“Are you still dating Jimmy Johnson?” Zander bit the inside of his cheek, internally kicking himself. It was the only question that came to mind because he had thought about the answer for months.
“No, we broke up at graduation,” Jade said. She didn’t appear upset about the breakup, and Zander's shoulders relaxed. “Are you dating anyone?” She asked.
Zander couldn't take his eyes off her while she stared at the dark sky. He had a moment of déjà vu. Wasn't she staring at the stars last Thanksgiving Eve, shouting that someone was out there?
He debated making up a story about a fling at college, but he decided against it. It wasn't going to impress Jade. “No,” Zander replied.
“It looks like it's going to rain,” Jade commented.
Zander looked up at the sky. Dark gray storm clouds hovered low and moved hurriedly above the houses. Their shadowed bottoms looked heavy like at any moment they could split open and drench the earth below.
“Yes, those are cumulonimbus clouds.”
Jade looked at Zander. “Cumulo-what?”
“Cumulonimbus clouds have a flat base and sit at a low altitude. They’re the most common clouds during thunderstorms,” Zander explained.
A cumulonimbus cloud hovered over the house in the yard behind them, sending it into darkness. Seconds later, lightning pierced the sky. “Whoa! Did you see that?” Zander asked. He leaned forward in his seat.
Jade had seen the bolt of lightning, but Zander was too excited to have only seen the zig-zagging electric spark. Was there something else that caught his attention? Did he see one of the strange occurrences that plagued her everyday life?
“See what?” Jade mirrored Zander's posture.
“I don't know…I…uh…” Zander stammered. A black eye floater entered his vision. It was the first time he’d seen a floater in months. He glanced at Jade. Her eyes followed the floater across the backyard. It traveled away from the cumulonimbus clouds.
Their eyes met. “What did you see?” Jade asked, again. She waited breathlessly for his answer. Did he see the same thing that she did?
Zander gulped. He seemed to know that his response was important to her. He didn't want to say the wrong thing, and there was no denying what he saw. “A rip in the sky.” Jade’s stomach did a somersault.
They watched as the floater traversed the length of the yard and hopped the fence to the neighboring lawn. Zander and Jade jumped to their feet to watch the floater’s movement, but they lost the spot against the dark sky.
“Look!” Jade pointed at two men who had burst through the back gate of the neighboring yard. They wore navy suits with bold brass buttons and military style caps with a flat sloping crown, band and visor. An unfamiliar insignia of silver tubular flowers on their shoulder sleeve caught the light from the back of the neighbor’s house. Without a moment’s hesitation, they hopped the same fence that the floater passed over.
“Do you think they are pursuing the…” Zander’s voice trailed off. He didn’t know what to call the floater that moved like a person. Jade shrugged her shoulders.
Before they could say anything further, rain poured down, soaking their clothes. They ran inside for cover.
* * * *
Chapter Three: The Thanksgiving Eve with their Whole Lives Ahead of Them
Senior Year of College
Age: 21
Zander was sitting on his bed, leaning against the headboard, and typing on his laptop. His last year at Yale for undergraduate school was shaping up to be a breeze. He had enough credits to graduate early, but decided to take a few classes for fun like Entrepreneurship and Innovation and, now that he was old enough to legally drink alcohol, Introduction to Wines.
Law school was next on his list, and he scored well on the entrance exam and applied early to his number one school. He would spend his summers volunteering for local politicians, and then perhaps run for office himself. He had his life all planned out.
Rayley knocked on Zander's bedroom door. “Hey, Z.” She stepped into the room, knotting her hands in front of her. Her hair was pulled neatly into a ponytail instead of the halo of frizz that surrounded her when she was in high school.
Zander was feeling confident as he put the computer aside and smiled at his sister. “Hey, Ray. What's happening?”
Rayley gave Zander a sheepish grin. “Did you agree to go to Murphy's Music Hall tonight for the Thanksgiving Eve party?”
