Chapter 25: Next to Light

Chapter 25
Next to Light

“Men who became Gods?” I asked.

“And women too,” Grace smiled.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, not to be sexist but—“

I rolled my eyes.

“Okay, okay!” she lifted her hands in defense. “Apotheosis.”

I thought about it for a moment. “How do people become Gods?”

“You want to become one?”

“I already have difficulty being human.”

“That’s true,” Christopher chimed in.

I shook my head. Grace high-fived Christopher.

“My parents’ article was about the oral tradition: how great heroes became legends and how those legends became Gods. Many old Greek Gods began as heroes from other cultures who rose to godly status. Apollo wasn’t always the Sun God, but he began as Aplaa-Il – a Babylonian King who was said to have guided the sun’s light with his chariot to blind his kingdom’s enemies. There are many other examples too, but they begin as a story of how people become gods.

“It was a testament to the oral tradition of man, and how rising empires would use the same words of their predecessors to encompass more people. It was all a tool of rhetoric to get more people to follow them. By deifying the legends of old, the newer empires welcomed others.”

“Was there any mention of Medea?”

“No.”

“That was our big connection because of Greek mythology.”

“What could Anna have been trying to tell me?”

“It feels like a wild goose chase, and we’re still in the shadows.”

Grace smiled.

I felt stupid.

“Shadows are right next to light,” Christopher stated. “You just have to know which way the shadows bend to find out where light is.”

We all thought about it.

“Maybe we should research into Aplaa-il and Sun Gods?” I asked.

“And Babylon City as well,” agreed Grace.

“Well then, I guess I’ll be taking Christopher home now.”

We said good night, and Christopher and I walked back down to the bar. The bartender scowled at us as we exited.

“Friendly guy,” Christopher stated.

I laughed as we entered the dark street. The dark street. Exactly where was this dark street? I didn’t know, but like Christopher said, we’d find the light soon.

Text and Images © Jonathan Lee

Chapter 24: Expectations

Chapter 24
Expectations

“Hank, it’s Eason. I have a report in my hand that tells me there was an incident at Zephyr Park yesterday.”

“I hear there are annual fireworks in the park.”

“During the day. Witnesses say they saw a young man in a grey jacket with a grey skull-cap“

I flinched at hearing him describe my toque as a skull cap.

“and a young woman with a skull ribbon in her hair.”

“Don’t know those people.”

“Witnesses also said that a little boy with a kite was with them.”

“Wouldn’t know.”

Silence.

“Just confirming. The witnesses must have been under duress and recalled wrongly then.”

Call ended.

“Who was that?” Grace asked.

“Eason.”

“Who’s Eason?” Christopher asked?

“A detective.”

“Oh cool! How do you know a detective? He bailed you out of trouble? I pegged you for a troublemaker!” Christopher laughed.

“I thought you said I was a good person.”

“A good person will be good hearted, but he can still find himself in trouble.”

“You’re really enjoying this.”

“It sounds fun to be around you! What’ll we do today?”

“Well, I’m going to the library to do research,” Grace stated. “You boys have fun!”

“But…”

Before I could mutter anything else, Grace was already out the door.

“So what’ll we do then?”

We walked out of the café several hours later.

“I take that back. It’s boring to be around you,” Christopher complained.

“It would have been faster if you focused more.”

“Well, homework is boring!”

“Be glad I even helped you.”

“You could have just told me the answer instead of making me work for it.”

“Now, why would I do that?”

“I was wrong again: you’re not a good person!”

I found myself patting his head.

“What’re you doing?” Christopher asked.

“What am I doing?” I honestly asked myself.

“You’re a jerk!” he laughed. “Stop messing around!”

He ran off, and I ran after him. We ran and ran. Eventually, he was winded, and I caught him. We were nowhere I recognized, which wasn’t saying much. I didn’t explore much of the city.

“I’m hungry,” he stated.

“Well, we can take a bus back-“

“Let’s try that place!”

“That’s a bar.”

“I have a good feeling about that place!”

“That’s a bar…” I tried once more.

“I heard the first time.”

“We’re not twenty-one, so we can’t enter.”

“Isn’t that Grace?”

A woman wearing a purple skull ribbon walked into the bar.

“Huh.”

I found myself entering the bar.

“Hey! No kids!” the bartender yelled at us.

“Did a girl with a skull ribbon walk in here?”

“What’s it matter to you, kid? You got the hots for her?”

“Yah, he does,” Christopher replied.

I sighed. Why does everyone keep saying this?

We heard feet scamper above us. Then, Grace appeared on the stairs.

“Oh my gosh! What are you two doing here?”

“He wanted to eat here,” I pointed toward Christopher.

“He was following you,” Christopher pointed toward me.

She laughed. “You two are identical. Well then, are you hungry?”

“Yes!” Christopher stated.

“Come on up, I’ll make something.”

“What’s upstairs?” I asked.

