 
A Life in Snow

Heinreich T. Sioson

Published by Heinreich T. Sioson at Smashwords.com

Copyright 2013 Heinreich T. Sioson
_Don't get too close. Don't ever get too close. You'll always fall too far._

That was another from Bol Piles. A long time ago. Too long, sometimes. Looking around I saw I had entered a dirty alley and pulled out a cigarette from the pack I brought along with me. Smoking was banned here. So was alcohol consumption, for that matter. The former I could live with, but the latter, oh no. Thankfully I wasn't staying long.

I put the cigarette in my mouth but then remembered I didn't have a lighter. I didn't smoke but it was the last one in the pack so I might as well put it to use. Nicotine or whatever other addictive substance was used in it has no effect on me. I shrugged. No problem. I snapped the forefinger and the thumb of my right hand and a little fire came to life at the tip of the cigarette and I inhaled. It took only a few puffs before I started getting sick of the taste. Disgusting. I yanked it out of my mouth, smothered it on the brick wall behind me and threw it with the empty pack into the sewer drain. Let the crocodiles have it.

I left the alley and headed into the cold afternoon. A gust of freezing wind hit me square in the face and I shivered a bit as I folded up the collar on my very useless summer jacket. I looked at the watch on my left wrist: it was still a day in July 2012 and almost the same time as when I left. But it was eighty degrees Fahrenheit over there; now it was hovering somewhere above freezing here. I'll have to pick up a winter jacket. In the middle of July. In Florida. I sighed, it was going to be one of those assignments I just knew it. I took out my PDA, given to me when my apprenticeship ended some years ago and scanned through to the assignment's profile. The gadget is very high tech, built by the geeks at Central but you won't be able to find this at the local electronics store. Pulling up the profile I saw his high school was only a couple blocks over on Conroy Avenue. It was one thirty in the afternoon; I could grab a jacket and check him out before school ended for the day.

********

Walking out of the store I was glad prices for clothes were about what I expected them to be. That said however, I did manage to snag a heavy wool-lined pea coat for almost half of what I was used to seeing in other places which was nice. In addition, the Scouters were actually helpful this time: no explanations about counterfeit bills with unknown faces or weird denominations on them. From there I reached the school at just past two o' clock. Looking around I saw some parents waiting in their cars or out in the open for their kids. Just so I didn't look suspicious I decided to lean against the stalk of a modest pine tree and warmed my hands in my pockets. I didn't really need to do that but keeping up appearances is important, as is taking the edge off having to use my powers without needing to. Maybe ten to fifteen minutes passed when I heard someone say something in my direction.

"Waiting for your kid too, huh?"

I turned to see a woman just over five feet tall with a somewhat smallish frame and black wavy hair. I couldn't see most of her face for the fur-lined hood she was wearing. I smiled at her as she walked up to me.

"Oh no, a friend of mine told me to meet up with her here. She's running a bit late," I said.

"Ah. She a friend or a _friend_ friend?"

I chuckled. "Just a friend." I could tell she was smiling. "What about you Mrs...?" I asked, offering my hand.

She took my hand in a firm grip that took me by surprise. "Please, just call me Salli. And it's Ms., my husband passed away some time ago."

"I'm sorry."

She tipped her head in a gesture of appreciation. "Thank you."

She walked up next to me and we both faced the entrance of the building. It was a nice public school, four stories high with two wings jutting from the sides. There was another building on the eastern side connected by walkways on the ground level and second floor. It reminded me of the one back home.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name," said Salli.

"Ah yes, I'm..." I paused. I don't know why

_Don't get too close._

"I'm Richard. Pleasure to meet you, Salli."

She smiled and nodded, not noticing I had stopped short. "Likewise, Richard." I smiled back, even though I wanted to kick myself for almost letting my real name slip.

"Hey mom!" said a male voice from the school entrance. Teenagers had already begun funneling out of the entrance. Salli took off her hood and walked up to the boy, who had already grown taller than his mother. He was wearing a black winter jacket built for inclement weather and the outdoors. On his legs were blue jeans which ended in brown snow boots. He wasn't wearing any covering on his head but wore the latest style of earmuffs. Salli was busy batting away some stray snow from his jacket, all the while he was trying to shoo away her motherly affection. She led him to where I was standing and when I saw his face I winced when I realized I recognized it.

********

!CLASSIFIED!

From Central:

To Darrius Alexander:

**Assignment Profile:**

**Name:** William M. Carnham, (a.k.a. Billy)

**D.O.B.:** January 12, 1996

**Age:** 16

**Father:** Tyler Carnham (deceased)

**Mother:** Salli Carnham (née Miller)

**Type:** Guidance

**Class:** 2

**Earth ID:** TN-36

\- Pre-Scouted

\- Chilly, inclement weather

**Mission:** Use all necessary methods to ensure direction to correct path toward the greater good.

**Notes:** Level 1 influencing and mental pushing permitted. Level 2 permitted at the discretion of the assigned Shifter. Level 3 & above not permitted under any circumstances unless authorization for use is granted by Central. Interaction with Assignment to be strictly limited. However, contact with associated parties IS NOT permitted. All relevant information will be sent via psy-stream to your PDA. Assignment's picture will also be forwarded to your PDA.

Scroll down for additional information...

********

As Salli was leading her son to where I was standing I debated whether or not to remove my presence from their memory. It was a careless mistake. I had read the file but didn't piece the mother's name together with it. Stupid.

"Billy, I want you meet a friend of mine. His name is Richard," said Salli, making introductions.

I was much taller than Billy but his expression made the height difference seem meaningless. Without touching his thoughts I knew at once he perceived me as a threat to his mother. A bad start already but nonetheless I extended my hand out for him to shake.

"Pleasure to meet you, Billy," I said.

He hesitated, but out of courtesy he shook my hand in a very tight clasp. I raised my eyebrow. I don't know if either of them noticed that.

"Nice to meet you too," said Billy. He was polite, but in-reading his words I knew he didn't really mean it. "I've never seen you around here before."

"My first time in town. I'm supposed to meet a friend here." By this time we had already released hands.

"Uh huh."

There was about to be a strange moment of silence pass between us until Salli chimed in. "Well, we're off to run some errands and then head back home. It was nice talking to you, Richard."

"You too, Salli."

She put her arm around his shoulders and as she and her son began walking across the street she looked back and shouted, "I hope you see your friend soon!" I smiled and waved. I waited until they were gone plus another twenty minutes and then headed for the direction of the hotel.

********

It was near the end of my last semester at college when I met Bol Piles. He was sipping coffee in the student center lounge. I was taking a break from studying by having lunch with some friends of mine when he noticed me. As the lunch ended more and more of my friends left until I was alone. It was then that he approached me. He sat down across from me at an adjoining table and said nothing for a while. I was busy looking over some readings in Japanese when I noticed he was openly staring at me. I ignored him for a couple minutes until I felt uncomfortable enough to ask him what he was doing. He didn't say anything but he quirked his mouth as if in childish thought. I asked him again but more firmly. Still, he didn't respond.

I packed my stuff and got up to leave when he said, "You've been dreaming."

"Whatever you say," I said with growing annoyance.

"Oh, yes you have. It's been happening for some time."

I scoffed. "People dream buddy." I turned and walked away.

From the table a few feet behind me I heard him say, "Of a world where the ocean is pink? Or a world where there are no oceans at all? Just fields of endless green."

I stopped dead in my tracks. I shook my head. It was impossible. I've never told anyone that. Not even... I looked around at the other people but they took no notice of me. They didn't even look at the man who had said such strange things in a voice that would've carried in a large classroom. I turned to face him.

"How do you know all that?" I said.

Bol smiled then. A charming, genuine smile with perfect white teeth. It was a smile I'd see often in the years to come.

********

Some of us choose to stay in luxury hotels or lavish homes but I prefer not to. It was a decent enough room in a decent enough hotel. Opening room 305 the bed was a modest twin-size with two nightstands adjoining it. There was a digital clock on the right one that read three thirty p.m. The bed faced a large TV, the old-fashioned bulky kind. I walked toward the closet in the back and opened it up to see clothes of various cut which covered any occasion; before I got here the Scouters had made preparations for me. That said, I wish they had mentioned how bad the weather was before I shifted into this world. I was booked for at least a month but I had no intention of staying that long. Walking past the closet I opened up the sliding glass door in the back which led to the balcony. It had a nice view. The sun was already halfway under the horizon and the dying light on pure white snow was a welcoming sight. The hotel sat on a hill overlooking Billy's school. One of my requests for living arrangements was a location where I could monitor the kid as much as possible. It's not as strange as it sounds, trust me. I settled my snow-covered jacket on a nearby clothes hanger, shook off my boots and settled in to report back to Central.

Sitting at the head of the bed I laid my PDA on the covers, lengthwise with the screen facing up. With my hands on my lap I accessed the menus with my mind and cued report telemetry. The screen lit a ghostly blue and a screen of a similar color floated above the PDA, face height. A few seconds later a clear picture of a woman with a scowl appeared. Oh here we go.

"You're late. Again," said the scowling woman in an English accent.

Emily Jane Charleston would be popular back at Central if that signature scowl of hers wasn't such a permanent feature of her face. So to even things out and to take the wind out of her sails I mostly call her EJ. She hates that.

"Sorry, EJ. I had to fight through the snow. I wasn't told there was going to be a lot of it here," I said. I made sure to emphasize that last point. Her scowl faltered for a moment but she was able to regain her composure quickly.

She cleared her throat. "Well, the Scouters failed to mention that in their report for that particular world."

I half believed her. I was a Scouter once - we all start out that way - and although it's possible they were careless in their report, hell that's most likely the reason, the first thought that came to my mind was that EJ had left that out of mission brief just to annoy me. I sighed but decided to let it go.

"The school was as mentioned in the brief. So was Billy Carnham. I haven't made first contact yet," I said. It was a lie, but choosing to keep her in the dark meant keeping her out of trouble. It wouldn't be the first time. If she knew I did that often or not she didn't let on.

"Have you observed him yet?" asked EJ.

"Only as far as the corner of his school. His mother pick him up, they chatted a little and then I presume they walked home."

"You didn't follow them?"

"No, I felt it was unnecessary at the time."

"Okay." Emily Jane - her preferred name by the way - began inputting data into her terminal.

I waited a moment and then asked, "So what's the deal with the kid? It's a Class 2 assignment. I haven't had that in some time. What do the Voyants see for him?"

She shrugged but didn't pause her typing. "I don't know. But like you said, it's a Class 2 so I assume he's going to be someone important when he grows up."

I said, "According to his profile his mother is an accountant and his father was a detective who died in the line of duty. So he's either going to be the greatest accountant in the world or Sherlock Holmes." EJ responded with a snort, which surprised me because it was something she didn't do often. The first time I saw her do that she threatened to hang me if I ever told anyone about it.

