“And that’s everything that happened.”
Janet gaped as I told her about the events that unfolded in the laboratory yesterday. She laid back on my bed and stared at the ceiling in astonishment.
“Wow. Talk about intense. People think and do sinful things all the time, so it’s not like we can go around the world telling everyone, ‘hey, stop feeling this way or we’re all gonna die from your negativity.’”
I fell on the bed next to her and exhaled into the pillow. “Tell me about it. There are times when I still can’t believe any of this is happening.”
“Are you sure you didn’t see where the lab was located? Like landmarks or anything?”
“No. I was blindfolded and pushed into a vehicle after Alvin was done with his lecture. When the car stopped outside my house, they removed the cloth and said Alvin will contact me soon. The whole thing was surreal.”
She placed her hand on my arm and half-smiled. “Well, I’m glad you’re alright. At least you didn’t get in more trouble with your parents when you got home.”
“That’s what scares me the most, Janet. I walked inside expecting to be yelled at and punished for life, but all I saw was my parents making Mya breakfast for dinner. Mom would never approve of that. There’s more going on than just a virus. The Shadows are involved as well.”
“Spooky. How does it feel living with a possessed sister?”
“Terrifying. Not only do I have to deal with the demon influencing Mya, but signing up to help Alvin was like making a deal with the devil. It’s stressful. Not to mention there’s school tomorrow and I haven’t done any of the homework assignments.”
She yawned and lifted herself off the bed. “Don’t worry, I’ll help you. I’ve got nothing else to do, really. Whenever I’m not working at my café job on the weekends, I mostly stay home and stream TV shows with my Grandpa or go to the library. Those things are fun, but hanging out with you? Best vibes of all time.”
I laughed, replying, “Of course. I’m freakin’ awesome.”
She rolled her eyes. “Anyways, I’m heading home to take a nap before I research this Alvin guy later tonight. Did you see or hear anything else that could be important?”
“I don’t think so. He did mention an organization called Obsidian, but—”
“Did you say Obsidian?” Her voice raised in shock, and I was certain the temperature in the room increased. “I overheard my parents whispering that word a lot before they passed. Are you sure he didn’t say anything else? Names, numbers, anything?”
“No. I’m sorry.”
Her eyes wandered around the room as if to avoid mine. “It’s alright. Forget I asked. What do you have planned for today?”
“Well, I wanted to get that demon out of my sister’s head, but my parents took her somewhere. So now I’m just gonna hang out with Tyler at the mall for a bit. He’s been really depressed since I told him what happened in the hospital with Valeria, so hopefully I can cheer him up and maybe find an outfit on sale at the same time.”
She shrugged. “Cool. I’ll call you later.”
“Hey, wait.” I got off the bed and approached her. “Was everything okay with Lucas when you brought him home? I’ve been calling his cell since I got in last night, but I never got an answer. And when I called his house, his dad answered and said he was sleeping in his room.”
“Yeah, I think he was fine. I dropped that edgy chick off at the hospital first before I had him tell me where he lived. He tried asking me what happened, but I figured I’d leave that explanation to you.”
Good idea on her part, but the problem was that Lucas didn’t care to communicate with me. Was he hiding something? Did Cassandra still have power over him from the grave? Or did his lack of communication have something to do with Robyn and he wasn’t telling me?
I sighed. “Alright. I’ll try back later tonight after I talk with my sister. If speaking to her doesn’t get rid of the Shadow, I’ll have to purge it out of her mind. I still don’t understand why I couldn’t sense it before.”
“Maybe ‘cause she’s your sister? I mean, think about it for a second. Shadows might be different from the regular demons you fight. I believe they’re born from people and didn’t come out of some fiery hellhole like the others.”
She was on to something. “Continue.”
“Mya’s Shadow was born from her resentment toward you, but you’re still her sister at the end of the day. She doesn’t truly hate you, and it’s not like the Shadow is making her do anything dangerous. My guess is you couldn’t detect it before ‘cause it was too weak to sense. But, due to recent events, her animosity for you is growing, and that’s how the Shadow became strong enough for you to see and feel.”
