Axiom Theory: Book Four of the Shadow Series

by J. M. Pierce

  With a sheepish grin, Test looked to Alyssa and then down to Aiden. “Pretty much,” he replied.

  Taking a deep breath, Alyssa shrugged her shoulders. “Okay,” she said, squeezing Aiden’s hand a touch and leaning down to ask. “You ready?”

  With a blank stare, the boy simply nodded.

  Without a word, Test released his power and, as he did, he felt the touch of Aiden’s hand disappear. He stepped forward into the creek; it’s cool water a welcome comfort on his feet after the long walk. He could feel the two spirits walking closely; just behind and a little to the left.

  Entering the tree line, he began to hear music playing and could just make out the faint glow of a campfire some twenty yards ahead. After closing the distance by half, he stopped and collected himself. Confidence was never his strong suit, but after a brief moment of hesitation, he shoved his hands into his pockets and took another step.

  “Hello?” he shouted.

  He instantly saw two figures jump from around the campfire.

  “Hello,” he said again, stopping for a moment. “I’m sorry if I startled you. Is it okay if I come into your camp?”

  As he took another step, a small branch snapped beneath his feet and then he heard the sound of a shotgun cycle a shell into the receiver.

  “What do you want?”

  Test heard the man’s deep voice, but couldn’t locate him through the trees. “Just to talk,” he replied.

  “Move along,” said the man. “We don’t know anyone from around here, so we’ve got nothing to talk about.”

  Feeling the spirit of Alyssa and Aiden creeping closer to him, he glanced down to where he knew Aiden was. “That’s not true,” answered Test. “What about Aiden?”

  The forest became instantly still; as though the gasp from the couple had stolen every ounce of life from within it. Suddenly, to Test’s right, a twig snapped and, as he turned, he found that he was looking down the wrong end of a twelve gauge. Behind it was the face of a man with a large black mustache and a furious red-eyed glare.

  Remaining as calm as possible, Test couldn’t stop the flinch that came when he saw the man. “Whoa,” he said, raising his palms. “I don’t mean any harm.”

  The underbrush shuffled as a woman appeared at the man’s side.

  “Damn it, Lisa,” said the man. “I told you to stay put.”

  Lisa didn’t pay any attention to the man Test assumed was her husband. Standing directly to the man’s left and staying behind the shotgun, she spoke in a quivering voice.

  “What did you say?” she asked Test.

  Wetting his lips, Test replied. “I know this is going to sound crazy, and I’ve gone over this a million times in my head trying to figure out how to best show you without making you freak out, but I can’t think of anything other than to just show you.”

  The man stepped forward, placing the tip of the barrel inches away from Test’s face.

  “Robert!” cried Lisa. “Don’t!”

  Test looked down the barrel and into Robert’s eyes. He could see the pain within them; the fear, the sadness…the anger.

  “Sir,” said Test. “I respect you for wanting to protect your wife, but I promise you. I mean you no harm.”

  Reaching out with her left arm, Lisa placed her hand upon the barrel of the shotgun and slowly pulled it away from Test’s face until it pointed to the ground. It was obvious that her husband provided little resistance.

  Taking yet one step closer to Test, Lisa spoke just above a whisper. “You said the name Aiden, didn’t you?”

  Though the gun was no longer in his face, the intensity of the moment hadn’t subsided at all. “Yes,” replied Test, a frog beginning to take up residence in his throat. “Your son.”

  In a fraction of a second, Robert grabbed his wife’s arm and pulled her back. With the shotgun at his side, he stepped forward and stepped into Test, nose to nose.

  “What kind of shit are you trying to pull?” he asked.

  Smelling the beer on Robert’s breath, Test knew that reasoning with him would be difficult in his inebriated state. Going for broke, Test replied. “What if I told you I could make it possible for you to see Aiden again—to tell him goodbye one last time?”

  In a fit of fury, Robert leaned back, telegraphing his punch for Test to easily avoid. As Test stepped to the side, Robert’s punch missed horribly and his momentum sent him tumbling to the ground. He scrambled to get to his feet as his legs seemed to forget their purpose. Bringing himself to a crouched position on a single knee, he felt his muscles tense as he prepared to tackle the intruder.

