by Aaron Slade
Dad hurled a hoarfrost storm at Adam, but Casper again jumped in front of the attack.
“No!” I screamed. “Stop!”
But Dad didn’t stop. Needle-like ice structures formed along the ceiling and floor as the frozen mist filled the room like a fog. The ice creaked and crawled until it covered every inch of the ceiling and walls. I listened to Casper shout over the icy wind’s roar. When the frozen debris cleared, Casper stood unharmed, and Adam was gone. I could barely recognize the wintery version of my room.
Dad stared at Casper. His wide eyes reported to me his initial shock. “Wha... why… How?”
“I’m not as defenseless as you think, Frost.” Casper gave a cocky grin and then found my eyes. He had no idea what danger he’d be in now. He exposed part of his ability to the one person who never should have known. Dad might even put together that Casper was the flyer.
From somewhere below us, gunfire erupted along with muffled orders being shouted by the armed soldier protecting my body. I worried Adam wouldn’t be quick enough to avoid bullets. I knew the soldier possessed a class one telekinetic ability, but soldiers found guns more lethal sometimes. The gunfire abruptly stopped, and I felt a tug at my physical body.
Adam, in his frosted, cold clothes, appeared back in my room, holding my unconscious body in his arms. His frozen hair began to thaw, melting down his face. I woke up my physical body, feeling my phantom body fade out. I drew a deep breath and stared into Adam’s blue eyes.
“Thank you,” I said. He let my feet touch the ground gently. I turned towards Dad with Casper standing between us.
“This wasn’t supposed to happen,” Dad said. Panic and confusion replaced his horrid temper. “I saw the future. I take Adam, and my daughter stays here.” His eyes shifted back and forth as he struggled through his confusion. Finally, he eyed Casper. “You have an ability… and you changed the future.” Dad sounded somewhat impressed and befuddled at the same time.
“If I can help it, I plan to change more of the future.” Casper caught my eye, and I understood his intent.
I hoped he could save me! I’d already made my peace with Shannon’s prediction. My own death no longer concerned me, but I relished in the idea that Casper and I could have a life together.
A loud rumbled traveled up the stairs, and stopped behind my ice-covered door. The frozen mass coated the wall and doorframe, barricading the door closed. The soldier on the other side couldn’t get in the room. A heavy beating pulsed from the other side and a crackling noise sounded as the solid ice began to fissure and split.
“We have to leave now,” I said.
“Evee,” Colonel Ford said. “If you go with him, you’ll die. Would you really die for a boy?”
I shook my head, and caught a glimpse of hurt on Dad’s face. “It’s not about a boy. It’s about doing what’s right, and if I die for doing the right thing, then I don’t care. I’m going with Casper, and I hope you figure out what’s right for you.”
Casper, standing between Dad on one side and Adam and me on the other, didn’t move a muscle. Dad didn’t try to attack him again, having realized that Casper had some sort of invisible shield. Casper pulled me under his arm and grabbed Adam’s shoulder. “We’re leaving.”
“You know you can’t go to Fallon, Evee,” Dad said. “You’ll be killed.”
“You’ll have to stop it,” I said.
“I won’t be able to stop it, Evelyn,” Dad replied. “If you go, you’re as good as dead.”
“You’ll find a way if I’m there,” I said. I turned to Adam. “We’re ready.”
The soldier outside the room continued to knock at the frozen wall, and just as Adam wrapped both his arms around Casper and me, the door blew open, exploding with shards of ice. My room and the subzero temperature vanished, and, for the first time ever, I found myself totally free of Dad, free of the Military, and free to lay down my life for the one I loved.
TRUTH
Evee:
I hit the ground hard, collapsing onto a stack of cardboard boxes that toppled on top of Casper and me. The gloomy room hid everything in darkness, but I found Adam on the other side of me. I was so happy to be free of Dad; I pulled both of them towards me into a hug.
“Thank you!” I exclaimed. I kissed Adam’s cheek and then Casper’s, swearing to myself that I wouldn’t cry. As I tightened a grip around my heroes, I spotted Seth.
