All Shadows Eve

by Alana (Siegel) Mag

  An anger that Marcus had never felt before surged through his limbs. He grabbed Bobby again and shoved him hard until he stumbled against the brick wall of the building.

  “What’s your problem, Marcus?”

  Marcus put his hands on his knees and forced himself to calm down. Bobby wasn’t an enemy. He was a walking, breathing cry for help, and beating him to a pulp wasn’t going to solve anything. His comments about Vicki were rude but also a reflection of how low Bobby had fallen.

  Marcus took a step toward Bobby. He put a hand on his shoulder. “What’s going on? You can tell me. I’m here for you.”

  Bobby swiped Marcus’s hand off his shoulder. “Here for me? Yeah, right.”

  Marcus started to snap back but he looked at his cousin’s hopeless face and felt the anger subside. Guilt and pain took its place. This was his fault. “I was gone for a while, but I’m here now.”

  Bobby was drunk and high and yet he still felt the world around threatening to pull him apart one string at a time. He stepped up to his cousin until they were eye to eye. “You can’t help me. You don’t see the things that I see.”

  The blood in Marcus’s veins froze. “What do you see?”

  Bobby’s eyes were clear for a moment. “People in the shadows. Voices begging for my help.”

  Marcus gulped. This was his moment to clear the air. He had to tell Bobby why he left. “It’s my fault you see them. They follow me everywhere I go. That’s why I had to leave.”

  Time stood still as Marcus waited for Bobby’s anger. Instead, Bobby let out a heinous cackle. Marcus stared at him, wondering if the drugs and alcohol were to blame for the reaction. “Marcus, they don’t follow you. They were here when you left. They’re everywhere. You’re not special, just damned, like me.”

  After Bobby’s outburst in the bar, Rayley had excused herself and headed to the bathroom, leaving Jade alone with Zander. Jade looked at him. He looked as uncertain as she felt. This was not how they imagined the night proceeding.

  “Do you want to grab pizza at Lorenzo's?” Zander asked. Jade was grateful for the suggestion. She agreed, releasing the breath that she didn't realize she was holding.

  Zander held the door for Jade, and they walked in the opposite direction of Marcus and Bobby. Neither one of them wanted to deal with Bobby’s drama. They let Marcus take care of it. Jade crossed her arms to protect herself from the piercing cold, and Zander blew hot air into his cupped hands.

  “Cold outside,” Zander noted, searching for a discussion topic.

  Their conversations on the phone the last few months flowed effortlessly. Did Jade make him nervous? The thought made her smile.

  “Yes, but it's been colder. Remember that Thanksgiving Eve a couple years ago—”

  “—when it snowed. Of course, I do.”

  There had been no expectations the last time. They had ended up at Lorenzo's after prying Bobby and Vicki from the dance floor. However, the buzz of chemistry in the car before Zander dropped Jade off had been palpable. Two years later, the attraction only intensified. Zander kept her gaze, making her blush. “We shared pizza that night, too.”

  Lorenzo's Pizzeria was sparsely filled with the late-night crowd occupying high tops and booths. They approached the counter and Lorenzo eyed them with twinkling eyes. “Look who it is, the Ivy league graduate, gracing us with his presence.”

  Zander's shoulders relaxed as he gave him a good-natured grin. “I graduated college over two years ago, are you really going to keep doing this?”

  Lorenzo crossed his arms over his chest. “You cost your parents hard-earned money to go to a fancy college, and how do you repay them? Head to law school to spend more money!”

  Zander jabbed his finger in the air with a grin. “My parents gladly paid for their erudite son to attend a world class institution.”

  As Lorenzo joked with Zander, he kept an eye on the street through the windows of his store, looking for floaters. Lorenzo had heard rumors that life on the Isle of the Lost was becoming violent. More Rogues than ever before were escaping during All Shadows Eve. He kept the concern from showing on his face.

  “Pfft!” Lorenzo scoffed, but Jade could tell they were both enjoying the banter. “Ungrateful know-it-all! I could have taught you how to bake pizzas for free!”

