by Aaron Slade
“What do you think of the article in the paper?” Seth asked me. “I noticed you didn’t say much about it at lunch.” He walked behind me as I found the books on his list.
I was ready for the question and did my best to sound nonchalant. “I think it’s an awesome EHT.” I grabbed the first book off his list and continued looking for the rest.
“Do you think it’s a student?” he continued. His questions were quick and abrupt. He enjoyed picking my mind.
“Your guess is as good as mine,” I said. I looked down at him. “But of course, he may not even be from Fallon– he could have just been passing through in the night. An ability like that, there would be no need to settle in one place.” My answer seemed to have calmed him down.
“I bet you’re right,” he said.
Seth turned the conversation to movies while I got the rest of his books. I confessed to him that I hadn’t seen many movies lately. It was the truth– I had been too busy with my ability, Evee, and Adam. I told Seth that my teachers had given me a lot of homework for the past few weeks and that it had taken me a while to catch up.
I needed the ladder to acquire the last book on the topmost shelf, several feet above my reach. “You always pick the high ones,” I joked. I brought the ladder closer to me and stepped on the first step.
“Yeah,” Seth said. “It’s too bad you can’t fly up there and get it.”
It sounded more like an accusation, and I froze on the second step of the ladder. Seth wasn’t fooled by my answers, and he looked like he would be angry if I tried to deny it any longer. Somehow, he had figured out that it was me in the picture, but there was no way he could know for sure.
“You’ve been saying some strange things today, Seth,” I said. “Are you feeling okay?”
“I’m fine, Casper,” he yelled. “But I guess you’re not going to tell me the truth, huh?” He didn’t take his eyes off me and I knew I had no choice but to tell him. I couldn’t lie to him when he was so sure he knew the truth.
After a few awkward moments, I caved. “How did you know it was me?” I kept my voice low and hunched down so that I was eye level with him.
An explosion of joy erupted from Seth as he fell to his small knees. “I’ve been suspecting for a while that you, Evee and Adam have been hiding something. Adam hasn’t been sleeping, you’ve been secretive, and none of you have been hanging out with me. I wasn’t positive until Sara said all the students in school were accounted for when it came to their abilities– everyone is accounted for… except you.”
I was stupid to ever think that Seth wouldn’t notice the strange behavior. “Listen Seth, you can’t tell anyone that it’s me in that picture.”
“Why not?” he asked. “I thought you would want to tell everyone.”
“I can’t,” I said. “I haven’t even told my parents yet.” I thought I should tell him why it was so important that no one found out about me, but the library wasn’t the place for that. “Come over to my house after school and I’ll explain everything.”
He nodded his head with a big smile, thrilled to be in the inner circle again. “I don’t really need the books,” he laughed. “I just wanted you to tell me the truth.” I had offended him by not confiding in him sooner. Adam and I were the only friends he had after school hours. We had practically ignored him for the last month.
“Believe me, Seth, I wanted to tell you the truth, but there’s a lot you don’t know,” I said. “The situation is more dangerous than you realize.”
He looked at me confused. I told him that everything would be explained tonight, and that I would make sure Adam came to get him before I told my parents.
“Thanks, Casper,” he said.
“For what?” I asked. I thought he would have expected an apology from me, but he was thanking me.
“For treating me like an adult,” he finished. “You and Adam are the only ones that ever treat me like an adult. For a moment, I thought I’d lost that.”
Seth left the library, happier than I had seen him in weeks. I looked at the title of the book Seth had picked. It was Peter Pan and Wendy. I didn’t fool him for a second.
I went straight home after school to see if Uncle Jesse had come out of his room yet. His door was still shut when I got there. I knocked, and he must have known it was me. Chances were, he had already seen the picture or heard about the article in our neighbors’ heads. He opened the door.
“Well if it isn’t the boy who can fly,” he barked. “Have you come to ignore more of my advice or do you want to give me your autograph?”
“It’s not like that,” I said. “I’m telling Mom and Dad. I thought you might want to be there.”
“Casper!” he barked. “There are bigger things happening here than telling your parents. You were seen!”
I had grown accustomed to people celebrating the picture, not yelling at me for it. “I know,” I said. “But nobody realizes it’s me.”
“People are going to come looking for you,” he said.
If he wanted to scare me, he was doing a good job. “They’ll be looking for the flyer,” I said. “Casper Vance is human and the whole land knows it.”
“There will be consequences. I know that Evee’s father is involved with Zana. The Military will tear Fallon apart to find the person in the picture.”
He was so sure, his conviction frightened me. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be seen.”
He let out a deep breath, and his face relaxed. “It’s hard for me to blame you. I’ve always known you wanted to have an extra-human trait. Now that you do have one, it’s only natural that you want to use it.”
It hadn’t occurred to me how many of my most private desires he’d heard over the years. He knew more than my parents that I had spent my childhood pretending to run like Mom or teleport like Dad and Adam. His silver aura appeared and he wrapped me in a brief hug.
“I don’t want anything to happen to you,” he said. “I have to keep you safe.”
“I know,” I replied. “I’m not going to fly anymore.”
