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

Chapter 21: Whirl

Chapter 21
Whirls

The three of us stared up at the sky blotted by black wings. Plumed feathers slowly rained down. The crows were dead. Those black wings belonged to something else, something else whose incessant shrieking cut to the bone. People gathered around to see what was in the sky. All eyes were on that black mass. My fingers clenched on my phone.

Then they struck. They dived down. A murder of Rocs, so many that they blotted the sky, shot toward the park. Screams and panic. People turned to run.

Grace reached for her lipstick. We were so focused on what we would do that we failed to see what others did.

Christopher ran from us.

“Come back!” I yelled.

He didn’t listen.

“Brat!” I chased after him.

He ran toward the murder of Rocs as people ran from them, ran against us. People pushed and shoved to get away. No one seemed to care that a little boy was pushing past them toward the center. No one cared that I shouted out for them to stop him.

Blood in the air. Red and black talons. The people screamed as the Rocs dug at them. I would call them innocents, but they didn’t stop Christopher.

But no Rocs attacked Christopher. Even the Rocs that attacked other people fled if Christopher was close. The little boy kept running.

And then he fell. Someone bumped into him and knocked him down. The person didn’t even look back. I punched that person as they ran by.

“Out of my way!” I didn’t recognize my voice. It was dark. Guttural. It was furious. It was full of emotion. It felt unnatural. It was unnatural.

The people forded. I arrived at Christopher. He was okay. No one trampled on him.

“Are you okay?”

“Yah. Just had the wind knocked out of me,” he smiled.

“C’mon, we have to get out of here!”

“You get out of here then!” he stared at me.

“You can’t fight these things!”

“Trust me, okay?” He got up and began to run again.

I bit down on my lip.

I ran after him.

“What are you doing?” he said as he turned toward me.

“I’m not letting you go alone.”

“You don’t even know me.”

“‘Just ‘cause I don’t know you doesn’t mean I’ll turn my back on you. The world’s hard enough as it is, so we gotta watch out for each other.’”

“Doesn’t sound like you,” the little boy raised a brow at me.

“No. It’s something someone else told me.”

He smiled.

We pushed through the people and then there was blackness. A wave of wings and dread. I grabbed Christopher and turned to shield him. But they forded around us.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“I said I could take care of myself,” Christopher smiled.

I stared at him, and I understood. “You’re too trusting,” I scolded. “Don’t go around telling people you have an Aspect!”

“I didn’t,” he smiled. “You know because you know.”

He seemed to have all the answers.

“Anyways, you’re a good person, Hank.”

“Why do you say that?”

“You wouldn’t be here with me otherwise.”

I furled my brow.

“I told you. I’m good at reading people. And that strange gust of wind brought my kite to you two.”

I looked at his kite’s spool.

“Well, here we go!” he shouted.

He sent his kite upwards, and a vortex of wind spun into the sky. A great blast of wind swept across the field – cool and crisp. The Rocs were caught in it and spun out of control. And then, it was over. The Rocs crashed into trees and the ground, bubbling into pitch.

Grace then ran toward us.

She grabbed the both of us, and we ran from the park. We ran to my apartment, and we shut the door behind us.

Text and Images © Jonathan Lee

Chapter 20: A Gale

Chapter 20
A Gale

I awoke to sunlight cascading through the patio door. I could see the sky covered by light grey clouds with those spots of sunlight beaming through. It was a day after a storm.

I found a blanket placed over me – one of the two from my bedroom. I heard clanging come from my kitchen. I sat upright when a bowl of cereal appeared in front of my face.

“Hungry?”

I opened my mouth to speak.

“Well, it doesn’t matter. You have to eat, or you won’t have any energy.”

I closed my mouth.

“Still. Didn’t realize you liked kid’s cereals for breakfast.”

I took a spoonful of Cocoa Puffs.

“And afterwards, you can have some of your vitamin gummi bears.”

I bit down into the metal spoon - hard.

After breakfast, I did my exercise routine and showered. When I came out of the bathroom, I found Grace using my computer.

“What’re you looking up?”

“News. That was a sudden storm last night. You must have been cold, huh?”