Zander narrowed his eyes. “Yes, Vicki said that's the plan.”
Rayley dropped on to the corner of the bed, looking defeated. “Oh, no.”
“I thought you wanted to go.”
“I do, but I have so much school work.” Rayley was a sophomore at New York University in Manhattan. High school classes had been easy for her. She studied for tests with friends and earned extra credit from teachers when she needed to improve her grades. College was a different ball game. The classes were every person for themselves, especially for her since she had no one to lean on.
Zander could sympathize. He was a senior in college now, but he remembered the heavy workload adjustment. “Fine, we won't go.”
Rayley grimaced. “I don't want to be the party pooper. I've been ditching Vicki all semester. She feels like everyone is moving on with their lives except her.”
Rayley treasured her friendship with Vicki. Until she went to school in a big city, she didn’t realize how nice it was to have a friend care for you unconditionally. She found few friendly faces on Wall Street and Silicon Alley.
At the same time, living in Manhattan was opening Rayley up to a world of possibilities—financial markets and high-speed technology opportunities. Despite her fierce loyalty to her best friend, she wasn’t sure if Vicki and small-town Woodpine would fit in her future plans.
“Okay, you stay here to study, and I'll go with Vicki.”
“But I wanted to hang out with you.”
Zander laughed. “What do you want me to do?”
Rayley dragged herself off the bed. “Okay, I'll go. The school work will still be there tomorrow.”
Zander hadn't been excited about going to the local watering hole either, but Vicki was like a sister to him. Going to see her was the right thing to do, even if it meant socializing with old classmates.
Back in Woodpine for one day and Zander could feel his old insecurities creeping in. “What do I wear to a Music Hall?” he asked and heard Rayley groaning from the next room.
Jade strode around the island in her mother’s kitchen. Her hair was knotted in a messy bun on top of her head and her tattered jeans had rips across the knees. “I'm going to live with my friend, Michelle.”
Jade was in her final year of college. She wasn't sure what she would do after graduation, and the indecision weighed on her mind, but she was positive that she had to get out of her mother's house.
Jade's mother moved to block her from escaping through the door. “No, you are not.” Jade was taller, but her mother's icy stare could freeze a desert sun.
“I'm twenty-one, and I don't have to live under your roof.” Jade pushed past her mother and headed up the stairs. This was the first time that she outright refused to follow her mother's plan. In the past, Jade passive aggressively ignored her mother's text messages or changed her outfit when she was out of her mother's clutches, but that part of her life was over.
“Jade Quark Miller.” Jade's mother rarely used her middle name. It wasn't on official documentation on school forms, but when she was angry, her mother used it like a knife to Jade's throat. “You are my daughter, and that means you have obligations!”
The longer Jade stayed in her mother's house, the more eye floaters she saw and the more moving shadows she came across. It was causing her to be wary of every corner she turned. Did she have an obligation to go insane?
Jade pivoted and glared at her mother. “Obligations? What does that mean?” Jade said, and she meant it. What obligations did she have to her mother, the person who kicked Jade when she w
as down and caused every insecurity?
Her mother crossed her arms and stuck out her chin. “You follow my rules, and everything will be fine.”
Jade rolled her eyes and turned away. Her mother followed her. It was time to sever ties with her mom, the ultimate helicopter parent. If she could live Jade's life for her and make all the important decisions for her, she would. Jade held the knob of her bedroom door in her hand and said, “Why is it so important to micro-manage my life? To keep me a prisoner until I find the right partner?”
Her mother's lips made a straight line. “You wouldn't understand.”
Jade stamped her foot and growled in frustration. “Help me understand.”
Jade's mother lifted one eyebrow. “I'll make you a deal. Stay under my roof, and after graduation, I'll tell you why.”
Jade stared at her mother. She had never offered to explain it before. Her snappy answers were always “because I said so” or “they just are.” Jade didn’t know if she could trust her mother.
