Her Dark Sins

by T R Tells

  I admitted that I was more than happy that he was there, but I didn’t want to see him like this. Not when his life was in danger.

  “Another impudent human.”

  The Umbra Shade released me from its clutches and dropped me on the wet ground. My hair was sodden and dripping, covering my face, but I tossed it aside to see the Umbra Shade approaching Alessander.

  “Alessander!”

  I quickly jumped to my feet without hesitation and summoned my bow. I pulled back the string at eye level and hitched a breath as I fired a brightly lit arrow. It landed directly in the middle of the Umbra Shade’s back, and a blinding light illuminated the alleyway, making it explode into smoke.

  I dropped my arm, exhausted, and the bow disappeared.

  “Hira!” Alessander called out to me, running to my side before I collapsed to the ground. “Are you okay, Ira?”

  Ira?

  I craned my neck up and took his wet cheeks in my hands, my eyes welling up, “Y-You remember me?”

  The tears meshed with the rain as they fell down my cheeks.

  Alessander’s eyes were glassy as he smiled at me and pulled me closer to him with a tight hug. We stood there in the rain, looking at one another as if we weren’t two wet teenagers caught in the storm.

  “Y-Yes, there were… scattered memories, there still is, but I remember. I wouldn’t forget you, Hira, and I’m sorry that it took me this long.”

  I shook my head. I didn’t care at that moment, and I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling his head toward me so our lips could meet. He parted my lips in a rushed kiss, his hands tangling in my hair. It was passionate, fueled from all those months not being in each other’s arms.

  He pulled away first when the crack of lightning struck the sky.

  “We better get out of here.”

  I pulled out my phone to see where Helene had gone.

  Helene: I got swept in the chaos and couldn’t find you. What happened?

  I carefully texted back so I wouldn’t cut myself on the screen.

  Me: I’ll let you know later. Alessander and I are coming back to the parking lot.

  “What do we do about him?” Alessander asked as we looked down at the Apathy Victim. His neck was free of the black veins.

  “I’ll call an ambulance,” I said, and dialed 911.

  Alessander gripped my hand and pulled me into his chest, planting a kiss on my forehead. A light-hearted gasp escaped my lips (like Casanova sweeping the woman off her feet). I snuggled close to chest, despite the rain, I clung to his warmth for a moment, taking the moment in, but after we hurried through the pouring rain.

  ***

  The rain had slowed when Helene dropped us off in front of Alessander’s home. I waved goodbye. I would have to tell her everything later, but first…

  I turned back around to my boyfriend, who was alive and remembering me. I was like a kid on Christmas morning, and the rising happiness in my chest never receded.

  Alessander’s back!

  “I don’t know what happened,” Alessander began. He opened his arms, and I walked into his embrace. I rested my head on his chest as he held me. “I have a billion questions; like what was the thing that grabbed you, and what did you make appear out of your hands?”

  My eyes snapped open, and I pulled away from Alessander to look at him, confused.

  How could he see the Umbra Shade if he didn’t have any powers? I’d been so wrapped up in defeating the creature that the thought never even crossed my mind.

  “W-What did you see?” I asked. If he did see anything, he didn’t seem scared, or maybe it was the adrenaline that pushed past his fears.

  He tilted his head to the side and shrugged. “I don’t know, it looked… invisible, like The Predator. Why?”

  Hmm, that’s odd.

  He didn’t see it, but did at the same time. I was sure that the Umbra Shade couldn’t turn invisible, nor did I feel the tingling sensation on the back of my neck to indicate if he was like me.

  I licked my lips. Alessander was analyzing me, waiting for an explanation. Still, I wasn’t sure where to even begin.

  “Alessander… ” I said and gripped his shoulders. I could see his parents and sister’s car in the driveway. I knew they were probably through the roof, especially his mom, wondering where he could be. “I don’t know how to explain this yet, but I will.”

  Alessander furrowed his brows and frowned.

