by Miranda Kavi
When we reached the road, brick buildings sat in a roughly straight line down what appeared to be the strip. He pointed out one of them to me. “This is the library. It’s huge. It has every kind of book you can imagine. We also order all the latest DVDs. You can just go in and take whatever you want and return it when you’re done.”
We continued our walk down the paved road that was most definitely the center of activity. My attention was drawn to a small café, where large groups of people clustered around the tables outside.
He led me to the cafe. A girl with super short, bright blond hair waved vigorously at us.
“You must be Aurora. My name is Julie. I’m so glad we have another flyer.” She extended her hand and pumped mine enthusiastically. “How old are you? You look to be my age. I’m twenty-two.”
I tried to follow her rapid fire style speech, but I was still stuck on the “flyer” lingo she had thrown out, and she reminded me of Bree. Ouch.
I shook off my discomfort and played nice as Konstantin introduced me to several other people.
After my face was sore from fake smiling, Konstantin touched my arm. “Want to go for a hike? I’d like to see what you can do, away from everyone.”
“Sure,” I said. “Can we invite Julie?”
“Yes. That’s a nice idea. She’s a strong flyer.”
The trail we took twisted and turned up the mountain at a steep incline. The trees blocked out most of the light. The doom and gloom was starting to get to me, when the trees suddenly gave way to a long stretch of open, sunny, meadow dotted with only a few trees.
I put my face up to the sun and tried to soak it in, desperate to cleanse Gavyn from my brain. I put my hands out and pushed up my sleeves to get a little sun on my pale arms. I allowed myself to float up to the tops of the trees and out of the reach of the shadows.
Julie giggled and followed me up.
Konstantin joined us. “Okay. Let’s see what you can do.”
I looked up at the sun. I wanted to get closer to its cleansing light. Without saying another word, I shot toward the sky. I had never tried to go so fast before. The wind ripped through my hair, pulling out my ponytail holder. My light jacket flapped wildly in the wind created by my movement. It was exhilarating.
I looked down and saw Konstantin and Julie were far below, appearing only as small dots. I paused, enjoying the amazing view only I could see before heading back down.
“Holy crap!” Julie shouted as soon as I was close enough to hear. “Wicked! I’ve never seen anything like that!”
“Can you move horizontally as well as you move vertically?” Konstantin said.
“I think so.”
“Okay. Let’s go.”
We skimmed along the top of the trees, slowly, so I could take in all the sights and sounds. Julie and Konstantin had to concentrate to move in the way I did. Their movements seemed sluggish next to mine. In a strange way, it made me feel good. It also made me feel weird. Not only was I a freak but I was a super freak.
Eventually, we landed just outside the village and walked back into the clearing. I went back to the cabin with Konstantin.
“You hungry?” he asked.
“Sure.” I was never one to turn down food. He pulled some bread out of the cabinet and meat and cheese out of the fridge.
“Sandwiches okay? Carmen’s the skilled cook around here.”
“Perfect.”
“So,”—he pulled open the bread and pulled out four slices—“you seem to have quite the ability. It’s far above what I can do. Can you tell about when you noticed you were different?”
“Yeah, I kinda noticed something was going on when I was reading in an armchair, looked down and saw I wasn’t in the chair anymore, because I was floating above it.”
“At least you were at home. How old were you?”
“14.”
“Did you drop out of school?”
“No, why would I?”
He knitted his eyebrows together. “Because, until you learn to control it, it can be difficult to be in public.”
“Oh. Yeah. I stayed home four weeks from school on a claim of Mono.”
He dropped the bread he was holding and turned to face me. “Four weeks? That’s all it took?”
“What, is that bad?” I asked.
He shook his head. “No, not bad. Good, different.” He resumed his sandwich making.
“Christ, I am a freak.” I slumped forward on the table, resting my head on my splayed out arms. “A freak that’s been transplanted out of my pretend life into Alaska!”