********

Emily Jane Charleston was in her late twenties, five feet seven inches with straight black hair that she liked to wear in a bun. Gorgeous by any standard her dark blue eyes could both melt a man's heart and chill it to absolute zero. Like me, she has telepathic and telekinetic powers but not as strong; she could in-read and push but not much more than that. She never felt inadequate that her powers weren't like mine, she just did her duty. In her own words: "I do the work I am capable of doing. I do not and will not ask for more." I always admired her for that.

She's my Grounder. From world to world she sends me my assignments, feeds me information, makes sure I'm set up for the task, and most importantly, provides me with the biting personality I've known since our first assignment together.

After my apprenticeship with Bol Piles ended many years ago she was tasked to be my handler. I remember the first time we met, when she greeted me she had her arms crossed and her signature scowl. I held out my hand for her to shake and she looked at it as if I was handing her a dead chicken. She eventually caved and shook it but it was all very formal and with no real warmth. Even now years later, I'd ask her on occasion why she was mad the first time we met. Her only response would be, "It's none of your business, Darrius." One day I'll get her to tell me.

There's another thing you should know about her. She came from a world in which King Arthur's Camelot never fell to ruin.

********

Emily Jane and I didn't do much chatting after I reported in so she signed off on her end and I shut off the PDA. Afterwards I hopped into the shower to clean off the work from the day and refresh. After I was done I got dressed and all but fell into the warm embrace of the bed. Back-to-back assignments were never ones to look forward to. For Shifters, living on the road is the first thing we have to get used to.

Shifters, if you haven't guessed already, are very powerful psychics with the ability to shift from one world to the next. And by world, I mean Earth. Most of the time. We have both telepathic and telekinetic powers and we use them to shift the course of events. This can range from simple suggestions to influencing - like what I intended to do with Billy - to outright coercion and even controlling a person's mind. It all depends on what Central's plans are.

The Central Hub of World Shifters is a place set outside of normal space and time where all Shifters reside when not on assignment. It has all the comforts of home and where assignments are given. It is also where the Voyants are able to touch parts of the future and help plan how to go about changing the course of another Earth's destiny. The governing body of Central is called the Conclave, a group of a hundred men & woman who were Shifters for a time before they were elevated to their positions. They review assignments and see how best to shift a world toward a positive path. No one is sure how long Central has been around but most would agree that it's at least a thousand years old.

********

The next day I woke up at seven in the morning and got myself ready to observe Billy at school. I was thankful that all I had to do was go as far as the balcony of my hotel room. One of the special abilities of Shifters is the ability to hitchhike onto a person's mind and see and feel and experience everything through them. The only limitation is that the subject in question must be in my line of sight. The more powerful Shifters, however, need only be aware of the person's physical presence. Unfortunately, my gift is limited to the former. When not in my line of sight I only have a vague sense of what a person is thinking or feeling.

An hour later Billy walked into homeroom and sat at his desk in the middle section of the class. I was able to see him through the big glass window facing my hotel. Concentrating and then magnifying my vision a little I focused on the back of his head and jumped in.

As I expected it was a jumbled mess in there. It's not a knock against him alone, it's just most people's thoughts aren't organized in any way. For the most part people think about dozens, even hundreds of things in a very brief period of time. Thankfully, one of the things first taught to prospective Shifters is the ability to sift through all the crap in a person's mind and lock on to what's important.

His thoughts drifted from what time his mother would be getting home to various club activities; he was involved with baseball and writing for the school newspaper. An image of my face came to the forefront of his mind and he asked himself, "Who was that guy?" Back in my own body I winced at the fact he had a clear picture of who I was. He must've picked that up from his dad. Homeroom would last for another thirty minutes.

"Hey, dude." My vantage point changed as Billy turned to a boy to his left.

"What?" said Billy.

"You ever wonder what you'd wanna do after all this?" I picked the name "Luis" from Billy's thoughts.

"What do you mean?"

"Like after high school, college," said Luis.

Billy shrugged. "Not really. I like where I am now."

"Really? You don't wanna be a cop like your dad."

Billy tensed a little at the mention of his dad. A flash of memory crossed his thoughts: Sanford Park, eight years ago, his father teaching him how to ride a bike. Billy fell and scraped his knee but he refused to cry. His dad smiled and was proud. Reading Billy's thoughts and emotions, there was a sadness in him that didn't touch his face.

"He was a _detective_. And no, I don't want to be in law enforcement," said Billy.

"Okay." Luis made a face, turned away and then started talking to a nearby girl. The exchange having ended Billy began reading through some notes for an algebra test he was going to take in third period. But his mind wasn't focused; he saw the numbers and the equations but not what they meant. I dove in deeper.

********

Thoughts of his father slammed into me like an errant tidal wave. Again the sadness, but underneath that was something else. Anger. Not the unfocused temper of a child but the anger of someone easily three times his years. It was an emotion that no boy his age should've had to feel. In my own mind and in my own body I closed my eyes, feeling it, and reliving his memory.

It was raining when his mom received the news on the phone. He had just turned twelve. Salli was cupping the phone to her ear with both hands, holding on to it like a lifeline about to be torn away from her. Billy was staring at her from the doorway.

"Mom, what happened?" asked Billy. She didn't answer.

"Mom, _what_ happened?" She just stood there with her back to him, still not saying anything. Without warning she dropped to her knees, with the phone still in her hands. Billy closed in to kneel beside her. His mother's eyes were bloodshot, tears were pouring down her face but she wasn't sobbing.

"Mom, what's wrong?"

"William..." She never called him that unless there was trouble. He said nothing.

Salli ended the call and laid the phone on the carpet. Billy barely heard her words: "William, your father has been shot."

Billy only heard the words "father...shot."

"But...but he's okay, right?" he said. Staring at his mother, now he could see more tears falling.

"Mom, please. He's all right, right?" There was desperation in his voice and when he heard it, he knew nothing would ever again be all right.

The bell rang, jerking Billy from his thoughts and ending homeroom. I prodded his thoughts a couple seconds longer but I got nothing out of it of any significance. He walked out of my line of sight, breaking the direct mental connection with him. He didn't want to go into law enforcement like his dad and he was being honest when he said he had no thoughts as to what his career may be. I was baffled as to what I was doing here. A Class 2? With the discretion to use whatever means necessary to further a positive future for him? To do what?

I pushed myself off the balcony railing and headed inside, closing the sliding doors behind me. It was about time I headed into the town proper.

********

Donning my pea coat I toured a bit of the city. This Orlando is much smaller than the one I left behind with a population somewhere around fifty thousand people. The tourist industry was next to nothing here; there were no movie studios nor was there a Disney World. If I told Orlandoans here I was expecting to see a Disney World in the area, they'd probably ship me off to some mental institution.

I found myself at a Starbucks where I sat on a stool looking out the window onto Main Street. I don't drink coffee but I contented myself with a large piece of mocha and chocolate cake. It was only three dollars which was the cheapest of any Starbucks I've ever been to and I've been to a lot. What can I say, I like their mocha and chocolate cakes. Taking a hefty bite of cake I thought about how to approach this assignment. Without intending to I had made Billy aware of me before the appropriate time and worse still, I had made contact with his mother. No sooner than I began trying to solve this problem in my head, Salli walked past the window, stopped, walked back and waved at me. I smiled and waved back and she responded by walking into the Starbucks.

Closing the door behind her, Salli rubbed her shoes against the carpet, threw her jacket onto the entrance's coat rack and sat on the empty stool next to me.

"Hey Richard, good to see you again," she said with a smile.

"Same here." This was the second strike but I was polite and smiled back.

"I had to mail some letters this way and I was walking back to the supermarket to pick up some stuff for the house. My car is there and I didn't want to lose the awesome parking spot I found. I've been getting real lazy lately."

I made a face. "You don't seem to be the lazy type."

She chuckled. "Oh you'd be surprised."

"So what job allows someone to go to the supermarket on a Tuesday before the lunch hour even starts?"

"I'm on vacation for the next two weeks and thank God for that. Accounting gets real boring real fast."

"Fair enough."

"So, did you get to see your _friend_?" She emphasized that last word with the raise of an eyebrow.

I smirked. "No. Actually, she called me up saying she had to leave town due to a family emergency."

"Oh, no. Is everything all right?" There was genuine concern in her question.

"Everything is fine," I said. "Her father had a minor anxiety attack but he's resting well. He assured her that she didn't need to worry but she overruled him and went anyway. Those two are close."

"That's good to hear." She paused. "Before I married Billy's father I had a close relationship like that with my uncle once."

"Once?" She only nodded and didn't explain further. A combination of courtesy and the look on her face convinced me not to pry beyond that.

"What about you, Richard? I assume you're on vacation as well. What do you do when not visiting Orlando?"

"I'm a photojournalist. Mostly freelance stuff so I can make my own hours and choose the jobs I want."

She smiled. "Wow, that's impressive. Most of the time I read the financial papers and that's about it, but I've picked up a few _Time_ magazines and _National Geographic_ and others as well. Have you had any photos published in those?"

"Unfortunately, no. I've worked in New York and L.A. and a few times in Chicago for events coverage like concerts and movie premiers."

"That must be exciting," she said.

I nodded.

Coming up with cover stories was a necessity for Shifters and there were many training sessions on this alone. During one such session Bol would snap his fingers at random and as he did so I had to come up with a credible identity and backstory for myself. I've been many people with many histories and I've been doing it for so long it had become second nature to me. But at that moment looking at Salli, it saddened me to have to lie to her.

"Hey, you mind coming with me to do a little shopping?" she asked. "I could use the company and I could show you around the town a bit after I'm done."

In my mind I said no. But what I said was, "Yes. I'd love to."

She smiled. "Perfect."

She got up, hooked her arm through mine and all but dragged me out of the coffee shop. We headed a couple blocks down to the supermarket and I helped her do some shopping. I think we visited every aisle in that place, even though she only picked up a few things: snacks for Billy, a couple pounds of beef and chicken, cooking supplies, and some stuff for the bathroom. Salli wanted to detour to the books and periodicals section on our way to pick up some milk. Once there I busied myself by looking through some of the new hardcover releases while Salli perused through a few magazines. I saw some familiar names and even ones I've never heard of. As I was reading the back of a recent hardcover release, Salli called my attention to a gardening magazine she was looking through.

"Hey Richard, isn't this beautiful?" she said, pointing at a bouquet of purple flowers displayed in a vase on a pristine white table. The photo was part of an editorial on using flowers as a centerpiece for special occasions. Looking over her shoulder at the picture I nodded my head in agreement.

"I love flowers. Especially purple orchids like these," she said.

"Do you have some at your house?"

"Yup, but they're fake. It's hard to get them around here considering how cold it is. And the one or two flower shops in the area are really expensive." She shrugged as she closed the magazine and put it back on the rack. "It's not that serious. I'll just stick to plastic flowers."

I smiled.

She said, "I've never been to the northern states like New York or Maine before. I'm jealous that flowers grow there almost every day of year. One day, I'd like to open a flower shop of my own and sell bouquets of nothing but purple flowers."

I chuckled. "Wow, you really love flowers."

She smiled. "That I do!"

"So you've never been up north? Where are you originally from?" I asked.

