Iridescent: Chapter Two

Iridescent

Chapter Two

~Big Brother~

After the Fall

Chaud jerked awake. He looked around the temporary camp. There was his pack near the fire and another smaller white bag near it. The fire that was lit the night before was now nothing but ashes and bunt wood. Chaud sat up quickly immediately wishing he didn’t as a wave of dizziness fell over him. He forced himself go to get over it quickly and got to his feet.

He looked around franticly. His heart was beating a thousand miles an hour. He forced himself to calm down, breath, and listen. The birds in the forest were chirping. The little wind that there was rustled through the wilting leaves. Without any direct sunlight the trees were starting to suffer. Then there was something else. He listened closer to the sound. There was a type of pattern to it, something that he was very used to.

Chaud took off, suddenly. He dashed through the woods toward the sound. The sound of trickling water grew louder and louder. Soon he broke through the tees onto a sandy patch by a river. A ten year old girl by the water stood up quickly and backed up to the water’s edge, her singing cut short by his sudden appearance. She wore a loose white sweater dress, black leggings and tennis shoes.

When she saw him, she ran toward him. Chaud caught her in his arms.

“Sorry,” the girl cried, “There was a deer and I followed it, and I—”

“It’s alright,” Chaud said, “Just don’t go wandering off by yourself again, okay? We don’t know who might be out here. Come on, Amber, let’s get going.”

Amber nodded and started off a head of him. They made it back to their camp and started to pack their things. Chaud dug around in his bag and pulled out the last bit of bread they had. He sighed.

“Hey, you hungry?” Chaud asked his sister.

“No,” Amber lied.

Chaud shook his head, “You know you twitch your nose when you lie, right?”

Amber looked at Chaud, “But we don’t have a lot left.”

“You let me worry about that,” Chaud said, “you just tell me when you’re hungry alright. Here.”

Chaud gave her a piece of bread. She accepted it from her brother’s hand. Chaud tore himself a smaller piece to make the food last longer. He had barely anything to eat the last week. Most nights he went to bed without eating only after Amber went to sleep so she wouldn’t see him. But she wasn’t stupid. She could tell he was skipping meals.

“That was a great breakfast,” Chaud smiled, “Shall we go?”

Amber nodded. She set off singing a lullaby that mother had sung to them both when they were younger:

“Over in Killarney, many years ago

My mother sang a song to me
in tones so sweet and low.
Just a simple little ditty
in her good old Irish way
and I'd give the world if she could sing
that song to me this day.”

She sang it over and over again as she skipped through the forest. Her short orange hair bounced as she sand and skipped along. She seemed so at peace in the midst of what was going on. It was hard to believe that she had nearly fallen to her death four weeks ago from the helicopter. Chaud managed to get under her and soften her fall.

Originally she was meant to join the rest of the family while Chaud stayed behind and look for his friends. Now his priorities changed slightly. He still wanted to find Zara and the others but his for most priority was to find a safe place for him and his sister.

Chaud walked a few paces behind his little sister. His eyes were constantly scanning the area for any threat and his hand was always on his weapon. His ears were always tuned to any noise that was out of the ordinary.

“Amber, could you tone down your singing?” Chaud asked.

Amber did so without complaint. She and Chaud had an understanding. It was discussed that she had to listen to what he said in order to keep her safe. A lessoned learned early on in their travels. Something didn’t feel right to Chaud. He might be starved and hungry but his intuition was as sharp as ever.

“Hey, Amber, come here,” he said

Amber turned and went back to him. Chaud put a finger to his lips and she stopped singing. She turned and looked around trying to see what her brother was seeing. Chaud quickly drew his gun.

“Get behind me!” Chaud said.

A man ran through the trees just a head of them. The man was carrying something and stopped suddenly when he saw something. He raised his arms in the air and dropped a sack that he had over his shoulder.

“Don’t shoot, man, don’t shoo—” the man’s sentence was cut off as a gun shot rang through the air.

The man fell lifeless on the ground and Chaud looked into the dense forest. Amber shot forward before Chaud could stop her toward the man who got shot. She grabbed the sack that the man was carrying as another gun shot rang through the air. Chaud returned fire into the trees.

“Amber!” Chaud called for his sister.

Amber turned and ran into the woods with the sack. Chaud followed her. They ran down hill away from the shooters. More shots rang outs they were pursued by whoever was following them.

