by N. Phillips
“Let me handle this,” Maylene insisted with her palm facing the knob. The golden lock ignited and melted away until the steel handle was incinerated.
“Okay, that was cool,” I voiced my thoughts before pushing the door open.
We examined the dim surroundings and saw shards of glass from a broken light bulb in the room. Various sheets of paper were strewn across the kitchenette, which had several cracked plates and other utensils on the floor. There was also a shattered vase below a window that sported a hole in the middle, which all made me question what the hell was going on in here.
Walking a bit further into the apartment, we spotted Ray confronting a guy with a buzz cut and a five o’clock shadow. He held a crazed look in his muddy brown eyes as he sat in a crooked chair in front of a desk with a laptop.
“Your groupies just broke into my house,” the guy said in a devilish voice, keeping his eyes glued to the screen. Both he and Ray had busted lips and bruises on their faces. “Or maybe they’re my replacements. I guess I was never good enough for you, was I?”
“Sam, that’s not true,” Ray argued. “You know I love you. Please, just stop what you’re doing. Don’t kill anyone else.”
“He’s killing people?” I questioned. “Why? And how?”
Ray pointed to the laptop, his trembling lips not allowing him to speak. Sam cackled and began typing on the keyboard. His constant fixation with the computer made me peer at it, seeing a list of usernames on the screen.
“S-some of those usernames belong to students at the university,” Ray stuttered. “Th-the others are from comment sections and forums on the Internet. Sam’s able to kill anyone he wants by typing out the name of their account.”
“What the...” Maylene’s words trailed off. “Why the hell would he wanna do that?”
“These are the girls you asked to talk to me, Ray?” Sam questioned with a grin. “Is this some kind of joke? We live in a generation of instant gratification and limited attention spans. You honestly think a couple of kids have the patience and intelligence to hold a conversation with me? What have they gone through, huh? Breakups? Pity arguments? Or did their boyfriends cheat on them and they decided to hook up with each other like some typical teenage floozies?”
“Nice rant, but you need to stop reading from the cliché teen fiction section,” Maylene countered. “You’re not much older than us, dude. Maybe if you tell us what the problem is, we can help.”
Ray reached his hand out to Sam, but he swatted it away and growled, “Don’t touch me.” He then sneered at Maylene. “You wanna know what my problem is, Blondie? This ‘look at me’ generation of betas howling for their participation trophy. They’re so desperate to be a part of something that they don’t care who they hurt on their hunt for relevancy. Well, I’ve got a surprise for those clout chasers. Every single one of those jackasses online and at my university are gonna die tonight for ever insulting me and bashing my sexuality.”
He smiled as he got out of his seat and resumed his tirade. “Do you know how hard it is to be me? To have to deal with douchebags at school and Internet trolls when I’m home? Being gay isn’t as easy as TV makes it seem these days. No, it’s not even close. But it’s okay, because those who can’t accept me won’t be around for much longer. They’ll all be in hell where they belong.”
The Shadow influencing him made its presence known by manifesting in the seat behind him. The sight of a ghastly beast sitting in a chair so human-like was terrifying enough, but the appearance of multiple Shade Crawlers filling such a small apartment made me fear for my life. They held their position in a tight circle around us like dogs waiting for a command.
I turned to address Sam in hopes of solving his problem before things got messy. “Look, we can’t do anything about the people who harass you online. Most of them can’t resist the urge to express their insensitive thoughts, I get that. And I know it’s hard dealing with them every single day, but you can’t use their ignorance as an excuse to kill people. What you’re doing needs to stop. Right now.”
“Really? So those bastards are allowed an outlet to voice their opinions and disrespect whoever they want, but I shouldn’t go online and punish them for it? That’s the problem with today’s society: it’s too much nonsense without consequence.”
“Samuel, please, just listen to her,” Ray begged. “Listen to me, too. I’m here for you. You’re not alone in this fight, believe me.”
“You don’t understand me, either. How could you? You haven’t even come out to your mother yet because you’re afraid she’ll reject you even more than she already has.”
Not only did the harshness of his tone cause Ray to flinch, it excited the Shadow enough to stand up and point its talon-like finger at us with an unsettling smile on its face. No longer did the demons have to wait to go wild; the order to destroy was given.
On instinct, I generated a chakram and swung it at the creature behind me, successfully purging it. Unfortunately for Ray, I couldn’t strike the demon near him fast enough, and he was forced to be bitten on the shoulder and thrown across the room like a rag doll.
I hurled my weapon at the creature and slayed it before it could do any further harm, but a sharp sting in my back from another demon’s claw painfully reminded me that we were outnumbered. The stabbing sensation traveled through my body before I was lifted in the air and tossed against a wall.
There was no time to recover on the floor; the demon followed up its assault with a stomp that would’ve crushed my skull had I not manifested a chakram to shield myself. It backed away to try something else, but I flung the ring of light that eliminated the enemy on impact.
My teeth clenched as I struggled to stand on my feet. Maylene did her best to defend herself against the remaining two Shade Crawlers, but was unable to put up a fight due to her fire being ineffective against them.
