Shadow Guardians - Genesis (7 page)

Selda spent the least amount of time testing Matt’s powers. “You can change to a human form, huh,” Selda asked with a smug smile. After testing him, Selda concluded that Matt had the best control of his gift compared to the other children but was likely over-looking some other ability and not allowing it to develop.

Finally, Selda tested Jericho. She gauged the radius of his power to control people’s thoughts, his ability to touch people and make them do as he said, and his ability to amplify other spirits powers, particularly Mimi’s. Selda concluded that Jericho might someday rival Miguel in power, but was a novice and needed much polishing. Miguel, Mimi, Jericho, and Matt gulped bottle after bottle of pineapple and grape juice following the testing sessions. They were drained. As they rode with Fozzley and Selda to the new home that Selda was renting to them, not a word was spoken.

Fozzley looked at them in the rearview mirror and smiled. It was a nervous happiness. He was happy to be assisting such gifted youth with such a noble mission, but terrified at the same time that they were being sought by both the Tarrons and the Soulcatchers. The Tarrons only cared about acquiring Miguel at any cost, but would likely let the other children be, so long as they did not interfere in the Tarron’s goal to obtain Miguel. The Soulcatchers wanted to capture all of the children, bring them to judgment and remove their souls from the earth. Fozzley wondered how he (and Selda) could stand against such power.

When she was sure that the children could not hear her speak, Selda turned up the radio in the car and whispered to Fozzley. “I’m convinced that Miguel is the seventh Tarron,” she said. “The others are much more powerful than any Demi-geists I have seen in my time, but they have much to learn about themselves and their powers. You know The Six are coming for Miguel,” she said. “I can feel their presence in the astral plane, headed this way”. “Selda,” Fozzley said, “you’re an angel on earth”. “Indeed. Indeed,”she said.

“I don’t know about you,” Miguel said, “but I’m ready to get back to what we came together to do. Let’s help some children,” he added. “I agree,” said Mimi. “I’ve got an idea,” Matt said. “Let’s walk the subway and have Mimi use her gift to sense those who need help.” “Let’s go,” Jericho said. “I’ll go let Fozzley know we’re going out for a couple of hours,” Mimi said. Almost immediately, Mimi’s head hurt. There was a sharp pain for thirty seconds, then she could hear Fozzley’s voice in her ears. “Be very careful,” he said. “Look out for Soulcatcher and others who seem to have ill intentions”. Mimi thought and whispered, “we will”. “Fozzley knows,” Mimi told the group. “How,” Matt asked. Somehow, we just communicated telepathically,” Mimi said. There’s a lot Fozzely isn’t telling us,” Miguel said. “I think there’s more to him than just an old man who can communicate with the dead,” he added. “I’m sure he’ll tell us everything in time,” Mimi said. “Let’s hit the subway,” Matt replied.

“There are so many people and o many emotions,” Mimi said. “Concentrate,” Matt replied. “Maybe if I can make physical contact with a few children, this can be more effective,” she added. Mimi stood in the middle of the main thoroughfare of the subway. She brushed against a boy walking with his mother. Flashes of laughter flooded her mine. “No problems there. They’re happy,” she yelled to the team. Mimi saw a little boy with his parents hurrying to a waiting train. She touched the boy. “He has leukemia and is very afraid and sad, but seems to love his parents,” she informed the team. “There; the girl in black,” Matt said. “Touch her”. Images of the little girl crying flooded Mimi’s mind. She noticed that the girl’s arm was in a cast. “Walk faster, you little idiot,” the girl’s mother whispered as she gripped the arm without the cast. “You want two casts,” the mother asked harshly. The little girl winced. “We found one,” Mimi announced. She filled Jericho, Matt, and Miguel in on the situation. Jericho walked over to the mother. He whispered into her ear. “You will never touch the child in a harmful manner, speak to her harshly, nor neglect her so long as you live. Now, go buy her some ice cream,” Jericho said. The mother hugged the little girl and told her how much she loved her. “How about some ice cream,” the mother asked the girl. The little girl did a dance and hugged her mother. They headed out of the subway. “Great work, Jericho,” Matt said.

Just as the team started to think that this wasn’t a good place to find some children to help, it happened. Jericho was standing, facing an in-bound train, savoring the breeze. A sheet of paper gusted in his direction and stuck to his leg. He tried to shake it off, but it wouldn’t budge. Matt pulled the paper from Matt’s leg. “It’s written in crayon, and judging from the mis-spellings, it was written by a child. Mimi read the letter aloud. “September 2, 2009: Terri and I don’t know what city we’re in or where they’re keeping us. There is a large clock that always chimes at noon, loud enough that the whole city can hear it. We stay blindfolded, and they give us shots to make us sleep. The man who likes to be called, “Popkins” is the worst. The things he does to Terri haunt me in my sleep. He’s never hurt me, but I know it’s because I’m three years older than Terri and will fight back. His girlfriend acts like we’re not there and that his actions are normal. I pray to the Supreme One that one day somebody will miss us, coming looking for us, and most of all find us, “she read. The team was quiet and pensive. “A large clock,” said Jericho. There are lots of clocks around here that chime at noon,” he added. “Try thinking just of the ones in poor, run-down neighborhoods,” Mimi suggested. “That gets us down to two potential areas of the city—Chinatown and Port Allegro,” Jericho said. “Should we split up and search them or go together in case we get ambushed,” Mimi asked. “We’ll stay as a unit,” Miguel said firmly. “Let’s head over to Chinatown first. In the air, the team was in formation, following Miguel, who had morphed into a sort of leadership role.