“Don’t run straight!” Chaud advised.

Amber zigzagged in between the trees. She felt her heart pounding in her chest. Her feet carried her swiftly. She paid no attention to the branches as the scratched at her face and body. Her brother ran parallel to her a few feet away.

“Left!” Chaud called in between firing shots, “Veer left!”

Without protest, Amber did as she was instructed. She tripped over and exposed root. Chaud grabbed her shirt and brought her to her feet. Amber ran beside him. They ran out into a small clearing. The ground ahead of them ended into a cliff face. From the angle they were, there was no way to tell how steep the cliff was. Chaud swore underneath his breath.

“We should have gone right!” Amber said breathlessly as she ran.

“You trust me?” Chaud asked.

“You’ve kept me alive this long,” Amber tried to smile.

Chaud grabbed her hand and together they ran off the edge of the cliff. Amber’s heard felt like it leapt into her throat. Everything felt stuck in slow motion for her. Far below them were the heads of threes. She looked at her brother and noticed he looked calm. He looked at her and said something. Blood was roaring through her ears so she was mostly reading his lips.

“We’ll be alright.”

Amber nodded. They crashed through the canopy. Amber was tossed about as she tried to grab on to branches and leaves as she did her best to break her fall. When she hit the ground she fell on her back. Chaud fell close to her and cried in pain.

“Chaud!” Amber cried.

Chaud groaned as he held his shoulder. He took a deep breath before popping his dislocated shoulder back into place. Chaud let out a long groan of pain. Amber got to her knees to assist him.

He shooed her away, “I’m fine. I just need a minute. Oh, jeez, that’s going to hurt tomorrow.”

“You okay?” Amber asked.

Chaud looked at her with a smile, “Just a bruised ego. I’ll live.”

Amber had to smile and almost laughed.

Chaud looked around. He saw a tree close by, “Could you help me get over there?”

“Sure,” Amber nodded.

She helped Chaud to his feet and walked him over. She sat him down against the tree. Chaud sighed as he sat down. He closed his eyes and opened them again.

“Are you going to be alight?” Amber’s voice was shaking.

Chaud smiled, “Yeah, I’m still on an adrenalin/endorphin high. I think I might pass out but that’s just about it.” He reached for one of the signature guns on his belt, “Will you be able to take care of yourself while I take a little nap? Just point and shoot, okay?”

Amber looked at the gun and shook her head, “I can’t.”

Chaud was having trouble staying awake, “Please, Amber…I need you to take it okay? I’ll…get it back…later, alright?”

Amber reluctantly held the gun. She held it like a foreign object. Upon her mother’s insistence, Amber was going to be a lady and not dabble in the ways of her brothers. She looked at Chaud. He lay against the tree, passed out. Amber forced herself to breath calmly. What would her brother do?

She strapped the gun to her waist and looked around. The first thing she would have to do would be to collect their items. There would be no fire that night because of the people chasing them. Maybe she could find some food! She wouldn’t stray very far. She wanted to be around when Chaud woke up.

Amber nodded, “That sounds like a plan.”

She hoped Chaud would wake up soon. She didn’t know how to continue on without him.

Wedding Day

A Big Turn

A Spin-Off

~Wedding Day~

*Warning: Characters May Be Completely Different*

Zara stood facing the mirror and tugged and teased at her dress. She never really felt comfortable in them. It was something that carried over into her twenties from when she was a little child. They just never felt right. And now on her wedding day she would have to wear one.

She wore a slim white sleeveless dress that fit her exceptionally well. The dress was long enough to make a lovely circular train around her. Her figure was beautiful; she had the Tower and all the missions she had to thank for that. She shifted on her white high heels as she tried to look more comfortable in her dress. Her hair was pulled back and pinned in place with white flower pins. She didn’t have the traditional veil as a personal preference. Also, she wore no makeup. She hatted the way it made her face heavy. Only a touch of lipstick decorated her face.

Zara sighed and leaned against the mirror. What was she doing? Was she out of her mind? What happened to “I’m an independent woman, I don’t get married”? She groaned loudly against the mirror. Suddenly, she felt sick.

There was a knock on the door and both Hina and Vicky walked in. Hina crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. She wore a purple dress and shoes. Hina looked at Vicky who was wearing the same thing.

“She looks like she’s about to die,” Hina stated.