He put a sandwich down in front of me. “You have lost a lot in this experience. I know you can never replace those friendships or experiences you’ve had, but please believe me, you will gain a million things with us. Carmen and I will do our best to look after you like you are our own.”
Carmen breezed in the front door, shopping bags in hand. She pulled a compact black phone out of her back pocket and tossed it to me. “Here you go. Call your mom so she has your number. Please feel free to text and call at will. I also picked you up a few sweaters, but I’m not sure what you like. Maybe we can go shopping tomorrow to get you some more Alaska appropriate attire.”
“Thanks,” I said. “I feel bad just living off your charity. Maybe I can give you some money?”
“Don’t worry about it. We won’t take your money. Like I said, the organization owns some businesses, which earns us a nice income. We need to focus on educating you and keeping you safe.”
After I finished my sandwich, I returned to the privacy of my room to call Mom with the new cell phone. She was slightly less angry and anxious.
I called Julie next, curious to see where our friendship would go. “Hey!” she said when I told her it was me calling. “I’m glad you called. I’ll save your number. Why don’t you come over to my cabin tonight? I’m having a few people over. We’re just going to drink some beer and watch some movies.”
“Sure. You can’t go wrong with beer.” I truly wanted to crawl into bed and cry for the rest of the night, but Julie’s idea sounded more productive. Maybe the crowd of new people in my life would push out the memories of my former existence.
“Awesome. Come on over now. You can see my cabin from your dining room window. I’m the only one with my front door painted purple.”
I paused by the front door as I left. “Hey, guys. Julie invited me over. I think I’m going to go.”
“Great!” Carmen said. “Have fun. Go that way when you walk out, it’s not far.” She pointed to the wall behind her with her finger.
“Do I need a key?” I asked.
They looked at each other and laughed. “There are no locks. There is no danger here,” Carmen said.
“Oh, right.”
I walked in the direction Carmen pointed, looking for a cabin with a purple door. It wasn’t hard to spot. It was tiny, built with dark wood, and nestled in the trees. An old wooden table and chair set crowded the small porch. Brightly colored blankets thrown over the railing waved gently in the breeze like Tibetan prayer flags. Julie and two people around my age had beers and were relaxing in the chairs.
Julie waved me over to the porch.
“Hey, Aurora, this is Karen.” She gestured at the tall, thin, attractive brunette with striking blue eyes.
Karen shook my hand. “Nice to meet you. It’s good to have a fellow Texan around. I’m from Gonzales, Texas.”
“And this is Damien.”
He unfolded his considerable length while he stood to shake my hand. He was handsome with chiseled features and long dreadlocks. “Would you like a beer?” he asked.
“Sure.”
He reached a giant muscular arm behind him and retrieved one from the cooler. “So,” he said, “you’re a flyer? From what Julie said, you’re really good.”
“Oh. Yeah. I guess I am a flyer. What about you, Damien?” Apparently, superhuman abilities were a casual topic of conversation around here.
“I’m
what they call a blocker. Has Carmen or Konstantin explained blockers to you yet?”
“Briefly.”
“Well, I travel with those two a lot. I’m useful to have around when dealing with them.”
Them. I needed to learn more about them. I opened my mouth to ask Damien, but Julie interrupted. “We’re all more than just our gifts. Why don’t you tell us more about you?”
“I was in law school before I came here. My mom and my sister live in Kansas, which is where I lived for a long time. Parents divorced when I was two and my dad is not in the picture. That’s about it. I’m boring.”
“Law school?” Damien asked. “That’s not boring. That’s pretty cool, actually. I always thought I would go to law school and be a district attorney.”
“Why don’t you?” I asked.
“Tuition, time, and I’ve got this, which is way more fun.”
Karen was quiet during the conversation. I turned my attention to her. “So, Karen. What’s your gig?”
She laughed. “Well, I’m not one of the talented kids. I’m Damien’s handler,” she said.
Julie opened her front door. “Hey, you guys want to watch the movie?”
“Sure,” I said.
