Strength

by Angela B. Macala-Guajardo

  “Shoulda stayed down, girlie. Now I can hit you again without feeling bad.” Gasping, Daio snapped his gaze to his right. Aerigo was running right at him. He reached for Daio’s near leg with both hands and grew to the height of Daio’s knee. Daio yanked his knee out of reach just in time. Aerigo lunged for him again and shot up to the height of Daio’s waist as he missed. Daio kneed Aerigo in the jaw, sending him backpedaling until he regained balance. The ground quaked under his footfalls.

  “Looks like I’ve worn out my welcome,” Daio said. The ground vibrated as he jogged to Roxie. Smiling, he raised a booted foot behind him.

  Roxie tried to run but the sticky mud and the pain in her limbs allowed her only two steps before something huge kicked her in the back and sent her flying out over Lake Erie. The lake and the sky took several turns in being below her until she hit the water shoulder first, sending her body into a series of cartwheels, and then totally underwater. She flailed and popped back to the surface, coughing and spitting water. She slipped back under, too tired and beaten to tread water. Roxie flailed again, but took in more water than air when she came back up. She knew how to swim yet lacked the strength to put her knowledge to use.

  Roxie’s body rose with a swell of water, then plunged back under like an anchor after it passed. She reached for the surface, but the last of her strength had finally given out. Her lungs burned for air as she fought against her reflex to inhale.

  A strong pair of normal-sized arms grabbed Roxie under the shoulders and hoisted her to the surface. Roxie gulped in air and feebly paddled her arms.

  “I’ve got you,” Aerigo said. “Just relax.”

  Roxie grabbed hold of the arm wrapped around her torso and rested her head against Aerigo’s neck. Next thing she realized they were gliding through the water as if they were tied to a motorboat cruising at medium speed. The strange thing was Aerigo had his legs fully extended and still. His free arm was stretched ahead, reaching for the shore a couple hundred yards away. They were trolling along way faster than humanly possible. Magic, she surmised.

  When they reached waist-deep water, Aerigo took Roxie in both arms. Roxie let out a cry and reached for her legs. “Aerigo, my knees! Put me down!”

  “We need to get back to your house as quickly as possible. I have a healing balm in my pack.” He ran for the forest, his feet padding along the sand, then the tall grass superhumanly fast.

  A healing balm sounded great. But facing her grandmother? Not so much. “Is she okay? I didn’t mean to hurt her.”

  “I know. All she has is a headache. You surprised her more than anything.”

  Guilt welled in her battered chest. “Your eyes are glowing red.” Was he angry with her for her carelessness and running off?

  “I’m furious with Daio; not you, if that’s what you’re worried about. I shouldn’t have let him live last night.” They entered the forest and Aerigo sped along the path. The canopy flew by in a blur of greens, browns and splotches of light. Roxie shut her eyes so she wouldn’t get dizzy.

  “You must’ve had a good reason to.”

  Aerigo kept quiet a moment as he ran, then said, “We used to be friends. He’s not who he once was.”

  Roxie wanted to know what happened but her body must have run out of adrenaline. The pain increased tenfold. She urged through clenched teeth for Aerigo to hurry, then started moaning. The longest and most excruciating minute of her life later, they reached the back porch. It felt like her knees were being held together only by her skin, and her whole body felt like Daio had stepped on her, instead of squashed her with his hand. Aerigo sidestepped inside and the screen door screeched shut behind them.

  “Oh, my god! What happened?” Grandma said.

  “Where’s your nearest shower tub?” Aerigo said.

  “This way!”

  Roxie recognized the path down the hall, and then the acoustics of the bathroom. She opened her eyes when she felt the ceramic tub touch her skin, then screamed once her full weight settled on it. She gasped for breath as she tried to find a way to take in air without it hurting. Every bone in her body had to be broken, or almost broken. She hugged her arms to her chest and raised her knees so her feet were flat in the tub.

  “Is there anything I can do to help?” Grandma said from the doorway.

  Aerigo reentered the bathroom with a bottle full of a clear oil. “Rub this all over her.” He popped open the cap and squeezed a generous portion into Grandma’s hands. “Rox, I apologize. This is going to feel worse before it feels better.”