  I sighed. “I promise you I’ll tell you everything, but for right now, can we let it go? Your family wants to see you, and I’m afraid what you experienced and what I would tell you might be too much.”

  He didn’t say anything, and I held my breath, expecting the worst, but he didn’t react negatively as I thought. Instead, he sighed, and combed his fingers through my hair.

  “I miss doing this,” he whispered and leaned down to kiss my nose. My cheeks immediately grew hot. “But okay, when you’re ready to tell me, I’ll be ready to listen.”

  We both held each other’s hands and headed for the front of the house to see his family.

  Chapter Ten

  My family woke up early Sunday morning to get ready for church. Omari had the day off, and brought AJ with him for service. I never liked waking up early in the morning and six in the morning was TOO early, but I managed to trudge my way in the bathroom. I decided to wear something simple, a long sleeve V-neck shirt, and slacks with my black flats. We were in the car a quarter to eight and in front of Life Ministries in thirty minutes.

  I stepped through the white double doors and walked into the church. There were already people inside, and the Praise and Worship had started. I recognized four women and one guy that always sang.

  It wasn’t a grand sized church. There were six stained glass windows, three on either wall, that depicted colorful images of Jesus’s life, death, and rebirth. There were several pews on both sides. The tall podium where the preacher stood was in front, and the platform where the choir stood was in the back.

  I immediately saw Alessander in one of the pews, and went to sit by him. His whole family was there, too.

  After I returned Alessander home last night, there was less talking and more crying and hugging. I hadn’t stayed long because they needed to spend some family time together. Still, I promised Alessander that I would tell him everything when I had the chance.

  My mother went to her usual seat in the second row, and Omari had AJ on his lap— sitting right next to Juniper. The minute Juniper saw him, she pushed her neatly pressed brown hair behind her ear, and her lips pulled into the biggest grin I’d ever seen.

  It had to be known that Juniper and Omari were almost a thing at one point. They’d dated a few times, but Omari had been a stupid idiot and got Nikki pregnant. Juniper had high ambitions for her life and didn’t stick around.

  I preferred her over Nikki any day.

  “It seems like Omari and Juniper are picking up where they left off,” Alessander leaned down to whisper in my ear. I smirked, looking out of the corner of my eye. They were behind us, with AJ bouncing in Juniper’s lap.

  “I love Juniper, but with Nikki in the midst, she would do anything to get Omari in trouble.” I rolled my eyes. Thinking about Nikki made my lip curl in disgust.

  And then I remembered that there was someone worse than Nikki.

  “So, what happened after I left?” I whispered to him, clapping every so often and humming with the worship as they sang “We’re Blessed” by Fred Hammond.

  “There was crying, hugging, more crying, and hugging.” Alessander smiled, but it faltered some. “And then when they asked where I had been. I told them, and they wanted to put a restraining order on Veronica. My mother was surprised that she was back. She hadn’t seen Veronica’s mother in so long, but even she had said that the woman was very odd. If they hadn’t been in the same Afro-Literature study group, they would’ve never met one another.”

  My stomach tightened. That was surprising news. So even her mo
ther was weird and out of place.

  “But you can’t do that, otherwise… ” I trailed off and looked at Alessander. He nodded his head, crestfallen .

  I huffed. This was starting to get really irritating, but there was no sense stressing over it now. We would handle this and figure out what to do together.

  “... But there is some good news,” Alessander said, smiling slightly.

  I raised my brow.

  “It’ll be a few days to get things back in order, but… I talked with my parents.. They both agreed—Mom said that she would make a call tomorrow and Dad is going to help me get started with the school’s online program so I can take the classes I missed and not get left behind.”

  I wanted to hug him, but I settled for reaching out to take his hand in mine and squeezed. We would be able to handle Veronica, but for now, things were like they used to be, and I was grateful for that.