Vicky shrugged and walked up to Zara, “You okay?”

Zara shot up and started walking briskly to the door, “Nope, I am an independent woman and I don’t need a man. I’m leaving.”

Hina blocked the door, “Uh, no, you’re not.”

Zara shot her a dirty look, “I am not getting married to day or ever for that matter.”

“Uh, yeah, you are,” Hina stated.

Vicky rushed to Zara’s side, “It’s okay to feel this way! You’re just nervous! Just calm down and think it over!”

“Nervous?!” Zara turned to her, “I stare down gun barrels for a living! I don’t know the meaning of nervous!”

“Well, ‘walking out on your wedding’ is a pretty good description,” Hina answered.

Vicky looked around Zara, “Hina, you aren’t helping.”

Hina shrugged, “I just giving her a description of nervous.”

Zara pulled away from the group and flopped down on a sofa, “Argh! I don’t know what I’m doing anymore!?”

Hina and Vicky looked at one another for a moment before going over to console her.

Vicky sat beside her, “You’re getting married to the man you love today.”

“That’s another thing,” Zara stated, “I don’t even know if I really love the guy.”

Hina stared at her, “You don’t know if you love him? You’ve practically been dating for seven years! Seven years! And you said yes when he proposed.”

Vicky looked at Hina, “That was cute when he did that.”

“It was,” Hina agreed.

Zara put her hands on her face, “I feel like I’m going to die.”

Chaud opened the door to his changing room and peaked out. He crept out into the hallway and processed to sneak quietly. His white hair had gown a bit, similar to his fathers but not nearly as long. He wore a tan casual suit as he snick down the hallways.

He finally came to where he was looking for. The bride’s changing room. He straightened himself out before knocking on the door. When there was no answer he opened the door lightly to get a peek inside. The door suddenly opened fully and Chaud jumped back startled.

Naru stood in the door way, his eyes narrowed in disapproval, “Looking for someone?”

“Jeez, Naru! What the heck!? You nearly scared me to death!” Chaud tried to breathe normally again.

Naru looked at him, “I know. And what are you doing here?”

Chaud looked a little irritated, “I was just looking to see where they kept the pun—this is the bride’s dressing room! What do you think I’m doing here!? I wanted to see my soon to be wife!”

“No,” Naru stated.

“No, what?” Chaud questioned.

“You can’t see your wife until the ceremony. It’s bad luck otherwise,” Naru explained, “That and Zara might punch you in the face.”

Chaud considered the statement, “I hadn’t thought of that.”

“Of course you didn’t,” Naru sighed.

“Where is she anyway?” Chaud asked.

Naru shrugged, “Hina said something about an emotional breakdown. Something to do with water, throwing things, and—what was it—oh yeah, jumping out of windows. Long story short they took her to the bathroom where there are no windows.”

Chaud stared at him, “Seriously?”

Naru nodded.

“She’s taking this a lot better than I thought she would,” Chaud stated, “Can I go see her?”

“No,” Naru started pushing Chaud back to the changing room he was assigned.

Deontay stood in front of the door with a confused look on his face. When he saw Chaud and Naru further down the hallway he looked to relax.

“Oh good, you found him,” Deontay sighed, “I was gone for two seconds and he booked it. Where’d you find him?”

“Trying to find Zara,” Naru responded.

Deontay looked serious all of a sudden, “Don’t you know it’s bad luck, man. It’s just like the cornbread, you just don’t do it. That and she would have probably punched you in the face.”

“So I’ve been told,” Chaud muttered.

Deontay looked at Naru, “I hear a rumor that she tried to jump out a window?”

“It’s on the first floor,” Naru shrugged, “She wouldn’t have gotten hurt or anything. Come on, Chaud; let’s fix up that suit before the ceremony starts.”

Chaud wondered, “Are there any windows where the ceremony is being held?”

“Quite a few,” Deontay nodded, “Why?”

“Would it be a problem to have the ushers stand in front of them?” Chaud asked, “It’d buy me some time in case she decides to make a run for it.”

“Hmm,” Deontay turned to walk away, “Sounds like a good idea.”

Chaud stood at the wedding altar. It was his turn to feel dizzy. So many questions ran through his mind. Would she be here? Would she leave him at the altar? What dress would she be wearing? Why were the lights so hot all of a sudden? He felt Deontay’s hand on his shoulder.

