by Lori Darnell
At the end of the path was an old, carved door. James kicked it open impatiently with his foot and set me down inside. He closed the door and the room became pitch black. A shiver of fear ran down my back and I closed my eyes, waiting.
A loud crack and a creaking noise sounded, and my eyes popped open to find James forcing a window open behind a large, oak desk. Light spilled into the room, along with the fresher air. James came back to me and led me to a chair in front of the desk, then moved around to the back of the desk and sat in the high-backed chair, facing me.
“Marcus, you’re not in trouble. I know I must have scared you, but you don’t realize what just happened. That thing you did - no one has ever been brought back like that. No witness, or any other member of the Church, has been able to do something like that. Not even other children within your own race. It concerns me, but more than anything, I am worried for you. If the rest of the Church learns your skills, it will be very dangerous for both of us." He held his fingers to the bridge of his nose. He looked frustrated and tired, like the events of the morning had drained a few years from his life. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, but remained silent. I didn’t want to further disappoint James.
“Marcus, what happened? What did you experience? Please don’t lie to me anymore. It is obvious that you have your sight. Why do you close your eyes?" I took a deep breath, considering. Jacob had warned me, but James seemed to want to help me. I decided to tell him.
“I had a vision. I saw the subject and the boy facing each other. The subject looked like he was holding his breath, and when I looked back to the boy, I could see semi-transparent hands choking him. I could feel the subject’s sharp pain at the base of his head, and then I felt a warm rush, and dizziness. But then there was nothing, and the boy collapsed on the floor. I willed myself to reach out to him. When I touched the transparent hands in my vision, they disappeared, and the boy started breathing again. The rest you know." James stared at me, shock etched on his face. The room was silent, except for the faint hum of bees in the herb garden behind him.
“Marcus, can you control your visions?"
“Not yet, but I am getting better at knowing when they’re coming. Jacob, the other boy that was brought in with me, is the only other person that knows this. He didn’t want me to tell anyone. But, I think it is okay with you. He was afraid I would be hurt." I bit my lip, thinking of Jacob. I hoped that wherever he was, he was safe. He seemed so scared the last time I saw him, leaving with the Reverend.
“He was right. Jacob probably saved your life. The Reverend that brought you to me would have had you killed, assuming you would not be able to be controlled." I had feared this, since my entire village was slaughtered, but hearing it out loud was somehow more immediate and shocking. Tremors of fear bubbled in my stomach, turning sour. If it hadn’t been for Jacob, I would have been killed, along with my family.
“Will I ever see Jacob again? Where was he being taken? He said he was being trained to be a Reverend, which is why he ran away in the first place, but that’s all I know." James blanched, hesitating before he spoke. I lowered my head into my hands. The shaking feeling rose from my belly to the rest of my body. Suddenly, I was so tired I couldn’t stand it.
“I don’t think seeing Jacob will be possible. If he is training to be a Reverend, they won’t let him out of their sight – Marcus? Marcus! Are you okay?" I wanted to answer, but my voice was lost in the rush of air whooshing past as I fell, the side of my face landing solidly on the polished floor.
~~~~~~~~~~
My head hurt, a lot. I was afraid to open my eyes, it felt like I had been swimming in sand. My whole body tingled like the sand had rubbed skin off my arms and legs. My mouth was dry and my stomach was in knots. Instead of opening my eyes I rolled to the side, only then noticing an arm resting across my stomach. I shot up like a bullet, panic clearing the dizziness from my head.
“Easy Marcus, it’s just me. Don’t worry; you’re safe. I didn’t want to try to move you, and I didn’t know how safe your room was with you being as incapacitated as you have been for the last two days. You had me worried there." There was a small smile on his face, but his voice betrayed this outer calm. He really had been worried about me.
I looked down at the bedspread. I was lying on a large bed and I was under the covers. James was sitting on top of them with another blanket. I exhaled, feeling silly. James had done nothing that would warrant my lack of trust. He was the one person I did trust here.
“Two days? I just remember falling - what happened?"
“Your experience in class must have worn you out a lot." James laughed and it shook the massive bed. “I have been checking on you every few hours since you fell. Near as I can tell you were just really tired, so I left you alone and let you sleep. I have made excuses that you will not be suited for class because you do not follow instructions well. It was accepted, without question," James stated, disgust barely hidden.
“So from now on you and I will be working through your training. I will personally teach you the methods you’ll need to learn to become a witness, and we will discover your gift outside of your witness assignment.” Maybe this was why that voice told me to show him; maybe James could help me strengthen my gift. My mind filled with new found optimism.
James helped me stand up and we walked very slowly to the washroom. He stood behind me facing out into the main area as I took a long shower. The hot water helped clear my head. It felt good to not have to worry, at least for a little while. I was still thinking of what had happened when I heard James begin speaking to another man, a priest that had entered the room.
“The boy can’t stay with you James – he has to stay in his own room. Even our favorites need to keep up appearances. You can keep him as often as you like, but he has to be in the common area at night. You’re not that high and mighty yet. You have to share. I have already had requests to meet the boy… for private lessons. So you best be on your guard." The priest was speaking in a low tone that was hard for me to hear.