  Holding his hands up, Test spoke calmly. “Please. I know how this sounds, but I’m not playing any tricks. No games.” He watched as Roberts eyes glinted in the fire light. Without realizing it, night had fallen and the forest had grown as dark as it was silent.

  Test stepped forward and offered Robert a hand. The man stared at it for a moment and then glanced around Test to his wife. Test looked over his shoulder to Lisa whose tears were only partially hidden in the darkness. Before he could turn back, Test felt Robert’s hand in his and he hoisted the man to his feet.

  “Are you a psychic?” asked Lisa, having stepped to Test’s side.

  “No,” replied Test with a defeated huff. “I wish it were that simple.”

  “Then what are you talking about?” growled Robert, stepping behind his wife.

  Knowing that how he was able to show them was the part that could spell the most trouble for him, Test’s heart rate began to accelerate. He found it somewhat humorous that being recognized was his initial hang up to helping Aiden, but then, when he’d approached the campsite, it had completely slipped his mind. As he stood in the darkness, he also realized that it may have been smarter for him to show his powers in the light of day where they would be less dramatic. Now that the moment had arrived, he wished that he could hit pause and rewind. Suddenly, he didn’t picture the distraught couple reacting favorably to a man standing in front of them with his body glowing like a neon sign. Unfortunately, it was now unavoidable.

  Though his anxiety had begun to build, he could feel Alyssa and Aiden move closer to him. As if drawing from their energy, a sudden moment of clarity presented itself and the truth spilled from his lips as naturally as the sun rises. “My name is Test Davis.” He said his name without even thinking and found himself wishing he would have considered a different answer, but it was too late. He stood with his arms to his sides, watching their reactions intently; still wishing now that the sun hadn’t disappeared so completely. He watched as Lisa turned to her husband.

  “Why do I know that name?” she asked and then turned back to Test. “Do we know you?”

  With a moment’s reflection, Test took a deep breath in through his nose and exhaled slowly. “You might,” he replied. “I’ve been pretty popular with the news channels over the last few years.”

  Squinting through the night, Lisa leaned forward and examined Test’s features as best she could. “Are you famous? Do you have a reality show or something?” she asked.

  With a grin, Test rubbed his chin as he replied with a laugh. “No, that’s not it. But I guarantee that my life would make for one hell of a movie.”

  “I know who you are,” said Robert in a morose tone as he glanced to his shotgun that rested on the ground next to where Test stood. “You’re that kid from Kansas City.”

  A burst of adrenaline shot through Test and he found himself fighting to keep his power from showing itself. Trying to stay light hearted, he replied. “Actually, I’m from Nebraska; Lincoln to be exact.”

  As Test reached up to nervously scratch his head, a weak flash of light ran through his forearm and into his fingertips.

  Lisa let out a quick scream as she covered her mouth with her hand. Having seen the glint of light out of the corner of his eye, Test knew that the moment of truth had arrived.

  Releasing the self-imposed restraint on his power, Test allowed it to swell within him. Hi
s anxiety fed it as if someone were heaping coal into a stove. Beginning at his core, a soft red glow began to show through his t-shirt. “The world has me all wrong,” he began as pulses of red light began to run down his arms. “I’m not the bad guy. I’m just a kid that was dealt a strange hand.” He raised his right arm in front of him and held his palm to the sky. A gentle electric blue covered his fingers as the pulses of red intermingled with it in the center of his palm. “I never had a chance,” he continued as he stared at the couple who seemed to be frozen in place. “I’ve never meant to hurt anyone. I was never given a chance to explain anything.” He found himself becoming even more emotional as he recalled the beginnings of his new life. “When I discovered my gifts, my life was a train wreck. My dad passed away when I was too young to even remember him, my mom was a raging alcoholic and drug user…,” he choked on his words and watched as the outline of the couple began to blur through moist eyes. “That’s no excuse for what I did; for what I felt like I had to do at the time.” He wiped his eyes. “The truth is, if I could have a do-over, I’d do a lot of things differently.”