“You okay, man?” Deontay asked, “You need some air?”

Chaud smiled, “I’m fine, never been better.”

“Oh, boy,” Naru whispered, “He’s panicking.”

“Panicking?” Deontay looked at Naru, “What do we do with a panicking groom?”

Naru shrugged his shoulders.

“Will you boys stop whispering?” Hina whispered from across the aisle, “People are starting to stare!”

“The flower girl is coming!” Vicky warned as Amber skipped down the aisle.

“How did Zara feel before you left?” Chaud asked, “Did she feel okay?”

Hina rolled her eyes, “She isn’t going to jump out of anymore windows, if that is what you’re asking.”

“Guys,” Naru tried to be heard, “we should really stop whispering.”

“But seriously,” Chaud insisted, “what was her state of mind? Was she happy? Sad? Angry? At this point I’d be happy with angry. At least then she has to come up here and smack me.”

“Dude, are you sure it’s a good idea for you to get married?” Hina asked, “Seems a little like an abusive relationship to me.”

“Zara isn’t abusive,” Vicky said.

“She only hit him when he deserved it,” Deontay agreed, “No offence.”

“None taken,” Chaud smiled.

“Uh, guys,” Naru tried to warn the others as the orchestra got into position.

“Great, now people are really staring at us!” Hina groaned.

“No, they are all staring at Zara,” Vicky pointed.

All eyes turned to the back of the room as the wedding music started. Pachelbel’s Cannon in D Major was played by the orchestra. Zara stood in the back of the room, frozen, with a bouquet of white flowers in her hands. She couldn’t seem to move her feet which suddenly felt like concrete blocks. Her breath got caught in her throat and she found it hard to breathe. She felt lightheaded and leaned back. An arm caught her as she leaned. She looked up to her left at her escort.

Puppetmaster smiled down at her, “Are you alright child?”

Zara was out of breath, “I can’t breathe.”

“It usually helps if you exhale first,” he suggested.

She hadn’t realized it but she had been holding her breath. Zara breathed out and in again.

“Are you ready?” Puppetmaster asked.

“N—yes,” for some reason the word was so hard to say.

Puppetmaster escorted her up the aisle. Without any family left on her side of the family, Zara asked Puppetmaster to give her away. He accepted, of course and even bought a new suit and some dress shoes for the event. He didn’t look the most comfortable in a suit and tie but Zara didn’t mind. She was happy that he was there to make everything go a little more smoothly.

Zara looked ahead at the altar. The Maids of Honor and the Best Men seemed to be having a whispering argument. Zara sighed.

“I wonder what they are arguing about this time,” Zara muttered.

Puppetmaster looked at her, “Not all of them seem so irate.”

Zara looked again and sure enough Chaud was the only one not engaging in whatever argument was taking place. His eyes were only on her. She wondered what about her that had captivated his attention. It wasn’t like she was that attractive. She felt her cheeks turn red and decided that the floor was more interesting to look at.

Puppetmaster stopped at the base of the stairs as Zara continued on. Her legs felt like they were wobbling as she walked up the three or so steps. It felt like she was climbing a mountain. She stood on the left side of the altar and waited.

Vicky looked at Hina and nudged her in the arm. Hina looked at her with annoyance and then with understanding. She rushed down to fix Zara’s train. As she did that, Zara looked over her shoulder. Chaud’s family sat in the front row on the right side while Puppetmaster sat on the left, Shuppet sat beside him in a tiny suit and waved at her.

“You look beautiful,” Chaud whispered to her.

Zara looked at him, “Why are all the ushers standing by the windows?”

“Um, well,” Chaud laughed awkwardly, “funny story about that.”

“Dearly Beloved,” the pastor started, “We are gathered together here in the sight of God, and in the face of this company, to join together this man and this woman in holy matrimony. Into this holy estate these two persons present now come to be joined. If any person can show just cause why they may not be joined together, let them speak now or forever hold their peace.”

“Oh, please someone say something,” Zara closed her eyes and whispered.

Chaud looked at her, “You aren’t expecting anyone to, are you?”

The room was silent and the pastor continued, “Through marriage, Chaud and Zara make a commitment together to face their disappointments, embrace their dreams, realize their hopes, and accept each other’s failures. Chaud and Zara will promise one another to aspire to these ideals throughout their lives together through mutual understanding, openness, and sensitivity to each other.”