The memories of strange occurrences flooded her mind. It was either run and try to escape the madness or stay like a caged animal, hoping for clarity. Did she have a choice?
“I have to think about it.” She grabbed her keys and headed out the door.
Ms. Miller scrubbed the inside of a lasagna dish with a soapy sponge. Her muscles ached, but she hardly noticed. She was thinking about her children. She was always thinking about her children. They were the reason she worked hard at the local department store and came home to cook dinner and clean the house.
Protecting her children was becoming more difficult the older they became. It used to be easy to convince them to do things her way without much of an explanation. Now, they questioned every decision. Lately, the worrying gave her migraines.
She didn’t like keeping them in the dark. She didn’t enjoy the secrets. However, it was for their own good. The only thing that kept them safe was their ignorance about the way things were before they were old enough to remember.
Ms. Miller shuddered at the thought of her life before she crossed to the Land of the Free. She had lived without certainty that they would have food to eat or a roof over their heads. Each day was full of terror and desperation. Once she was pregnant with Bobby, she knew she had to leave, even if it was illegal.
For years, she was comforted by the fact that if people were to come sniffing around, her children would be unable to answer their questions. They would maintain their innocence. Once they knew the truth about her and her past, they were at risk. How was she supposed to explain this to them?
She didn’t have the same luxury her sister did. Her sister had come to the Land of the Free a year before Ms. Miller and without children. She married a wealthy businessman and gave birth to Marcus.
A black floater passed through the Miller’s back yard and caused Ms. Miller’s back to stiffen. She watched the dot pass with her jaw clenched. Thanksgiving made her edgy and for good reason.
Ms. Miller touched her wrists. She could almost feel the cold metal. It had been over two decades since that Thanksgiving full of dread and fear. She took a risk that day and was lucky not to get caught. She did everything in her power to keep it that way, even if she had to face the resentment of her children. At least they were safe.
Zander picked up Vicki on their way to the Music Hall and realized it didn't matter what he was wearing. Everyone would be staring at Vicki and her itsy bitsy teeny weenie sequin dress. Zander's jaw dropped when he saw her. He went into over-protective brother mode.
“Hey Z, hey Ray.” Vicki kissed them on the cheek before making herself comfortable in the back seat. “The three of us hanging out on Thanksgiving Eve, just like old times.”
Vicki’s voice had a tone of nostalgia. She missed being a part of a crew. Even though she went out five days a week, she couldn’t seem to chase away the loneliness. Now that she was back with Zander and Rayley, she was determined to have a good time.
Zander wanted to start out the night on a positive note, but he pictured men drooling over Vicki. Her lack of clothing rendered him unable to mutter a proper greeting. Instead he snapped, “Where's your coat?”
Vicki crinkled her nose, like Zander was asking an irrational question even though the temperature was approaching freezing and the forecast called for snow. “I'll be warm once I start dancing. Plus, who wants to pay for coat check?”
Vicki had forgotten how sensitive Zander could be. The outlandish outfits were part of her new persona. The attention from men was almost enough to fill the void. Zander wouldn’t be shocked if he came home to Woodpine more often.
Zander rolled his eyes and looked at his sister. Rayley gave a curt head shake, indicating that he should drop the topic. With a forced calm, Zander didn't badger Vicki. He knew Rayley wanted to make the night as fun as possible for her best friend.
At least Zander didn't have to worry about his sister acting the same way. Sensible Rayley had a pea coat over a casual sweater. She may have wanted to stay home and finish her schoolwork, but once she committed to the night, she simply added mascara.
Murphy's Music Hall was next to Woodpine's train station on the main street in town, Washington Avenue. It was a looming structure. During the day, it stood silent and desolate with its doors barred shut, but at night it came alive; music from the band could be heard from blocks away.