"South Carolina. That's where I met and married Billy's father Tyler when he was starting out in law enforcement. Later we moved here when he was transferred and we had Billy."

I felt a wave of sadness kept in check as she talked about her deceased husband. Sadness, and love. Noticing she had stopped speaking she forced herself to brighten up a bit and lead the way to the milk aisle.

********

As I was helping Salli pick through milk cartons with later expiration dates when I felt her mood change. Wafting off her like a breeze were the feelings of anger and pure hate. I caught her glancing at two men farther down the aisle and my eyes followed suit.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"It's nothing." She motioned to pick up a gallon of 2% milk.

I asked, "Who are those guys?"

She paused for a moment, unaware I had seen them. "They're no one."

Almost on cue I sensed as much as I saw the two men take notice of the both of us and then stroll our way. Salli saw them approach as well and her emotions grew stronger, tinged this time with apprehension.

The men were dressed in dark business suits of a fine cut, maybe Armani or Versace. But unlike most businessmen the suits didn't look natural on them; it seemed as if each man had to wear them as part of an ill-fitting uniform. Before long both men stopped themselves a dozen feet away from us and I was able to take the measure of them. The guy in front was average looking with slicked back black hair and a little shorter than I am. His companion standing to the side and a step behind him was almost a foot taller than either of us and bulkier, a combination of muscle and fat. Prior to their arrival I had stepped a little in front of Salli to get in between both sides. Neither Salli nor the two men noticed that. Salli was making an effort not to look at them until the shorter man began speaking.

"Mrs. Carnham," said the shorter man in a voice devoid of any character, except to say it was somehow irritating to the ear to listen to.

Salli didn't say anything but kept her eyes at the milk section.

Again he spoke. "Ah, excuse me. _Miss_ Carnham." The smirk that lifted his lips made his forgettable face an ugly one. I felt Salli stiffen behind me and she was angrier now more than ever before, but still she didn't make a move to acknowledge him.

He continued, "How are you and your boy doing? Billy, right? It's a shame for a boy to grow up without his father being around."

I butted in, dispensing with politeness. "And you are?"

He turned, noticing me for the first time. "Anthony Gionnini. I run a bunch of the businesses in the city. Who might you be?"

I didn't respond and I was a little satisfied with the way he bristled at my open gesture of rudeness. It seemed he wasn't used to that sort of thing. Regaining his smug attitude he introduced his companion as the big man stepped forward in an attempt to intimidate me. I felt Salli tug on my sleeve closest to her.

"His name is also Anthony. Except he isn't the talkative type. His line of work doesn't see much use for words," said Gionnini.

I have this habit of only raising my eyes, and not my entire head to look at taller individuals, which annoys the shit out of them. I was glad to see it worked for this guy.

"Your parents must've had a sense of humor with a name like 'Also Anthony'. I bet the schoolyard was hell for you," I said.

Salli tightened her grip, and under her breath she said, "Richard, please."

"You got a smart mouth you little shit. How 'bout I cut it right off your face?" said the big man in a deep baritone. He might've been a good singer if he wasn't too busy being a full-time scumbag.

My eyes were still tilted upwards and my voice was calm. "With the dome security cameras in the aisle? Not to mention all these people staring at us?" This last I pointed out with my finger.

Little Anthony looked around and indeed there were at least half a dozen people looking our way. In fact, an elderly Asian couple was taking pictures of our group with their cell phones. He cursed and tried to usher the bigger guy the way they came. Big Anthony resisted and then relented, but not before giving me a "This ain't over yet" look.

Before both men were about to turn the corner the shorter man yelled back, "When you pray tonight, tell your husband I said hi." This was followed by an ugly snort.

I waited a few moments to make sure they were gone and then turned to Salli. I could see there were unshed tears in her eyes. Putting a hand on her shoulder I asked, "Are you all right?"

She shrugged off my hand and dabbed at her eyes. She said, "I'm fine. Why did you have to do that?" Her anger was now focused on me.

"Because if I had let it alone, it would've been far worse."

"You don't know that. You should've..."

"Men like that pounce on the defenseless like a hyena to the weakened or the dying," I said, tipping my head in the direction the two thugs left.

Tears began flowing from her eyes and she took a handkerchief from her handbag to wipe them away. The crowd was still milling around until I let out a weak telepathic meme for them to disperse. In a moment it was just the two of us in the aisle. I let her cry. I thought it best for her to let it out. A few minutes passed as she dried the last of her tears.

"I'm sorry," she said.

I made a little smile. "It's okay."

She put the handkerchief back in her bag and looked straight into my eyes. As if answering a question she said, "That bastard killed my husband." This, unfortunately, I already knew.

I didn't say anything and she didn't elaborate further. She turned, picked up a jug of milk and walked off. I followed after her and she paid for the groceries at the register. Still without a word from either her or myself, I helped carry the bags out of the supermarket and to her car. Once the last bag was in the trunk she finally spoke. "Want to stop by my place? I need to prepare some dinner for tonight and you can have some. It's the least I could do, you know, for helping me."

Out of fear of her recanting her offer I only nodded.

Her smile returned albeit subdued. I smiled back. "C'mon, hop in," she said. I closed the trunk and obliged her.

I entered her late model Nissan sedan and what greeted me when she turned the engine on was the radio blasting the number one hit pop track of the week, sung by a girl group. I looked at the radio and then looked at her. She laughed then - a good laugh, open like a clear summer day. It caught me up in its cheerfulness and honesty and I laughed as well. Both the music and the sound of our laughter escorted us out of the parking lot and onto the streets.

We joked around some more, talked about her work and how much she thought it was boring but paid well. I chimed in here and there but didn't volunteer anything about myself I didn't have to. In the last ten minutes of the drive to her house the conversation fell to silence and my thoughts turned to Anthony Gionnini.

Anthony "Tony" Gionnini was a mid-level member of the mafia. Formerly of New York he was sent down - exiled is the more accurate term - to Florida by his bosses when a racket he ran, which was already in huge trouble for underperforming, was raided by the police. With the authorities unable to pin anything on him he was released but the bosses were far from happy with him. Fearing to be swept under the rug, Tony begged the bosses for another chance. In the end, they decided to send him to Orlando to eke out a living. As much as he was a pain to the men in charge killing him would bring attention no one wanted. They thought it'd be best to just send him somewhere far away where he would at least make some money. And he did, much to everyone's surprise. It was during that time he and Detective Tyler Carnham became caught up in each others' lives.

********

Salli's house was in a quaint white-collar neighborhood with white picket fences. Fitting, I thought, as we pulled into the parking space outside a one-car garage.

"Here we are," said Salli as she pulled out the car keys and opened the door to step outside. I followed suit and looked at the house as I closed the passenger door. It was a nice two-story home with a faded but pleasant peach color. The yard was covered in snow but a concrete path that was recently shoveled led to a small white-painted wooden porch. The garage was attached on the right side of the house.

Salli said, "I popped the trunk so start lugging them inside if you don't mind. I'll go and unlock the front door."

"Sure thing," I said as I walked toward the back of the car to unload the groceries.

With two bags in each arm I walked into the house, making sure to wipe my feet on the mat. I paused for a moment to look at my surroundings. To the right of me was a small shelf about waist high and an oval-shaped mirror above that. Past that was a light-colored wooden staircase attached to a wall painted golden yellow that led upstairs to the second floor. Situated between the former and the latter was the entrance leading into the kitchen. Across from that was the entryway to a very plush living room with what looked like an unlit fireplace.

"I'm liking the digs," I said.

"Thanks." She smiled, hearing the admiration in my voice. She then led me into the kitchen and switched on the lights.

"Put the bags on the counter," she said pointing to the black and gray marble counter in the middle of the room. I did so and scanned the room with my eyes. In front of me was a stainless steel fridge and oven to the left of it. The cupboards were wood and they covered the wall to my left in a half circle design. There were shelves lining the bottom half of the wall with the steel sink separating one half from the rest. The surface was also the same black and gray marble as the counter. To the right of me was a rectangular dining table able to fit four people and had a nice view of the front yard due to the three windows that overlooked it. On the table's center sat a vase of purple orchids. Even though I knew they were plastic, they charmed me anyway.

I began taking the contents out of the bags and placed whatever needed to be kept cold in the fridge. Salli busied herself by putting all the other stuff in the shelves and cupboards. Looking inside the cold metal box I was surprised by how much stuff was inside considering there were only two people living in this house. I mentioned this observation to Salli and she chuckled.

"Billy has a big appetite," she said.

Trying to ram a jug of milk in between a whole roasted chicken and a plastic container with what looked like soup I said, "Apparently. Speaking of which, your son isn't home yet?"

"Nope. He's an editor for his school's newspaper and they have a meeting today until late afternoon," she said, her face covered by the open door of a cupboard.

It was four o' clock right now. I thought to myself, if I can get him alone today I'll be able to complete my mission soon. I sighed inwardly, if only I knew _what_ I was supposed to coerce him into doing. Class 2 missions require the target to be lead down a very specific path whether it's in lifestyle, career, vocation, choice of spouse or any of a number of things. I was pretty much clueless. The more I thought of it, the more I became frustrated that I had nothing to work with. Damn it, if EJ was keeping Billy Carnham's eventual fate away from me on purpose I was going to yell at her until her beloved King Arthur did return, if only to save her sorry ass.

The last of the groceries were out of the bags and I must've been deep into my thoughts because when I finally shut the refrigerator door, I didn't notice Salli standing less than a foot away looking straight at me. I turned my body to face her. Due to our height difference I had to tilt my head down to look at her. I saw the look in her eyes and I knew I shouldn't have come here. She moved in closer to me then and put her hands on my chest; I don't know if she felt my heart beat faster as she did so.

She said, "Billy won't be back for another hour..." She didn't say more. I looked straight into her eyes, and it felt like I was staring at the world being created and destroyed at the same time.

Is it wrong of me to say that I wanted to take her into my arms and kiss her? To feel the wetness of her lips on mine? To toss aside all self-control and remove everything separating the two of us? To caress every inch of her with my fingers? To rip off her clothes and toss her onto the countertop, the cold surface colliding with her senses as my warm tongue enters her? After making her cum I'd enter her, moving with a smooth, unwasting rhythm like that of all the tides of the sea that ever were. It would be wild but in control. Rough, but passionate. After we climaxed I'd take her into her bedroom and we'd continue, until we were both spent and exhausted. Afterwards we would lie down facing each other, our bodies touching, and I'd kiss her forehead, nose, and lips and tell her, "You're the most enchanting woman I've ever met. I want to stay here forever." And I saw it all in that moment, looking into her eyes.

She was so, so lovely.

But it couldn't be. _Mustn't_ be. I wanted to force my way into her mind and stop her. To push her into thinking about her husband and how much she might be betraying his memory by doing this. But no, doing that would've made me a coward. Instead, I draped my arms over her and pulled her close in an embrace. I lowered my head and whispered into her ear, "We can't do this."

"Why not?"

"You barely know me. I'm a stranger in your home."

