Hell, zombies already exist in this world. They shamble around and stare into their phones while waiting on social media to tell them what to do, think, and feel. Most of the people in this damn city are just going through the motions. There’s no energy to them at all.”
He slurped the last of his Mountain Dew before resuming. “Is it wrong that I’m not blinded like everyone else? That I don’t want to pursue a career, or have a lot of money, or become famous? Because I can have all of that and still ask the same question; what’s the point of it all? What is it about this world that makes people want to wake up every morning and continue their lives knowing that death is the only result?”
“Hope, maybe? I don’t know. I can’t speak for everyone, but maybe it’s love, memories, and experiences, too. Sometimes, it can even be a passion for something you want to see through to the end.”
He looked away and huffed. There was no consoling his black heart.
“I just don’t wanna be like everyone else,” he confessed. “I won’t allow society to dictate how I should live my life, or what I should be doing with it. Living in this world is hard enough as it is. I don’t see a point in chasing after a dream in a world I care nothing about. Valeria’s opinion was all that mattered to me. The only accomplishment I ever wanted to achieve was to make her happy.”
The mentioning of Val created a barrier of silence between us. My throat tightened at the sight of tears on his cheek.
“I just miss her so damn much. No one realizes how powerful death can be until they lose someone close. This pain inside me is never gonna go away. Not without her. I need her here with me.”
My finger ran across my watery eye as Tyler released his own faucet of heartache, grief, and depression. I lifted his hand off the table and placed it in mine.
“I miss her, too, Ty. I miss her every single day.”
“What makes it worse is that some people are entertained by the concept of death. They make movies about it. They write about it. Sometimes, they even laugh about it. It’s inhuman. I hate this world, Aliyah.”