“I really don’t care who wants what. This boy has too much potential to be passed around like a common prostitute.” The priest had the minor grace to appear shocked at this statement, and began to open his mouth in protest. James cut him off abruptly. “He trusts me, so I feel it is in the Church’s best interest to ensure that I care for his development. We wouldn’t want to disappoint all of the council members by stifling the boy’s potential now, would we?" James demanded, his tone menacing.
The area was silent. I could feel dozens of eyes on me. This, compounded by the fact I was naked, made their stares unbearable. I reached for the towel and dried off quickly, not looking up, dressing twice as fast as normal. James noticed, and gave a curt nod to everyone remaining in the room.
“The boy is going to stay with me until his training is complete. When he is done eight years from now, you filthy scum, he will be one of you. Until then, keep your hands off." James was nearly shouting at the priest, who appeared quite taken aback by this speech. “Marcus, we are leaving now." He took my hand and nearly dragged me behind him to keep up. I started running and James ran faster, stopping abruptly at the large wooden door that marked his quarters. James opened it and ushered me inside, looking over my head toward the main compound.
Once inside with the door closed and the bolts locked down, James stood against the wall, chest heaving, with a strange look of long suffering pain on his face. “What’s wrong?” I asked him, alarmed. He rubbed a hand over his face, hesitating a moment before telling me.
“I should not have lost my temper back there, Marcus. It provided a bad example for the boys, and the priests won’t stand for that. I will be forced to serve punishment for losing control of the situation.” I felt terrible. He would be in trouble now because of me, because he was protecting me. I tried to show him sympathy, but he brushed me away non-committedly and abruptly changed the subject.
“We will need to do your training in my office �
�� we will not be disturbed there. My office is by the garden for a reason. No one comes that close to my area, generally. Most of the priests prefer to be in the throng of the students… I chose the only office that is private and away from the main building.” James grimaced slightly, and then pointed to the far corner of the room.
“There is a small bedroom attached to that office - that is where I sleep. Marcus, I am telling you this so you can find me quickly if you need to. If I am not in my office, I am in that room or within your sight. I will do everything I can to keep you from the rest of them. There are things I need to teach you, and in time, I will." His whole body convulsed with revulsion. He saw my concern, and again deflected. "They like to cause pain. Let's leave it at that, okay?" He looked down at me to ensure that I was paying attention.
I did my best imitation of a sponge, soaking up his words. He would be in his office or his room. He would always be nearby. I would memorize the way there. I felt comforted by the thought that James would be looking out for me, though I was still uncertain what I was running from, exactly. While being around the others was a peculiar sensation, I couldn’t quite put my finger on exactly why the hairs on the back of my neck stood up whenever they were near.
“Sir, why are they trying to get to me? I don’t understand." I wrapped my fingers in and out of the hem of my sleeve as I waited in silence for James to answer. He didn’t speak right away, as though he were choosing his words carefully.
“There are many reasons, Marcus. But most of them you are too young to understand. I am trying to make it so you don’t have to understand. If any of them approach you and make you uncomfortable, I want you to run away and come straight here. They won’t follow you."
“Will it be safe for you?"
“Let me worry about that. I can take care of myself. If I can't come to you right away, stay out of sight as long as possible." James looked away. There seemed to be several things that James was keeping from me, ostensibly for my own good. But good intentions had swept through my village, destroyed my home, murdered my family, and cleansed the countryside. In my mind, it seemed as though just as many bad things happened when others were trying to do what they perceived as the greater good. I wasn’t disposed to trust his judgment, but I could tell he wasn’t disposed to discuss matters any further, so for the moment, I let the questions lie there, unanswered.
James began shuffling through some old books on the bookshelf, finally settling on some particularly crusty looking specimens that he pulled out and placed on the desk. He began thumbing through them, mumbling to himself in places as he skimmed the pages. I was curious, but said nothing. Finally recalling that I was still before him, waiting, he gestured to a chair in front of his desk and I sat. Apparently, lessons were about to begin.
“Marcus, over the next few years we will be working on your control. Control will help you survive your assignments. I want you to show me where you are now. It is clear that you are more advanced than I had first anticipated; which is good. You could skip the first few years of training just by what I have seen the last few days."
“What would you like me to do?”
“I want you to pick a place here in the compound, and I want you to tell me what you see. I want to see whether you can envision current events, past events or future events. This will give me an idea as to where to start."
I looked out the window, concentrating. Where should I look? Scanning my memories, I suddenly recalled the blond girl from class, Jill. I tried to find Jill. She was pretty. Maybe I could find her in class.
I let my mind wonder back to the little building where they were trying to read the minds of subjects. I could see the path and began walking on the gravel, but there was no crunching sound coming from my steps. I was a ghost, bodiless and invisible. The door was closed on the building. I tried to pass through the door, but I couldn’t. Hmm, maybe I was not so ghost-like, after all. I circled the building. The side windows were open, and I was able to pass through the open window effortlessly.
