by T Swanepoel
Chapter 20 – Natural selection
It was the middle of the mid-term exam, full moon outside, but overcast.
It was time.
I’d made my peace with the task ahead, that of witnessing the fight. Alex had assured me over and over that it would be okay, as long as I didn’t interfere or try to stop them.
Thinking back, I should have recognised the warning signs right there and then, but I didn’t. Alex had been angry with Benjamin trying to take over the healing, but the problem was that this anger had amplified in me, and it was still lurking inside me. I’d been a little surprised at the strength of it, but I should have been absolutely terrified. at it.
In some way I saw it as a blessing – I still had to prepare myself for Duncan’s murder, and this hatred would probably give me the strength to do it. I’d gotten to know and accept the new Valerie, the killer Valerie. I wanted her around, but only until the job was done. Perhaps witnessing the fight between Alex and Benjamin would toughen me up even more.
Duncan wasn’t in the foreground of my or Alex’s minds – the fight was. Everybody else was getting nervous because Duncan hadn’t attacked yet, but everybody else didn’t know about the fight. Only Alex, Benjamin, Lisa and I knew, and Lisa only because I’d confided in her. She didn’t act surprised at my and Alex’s secret relationship, but she was keeping her distance from him.
Jennifer had noticed the separation, but for once didn’t comment on it. She was too absorbed in her own feelings and her new boyfriend. Wilfred had offered her a sincere apology without telling her what’d happened – he obviously couldn’t tell her the truth – and she had accepted it. She loved the firm approach that he took with her. She’d tried to tell me a million times already about him and kind-of blamed me for not being around much to talk to.
I hadn’t seen Alex around a lot lately – he’d kept himself busy preparing himself for both the exam and the fight. I’d told him over and over that I’d heal him first, but he still took the preparations seriously.
It was very difficult for Alex, I’d noticed his paler than usual face, his tighter than usual knuckles, his dimmer than usual eyes and his weaker than usual smile. After all, Benjamin had been his best friend for a long time. Somehow I got the feeling that there was more to this, but he wouldn’t say a word. Every time I’d prodded in that direction, he’d pick up the guitar and start playing. And I’d lose myself in him again, in his eyes, his music, and his charm. The last time I saw him before the fight, he’d played me Kings of Leon’s Closer, which had moved me to tears, which he kissed away one by one...
Alex came to pick me up around ten that evening - he waited for me in the parking lot, slightly glowing. When he saw me, he jumped from the car and opened the door for me. He was dressed in his usual, stylish way but darker than always – he had on a modern, black collared shirt that showed off his blonde hair and tanned skin beautifully, and a pair of jeans.
“Hey,” I grinned, happy as always to see him, in spite of the terrible prospect of the fight.
“Hi, Valerie,” he said as he hugged me before I got in.
“Alex, I am really, really sorry that it has come to this,” I apologised for the umpteenth time.
“You know I don’t see it like that, Val, it’s not your fault. Benjamin wants this,” he said softly.
We were silent in the car, each to our own thoughts. I didn’t take in much of anything around me, not the road, not the music, nothing except Alex next to me. He was in this predicament because of me – on his way to fight his best friend because of me, or rather for me.
They’d agreed to meet in the log cabin in the mountains, the one Alex had taken me to on that weekend when I’d run away from my parents. Each minute felt like three, and by the time that Alex had parked the car, I was tautly overstrung. I had a nagging feeling deep inside that this night was going to be a bad one.
No, a terrible one. A tragic one.
“It’ll be fine,” Alex tried to calm me or maybe himself. He pressed my hand and then got out. As I climbed out, raindrops dripped on my head.
We walked up the stairs to the porch and entered the log cabin, to find Benjamin waiting inside. He was having a cup of coffee, appearing eerily relaxed.
“Valerie, Alex,” he greeted as we approached.
“Bennie,” Alex greeted, sounding as sad as I’d seen him many times over the past few days. I was wordless - tension and emotion constricted my mind and ability to speak.
“Let’s do this,” Alex urged.
“Do you want something to drink first, Valerie?” Benjamin politely offered, as if nothing was wrong.
I shook my head.
“Let’s get going then,” Benjamin agreed. He put down his cup and walked out to the porch, Alex and me trailing behind.