  Feeling overwhelmed, he suddenly felt the touch of someone at his side. As he turned to see Alyssa fully materialized, he heard a loud gasp from both Robert and Lisa.

  “Good Lord in Heaven,” said Robert softly.

  Test looked down and saw Aiden standing in front of him.

  Nearly fainting, Lisa collapsed to her knees and Robert quickly gripped her under the arm to steady her fall.

  “Are you okay, Mommy?” asked Aiden, his slight voice sounding like an angel.

  Overcome with tears, Lisa cried uncontrollably and reached out to her son. Without a word, Aiden rushed into his mother’s arms and became wrapped in her embrace.

  Test watched as Robert crouched down and touched his son’s fine red hair. He examined it as though he were trying to determine if what was happening was real. Accepting the truth, he too fell to his knees and held his wife and son tightly.

  Alyssa wrapped an arm around Test’s waist and he was quick to turn to her, longing for the comfort that her touch always brought. He buried his face into her hair and let the emotion flow out of him. He could see the light from his power as it painted the trees all around them.

  Leaning back, Test took Alyssa’s face into his hands and kissed her gently on the lips.

  “I’m so proud of you,” she whispered.

  Caressing her cheek softly with the back of his hand, Test replied. “What would I do without you?”

  A twig snapped behind him and he glanced over his shoulder to see Robert standing once again. Turning out of Alyssa’s embrace, Test faced him and tried to calm his power from within, but taking care to leave enough for Aiden and Alyssa to remain in solid form.

  As the light from Test began to fade, Robert spoke with a trembling voice. “I don’t know what to say,” he said with a sniff. “I don’t know how this is possible—don’t care. What I do know is that I owe you an apology.” Taking a couple of steps forward, Robert offered his hand to Test. “You are most certainly not what the world thinks you are.”

  Test reached out and, though it still emanated a small amount of light, watched as Robert took his hand without fear. “Thank you, Robert.” He looked to the ground where Lisa still remained holding her son tightly. “Through my powers, I was reunited with the father I never knew. I was also able to get to know the side of my mother I never had the chance to see while she was alive. To be honest though, I’d never thought of using my abilities to help others in this way.” His voice cracking with emotion, Test looked into Robert’s eyes. “I’m so very happy that I was able to give this gift to your family.”

  The man who moments before had been raging with anger now stood stoically, but the thick mustache that covered his top lip couldn’t contain the genuine smile. Test watched as he glanced to Alyssa.

  “I’m sorry,” said Test turning to her. “This is Alyssa Cranston.” He pulled her into his side, reaching an arm around her back. “She’s the one who is responsible for this happening at all.”

  “That’s not…,” began Alyssa.

  Cutting her off, Test squeezed her gently. “It is. You found Aiden and brought him to me.”

  Lifting Aiden as she stood, Lisa walked to her husband’s side. “Thank you to the both of you. I don’t know how we can ever repay you.”

  A sudden and fearful thought entered Test’s mind. He hoped they weren’t thinking that Aiden would stay with them forever. Not sure what to say next, he glanced over to the camp fire and noticed that its intensity had waned considerably.

  “How about we get your fire going?” he asked casually.

  With a final sniff, Robert wiped his eyes with his forearm. “Yeah, sure. You hungry?” he asked.

  Though he hadn’t even thought about it, the minute the words left Robert’s mouth his stomach began to rumble.

  “I could eat, sure,” he replied.

  The five of them made their way back to the camp. Test saw Robert split off.

  “I’ll get some more wood,” said Robert.

  Test looked ahead of him to see a small pile of wood laid out haphazardly on the ground behind their truck. Without even considering the shock he might impose, Test reached out with his right hand and took several large pieces into his supernatural grasp. “I’ve got it,” he said.

  Test watched as Robert stopped in his tracks. His entire body swiveled, rigid as a popsicle-stick, as he watched the pieces of wood levitate towards the fire pit.

  Sounding out of breath, Robert turned to Test and muttered his thanks.

  “Sorry about that,” replied Test. “I didn’t mean to startle you. Ask Alyssa—my common sense disappears from time to time.”