  Before she could voice her question, she understood what Aerigo meant. The oil felt like it was burning her skin off. Roxie screamed again and started begging them to stop. The fire spread over one arm and leg, then the others, over her stomach and back and neck and face and hands and feet and hips and knees and ankles and elbows—everywhere. Roxie stopped her pleading and broke into sobs. She wished she’d never run off.

  Roxie heard her grandmother sniff. She squinted open her eyes and discovered she wasn’t the only one crying. Then she noticed Aerigo’s eyes were aglow, strangely with a swirling of blue and red, the colors of sadness and anger. She’d never seen her eyes do that, nor been told they have. They glowed one color at a time; not two.

  “Turn on the water and set it at room temperature,” Aerigo said.

  Grandma turned the handle and water gushed over Roxie’s toes. Her heart started beating faster as she watched Aerigo pour more oil in the water. Thankfully, the water’s touch brought relief, instead of pain. Roxie tried stifling her sobs in hopes of encouraging her grandmother to stop crying as well.

  “Plug up the drain and please go pack some change clothes and travel items for Rox.”

  Grandma wiped her eyes. “Where are you going?”

  “Away from here. New York City. The sooner we leave, the sooner you’re safe from Daio. He’ll follow us and leave you in peace.”

  “Take a plane. It’s the fastest way to get there. Roxie can show you the way to the airport.”

  “Can’t you come with us?” Roxie asked in a hoarse voice. The water filled the tub enough to cover her feet, which were the only parts of her body that had stopped hurting.

  “It wouldn’t be wise,” Aerigo said. “We have to leave as soon as you can walk.”

  “But bones take weeks to heal! And who knows how long until my knees will work again.”

  “You’re a proper Aigis now. You heal a lot faster than a human can.”

  News of her healing powers didn’t bring any comfort. Grandma left the bathroom.

  Aerigo kneeled beside the tub and tested the water. “Feeling any better yet?”

  “Just where the water’s touching.” Sobs still snuck out of Roxie. Overall she did feel a little better, however she felt like one massive bruise holding together a bunch of fractured bones. Aerigo cupped some water and poured it over Roxie’s knee, then gently rubbed it a couple times, making her clench her teeth. Aerigo poured another handful of water on her knee and rubbed again, but that time the pain lessened. He repeated the process until she informed him the pain had gone, then started working on the other knee. Once the tub was full, he shut off the water and rubbed down Roxie’s entire body, minus (to her relief) where her shorts and sports bra covered her. The pampering felt good enough to let her shut her eyes and rest.

  “We can’t afford to have you fall asleep just yet,” Aerigo said with a hand resting on Roxie’s shoulder. His eyes were now glowing a pale blue. “I apologize for having to push you like this.” He unplugged the drain and stood. “Change your clothes and say your goodbyes.” He left the bathroom and shut the door.

  Chapter 5

  Soon after Aerigo closed the door, Roxie heard a knock. She sat up slowly, fearing any sort of movement would cause excruciating pain. Her joints and muscles felt no worse than someone who’d returned from a rigorous day at the gym after a weeklong vacation. Uncomfortable, but bearable. Now that she was feeling better, she couldn’t help but marvel at he
r quickly she’d healed. Maybe not being human would have its perks after all. “Come in.”

  The bathroom door opened and Grandma poked her head in, her hazel eyes puffy and watery.

  Roxie’s eyes and nose stung at the sight but she swallowed the lump in her throat. “I’m sorry.”

  Grandma pushed the door wide, plopped a folded towel and pile of Roxie’s clothes on the toilet lid, dropped to her knees beside the tub and wrapped her frail arms tight around her, sobbing.

  In her seventeen years’ existence, Roxie couldn’t recall Grandma ever crying so hard. Sure she got teary-eyed watching a movie or two, but never anything this uncontrolled. Should she hug her back? Snap at her to stop crying? Cry with her? Just get up and walk away? Roxie gingerly returned the hug, not wanting to cause more inadvertent damage. She rubbed the dear old woman’s back, her grandmother’s thin muscles tightened with every sob. Grandma hugged her even harder, her sobs becoming interwoven with unintelligible words. After several repetitions of the same vocal patterns, Roxie realized what her grandmother was saying. She let go and Grandma sat up as well. “Why are you apologizing?”