"All I needed to know I saw today. You're a good man."

"No, I'm not. In a couple weeks I'll be gone from your life forever." I felt her body stiffen at those words.

"Why?" she asked.

"I'm just..." If I could've said anything else I would've. "I'm just passing through your life."

I said it with a finality that couldn't be questioned or assuaged. A feeling of helpless acceptance emanated from her and I felt her body sag a tiny bit. After a minute she nodded once and pushed herself away from me and I didn't resist. I felt so alone at that moment. The only other time I felt this alone was when I knew I'd never see Bol again.

No, that's not true. There was one other time before. Another world. Another life. Another person.

Her resolve returned as well as some of her usual charm as she knuckled some tears from her eyes.

"I've been doing this a lot today," Salli said with a chuckle. "Sorry, I don't know what I was thinking. I must've come off as a desperate girl looking for pity sex."

"Not at all. You just needed a shoulder to cry on is all." I smiled, though the worlds know where I got the strength to. I gestured toward the dining table. "Here, have a seat. I'll make some coffee."

She nodded, wiping away the last of her tears. "Okay." She sat down at one end of the table.

Looking through the cupboards I found some hazelnut coffee grounds and a filter and placed them into the nearby coffee maker. The funny thing is, people tell me I make good coffee but I don't drink it. I waited for the hot water to start dripping before I joined Salli at the table. She must've opened up the window blinds because I found her staring outside at the snowy yard. I sat down on a white chair close to her and joined her in looking out the window. The streets were clear of all snow, as were the sidewalks. The house in front of us was a subdued shade of red. From my vantage point it looked as if the house had the same structural design as Salli's. Looking at the other homes it looks as if they all did but with different colors. The smell of hazelnut brought me out of my chair and I poured Salli a cup. I handed it to her and sat down.

"Thank you." she said.

I smiled. "Don't mention it."

With a curious look in her eyes she asked, "You're not going to drink any?"

I shook my head. "I'm not a fan of coffee."

She nodded. "It's my fuel. And I have to have it on a daily basis."

"That's fair. I hope you don't drink _too_ much."

" _Maybe_ ," she said before taking a sip. She had a sheepish look on her face that made me chuckle.

We sat in silence for what seemed like a long time until Salli broke it.

"My husband Tyler, he was part of an investigation into the mafia here in Orlando. The case went on for a couple of years and he was tasked to do some undercover work during the last few months of the investigation. His cover was that of a Russian arms dealer selling weapons to Gionnini. It was going smoothly but...he, um...." She paused, trying to find the words.

"It's okay, take your time."

She flashed a short-lived, grateful smile and continued, "His cover was blown. That bastard Gionnini must've had him checked out and followed to the precinct. Or someone talked. I don't really know. But he was supposed to meet up with that big thug you saw today for an exchange. From what the detectives at the scene gathered, it looked like a car pulled up and they just opened fire on him."

Though I already knew all of this, it felt different hearing it from someone who was there. From someone who cared about a man I've only read about. Listening to her speak, I felt both sad and a little jealous. Sad, for having seen this woman's life torn asunder by this one cruel act. She didn't deserve to have this happen to her. Jealous, for wishing that I was the object of her love and affection. My jealousy was needless and the moment I felt it I suppressed it as nonsensical. I was not this woman's lover; I had no place in this woman's life.

"Wasn't there enough evidence to arrest him?" I asked.

She shook her head. "He was brought in for suspicion, as was his bodyguard but their alibis supposedly checked out. Tyler had a lot of friends in the precinct so even when the case was left unsolved they dug some more." She sighed. "But they couldn't find any connections with him and the shooting. That was four years ago." As she finished her story she cast her eyes down to her almost empty coffee mug, seeming to find some comfort in the murky depths of the dark liquid.

********

When I was certain she was done telling her story I turned to look out the window and sat there in silence. The memory of Bol's trial hearing came to the surface of my mind. I remember approaching the Conclave's bench after his guilty verdict was read and saying it wasn't right, that it wasn't fair. I heard Bol call my name and when I turned to look at him I saw his face, both kindness and acceptance apparent in his expression. He said, "It's okay, Darrius."

"But..."

"Darrius. There isn't much in life that's fair. One way or another we're all proof of that." And with that, he smiled his kind smile one last time before he was hauled away. That was the last time I ever saw him.

********

"Hey." Salli's voice broke me out of my thoughts and I turned to look at her. She smiled. "I just need to shower before I make dinner. You mind looking after the house for a bit?"

I smiled back. "Sure."

She nodded, brought her cup over to the faucet to clean it and proceeded to go upstairs to her bedroom. I sat there for a while, staring at the vase with the purple orchids. I heard the shower turn on and I imagined Salli's beautiful figure stepping into the tub, her slim hands drawing the curtain closed. I shook my head and quickly thought about the other missions and Earths I was assigned to. Most were straightforward, some a bit complicated. But my visit to the Sunless Earth was easily the most difficult. I was there for only one day, but that one day felt like it wouldn't end. It was also the only time I ever felt truly afraid for my life.

I was reliving the moments of that day when I heard keys being entered into the front door's lock. I stood up and forced my abilities to ascertain if this person was a threat or not. I felt both relieved and confused when I sensed it was Billy; he had gotten out of school earlier than expected. He closed the door behind him and from the entrance hall I heard him say, "Hey mom! I'm home early." Billy took off his coat and boots and I braced myself as he entered the kitchen. Billy stopped dead in his tracks when he saw me. With suspicion and tension obvious on his face he said, "What are you doing here?"

I smiled, hoping to persuade him of my good intentions. "I was at a Starbucks in the area and your mom happened to pass by and say hi to me. She asked me to accompany her as she shopped for groceries. So I did and as a thank you she agreed to have me over for dinner."

Billy's scowl darkened. "I don't believe you. Where's my mom?"

"Billy!" We both looked around to see Salli in a pink bathrobe just beyond the entrance to the kitchen.

"Mom!" said Billy as he drew closer to his mother and stood protectively between the both of us.

Salli looked confused. "What's wrong?"

"What's he doing here mom? He said you invited him over?"

Salli's face brightened. "Yeah, we met up at Starbucks by accident and he went grocery shopping with me. Since he's new to town and he did me a favor I think it's only right he have dinner with us."

He turned to face his mom. "But mom, he's like, a freakin' stranger. He could be a hobo or something. Or even one of those mafia guys who killed dad..."

"William!" Billy shut up at once. It wasn't loud but her voice had enough authority to make my back somehow straighter than it was before. She continued, "Richard here helped me out today. You don't know what happened but it was bad. I will tell you later but just know he's a good man and means us no harm."

Billy cast his eyes down to the floor.

Softening her expression Salli walked past Billy and said to me, "I'm sorry about that. My son is just trying to protect me."

I smiled, understanding. "It's okay. He's the man of the house, he has every right to look after you in any way he can." With relief clear on her face she scurried over to her son, and with her arm around his shoulders brought him over to stand in front of me.

"Billy. Don't you have something to say?"

His face flushed red with embarrassment. "I'm sorry, sir."

"No need to apologize to me, I understand. And you don't have to call me 'sir'. Richard is fine." Billy nodded his head in acknowledgment, relief clear in his demeanor.

Turning to his mother, having forgotten she was in her bathrobe, Billy's face turned red. "Mom, could you please put some clothes on?"

With almost casual aplomb she said, "Oh yeah. I heard your voice Billy and thought I'd come down to greet you as soon I got out of the shower."

"Well okay you did that, now could you please put on some clothes?" He was pleading now, still embarrassed.

Salli smiled. "Sure. You boys set up the food and dinner table. I should be back in 30 minutes."

We both voiced our consent. She nodded and walked out of the kitchen, but not a second passed before her head popped back in the doorway. "Billy, _be nice_ ," said Salli.

Billy nodded, and satisfied with his response Salli headed upstairs to change.

Billy looked at me and I tipped my head and smiled. He scratched one of his ears and walked toward the fridge. He opened it and pulled out a couple pieces of chicken cutlets. I went to the stove and took one of the pans hanging on a nearby hook. I turned on one of the burners and placed the pan on top of it. Meanwhile, Billy busied himself by cutting up the chicken on a cutting board. He was quite good at it. I said as much to him.

"Thanks," he said, somewhat taken aback at my compliment. "My mom taught me how to cook some."

I nodded. "That's cool. I like cooking myself instead of eating out at diners or restaurants. At least I know firsthand the quality of the ingredients."

"Yeah." After a few moments Billy cut the last piece and slid the chicken onto the pan. "Hey, can you pass me the bag of brown rice over there?" he said as he pointed toward a cupboard behind me. I obliged him and handed over a small bag of brown rice. He thanked me and poured most of the bag's contents into a small rice cooker. He lifted the detachable bowl from the cooker, filled it about a level or two above the top most layer of rice, placed it back inside and shut the lid. Billy then walked over to the stove and took charge of cooking the chicken. I leaned against the countertop, parallel to him.

"Your mom told me she was expecting you later this afternoon," I said.

Billy was moving the chicken around to make sure they all cooked evenly. "My friend's dad was supposed to drop me off but we ended the meeting early." There was frustration in his voice.

"Oh yeah? Did something happen?"

He sighed. "Our Editor-in-Chief Mike got into a fight with one of our other editors, Paul. It's not the first time it's happened but this was definitely the worst."

I thought it best not to say anything so I let him continue.

"I don't know what it is but they just can't stand each other. Outside of the newspaper they're both cool guys. I've hung out with the both of them and they're nice. But man, once you get them in that room together it's like, a switch turns on." Billy snapped the fingers of his free hand. "And bam, they suddenly hate each other."

I nodded. "What were they fighting about?"

"I was busy writing a piece on our JV football team so I didn't catch all of it but they were arguing about one of Paul's articles. Paul wanted it placed somewhere on the front page but Mike disagreed. He said something like it didn't belong anywhere near the front page and then Paul flipped out."

"I don't think I blame him," I said.

Billy shrugged one shoulder as he poured some spices onto the chicken. "I guess. They started yelling at each other and all the other editors started looking at one another. It was pretty obvious that this was much worse than it ever was. And it was also obvious that if no one stopped them they were going to get into a fight."

"So what did you do?"

"I walked over to where they were arguing but made sure to keep back just in case, you know? They both stopped to look at me and I just started talking." Billy paused.

I tilted my head and asked, "What did you say?"

Billy turned to me and gave me a look of embarrassment. "Honestly I don't remember. I just know within a couple of minutes of me speaking both guys nodded to one another, shook hands, walked to their desk and started working."

Listening to this part of his story I remember feeling this weird sensation in the back of my mind warning me to pay closer attention to what he was saying.

Billy noticed the meat was ready and turned off the stove. He brought out a bowl from a nearby cupboard and put the chicken inside. He asked me to check on the rice and I just nodded. I didn't want to say anything, I was afraid I might break both his train of thought and my own concentration.

