by Bryan Cohen
Blake continued. "For your father's involvement in protecting the world from harm, I'm posthumously awarding him the Presidential Medal of Freedom."
Jennifer's eyes welled up. Nothing her father did was for attention or recognition. He just wanted to help the town and the world. The highest civilian honor was a kind gesture, but she couldn't help but feel it was too little too late.
"Thank you, sir."
The President shuffled some papers. "I won't keep you much longer, I realize you have some healing to do on your end. We'll, of course, be sending assistance right away. Before I go, Ted?"
Ted wore a minuscule smile on his face. "Yes, Mr. President."
"My Department of Defense would love to have a weekly sit down with you to discuss the latest cosmic happenings. Would you be available for such an advisory position?"
Ted looked over at Erica with deep affection. "As long as they can be virtual. I don't plan on leaving Treasure any time soon."
Support poured into the city over the next few weeks. Government funding and insurance money kicked in quickly to rebuild the houses that had been lost. The Finleys had a new place to live within five days. Jennifer went to the White House to accept the award on her father's behalf. Dozens of dignitaries she didn't know told her she should be proud of her father's sacrifice. She was, but she didn't need any strangers to tell her that. While she was in town, several news anchors requested interviews with her, but Dhiraj said there was only one televised conversation she should consider.
"This is YNN. Rudy Bolger here with the daughter of Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient Sheriff Michael Norris, and a heroine in her own right." Bolger shifted his large posterior on the chair from one side to the other. "Jennifer Norris, welcome to the program."
She was nervous. Not on account of the lights and the cameras, but because she wanted to represent her father well.
Jennifer took a deep breath. "Happy to be here, Rudy."
He focused in on her eyes, as if he were willing the tears to come out. "Your father passed away protecting America from an unseen evil. How would you like your dad to be remembered?"
Jennifer had practiced the answer with Dhiraj about 20 times. She looked past the camera to see him giving her a thumbs-up. "He was a sheriff. Sheriffs protect their towns and give back to the community. They don't care how many people they're helping, just that every single person feels safe and secure." Jennifer blinked away the mistiness. "He lived that way to his dying breath. And I'll honor his legacy by doing the same."
Bolger looked mildly disappointed that she hadn't full on wept, but he pressed on regardless. "I'd be remiss if I didn't ask this, but you're dating our many-time guest Dhiraj Patel, am I correct?"
She smiled and caught Dhiraj's eye again. "I am."
Bolger's heavy cheeks turned pink from smiling. "Lucky fellow. Any thoughts of wedding bells for you two in the future?"
Jennifer smirked. "Have me back here in 10 years and I'll let you know."
Jennifer sat on the edge of Erica's bed in the LaPlantes' new house. Jennifer's house had been finished for three days, but nobody questioned her wanting to stay with a friend. Even though the LaPlantes knew that Erica wasn't their daughter anymore, when she asked if she and Jennifer could stay, they welcomed both girls with open arms. Jennifer wasn't the only transplant around town, as Dhiraj and Mr. Patel were staying with the Finleys until their house was replaced.
Jennifer thumbed through a box of old photographs that had survived the fires.
Erica plopped down beside her and glanced at the pictures over her shoulder. "Anything good?"
She nodded and took out a few winners. "Oh yeah. A ton of throwbacks."
Erica leaned on Jennifer. The warmth of her friend's chin made her smile.
Erica's words buzzed by her ear. "If you could take a picture of the future, what would it look like?"
Jennifer thought for a moment. While there were many possibilities removed due to her father's death, there was still a lot to look forward to. She'd go to college. Maybe she and Dhiraj would tie the knot someday. Kids, and jobs, and life could follow.
Jennifer sighed. "Right now, I just want the future to be all of us together and happy."
Erica lightly kissed her shoulder. "I like that." She wrapped her arms around Jennifer. "We'll see what we can do."