  “I’m sorry,” she said in a thick voice. “I wanted to be—be brave and strong for you on this—today. For so long.” She took a deep, wavering breath and repeatedly rubbed her eyes. “But when Aerigo carried you in... you were all black and blue. I thought you were dead.”

  “I’m still alive, Grandma,” Roxie said. Although I don’t know how. She tried to imagine how she’d react if she’d seen Grandma in her place, and knowing that was only the beginning. Scared, worried, and at a loss for how to help. Just the same. “Maybe you should come with us. Wouldn’t it be safer? And you wouldn’t have to worry about me as much.”

  Grandma managed a smile as tears kept coming. She placed a hand on Roxie’s cheek. “I would love to come with you but I need to stay here.”

  “Why?”

  “You have a hard task set before you. I’d only be a distraction. It’s more important you focus on what lies before you.”

  “But I’ll be distracted worrying about you.”

  Grandma let out a tear-choked laugh. “Human or Aigis, my family’s blood is definitely a part of you. Excessive worrying is a family trait.” She wiped her face again. “Get dressed, dear. If you need any help, just call for me. I’ll be in the kitchen packing the two of you some travel food. Bring out your toothbrush and hairbrush when you’re done.” She rose and touched Roxie’s pile of clothes before closing the bathroom door behind her.

  Roxie pushed to her feet with aid from the side of the tub, her every movement marked with the pain of muscle strain. It would’ve been easier to ask for help to get dressed, however she wanted to prove that she was still able to take care of herself. She shimmied out of her soaked shorts and undergarments, toweled off, and donned her fresh outfit consisting of a girl’s tee, a white lace strap tank top to go underneath, and beige capris. Brushing her teeth took two arms since she couldn’t raise her elbows past her stomach. Brushing her hair required the same effort, so she decided to let her hair air-dry and to put it back in a ponytail later.

  Roxie left the bathroom with both brushes in hand and found Aerigo at the kitchen table, buckling his boots. In the living room, Grandma placed a plastic grocery bag next to a backpack. She looked at Roxie’s hand.

  “I’ll take those,” she said, extending her own hand.

  Roxie crossed to the couch and handed over the brushes.

  “Say your goodbyes,” Aerigo said. He looked pensive as his gaze fell on the backpack. Then he shouldered his own pack and placed two white objects on top of a piece of paper on the table. The objects looked like quarter-sized pedometers with three fingertip-shaped indents and a small dial on each. Aerigo pushed in his chair, gave Grandma a meaningful look, and headed out onto the porch.

  “Are you ready to go, dear?” Grandma said.

  “I guess.” She could walk, so she didn’t have any reason not to be.

  “You have some oranges and muffins in the bag. I gave you one of my credit cards as well but please don’t go crazy with it.”

  “I won’t.”

  “Aerigo wouldn’t let me call a cab to take you to the bus station. He said you didn’t have the time to wait for one.”

  “Bus station? I thought you said plane.”

  “He didn’t want to take the plane. He said air travel gives you too few escape options. Are you well enough for the walk?”

  “Yeah,” Roxie said, but she wondered if she could manage several miles, feeling sore enough to be carried. She slipped into her running sneakers, although her eyes longed for her slippers lying next to them. Tucker hopped off the couch and sat by the slippers, watching Roxie. He started purring and lazily flicked the tip of his tail back and forth. “I’ll miss you too, you weirdo of a cat.” Roxie scratched Tucker behind the ears and he closed his eyes, enjoying the attention. It looked liked the lines of his mouth were curled up in a smile.

  Grandma handed over the backpack and grocery bag of food.

  “Thanks,” Roxie said, straightening up. “What did Aerigo leave on the table?”

  “I don’t know, but don’t worry about it. Just take care of yourself and listen to Aerigo. Everything you need is in your backpack.”

  “I will.”

  “It was an honor and a pleasure to raise you. I’ll miss you dearly.”

  “I’ll miss you, too.” They hugged, though gingerly in Roxie’s case. The memory of causing her grandmother pain would never let her forget her enhanced strength.

  “I love you very much.”