“And the Shadows,” I began to pitch in, “must call the lesser demons, the Shade Crawlers, to defend them while they feed on a person’s negativity. That’s why they’re always around someone with evil aspirations.” I leaned against the wall of my room and voiced my thoughts further. “Another thing to note is that even if Shadows are created by us, they can still go places without their host to try manipulating other people. I’m positive I saw the same demon on the bridge with you that influenced Valeria to jump off the roof. Either way, whether we’re right or wrong about any of this stuff, you’re a genius for coming up with this theory.”
She hunched her shoulders. “I read a lot.”
We left the room and walked downstairs to the front door, where Cinnamon greeted us with a rapid tail-wag. Both Janet and I knelled down to rub her fur, receiving licks as gratitude.
“Hey, isn’t your dog in danger with your sister’s Shadow roaming around the house?” Janet asked.
“She should be good. I don’t sense any demons, and Mya would never wish harm on Cinnamon.”
“Got it.” We stood up and walked out of the house. “You want a ride to meet your friend?”
“How could I say no?” We smiled at each other. “Thanks.”
☾☼☽
The foggy sky loomed over the industrial city as Janet navigated through traffic. She parked her car near the corner of a bustling street after we spotted Tyler looking down at his phone by a hotdog stand.
“Thanks, Janet. I appreciate it.”
I got out of the vehicle and pushed past a throng of people with various styles of attire. When I reached Tyler and saw the cell phone in his hand, I couldn’t help but say, “You’re still using that outdated thing? God, Ty. Be normal.”
He smiled and shrugged. “Social norms are outlines for people with no identity.” He then slid his phone into his jacket pocket and hugged me. “I’m glad you made it.”
His tight hold on me was comforting, as if we both needed this moment to be free with someone. It only confirmed I made the right decision meeting him here, regardless of how much trouble I could’ve gotten me in later.
“Before we go inside,” he began, “I wanna apologize for not telling you what happened between Lucas and Robyn. Trust me, I was ready to kick his ass after I found out she was pregnant. I wanted to come by the hospital and tell you, but I knew you were still recovering, and I didn’t wanna make things harder for you.”
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
“It’s fine, I’m over it,” I claimed before turning my head away from him. “I think.”
“Are you staying with him? He spent hours trying to convince me not to tell you about it. I was going to, but—”
“Ty, it’s fine, okay? I’m not mad at you. Let’s just go inside and have fun.”
We entered the three-story mall that hosted various household brands. Countless people strolled the plaza in search of merchandise and products from popular markets.
“It’s been forever since I’ve been here,” I voiced while looking around, nudging him with my elbow before asking, “You ready to hold some bags?”
“I should’ve figured. What, did the government start paying you to be a superhero?”
“Oh, they should, right? But nah, I still have the credit card my parents gave me earlier this year. It should be enough on it to buy a couple of outfits.”
“Ugh. Alright, then. Come on.”
We sauntered around and entered every boutique on the first floor in a quest for desired clothing and accessories, but came out empty-handed every time. We then rode the escalator up to the second floor to explore more options.
“You’re so damn picky,” he complained, ambling alongside me.
“What? You couldn’t tell that fur was fake? And the rat-looking cashier kept checking me out like I was cheese or something.”
He chuckled. “Speaking of rats, remember in seventh grade when that guy put a mouse in your locker after you told the class you were afraid of mice?”
“Yeah. I also remember you knocking him out ‘cause that made me cry. Ugh, I hate mice. Isn’t that guy on our school’s football team now?”
“Yeah. Candice won’t shut up about him.”
I stuck my tongue out in a teasing manner. “Ha. I laughed so hard when you texted me that she was your math partner. I mean, Candice of all people?”