The sound of the doorbell resonated throughout the house. Jennifer swayed in the same loving position until she heard Mrs. LaPlante shriek from downstairs. They shared a look before they sprung out of the room. A familiar male voice was comforting Erica's mom.
"It's okay. I'm sorry I startled you."
Jennifer reached the bottom of the steps and looked straight out the door. The man standing there stepped forward and fully into the light. It was her father.
"Hi honey." He smiled a toothy grin. "I'm here to take you home."
49
Erica couldn't believe her eyes for a second. She'd seen Sheriff Norris die. The memory of his blood seeping out onto the dirt path beside the farm continued to find its way into her dreams. She didn't know who the man standing on her front stoop was, but he sure as heck wasn't the sheriff.
"Daddy?" Jennifer's voice was as meek as a preschooler's.
Erica clenched her fists. "Mom, can you give us a moment?"
Mrs. LaPlante didn't need to be told twice. She scurried upstairs calling her husband's name. Now it was just the three of them.
As Jennifer approached the threshold, Erica held her back. The words were painful to say. "It's not him, Jen." She stared into the new sheriff's eyes. "He's a dark soul."
Jennifer took a few steps back, and Erica visualized the easiest way to break the intruder's neck. Only, the sheriff didn't seem to have any intent on fighting. He simply stood there and looked at Jennifer with love in his eyes. "I'm here to see my daughter."
Erica's entire body tensed up. "I don't want to kill you in front of her. But I will if I have to."
The sheriff put up his hands. "Wait." He rolled up his sleeves, revealing no marks whatsoever. "I'm not a soldier. I'm actually a farmer from the same village that–"
Erica sneered. "How did you get in that body?"
The sheriff looked utterly confused. "You don't know? I was given permission."
Erica's phone started to ring. Without looking at the identity of the caller, she handed the phone back to Jennifer. Her eyes stayed fixed on the dark soul in front of them.
Jennifer's voice trembled. "It's Ted." She picked it up. "Hello?"
Erica couldn't bear to put Jennifer through this any longer, but she needed more information and she needed it fast.
Jennifer's voice caught a few times as she spoke. "Yeah. We can meet you." She sniffled. "Actually, it'd be better if he didn't come." Jennifer wiped her eyes. "Yeah. We'll be there soon."
Erica looked back for a split second. Tears were streaming down her friend's face.
"We actually have to go right now, and I don't want to see you."
Sheriff Norris took a step inside. "But honey?"
Jennifer's voice grew deep. "No! Get away from here, or I'll give Erica full permission to kill you again."
The sheriff stepped back outside. "Okay. I understand. I'll be at the house until–"
Erica slammed the door in the man's face. Her body shook. "I'm so sorry. I don't–"
"Ted says he needs to see us." He squeezed her face tight to ward off the tears. "He knows about my dad."
Erica slammed her fist through the nearest wall. She felt the sting from her knuckles right away, but she simply had to hit something. Or someone. "The lair?"
Jennifer nodded.
"I'll tell my mom."
When they reached the hideout, Dhiraj, Travis, Natalie and Ted were already there. Erica made a beeline for her boyfriend immediately.
She grabbed him by the collar. "You knew something about this, and you just put Jennifer through hell because of it!"
He put his hands on Erica's wrists. "I'
m sorry. I didn't know when it would – that's why I called everyone here."
Erica tightened her grip and lifted Ted two inches off the ground. "You better explain fast."
The rest of the gang didn't seem to know how to react. They stood frozen as Erica continued to lift Ted into the air. The desire to hit something hadn't left her in the slightest.
"Put me down and I'll tell you everything."
Erica complied, but her blood continued to boil. She knew that Ted had been tight-lipped since the return, but she figured he was just trying to get through the trauma. Now Erica worried that psychological issues were the least of their worries.
She sat down beside Travis and Natalie as Ted straightened his shirt.
He exhaled slowly. "I couldn't tell you this earlier, but I negotiated a truce with the General."
