I wanted the darkness gone. It scared the crap out of me way more than this guy did and I’d made out for a lot less reward than this.
I dropped my hand and nodded. He casually stepped over and kissed me. It felt strange, and awkward. Now that I had to do this, it felt like I was at the doctor’s office. I half expected him to tell me stick out my tongue and say ahhhh.
For some reason that struck me as funny and I started to laugh. The nervous energy was there and even though I tried to stop, I couldn’t.
Then I felt embarrassed. This guy was just trying to help and I was laughing at him.
“I’m so sorry,” I said trying to get myself under control. I felt my face getting red and I just wanted to run from the room.
“It’s ok.” He took my hands in his and just smiled at me. He kept telling me it was alright until I calmed down and could look him in the eye again. He really was beautiful. I didn’t know what his story was, but I could have ended up with a lot worse supernatural therapists that this.
I took a deep breath and let it go. I gave myself a mental shake. I was ready.
“Good?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Let’s try something a little different this time, a bit of a warm up before we go to the real thing.” He kept holding my hands and closed his eyes.
At first I felt nothing, just his warm hands in mine. Then I felt a gentle pull. It was so small it was almost nonexistent, but I felt something. There was an energy that was moving from me to him. It didn’t feel like the grave. It felt like a tiny trickle of water.
I switched on my magic sight and saw something that made me very happy. There was a faint misty blackness coming off of my arms and flowing to him. It was such a small amount, like a smoky shadow, but it was there. When the shadow got to him it let off a tiny sparkle and then sunk into his skin.
We stood like that for a few minutes, then he pulled me in closer. He let go of my hands and began stroking my sides. It felt so good. I felt wanted, needed. He felt warm, alive, human.
The last few weeks had been so catastrophic. My whole life had changed. I’d been hurt on a level that I still didn’t comprehend. I was dealing with it and pushing through, but I hadn’t emotionally processed it yet. His touch, somehow, said it was ok. I was going to be ok. I was going to get through this. He wanted me. For that moment in time I was wanted and my body responded.
Lust surged through me. I wanted him, all of him, right now.
I heard an evil roar, and suddenly there was a black flash and smoke was everywhere. My sexy savior was blown through the wall.
I’m talking through the drywall, through the studs, through the wall and into my living room. I don’t think I’m getting my damage deposit back. I was so shocked I couldn’t move. The darkness roared so loud I could feel my bones shake, then it all collapsed inside me again.
Everything was quiet and still except for the white drywall dust in the air. I stood there. The darkness scared me so badly I was shaking. These remnants were no joke. I wanted them gone and they might have just killed the one person who could help me.
With a groan, the guy sat up. I picked my way through the debris and went over to help him. He stood up before I got there and dusted himself off.
“Well, that didn’t turn out quite like I wanted,” he said with a wry smile. He stretched, popped his back, and dusted himself off. From what I could see he looked fine. My respect for him went up. If I’d been knocked through a wall I wouldn’t be getting back up again.
“Are you ok?” I asked. Unsure of what to do. “I’m so sorry.”
He just waved it off. “Not your fault. Remnants don’t like me and this isn’t the first time I’ve been knocked around a bit.”
He looked at the giant hole in my wall. “Although, this is the first time I’ve been thrown into a completely different room. Your remnants are powerful.”
“You’re not giving up, are you?” I asked nervously.
“No. I’m fine. This will be fine.” He waved in my general direction. “This is just going to take longer than I thought.”
“I’m Tyler, by the way.” I realized we had never really met. I’d just woken up with him and the action had happened from there. I went to shake his hand but he waved me off.
“Your remnants are going to be touchy for the next few hours. Let’s give them time to settle down and then we can try again.”
My face must have shown my alarm because he laughed.
“No. No. We won’t be going for the full cure for a while. We will have to go very slowly and drain them of their power. When there is a wisp of them left we can try again. I’m sure it will work then.”
That sounded like a much better idea and I told him so. He said goodbye and headed out. As he left, I noticed he had jeans on. How did that happen? I don’t remember him putting on any clothes. Oh well. One more mystery in my new crazy life.
With Tyler gone, I got out a broom and cleaned up the mess on the floor. There was dust and drywall everywhere. It hurt to move. I was a mass of bruises and aches from the death experience I’d gone through. It felt even better to do something for myself and just have some time alone.
I really appreciated staying with Sandy and all of her pillows and cats. John and Annabeth had stayed with me around the clock to make sure I was going to be ok. Now, however, it was so nice to have a quiet moment by myself in my own space.
I put on some shorts, warmed up a can of SpaghettiOs, sat on the couch, and started playing some Sudoku on my phone. I’d discovered that getting the numbers lined up just felt right. It had become my own personal mediation. My sister said I was like an idiot savant with the game. Although she would add I was more idiot than savant. Even the really hard ones only took me a few minutes to solve. I could see the patterns in the numbers and I knew where they were supposed to go. I’d felt the same thing with poker, although that was a more complex game. After sitting at a table for less than an hour I’d know exactly when to push and when to fold. I found it strangely restful and fulfilling.