“That might not even matter now,” he said. His tone sounded so final that it confused me.
“What do you mean?”
We were distracted as Evee’s phantom body phased through the solid, wood door from my room. “Am I interrupting?” she asked. Her aura joined mine in the small space of the hall.
“No,” Uncle Jesse responded. “Not at all.”
“I would hug you both, but I’m not really here,” she said, laughing. “Where is everyone?”
“Seth and Adam will be here shortly, and my parents will be home soon,” I said.
I informed them about how Seth had already suspected it was me in the paper. Evee was impressed that Seth had been that intuitive, but Uncle Jesse thought if Seth could figure it out, others would be able to do it too. Uncle Jesse had one stipulation when I told my parents about my ability. He insisted that I couldn’t tell them about his true identity. He wanted to explain that himself in his own time.
Adam and Seth finally arrived just seconds before my parents. Dad teleported into the kitchen as Mom sped through the front door as if they planned to arrive at the same time. They were too preoccupied at first to notice the mob of people standing in their living room, but Mom noticed first, reacting with a concerned expression as if she faced an intervention. All eyes focused on my parents, creating an awkward silence as Mom entered the living room.
“What’s all of this?” Mom asked. The bulky crowd intimidated her, and she turned to me. “Casper, is something wrong?” Dad appeared next to her waiting for my reply.
Mom and Dad stared around the room, making uncomfortable eye contact with everyone. Seth sat in the recliner, his dark, blue eyes waiting on me to proceed. Adam and Uncle Jesse positioned themselves on the couch. I waited in the middle of the room, with Evee’s phantom body standing behind me, ready to tell them everything.
“Mom… Dad… there’s something I have to tell you,” I said. I c
ouldn’t keep from fidgeting, and a prickly heat irritated my skin.
“Is something wrong?” Mom asked again. She placed her hand on her heart.
“Everything’s fine, Amanda,” Uncle Jesse said. “Let Casper explain before you jump to conclusions.”
I looked at Uncle Jesse, feeling confused. “She thinks Evee’s pregnant,” he explained to me.
Evee’s face blew up, and she gave a curt laugh. “That’s not it, Amanda. You have nothing to worry about in that department.”
“Oh, THANK GOODNESS!” Mom said. She and Dad sat down on the couch. “What is it you need to tell us, Casper?”
My eyes looked back and forth into theirs. Words escaped me. I needed to make it as simple as possible. “A few weeks ago, I… discovered my extra-human trait.”
Mom’s face squinted together. “What?” She looked at Dad then back at me to explain further. Dad didn’t move an inch.
“I’m still not sure what it is exactly, but I have an ability. It happened not long after Evee moved here.” I turned sharply towards Evee in time to see her aura flare.
“Are you sure?” Dad asked. His reaction reminded me of Adam’s. He couldn’t believe it. “What is it?” His curiosity and skepticism combined on his face.
Adam sat up and tossed me the paper. I unfolded it and held up the picture for them to see. Like everyone else, the picture had a powerful impact on them, even though they’d both seen it already. They simultaneously drew deep breaths as they stared from the picture and back to me. They were both in awe. Dad covered his mouth with his hand and tears rushed to Mom’s eyes. Dad reached out to take the paper.
“This is you?” he asked in disbelief.
I nodded my head. “My ability is more complicated than just flying. I see this light in people. It’s this aura people give off when they’re happy.”
“Casper sees love,” Evee simplified.
Mom and Dad looked at me as if nothing made sense. The explanation baffled Seth as well.
“You see love?” Dad questioned.
“I see any positive emotion,” I stated. “I can see it in you right now. Both of you have ruby auras. This faint light shines out of you. Sometimes it can shine so bright it’s practically blinding.”
They inspected their arms and torsos, but then they finally understood that it was something only I could see.
“I can show you,” Uncle Jesse said. He placed his hands on their heads. Their eyes were still open, but it was obvious they saw something else besides the living room and the people in it. The solemn expression on their faces changed to surprise and wonder. Uncle Jesse removed his hands.
“What did you see?” I asked.
They looked at each other. “We saw what you see when you look at us,” Mom answered. “The red light around our bodies like you said.” She placed her hand on her chest.
“I call them auras,” I informed them. I thought about all the pages of notes in my journal that might help me find the words to explain. “If I concentrate hard enough, my aura can act as a shield and make me weightless.”
They both lunged off the couch, wrapping their arms around me. “Wha- why- Seventeen years?” Mom sobbed. “Why now?” She spoke and moved so fast that I didn’t have time to answer or react.
I explained to them the same way that Uncle Jesse had told me. Evee made all of this possible. I told them how my emotions controlled my ability, and if I was angry or sad, it didn’t work. Dad guessed quickly that my ability shielded me from Randy’s attack in the cafeteria. For the first time in a long time, maybe ever, I felt like I belonged– that I was worthy to be their son. There were a few moments of happiness before we had to continue on to the bad news, but I tried to enjoy the long overdue thrill of telling them the truth.
“But I’m not safe,” I explained further. “There’s a team of people, led by a woman named Zana, who will kill me if they know I can fly. She’s here in Fallon.” I looked at Evee before I continued, sorry that I had to expose her personal life. “The people are working with Evee’s father.”
