Current

by Rian Harper

  “I can carry the big one.” I let out a grunt as Jasmine picked up the largest duffle bag and shoved it into my torso.

  I could understand Everett being standoffish, but I couldn’t really understand why Jasmine was being so antagonistic towards me. After all, I did what I had to do to save her life. If I hadn’t walked in on her and Keenan when I did, she could have bled out and died, and there would have been nothing any of us could have done. She was alive because of me. The more I stood there and thought about how ungrateful she was being, the angrier I became. That primal feeling I had experienced earlier was rising from the depths of my being, bringing forth unspeakable thoughts.

  “Nate are you all right?” Emma placed her hand on my shoulder and looked into my eyes. The beastly urge that filled me subsided quickly.

  I shook my head slightly and looked down. “Yeah. Just got dizzy all of a sudden.” I lied.

  Emma ran her arm down mine until it rested on my elbow and started pulling me toward the cabin. By the time we reached the porch, Everett had just gained access and opened the door. Jasmine filed in behind him as he started turning the lights on inside.

  The cabin was small. The front door opened directly into the common room that was the living room, dining room, and kitchen all in one. There was only room for one bathroom and a bedroom on the back side of the cabin. It looked like I was sleeping on the floor.

  Jasmine dropped the two bags she was carrying on the floor just outside the bedroom and quickly went into the bathroom and closed the door.

  “Ah! I have to pee too.” Everett danced a little outside the bathroom door. “I can’t hold it.” He hurriedly exited through the front door.

  After tying her hair up, Emma went to the little L-shaped kitchen and started putting the food we brought with us away. I went to the bedroom and placed the duffle bag I was carrying on the bed, then retrieved the bags Jasmine had left on the floor and put them on the bed as well. By the time I returned to the common room, Everett was coming back inside.

  “Wash your hands.” Emma called back to him as she stretched up on her tip toes to put a box of cereal on the top shelf of a cabinet.

  “I’m not an animal.” He said to himself as he walked to the kitchen sink and complied.

  Jasmine emerged from the bathroom and went straight into the bedroom for a few minutes before bringing out a stack of folded clothes in her arms.

  “I grabbed a few things from Clark’s dresser for you guys. You’ll just have to try stuff on and see if it fits. Nate, you will probably fit into these clothes better, since you’re pretty close to Clark’s size.” She set the clothes down on the burgundy and hunter green plaid couch that looked like it was from the early nineties. She lingered at the edge of the couch, staring out of the window at the blackness. I walked over beside her and sorted through the stack of clothes until I found something that looked comfortable to sleep in. A pair of blue exercise shorts and a plain gray t-shirt.

  “Thank you.” I looked down as I spoke and noticed Jasmine quickly swipe her hand across her cheek. She looked up at me and put on a fake smile.

  “Goodnight.” She quickly turned and walked to the bedroom, closing the door behind her.

  Everett came up beside me and picked up a pair of black lounge pants. He unfolded them and held them up to his waist. They were about an inch too short. He sighed and started to unbutton the khaki shorts he was wearing. I turned around and started walking to the bathroom so I could change clothes in privacy. Emma caught my hand before I got to the door.

  “I think I’m going to bed too.” She leaned up and pressed her lips against mine.

  “I’ll see you in the morning.” I stole one more kiss before she disappeared into the bedroom.

  After I had changed and washed my face I came out and laid my dirty clothes, which I had neatly folded, on the floor beside a book case. Everett was stretched out over the entirety of the couch facing the television, which was turned to some cooking program. He had one of his arms raised up and resting on his forehead. I looked at the arm chair that sat at a ninety-degree angle to the couch and noticed several blankets, a set of sheets, and a couple of pillows resting on the cushion. As I walked over to pick up a pillow, I heard Everett start snoring.

  I unfolded a brown and tan crocheted blanket and threw it over him so he didn’t get cold in the middle of the night. Trying to not make too much noise, I slid the coffee table across the laminate wood floor so that it butt up against the television console, and placed a down comforter on the floor to lie on. After settling into the sleeping pallet I had constructed, it didn’t take long before I dozed off myself.