Hina tried to stifle a laugh but she wasn’t fast enough. She couldn’t picture Zara being sensitive at all.

The pastor continued, “We are here today, before God, because marriage is one of His most sacred wishes, to witness the joining in marriage of Chaud and Zara. This occasion marks the celebration of love and commitment with which this man and this woman begin their life together. And now, through me, He joins you together in one of the holiest bonds.”

Right at that point the room filled with the sounds of ringing cellphones. Every Agent in the building looked at their cellphones. Even Sirius looked at his and Kaiba was first one to look at his. Zara reached down to her shoe and pulled out her phone that was strapped to her ankle. She looked at Chaud who was staring at her.

Zara shrugged, “What?”

She opened the cellphone and looked at it. She sighed.

“What?” Chaud asked.

“Apparently something’s happened in Egypt,” Zara shrugged.

Chaud sighed, “And there aren’t any other Agents to deal with it?”

“If there were, we wouldn’t have gotten the call,” Zara hit Chaud in the arm.

“We’ll it isn’t the Bahamas exactly,” Chaud muttered, “I hope I can get my money back.”

“We were going to go to the Bahamas?” Zara looked at him.

Chaud shrugged, “Egypt’s good too.”

She turned to the pastor, “Could we skip to the ‘I Do’s please? We’ve gotta run.”

“Well, um,” the pastor looked slightly confused, “Do you Chaud take Zara to be your wife, to live together, in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse, in sadness and in joy, to cherish and continually bestow upon her your heart’s deepest devotion, forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto her as long as you both shall live?”

“I do,” Chaud said.

“Ditto!” Zara said. She snapped her fingers, “Rings!”

Deontay reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring. Naru reached over to Chaud and tried plucking off a piece of lint that had been bugging him throughout the ceremony.

“Dude,” Deontay looked at him.

“Sorry,” Naru stated, “It was all I could think about.”

Deontay handed Chaud the ring. On Zara’s side, Vicky patted herself down as if she had lost the ring and didn’t know where it was.

Hina rolled her eyes, “It’s on your thumb!”

Vicky looked and sure enough, it was. She pulled it off and handed it to Zara. Chaud placed his ring on Zara’s ring finger and Zara placed her ring on his.

The pastor finished up, “I now pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride.”

Zara kissed Chaud on the lips and hiked up her dress and ran down the aisle. One of the ushers had went to grab the marriage license and was coming up the aisle. Zara grabbed a pen and signed. She looked back and saw the others standing where they were.

“Well come on!” she shouted, “I’m missing out on the Bahamas and now someone has to pay! I’d like to get to Egypt and punch the living daylights out of who thought it was a good idea to steal the sphinx! Chaud, get over here and sign the stupid license!”

The others started waking after her. Chaud smiled sheepishly at the murmuring crowd.

“Go ahead to the Reception; we’ll pay for it,” Chaud said, “Enjoy the meal. I heard the salmon is great.”

“CHAUD!” Zara yelled.

“Coming, dear!” Chaud ran after her.

The Midnight Train

A Big Turn

A Spin-Off

~The Midnight Train~

*Warning: Characters May Be Completely Different*

“Hey, Deontay! Don’t forget the one in the corner, alright!” a man called as he walked into the restaurants kitchen.

Deontay looked over his shoulder as he cleaned the surface of a round table, “Sure thing, Jeremiah!”

The smell of pizza dough and tomato sauce permeated through the entire restaurant. Flour lightly powdered the wooden floor. At the front of the restaurant were large windows. Four booths were arranged in front accordingly. It was dark outside and the lights of the city in the distance were a sight to look at. In the center of the restaurant were round tables that Deontay was cleaning now. It was closing time and a few of the other boys were doing a few cleaning duties before they left home for the night.

His white shirt had miraculously survived the day. The white apron that he wore had actually done its job today.  However, his black pants had seen better days. An unfortunate accident with a bag of flour saw to that.

Deontay finished his work and headed to the kitchen. He was fifteen years old, just starting high school and already had very good grades. His employer, Jeremiah, was busy cleaning down his cooking equipment. He looked up and smiled at Deontay as he came in.

“Jamal should be coming back soon from taking out the garbage,” Jeremiah pointed to the back door, “When he comes back in, y’all can clock out for the night.”

“Thanks, Jer,” Deontay nodded.