“You’re back,” Seth said. He joined us in the cramped space between a pair of cots.
Ice still clung to Adam’s clothes, and his complexion appeared white and cold. Rosy patches slowly brought life back to his pale face.
“I’m sorry it took so long,” Casper said. “I would hav…” He inhaled sharply and clutched his arm, struggling to fight back an agonizing moan. His swollen wrist, twice its normal size, had turned blue and purple.
“Did my dad do that?” I asked.
“No,” he replied. “The girl who was making the perimeter around Fallon did. We had to remove the force field before we could come and get you. But your father is responsible for the raw skin on my shoulders.”
I examined his wrist. “Let’s see what I can do.” Going to school on Military Bases my whole life, I’d been taught basic first aid and survival.
With the medical supplies that Seth gave me, I fashioned a crude splint and sling for Casper’s arm until we could find a more permanent solution. The healers and doctors left the Military Base earlier in the week, not that we could go there anyway, so there was no telling when his wrist would be fixed properly. It had to mend the old-fashioned way until we could find a healer.
While I fixed his wrist, the three of them brought me up to speed on what I’d missed the last few days. It devastated me to hear that Randy burned down Casper’s house. I really wanted to believe that Randy had changed, but like Dad, I knew people didn’t really change. I felt foolish for trusting Randy.
“We’ve been hiding out here ever since,” Casper said. “Seth’s mom has been helping us.”
They told me how Adam could somehow teleport through the barrier. It didn’t make any sense, but it explained why the Military wanted to dissect his extra-human trait. Dad and Zana had used that same barrier in Seattle before the city fell– no one escaped, so how did Adam?
Adam concentrated hard, and his eyes narrowed. “I don’t know why I could get through the barrier, but that’s not important. We have to warn people about the Military.”
“There’s one more thing we have to do first,” I said. “But I need a moment alone with Casper.” I looked at Seth and Adam. “Do you mind?”
“Make it quick,” Adam said, sighing a rolling in eyes in annoyance. “We have to make a plan.”
Adam grabbed Seth’s shoulder, and in a second, the two of them vanished, leaving Casper and me alone.
“What else do we have to do?” Casper asked.
I felt bad for what I had to do next, and I hoped Casper would just trust me rather than question me. “You’re probably not going to understand this, but we have to hide my body.”
“Why?” Casper asked.
“Adam has to teleport my real body far away from here.” I said. “My dad will have ways of finding me if we don’t. My phantom body will remain here, but my real body has to leave Fallon.”
“Where will you go?”
“You can’t know,” I replied. “Dad might have mind-readers. The less people that know, the better.” I didn’t want to lie; I was done lying, but I couldn’t tell Casper the truth. He wouldn’t like where I planned to leave my body.
“Is this a good idea?”
I nodded. “Trust me. I know my dad.”
Confusion struck Casper. “Why did you want to be alone?”
I moved closer to him on the cot. “I was hoping you would hold me for a minute before I have to go.” I didn’t want him to know how truly frightened I felt. I thought Shannon’s future was close, which meant I had limited time left with him. I longed for his tender touch and
loving embrace.
Without saying anything, Casper placed both his arms around me, but the sling made it awkward. The warmth of his body comforted me, and I hated to leave him again.
“So what made you come around?” I asked. The last time I saw him, he’d given up on everything.
Casper tightened his arms around me, resting his head against mine. “I realized that no matter how dangerous things get, the things I want are worth fighting for… you… and my family.”
I let out a breath of air as if a big weight had been lifted from me. “When I wasn’t spying on Dad gathering information, I was trying to find a way back to you. I never gave up.” I stared into his hazel-green eyes for a few moments before the urge to kiss him overtook me. I pressed my lips against his and my feet lifted off the ground. I inhaled the rusty scent of sun that saturated Casper’s skin and clothes. We floated off the cot, Casper unable to fight or control his ability.