Billy continued, "After Mike and Paul walked away from each other I remember just standing there, like I couldn't believe what I did. What brought me out of my daze was Chris, one of the associate editors, patting me on the back saying, 'Good job once again!'"

My mind was trying to reconcile something important about Billy but couldn't quite get there. "Again?"

"Yeah," said Billy as he took the pot from my hands; I was concentrating so hard I didn't notice I had taken it out of the rice cooker. "I had stopped a few arguments before between other people at the school. So that wasn't the first time."

I found myself putting placemats on the table and setting three plates. I was close now. I said, "Okay."

Billy brought three pairs of utensils and set each on the table. He said, "When I was eight, my friends Justin and Tracy, who were both ten at the time, were arguing over which Power Ranger was the best one. It was a dumb argument but neither one would give up and after a while they just started yelling at each other. I was a small kid and they were both bigger than me, especially Justin. But I walked up to them and just started talking. And before I knew it they stopped fighting and were actually laughing together. That was the first time I did anything like that and I still remember it to this day."

Billy was staring at his reflection on the plate so he didn't notice me leaning forward on the table, focusing on every word he was saying. "I guess..." Billy said, "I guess I've always been good at settling arguments between people."

This is it. This has to be it. This has to be what I've been looking for. My mind was about to connect the last pieces of the puzzle together when a voice at the entrance to the kitchen said, "Mmm, that smells good boys."

Both Billy and I turned to see Salli standing at the entryway into the kitchen. She was smiling at the both of us, openly glad that Billy and I, at least from her point of view, were getting along.

She was wearing gray sweats tied to her waist. Her bare feet were showing and she had her toenails painted a light shade of violet. She had her long hair tied in a simple ponytail. She was wearing a white T-shirt with the words "BEST MOM EVAR" pressed on the front of it. I snorted a bit seeing the phrase. Salli looked down at her shirt and made a face. "It's true though."

I chuckled. "I have no doubts."

Billy interrupted our exchange by saying the food was ready. Salli thanked the both of us and we sat at the dinner table. Salli sat across from me with her back to the open window of the house and Billy sat at the end of the table, although I did notice he was edged somewhat closer to his mom than he was to me.

"I don't know if you pray Richard but when we have dinner we say a few words. Nothing formal, just something to say how thankful we are," said Salli.

I smiled. "I understand."

The three of us held hands and bowed our heads. Sallie began, "We would like to give thanks for this meal, for family, and for new friends..." I felt her hand squeeze mine.

She continued, "We also give thanks for each day we are granted, for we know how precious each moment is and can be. May we be ever blessed and ever happy in life. Amen."

"Amen," Billy and I said. And with that, the dinner began.

I won't go into the specifics of how the dinner went. Salli and I talked, Billy and Salli talked, even Billy and I shared a few words as well as a few laughs, much to our mutual surprise. Minutes turned into hours as we enjoyed each other's company. I don't remember what words were spoken, what thoughts were expressed, which is strange for one such as I. Just know that it was the happiest I've ever been, the most content I've ever been in a very, very long time. Even now as I retell this story to you, there's a shadow of happiness there. A happiness that never was but could only ever truly be. For people, places, and memories never really die, they live on in the hearts and in the minds forever. And even when those hearts stop beating and the vessels in which those memories exist are but ashes, the great breath of time will always keep them safe somewhere.

With the dinner having ended I helped with the dishes until Billy excused himself to finish his homework. We shook hands, said our goodbyes and he went upstairs. Without turning to Salli I made my way to the coat rack. One by one I inserted my arms into my coat's sleeves, not looking at Salli all the while. But I felt her gaze upon me; I didn't need to use my powers to know that. After some hesitation, she got the courage to push herself off the entrance way she was leaning on and walk toward me to pat off dust that had collected on my coat. I smiled my thanks and opened the door leading outside.

With my feet on the porch steps outside her home, I saw the beautiful whiteness of the snow illuminated by the bright street lights. I could see the stars and the moon adding to the already magnificent scenery. It was a gorgeous site.

"Hey," said a timid voice. I turned to see Salli, hugging herself against the cold and keeping the door ajar with her hip. I looked at her.

She asked, "Will I ever see you again?"

I only nodded. I didn't want to test the voice that was locked inside my throat.

"You promise? You'll see us again before you leave?"

This time I did answer. "I promise."

She smiled that bright, lovely smile of hers. The smile I will always remember, always see in my dreams of a snowy world. She raised her hand for me to shake. Instead of shaking it I gently held her fingers and turned it over so the back of her hand faced me. Then, I bent down and kissed it. She didn't say anything but I felt waves of joy, happiness, warmth, and sadness emanate from her.

I said, "Godspeed to you and your son, Salli Carnham."

This time she didn't say anything and only nodded. I let go of her hand, stepped off the porch and headed back to my hotel.

********

Two weeks had passed since I last saw Salli and Billy Carnham. I rarely left the hotel I was staying in, and the few times I did was only to shop for groceries and other essentials. I avoided going to the places Salli frequented so I wouldn't risk bumping into her again.

I had nothing to show for my stay here. Each new report sent to EJ would come back with increasingly tersely worded replies. But I didn't care. I was locked in an internal struggle with myself. On one hand, I knew my duty. On the other was the possibility. The possibility of a normal life outside what was expected of me.

Night had already fallen as I sat on the edge of my bed staring at the empty desk where my PDA was lying. The TV was on; I hadn't turned it off in days. I was about to flick the off switch on the TV with minor telekinesis when I heard the last half of the female reporter's statement:

"...drive-by shooting in front of the local Starbucks. New information just in..."

I jerked my head around and focused entirely on the TV as details of the shooting came through.

A young woman had stopped in front of the coffee shop and witnesses saw her peering inside when a black sedan with dark-tinted windows drove by and opened fire on the Starbucks. The witnesses have reported that the woman was hit three times in the back and the force of the blast spun her around, allowing two more bullets to hit her. The shooting stopped and the black sedan sped away. The windows to several buildings, including the Starbucks, were shattered. When the café's patrons saw that the car was gone a few rushed toward the fallen woman. Someone called 911 while another person went to look for a doctor. The picture they had of the Starbucks was familiar and I realized with horror that it was the same one I had met Salli in weeks ago. My heart lurched in my chest. The reporter continued...

"Regulars of the café as well as corroborating witnesses have stated that the woman had been seen passing by this Starbucks every day for the last two weeks. Some have also said that she had, on several occasions, asked if a certain man had been there that day. No description of this man has been made public but police are following a few leads..."

My heart stopped. The world around me stopped. I didn't hear the wind outside, or the reporter's words or the creak of the bed as I stood up and walked to the hotel room phone.

I phoned the hotel manager and he picked up on the second ring.

"Hello?"

I told him I was a guest in his hotel and gave him my room number.

"Ah, yes sir, how can I assist you?"

As calmly as I could I asked, "Where's the hospital in Orlando?" He gave me the location. "Is it the only hospital in town?"

"Yes, sir," he said. "Did something happen, are you all right?"

"No, I just need to visit a friend there."

"I understand, sir. I can have a taxi ready for you in five minutes to take you there."

"Please, thank you." I hung up the phone before he could say more.

I ran into the bathroom and splashed water on my face that was so cold I felt a burning, tingling sensation that caused my eyes to focus and my face to turn red for a couple seconds. After drying my face with a towel I threw on my coat and shoes and ran to where the parking lot was. Sure enough, a telltale yellow cab was parked in front of the manager's office. I waved to the manager but didn't wait for a response as I got into the cab. It was clean for a taxi, without the pungent odor of multiple car fresheners and the lingering smell of passed out drunks.

"You want to go to the hospital, sir?" asked the cabbie.

"Yes, where the visitor's drop-off area is," I said.

Sensing my urgency he simply nodded and drove out of the lot. In no time the hotel was behind me and we were cruising at a respectable speed toward the center of town where the hospital was.

I didn't want to believe it was her. I wanted to believe it was a different Starbucks, in a different city in some distant part of the world. I didn't want to believe the witnesses' reports that she was looking for a man, a man who had enjoyed a single slice of mocha and chocolate cake and then was pulled out of the store by a woman he could've loved if he had been given less than half a chance. I didn't want to believe that she was in that hospital because of me...

We were soon at the hospital and I paid the driver and told him he didn't have to wait for me. He thanked me, noticed I didn't ask for change back, and thanked me again as he drove away. I was already at the receptionist's desk before the taxi had left the drop-off area.

********

"Sir?" asked the nurse.

My mind snapped to attention and I looked at the woman standing behind the desk.

"Sir, I asked you for the patient's name?" I didn't want to say it, feeling that if I didn't say her name I could undo what had happened to her. But I knew this wasn't possible and so I did, and the exhalation of breath felt like my last time ever in life.

"Okay. Are you family or friend?"

My voice caught for a moment but I got it out, "I'm a family friend."

"Okay, her son is with her now but you may go up." She gave me her room number and a visitor's ID.

"Thank you," I said. It was all I could say before I ran down the hall. I didn't want to waste a second so I skirted past the elevators and ran up three flights of stairs to the Intensive Care Unit.

Reaching the third floor I turned left and avoided all manner of hospital equipment, gurneys, and empty hospital beds. I entered another hallway and almost cursed in frustration until I saw her room was the second to the last. I slowed my pace as I reached it, hoping beyond all hope that this was just some terrible misunderstanding, but my hope was dashed. The name, "Salli Carnham," was handwritten on a piece of paper inserted into a slot next to the door.

I looked through the slitted blinds of the window and saw Billy sitting on a chair facing his mother. He had fallen asleep while holding his mother's hand, and from the streaks on his face he had been crying. Using my powers I suppressed the sounds I was making, opened the door, and walked to the foot of the bed. With the sound suppression meme on, I took her chart and read through it.

"5 gunshot wounds to the abdomen..."

"Right lung collapsed. Reinflated..."

"Liver punctured..."

"Bullet damaged multiple internal organs..."

"Massive loss of blood..."

"Critical condition..."

"Critical condition..." I still didn't want to believe it.

I noticed movement. Salli stirred and her eyelids fluttered a few times before she managed to open them. I could see the haze in her eyes; she was still groggy with the stuff the hospital was giving her. I placed the chart back on the foot of the bed and walked over to Salli's side. She looked over at me and though I barely saw the smile on her lips because of the breathing apparatus, I was able to see it in her eyes. It was somehow more dazzling than I had ever seen it. With my right hand I took hold of hers. I felt a soft squeeze of her fingers and I squeezed harder.

I took a chance then. "Hi, Salli."

Despite her grogginess I saw her eyes widen. I wasn't communicating with my lips but with my mind.

"It's okay. You're not imagining it. Just think about what you want to say," I said.

I felt Salli's thoughts struggle past the pain and the drugs. "Richard?" she said. Her mind was connected with mine.

I smiled. "Yes. There, you got it."

"How?"

I winked at her. "Magic." With her thoughts she voiced what sounded like a scoff of a laugh.

"God, this is unreal."

"That's what I thought at first, until I realized it was something that was a part of me all along. I'm sorry if it frightens you."