After several grids I felt much better and switched over to Netflix. I’d binge-watched half a season of Luke Cage, eaten a whole can of potato strings and two Caramellos, when I heard a light tap at my door.
Maybe it was the time alone, or maybe it was all the food, but I was feeling much better now. I ambled over to the door to find Annabeth looking up at me all cheerful and happy. I marveled again at how much sunshine could fit into her short chubby frame.
“Hi Jason,” she said. “I heard what happened and I just wanted to check on you and make sure you are ok.” She spotted the hole in my wall. “Oh! Wow! That is big.”
That’s what he said, almost made it out my mouth. I clamped my lips shut. I’m not sure Annabeth would get the humor.
I stepped aside to let her in and she puttered past me to get the full view. “That is such a big hole,” she exclaimed. I couldn’t help it, I started laughing.
“What?” She looked at me, then realized what she had said. “Oh, stop it.” She laughed as she smacked me.
I flinched. I had so many bruises that even a playful smack hurt.
“Oh! I’m so sorry.” She started fussing over me. “Look at you. Just a mass of blue and purple and I go and hit you. Even a bit of green over there. I’m so sorry.”
I shooed her away while letting her know it was ok. I was fine. Everything hurt a bit but I was fine.
Once she calmed down, she started looking around.
“Oh honey, is this all you have?”
My living room was basically an old couch, a tv stand and a tv. It wasn’t much but that’s all I needed. She poked her nose into the bedroom, where my one dresser leaned against the wall and my mattress sat on the floor.
“You need some color, some pictures, something to make this place look like a home.” She looked around in distress.
I hadn’t really thought about it but the room was pretty bland. The walls were a traditional beige with whi
te ceilings and dark floors. The old couch was gray so it didn’t do much to liven up the room and the tv and its stand were black. I didn’t have any pictures to hang up or anything personal to put out.
Traveling light was a real advantage. It meant that I could pick up and leave at any time. Most of my personal stuff had been destroyed in the fire anyway.
When I had gotten here, it hadn’t even occurred to me to decorate and do all the normal move-in things I assume other people do. I’d actually been pretty proud of just getting the little bit of furniture I had. The dresser and the couch were nice but used. I’d splurged on the mattress. It was brand new, just the right amount of firm, and oh so nice to snuggle on.
Add in a medium size tv, used stand, and cheap microwave and I was good to go! It wasn’t much but it was a start. I told all that to Annabeth who said that sounded nice, but her tone said that wasn’t nearly enough for a start at all. I had a feeling I was going to be gifted some colorful decorative items soon.
“Anyway, I stopped by to see if you would like to go for a walk,” Annabeth said. “You’ve been inside for days. Some fresh air would do you good.”
I pointed at my face. I still looked like I’d had a bar fight with a gang of hell’s angels and lost. I imagined little kids getting one look at me and running away screaming.
“I thought of that. It’s night right now, dear. No one is going to really notice you. People keep to themselves when it’s dark.” Getting outside for a bit did sound nice. I wasn’t up for a long walk, though, and getting all sweaty didn’t sound like fun.
“It feels nice outside right now. With the sun down it’s cool but not cold. We’ll take a stroll in the park outside and we’ll be close to here when you feel tired.” All five foot of her just beamed at me. She is impossible to resist. Somehow her sunshine overcame my gloomy mood and I agreed.
09 Walk in the Park
One of the things I loved about my apartment is how close it is to Louisville’s Central Park. It covers two city blocks and has a small amphitheater for local plays and bands, tennis courts, playgrounds, and lots of walkways and benches. It’s the perfect place to spend a summer evening, or night in this case.
We walked out the front door, crossed the street, and picked up a trail that wound through the trees. We took it slow and it felt good to stretch my legs. Annabeth was quiet, just letting me enjoy the moment.
“So. How did you become a super?” I finally asked. I was tired of my own story. I wanted to hear something new.
“Well, first of all, it’s not polite to ask that of another supernatural,” she said.
“Oh. I’m sorry,” I stammered. I hadn’t meant to get on her bad side.
“It’s ok.” She waved it off. “I don’t mind telling you. Maybe it will make you feel better about what happened to you. Misery loves company after all. I just made the mistake of asking some others when I first came here and they were a little touchy. I guess everyone has a difficult time of it and some just want to forget and move on.”
She seemed lost in thought for a moment.
“This is rather hard to tell,” she said softly. “I haven’t been a super for very long at all. I guess I’m used to everyone already knowing my story.”
She took a deep breath and shook off whatever was holding her back.
“I had a car accident. That was my near-death experience. I was getting older and losing my memory a bit. My son was with me and tactfully trying to tell me I should be in a home.”
I looked at Annabeth in surprise. She didn’t seem that old to me, maybe late fifties? And she was still very spry, active, and cheerful. I couldn’t imagine anyone wanting her to be in a home.
“We went through an intersection just as a truck ran a red light. It hit the car on my side and knocked us fifty feet down the road. It crushed my side of the car and knocked my son around a lot. We stopped, upside down, and I remember looking over at my son with blood dripping the wrong way up his face. He was looking at me in shock. I felt myself slipping away and I knew we were both going to die. I just couldn’t let that happen. I couldn’t let my son die.”