“My apartment!”

We walked upstairs and found a single door that connected from the staircase. I imagined what could be behind that door. Cushions and couches, wallpaper and drapery, tables and chairs – all black and purple – tall and pointy. Gothic.

The door opened.

The walls were white. The carpet was white. There was even a white couch in the middle of the living room. The only things that weren’t white was a brown table in front of the couch with a fishbowl but no fish.

“Well! What do you think?” she asked.

“I’m confused,” I stated.

“What does that mean?”

“It’s not what I expected.”

“Were you expecting a black room laced with purple drapery, skull patterned wallpaper, and medieval torture devices?”

“Everything but the medieval torture devices – yes.”

“I keep those in private,” she winked.

A cold shiver ran down my spine.

“What do you want to eat? I have chocolate muffins, chocolate cake, chocolate milk, and ramen.”

“That’s eclectic,” I stated.

“If you don’t like it, you don’t have to eat it.”

I apologized, and she began to concoct a strange mixture. She grabbed eggs, mushrooms, beef, flour, soy sauce, ginger, and many other things. She threw most of it into a pot of boiling water, and an atrocious smell bubbled out.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m making ramen.”

Christopher and I frowned at each other. This smelled like no ramen I had ever had. Three bowls suddenly appeared in front of us – bubbling brown broth over noodles, chunks of beef, carrots, mushrooms – I didn’t even know when she made the noodles.

“Eat in!”

She delved into her food. Christopher took a bite. I also forfeited hesitation and hope, and I took a bite.

It was delicious.

“See! I told you so!” Grace smiled.

I hadn’t said anything, but my face must have said it all.

“So, how was your research?” I asked before I took another bite.

“Well, I read my parents’ article – the one about Greek Mythos.”

“Well, what was it about?”

“Men who became Gods.”

Text and Images © Jonathan Lee

Chapters Coming

I made the unfortunate mistake on facebook last week by stating that I would post 3 chapters this week because I missed updating one last week. Well, I haven't put up a single one yet. The chapters are nearly complete and will be posted in one fell swoop when all is done. Images will be added at later times.

-Jon

Chapter 23: Trust

Chapter 23
Trust

I sat there at the Honky Tonk. Across the table sat Grace and Christopher. Grace was eating chocolate chip pancakes doused in syrup. Christopher lay his homework on the table and began to work on it.

How did we get here? How did I get here?

It wasn’t that long ago when I was on my own. It was just another day for me. Class and studying. But something happened. A strange phone call led me to an alley where I was attacked by an Affect. And only by Grace’s hand was I saved.

I ran from her, and she followed me. I pushed her away, and she followed me. I ran onto the subway, and she followed me. Another unknown call and another Affect. It knocked the train off the tracks, but Grace stopped it.

We went our separate ways, but I saw her in class the next day. It seemed I couldn’t get away from her. So we talked, and she told me all she knew: Affects and Aspects, but it wasn’t my fight. I didn’t want any part of this. I walked away. That was when there was another phone call. I didn’t answer. But an Affect came anyways. I’m noticing a pattern here. But it wasn’t Grace that saved me. A detective named Eason Schwind saved me.

Grace came by, and he told us more about Aspects and Affects. He works for a group known as the Crown of the Sun. Opposing them is the group known as the Children of Medea. He told us the Children want to help Affects purge humanity, and he warned us of Jack. He wanted us to join him, but we declined.

Grace then took me out to track and hunt Affects. It was technically successful. I didn’t track them. I summoned them. I didn’t realize that I acted as a beacon. Grace knocked me out to stop the summoning, and she eradicated the Affects.

She took me home, and I threw her out. My phone rang once more, but no Affects came to me. Instead, I found one chasing Grace. I called her but her phone was dead. I ran out into the night to find her, but I had no luck. I had to learn how to use my Aspect to track her down. It wasn’t easy. There was some yelling. But I learned, and I found her. Together, we defeated the Affect.

A few days later, we met at the mall. I insulted Grace, and she ran from me just as an Affect began to attack the people in the mall. She was one of them. It ate her shadow, and she fell into coma. I ran to Eason, and he trained me. Turns out, sound has physical properties as well. I went back to the mall and defeated the Shadow Eater.

I went and visited Grace at the hospital. I signed her out from the hospital, and on our way out, we were attacked by the man named Jack – a murderer who can’t die. He wants to kill me because I interest him. We were saved by an Agent of the Children and were brought to meet Anna. She told us of Remnants, Aspects that regained their human consciousness. Eason interrupted her speech and took us away.

I met up with Grace the next morning. Then, I met with Jack in the afternoon. He saved me from the Agent who had saved me from him the day before. The agent wanted to bring me to the other members of the Children. But Jack left e alone. He had his fill in decapitating the agent. He left. I felt sick. Grace took me home and stayed the night. A storm brewed that night, and I tried to find Jack using the sound of the storm. I found Eason and Anna instead.