Jeremiah laughed, “Why? You tired?”

Deontay shrugged, “Little, I guess.”

“By the way, you know what college you want to go to yet?” Jeremiah asked.

“How am I supposed to know?” Deontay responded, “I just started high school.”

“You got to think about these things though,” Jeremiah shook a fingered.

The back door opened and Jeremiah turned to see who it was. He smiled as Jamal walked into the kitchen.

“That all you need, Jer?” Jamal asked.

“Naw, ya’ll can get outta here,” Jeremiah shooed them away.

The two friends ran out the back, repeatedly thanking their friend and mentor on the way out. They walked out into the alley. Police sirens filled the air daily in this part of Chicago. The nights always seemed darker and the days weren’t so much better. Gangs ran most of the neighborhood causing trouble for anyone nearby. There were two ways to survive; join a gang or get out of the neighborhood entirely.

Jeremiah’s Pizza Restaurant was the beacon of light for kids in the area. It gave them something to do and put some honest money in their pockets. Jeremiah was a pillar in the community and cared very much for the wellbeing of the kids in the neighborhood. He would help get kids out of these dangerous streets so they would have a better chance at life.

A rumble of thunder, echoed in the night sky. A storm was coming soon as the wind started to pick up.

Both boys, Deontay and Jamal walked side by side down the streets. Jamal, a lighter skinned boy with a buzz cut punched Deontay’s arm lightly.

“Man! Jeremiah worked us to the bone tonight!” he laughed.

Deontay nodded, “You got that right. He always seems to find something else for us to do.”

“Did you see Prudence behind the counter to day?” Jamal asked.

“Yeah, what about her?”

“She is so fine, man! She even said ‘Hi’ to me today! I think she likes me,” Jamal walked with his chest out and proud.

Deontay raised an eyebrow at his friend, “Really? She could be just being nice, man.”

“Naw! She never talks to me, dude! This was the first time she actually noticed me!”

“She noticed you when you slipped on the wet floor three weeks ago,” Deontay smiled, “As I recall, she rolled her eyes at you and walked away.”

“I told you we were going to forget that,” Jamal gave Deontay a serious look.

Deontay raised his hands in retreat from the topic, “Not another word.”

They reached Jamal’s home. Jamal and Deontay went their separate ways. Deontay’s apartment was just a block away. Either way, Deontay jogged the rest of the way home. Rain started falling as he reached the gated door that protected the building of apartments. Deontay brought out his key and opened the door. He made sure to lock it again before walking up the stairs.

Deontay reached his apartment and opened the door with his house key. His sister was crying in her room as he walked in. His mother exited his sister’s room. The woman sighed out of exhaustion and looked back in the room.

“You have a good day, Deontay?” his mother asked.

Deontay nodded and glanced in his sister’s room, “Is she alright?”

“I think she got an ear infection,” his mother sighed. She walked down the short hallway to the bathroom, “What can you use for an ear infection?”

Deontay shrugged, “Decongestant? It could help get some of the fluids out.”

His mother rummaged through the medicine cabinet. She shrugged her shoulders and sighed.

“We don’t have anything like that.”

Deontay pointed to the door, “I could go get something at the corner store.”

His mother looked at him, “Could you? That would save me the trouble. Make sure you bring something to cover your head. It’s raining outside. There’s twenty dollars in my purse.”

Deontay nodded and found the money. He threw on a hooded sweat shirt and walked out of the apartment. The rain was coming down now as Deontay ran to the corner gas station. He entered just as a clap thunder rocked through the sky.

The store was empty for the most part. There were one or two other shoppers in the store and one cashier that probably lost a bet. Deontay walked around the isles looking for the medicine he needed.

He was browsing the isle when a group of teens walked in. Deontay looked up from a box he was reading and froze. The boy that led his group of friends pulled out a gun on the cashier. He demanded that the cashier empty the cash register. The others ran around the store, sweeping items in the bags they brought with them. All the teens wore masks. Once they got what they wanted they started to get out of the store.

“Hey,” Deontay called before he could stop himself.

“Don’t be a hero, man!” the boy called as he ran out.

Deontay ran after the group. He ran down the street in the pouring rain and darted down an alley. There was a loud pop. Confused, Deontay looked down at his chest. He suddenly felt lightheaded and fell against the alley wall. Deontay found it hard to breathe, quickly noticing it was getting harder and harder to take in air. He faded into darkness listening to the patter of the rain.