  ***

  A few hours into the church service, and it was time for Pastor Winifred Bryant, the Overseer of Life Ministries. She had ebony skin that made her bright gray eyes stand out. Her pixie-cut dark brown hair was styled in layered waves, and she was wearing a metallic silver and gray pantsuit.

  “Can the church say AMEN?”

  “AMEN!” the entire church chimed.

  “Now, I won’t keep you long, but the Lord had brought something to my attention a week ago, and it is something we all need to hear, to be aware of for the future.”

  “Preach your word, pastor!” someone yelled from the crowd, followed by several hums and heads bobbing up and down.

  I leaned forward in my seat and moved around to wake myself up. I’d been sitting for a few hours, and I loved God, but sometimes Mom or Alessander would catch me nodding off.

  Alessander poked me gently in the side of my rib, and I shot him a smile. God, I love him.

  “If you could open your Bibles to the book of Philippians chapter 4, verses seven through nine. I will be reading the Amplified version. Say ‘amen’ when you have it.”

  I took out my cellphone and opened the ‘Holy Bible’ app, where I located the book of Revelations. After a few seconds, there were casual whispers of ‘amen’ when they had reached the scripture.

  “Amen,” Pastor Winifred said. She had on her thick-framed glasses with her Bible opened to her. “And it reads:

  . . .that peace which reassures the heart, that peace) which transcends all understanding, that peace which stands guard over your hearts and your minds. . . The things which you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things.

  “I want to repeat one verse here that stands out and what we should do to be wary of the dangers and temptations around us: stand guard over your hearts and minds… Can I get a hardy amen?” the pastor said after finishing the scripture. The people in the crowd rejoiced with a shout. “To overcome negativity, you have to deal with the truth and rise above it.”

  The audience hummed and nodded in unison as she continued:

  “The world right now is filled with negativity, sin, murders, suicides, kidnappings, discrimination, and rape. It seeps into your mind and creates darkness in your heart, manifesting your sins outward and creating a negative outlook on you and those around you.”

  This caught my attention, as what she was talking sounded very similar to the Apathy Victims and their negativity that manifested the Umbra Shades. I hadn’t realized I’d scooted forward in my seat.

  “We need to keep our mind right to block the darkness, but there are people out there who could care less about what I am saying now. They are blind to the truth and reality of the world, they see only what they want. Feed a child nothing but sweets, health-wise, you’ll only rot what’s in their heads until there is nothing left. If we don’t see the truth, the reality, we will continue to be consumed by that nothingness.”

  She took off her glasses and stepped around the podium with the microphone in her hand:

  “You’ve heard misery loves company, and that’s precisely what the negativity does to our bodies, our souls if we do not protect our minds and hearts. Ephesians 6:11 says: Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. So we can’t help someone else without making sure we are fully prepared in the battlefield. And we need to be prepared, because this battlefield has something big at stake–Can I get a hearty amen!”

  “Amen!”

  “We are warriors, believers that use the truth to combat the dark and rescue whose path has been obstructed. Those on that path will not always see eye to eye, and many times that very darkness will whisper lies to them, to pull them back. But we, as believers, must guide ourselves down the true path. Otherwise, it’s only the blind leading the blind.”

  I leaned forward in my seat, enraptured by her words.

  . . . There’s something bigger at stake, did I not? The seals will be broken and unleash peril and negativity. They come in riding on horses of each color, to represent the End of Days; to conquer, to make war, send famine, and bring death. If you wear the whole armor, protecting yourself from the wayward evils, one can see through the Dark Days. Because that day will come, it just begs the question: Will you be ready for it?”

  I couldn’t help but think about the words that the Umbra Shade had said. They were created to feed off the negativity and sin of humanity; to rid the world of it. Could this Great One really be the means of the end? Am I strong enough to beat my negativity and help those who had nowhere else to turn?

  If things were to get worse, I needed to be prepared for anything, and I wouldn’t be able to do this on my own.