“Don’t remind me,” he said before his eyes landed on the food court, which held a sizeable selection from famous fast-food restaurants. “I’m getting something to eat. You want anything?”
“Two slices of pizza and a fruit punch,” I replied.
“Fatty.”
“Yeah, I know my ass fat.”
His head jerked back as he started to laugh. “What? I didn’t expect that to be your comeback.”
“Really? It’s like you don’t know me.”
“Yeah, well, a lot has changed recently, so I guess it’s surprising seeing some things stay the same.” He frowned, turning away from me. “I’ll be back with the food.”
I sat on the steel bench nearby and let my mind wander while observing those who passed by in the crowded mall. A group of friends entering a clothing store grabbed my attention the most. Memories of hanging out with Valeria, Tyler, and Lucas played in my mind until flashes of Val’s death started to surface. Thoughts of the dreadful moment would have continued had I not seen Quest exiting the theater section with a girl who wasn’t Mya.
“Quest,” I called him out. I stood and walked over to them, my lip curled as I looked the girl up and down. “Hi, girl-who’s-not-my-sister.”
She scrutinized me with a sharp glare. “Quest, who is this?”
I answered for him. “No one you need to be concerned about. How’s my sister doing, Quest? You know, the fifteen-year-old you brought to an adult club two nights ago?”
He stuttered and failed to speak a coherent sentence. The girl standing next to him glowered in suspicion.
“You told me you were at a family reunion two nights ago. You’re such a player.”
She stomped away from the scene. I couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “Awe. Busted?”
“Alright, you got me. Thing is, I really like your sister, just not in that way.”
I stepped in his face. “So why lead her on?”
“I didn’t mean to, I swear. Mya’s a cool person to chill with, and I like how artistic she is because I’m an artist myself, but I’m not interested in a relationship with her. She started calling me her boyfriend out of nowhere, and I never agreed to that. I think she wants what you and Lucas have or something. I don’t know.”
His confession made me question Mya’s desire even more. How could controlling our parents have something to do with wanting a relationship like mine?
“Did you ever think to be a man and tell her you’re not interested?” I asked him. He opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off. “You know what? I already know the answer. I want you to call Mya and tell her the truth. If you don’t, we’re gonna have a serious problem. Understand?”
He bobbed his head in agreement. Tyler approached me with our food and drinks in hand as Quest scurried off.
“Hey, was that guy bothering you?”
“No, he’s just a scared, lost puppy.”
We walked over to the food court and sat across from each other at a table.
“So, how’ve you been since you got home?” he asked, sinking his teeth into the cheeseburger in his hand. “Adjusting easy?”
“I’m doing the best I can. You were right, though. A lot has changed.”
“It definitely has. I still can’t believe what happened in school with that James guy. I guess situations like that are common for you, though, huh?”
“Basically,” I replied after taking a sip of my drink. “It’s almost never as dangerous as that, though. I’m just glad some of us survived.”
We continued eating until he tapped the table to get my attention. “Do you remember who that is?”
I looked in the direction he pointed in until I recognized an elderly woman with a cane.
“Wow, yes. She used to give the best Halloween candy. I remember we’d always play with her dog whenever her husband would take him out for a walk. Where is her husband at?”
“He’s dead.”
Tyler’s grim response swallowed my enthusiasm. My downcast eyes observed the slices of pizza in front of me until my stomach could no longer neglect its calling.
“They say when someone close to you dies, you realize how short and precious life really is,” he said. “But it’s not precious at all, to be honest. Life is pointless.”
Words of consolation should’ve flowed out of my mouth like they usually did whenever someone needed help, but a part of me knew it would be pointless to say anything. His aggressive views on life could only ever be soothed by Valeria. Without her, I feared he may never be happy.
He took the last bite of his burger before speaking again. “What’s so special about this world, anyway? You’re born, you live, and then you die. That’s it. Nothing more, nothing less. There’s senseless violence everywhere, corrupt governments run by power-hungry madmen, and diseases that can take your life whenever. I mean, what the hell is the point of living?”
