by E Kathryn
Grimacing a little, Kip sighed. “I thought that was pretty clear to you. You’re an Elemental Shadow, as am I. Our Shadows aren’t a physical part of our body, and we have to summon them to use them. For Physical Shadows, the power is always there. There’s no way to stop using it,” he explained, though seeming a bit disappointed.
Kip patted his back suddenly, his smile returning. “But there’s more than just Physical and Elemental Shadows. There’re also Psychological Shadows, and those ones are really powerful! Abilities to control minds, manipulate chance and perception. I’ve never met any Psychological Shadows, but everyone knows about them. The most famous one is Shadow Hope. Keller told us it has appeared in this generation and we’re still waiting for its powers to surface.”
“What’s so special about the power of Hope?” Mark asked, a little snark in his voice.
Laughing at him, Kip’s innocence prevailed. “Shadow Hope isn’t the power of Hope. It’s a special kind of Psychological Shadow called an Orchestrator. There’s only five known Orchestrators that I’ve heard of. And they have the ability to push events into place without even showing themselves. They orchestrate things, that’s where the name comes from. Keller told us that an Orchestrator is always responsible for bringing about the Exodus, that’s why everyone is keeping an eye out for Hope.” Kip’s cheer never died.
Elise cut in. “Aside from that, Mark, are you aware of any of the rumors going around about you?” she asked seeming a little concerned for him.
Mark tensed, puzzled to no end. “Rumors? What are you talking about. I just got here. How can there already be rumors?”
Rita spoke up, shaking her head. “You wouldn’t understand them anyway,” she put forward, cutting off Elise. “I know you’re well aware Kimberly thinks you look like that Shadow who died nine months ago, but that’s not the only thing the Shadows are guessing about you. See, no one can get how you stayed away from the ASH so long, unless you were here before and you just can’t remember.”
With his eyes widening, Mark said, “But that can’t be possible. I’ve lived with my family all my life.”
Blowing it off, Rita continued in her thick Scottish accent, “What if you only think that?” she suggested. Mark fell silent growing more confused by the second. “A few months ago, there was a Shadow here that no one saw often, and one day he came out here as if he were running from the ASH and somehow, he passed through the shield just like you did yesterday. There were many Shadows who saw it, but rumor has it that Shadow died hours later for an unknown reason. No one ever saw the body afterwards, not even Keller.”
Elise cut her off. “You’re making that sound like a ghost story! The basis of the rumor is clearly untrue, but some Shadows are guessing that somehow you faked your own death after your first attempt at escaping failed, and you’ve lost all memory of the ASH and now you have memories that you’ve been living with your family all this time. It can’t be explained, and it’s probably not true, but I thought you should hear them, so you can prove them wrong.”
Mark looked at the ground, his heart beating faster. It did seem to fit and what if it was true? What if his own memories were false? “But…” he got out hoarsely, “I know I’ve been living with my family, just two days ago I was with them.”
Elise shook her head. “Don’t worry, Mark. The rumors are most likely false, but even I can’t deny that I saw that Shadow escape months ago. I didn’t see him die or anything, but I do know he passed through the shield like you did.”
Grimacing, Mark tied his fingers together. “It gets deeper…” he whispered. Something was going on here, two Shadows now had been compared to his strange doppelganger, and a mystery as to how powerful Mark was had begun to unfold.
Rita suddenly laid a hand on Mark’s shoulder. “Hey, do you see the track?” she jeered, pointing to the sidewalk which surrounded the courtyard.
Mark shrugged seeing the Shadows skating on it and muttered indifferently, “Yeah.”
Excitedly, Rita knelt to tighten the laces on her skates. “Want to race?” she asked. Standing, she took a spin around him, circling him to entice, however, it was her accent that simply threw Mark off, almost unsure of what she was asking.
Mark tensed a little, comprehending her request and he sprung back from her. “No!” He reverted from his quick movements and sighed heavily, grumbling, “I-I’m in enough trouble with the Shadows as it is. I don’t want to be in even more!”
Rita shrugged, disappointed. “But it’d be fun!”