“Val, you can wait up here. Don’t mind the rain, just stand under the roof’s overhang. You’ll have the best view from here,” Benjamin instructed.
I did as he’d said, almost going into shock for what was about to happen.
Alex and Benjamin walked about twenty paces away from the cabin. They were clear as in daylight in the full moon shining down on them.
“Do you really want to do this, Bennie-boy?” Alex asked as they stopped.
“Take your stance, Alex,” Benjamin warned. “I love her too, and this is my only chance,” he apologised, sounding slightly saddened himself.
“May the strongest...no the best man, win,” Benjamin said as he lifted his hands towards Alex.
Alex had tried to prepare me for this, explaining that it wouldn’t be a typical bar fight, and that I’d have to keep a safe distance not to get pulled in by the strong and weak nuclear forces and the gravity and the magnetism and a lot of other things that I couldn’t exactly remember then, partly because I didn’t want to think about the energy being unleashed. But all of his attempted preparations and warnings weren’t enough.
I couldn’t identify the sound at first, a continuous, loud crackling. It came from far away, somewhere in the mountains and became louder and louder, closer and closer. With it, the smell of burning filled the air. It tasted like death in my mouth, reminding me of the destructive power of a wildfire.
Then it happened: the sky started glowing right above Alex, in the form of a cloud. It became redder and hotter, in spite of the pouring rain. I could feel the heat against my face as it grew hotter and redder still. And then, suddenly fire rained down on him, like hailstones from the sky. But it wasn’t the normal type of fire because the rain didn’t do a thing to it.
The smell of the wildfire changed to that of scorched hair and I felt weak with shock, about to vomit, seeing Alex burning in front of me. He screamed in pain and then stopped abruptly, concentrating. The fire slowly lifted from his skin, and moved away from him in the form of a sphere, as if an invisible shield was pressing it away. Alex balanced the fire away from him and then launched his own attack, a quick one.
The clouds thundered and with an ear-splitting crack an enormous lightning beam filled my sight, a black one, like at the party. It was headed straight for Benjamin’s face.
Benjamin deflected it with ease, and laughed at Alex, a bitter, unhappy laugh.
“Is that the best you have?” he asked Alex. “You better step it up a notch, or you’ll lose this fight, friend,” he scowled.
I knew Alex didn’t want to hurt him, but I also knew that Alex didn’t want to lose the fight. Not because of his ego, but because that was the only way that Benjamin would leave me alone and accept our relationship.
“I don’t want to hurt you, Benjamin,” Alex warned. I immediately understood the promise behind the threat.
Benjamin laughed again.
It was getting too much for me, this fighting. I didn’t have the stomach for it; I had fooled myself thinking that I’d be able to kill Duncan. Killer Valerie, my eye! This fight had only just started, and it was already intolerable. How was I ever going to be able to fight?
The sky flashed brightl
y, turning night to day, and Benjamin fell to his knees. I didn’t see anything, and didn’t understand the sudden expression of sheer pain on his face.
“Stop! Stop this!” I yelled.
The next moment an invisible force pushed against me, hard, almost like a hurricane wind. I lost my balance, and the wetness contributing to my clumsiness, I fell back and tumbled down the stairs. My head hit the ground first with a loud ‘clunk’ sound, and then the rest of me tumbled over.
Black spots danced in front of me, but I fought it with all my might. I had to see what was happening. I ignored the throbbing egg on the back of my head, the pain in my forearm and the nausea pressing on me and got up, slowly.
Neither Benjamin nor Alex had noticed, they were too absorbed in the fight. But I was weak and disoriented by the fall. It made me lose both my sense of time and my balance. Through the black spots, I tried to keep my eyes on Alex and Benjamin, and I stumbled forward to try to part them. I fell again, and then crawled on.
“Stop this,” I yelled, my mouth opening slowly.
I didn’t see everything that happened; I could only make out an occasional thing here or there. And I didn’t know how long the black spots danced across my eyes.
One moment Alex was facing Benjamin and Benjamin was screaming in pain; the next Benjamin was gone and Alex was facing Duncan!
My mind was playing tricks on me, I thought. I must have hit my head very hard.
Rain turned into hail, deafening their conversation.
“Duncan?” Alex yelled. He stopped his attack immediately, out of pure surprise. “Where’s Benjamin?” he asked, panicked. “Murderer! I’ll have you killed for that!”