IOIOIOIOI

Deontay sat on the back steps behind Jeremiah’s Pizza Restaurant. He was on his break and had chosen to spend it alone. The door behind him opened and Jamal came out onto the steps and sat beside him.

“Where you been, man?” Jamal asked.

Deontay looked at him, “I’ve been out here.”

“I know, but you haven’t been here. Know what I mean? Is this about you being different and all? Cause I think what you can do is pretty awesome.”

“Kind of,” Deontay shrugged, “I got this letter in the mail a few days ago from this guy named Sirius inviting me to some place.”

“That’s not at all creepy…” Jamal raised an eyebrow.

“No, it’s not like that!” Deontay shoved Jamal. Still unknowing of his strength, Jamal was pushed off the steps.

“Ow!” Jamal rubbed his shoulder.

“Sorry,” Deontay smiled, “Still getting the hang of it.”

“So is this guy going to help you control this new thing you got here?” Jamal asked.

“I guess,” Deontay tried to think a moment, “It looked more like an invitation. It said that if I did consider going, all I would need to do is bring the invitation to any subway or train station by midnight.”

“You have the letter?”

Deontay reached into his pocket. The letter was a little bent but the gold lettering was still brilliantly clear. Jamal read the note and nodded.

“I think you should do it. What does you mom think?”

“She’s all for it if I want to.”

“Then what’s holding you back, man?! You should get outta here! There are more opportunities for you there than here.”

“What about you?”

“What about me? I’ll be alright. I’ll get outta here my own way. You don’t gotta worry about me.”

IOIOIOIOI

Jamal smiled at Deontay as he walked out of the apartment. Deontay had a single suitcase that carried his necessities.

“They aren’t coming?” Jamal asked as Deontay locked the apartment door.

“I spoke to mom before I left. My sister was sleeping and I didn’t want to wake her up.”

“Shall we go?”

Deontay nodded. It was around eleven-thirty as the boys ran to the nearest subway. Together they walked down the stairs and purchased tickets. Upon looking at the schedule, Deontay noticed that there were no midnight trains. Still, they sat and waited.

“I’ll keep an eye on your sister, kay?” Jamal stated, “She needs to get outta here too.”

“Thanks,” Deontay smiled, “You be sure to tell me how she doing.”

“How?”

“I don’t know,” Deontay shrugged, “I’ll figure it out when I get there.”

It was nearing midnight and the boys stood up and waited tor the train that was supposedly supposed to come. The last train left nearly thirty minutes ago. It was strangely quiet. Jamal tapped his shoulder and pointed at the clock. The clock was frozen at midnight. Looking around it looked as if time had stopped. The few people that were there were didn’t move at all.

Down in the tunnel was a bright light and a train horn sounded the arrival of the subway. The train sped past but was slowing down. Sand scattered from the top of the train followed by blocks of snow. Tropical leaves slid off onto the ground. It was as if the train had been through all the corners of the earth in an hour. Deontay stepped back in order to avoid being hit by the flying debris. For brief moments he saw labels over the cars showing different countries flags.

The train slowed to a stop. Three cars lined the platform all labeled with the American flag and one of the doors opened. A man in a blue uniform stepped out. He looked down at a clip board and flipped through a few pages.

“Deontay Walsh, I assume?” the man said looking up, “Your letter please.”

Deontay reached into his pocket for the letter. He looked at it for a few moments then looked up at Jamal.

“If I’m getting outta here, you got to promise me that you will get out to, alright,” Deontay said to his friend with all seriousness.

Jamal nodded, “I will, man. Promise.”

Deontay hugged his friend before walking toward the subway train. He handed his letter out to the man who looked it over. Deontay looked over his shoulder at his friend and nodded.

“Promise is a promise,” Deontay smiled, “Keep me posted.”

The man stamped the letter and handed it back to Deontay. He walked across the threshold and the doors closed after him. The train started its departure. The man announced that their next destination was New York. Deontay looked out the door. Jamal ran across the platform waving his arms like crazy with a big goofy smile on his face. Deontay couldn’t help but smile. For a moment, he thought he saw his mother carrying his sister in her arms. Then they were all lost from his sight.

The train was engulfed in a flash of light. Outside the windows was a strange nebulous atmosphere. Deontay took a startled step back.