Erica stood up and screamed. "You what?!"
She'd spent hundreds of years protecting the human race. Seeing it all potentially go down the drain flooded her mind with emotions.
Ted held up one hand. "We wouldn't have made it off the Realm of Souls otherwise. All of us would've been dead and Adam would've burnt Treasure to a crisp."
Erica wasn't willing to listen to any justification. All she needed were the facts. "What were the terms?"
Ted ignored the question. "Look, Natalie and I know this, but not all of the dark souls are bad people. Most of them are farmers and people who've been screwed over by war."
Erica stood up. "What were the terms?"
Ted took a step toward her, unwilling to deviate from the script. "The dark souls helped us get back Natalie. They deserved a concession. So I've taken Earth out of the equation."
Erica and Natalie locked eyes.
The latter turned toward him. "What were the terms, Ted?"
He sighed. "We let them inhabit a very small percentage of our dead."
She clenched her hands into twitching fists. "You've just destroyed everything we've worked for!"
Erica didn't remember everything that happened next. She charged for Ted as her hands blazed with blue lightning. She wasn't sure what she wanted out of the encounter, but there was a rage shooting through her that needed some kind of release. Before she could reach Ted, a combination of people held her back. Natalie and Travis were the only ones strong enough to even have a chance.
All of it for nothing. The dark souls have won.
They carried her into Dhiraj's lair office and Natalie locked herself inside to keep watch. Before Erica was able to calm down, she had broken several pieces of equipment. Torn up monitors and office supplies lay at her feet when she started to come back to the world around her.
"You done?"
Erica nodded.
"You're not gonna throw another computer at my head?"
She nodded again.
"Good, then listen up."
Erica was able to turn down the anger to a simmer without Ted in the room. "I'm listening."
Natalie folded her arms. "I know you might've chose differently, given the same decision. But I think I would've gone with Ted on this one."
Erica looked away. The black ink from a busted printer ran down the wall. "This is about the fate of humanity."
Natalie's face was free of emotion. "Then maybe a human should make a decision on this."
Erica rubbed at her cheeks. "You should've seen the look on Jen's face, Nat. It wasn't fair."
Natalie sighed. "Life isn't fair, but you gotta do the best you can with it. I'm sure what Ted did wasn't easy for him." She knelt down and put her hand on Erica's knee. "If you call yourself his protector… then you should protect him."
Later that night, Erica jabbed at one of the punching bags in the corner. The sweat dripped down her neck and back after she'd spent an hour getting all her anger out. When she heard a footstep, she realized Ted had been there watching the entire time.
"You should get some sleep."
Erica shook her head. "I have to get all this out so I don't accidentally punch anyone in my sleep."
Ted walked over and held the bag for her. "I should've told you first."
Erica punched the bag so hard, it shifted Ted back two steps. "I still would've been mad."
Ted moved back into position. "You're not the only one. I think Jen is picking me for her next revenge target."
Erica gave the bag two jabs. "She's two-for-two so far." She followed it with a right hook. "You really think you can trust the General?"
Ted shifted as the bag moved from side to side. "You heard the terms though, right?"
Erica nodded. "Only non-military crossovers. The entire deal is off the table if they violate that or the ceasefire." She relaxed her stance. "It's a good deal if they actually stick by it."
Ted stepped around the bag and put his hands on Erica's gloves. "That's where we come in. If they mess up, the war's back on. Until then, we have to assume they actually want to do this right."
"I don't have to assume anything."
Ted worked his hands up her arms and onto her shoulders. "I need you in this. I'm basically going to cause the apocalypse without you."
Part of Erica wanted to shake loose of his grasp. The other hoped to melt into his warmth. "It might be too late for that."
Ted pulled her body in tighter. "I couldn't lose you. Not yet. Not ever."
Her throat became tight. "Okay. I'll help."