I scratched my head. I still wasn’t good at this, but I tried my best. “Thanks for the blanket.”

“I woke up to use the bathroom. I found you huddled on the couch, so I brought out the blanket for you.”

“Thanks.”

“No problem. Strange weather though.”

“Well actually-“

I explained what happened last night.

“I wonder what their past is?”

“We all have our secrets.”

“Well, should we get ready for class?”

“You’re going today? I thought you never went?”

“It’s time for a change. Anyways, we have to stay together. Jack is still out there.”

I had forgotten in my sleep.

“Thanks for reminding me.”

“No problem!” she beamed.

“Huh.” I snorted.

We packed lunch and left for class. Class passed how it usually passed. I took notes and answered questions. The only difference was that I knew the person snoring next to me.

Class ended. We walked out of the lecture hall.

“Let’s go to the park.”

I began to walk toward the campus park when she stopped me.

“No, no, no! The park near your apartment. Zephyr Park.”

I sighed, and we took the bus back toward my apartment.

On the ride there, I asked her. “Did you find any information at the library yesterday?”

“A little bit of information. I found an article by my parents about Greek mythology.”

“What was it about?”

“I saved myself a copy, but I haven’t gotten to reading it yet.”

“Ah.”

“Hey, what’s your favorite color?”

“Grey.”

“Grey’s a hue. It’s not a color.”

“What about you then?”

“Purple.”

“I would’ve thought black.”

“Well, you would’ve thought wrong.”

“You’re just a ray of sunshine aren’t you?”

“It’s what I do,” she smiled.

We arrived at Zephyr Park, the largest park in the city. It was about two square miles, had a small lake in it, littered with random fountains, and was famous for the wind tunnels caused by its massive arbor. But our first sight was of a little boy running a kite.

“Did you ever play with kites?” Grace asked.

“A long time ago.”

She laughed.

“What?” I asked.

“I never imagined you with toys. I thought you would’ve done arithmetic for fun.”

I bit down on my lip. She smiled. A crisp breeze blew toward us.

The little boy suddenly ran toward us.

“Look out!”

The kite dove at us. I grabbed Grace and held onto her. The kite swooped back toward the sky.

“I’m sorry about that!” the little boy shouted. “That’s never happened before.”

“Your kite seems to have a mind of its own,” Grace smiled.

“Yah, there was a sudden gust. I’m Christopher Gail Collins.” The little boy smiled as he stuck out his arm.

“I’m Grace.” She lifted a hand toward the boy.

“Hank.”

I didn’t shake his hand.

“You’re funny, Hank.”

“What? Where are your parents?”

“They’re at work.”

“You’re what – eight?”

“Nine actually.”

“You need a babysitter.”

“I can take care of myself.”

Something familiar about the boy.

“What’re you two doing here? A date?”

“How do you know so much for a nine year old?” Grace asked. She didn’t deny that we were on a date.

He shrugged.

“Well, we’re going to eat lunch. Do you want to join us?” Grace asked.

“I think you’re boyfriend is getting frustrated.”

“He tends to.”

“We’re not dating!” I shouted.

“That’s hurtful,” Grace falsely despaired.

“C’mon!” I gasped. “It’s not that… Argh!”

“See. You’re funny,” laughed the boy.

I glared at the boy.

“I’m good at reading people’s airs. You’re actually a nice guy, but you try to make yourself seem mean. And that’s why you’re funny.”

I sighed.

“I’ll join you guys for lunch!”

We sat down under a tree and began to eat. I ate half of my ham and cheese sandwich. Grace ate a PB and J, a chocolate bar, an apple, and a ham and cheese sandwich. In that order. Christopher ate the other half of my sandwich.

“I’m still kind of hungry,” Grace smiled. “Do you have anything left in your bag?”

I took out a bag of chips.

We shared them as we looked toward the sky. It was comfortable silence. Even with Christopher.

“The wind’s changing,” Christopher stated.

Suddenly, my phone began to ring.

I looked at it. It was blank.

Before I could even answer it, crows cried with such fearful timber and took to the skies. The crows cried once more, sharp and unfinished, and black feathers rained down. The call ended, and cries of glottal pitch filled the sky instead.

Text and Images © Jonathan Lee