Her head shook slightly in disagreement. "No, it doesn't. Here, come closer."

I knelt down to her side, as if genuflecting. She then let go of my hand and caressed my cheek. She struggled as she did, and it both warmed and broke my heart to see how much effort it took her to do such a small thing as that.

She said, "I had a feeling about you. I knew, somehow, you were different. I just knew you were special, Richard." A single tear fell from my eye and wet the hand that was touching my face.

I said, "Darrius. My name is Darrius."

Again she slowly shook her head. "It doesn't matter. You're still you. You're still special. Special to me."

More tears came and I did nothing to stop them. "And you, to me." With both my hands I gently grasped her free hand and put it to my lips and kissed it. It felt so warm, so different from the coldness that enveloped the outside world. So different from the helplessness, frustration, and rage I felt broiling in my heart. We stayed like that for a long while, not saying anything to one another. Neither one of us wanted to do anything to waste what little time was left to the both of us.

Salli broke the silence. "Hey, Richard."

"Yeah?"

"You think..."

"What is it?"

"You think, if you didn't have to go away, that we could have ever been? Would you have stayed with me? Could we have been together?"

I nodded and this time I spoke aloud, "I know..." It took everything I had to hold back the sob that was trying to fight its way out of me. "I know that somewhere, in some other world, and in some other time, you and I are together. I know that you and I are on a lush hill with no snow, in a field of everlasting green. On that hill Billy is there, taking a nap, tired from having swam in the nearby lake. You and I are lying next to each other locked in an embrace with no obstacles or barriers to keep us apart. We are on a world in which it is always summer. And there you and I are together, always and for all time..."

With all my imagination, heart, mind, and being I projected this image and showed it to her. She smelled the grass, the summer wind, and the summer sun. She felt my arms around her and my chin on her shoulder as we looked over the gorgeous expanse of green earth. She looked over to see Billy sleeping, his mouth open as he gently snored the day away. In this vision of a perfect world she turned to smile at me and kiss me.

In the real world, with all of its cruelty and injustice, I saw a tear fall down her face and she squeezed my hand once more with a strength that was immeasurable but draining away from her little by little. I felt her heartbeat begin to rise.

"Thank you, Richard," said Salli.

I nodded.

I saw Billy stirring across from me and I slowly stood up, still holding her hand.

"Wait," said Salli's voice in my mind.

I smiled; the worlds know where I got the strength to. "I'm not going anywhere."

Billy raised his head and wiped the sleep from his eyes. When he saw me his eyes widened a little but there was nothing there except the sadness and concern he had for his mother, whose light had begun to fade away. He looked over at her, tears welling in his eyes as he clenched harder onto the hand he never let go.

I saw her smile behind the mask. She turned her head to me and spoke again with her thoughts, "Please, let me talk to Billy. This one last time. Can you do that for me?"

For me to show off my abilities to one person was a serious offense, but for me to use it in front of two people was reprehensible. But I didn't care. If I could've used my power to heal Salli I would've done it in a heartbeat and the consequences be damned. Let Central do what they will to me! But I couldn't. The advanced healing factor Shifters have is indeed powerful but it couldn't be transferred over to or used on another person, let alone one who didn't have any psychic abilities at all.

Speaking to Salli with my mind I agreed to her request. What I did was allow Salli to piggyback on my telepathic powers to speak to Billy and at the same time trick him into thinking she was speaking to him physically instead of mentally. I didn't want to have to lie to Billy in this way and at this time but it was the only way not to display my powers out in the open. So I concentrated a bit harder and performed the task.

"Hi, baby," said Salli.

"Mom?" said Billy, his voice quivering.

"My lovely boy. I'm going to see your dad soon."

"Mommy..." His tears began falling onto the hospital bed.

"I'll tell him how big you've gotten. That you have made me proud. That you have made your dad proud."

"Mommy..."

"I'll always love you, William. And I'll always be looking after you. Me and your dad, we will always be looking after you."

"Mommy, no!" pleaded Billy.

"Be happy, son. You deserve to be happy. Call your uncle Derrick. He'll take care of you, I know he will. You can find his name in my phonebook..."

"I don't want him to take care of me!"

"Promise me..."

"No!"

"Promise me! Promise me you will call him."

For a moment Billy didn't say anything. He only looked at his mother. I looked over at him, hoping beyond hope he would agree to his mother's dying wish. Billy wiped the tears from his eyes and finally spoke, "I promise."

I felt a wave of relief course through Salli and I saw her smile again under the mask.

"I love you, Billy." Salli said.

"I love you, mom."

With that said, she turned to me. "Thank you, Darrius. I'll miss you."

"Godspeed to you, Salli Carnham," I said, with tears falling from my face. "We'll see each other again at the edge of the clearing."

In my thoughts I saw her flash that radiant smile. The smile that I would always remember. The smile that would cheer me up during the darkest of days. The smile that would give me hope when there was none. The smile that I would hold somewhere close to me for all time.

I saw her turn to Billy and mouthed the words, "I love you."

And then, she left us. With that, I shut off the connection with Billy as he wept. Still holding her other hand I raised my tearing face to the sky and closed my eyes...

********

A week later in my hotel...

"Where the hell have you been, Darrius?" said EJ's scowling visage floating above the PDA. She was alight with fury.

"I'm sorry, Emily Jane. I've been having a hard go of it here." I was speaking with my face buried in my hands, not looking at her.

I tried to hide the emotions I felt over the last few days from my voice but I wasn't successful. I was expecting her scowl to deepen and for her to berate me for not doing my job but that didn't happen. Instead, she looked at me for a few moments and asked, "What's wrong, Darrius?"

The genuine concern in her voice, one of which I've heard only one other time before this, brought my face up to look at her. She was worried about me and I was touched by that. Instead of answering her I asked, "What was your home like, Emily Jane? What was it like living in a world where King Arthur's justice and mercy still lives on in western civilization?"

She looked confused but she gave it some thought before answering. EJ smiled then, a sweet but sad smile. "It was lovely, Darrius. And glorious. In your New York people would never leave their doors unlocked or they'd have to look over their shoulders while walking through a darkened alley. Not so, on my Earth."

I nodded.

"People from all over the kingdom would visit Camelot just to see the original Round Table. It sits in the center of Parliament and tourists are allowed to view and touch it when there are no sessions happening. The new throne sits in the northern part of the room so the Pendragus Rex may view the proceedings." Her smiled brightened. "And Excalibur is sheathed in the center of the table for all to see, protected by a clear glass case, waiting for King Arthur to reclaim it."

"Do you think he'll ever come back?" I asked.

She thought about it and then nodded. "Yes, I do."

A million and one thoughts coursed its way through my mind and I discounted all of them. All of them, but one. The one thing that couldn't be left unfinished.

"Darrius, please tell me what's wrong." Her concern was palpable. It was unlike her.

I steeled myself, resolve having rooted itself deep into my heart. "I will finish what I need to finish and I will be home shortly."

She looked at me for a moment and said, "The assignment?"

"Yes. And one other thing..."

There was a hint of suspicion in her voice. "What 'other thing'?"

"Never mind that, I will be finished here soon."

She was about to say something else but she just nodded a firm confirmation. With nothing more to be said we both signed off.

********

I watched Salli's funeral procession and burial from several yards off. The gentle snowfall couldn't keep away the dozens of people who gathered to pay their respects to a friend, a special person in their lives. Billy was there of course, always at the forefront and always receiving the kind words of the people gathered there. Standing beside Billy, also receiving each person's condolences was a somewhat elderly gentleman in a fine black suit. He looked very dignified, composed, and cut an imposing figure. As the last visitors departed only Billy and the older gentleman were left, looking over the burial mound. I walked over to where they were standing.

Hearing my footfalls on the soft snow, the older man turned to me and smiled politely. I responded in kind. Billy didn't turn around. He only stared at his mother's resting place.

"I didn't see you with the rest of the procession." He had a deep, controlled and commanding voice. There was the South in his accent.

"Yes," I replied. "I was caught up in traffic on the way here. My apologies sir..."

"Oh, please." He reached out his hand to shake and I took it. "I'm Senator Derrick Miller, from South Carolina."

"It's an honor and a pleasure, sir. My name is Richard."

"Please, the honor and pleasure are mine, Richard. And Billy's too. Thank you for attending."

I smiled and we both stood there, staring at the headstone in silence. Some time passed before the Senator asked, "How did you know Salli?"

Still looking at the grave I said, "We were old friends, once upon a time. We still are."

The senator smiled. "She was my niece. We were close once, especially when her parents passed away. But during the last fifteen years or so I wasn't good to her. I broke off all contact with her when she married Tyler." He paused. "I didn't approve of him, you see? I thought she could've done better, someone more respectable, someone in a more stable profession. But he was a good man. A better man than me because he never let her down. Not like I did, when I refused to speak to her. I regret what I did very much. I wish I could've told her I was proud of her and loved her and that she married a good, decent man." He lowered his head.

"You still can. It is never too late to do that."

He picked his head up and looked at me. "Thank you, sir." Again, a moment of silence.

I asked, "What will happen to Billy?"

"I will square things away here and bring him to South Carolina with me. A boy his age shouldn't be alone, you understand?"

I nodded in agreement and when I did, it suddenly dawned on me that this was what I've been looking for. Derrick Miller was a man in power. A senator, a good man by all measure. This was someone Billy should aspire to be. I gave a nod to the senator and moved in closer to Billy until he looked at me. When he did, I dived deep into his mind and implanted a command meme to follow in his uncle's footsteps. Billy would be a great man; he would be a leader one day. He would inspire loyalty, truth, and justice amongst those who would call him friend as well as those who would see him elevated to a position of power. This was his destiny. In a span of a second the meme was seeded and would grow as time passed. With the task finished I erased every trace of the time I interacted with him from his mind up to this point.

Billy blinked twice and asked, "Who are you?"

"My name's Richard. I'm an old friend of your mother's. She was a lovely woman and I will miss her dearly. I'm sorry for your loss."

Billy nodded slowly. "Thank you, sir."

I smiled and nodded in reply. I turned to the senator and he flashed a grateful smile of his own.

"I think we will be going now," said the senator as he put his arm around Billy's shoulder to lead him to a waiting car. "What about you, sir? I would gladly give you a ride wherever you need to go."

"Thank you, but I'll stay here a little longer and pay my respects," I said.

The senator bowed his head and said, "You have my thanks, sir. It was a pleasure meeting you."

"The pleasure is mine, senator," I said. Tipping his head one last time, he escorted Billy to the car. I watched both men enter the vehicle, and in a few moments the car drove off.

When they were gone I turned toward Salli's tombstone and pulled out the bouquet that was hidden in my coat. It held thirteen genuine purple orchids. I knelt and placed it atop the fresh mound of earth. Taking a moment, I slowly ran my fingers across her name - Salli Carnham - etched onto the smooth marble stone.

I said, "Be at peace, Salli. Billy will live a long and happy life, I promise." I bowed my head. "One day we will meet again, somewhere in time, with the warm sun hitting our faces."