During the movie, I saw the images move across the screen, but I didn’t comprehend the movie. My mind was a million miles away. I tried to reconcile all of this new information with my life. I felt the pull of my old life, of him. I wanted to hear his voice so badly.
The cell phone was heavy in my pocket, but I resisted the urge to dial the numbers I knew so well.
After the movie, I bade my new friends a good night before walking out into the still light late evening. I enjoyed the brief walk back to my temporary home. Back in my bedroom, I drew the black curtains shut to block out the sun. I changed into pajamas, jumped into bed, and scrunched my eyes shut, trying to block the thoughts of Gavyn, Mom, Erica, my friends, and even my familiar apartment in San Antonio that was mine no longer.
I was not successful.
Chapter 14
The café was crowded today as usual. Konstantin walked quickly ahead of me, having dragged me out of bed early for some reason.
Ugh. This was the new nexus of my social life.
A stocky middle aged man with shaved head and deep tan stood as we approached. Something about him screamed military. Several somethings about him actually. His movements were smooth, controlled, and precise, with his eyes constantly darting around to take in his surroundings. He was dressed in boots and rugged pants.
“Good morning, Konstantin,” he said in a British accent. I thought of Gavyn and his British accent, and his perfect eyes, and…
“I’m Dennis. Konstantin has told me all about you. I’m very glad to meet you.”
I shook his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“Dennis has come in for a visit from one of our groups in England. He’s going to be coming with us today,” Konstantin said.
“Okie dokie.”
Two miles in a strictly upward motion in a thick forest landed us in a large open clearing ringed by trees. My thighs ached with effort and I had sweated so much I was 90% sure I had pit marks. Dennis wasn’t even out of breath from the vigorous hike.
“Dennis is, you could say, a type of blocker. He can’t fly. But please, show him what you showed me yesterday,” Konstantin said.
“Okay.” I zipped up my jacket to defend against the cold air, took a deep breath, and flew. I rose to the top of the trees and paused, waiting for further instruction from Konstantin.
“Fast, like you did yesterday,” Konstantin yelled from the ground.
It was new for me, to have complete freedom to move. The air moved around and through me. Surges of energy rolled through my body. I rocketed through the air, even faster than before. My futile ponytail holder flew out of my hair. I felt like I could go forever and ever. I stopped when I realized I was very, very cold. I swallowed my panic when I looked down. I had gone too far. I couldn’t tell where I had come from.
Thankfully, I saw a small dot moving above green blobs of trees below. I surged down toward the dot. Konstantin met me halfway. “Nice.”
We returned to solid ground, where Dennis was still waiting and watching. “Wow. Impressive,” he said. “You’re very good.”
“So I passed my demonstration? Do I get a sticker?”
Dennis smiled. “I heard you are a sharp little thing.”
“I’m not a ‘little thing.’ ”
“My apologies. I didn’t mean any offense.”
“Let’s go back,” Konstantin said. “You look tired.”
“Sure.”
Dennis fell into step next to me as we hiked back to the village. “Please tell me, how did you learn to control your ability on your own?”
“I wasn’t on my own. My mom helped me. I would practice all day at not floating away. I stood in front of her in the kitchen and tried over and over until I got it right. I’m still not sure how I do it.”
“Sounds about right. I think of it as kind of like pissing.”
Now it was my turn to laugh. “Pissing?”
“Yes, pissing. You don’t have to actively think about not pissing your pants, but you are holding in your piss almost constantly.”
“I guess that’s true.”
“What do you do when you are not flying?” he asked. “It looks like you work out. Do you?”
“Yes, well no. Kind of. Until a short while ago, I used to run a lot, and lift weights.”
“You should keep up your fitness while you are here. Hike outside while you can. It will get much, much colder.”
As we approached the clearing near the cabins, both men were quiet.
“Aurora, why don’t you get something to eat?” Konstantin said, motioning to the direction of his cabin. “I think Carmen mentioned shopping with you today. Dennis and I need to speak in private.”