This struck Dad the hardest, who bolted up as if lightening hit him. He looked at Evee.
“My dad is angry that the picture even got out in the first place,” Evee said. “He said that the man who took the picture should never have gone to the press. The editor of the paper made a big mistake by not clearing the story with my dad first.”
Seth remained silent. He wasn’t expecting anything like this. I worried that telling him the truth could put him in danger, but his ability to keep the secret concerned me more.
“Do you understand why we can’t tell anyone?” I asked him.
His head tilted forward in an affirmative gesture. “What’s about to happen?” He looked around the room, but it was clear no one had the answers.
Uncle Jesse broke the silence. “We can’t let anyone know that it’s Casper in the photograph.”
“The Military Base is going crazy right now,” Evee said. “They’re getting ready for a man hunt. I can spy on Dad easily in my phantom body, but there are places he goes that I can’t always follow. I heard him say that he might call more soldiers in from other survival cities.”
The phone rang, interrupting everyone’s train of thought. Dad got up to answer it, and everyone’s eyes locked on him.
“Hello,” he answered. “Oh, Colonel Ford… How are you?” Dad didn’t speak again for several minutes, but he nodded his head as he listened intently. Uncle Jesse listened in Dad’s head, and he looked concerned. Dad and Uncle Jesse instantly snapped to attention, shifting their stressed gazes toward me.
“I don’t guess the Military is giving me much of a choice,” Dad said. His expression grew troublesome. “I’ll see you tomorrow then.” He hung up the phone.
Everyone in the room waited for Dad to explain. Evee seemed more on edge than anyone else did. Only she and I, and probably Uncle Jesse, knew what horrific acts her father was capable of committing.
“What is it, James?” Mom asked.
Dad looked at Evee. “Your father just told me that there is going to be an official registration at the school tomorrow. He said that if they don’t find the person in the picture, then they’ll be holding a registration for the whole town.”
“What?” Evee asked. She spoke softly and her voice strained to talk louder.
“All the students are going to be examined tomorrow,” Dad continued. “They have to submit to the examination and prove what their EHT is. He told me that the flyer’s suspected of criminal activity. The person could be linked to certain violent acts against the Military.”
“He doesn’t know it’s Casper, then,” Uncle Jesse said. He seemed relieved for a second. “If they’re holding a registration it means they don’t know who it is.”
“We have to leave Fallon,” Mom said. “Future forbid, we can’t let Casper be examined by them– they’ll find out it’s him.”
“Amanda,” Dad said. “If we leave Fallon, it will look suspicious. Besides… Casper will be fine. They won’t find anything.”
“How do you know?” Mom pleaded. She was afraid for me and she wasn’t trying to hide it.
“He’s been examined before,” Dad said. He turned to me. “Everyone thinks he’s human.”
DARK EYES
Casper:
When I arrived at school the next morning, there were already several Military vehicles and soldiers stationed on the campus as if they were preparing for war. The soldiers were positioned at every entrance to the school, dressed in their black uniforms and gray hoods. Only half of the soldiers carried guns. The troops without guns were the men and women who had no need for handheld weapons, which meant they had powerful extra-human traits. Scary stuff. But every person in uniform also possessed a familiar black satchel attached to their belt, like the soldiers in Vegas.
All the students eyed the black satchels, shuddering in fear of the Knight drug. The Knight drug and death were equally horrific to me, but something told me I woul
dn’t be taken prisoner if my secret were exposed. According to Uncle Jesse, Zana and her team would want me dead. So much could go wrong today; I didn’t want to think about it. I had to pass for human in the examination, which scared me, but my family had confidence that the registration wouldn’t reveal anything new.
Dad reminded me to act natural and not draw attention to myself, which was the only advice anyone had for me. Mom was still at the house when I left for school. She refused to go to work today, so I knew she would spend the entire day worrying with Uncle Jesse. Dad said he would call her as soon as everything was over. He tried to be reassuring for her, but I knew he was equally frightened.
Evee was now keeping a watchful eye on her father for us. She was ashamed to admit to my family the secrets she’d been hiding about her father, but I did my best to console her. She stayed the night with me until I feel asleep. I woke up during the night and saw that her phantom body was gone. In her absence, I began to wonder again if I would be the reason she died. In less than twenty-four hours, one picture caused mortal danger to infiltrate every corner of my life. I was more worried for Evee’s life than my own. I was determined to keep her alive. I wanted to talk to someone who could see the future, but it was a rare ability.
I found Adam outside the school.
“Are you nervous?” he asked.
“I’m fine,” I responded. I sat next to him on the stone bench. “How many students in school can see the future?”
“Why?” I could tell he thought it an odd question.
“I’m wondering if I survive the day,” I lied, thinking more about Evee. Telling him about Evee’s predicted death would only make today harder, so I kept it from him.
“Everything’s going to be fine,” Adam said. “But Michael Valentine sees the future. Amanda West could see the future too, but the Military recruited her last year. Her grades were good enough and she got a job with Future Intelligence.”