Mark attempted to stand firm in his decision and crossed his arms over his chest. Rita smiled, unscathed in her humor by Mark’s lack of it. She immediately looked to Elise, Kip, and Cesc. “What about you guys? Wanna race?” she asked.
They agreed promptly, laughing as they did. Kip pulled his hands into fists and raised them to about the height of his chin then faced Mark with a broad, puppy-like smile on his face. He didn’t need to say anything. If Kip wanted him to do it, it made Mark infinitely more comfortable doing it. Mark succumbed, and Kip got him to fetch his skates, which all of them seemed to wear like normal shoes.
The sidewalk was like a highway with skaters, and Mark took the opportunity to put on his skates, tightening them as much as possible before getting up again. Kip offered him a hand, which he took, and it occurred to Mark that Kip claimed to be the same age as him and yet he was a lot smaller than him, very pale and underweight, and visibly weaker.
Of course, all Shadows were unique, but Kip was different than the others. Mark realized just how happy Kip was that he had a friend who had similar powers to him and would spend time with him where others would not.
They waited to step into the path until the Shadows skating along it had past and then lined up by twos parallel, except for Rita who started in the front. Faster than Mark imagined, more Shadows came up behind them seeing their stance and knowing immediately that they were preparing to race. Mark found himself starting in fourth place out of twelve, and he mused to himself. It was perfectly the same as when he raced in a video game with his sister just before all this nonsense happened.
Mark contemplated again what if that hadn’t happened? What if it was a false memory, and he had indeed feigned his own death or something to escape from the ASH. He shook his head. The rumors couldn’t be true. He dismissed them altogether. From beside him, Kip shouted, “Rules!” as everyone was in place.
Rita started. “One circuit!”
“No powers,” Elise added from where she was positioned second place behind Rita, “unless it’s to prevent you or someone else from falling!”
Cesc continued from third place, “To the spigot by the ASI.” He pointed. Mark looked ahead of them and indeed saw a spigot where Cesc suggested. That was the finish line.
Mark tensed as he figured it was his turn, but he said nothing and Kip nudged him telling him that he didn’t have to say anything by his expression only. In fact, no one behind Kip added any rules beyond that. There were enough. Mark’s heart was already racing and they hadn’t even started.
Rita shouted again to prepare, then everyone secured a stance. Mark tried to mimic the same position, but he gulped, confused at what he had gotten himself into. He was caught unprepared as Rita shouted a word that hardly sounded like go, and Mark was run over by the Shadow that was behind him. Struggling to get moving, Mark swerved unused to his skates as he stumbled to keep up with Kip, who was already ahead of him.
He tripped and stopped the fall unsteadily with his hands on the ground and Kip slowed considerately to help him if he needed it. Mark turned him down, and stood on his own, gaining his balance and finding his rhythm to increase his speed. Kip smiled and cheered triumphantly as Mark sped up by his side, and Kip had to increase his own speed to stay ahead of Mark.
Mark and Kip were now in sixth and seventh place with Kip ahead of Mark, but they were more working together than competing. The circuit was large enough that they would have plenty of time to catch up. Mark’
s footing became a pattern as he and Kip passed two Shadows who were walking together calmly in the late October air. The wind blew in Mark’s face, holding his annoying bangs over his head for him, though they occasionally fell between his eyes and stayed there, pressed to his face with his speed.
In Mark’s vigor, he passed Kip, who competed to stay in front of him though failed. As he surpassed him, despite his experience, skinny little Kip was no match for him. Mark was stronger. Losing his focus, Mark watched Kip’s endurance, how he was constantly fighting the Shadows. He was smaller than them, and always weaker, but he wouldn’t allow himself to be left behind.
Mark tensed abruptly, as he was saw Kip from behind. The little sunspot had gotten ahead of him. Mark groaned at his loss of attention and sped up again, focusing on his rhythm to pass Kip. He was stronger than Kip, but only when he was paying attention. Kip was quick and experienced, his movements smooth and premeditated, and his focus didn’t ever seem to falter like Mark’s did.
