Games of the Powerful

by William E Samela

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  The shade had walked out of the alley the same way Ken had walked in and to any passerby it would have looked like any another person walking along after a long night carousing at the local establishments. It would not be until later in the day, when more people were about that they would discover the body an old man. The shade knew this so it decided to go to where the human lived and acquire the means it would need to move about this world. Through Ken’s spirit it learned enough about this world that it knew it would have to keep changing bodies its much preferred normal body would simply not work. Inexorably coming up in all its glory the sun flashed gigantic beams of sun-light between the tall buildings striking the streets below in an attack of dazzling light. The shade oblivious of all of this beauty in a city of glass and steel nonchalantly walked down the sidewalk toward Ken's home.

  It knew instinctively what to do when arrived at the front door of the two-story house. Houses line both sides of the street and on either side of Kens home most are two and three-story wood frame and stucco homes all in various colors. None of that meant a thing to the shade its only concern is to assimilate the old human woman, gain her knowledge and ability to have enough money to get it started. The shade knew it would have to be very careful how it moved up the social food chain to get close to the president. It knew instinctively what to do when it got to the front door of the two-story house, placing its hand over the hand recognition panel to the right of the door it walked right in.

  The door opened to a foyer leading to a staircase directly in front and two open doorways right across from each other on either side. The doorway to the right led to a large living room with a fireplace on the outside wall, and the usual couches and comfortable chairs arrange around the room to face the vid-screen. The doorway to the left led to the dining room with a table and chairs enough for six people and to the right of that a doorway leading to the kitchen proper. The shade knew the old human would be cooking breakfast for herself and her wayward son whom she loved dearly. It got great pleasure in the fact Ken’s spirit had loved his mother and was saddened he had not told her enough. The shade would be more pleased when the old woman saw and felt her son take her life in the most horrible way imaginable. At the last, she would know that this creature was not her son but it would be too late for her to stop it, not that she could anyway.

  Slowly walking into the kitchen the shade was not surprised that the old human had turned at the sound of the front door opening and closing. Like most mornings, she waited with a smile on her face greeting her wayward son. It did not return her smile but kept moving slowly toward her at an even pace across the kitchen. A look of parental concern flashed across her face when the shade did not respond to her smile and say anything in greeting.

  “Ken what is wrong did something happen last night to upset you?” she asked in a concerned tone.

  The shade did not answer her, it could have, and it did not feel the need to converse with an almost useless human about to die gruesomely at its hands. As it moved closer to her, some innate sense of warning took hold of her and her expression turned to one of fear. Backed up to the kitchen sink frozen in fear with no place to run she could not understand what was about to happen to her. Slowly changing form its bones shifting and moving, its mouth changing to dripping fangs, she realized that something terribly evil had come to take her life. Quickly the shade is on her with its left hand gripping her throat and the talons of the right hand turned extended behind it. Striking relentlessly with blinding speed the shades talons racked across her body drawing deep gashes in her soft flesh. Instantly, blood and gore began flying around the kitchen splattering against the floors walls and ceiling.

  It relished in the carnage it caused to her body as it continued to rake her with its talons. The shade truly wished it could listen to her screams of pain and fear but it kept its hand tightly around her throat preventing her from screaming and alerting the neighbors. Suddenly, with pure enjoyment, it sank its talons deep into her soft stomach and it relished the exquisite pain it saw on her face. A deep slow-moving darkness came from the shade and slowly moved down its arms to engulf the poor woman then it slowly receded as it had with her son leaving an empty bloody shell of a human being.

  Releasing the body the shade let it slip to the floor a bloody mess. Again, the shade changed, its bones broke and shifted under the grotesque skin that morphed into human skin, its entire body rippled and moved as bones and organs realigned themselves until the change was complete. Covered in the old woman's blood and wearing Ken’s clothes that no longer fit its new shape it ripped the shreds from its body flinging them to the floor. It knew what it needed to do and do it quickly before authorities discovered Ken’s body and came here to inform his mother of his death.

  Turning quickly it nearly flew from the kitchen and up the stairs far faster than any human ever could. Finding the bathroom it went into the shower cleaning itself of the blood that covered it knowing it would not look right for it to be out in public in the condition it is in now. When it finished drying itself with a dry towel, it found hanging in the bathroom, it went to the bedroom and it instinctively knew what to wear. Pulling dresser drawers open it put on undergarments then a simple dress and shoes it found in the closet. Standing before a full-length mirror it detested what it saw in the image. Walking to the vanity the shade grabbed the purse sitting on top knowing that what it needed would be there until it could find a more suitable affluent person to assimilate. When the creature left the house, the front door automatically locked keeping anyone out not recognized to have access including the police giving the creature time to assimilate another human. Walking quickly down the sidewalk, it headed to a more prosperous part of town.