  I was awakened by the smell of coffee brewing in the kitchen. I rolled over and saw Emma pouring herself a mug. Her hair was pulled back in a messy bun, and she was wearing a pair of lavender pajama bottoms with a white spaghetti-strapped top. I sat up and stretched my arms in the air before I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes.

  “What time is it?” I looked around the room for a clock, but couldn’t locate one.

  “Almost 10:30.” Emma sipped her coffee as she walked over and sat in the arm chair.

  “That late?” I stood up and stretched some more as I looked around. Everett was still asleep on the couch and there was no sign of Jasmine.

  After folding up the blankets I slept on, I stacked them and the pillow I was using on the other linens that were now on the floor next to the arm chair. Before I stood up completely, I leaned over and kissed Emma on her cheek. “Good morning.”

  She looked at me with her vibrant eyes and smiled. “Good morning.”

  “Cut it out. It’s too early for that.” Everett’s voice was muffled now that he had taken the couch pillow from behind his head and covered his face with it.

  When I got to the bathroom, I noticed some essential toiletries that were still in the packaging. I unwrapped a red toothbrush and brushed my teeth before I went back out to the kitchen to pour myself some coffee. As I poured the coffee, the front door opened, and in walked Jasmine carrying two brown paper bags full of groceries. I quickly set the carafe down on the tile counter top and took a bag from her.

  “Thanks.” She turned around and closed the door behind her now that she had a free hand.

  “No problem.” I sat the bag on the counter and handed her the cold items, which she put away in the refrigerator and freezer.

  The tension in the room was again palpable as we unloaded groceries in silence. When we were finished, Jasmine took off her denim jacket and hung it on the back of one of the dining room chairs, then slid the sleeves of her pale yellow long-sleeved shirt half way up her forearms. After pouring herself a cup of coffee, she opened a plastic box with half a dozen cream cheese pastries and took one. She sat down at the small round dining table and stared out of the window as she slowly ate the pastry and sipped on her coffee.

  The pastries looked delicious, so I picked one up and took out half of it with one bite. I washed the massive bite of food down with a gulp of my coffee, which scalded my tongue. When I finished eating, I picked up my coffee and went to the sitting area. Everett was still taking up the entire couch, so I looked down at Emma and without saying a word, she scooted as close to one side of the chair as she could to make room for me. I smiled and happily wedged myself into the small space. Emma and I sat in that chair together, sipping on our coffee, watching the news on the television.

  Everett finally got up and walked to the bathroom, shuffling his feet across the floor the entire way. He emerged after a few minutes and followed suit with the rest of us, pouring a cup of coffee and having a bite to eat. Jasmine, evidently finished with her coffee, walked over to the sink and set her mug down. Suddenly, she burst into tears.

  Emma shot up out of the chair and set her mug down on the counter. She rushed to Jasmine’s side and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Jasmine buried her face into Emma and wept. Everett and I glanced at each other, neither of us knowing what to do. I met Emma’s eyes and she l
ightly shrugged her shoulders, indicating she had no idea what was wrong. Jasmine composed herself after a few minutes and straightened up. She used the inside collar of her t-shirt to wipe away the tears, smudging her eyeliner in the process.

  I couldn’t stand it anymore. Someone had to talk about what happened earlier. I walked over to the dining table and grabbed the back of one of the chairs, trying to gain the gumption to speak. Finally, it just came out.

  “Jasmine, what happened to you yesterday was horrible and I’m sorry for that.” I stepped closer to the girls. “But you need to talk about it.”

  Jasmine threw one of her arms up in the air and rolled her eyes, still sniffling. “I don’t want to talk about it, Nate. I just don’t.” She let out a long push of air from her mouth to help stifle the tears.

  For some reason I didn’t want to back down. I needed her to talk about it. Even if it was just for my own peace of mind. “I can’t take this anymore, Jasmine. Everything has been weird since we left your house. Keeping whatever you’re feeling inside isn’t working. Get it out in the open. Just say it.”