I was about to get up but I stopped and stared at the bouquet of purple roses for a time. I then reached for one orchid and placed it inside my coat and at last, I walked away. There was one final thing that needed to be done.

********

The door flung open hard enough to startle Anthony Gionnini from the paperwork on his desk. I stood in the hall facing his big office with my hands hidden in my coat pockets. My eyes centered on Gionnini.

He stood up. "Who the fuck...? You. You're that guy from the supermarket."

I said nothing.

"What do you want? You come about the Carnham bitch?"

Without a word I began walking toward his desk. As I did so, Gionnini's eyes grew as he sensed the danger approaching him. At that moment he knew what I was: a lion loosed upon the world that had angered it so. He opened his desk drawer and tried to reach for the gun he kept there. He only got as far as opening the drawer because as he reached in to pick up the gun the drawer slammed shut. Gionnini pulled back his hand and looked at the compartment, then looked at me. I was still walking toward him, taking my time.

He kept trying to open the drawer but there was an invisible force keeping it shut. The next time he looked up I was already on the opposite side of the desk.

"Stop," I said. My voice resonated within the confines of the room and Gionnini's mind. His hands suddenly went slack and he stopped at once. When he did as commanded I continued, "Sit down." His body complied at once. I could feel his mind panicking, trying to fight back my hold on him. His mind was nothing to me.

"Wha, what are you doing to me? Who are you?" asked Gionnini.

I stared down at him. This was the man who had murdered Tyler Carnham. He had murdered many more, most likely. And he had gotten away with it. But worst of all, he had murdered Salli.

"Put your hands on the desk," I commanded. His hands did so without his permission.

_Don't do this, Darrius. Remember what I told you._

I ignored Bol's voice. Bol was gone now.

"Please..." Gionnini said. "I'm sorry. Please..." He knew that he was helpless now. Like many of his victims were.

I pulled my hands from out of my pockets. Wearing black gloves I was clenching a gun in my right hand.

"God, don't!" Beads of sweat were forming and dripping down the sides of his grotesque face. "I only meant to scare the Carnham woman. I..."

"Her name was Salli," I said. The barest sliver of emotion existed in my voice.

"Yes! Salli, Salli Carnham! It wasn't my idea. Anthony got out of control and did it on his own..."

"You're lying." I brought up the gun and leveled it at his face.

"No, please! Please don't kill me!"

My breathing was steady. My hand wasn't shaking and the gun didn't waver.

_Remember what I told you..._

I sighted down the gun and aimed it at his forehead.

"Please don't kill me!" There were tears rolling down his cheeks. I wasn't listening to him now.

_Don't get too close. Don't ever get too close. You'll always fall too far._

"That didn't stop you," I replied, and squeezed the trigger.

"No!"

The gun's sound reverberated throughout the room. I felt the connection break and his mind disappeared in an instant. Anthony "Tony" Gionnini was dead.

I lowered the weapon and looked at Gionnini, but I wasn't really seeing him.

"That didn't stop you," I said again.

I let a couple seconds pass and reached into my coat with my free hand; my other hand was still holding the gun. I pulled out the purple orchid I had taken from Salli's bouquet, brought it to my nose and smelled it. Taking one last moment I then brought it down to my lips, kissed it once, and placed it on Gionnini's desk before walking away.

Outside in the hallway was Big Anthony, right where I had left him. I looked up at his ramrod stiff figure frozen in place. My mental hold on him was keeping him there. I looked at the gun in my hand for a moment until I put it back into the holster on his right hip. "I'm returning this to you," I said. I could see his mouth struggling to move as if to say something but unlike Gionnini I didn't allow this thug to speak.

"I know he was the one who ordered you to kill Salli. And he has answered for it."

Big Anthony's eyes were darting around like a once mighty predator sensing his own end was near.

I continued, "Five minutes after I leave you will drive back to your apartment and have yourself a little party. You will drink a lot, snort the coke you've hidden in your room, and enjoy it." His heart was racing now.

"After that, you will lock yourself inside your bathroom, fill your tub with water, and step in. While inside you will take one of your razor blades and cut both your wrists deep into the arteries and bones. You will allow yourself to bleed out until you die." And with that, the command meme was implanted into his mind where it would be followed without question and without hesitation.

I saw his body slacken and his eyes take on a glazed over look. I asked, "Do you understand?" The mindless, empty shell of a man nodded. I looked at him once more and then walked out of the hall and out of the building. I was finished here.

********

I stood in front of the portal, its pale blue light reflecting from the alley walls. It was the same alley that I had entered when I stepped into this world.

"Did you leave anyone you cared about behind when you were brought to Central? Someone important?" I asked EJ, her face suspended in the space above the floating PDA.

The scowl returned and I was expecting her to tell me to mind my own business but it softened and her eyes looked past my face and into a memory beyond time and all the worlds. "Remember what you told me, what your old mentor Bol once said?"

Understanding, I nodded. "Yeah."

She quoted Bol Piles: "We all leave someone behind. That one person you regret leaving and never seeing again. More than your old life, more than your old possessions, more than the comforts of home; it is they whom you love and miss most. And if you could, you would leave all this to spend just one more day with them."

I flashed a small smile, remembering the day Ol' Bol said this to me. We were at Azure Field in Central, I was sitting on a boulder on top of a grassy hill while he was skipping stones over the nearby lake. With his back to me he said those words and I was sure he spoke with tears in his eyes. I understood his feelings. Once you take your vows to be a Shifter, you're never allowed to see or visit your old world again. It is the greatest price I have ever paid. And worst of all, I never got the chance to say goodbye to her.

I nodded and smiled at EJ's image.

"Is everything all right, Darrius?" she asked.

"Yeah. Thanks, EJ," I said.

"Of course."

"You got my report?"

"Yes and I sent it over to the Conclave to review. I think they'll be pleased with the results."

I nodded. "Good."

I saw Emily Jane quirk her lips, as if holding back a question. I asked a question of my own. "What is it, EJ?"

"Darrius, what happened over there? Is there anything you haven't told me? Something that isn't in the report?"

I looked at her for a moment and then said, "No, EJ."

She stared at me, her face unreadable. "I understand."

"Thank you, Emily Jane." And we both smiled at each other.

"Come home, Darrius."

I nodded, shut off the PDA and placed it into my coat pocket. Before I stepped into the gateway, I looked back at this place, at this world. It was a world in snow. I said one final goodbye and then stepped into the portal.

THE END
_A Life in Darkness: A World Shifters Story_

An Excerpt

The darkness is coming for me.

I looked at the newspaper a moment longer before placing it back inside the dispenser, a final testament to what became of this world. Closing the front panel I straightened up, and when I did I saw reflected upon the cracked window display a couple feet in front of me was a black figure standing stone still on the opposite sidewalk behind me.

I froze. It wasn't there when I walked into this area, I was sure of it. And I didn't sense mental energies coming from whomever, whatever it was. I stood there, staring at its image in the window. It was my height but it looked thinner, almost gaunt. It had limbs and each hand and foot was properly accentuated with five fingers and toes. But it had no facial features. Looking at it reminded me of those tight, black body suits theater performers sometimes wore. I breathed harder as my heart began to rase. I didn't want turn around to face it; I couldn't. There was something about it I didn't want to face. Something inside of me begged me not to turn around because if I did, it could be the last thing I'd ever do.

But I had to face it, I had to know what its intentions were. And so I did turn around and a cold chill ran up and down my spine. Within the second it took for me to turn to face the thing, for lack of a better word, it had closed half the distance between us. It was still standing in that exact same ramrod stance I saw when I was staring at its reflection in the window. It was as if someone had picked it up like a cardboard figure and moved it to the middle of the street and left it there. I didn't know what to make of it. Little by little I relaxed my control of my telepathic and telekinetic powers but not enough to have them manifest. At least, not yet. I didn't want to provoke it. I stared at its featureless face where the eyes should've been and dozens of thoughts and ideas came as fast as I discounted each one.

I broke the silence. "Who are you? What do you want?"

It made no attempts to move or say anything.

"Do you understand me?"

Again, no reply of any kind.

I was tempted to probe its mind with my own but I wasn't sensing any mental energies coming from it. That shouldn't have been possible. Every creature I've encountered, whether human or animal, has some sort of consciousness all Shifters can sense. But whatever this was didn't have any and that frightened me. This was the first time I've ever encountered, let alone heard of for that matter, of such a being. In my gut though I knew this thing was intelligent.

It had appeared out of nowhere and it had chosen to do so when my back was turned to it. The creature had advanced in my direction in a span of a second without warning and it had made no attempts to open communication with me. While it was not openly hostile, it was clear these were actions of an aggressive nature. I glanced towards the direction I meant to go and slowly sidestepped towards that direction, making sure to keep the thing in my line of site. At first, it didn't bother to follow me but after I had progressed a couple of steps, its featureless face turned and began to track me, much like a security camera tracks a suspected criminal. But I didn't stop; I couldn't afford to. While still backing up and keeping an eye on my mystery assailant, I peeked over my right shoulder and saw a cargo truck. I formulated a plan: the moment I passed the truck I would hide behind it and make my way around the ruins of the street undetected.

As soon as I was out of its line of sight and ready to turn I saw it disappear in a flash of darkness. I felt a slight surge of the wind to the left of me and I turned fully around to see it again, facing me square and within a dozen feet away from me. I was on full alert now and my powers were on the sword's edge waiting to be released.

I asked one last question, a question I already knew the answer to. "Will you let me leave?"

As if in answer to my question a sudden, violent jolt hit my mind. It felt like a large, cold needle had been jammed into my brain at high speed. It made me stagger half a step but I put up my mental shields once I felt it try to force its way into my mind. The thing's mental attack colliding with my telepathic shields must've harmed it because its torso bent back almost ninety degrees, its arms hanging low and swinging like slow pendulums.

I put a hand to my temple to comfort myself and to make sure my mind was intact. Seeing I had hurt it I took a chance to look around for any possible escape routes; I didn't want to fight this thing unless I really had to. I now knew it was hostile but I didn't know what its capabilities were. But before I could I could set my plan to motion, the black figure straightened and hunched forward enough to dangle its arms. And for a moment it did nothing until I saw a thin line appear on the lower parts of its face, right where the mouth should be. My hackles rose as its maw widened into a wicked smile set full of jagged teeth that had no earthly design or sense to it. At first, there was only a single row of sharp teeth on both the upper and lower parts of its jaw, but with every blink the number of teeth and rows of teeth would change: one, two, dozens, it would fluctuate the longer I looked at it. It was like staring into an optical illusion. I saw that disgusting smile and I knew that it if let it, it would kill me. If I let it...

I was memorized by what I was seeing and before I could make a move, it did. Its mouth opened and the horrid sound that came out of it sounded like the moans of a thousand dying victims and the sound of Hell's legions being unleashed at the same time. That's when I felt its mind for the first time and I was disgusted with the energies that came from it. I didn't attempt to read its thoughts but I felt the intent there: it wanted to devour me and absorb my powers. It knew what I was and it longed to rip my mind away from me and feast on my flesh.