Once we lifted off the floor, I didn’t want to return. The ground was ordinary compared to this. This kiss was something only Casper and I could share. I had lost track of how high we’d gone when Casper’s head hit the ceiling. The contact made a hollow bump sound of skull hitting wood. I snickered as our lips parted.
We both laughed as gravity returned, pulling us gradually down. The exhilaration of flying was only matched by Casper’s kiss.
Casper’s brow fell as if something weighed it down. “We won’t be able to do that again for a while, huh?”
“At least not until this is over and it’s safe for my physical body to come back.” And in the back of my head, I worried that this was the last time I would kiss Casper. I leaned in and gave him one last graze on the cheek, holding back any trace of tears.
Casper left the basement, and sent Adam down to meet me. Adam appeared in a narrow aisle between piles of laundry and boxes in the crowded basement. He looked at me suspiciously. I trusted him completely because Casper trusted him.
“What’s the plan?” Adam asked. He acted ready for business with his hands on his hips and a serious face.
“We have to hide my physical body. My dad will turn this town upside down to find me, but I think I know how to fool his usual methods for tracking a person. I’ll need you to bring me food and water a few times a day.”
“Where are we going to hide it… or you… it?” he asked.
“You’re the only one who can know,” I said. “Casper can’t even know. And I need you to promise me that you won’t ask questions and that you won’t tell Casper where we’re going.”
Adam hesitated, staring at me with his baby blues. “I… promise.” Keeping a secret from Casper would be hard for him, but I knew he understood the severity of the situation.
Shannon’s words echoed in my head. I can’t tell you how important it is that this boy lives.
After hiding my body, Adam and I appeared back in Seth’s house, finding Casper and Seth in the living room. I couldn’t interact with my environment– or Casper. Before anyone could speak, the front door burst open as if blown off its hinges by a gust of wind, and a large woman holding grocery sacks entered the house trying to catch her breath. Casper, Adam, and Seth tensed up in a jolt of dread, and it became clear they sensed trouble.
The woman’s face flushed when her eyes met mine. She struggled hard to catch her breath, and her mouth involuntarily hung open, snapping closed as she looked at Seth, Adam, and Casper. Her eyebrows pushed together in her anger.
“Well, you’ve three been busy,” she snapped. “This explains a lot.” She walked to the center of the living room between all the furniture, standing directly in front of me. “You– must– be– Evee.” Her words were long and spaced out. She was no longer surprised to see me. “Well I’m Seth’s mother, and I guess my home is now open to hostages.”
“What do you mean?” Seth asked.
The three baffled boys in the room stood next to each other with Seth between Adam and Casper. He looked up at both of them wondering about his mother’s meaning.
“The editor of the newspaper is telling people that Casper Vance kidnapped the Colonel’s daughter for the exchange of his parents,” Mrs. Grindle explained. “The whole town is talking about it, and there’s going to be another meeting tonight in front of city hall to discuss what to do with the… human problem.” She phrased the last words delicately, looking away from Casper.
“Is the Military leading the meeting?” Casper asked.
“No,” Mrs. Grindle answered. “The editor of the newspaper is.”
“The editor works for the Military,” I said. “It’s like that in most survival cities. The Military insists on controlling the press.” I explained to them that the Military evacuated the soldiers from Fallon because Dad and Zana were getting ready to destroy it. Everyone agreed that the soldiers’ absence was good news. The Military wouldn’t be able to interfere as much if its soldiers were gone. I specified that only a few officers remained at the base, including my dad who would be more dangerous than any number of soldiers.
“The town was told that the barrier was removed because the Military arrested the flyer,” Mrs. Grindle announced.
The room went silent with all eyes on Casper. It was a lie, because Casper hadn’t been captured.
“They’re covering up what really happened to the barrier,” I guessed. “I know the Military had every intention of leaving it up until they destroyed Fallon. They don’t want any survivors. Dad said knowledge of a person flying can’t spread, so he’s going to kill the truth by silencing the town.”
“How are they going to destroy Fallon?” Adam asked.