“Hold your horses there. I didn’t kill Benjamin. He died in the car crash, the night that Valerie slipped away from him,” he answered calm as a millpond, not the least bit intimidated by the pain of a few seconds ago, or by Alex’s tirade.
They both suddenly noticed me, crawling on hands and knees towards them. Alex rushed to help me up and then took up a protective stance in front of me. Duncan sneered.
“Do you know what his dying words were, Valerie?” he asked smugly, laughing at me. “He kept saying over and over: ‘She promised she would stay close to the dorm’. The best part is that I actually told you who I was, Valerie. I told you I could change form, remember? That night I visited you in your room?”
I recalled it; he had actually been unnerved by my question at first. I thought it was strange of him. Then the realisation pushed that thought away.
No! Benjamin dead! No! He had died because of me! Alex would never forgive me!
“You arrogant rogue!” Alex thundered, furiously angry, making even me jump through the dizziness and black spots and all.
“Calm down there, Mr. Powerful. Do you know who you’re talking to? I’m the new Ruler of this Galaxy, you know?” he jeered.
“Aaaah!” Alex yelled again, sounding desperate for the first time.
“Hear me out first, before you decide I’m the terrible person that you’ve always made me out to be.”
“I don’t have a choice, do I?” Alex answered shortly, glowing as brightly as I’d ever seen him.
“I do love Earth. And Valerie. I am obsessed by her, I’ll admit. I’d do anything to get her and keep her. And I’ll do anything to remove all obstacles out of my way. And that’s my only crime. Love.”
“That’s not love, that’s jealousy! And if you really believe you love her, then why did you hold her hostage and mistreat her? You even assaulted her?” Alex countered.
“Yes, I’m very sorry about that,” he said looking genuinely sorry. “But you need to understand, it was all part of the plan. When Benjamin died in front of me, it was my chance to get close to her. Those Reds running around her all the time made it difficult. The more she hated Duncan, the easier it was for her to grow fond of a helping, caring friend, you understand?”
“You hoped the bond that forms from healing would be enough to tie her to you? And now I’ve messed up your little plan again? You underestimated my power for once!” Alex gloated.
“Don’t get me wrong, I still want to kill you and actually now I can, being Ruler, having all the extra power and might at my possession. But I won’t kill you. Rather I’ll send you away; give you the worst punishment of all – exile. Just think about it: you’ll be all alone, somewhere in space, trapped forever. Forever looking down on the two of us, together.”
Sensation was coming back to me, and my sight was clearing. up. I stood motionlessly next to Alex, but I was slowly returning to myself, feeling better. I signalled this to Alex by squeezing his hand, hoping that he’d understand my message.
“Please try,” Alex threatened. “But know this: if...no, when the council finds out about your treachery, you’ll be severely punished, even by death.”
“I have a better plan. Let’s finish this, once and for all,” Duncan invited.
“Sounds like a brilliant plan,” Alex agreed.
“Give me your best, Mr. Bigshot,” Duncan mocked.
Duncan stood there with his arms next to his sides, like a soldier called to attention. He closed his eyes and took the beating, without retaliating. Alex launched one attack after the other, switching between powers and coming at him again and again. He grew brighter and brighter with each attack, seeming to become more and more furious.
And somewhere during the fight, I started to feel sorry for Duncan, for facing the wrath of the powerful sun, being a moon himself. And like he’d said, all he’d ever done wrong was to love Earth and me. The dream in the hospital came back to me, and I remembered the fear that I’d felt then for Duncan’s life.
Alex took revenge for me, for himself and for Benjamin, he took out all his worry and fear and stress on Duncan, acting like a madman, glowing brighter each second, hurting Duncan every way he could, while Duncan appeared totally defenceless.
It looked like the middle of the day instead of the middle of the night.
Alex had stopped using his powers now, and had begun physically beating Duncan.
I suddenly realised that Alex’s glow wasn’t brightening because of his fury, but rather because his link was being exceeded. And I remembered my father’s warning, that Alex would have to draw energy from the sun, more than his link could handle, and in trying to kill Duncan, would kill himself in the process.
And as Alex shone brighter and brighter, the terrible realisation hit me: I was exactly where Duncan had wanted me to be. We’d fallen straight into his trap.