Students sat in front of their subjects, staring at one another in concentration. The girl Jill was on the end. I couldn’t help but stare; she was so beautiful. Her long, white gold hair settled in waves to her waist. She was wearing it parted to the side, which hid part of her face as she concentrated on her subject. Her lips were full and dark pink. They were interestingly angled, the corners of her mouth turned down slightly, but it didn’t make her look sad; in fact I could swear she was… blushing? She looked up and smiled, as if she could see me standing there. My reaction was instant. I was forced back to my body with such force that I hit the floor with a loud thud.
“Ouch!” I exclaimed, laughing myself. This is what I get for trying to see about a pretty girl, I thought.
“Marcus, where did you go? What did you see?" he asked, staring at me intently. I did my best to explain.
“I wanted to see that girl, Jill. So I tried to go back to class. I was walking outside but I was sort of like a ghost. I tried to go through the door but it wouldn’t let me. When I went around the side the window was open and I… I don’t know the right words… floated through? I think that is the best I can explain. When I was in front of Jill she looked up and smiled at me, and then I was back here… on my butt." My voice betrayed a little of my own excitement. It was too easy to do this. Would all of my training be so easy for me?
A surprising and loud burst of laughter erupted from James, filling the room. Whatever I had been expecting as a reaction to my adventure, it wasn’t this. James started hiccupping, lost his balance, fell to his knees, and laughed even harder. This sort of hilarity is contagious, and suddenly I found myself laughing at him despite myself, ridiculous as he looked squirming in merriment on the floor.
“Oh… my… good… grief… I can’t… breathe… Marcus, you really are a treasure," he exclaimed, his eyes watering with mirth. Finally containing his amusement, James pulled himself back into his chair.
"I think we should call it a day. I will walk you back to the hall, just to be sure you don’t get lost." He got up from his desk and took my hand. We walked through the herb garden, back to the main building. As we approached the entrance to our sleeping quarters, James slowed his pace and turned to face me.
"Marcus, we will need to get started again in the morning. I know these psychic challenges can be very draining; try to get some sleep." James smiled and patted my shoulder, then ushered me toward the doorway. I felt his gaze follow me as I headed back to the main compound. I did feel tired, even though I had just slept for a number of days, but not overly so. More than anything, I felt curious – about my new ability, about why James had to protect me, but most of all, about Jill – the girl with the beautiful white gold hair. I didn’t know if I had imagined the whole thing or if she really saw me, but I couldn’t wait until I could see her again, so I could find out.
Chapter 9
In the event, when I opened my bedroom door, Jill was sitting at my desk. I was so happy to see her; I didn’t realize at first that she wasn’t alone. A tall, dark, robed man was standing behind the door, waiting for me.
“Marcus, it is so good of you to join us," he said warmly, though his facial expression didn’t quite match his tone. He was such an unpleasant looking man. He had dark hair bound at his neck, the length of it falling well past his shoulders. This seemed odd to me because so many of the other priests I had seen had very short, cropped hair. He was taller than James, so I had to crane my neck even more to see his face. His eyes seemed to be set far back into his head creating a very menacing perpetual shadow.
Oddly, she didn’t seem scared of him at all. Bolstered by this evidence of his harmlessness, I looked at him directly as he continued to speak.
“Jill and I have been talking about you. You've got quite the little talent, don't you?" The question was obviously not meant to be unanswered. I looked up quickly at him and then back to Jill. Jill was smiling? I didn’t know if I should turn and run as James
would have me do, or if I should stay. Curiosity made me stay.
“Why don’t we shut this door so we can have a chat, you and I," the priest said, approaching me. I backed away as unobtrusively as possible.
“Should James be here, as he is my teacher?" I tried to sound calm and collected. I couldn’t tell if I was in danger, but after the events of the past few days, one could hardly blame me for feeling skittish. I looked out the door. I started counting in my head the steps it would take to get out the door, down the hall, and across the courtyard to safety. They must have seen this impulse in my eyes, as the priest began to back away and attempted to look as non-threatening as was possible for him, while still wearing that peculiar expression on his face.
“No, Marcus, I just want to talk to you. Jill has seen your potential. I want to give you an opportunity for a little more freedom around here. Jill and I think you would be suited well to be a couple. Your children would be a most welcomed addition to the Church. So much potential," he concluded, looking out the little window and rubbing his chin.
I looked at Jill. She seemed so calm. I thought of my relationship with James so far and I thought maybe she had the same trust with this man. This whole discussion was very disorienting. Should I fear this strange man, or trust him? Do I heed James’ warnings, or trust my own judgment? Did Jill feel about me the way I abruptly realized that I felt about her? Her face betrayed nothing but patience, awaiting my response.
“Sir, I don’t understand - we are to be married? I don’t know; what James will think? I don’t know what to say!" I finished, blushing ferociously.
“Marcus, don’t be silly. We don’t have to decide anything now. I will speak to James. James and I understand each other. I will talk to him tomorrow about this. For now, I think you and Jill should get to know one another, become friends. She has more free time than other students. See how things develop. I just wanted you to meet officially." There was no menace or forcefulness in his voice, though his face looked like he was choking on something. I looked at Jill again, and she smiled at me. She didn’t seem worried, so I let it be. It would be nice to have a friend my own age, after all.