  “Fine, Nate. You want to know why I’m crying?” Her voice cracked. She looked at me and I could see the tears as they welled up in her eyes and spilled over onto her cheek. “I was pregnant.”

  Chapter 18

  Side Effects

  My heart sank. Emma pulled Jasmine closer to her and gave her a comforting squeeze. Everett walked over and placed a consoling hand on her back and whispered something in her ear. I stood, flabbergasted and morose over what I’d just heard. There I was, so intent on clearing the air, but all I did was pressure a poor woman into expressing a heart-wrenching travesty. I felt like a monster. I couldn’t at all fathom what she was feeling or thinking. All I could think to do was turn and walk out the front door.

  The cold mountain air slapped me in the face as I crossed my arms around my torso. I could see my breath appear and evanesce as I huffed in the frigid air. I started shaking, but it wasn’t from the cold. It was from anger. I thought about the shifters and what they had done to us. Everything else I could deal with, but not this. Not the loss of an unborn child. That feeling I’d gotten earlier started to emerge again. This time I could feel it overwhelming me. I couldn’t stop it.

  I looked down at my hands as my fingernails morphed and extended into sharp feline claws. I could feel my teeth changing, lengthening into sharp points. I fell to my hands and knees as the feeling in me grew stronger and stronger. My vision changed. Suddenly I could see everything moving around me all at once. I could hear the sounds of birds flying in between the trees in the forest behind me. I could smell the humans in the cabin.

  I turned as a man and woman emerged from inside.

  “Emma get back inside.” The man’s voice was muffled in my ears, more like a background noise. But I could hear his heart beating loud and clear.

  “Everett, what’s wrong with him?” The woman walked backwards to the door. She smelled delicious.

  I went to pounce when I was hit by a white light. It burned all through my body. It wouldn’t end. I tried to get away but I couldn’t move. My body contorted as I tried to shake off the fire that was enveloping me.

  “Nate!” I felt a hand jostle my shoulder. Suddenly I was freezing cold. I opened my eyes and found myself lying on the cold, hard ground outside. Everett was standing over me.

  “What happened?” I asked groggily as I sat up and brushed the leaves off the side of my face.

  Everett kept his distance from me. “It’s hard to say. You were kind of half Nate, half big black cat. It was weird.”

  “Did you electrocute me?” I tried standing, but collapsed back to the ground.

  “You bet I did. Had to be done under the circumstances.” Everett finally stepped closer to me and crouched down. “Let’s get you back inside.”

  Everett helped me off the ground and back into the cabin. He sat me on the couch and backed away from me again. Emma and Jasmine stood next to him, their eyes wide with worry. I shivered as I sat there in just some flimsy shorts and a thin t-shirt. Jasmine leaned over, picked up a blanket, and then threw it at me. I tucked my legs under each other and wrapped myself up in it. Everett took a few steps closer to me and leaned in.

  “His eyes are back to normal. I think we’re safe now.” Everett straightened back up. What was wrong with my eyes? I wondered.

  Emma came and sat down beside me. “Nate, can you tell us what happened?”

  “Not entirely. When I went outside I thought about Jasmine and got so angry at the shifters. I could feel something inside me, something I felt back in Jasmine’s house when I was holding onto Keenan, spreading out and taking over. Next thing I knew I was lying on the ground looking up at Everett.”

  Jasmine walked over and sat in the arm chair next to the couch. “Sounds like there’s a small part of the shifting ability still in you somewhere. But that doesn’t make any sense.” Her poor eyes were bloodshot from crying. “Every time you have used one of our powers, as soon as we let go, you can’t use them anymore. Right?”

  “I guess.” I shrugged my shoulders. My power was new to all of us and we had no idea how it worked exactly.

  “Maybe he does hold onto our powers, we just haven’t noticed until now. He’s only had this ability for about a day now, so it would have been easy to miss.” Everett offered.