  “I love you, too.” Roxie wanted to cry but for some reason felt too empty to produce any tears. “Bye.” She let go and waved as she headed out the back door. Grandma waved back and took Tucker in her arms.

  Aerigo waited at the bottom of the porch steps. Once Roxie reached him, he started walking and she fell in step beside him.

  Aerigo said, “I’m sorry.”

  His tired, drawn features showed sorrow. “It’s not your fault. If I hadn’t run off—”

  “It’s not that. I meant having to take you away from your family.”

  “Do you have your own family you had to leave behind?”

  Aerigo’s eyes glowed blue. “Not anymore.”

  “What do you mean?”

  He swallowed and stared ahead. “She’s gone.”

  “Who? What happened?”

  They passed under the trees and were touched by a lazy breeze that carried the scent of rain. Roxie turned around and walked backwards, and sure enough, swollen cumulous clouds were gathering beyond the rooftops.

  “What is it?” Aerigo asked.

  “Rain,” she said, turning around. Just perfect, she mused sarcastically. Crummy weather for a crummy day. “So what happened to your lady friend?”

  “It doesn’t matter anymore.”

  “Your eyes are glowing,” she said. It was strange to be able to say that to someone else. “Clearly it still does.”

  “Well, it shouldn’t,” Aerigo said sharply, then kinder, “It shouldn’t.”

  Roxie took the not-so-subtle hint and lapsed into silence. They traversed the forest and took a right, headed for Buffalo’s outskirts. Walking loosened Roxie’s limbs, although she felt like she was losing energy, instead of gaining any back. The city engulfed them with cars, people, and daylight everywhere, though incoming clouds intermittently blocked the sun as they plodded deeper into the city.

  “Do you feel well enough to move faster?”

  “You mean, like, a brisk walk?”

  “I mean a a run. All the way to the station.”

  “I was never much of a distance runner.” Roxie hated running.

  “Daio’s still following us. I don’t know where he is, but he has no intention of losing track of us. The sooner we get on the bus, the sooner we’ll be able to keep a safe distance between him and us.”

  “How long do you think he’ll follow us for?” They reached
the end of a crowded sidewalk and waited for the crosswalk sign to turn green.

  “Most likely until I do something about it, or he does. But I’d rather just shake him off our trail. Other people will be sent to pick up where he leaves off, so there’s no point in killing him.”

  “But you said you wish you had,” Roxie said over honking horns and the hum of traffic.

  “For other reasons. Don’t worry about it.”

  A couple of cars swept under the red lights as the crosswalk sign turned green. The two started onto the road and took only a couple steps before Aerigo snapped his attention to their left and took a sharp intake of breath. “Run!” He seized her wrist.

  Roxie clung to a strap of her pack as they sped down the sidewalk. They bumped more people out of the way than maneuvered around them. “What is it?” They angled into the street, rushing between parallel-parked cars and moving traffic, and the idle cars made a flicky whooshing noise as she sped by with only inches to spare on either side. Not only that, they were keeping up with the flow of traffic—no, surpassing all the cars to their immediate left! How fast were they running?

  “He’s very close! Don’t slow down; just tell me which way to turn.”

  “Stay on this road. It’s up ahead. You can’t miss it.”

  Aerigo let go and hoisted his pack over his head, then unzipped it and dug around inside. Ahead of them a Camry partially pulled out, blocked by bumper-to-bumper traffic. Aerigo veered back onto the sidewalk as he produced his dagger, and threw his pack back over a shoulder. Roxie followed and lost sight of him in the sea of pedestrians, but she didn’t panic. At the very least they’d meet back up outside the parking lot. She slowed her pace and stuck to the sidewalk, not wanting to chance the street or test her reflexes. Her ability to outrun a car was unreal, but her amazement was dampened by her desire to not give Daio another chance to pancake her.

  “Hey there,” said a voice to her left.

  Roxie stole a glance at a man running alongside her. Bile burned her throat. It was Daio, back down to normal size, but way too close for comfort. She searched for the back of Aerigo’s clean-shaven scalp and didn’t see it anywhere. Another stranger fooled her, but that man was bald as a cue ball and nowhere near as fit. She kept searching.