  Zander put his right hand over his heart. “A respectable career decision. How could I have strayed so far?” Zander glanced at Jade. “Please, Lorenzo, must we bicker in front of the lady?”

  Lorenzo cleared his throat. “I apologize. Are you lovebirds looking for a slice of pizza to share in private?” Jade averted her eyes, feeling the warmth in her cheeks. Was it obvious that they were romantically involved with each other?

  Lorenzo kept the smile on his face, but inside, he was unsure of the guarded girl. Her younger brother spent most of his time at the bottom of a bottle. Whispered secrets buzzed about the Millers. Lorenzo fought an old itch that tickled his wrists. How much did Jade and Bobby know?

  “Cute, Lorenzo.” Zander looked down and scratched the back of his head, hiding his face. “We'll have two slices of cheese pizza and two cokes.”

  “Coming right up,” Lorenzo said, enjoying Zander’s discomfort.

  Zander and Jade found a booth in the back. Zander's banter with Lorenzo had helped him relax. He took a sip of his coke. “I hate to bring it up, but you had mentioned Bobby was maintaining bad habits. I didn’t realize how bad it had become.”

  Jade's shoulders sagged. “He's not the same person anymore, and it breaks my heart.”

  Zander reached out and took her hand. They sat in comfortable silence. Neither of them wanted to elaborate on Bobby's grave situation and drag out the somber mood. He cared and that was enough to make Jade feel less alone. She knew from that moment on, a piece of her heart would always be Zander’s.

  “At least the Yankees had a better season than the Mets,” Zander said. Jade chuckled, and Zander joined in. The laughter and Zander's hand holding hers felt right.

  “How's school going?” Jade asked.

  “The last year of law school is a non-stop party. Everyone realizes it’s our last chance to act unhindered before the chains of a law career tie us down in the real world. Marcus is great comic relief. I'm lucky to have him as a roommate.” Jade nodded, feeling genuinely happy that things were going well for Zander. “How's your job?” he asked.

  “I'm over-worked and underpaid. We'll have to see what comes next. I can't maintain this pace forever.” She skipped over the eye floaters, shadows and voices. Why did she have to invite them into her safe circle with Zander? Whether he knew it or not, Zander was her knight, and he kept the bad guys at bay.

  He rubbed his thumb along her palm. “Can I sit with you?” Zander asked all of a sudden.

  She blinked at him. “Sure.” It seemed like an odd request.

  He scooted onto the bench next to her. He reached his arm around her shoulder, and she felt like a high school girl on a first date at the movies.

  “Hi,” he said, with a crooked grin. His face was inches from Jade's.

  “Hi,” Jade whispered, because the butterflies in her stomach had taken the air out of her windpipe.

  “I've wanted to do this for a long time.”

  “Oh yeah—”

  Zander kissed Jade before she could finish her sentence. His lips were warm and tender. His fingers ran through her hair, sending chills down her spine once again. She reached up and cupped his face in her hands. They kissed in the back booth until Lorenzo said he needed to close up, without ever noticing the shadows escaping into the night.

  Lorenzo turned off the lights and walked out the door of his pizzeria. As he fished out his keys, he tried to focus on the wrapped cheese calzone under his arm and the cold beer in his refrigerator rather than the nondescript car in the parking lot with two PMI officers watching his every move.

  To everyone else, they looked like middle-aged men in their car. Lorenzo knew they were having more than a friend
ly conversation. He had watched their car follow Rogues from the supermarket and seen them stand in line behind a Rogue in a coffee shop, gathering personal details and waiting for the Rogues to reveal themselves as illegal immigrants.

  He knew they were doing their job, protecting the world from Rogues who were bitter because the Land of the Free was ignorant of their suffering, and vengeful toward the PMI that held them hostage. If he was honest, he was grateful for their protection. The Isle of the Lost drove people mad, and he didn’t want to be on the receiving end of their hate crimes.

  However, he also knew that the PMI were ruthless and unforgiving. They were trained to seek out Rogues no matter how reformed they became in the Land of the Free. In their eyes, once you were a Rogue, you were always a Rogue.