But there was no way I would let it happen. It leaned forward, ready to dash but I was ready for it. I extended my left arm with my fingers spread apart and with it several invisible, telekinetic threads attached themselves to a large mailbox which had tipped over long ago. Before my attacker was able to reach me I quickly brought my arm towards me and the mailbox flung itself at the creature. The box hit it square on and both it and the dark creature hit the building hard enough to create a crater in the facade. I couldn't afford to let up, so looking behind me I saw a large piece of concrete that had fallen from the overpass about the size of a compact car. I pointed at it and it shook as I did so. I peered over at the recess I had created in the building and saw the mailbox move - the creature was sandwiched in but was trying to get out. I looked back at the concrete slab and I lifted my arm high, with my palm up as if beckoning to a god for intervention. The large block floated and stopped in midair just above my head. In one quick motion I brought my arm forward like a pitcher at a baseball game and flung the slab at the creature, slamming it into the building. The impact was hard enough to puncture the side of the building and reveal the darkened interior, only illuminated by my enhanced vision.

From the street I peered into the hole but I didn't enter it. I didn't want to further test my luck by meeting the creature face-to-face. Instead I began to sprint away from the battleground towards where I was supposed to go. But as soon as I reached the next block of buildings, I heard that terrible scream again. It was loud, loud and clear enough to be heard from such a distance. A cold shiver ran all along my spine but I couldn't stop. I had to press on. But barely a few seconds passed before I heard another scream just like it a short distance to the east of me. I stopped dead in my tracks and looked in that direction. Dear life, it wasn't alone. And then I heard another scream to the north of me. This one was closer.

I ran then. I ran hard and fast. Using a variation of the physical strengthening meme I enhanced my body to run faster than any normal person was capable of. I hoped it would get me as far away from these things as possible. But I couldn't sustain it indefinitely. As powerful as Shifters are, we have our limits. To expend as much psionic energies as I have in such a short amount of time would take time to recover. Time I didn't have. I had to hide.

I got off the main street the first chance I got and found myself turning a number of corners, hoping to escape my stalkers. I didn't chance a look back out of fear they were right on top of me. I ended up in an alley with my backed pressed up against a small alcove hidden beneath a shadow cast by the surrounding building. I was breathing hard and I could see my breath in the cold air, like a piston releasing steam from an exposed engine. I shut off my abilities in an effort to give my body a chance to recover. Not sensing anything around me I carefully pulled out my PDA and accessed the tracking display. I was only two blocks away.

Still against the alcove wall I opened my mind just the tiniest bit to see if any of the creatures were in my vicinity. Not sensing the murderous intent I felt when I fought the creature I carefully made my out of the alley and into a one-way street headed west. Carefully navigating the remaining two blocks and making sure to keep out of sight as best as I could I reached the building where the tracking signal originated from. I studied the façade which was old, constructed from concrete and granite. And from the almost intact face of the building it looked as if it had somehow avoided much of the terrible destruction the rest of the city had succumbed to.

********

It took me longer than expected to reach the bunker Kari Greene and her mother were hiding in. I made my way back east in a slow, determined way stopping only to reconfirm my bearings. I stayed off the streets as much as I could; I didn't want to encounter any more of those things or whatever else lurked in the remnants of the city. This also allowed me to recover most of my strength, which I knew I'd need before the end.

The bunker was unassuming, the only clear marking that it was a shelter was a small radioactive sign on the side of the plain concrete building with only four windows and a single door. It was built during a time when this world still lived in fear of annihilation from within. Who could've guessed their destruction would come from without?

I entered the building, being careful to check my surroundings I found it was deserted. I shut the large wooden door behind me and looked around. The space I had entered was littered with all manner of broken furniture and detritus; the interior of the building had seen better days. I pulled out my PDA and allowed it to float in the air in front of me as I switched on the scanner. Beams of light shot out of tiny holes in the device as a 3D model of the interior began to display on the screen. No signs of an entrance so far. I went deeper into the building and the scanner did its work picking up a hollow spot in one of the back rooms. I quickened my pace in that direction until I found myself in a back parlor.

Following the PDA I found the spot where the entrance to the underground bunker was, hidden underneath a large table. I bent down and inspecting it I did see the outline of a hidden trapdoor, big enough to allow a person to climb through it one at a time. I backed away from the table andwith a slight sweep of my hand the table moved in tandem with it, sliding to the far side of the room. Using telekinesis I tried to open the door but it wouldn't budge - there must've been a sliding bolt holding it in place. I concentrated and zeroed in on the mechanism and my senses touched the heavy steel bolt that held it in place. Seeing it and grasping it with my mind it took but a second to slide it back and out of the door.

Once that was done I walked over to the door and bent to open it. I was somewhat surprised by the weight of the door. It was heavy, built from a dense, non-porous wood reinforced by steel bars. Regardless, it moved easily as the hinges on one side allowed the door to swing upwards. I peered into the hole and saw a ladder just enough to fit a person of my size that reached dozens of feet below. I was hesitant to go down, my mind creating images of thousands of those bipedal creatures and millions of the black insects waiting for me to come down and join their party. But I dismissed it; Kari and her mother were down there and one way or another I was going to get them out. Drawing a heavy breath of air I stepped onto the ladder and descended.

********

It didn't take me long to reach the bottom rung. In front of me was an entrance to a narrow corridor with barely enough room to fit two adults walking side by side. Upon entering I had to crouch down to avoid scraping my head against the ceiling. Seeing everything in pale blue I ventured into the corridor and realized it was pretty straightforward and I only had to take a handful of turns before reaching the actual entrance to the bunker itself.

I came upon two large metallic doors. The amount of dirt and grime that had collected on the metal was such that it was hard to tell what the original color of the doors was. I walked up to it and knocked on the metal surface three times causing an echo to reverberate throughout the darkened passageway. I paused and turned my head around to look behind me. No alarms were raised and I didn't hear anything coming. Convinced I hadn't made my location known to the creatures above I turned back to the metal doors and concentrated my thoughts. I tried to make out any mental presences behind the entrance but the metal was thick; there was probably lead or a similar metal lining the doors. While I couldn't use telepathy, I could use telekinesis to open the door.

Stepping back a few feet I allowed thin telekinetic threads to examine the intricacies of the door and ascertain how to open it. Keeping the entrance locked were four heavy steel rods about two inches thick and three feet long, each of which were controlled by levers on the other side. Trying to penetrate the thick metal was going to tax my abilities but barring high explosives there was no other way to get through it.

And thus I forced upon the door my will, given shape and power through my abilities and I felt as much as I saw the door shudder. I concentrated, feeling the pressure in my mind building. Within my mind I saw one of the four levers, grasped it with an invisible hand, and pulled it. One down, three to go. With each new lever being pulled I breathed a sigh of relief; this was trickier than I thought but not impossible. By comparison that final encounter with the black creature and its pet insects was harder, and in more ways than was expected.

It took but a handful of minutes before all levers were pulled and the heavy steel bars had been slid out of the recesses within the door. As soon as the task was completed I shut down my telekinesis and pushed one of the heavy doors. It moved without much effort and I walked into another corridor, this one much smaller than the last. Just a few feet ahead of me was a single door, which looked to be made of the same material as the ones I just passed through. I shut the door behind me making sure to reengage all four locks just in case those creatures were able to follow me here. Moving closer I noticed light emanating from a crevice on the wall just above and to the right of the door. Examining it further I found a very small camera looking in my direction. i faced the camera and raised both arms to show I held no weapons in my hands.

"Hi," I said in a soft and clear voice. "My name is Darrius, Darrius Alexander. I'm here to help you."

I waited but there was no response.

I continued, "Please, I mean you no harm. I'm here to get you out of here and out of the city." I risked saying more. "Mrs. Greene... Fiona, I'm here to help you and your daughter, Kari."

More time passed and I glanced at the door, debating whether or not I should use my powers a second time to open it. I didn't get a chance to decide as the single metallic door swung open. I made my way towards the entrance but had to stop immediately as the long muzzle of a pistol greeted me.

The woman holding the gun in unsteady hands was shorter than I with matted black her cut short just above the shoulders. She was wearing a dirty, white long-sleeve shirt and blue jeans that had seen too many washes. On her feet were brown boots so worn away it was a wonder they hadn't fallen apart yet. Considering her build, height, and age, this had to be Fiona Greene.

"Who the hell are you? How did you know we were here?" asked the woman in a harsh voice. It was a voice changed by time and events I didn't even dare comprehend.

"How do you know Kari?" She asked this last question with a menacing voice. The pistol, moving ever closer to my face, forced me to step back a pace.

"Like I said, my name is Darrius Alexander. I want to get you and your daughter out of here. Off this world." My hands were still held out in the open.

"That's impossible," she said. "There's nowhere to go. How did you even survive out there? Are you from one of the other bunkers?"

As close as the gun was to my face I didn't feel threatened by it. There was any number of techniques I could've used to disarm her, with or without my powers. But I didn't want to do that; I needed her to trust me and to see reason.

I said, "I can answer any questions you have. But please, just put the gun down and we can talk."

"How do I know you aren't one of those things?" Both her hands were gripping the handle of the pistol now.

"Because I've met one of those creatures: a tall dark creature in human form? It couldn't show the outward characteristics of a person and it couldn't speak like I'm doing now. I was able to escape it for a time until I was forced to kill it." Her eyes widened at that comment and I let the momentum take me further. "Don't you think if I was one of those things, I wouldn't have simply destroyed these doors and then kill you and your daughter by now?" I didn't want to say this last part but I was hoping the combination of sense and the assurance in my voice would convince her.

She held the pistol in a vice-like grip aimed at my forehead but I was able to see her eyes and through to her mind. I could tell she was scared, but there was hope there. It was a hope that had been beaten down so many times she buried it deep within her mind to the point she had forgotten what it meant to hope. But it was there, I just needed her to realize it.

"Fiona..." She flinched at the sound of her name and the gun jerked a little but didn't go off. "You and your daughter will be safe, I promise you that. Just put down the gun and I will explain everything."

That was as far as I could go and I had to trust that Fiona would accept what I was saying at least at face value. She likely hadn't seen or heard from anyone other than her daughter for months, at best. And the worlds know it could've been much longer.

Fiona hesitated and measured her options - I could've been lying, but to what end? She knew I couldn't have been one of those creatures because I would've killed her outright without attempting any kind of communication. The thought crossed her mind I was some lone survival of her world that was seeking shelter, but the fact I looked in very good health and my clothes, despite being a little worn around the edges, were still new. She just couldn't believe what she was seeing with her own eyes. But in spite of that she lowered the gun to her side.

I lowered my arms, making sure not to make any sudden gestures that might alarm her. I said, "Thank you, Mrs. Greene."

She nodded her head in a slow way, her slumped-over back giving the gesture a childlike appearance. "Follow me," she said, as she turned and headed inside the bunker. Without a word I did as requested and locked the door behind me.

To be continued Fall 2015
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