  ***

  After church, my mind went completely blank. I hadn’t even realized that I had walked outside of the church with Alessander until I felt him grab me by my elbow. I looked into his perturbed chocolate eyes, feeling his fingers tightening around my arm.

  “Hira, are you okay? You looked spaced out, and when I was looking at you during Pastor Winifred’s message, you looked like you were… concentrating.”

  I swallowed and nodded. “... Today’s message had me thinking about a lot of things, the things I do.” Alessander shoulders straightened, and he released his grip on me, to pocket his hands. “It seems like it’s all tied together, somehow. I haven’t figured it out yet, but I know that I can’t do this alone. I can’t help anyone if I don’t control… myself.”

  I recalled even what Veronica had said about the gunman who had ‘Awakened.’ Still, he let his negativity overpower him, creating his Umbra Shade. If ‘Awakeners’ could produce Umbra Shades like an Apathy Victim, could the same be said for me?

  Protect my heart and my mind to block the darkness and lead others to the true path. Does one truth prevail? Did it all mean something? I couldn’t do this on my own, I knew that, but what was the price to pay for seeing the truth?

  “... Mom’s having dinner at the Golden Corral with your parents, and my Uncle Garvy is going, too. We’ll finally be alone,” I told him with a small smile. “I’m ready to tell you everything.”

  ***

  Our parents dropped us off at my house while they went out to dinner since I told them we needed to ‘re-jog’ Alessander’s memory. My mother trusted me, but still gave me a hard look that if I was doing something, I’d better be safe. I rolled my eyes and nodded, letting her know I read her loud and clear.

  As soon as Alessander and I headed to my room, he sat on my bed. After I’d changed into something more comfortable, I threw him some clothes he’d left at my house to put on. I sat across from him and took a deep breath…

  Telling him everything.

  I’d been surprised that Alessander was quiet the whole time. His expression never changed, didn’t flinch or ask a single question. When I finally finished, I folded my hands together in my lap, “And, well… That’s everything up until today.” I waited for his response. My heart was beating so fast in my chest, and I squirmed in anticipation. I didn’t know how he’d react, and I ha
d no time to prepare for any of it.

  “... So, what do you, uh, your thoughts?” I asked, anxious.

  His eyes widened, and I figured he must’ve been really trying to process it.

  He scratched the back of his head. “It’s, uh, a lot to take in, and I’m not sure where to begin. Your uncle really knows about this, and what you can do?”

  I nodded.

  He made a humming noise and scratched his jawline before eyeing me with—not a look of disappointment or hatred—but care and worry.

  Stupid, why would you think anything less?

  “Are you at least being careful? You said something about someone, with… powers like you, who helped you take down that pedophile kidnapper?” I could see his lips forming the words as if they were foreign to him, and honestly, I didn’t blame him.

  “Yeah, her name is Helene. She’s known since she was a child. Garvy, her, and I are trying to figure out the cause of our abilities and why people grew to have Apathy.”

  Alessander stood up from the bed, and I watched him walk around my room.

  “To think that there’s more out there.”

  I wanted to ask him some questions, like how he was able to see the Umbra Shade even partially the way he did, but everything I’d told him seemed to have drained him already. Or maybe it’s because he just woke up from a three-month coma? Jeez. I sighed. I’d figure that out later, but right now, I needed to be the support and lightning rod for my boyfriend, not be the lightning itself.

  “... Anyway, it seems like Trey’s more than happy you’re back. He was just as relieved as I was when we first found out.”

  Alessander chuckled. He was holding my manuscript in his hands and sitting down in my computer chair.

  “Oh, yeah. He’s been sending me old messages, videos, and pictures we’ve taken over the years. It jogged some memories, like that time we went on the Haunted Hayride in Syracuse.”

  I smiled. “Yeah, I remember. I was attempting to comfort Mahogany while trying not to show her how terrified I was!”

  We both started laughing. It felt nice to reminisce with Alessander.