  “Everything all right?” the doorman from Murphy’s Music Hall asked as he approached Lorenzo. He took the calzone out from under Lorenzo’s arm so Lorenzo could use both hands to lock up the pizzeria.

  “Hi, Carl. Things are as good as they can be when you are being watched.”

  Carl passed the calzone back to Lorenzo. “I saw them pull into the parking lot around nine.”

  “They must have received word that there has been a flood of Rogues escaping.”

  “I agree, and I hear these Rogues are no longer sticking to safe crossing zones,” Carl’s voice was grim.

  Lorenzo’s eyes widened. The influx of Rogues ebbed and flowed over the years, but the underground railroad of crossing locations rarely changed. The Rogues must be desperate to get out if they were shadow traveling anywhere they could find a rip between the worlds.

  He used to be privy to the communication between parallel universes, doing his part to pay it forward and help unfortunate Rogues. Now, he kept to himself and only handed out favors to people who reminded him of himself.

  “The PMI believe Rogues on this side are helping people cross. You must be on their list, Lorenzo. Be safe.”

  Lorenzo sighed and thanked his friend. He wondered what information the PMI had already gathered on him. He thought about the kids he had helped build a better life. It had been a long time since he packed up and left town in the middle of the night, and he was too old to resist arrest. He had left the Isle of the Lost decades ago, but the fear of being caught never seemed to leave him.

  * * * *

  Chapter Six: The Thanksgiving Eve When She’s Dating Someone Else

  First Year After Law School

  Age: 25

  Ms. Miller laid a gift certificate for the local nail salon on Jade’s dresser and tiptoed out of her daughter’s dark bedroom. It would only be a matter of time before Zander proposed. It was obvious that he loved her, and it was up to Jade to convince Zander he needed to make their union official.

  The timing was crucial. She heard rumors last week that the PMI arrested an unmarried woman who had crossed from the Isle of the Lost. For years, the woman had lived in a small apartment downtown and kept to herself.

  Unfortunately, staying quiet did not keep you safe. Her isolation made the PMI suspicious. Without links to the Land of the Free, the authorities conjured up weak evidence that she helped Rogues cross. The worst part was that they sent the woman and her one-year-old child back to the Isle of the Lost.

  That was not going to happen to her daughter. Another All Shadows Eve was upon them, and soon Jade would be safely married into the Stein family. Connections to Jade’s dirty heritage would be shielded by Zander’s family line, and Jade would have no incriminating knowledge of life on the Isle of the Lost.

  Ms. Miller would never relax, but she felt all the plans she laid for her daughter were unfolding as planned. She wished she could say the same for Bobby, but each day he spiraled farther away from her protection.

  As the last employee in her office wished Jade a Happy Thanksgiving and walked out the door, Jade took a deep breath and rose from her chair. She was twenty-five, employed, and in a happy relationship with a guy that adored her. Why did she feel like there was a hole in her life?

  Jade picked at the cuticles around her fingernails. She had bristled at her mother’s gift certificate to the local nail salon. She was on her case about Zander, nagging that Jade was not doing enough to get Zander to propose. Was she living her life or the one her mom wanted her to live?

  Jade bit her lip and looked down the long hallway to the back of the building. Jade loved Zander, but she didn't need him to propose. She needed him to protect her from the monsters—not that he knew that. She kept that part of her life a secret from him. She believed if she brought them into the relationship, the magical spell he unknowingly cast to protect her would break. Was that silly?

  Unanswered questions about who she was pestered her from the back of her mind. What was her purpose in life? Did she want to be a Woodpine housewife? She didn't know and feelings of despair filled her chest.

  She straightened her back and began the walk down the beige corridor. She peeked into the empty offices as she went, but she knew she was the only one there. If no one was willing to explain why she was different, she was going to find out for herself. Today, she was going to face her fear and walk toward the floaters.

  Zander adjusted the AirPod in his right ear with his left hand and loosened the tie around his neck with his right. There was a pep in his step as he threw the last few items into a duffel bag. He had left his job at the immigration law office early, and he planned to catch a plane back to Woodpine.