Mark felt his back aching from this activity, but even with the pain, he pressed himself harder to pass Kip and catch up with the others. Cesc gave him trouble as he caught up behind the mauve-skinned Shadow. He navigated to skate in front of him causing Mark to swerve, unbalanced.
Cesc wasn’t even looking back to see Mark, and somehow, he knew that Cesc was using the Realm to know exactly what Mark’s movements were. How had he known that? The Realm was a pulse in the back of his head, a quiet indicator of Shadows he had never been able to use because he’d never been around other Shadows. When he thought about it, he was able to sense the others’ positions without even looking.
Mark could feel in his heart, the place Kip spoke about, something was guiding him forward to keep going, and a dark Shadow entered his soul and his demeanor. Mark’s eyes became deep crimson in color and dark smoke of his fire… or something else, trailed behind him. Looking directly at Cesc’s back, Mark whispered, “Stop,” aloud, but softly.
Mark swerved to the right as Cesc abruptly halted, perfectly baffled as to why, and he even gathered others to see what was wrong. Cesc gazed at the others shrugging and gathering his senses gradually. Tensing, he continued racing forward with a loud swear. “That rat!”
“What!” Elise wondered as she had stopped to see what was wrong with Cesc.
Cesckim grumbled to pick up the pace. “He just used a Shadow on me!” he cursed.
Elise skated ahead of Cesc with a quicker pace. “Let’s give him some grace. His powers are unrefined. It could have been an accident.”
Kip came up behind hearing what Elise and Cesc had said. “But what did he do?” he wondered. “That was like mind control, it has nothing to do with fire.”
Elise focused onward pensively. Cesc gained ground on them. “I don’t know,” she whispered. “A second Shadow?”
Tensing abruptly, Kip nearly tripped. “Impossible!” he swore. “There’s no way for him to gain two Shadows!” Elise didn’t respond after this and focused on racing forward. Kip followed closely, trying to put it out of his mind.
Mark continued accelerating and passed two more Shadows, who he didn’t know or hadn’t been introduced to, and soon he reached Rita, who was still in first place. Mark’s demeanor grew dark again, and his eyes glazed over. “Teleport back!”
Abruptly, a flash of green mist surrounded Rita, and she suddenly vanished then reappeared some ways behind Mark. He wasn’t exactly thinking about what he had done, but now he was in first place and that was all he was thinking about. His back panged, but he ignored it for the sake of winning.
Suddenly, Rita reappeared in front of him, but now so closely that he almost tripped. “I’ll have none of your tricks!” she swore in her thick accent.
Mark fought, racing at her side to get ahead of her again. He could see the spigot ahead of them now, vaguely just around the turn. It was then that he realized this second Shadow had the power of mind control, and he was the master over it.
Beaming happily, he strengthened his rhythm to go faster. This time, he mentally shot the beam without reaching his hand forward. “Stop, Rita.”
Rita stopped at full speed and couldn’t gather her thoughts fast enough to start back up. Mark passed her, unstoppable and leaving Rita behind to find her rhythm again.
Mark’s eyes locked onto his goal. Nothing could stop him from redeeming himself from the mistakes and incompetence he had shown since he came here. He had to prove he wasn’t weak. He wouldn’t back down again. Rita teleported again, now right beside him. Mark tensed, startled by her sudden appearance and lost his balance. He fought to regain his rhythm, but he began to swerve.
Ahead of him, Mark spied Sil crossing. They weren’t two yards apart when Mark lost control of himself to stop, react, or change course. Sil’s golden eyes met with Mark’s for half a second. He wore the leather strap over his shoulder with the rest on which Winter perched and the arm guard on his arm. He didn’t have his hand-project with him. Mark and Sil tensed alike, gazing at each other simultaneously.
Mark couldn’t regain his balance quick enough and found himself with a quick decision in falling. It would be more logical to fall to the right but that led into the energy field. He would pass through it and if he did, the entire ASH and Keller would learn he could lead the Shadows to escape. If he fell left it would be in front of Sil’s path. He’d look like an idiot, but if he continued as he was, he would again collide with Sil and his life would be over.
Hastily, he closed his eyes, and fell to the left.