Her hands clenched, reliving the moment.
“I looked down and discovered the car door had crushed my chest and legs. I couldn’t feel my arm at all. Somehow I felt myself inflating, like I was a balloon. I pushed the car back and everything popped back into place. Then I reached over to my son and somehow inflated him too. There was blood everywhere but I knew he was going to be alright.”
“They had to use the Jaws of Life to tear apart the car and get us out of there. We only suffered cuts and bruises, no broken bones, and the paramedics said it was a miracle. They had never seen anything like it.”
“That sounds amazing!” I was caught up in the scene. “So, your son is alive? He’s ok?”
“That whole event was very traumatic, as you can imagine, but unfortunately my story doesn’t end there.” She was walking faster now. Caught up in the emotion of it all. I was hanging on every word.
“We both recovered physically, and for a while things were ok. My son was having problems emotionally, getting over the accident. He kept having flashbacks to the event and he stopped sleeping at night. He got moody and irritable and started pushing his wife and kids away.
“Then the strange stuff started happening. I had gotten better not only physically, but mentally as well. Not only did I not have any residual aches and pains from the accident, I started feeling better than before. My arthritis was gone. I slept better at night. I was looking and feeling younger.”
“All this is sounding good so far,” I said. “Who doesn’t want to be young again?”
“If that’s all it was, then it would have been ok. The problem was my son started forgetting about the accident, and then he forgot about me. I wouldn’t hear from him in days, and then I’d stop by. He’d open the door, looking good, looking happy. Then he’d see me, and it would all come back. His eyes would get this haunted look he’d suddenly look hunched and miserable.”
“It wasn’t just him either. I’d say something about the accident to his family or my friends and nobody remembered it. I didn’t know anything about the Fog of Jonah at the time so I began to think maybe it was me. Maybe I was going crazy.”
“Fog of Jonah?” I interrupted her.
“It’s one of the few global spells that protect supernaturals. In this case, it makes all evidence and memories of supernatural events disappear.”
“For real?” I said. That seemed like a really powerful spell to do something like that.
“Yes,” she replied. “You could be a troll, walking down the street, and nobody would pay any attention to you. Even if something happened, like say a car ran into you, the spell would find a way to make it seem normal and explain it away. In a few days, everyone would forget there even was an accident.”
“What about video?” I asked. “Cell phones are everywhere and it seems like people would get a picture or video of someone hitting a troll.”
“It takes care of that too.” She shrugged. “I’m not sure how. I didn’t have anything to do with making the spell. That happened a long time ago. I just know it works. Believe me, I know it works,” she said bitterly.
“I didn’t mean to get you off track,” I offered. “What happened to your son?”
“The Fog of Jonah really messed him up,” she said angrily. “He would see me and remember the accident and getting healed. Then the Fog would do its thing and wipe his memory. Then he’d see me, remember, go through all the trauma again, and get wiped again. I didn’t know what was going on. I just knew that I was causing him a lot of pain and I could see it was driving him crazy.
“He began avoiding me and I stopped going over. I just couldn’t stand to see him hurting. This was happening to a lesser degree with my friends. They couldn’t remember anything happening and it just seemed strange to them that I looked and acted different. By this time, I was starting to look a lot younger. I looked li
ke my son’s sister, rather than his mom. I started staying away from everyone. I stayed in the house and didn’t go anywhere or talk to anyone.
“I think that was the loneliest time in my life. When I lost Richard, my husband, I thought it couldn’t get any worse. I was just starting to recover from that when we had the accident. Then I lost everything and discovered just how bad it could get.”
Tears were running down her cheeks. The loss was so real it broke my heart. I pulled her into a hug and just held her for a while.
I’d been lonely myself for a long time but I couldn’t imagine how it must be to lose your husband, your son, and your grandkids. She was always so cheerful too. I couldn’t imagine how much strength it must take to face the world with a smile.
Finally, she pulled back and dried her eyes. We just walked for a while, finished our first loop of the park, and started down another one of the other paths.
“The Fog got even worse,” she continued. “Not only did it erase any memory of the accident, it erased any memory of me. Sandy thinks it did that because I was looking so different, and without the accident there wasn’t any way to explain it. I don’t know for sure, I guess I’ll never know for sure, but I discovered it when I went to the grocery store. I’d been shopping there for years and it was just a little neighborhood store. The people working there weren’t close friends but they knew me. Anyway, I finally ran out of food at the house, stopped by the store, and nobody recognized me. I knew a few of them by name and I said hi. They just gave me a clueless look. It seemed so strange that I deliberately crossed paths with one of my old friends. She didn’t know who I was either. I didn’t know how this would affect my family. I thought maybe, if they didn’t remember me, I could find a way to meet them as a stranger and end up being their friend. It wouldn’t be the same as being a Mom or Grandmother, but at least it would be something. So, I set up a chance meeting on the street. I was just going to pass by and see if they would say anything. If that went well, I was going to find a way to interact with them somehow.”
Misfit Mage Page 10