Not to mention she couldn’t see demons.
They started to leave marks that tore through her long sleeve shirt and skinny jeans. She formed a cage of flames around herself in hopes of protection, but I knew that wouldn’t work. Not unless I gave it a little flare.
I released a beam of energy that merged with the chamber of fire, creating a fortress of light that no demon would dare attempt to penetrate. With Maylene safe, it was time to send these two fiends back to hell.
“Hey.” I got their attention. “Try fighting someone who can see your ugly asses.”
They lunged at me in a fury, with one being taken down by my chakram before it could reach me. The other managed to graze my skin with its fangs, but failed to grip onto my arm and had to suffer the consequences of my weapon being thrusted into its eye. It didn’t take long after that for it to wail and vanish into thin air.
The only threat remaining was Sam’s Shadow. Maylene walked out of the blazing sphere and joined me in confronting him.
“You know what’s really your problem?” she snapped at him. “You care too much about what people think.”
“Well, maybe if people stop voicing their negative opinions any chance they can get, none of this would be an issue.”
“But you can’t silence society,” I told him. “Yeah, people hate what they can’t relate to, but killing them because they don’t agree with you doesn’t make you any better.”
“Exactly,” Maylene pitched in. “I was bullied on social media in the past, but I didn’t waste my time tracking down some idiots for revenge. You have to be strong and be better than them, because the world is not a nice place, and the Internet is toxic as hell, but you can still be happy by communicating with people who understand and care about you. Like him.”
She pointed to Ray, who held his shoulder and stumbled over to us.
“Why haven’t you talked to me about any of this?” He asked Sam. “We’ve been together too long to be hiding our feelings. Whatever you’re going through, I’m going through it with you. If people online are pissing you off, stop going on social media and scrolling down comme
nt sections on different sites. Just read the article and let your opinion stand on its own. If people at campus are talking shit, we inform the authorities in power and let them deal with those ignorant assholes. Simple as that.”
Sam trembled as he turned to his laptop and gripped the sides of it. “I don’t want anyone to think their superior to me. I just want to live my life without being judged. I don’t want to stay in a safe space forever.”
“And you don’t have to,” I said to him. “Never let the opinions of someone else stop you from being who are you are. The world will keep spinning regardless of their thoughts, and you—”
My speech was interrupted by a desperate move from the Shadow. It began whispering in Sam’s ear to prevent us from breaking its manipulative spell.
“Ray,” I turned to him, “I can get the demon out of his mind, but it’s up to you to save him.”
“Huh? Okay, tell me what I need to do.”
“After I purge the Shadow and Sam’s back to normal, I need you to be there for him. Touch his heart in ways only you know how, because my power won’t change who he is, but your love for him can.”
He gave me a puzzled look before nodding. “Okay, okay. Yes, of course I will. I’ll never leave his side.”
With his assurance, I took control of the situation by releasing a ray of light that brightened the room in its entirety. The Shadow feeding off Sam’s negativity shrieked before it evaporated into nothingness.
When the radiance faded, Sam collapsed on the ground with his eyes closed. “Oh my God.” Ray knelled down to examine him. “Is he alright?”
“He’s fine. I destroyed the Shadow manipulating him, and he won’t remember anything that happened here.”
“If all you have to do is kill the Shadow, what’s the point in trying to convince people with words to ‘see the light’?” Maylene questioned. “Just shine it in their eyes and be done with it.”
“Because if possible, I’d like people to defeat their own Shadows and keep the memories of all the sinful acts it caused them to commit. That way, the chances of them going back to their bad habits are lessened, and it makes the world a better place in general when people have experience knowing right from wrong.”
She shrugged. “Well, we kept our end of the deal. Now it’s time for him to do the same.”
We both looked down at Ray, who leaned his head on Sam’s chest and spoke the words, “I’m sorry. I swear things are gonna change. I’ll talk to my mother, and we’ll get through this, together.”
With their relationship rekindled, preparations to invade Alvin’s lab were set to begin. The night was far from over, and the message I received from an unknown number was evidence of that.
Hello, Aliyah. I’m ready for your report.
I returned home and shut my room door before calling the number Alvin had used to contact me. He answered after the first ring, not to my surprise. This man was obsessed with power.
“Hello, Aliyah. How was your day?”
“Don’t talk to me as if we’re friends.”
Instead of a coherent response, he mocked me with a round of irritating chuckles. “Very well. Did you come in contact with the target? Elaborate.”
“There’s nothing to tell. No Dreamer was at the café, nor anywhere in the area. Your sources suck, Alvin.”
Despite his silence on the other end, I knew he was holding the phone close to his mouth because of the inconsistent breathing in my ear. He was more annoying than ever now that he had control over me.
“Aliyah, can I ask you something?” His tone was stern and deep.
“Y-yes.”
“Are you lying to me?”
“N-no.”
“I see…”
After a pause, the sobbing of a girl replaced his voice. The person was no doubt Valeria. She screamed and begged to be let go.
“Don’t hurt her,” I yelled into the phone. “She hasn’t done anything wrong to you.”