Mark’s next sensation was that his back hurt terribly from the fall, but he stayed silent as he slowly opened his eyes.
Twelve Shadows looked over him concerned and confused. He figured he had indeed made a fool of himself. Abruptly, Mark heard Sil cackling at him, loudly and obnoxiously, but it didn’t sound like Sil.
He spied that the gauze on Sil’s face was gone, and so were the burns, and before Mark had even acknowledged the sight. Sil’s facial features were blurring. “Wow!” said a voice that sounded completely different from Sil’s resounded over him. “Are you that afraid of Sil?”
Mark cringed as Sil’s white hair shortened in length and turned strawberry blonde. He grew shorter and his eyes turned from gold to gray.
“You again!” Mark swore angrily.
Mickey giggled like a little girl. It was just too much fun for him to prank Mark. He was ignorant, confused, and gullible, traits which made pranks work. Mickey looked like he was three years younger than Mark.
Confounded, Mark found Kip, desperate for an explanation but he blew Mark off. “Why don’t you go torment somebody else?” Kip scolded Mickey
Before Mark’s eyes, Mickey grew even smaller, got down onto the ground, grew fur, and turned into a puppy. The sight baffled Mark, and he couldn’t believe that a power like his could be possible.
“Who won?” Mark asked timidly.
Kip gestured to the spigot as Rita was gliding over to it on her skates, passing it leisurely. “Rita always wins,” he muttered. “You’re actually the first one who’s gotten close to beating her, however, you did cheat,” he held out a hand to Mark.
Taking the hand, Mark stood up wincing with the pain in his back. He blushed, however, he had cheated by using a Shadow. He groaned and massaged his temples. “What the heck did I do?”
Kip shrugged. “That was pretty bizarre. It was like some sort of mind control power…” he muttered with some effort, still panting.
“How?”
Kip shook his head unsure, and he changed the subject. “By the way, Mickey’s Shadow is an example of a Physical Shadow that can disappear.” He tied in Mark’s interest, helping him ignore his confusion. “He literally turns his body into someone or something else, down to their Shadow, and genetics. He’s let the ASH experiment on him a little, and they found that he is completely identical to the person he’s mimicking, like fingerprints and blood type. But you noticed he looks younger than he is?”
Mark nod
ded.
“He’s forgotten his real form, and he refers to a picture from when he was younger to mimic, he’s actually seventeen when he looks twelve.” Kip added in jesting, “And acts twelve…”
Mark was able to laugh a little, but not long. Out of nowhere a dark spike flew at him and missed him by only a hair. It scored Kip on the arm cutting him shallowly. Kip shrieked with a mild curse and Mark jumped back a pace. Mark looked behind him to see that it had been Sage who had misfired a quill at them. With his quills arched he apologized embarrassed.
Kip winced and looked at his hand and the blood coming from the cut. “Oh, the irony…” he whispered as Mark neared, concerned. “All right, Mister Cauterization,” he mused and lit his hand brightly with heat hot enough to melt metal. He allowed his arm to be burned enough for it to close the cut, and it didn’t seem to hurt at all.
Kip beamed, quite surprised. “That worked out well!”
Mark nodded exasperated and still a little winded from falling, his back ached a little more than he expected. “Told you.” Even standing up straight hurt.
“Are you all right?” Kip asked, seeing his cringed face.
With a half-meant shrug, Mark winced. “My back is hurting.”
Considerately, Kip laid a hand on Mark’s shoulder. “Would you like to go back inside?” he suggested, offering Mark a little help in returning inside. Kip was calm and cheerful, but Mark began to see worry in his eyes, a little paranoia about what he had seen during the race. Just as the ASH’s cold walls surrounded them, Mark could sense the fear in Kip’s heart, revolving around that dark form, which had allowed Mark to trick Rita’s mind and control it.
X
TOO PALE IN COMPARISON
Taking advantage of the open doors, Emilie wandered the halls of the ASH, floating almost aimlessly if it wasn’t for her ever-present inclination to cause mischief. However, today it was Sil’s absence that drove her to remain indoors even when it was her only chance to have a whole open space to feel the air all around her and the ground far beneath her.