“Oh, okay. You need to talk about me. Go for it.” On a crazy impulse, I hugged Konstantin. He seemed surprised, but pleased. I offered my hand to Dennis. “It was nice to meet you.”
“The pleasure was all mine. You are an amazing girl, and not just because of what you can do.” His giant leathery hand wrapped around mine briefly.
I took my time walking back to the cabin. Carmen was pulling a meatloaf out of the oven. “Perfect timing. I was hoping we could eat and then drive into town to shop this afternoon. Maybe you can invite Julie?”
An hour later I was in the Jeep with Julie and Carmen, headed to Fairbanks to get new clothes. I looked at the cold rural surroundings, doubtful of what kind of shopping we could do here.
“So, who is Dennis exactly?”
“He’s one of the leaders in our society. He heads up one of the divisions. We’ll talk about it more later.” She glanced at Julie in the back seat as she spoke.
“Sure, whatever.” I craned my head to look at Julie. “How is it you came to be here?”
She closed her compact and shoved it in her purse before answering. “I came here when I was nineteen. My great grandfather had the same ability. He watched me until it became active and then introduced me to the others and this life. He lives in Montana. He left a couple of years ago when he was sure I’d be okay on my own up here.”
“Are you here alone?” I asked. “I mean, do you have any family here?”
“Yes. I’m here alone, in the sense my family isn’t here. But I have close friends here and it feels like family. I’m working at the bookstore in our village part time, and doing online classes so I can finish my bachelors.”
“Oh. Why don’t you go to college in Fairbanks?” I asked.
She sighed. “The same reason you couldn’t do it either. I don’t have a handler yet. I venture out into the world a little bit, because that’s how you meet your handler, but I have to be careful.”
“Oh.”
We went to a small mall in Fairbanks. Despite my general depression, it was fun to shop with the girls. For the first time sinc
e I arrived in Alaska, laughter came naturally.
I counted no less than seven shopping bags in my hands as we walked back to the car after a three hour marathon shopping session. I was the proud owner several pairs of thermal lined jeans, long sleeved shirts, knit caps, sneakers and hiking boots.
On our way back, Carmen uttered a low oath and swerved the car into strip mall. “Almost forgot!”
“Me too!” said Julie.
I leaned forward so I could read the sign of the store. “Ice cream?”
“You bet. We have to eat it now, while it’s summer. Trust me, you won’t want to eat it when it gets to 20 below with the wind chill,” Julie answered. “And it’s a long, long winter here.”
Back at the cabin, Julie hopped out of the car and gave me a quick hug. “See you later.”
Inside, Konstantin and Dennis were sitting at the dining table. Several small white take-out boxes were in front of them.
“We have much to discuss,” Dennis said in a formal tone. “Do you like Chinese? We drove to Fairbanks just to get it.”
“Okay. Sounds good,” I said.
Tension crackled in the air. I put the shopping bags in my room and ran a brush through my unruly hair before returning downstairs.
Carmen spread out paper plates on the table and grabbed forks and spoons for everyone. I eagerly dug into the spicy food. It was the worse Chinese food I had ever eaten, but it was perfect after the cool ice cream snack. It was mostly silent while we ate. Everyone, including me, was waiting for something to happen. I finished my food and was examining the patterns in the wood on the table when Dennis’s clipped voice broke my train of thought.
“Thanks for letting me tag along today. I’m sure you noticed I was watching you very carefully.”
“Everyone stares at the circus freak.”
He pushed his food around his plate. “Did Carmen or Konstantin tell you anything about me?”
I looked at Carmen. She nodded. “Well, yeah. Carmen said you were big dog in the organization. I’m sure you’re getting ready to tell me more?”
“Yes, but first let’s talk about you.” He leaned forward on the table, pushed his plate away, and folded his arms in front of him. “I’m a completely honest person. I have a feeling you are the same way. So, I’m going to be blunt with you. I think it’s only fair for someone in your situation.”