“But it’s possible you have. Lying to me doesn’t benefit any of us, now does it?”
“I’m not lying,” I insisted, matching his vocal intensity. He released a long breath before speaking again.
“We will see. I’ll send men to scout the location tomorrow. If there are any signs of a Dreamer, rest assured, you’ll be seeing my face soon. Goodnight, Aliyah.”
The call ended with Valeria crying in the background. Alvin could’ve been torturing her, and there was nothing I could do to stop him until Ray’s plan was set up.
Anger and hopelessness led to me throwing my phone on the bed and falling on top of it. My face became one with the pillow as it muffled my shouts of apprehension. It wasn’t until the creaking sound of my door that I looked up and silenced my angst.
“Um, is everything okay in here?” Mya asked, closing the door behind her. “I heard yelling a minute ago.”
“Yeah, everything’s fine. Mya, listen, I need to ask something important of you, and I need you to promise that you’ll do it.”
“Uh, what is it?”
I got off the bed and stepped closer to her. “I’m going somewhere tonight. A place Mom and Dad can’t know about.”
“And you need me to control their thoughts so they’ll let you out of the house without a hassle? Sure, no problem.”
“No. I don’t ever want you using that ability again. What I need is for you to look after Mom and Dad in case I don’t come back. You have to promise me, Mya.”
She frowned and backed away. “Don’t talk like that. You’re scaring me.”
“I’m sorry, but I need you to be here for Mom and Dad no matter what. You’re the glue that holds this family together. You don’t need an ability for that.”
“Okay, but what exactly is going on? Where are you going?”
“I can’t tell you that. Tonight, if Mom and Dad catch me leaving the house without permission, don’t use your ability to help me. Whatever punishment they give me if I return, I’ll handle it. It’s time I start taking responsibility for my actions, and I don’t want you giving me a get-out-of-jail-free card, understand?”
She crossed her arms and shook her head in disagreement. “No. Not unless you promise me that you’re coming back.”
I gave her a small smile and nodded. I didn’t expect my gestures to convince her; they were only made to soften the blow that I might not be alive tomorrow.
We hugged before she left the room, and all I could think about was what I was getting myself into. There was no chance in hell of me surviving this, and I was very close to accepting that fact. So close that I stared at Noel and Valeria’s photos on my shelf and whispered the truth.
“I’ll be seeing one of you soon.”
CHAPTER 27
What would you do if you had a date with a mad scientist? Would you bring your I.D. in hopes of someone identifying you after he’s mutilated and experimented on your dead body? Great idea. Would you leave a letter for your loved ones since it might be the last form of communication you ever have with them? Good thinking. Would you think of snappy comebacks for when he tries to belittle you with his intelligent wordplay? Eh, maybe not, but it’s worth a thought or two.
If the checklist checked out, it was time to dance with the devil. I treated my cuts and bruises before changing into a new outfit and looking out the window at the quiet, empty streets. When midnight approached and Ray’s gray minivan was parked outside my house, I placed my foot on the windowsill and braced myself for the jump. What stopped me in my tracks, however, was the sound of my bedroom door opening behind me.
“Leaving?”
My mother’s voice made me turn around. “Mom, I… Yeah, I’m leaving.”
“Is that so? Then why aren’t you using the front door?”
My eyes glanced at the digital clock on the cable box. She must’ve noticed, because she then said, “We both see the time. But I want you to know that you can use the front door like a normal person.”
Okay, what? Either Mya was still using
her ability, or…
“Mom, you’re cool with me going out this late?”
“No. But according to your father and sister, you have a lot going on that you need to work out. If going out tonight at midnight is your way of fixing whatever issues you have, then I’ll allow it. But only this time, understand?”
I said nothing in response; I was too shocked to speak. The gradual spread of my lips into a smile was telling enough.
“I trust you,” she said while approaching me. “You’re a strong, independent young woman who looks after herself and other people. I’ll admit, there were times when I used your brother’s death as an excuse to be strict on you. That was my mistake, and I apologize.”
“No, I understand. Losing Noel hit all of us hard, but you, Mom…” Tears began to break free from my eyes as well as hers. “It hurt you the most, and I never thought about how much it did until now. I’m so sorry, and I want you to know that I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. Thank you for being here, Mom.”
We held each other close; the moment meaning more to me than I had time to express as the sound of my phone alerted me of a text message.
She separated our embrace and told me, “Go. But you better be back before morning, alright?”
Before I replied, Cinnamon rushed into the room and began wagging her tail. She was followed by my dad and Mya, who both stood near the doorway with smiles on their faces.
“I promise.” The words flew out my mouth with confidence. All thanks to the support of my family. “I’m coming back.”
The hard thumps from the bumpy road competed with my beating heart. I sat next to Maylene in the back of Ray’s minivan and digested the plan he had come up with, but the chilling winds that entered through the cracks of the window disrupted my concentration.
“It’s freezing.” I zipped up my gray leather jacket and looked at Maylene, who appeared focused and unaffected by the midnight weather.