  “I don’t think so.” I interjected. “When I’m absorbing each power, they feel different. As soon as I am no longer in contact with one of the three of you, I don’t feel those particular sensations anymore. But even after I let go of Keenan, I could still feel something deep down inside. It’s lingering.”

  “Do you feel it now?” Everett asked as he crossed his arms.

  I concentrated on finding that feeling again that had been bubbling forth. I closed my eyes and searched. It was gone. “No. I don’t feel it anymore.”

  “Good.” Everett sighed with relief. “Maybe I shocked it out of you.”

  I scooted closer to where Jasmine was sitting in the arm chair. Tears started welling up into pools as I mouthed the words “I’m sorry.” She nodded her head in acknowledgement and wiped another tear from her cheek.

  “I don’t want to talk about it anymore. It’s done.” She rose from the chair and walked over to the basket that held a few pieces of firewood. “Seems like it’s getting colder out there. How about we start a fire?”

  Everett walked over once she’d stacked a few logs together and sent a steady stream of electricity into the log resting on the top until a flame sparked. The fire quickly filled up the small space with warmth. The crackling sounds were soothing, reminding me of the cold winters in North Carolina spent around the fireplace. I lived there with a foster family for a couple of years as a young teenager.

  I closed my eyes and rested my head on the back of the couch as Emma moved right next to me and laid her head on my shoulder. She grabbed my hand and laced her fingers through mine. I felt myself drawing her power as it sparked in my head and traveled down my spine. It almost felt like a shiver, but instead of cold, it was warm. I was able to regulate it so neither of us got out of control.

  “Hmm.” Emma let out a soft hum.

  I opened my eyes and noticed that she was running her fingers down my arm until it reached our hands that were interlocked. Before I could say anything to her, Everett spoke up.

  “Let’s go for a walk, Nate.”

  I couldn’t inquire as to why he wanted to take a walk before he disappeared into the bedroom with some clothes in his hands. I glanced down at Jasmine, then at Emma, as we all just silently wondered what prompted Everett’s request. I got off the couch and collected some warmer clothes before I stepped into the bathroom to change.

  I looked at myself in the mirror wondering what happened to me earlier outside. Everett said I was ‘half Nate, half big black cat.’ I knew that I grew some claws and I could feel my teeth changing. The rest, however, was a blur. Why was I holding onto the a
bility to shift and not the others? Why wasn’t I shifting completely into a cat, only partially? There were always so many questions and not enough answers.

  I wasn’t going anywhere without a quick shower. There was still dirt on me from where I had been lying on the ground outside. I pulled the shirt I was wearing over my head and looked at the small tattoo on my left shoulder. It suddenly had so much meaning. I ran my fingers across the design. It was a small black circle with an embellished V centered in it. Emma said that descendants were usually marked only after they exhibited powers since some never do. I contemplated why I had been marked at such a young age without anyone knowing whether I would get an ability or not. It was just another question without an answer to it.

  After a fast shower, I got dressed and met Everett at the front door where he was waiting for me. We waived at the girls and stepped onto the porch. It definitely seemed colder from before, even though the sun had risen more in the sky. It was the first time I was able to really appreciate the view. The cabin was situated on a flattened area on the side of a foot hill. The trees were sparse at the back of the property, which was nice because I could see the taller mountains in the background, which were sprinkled with autumn colors here and there.

  Everett motioned for me to follow him as he started walking toward the tree line. I placed my hands in the front pockets of the red hoodie I was wearing and started in his direction.

  “Our parents left us this place when they died.” Everett grabbed the trunk of a smaller tree to help himself up the hill we were now climbing. “We used to come here every fall and spring break when we were growing up.” He stopped at what appeared to once be a large birch tree. All that remained was approximately 10 feet of the trunk, which was still rooted to the ground. “This is actually where my power first came out.”

  I joined him on the back side of the tree trunk. He reached up and ran his fingers along a split in the wood, which showed that the trunk was mostly hollow. The inside was charred black. “The first thing I ever did with a lightning bolt was topple this huge tree.” He looked at me with his fierce sapphire eyes.