  His phone rang, and he stopped to check the caller ID. Jade. The smile on his face brightened. “Hello, beautiful. You can’t wait just a little longer to see me?”

  In Zander's eyes, the last year with Jade had been a fairy tale. They talked for hours on the phone about nothing and everything—T.V. shows, work drama, future plans. They spent long weekends visiting each other, holding hands, kissing. It was heavenly.

  “Don't come home,” Jade said from the other end of the call. She was sitting under a desk with her back against the wall in Department L of the office building where she worked. She felt like her life was on a never-ending loop. The electric tension in the air was palpable.

  “What?” Zander asked, sitting on the bed in his tiny apartment. “My flight leaves soon. I don't want to miss it.”

  “Stay there. I'll fly over tonight. I'll have the rest of my stuff shipped later.”

  Zander sighed. “That's very sweet, Jade, but we talked about this. My project at the immigration office is over at the end of the year. I’ll look for a job near Woodpine, and we can rent an apartment nearby.”

  An eye floater hovered along the wall across from Jade. She gulped and then set her jaw. “No! I want to move there.” She was going to get answers from the shadows today and then get out of Woodpine.

  “My apartment is too small, and you don't know anyone here. Plus, I'd like to be near my family,” Zander said.

  The mention of family had Jade's skin crawling. The eye floater became a shadowy figure. Jade could feel the buzz of adrenaline flow through her. The time to get answers was now. “I need to get away from my family,” Jade said more forcefully than she planned.

  Zander began packing his belongings once again, feeling slightly impatient because he had a plane to catch. Jade had vented about her family many times, and Zander knew that Jade would feel better once she said what she had to say. “I'm sorry you don't get along with your mother and your brother is a mess, but once I move back, you don't have to live with them anymore.”

  “Let’s go,” a voice from the shadow whispered.

  “This way,” another called.

  Jade’s body tensed. “They are too close,” Jade said, and her voice cracked. Why had she come here? Shadows appeared in droves around the desk she was crouched under. Panic crept in. What answers had she expected to find?

  Zander heard the change of emotion in Jade's voice. He paused from packing to adjust the AirPod in his ear. “Are you all right?”

  Jade held her knees to her chest. Her brea
thing was heavy. The voices were getting louder, and the movement of shadows made it feel like the room was spinning.

  “Jade? Jade? Jade!” Zander’s voice was no longer calm. “Where are you? Jade, who’s there?”

  The fact that Jade hadn’t mentioned the shadows and voices to Zander suddenly weighed heavy on her chest. She was alone with a room full of monsters, and he couldn't protect her.

  The relationship she had created with Zander was a lie. He wasn’t dating the real Jade, and it wasn’t fair to him. Why had she clung to Zander like he was her only hope? She loved him, but she didn't want to be defined by him. Forget escaping; she had to stay in Woodpine and tear down the walls of protection. She needed to learn about herself before she could share her life with someone else.

  Jade edged out from under the desk and stood at full height. The commotion in the room came to a halt. The shadows stood still, and the voices quieted, but Jade could sense them in the room with her.

  “Zander, we need to break up,” she said.

  “What?!”

  “I have things that I need to figure out, and I need to do it alone. I love you, and I’m sorry, but I can’t be with you right now.” She hung up the phone.

  With shaky legs, Jade headed to the exit. She was going to do this on her own terms, not crouching under a desk in fear. Detached shadows lingered in the room, camouflaged by the dark corners. One of them was going to give her answers.

  The harsh fluorescent lightning in the hallway made her squint. Feeling like she was under an investigation lamp, she kept her chin up. Her cell phone rang, but she ignored it. She had just let go of her safety net against the monsters, and she needed to be strong.

  Her pace down the long hallway of offices slowed, and she crossed her arms over her chest. She had the sudden feeling she was being watched. She turned to look over her shoulder and saw a single eye floater hovering in the hallway. Jade’s heart raced as it inched closer. She didn't back away. Passing Jade by at eye level, the floater turned the corner.