“It’s alright,” the man stated with a smile, “We’re just passing through a portal through space and time. We’ll be in New York at midnight. We have a few more stops before our final destination.”

Deontay didn’t understand completely but the past few weeks had thought him that there were things completely out of his control. He looked around for a seat and saw a girl of African American descent sitting alone in a booth. He sat across from her. The girl didn’t give him as much as a glance. She just stared out the window, her arms crossed across her chest.

“Hey,” Deontay tried to appear friendly, “Names Deontay.”

“I didn’t ask,” the girl responded.

“Just thought—”

“You thought wrong.”

“Where you from?”

“None of your business.”

“You like chocolate chip cookies?”

The girl looked at him. Deontay reached into his bag and brought out a container of cookies. He took a bite in one and offered her one from the box. She took one and nibbled on it.

“Zara,” she muttered.

“Nice to meet you,” Deontay offered his hand for Zara to shake. She simply glared at him and he put down his hand.

The train came out of the dimension and into another subway station. The people outside were frozen except for a few nervous looking kids carrying their letters. The train stopped at their cabin door opened. The man walked out and called their names.

“He’s an android,” the girl stated.

Deontay looked at her, “Really, like a robot? How can you tell?”

The girl rolled her eyes, “How does he know our names?”

“Lucky guesses?” Deontay shrugged.

The girl sighed and looked out the window again. Deontay had the feeling that she was losing interest. He had to say something smart soon or even chocolate cookies weren’t going to fix it.

“Where do you think we’re going?” Deontay asked.

She gave him a side glance, “How am I supposed to know?”

“Just thought you have some thoughts.”

She shrugged, “A place that doesn’t exist.”

The man announced that they were now going to a place called the Island. The train went through a dimension and exited again. They were high above an enormous city. The rail curved passed an enormous tower, the tallest structure for miles. It was enormous, unlike anything Deontay had ever seen. It light up like a Christmas tree. The offices light were on and bright. Everyone in the car stood up and gathered by the windows.

Their view was cut off as they entered a tunnel. The train came to a full stop and the doors opened. The man instructed them to continue directly forward. A woman would direct them with what to do if we formed a single file line. Just follow the American flags if they were to ever get lost. At first no one moved. Then after sighing loudly and rolling her eyes, Zara stood up and walked off the train. Deontay hurriedly followed her.

She spoke with the lady behind the desk under a large American flag. As she did, Deontay looked around. He heard all sorts of languages being spoken and saw all sorts of flags that he had never saw or heard of before. Soon it was his turn.

“Name please,” the woman said with a smile on her face.

“Deontay Walsh,” Deontay said.

“Welcome to the Island, Deontay,” she said as she typed on the keyboard while looking at him, “We hope you enjoy your time here whether you decide to stay or visit! Either way, it looks like here you will be learning to control your new abilities!”

“I guess.”

“That sounds great! We have great schools here to help you with just that! The Tower, I’m sure you saw it coming in, has provided an apartment for you free of charge! Isn’t that great! Here you go!”

She handed him a set of keys and a credit card, “You can spend $5,000 a month from that card, okay? That should keep you comfortable during your stay here!”

“Who’s money is this?” Deontay was shocked that, by the sheer number of people here, someone could afford to hand out $5,000 dollars a month.

“The Towers, but don’t worry about it, okay! Do you have any other questions?”

“Can I write my family?” Deontay asked.

“Of course! Silly me,” she handed him an envelope, “this is the Islands address! Simply put that and your name and apartment address on the return address!”

The address wasn’t like anything Deontay had seen on and envelope before. It was just a string of numbers and letters.

“Why is the address like that?”

“Oh, don’t worry about it!” was the response, “I assure you the letter will get to where it needs to go and back! Any other questions?”

“No,” truth was that he had about a zillion more.

“Okay! Then just go down those stairs and a Taxi will get you to your new home away from home!”

Deontay did as he was instructed. He walked down the stairs and walked out into the cold open air. A driver opened the door for him and he sat inside. Beside him was the girl he had met on the train. The driver asked for his name and he gave it. His new address popped up on the screen. Once the Taxi was full, they were off. Deontay never took his eyes off the tower as they drove all over the Island. Whoever the Tower was, they had given him a way out of a bad situation. He was in a way indebted to them, even if it was mostly a personal sense. There had to be a way to repay them in the future.