I went cold with fear. I stood paralysed, desperate to save the love of my life but vacillating as I watched them fight. Duncan flashed me a smirk every now and then, as every tick of the clock forced more life out of Alex, bringing him closer and closer to his death. It was happening right in front of me, and something just snapped in my mind.
Suddenly I knew what I had to do: I had to draw power from the centre of the Earth, to heal Alex and to kill Duncan myself. It was the one thing that Duncan had wanted from the very beginning – the shift in balance, to throw Earth from its orbit.
It would be a risky move, but I trusted my instincts.
Without the slightest hesitation, I planted my feet firmly on the ground. My hands jumped into position, instinctively knowing exactly where they needed to be. I closed my eyes and I saw the raw energy in the centre of the earth, fighting to get out, strong and wild with fury. We were completely in sync, Earth and I. She was just as upset as I was.
The wave of feeling rose slowly, the soil growing warmer and warmer around me. And when it reached me, my legs faltered and I fell to my knees. It was nothing less than pure, raw energy and it slowly pushed up through me, drawing every bit of energy from my body so I could barely stay on my knees and let the energy flow into my hands. My arms shook heavily, almost out of my control. Even my ears buzzed.
Only the thought of Alex gave me the strength to hold on, to let it continue through me.
“Val
erie! Valerie, no!” I heard someone yelling, faint and weak.
I didn’t pay any attention to the call. All I could focus on was that I had to save Alex, and I pushed even harder for the wave of energy to grow onwards.
As the energy left my hands, the enormous strain eased suddenly, even though it was still flowing as strongly as before. I even had enough control now to open my eyes.
But the moment that I opened them it became clear why the strain had eased up.
Lisa was next to me on her knees as well, completely relaxed, with her eyes closed. And for the first time ever, I saw her glowing: very strongly, a bright golden colour.
The colour was strange, matching her blonde hair almost perfectly. But the gold was turning blue, quickly. I followed the edges of her glow and then realised why.
One of Lisa’ hands was gripped tightly around mine. We were sharing a link!
I tried frantically to remember what Alex had told me about sharing links, about why it was dangerous and what would happen. But my mind was blank; there were too many things going on around me. I concentrated, and gasped as I remembered.
By sharing an energy link with me, she was balancing the transfer of energy in such a way that Earth could not be overpowered. But she was risking her own life and planet to do it.
The situation seemed even worse than before. Lisa was possibly saving the entire human population, Earth and everything on it, but she was making the consequences even worse. Now I had to find a way to save not only the love of my life, but my best friend in the world as well. If I did nothing, they would both be gone. Out of my life. As if they had never existed.
No! I wouldn’t allow it, not both of them!
“Nooooo!” Duncan yelled as he suddenly registered our shared connection.
For the first time ever, Duncan was intimidated; the smirk now replaced with an expression of shock. That one word gave me hope. Not much, but just enough.
In front of me, the energy was flowing from both my and Lisa’s hands into Duncan in the form of a beam that looked like lightning. It flowed through Duncan into Alex: Duncan didn’t have a chance, it was too strong and I knew it.
Lisa’s body next to me was shaking violently. Her eyes were still closed and her face was expressionless, but her cheeks were a bright red. Her glow was now completely blue, but it was flickering.
I knew that was a bad sign.
I dropped my hands.
I knew it would be safe, as I felt the presence of the three Reds behind me.
Lisa, Alex and Duncan fell to the ground, like puppets cut loose from their strings.
Lisa’s glow flickered, fading, fainter and fainter. And then she disappeared. One second she was on the ground, the next she was gone without a trace.
And this is where I am now. I wish I knew more about where I come from.
I want to know everything; I want to know why I exist, why I am here.
If only I could remember more about those first three years of my life, maybe all of this would make sense to me. Why am I on Earth? Why was I ever created?
After all, there is no way that a baby could survive out in the wild on its own. Surely someone must have protected me and kept me alive while I was weak and small and vulnerable?
I cannot remember anything out of the ordinary from my life before I was adopted. I’ve tried a million times to think of something significant, without any success… nothing that could explain any of this, or even give me a clue to the mystery of how or what happened that brought me to life.
Why am I so unique? Why me? What makes me so special? Why am I the most special one, out of three hundred ambassadors, and out of billions of celestial bodies?
Or am I?