Vicki shivered on her stiletto heels as they walked through the parking lot. She had been an average student in high school, and now she was attending the local community college. As she tip-toed like an expert around the cars and potholes, it was becoming obvious to Zander that she regularly went to Murphy's.
Zander tried to give Vicki his jacket, but she shrugged it off her shoulders. “We'll be inside in a minute.”
Vicki caught Rayley tugging Zander’s arm away. She smiled at her friend’s attempt to defend her. Rayley hadn’t been around much over the past year, always giving Vicki a lame excuse why she couldn’t hang out.
Things had changed since high school, and Vicki felt the empty space that Rayley had left behind. However, she was determined to make a fresh start. Vicki skipped the last few steps inside, anticipating the night would be fun.
Jade leaned against the back wall of the bar with her arms crossed over her chest. Her body had been in the music hall for a couple hours now, but her mind was struggling with the answer she had to give her mom. Should she stay home for the last year of college or not? Her mother promised to give her answers after graduation, but the fear that, no matter what, she was going to be on the losing side of the deal ate away at her thoughts.
The music hall was full of carefree girls, singing along to the music and dancing with their boyfriends. The female bartender winked at a sexy male customer as she handed him a jack and coke. Why couldn’t she be like them?
Jade caught her cousin, Marcus, leaning against a high-top table with his eyes locked on a brunette in a short sequined dress. Marcus watched her hips move like she was a goddess, tempting men onto the dance floor. Drool practically dripped from the corner of his mouth. Despite his obvious longing, Marcus made no attempt to join her and the flock of circling men.
Jade’s gaze wandered to the entrance. She felt her face heat up as she caught the tattoo-covered muscular doorman watching her. A purple flower with silver veining crept up his neck. It looked faded, like he had attempted to remove the art with a laser, but the plant continued to strangle him. Her mother would definitely not approve of him.
Carl the doorman recognized the blonde girl from whispers around town. The rumors were that her mother kept their family history a secret from her children. He shook his head thinking about the mistake. How were these kids supposed to protect themselves?
The stories brought back memories about his own treacherous journey to the Land of the Free. Life in Zone Black on the Isle of the Lost was lonely and dangerous. He wouldn’t have evaded the Parallel Military Intelligence without the things he knew and the connecti
ons he made. His right hand clutched his left arm as he rolled his wrist like there were phantom bindings.
Most people in the music hall didn’t know that the next day was more than just Thanksgiving. To the Rogues looking to escape the Isle of the Lost, this was All Shadows Eve. The latest rumors about the living conditions and level of desperation put him on edge. People were becoming reckless, and someone like blondie could get caught in the crossfire. Carl vowed to keep an eye on her for the night. It was the best he could do without exposing himself.
Jade found his face unreadable, but the attention was uncomfortable. She tore her eyes away, wondering why she had piqued his interest. Her brother Bobby crossed the dance floor to the bar. His cheeks were pink and his eyes unfocused. Jade followed.
“Do you really need another beer? I've lost count of how many you've had.” She came off cross, but she was relieved to focus on someone other than the doorman or herself.
“Why are you counting?” Bobby flagged down the bartender, ignoring his sister. He flashed his fake I.D. and handed over his credit card. Jade pulled his sleeve to get his attention.
“What's your problem?” Bobby asked. Alcohol had become the perfect escape. When he was drunk, he could ignore the strange things that no one else noticed. He could pretend to be normal.
Jade gawked at him. “Are you serious? You’re never home. You party every night of the week. Are you even going to classes?”
Bobby huffed, grabbed his beer and stumbled as he turned to head back to the dance floor. Steadying himself on the bar, he gave Jade a pinched expression. “Lighten up. It's Thanksgiving Eve. Biggest party night of the year.”
He didn’t trust anyone. He caught people around town looking at him funny. They didn’t see the things he saw. He did what he had to survive.
Jade rubbed her brow as if to ward off a headache. “I'm trying to protect you—”
All Shadows Eve Page 4