My breathing quivered. “The same way the Military destroyed Seattle. There’s an extra-human with a powerful ability. I don’t understand, but this person can somehow suffocate an entire city.”
Casper’s eyes widened in reaction to my words, and it became clear everyone in the room knew something I didn’t. Mrs. Grindle and Seth looked more horrified than Casper and Adam.
“It’s my husband,” Mrs. Grindle said. The volume of her voice lowered to an emotional murmur. “The Military took him years ago.”
“I’ve been spying on my dad for days,” I said. “I heard him say that they haven’t transported the prisoner yet. He’s still at the prison facility in the desert.”
Seth and Casper wanted to work on a rescue plan, but they had other objectives as well.
We spent the next several minutes discussing the best way to tell Fallon the truth about the Military. Mrs. Grindle suggested that we call a meeting of our own, but since Adam and Casper were both wanted men by the Military, it probably wouldn’t work. I suggested that we start by telling people we knew and trusted first.
“How do you recommend we do that?” Adam questioned. “We can’t just go door to door and hand out pamphlets with our side of the story. And Casper has to stay in hiding.”
Knock knock knock. Everyone’s attention turned toward the door and then to Casper with a sharp jolt of adrenaline. Casper couldn’t be seen.
“I’m not expecting company,” Mrs. Grindle whispered. Her terrified gaze turned towards me. She was afraid of being caught with wanted delinquents in her house.
We had to hide.
I phased through the floor, falling into the basement. Adam teleported Casper into the darkness next to me, and I wished that I could hold him. Even in the basement, I could hear the stranger behind the door knock again. Had Dad and the Military already tracked me down? Of course, if Dad knew where I was, he wouldn’t knock on the door– he’d level the house.
I followed the sounds in the floorboards above me as Mrs. Grindle walked across the room and answered the door. Mrs. Grindle greeted the visitor.
The feminine qualities of the voices above were muffled through the ceiling. I could tell that it was a woman at the door. Zana? There was a man’s voice now too. I heard Mrs. Grindle raise her voice at the man, spiking with rage, but the words were too muffled to make out. The conversation above m
e continued for minutes before anything happened. Casper sat on his cot with his eyes closed as if trying to will the people at the door to leave. The sounds of the footsteps on the ceiling above me moved closer to the basement’s entrance. The three of us readied to run.
The door to the basement creaked open, allowing in the tiniest bit of light from upstairs. Adam and Casper both quit breathing, and Adam grabbed Casper in case we had to make a speedy getaway.
“It’s fine,” Seth’s voice called. “You can come up.”
Even in my phantom body, I was aware of my erratic heartbeat, which finally started to calm. Casper and Adam walked up the stairs, and I trailed behind them. When we walked into the living room, a kind, familiar face beamed back at us.
Sara stood in the doorway, next to Mrs. Grindle. She looked a mess. Her hair was more lifeless than I’d ever seen it, hanging dead and flat, but I knew she never cared about such things.
“I’m so glad to see that you’re alright,” Sara said. Relief formed on her face. “I’ve been stressing out for days.”
Casper and Adam both welcomed Sara, but she turned urgently serious as if she had bad news.
“I don’t want you to freak out,” she said smoothly. Sara moved out of the doorway so that Randy could walk in the house.
Adam was the first to react, clenching his fists and tensing his whole body. “Why is he here?”
Casper reacted just a split second slower than Adam, ready to pounce at Randy regardless of the size difference between them. I saw enough fight in Casper’s eyes to actually win too. I trusted Sara, but why would she bring Randy straight to us?
“Listen to their story,” Mrs. Grindle said. “I promise you that they don’t mean us any harm and that they’re telling the truth.”
Sara nudged Randy as if for him to give an apology. It didn’t look like Randy had slept in days. His eyes were bloodshot, his oily skin caught the light, and he sweated bullets as he talked.
“Ca-Casper,” he said, “I’m so sorry.” Randy’s shoulders sunk, and he kept his gaze down when he saw Casper’s furious eyes. On Randy’s face, I saw a trace of the self-loathing Casper I’d once known.