  “No, no,” replied Robert obviously shaken. “It’s fine. Appreciate the help.”

  Test walked towards the fire as he allowed the logs to settle on top of the red hot embers in the center of the pit. Lisa had already taken a seat in her lawn chair, placing Aiden on her lap, while Alyssa stood opposite them waiting for him to come to her side.

  “You can have my chair, Alyssa,” said Robert, joining the group.

  Alyssa bowed her head bashfully as she tucked her hair behind her ears. “Thank you, but that’s okay; really.” Taking Test’s hand, she folded her legs underneath her and sat on the ground, pulling him down with her.

  Robert nodded in reply and took the lawn chair next to his family.

  Each of them looked across the fire at one another. As the adrenaline wore off, in its place there was a peaceful calm. After a few moments of silence, an owl was heard in the distance.

  As if taking a cue from the owl, Robert leaned forward in his chair while taking Lisa’s hand into his. He looked at his son and grinned wildly as Aiden reached out and touched his dad’s mustache. Robert took his little hand and kissed it tenderly. Turning back to Alyssa and Test, he asked, “I know I said it didn’t matter, but can you share with us how this is possible?”

  Test glanced to Alyssa who leaned into him, giving him a gentle nudge that meant “go ahead”. He looked to the fire as he began to explain.

  “I can’t pretend to know everything about how or why it is possible to do what I do. The truth is that I know very little other than what I’ve been told. Supposedly, my powers are due to me being a genetic anomaly.”

  “Gifts,” interrupted Lisa. “They are most certainly gifts.”

  With a grin, Test lowered his head. “Thank you,” he replied. “Gifts.”

  Lisa looked to Alyssa. “Are you a…” She stopped herself, afraid that her question would offend.

  “Spirit?” answered Alyssa for her.

  The blush on her cheeks visible in the light of the newly stoked fire, Lisa replied. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to pry or offend.”

  “Not at all,” answered Alyssa. “I’m not sad about it.” She looked to Test and laced her fingers into his.

  The two women exchanged a tender look as Test noticed a sud
den change in Robert’s expression. His smile had faded and was replaced with a furrowed brow as he reached out to rub Aiden’s back.

  Noticing the change in her husband as well, Lisa asked, “What’s wrong, Robert?”

  Clearing his throat, Robert forced a smile onto his face as he looked to Test. “It feels like Aiden has been returned to us, but I just realized that it’s not forever.” He looked back to his wife whose smile quickly melted away as well. “Is it?” he asked with little hope for the answer he wanted to hear.

  “I’m sorry,” replied Test. “I’m afraid not. We brought him to you so you could all have a proper goodbye.”

  The tears glistened on Lisa’s cheeks as they began to fall. She hugged Aiden tightly as Robert ran his fingers through his hair.

  “We will be forever grateful to you,” said Robert, trying in vain to comfort his wife.

  Sitting up in his mother’s lap, Aiden looked back and forth between his parents. With the innocence only a child could embody, Aiden said, “Don’t worry, Mommy and Daddy. I can come back to visit.” He turned and looked over his shoulder to Test and Alyssa. “Right?” he asked.

  Though Test hadn’t considered it, he knew what had to be said. “Of course.”

  With a ray of hope lighting her face, Lisa replied. “Will he stay with you then? Will you watch over him?”

  “Yes,” answered Alyssa. “I had hoped that would make you happy.”

  Wiping his face with his an open hand, Robert replied with an exhausted, emotional air to his voice. “If he can’t be with us,” he replied, glancing to his wife. “I’d be glad to know he’s with the two of you.”

  “See, Mommy,” said Aiden taking his mother’s cheeks into his hands and smooshing them together to make her lips pucker. “We can still be a family.”

  With a burst of laughter and tears, Lisa replied. “Yes we can, baby. Yes we can.”

  Chapter 22

  Having returned to their home, Ashley and Casper sat in silence as Destin sat on the floor watching television. The boy flipped through the channels while the twins sat behind him constructing their plan; a plan that involved a visit to Manhattan, Kansas.