“Sometimes, I question that as well,” I finally spoke out. “But I think the purpose of life is to be happy doing what you love the most, no matter what it is, and keeping humanity alive so the world can grow and prosper. I know how morally correct that sounds, but that’s what I believe to be true. Wishing not to be alive isn’t a healthy way of thinking.”
He slouched back in his seat and shrugged. “Why should we value our lives when they can be taken at any second? We can’t even be outside without someone doing something stupid. So tell me, why shouldn’t I wanna be dead already? Hell, zombies already exist in this world. They shamble around and stare into their phones while waiting on social media to tell them what to do, think, and feel. Most of the people in this damn city are just going through the motions. There’s no energy to them at all.”
He slurped the last of his drink before resuming. “Is it wrong that I’m not blinded like everyone else? That I don’t want to pursue a career, or have a lot of money, or become famous? Because I can have all of that and still ask the same question: what’s the point of it all? What is it about this world that makes people wanna wake up and continue their lives knowing that death is the only result?”
“Hope, maybe? I don’t know. I can’t speak for everyone, but maybe it’s love, memories, and experiences. Sometimes, it can even be a passion for something you wanna see through to the end.”
He looked away and huffed. There was no consoling his black heart.
“I just don’t wanna be like everyone else,” he confessed. “I won’t allow society to dictate how I should live my life, or what I should be doing with it. Living in this world is hard enough as it is. I don’t see a point in chasing after a dream in a world I care nothing about. Valeria’s opinion was all that mattered to me. The only accomplishment I ever wanted to achieve was to make her happy.”
The mentioning of Val created a barrier of silence between us. My throat tightened at the sight of tears on his cheek.
“I just miss her so damn much. No one realizes how powerful death can be until they lose someone close. This pain inside me is never gonna go away. Not without her. I need her here with me.”
I wiped my watery eyes as Tyler released his own faucet of heartache, grief, and depression. I lifted his hand off the table and placed it in mine.
“I miss her too, Ty. I miss her every single day.”
“What makes it worse is that some people are entertained by the concept of death. They make movies about it. They write about it. Sometimes, they even laugh about it. It’s inhuman. I hate this world, Aliyah.”
I squeezed his hand and shared his tribulation. It wasn’t until he opened his mouth to speak again that my heart skipped a beat.
“I wish I could bring her back.”
My hand jerked back in response. A sequence of vivid images appeared in my mind of Valeria rising from the grave. I questioned if Tyler’s desire was powerful enough to bring her back to life, or if it was even possible to begin with.
“I’m sorry,” he said, looking at my spooked expression. “I shouldn’t have said anything. It’s just that I have no memory of her dying, you know? It makes everything worse. The last thing I remember is fighting with her foster parents in the hospital. None of what you told me afterward feels real, but I apologize if I made you mad or ruined your day.”
“It’s fine. I’m here for you, Ty, just like you’re here for me. You can talk to me about this stuff, okay? We’ll get through this together, and I promise I’ll never let you down.”
He nodded before digging into his jacket and taking out his cell. “Dammit, it’s Candice.”
“So cute. How does it feel to have the most self-absorbed girl in the school texting you?”
“Like I wanna rip my eyes out so I don’t have to decipher her stupid messages. How is it fun to communicate with someone using only emojis? Can’t she tell me in words that she wants me to stop by and finish the math assignment? She even added her stupid Candice Forever hashtag at the end of the text.”
It was the funniest thing listening to him complain about her. “Wow. Well, at least you figured out what the symbols mean.”
“It starts to get easier, I guess.”
“Hilarious. I’m gonna head home, though. I had a great time.”
“Same. It was nice doing this again. Let me give you a ride back.”
I was thrilled to have rekindled our friendship after months of absence and discouraging events, but after stepping outside of the building and sensing the darkness of those around me, I was reminded of what killed my best friend.
I wasn’t about to let the same thing happen to my sister.