Ted smiled with relief. "Thank you." He pulled her closer. "If we're gonna end this war, we've got to do it together."
His face was just inches from hers. She halved the distance. "Together."
Erica closed her eyes and felt Ted's lips on hers. The warmth spread through her, battling the anxiety. She pulled away and looked deep into his eyes.
Maybe it will work.
Everything would be different now, but at least she still had him. Erica wasn't sure she could survive otherwise.
Epilogue
The General sat upon his throne in the position he was accustomed to: his face bathed in shadow as the light shimmered against the gold and silver of the room. Many things in and around the stronghold had changed in the last few weeks. There was a buzz among less fortunate dark souls for their opportunity to live another life on another world. The joy surrounding the possibility squelched any chance of a rebellion. All the parties involved with the small-scale underground attack had been executed. Today, his duty included deciding on punishments for other subjects involved in the attack.
Several of his guards escorted a woman and her young daughter into the room. She looked like many of the farming villagers who crossed his path. She was more haggard than a mother of her age should be, but she retained a fighting spirit. The General had a faint recollection he'd seen her before, but he quickly dismissed it as unimportant.
The General's new second-in-command, Pluric Xanivere, the Army's former lead torturer, read a name off the leaflet he held in his hand. He sounded as unenthusiastic as he'd been all day. "Razellia and Vella Gammo. They sheltered the living soul for over a week after our initial detection. They were also involved in the plot to infiltrate the stronghold to find the human."
The way Pluric said "human" made the General realize just how much the dark soul missed making people suffer.
The General leaned against the back of the throne. "These crimes speak of high treason against our people. How can you justify such–"
"Ted?!" Vella's voice rung loudly throughout the room. "Is that you?"
The girl's voice was vaguely familiar
The General grunted. "Silence the child."
Razellia shushed her daughter. "No, Vella. It's the General. They look and sound similar, but you need to–"
Vella pulled from her mother's grasp and stepped forward. "Ted, do you remember how you made things float around the house? Or the stories you told me about Natalie and Erica?"
As strange as it was, the General saw pictures floating in and out of his head. Of course, he'd never even been to the girl's village. And yet,
he saw the house so clearly. He recalled the games the little girl spoke of and he even remembered a few words of the story.
Pluric cleared his throat. "General, I can have this girl removed."
The General leaned forward on the throne, allowing his face to come into the light. Vella clapped and squealed. "I knew it was you! I want to hear more about Travis."
The words came out of the General's mouth before he even realized it. "The big… dumb… idiot."
Vella cheered. "Yes! Him!"
As soon as the General tried to grasp further at the memories, they flitted away. Butterflies bounced in his stomach as he realized the spectacle he'd allowed. "Take the girl away, Pluric. This is becoming a farce."
Vella screamed when the guards laid their hands on her. "Ted! Don't let them do this!"
The General noticed Razellia's tears when her daughter was taken from the room.
Her sobs were silent. "Please forgive me, General. She doesn't understand."
The General tried to relax away the nervousness, but it wouldn't leave him. "The typical punishment for your crimes is death. For both you and your child."
She nodded and straightened her spine. "Take her. I care not for my own life. Pretend she's your own. I beg you to let her live."
Something was coming over the General, and it felt like a conscience. This hadn't been a problem for any of the other executions he'd uttered, particularly for Ferrick Galloway, the former leader of Razellia's village. For some reason, this woman's argument was more compelling than the others had been.
"I wish to let you both live."
Pluric gasped. "But sir! The things this woman has done are inexuse–"
"Do you dare question me?" The General felt his temperature rise. "In my own court?"
Pluric took a few steps away from the throne. "Of course not."
The General projected his voice throughout the room. "The girl will become property of the stronghold. The mother will be confined to the dungeon, though she can provide daily lessons to the girl. Now take her out of my sight."
Razellia smiled and bowed. "Thank you, General! Your leadership is–" She started to cry again. "Thank you."