The next day, Grace and I went to Zephyr Park where we met Christopher. My phone rang again to warn us of an impending Affect attack. A murder of crows dove down, but Christopher stopped them all. We then ran away and came to the conclusion that…

After Christopher decided that Grace and I were to babysit him, he called his parents. I disbelieved him. His parents came by and took us to dinner.

We walked into the restaurant. The hostess greeted us and then sent us to a table. We ordered our food and made some small talk. The night ended. That’s how it should have went. That’s what I expected.

They took us to their home – a two story duplex. Theirs was the one painted pastel purples and blues next to the brown and orange one. The sun was setting, but even in that orange glow, it remained firmly purple and blue.

We entered the front door. Inside, the walls were covered in lavender wallpaper – that is to say wallpaper with lavenders on them. Family pictures framed the staircase wall. Everything felt old fashioned – felt like that nostalgic memory of home everyone has, but that could possibly never be. But here it was.

I couldn’t remember the last time I sat down at a dinner table. Mr. Collins set the table. Mrs. Collins brought out a large tray of meatloaf, a bowl of mashed potatoes with the skin still in, a pitcher of gravy with mushrooms, and a plate of steamed vegetables. Grace ate three helpings not including dessert, which was cherry pie a la mode. That was an additional two helpings.

There were the formalities and the pleasantries of a dinner table conversation, but Christopher’s parents asked about us – even made fun of us. How long have you two been going out? Everyone but me laughed at that, which caused more laughter. They never asked us anything serious – why would an eight year old want to be around Grace? Be around me? They trusted their child at such an age. They even knew he had an Aspect, but that may have been why. Christopher is good at reading people. He can protect himself. And they trust that he can take care of himself. I could still hear some trembles in their voices. Parents will always worry.

After dinner, we went outside to Zephyr Park. The Collins’s lived on the other side of Zephyr Park. I was afraid someone might recognize us, but night and shadows obscure all. I didn’t even know why we went outside. Christopher sat us down in the grass and told us to look up. And then, I saw it. The city’s birthday celebration – one hundred years. We sat in the grass and looked toward that colorful night.

After that, Christopher went to sleep. Grace and I left. His parents drove us home. They dropped Grace off first, and on our way to my house, we talked.

“Christopher is different,” his mother stated. “But so are you, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Maybe you can answer this then. What’s happening to my son, Hank?”

“I don’t know, Mrs. Collins.”

“He’s had these powers since he was born.”

“I haven’t had mine that long.”

“So you don’t have any answers either then?”

“No. I don’t.”

“Well, we don’t know much about you, Hank. All we know is that Christopher trusts you, and that, that’ll have to do. Promise us one thing though: you’ll keep him safe.”

I didn’t know how to answer, but an answer still came out.

That’s how I ended up at the Honky Tonk with Grace and Christopher.

My phone rang.

Eason calling…

Text and Images © Jonathan Lee

Chapter 22: Glances

Chapter 22:
Glances

“What was that?”

Grace shut the door behind us.

Christopher and I looked at each other.

“Oh come on!” Grace yelled. “That’s adorable! You two have the same look on your face.”

Christopher and I continued to look at each other.

She shook her head. “But tell me what happened!”

“Well, I can create wind,” Christopher smiled.

“The wind?” I asked.

“Yah. Like whoosh.” He threw his kite out, and it sailed across the room before it turned around and returned to him.

Grace looked at me. I shrugged.

“You can manipulate wind at that distance?” Grace asked.

“Is there something wrong with that?”

“Can you grab that pot?”

He got up from his seat and brought the pot over.

“Here you go!”

“That’s not what I meant.” Grace sighed.

“Oh well.”

“Why does it matter so much?” I asked.

“That whirlwind…”

“Was to get rid of the Rocs,” Christopher frowned. “I’m not trying to show off or anything. I didn’t even make it that strong.”

I looked at the boy.

“You could’ve made it stronger?” Grace asked.

“But people might have gotten hurt.” A puzzled look came across his face.

“That’s not what I meant,” Grace sighed. “You need to keep your powers secret, Christopher.”

“Why?”

“Because, with what you can do, and what I believe you could do, people might want to abuse that.”

“I don’t understand,” I stated.

“He could be limitless, Hank.”

Before I could say anything, she already began to explain.

“He can already manipulate it to the point that he can guide a kite and create a whirlwind. Just imagine what he could do if that whirlwind wasn’t his full strength.”

I thought about it for a moment.

“He could become a target of Jack.”

“He could be a target of the Children and the Crown.”

“Guess that means one thing then,” Christopher smiled.

“Don’t you dare suggest it,” I stated.

The next day, I found myself sitting at the Honky Tonk with Grace and Christopher. His parents had dropped him off at school for Grace and me to take care of him. Even his parents were aligned with this idea.

Text and Images © Jonathan Lee