“Can you sense the children, Mimi,” Miguel asked. “No. Nothing,” said Mimi. Here, let’s try this, Miguel said. Miguel held Mimi’s hands and looked into her eyes. He concentrated an electric charge into them, amplifying her powers. “Can you sense them now,” Miguel asked. “I don’t think this is the right place, ” Mimi said. Let’s head to the Port Allegro,” she added.

Once in Port Allegro, Mimi led the team in the hunt for the abducted boys who must have slipped that letter on to some car or at some restaurant, or by some other miraculous means that it found its way to Mimi, Matt, Jericho, and Miguel. “I can sense the death force of the child who wrote this. They killed him. I can’t make out anything about his brother. The house is there just beyond that hill, first one on the right.

Mimi knocked on the front door of the house. A Mexican woman opened the door, and soon a six-foot Mexican man stood behind her eating peanuts. “What can we do for your four,” the woman asked. “Lead us to the children,” Mimi said, touching the man’s hand. He turned around and walked to the back of the house and opened the basement. “Harold, don’t” screamed his wife. Within seconds of her last breath, Jericho had his hands around the front of her head in some kind of “death grip”. “What was that, Jer,” asked Matt. “It’s an ancient African mind eraser,” Jericho said. “I like to keep it in my repertoire and use it in tandem with my powers from time to time,” Jericho said.

Rats, roaches, fleas, and worms crawled on the floor where the boy slept. Thousands of insects covered the decaying caucus of his brother—the one who must have left the note begging someone to save them. The boy’s arms were raised above his head, tied to a wood beam with some rope and a nail. Matt, in human for, picked the boy up and walked him upstairs, the others following behind. Matt ran a hot bath for the boy, while Mimi looked for something for him to eat in the kitchen. Jericho had Harold in a headlock; there was no struggling to get out of it. “Repeat after me,” Jericho said. “I am having a heart attack. It hurts severely. My blood vessels are swollen. I am going to die”. The man repeated the phrase over and over. Blood dripped from the man’s eyes. His hands and arms became swollen. His head became so large that his eyes seemed embedded in his skull. The man fell to the floor and made convulsive motions. Finally, with three hugs coughs, the man ceased to breathe. Jericho and Matt clapped hands.

After the boy was clean and had had something to eat, Matt walked him to a fire station and left him there. The firemen called the police, and someone was dispatched to the house to look around.

“Doing that made my life feel like I have a purpose,” Matt said. If I can save children from dying, then maybe someday I can rest, and the Supreme One will forgive me for taking my own. “To the team,” Matt said. “To the team,” they all shouted in unison. “It’s still early. Let’s get in a couple more before we call it a night.

CHAPTER ELEVEN: FORZOZELONE

Fozzley and Selda walked through downtown, chatting about various subjects—catching up on old times. The skies suddenly turned very dark and cloudy, and a cold breeze flowed through the air at a rapid rate, stinging Selda’s nose. “Soulcatchers,” Selda announced. No sooner than she had uttered the phrase, they heard Clause’s voice from above, as he hovered in the air. Selda’s white, thick-feathered, wings ripped through her blouse and spread wide. She took a defensive pose. “Forzozelone Quitan still dwells the earth,” Orin said with a smirk. “Somehow, I always suspected it,” he added. “How can this be when we saw you with our own eyes, destroyed at the hands of the other Tarrons,” Jordin asked. “Tell us, are you Forzozelone,” Orin asked. “I am he,” Fozzley replied.

“It was the high battle of earthly spirits,” Orin began. “It was the fight that the Supreme One knew had to be and had to be without HIS intervention. It was the fight to determine the fate of mankind and other beasts dwelling this planet—enslavement by the Tarrons or continued freedom and protection at the hands of the Angels. It was Angels versus Tarrons, with most supernatural spirits aligned with one side or the other. The Tarrons were near victory when the “Seventh” Tarron, their leader betrayed them and joined the Angels. The traitor helped the Angels defeat the Tarrons. Soulcatchers hunted and removed hoards of Demi-geists, not another of any real power to rise for decades. Though they suffered no loss in numbers, the Tarrons fled into the shadows, awaiting their next opportunity to avenge their defeat by the Angels—the emergence of the new “Seventh” Tarron. Unexpectedly, the Angels turned on Forzozelone for fear that he might reunite with the Tarrons one day. They imprisoned him and delivered him to the Soulcatchers. We severed his ties to this planet, he was judged, and he was banished from the earth”. Orin’s eyes were flaming red. “So, how can it be that you are on this planet,” Jordin asked. Fozzley said nothing. He looked at Selda. “Leave now, Soulcatchers, or I shall make you,” she said. “We’re not here to fight, Angel,” Orin said. Jordin swung his blade over the head of Fozzley. “That is, unless we have to,” Orin added. “I returned because the Supreme One wishes to prevent another war between the Angels on Earth and the Tarrons. The prophesized “Seventh” Tarron, their leader-to-be is on this planet. He doesn’t realize who or what he is, yet,” Fozzley said. “The Tarrons desperately seek him. My mission for the time granted me is to find and destroy the “Seventh” Tarron,” Fozzley added. “And what do you get in return,” Clause asked. “My dear Magda returns to me and we are allowed to dwell the earth in love for eternity,” Fozzley replied. The Soulcatchers let out loud guffaws in unison. “Let’s go,” Orin commanded. The Soulcatchers all disappeared into the air. Selda withdrew her wings. Fozzley breathed a sigh of relief. “You think they know who you were talking about—the “Seventh” Tarron—Selda asked. “I think maybe they have a clue. It’s not like his recent displays of power, attitude, and crushing defeats of enemies have gone unnoticed,” Fozzley said.

CHAPTER TWELVE: BONDS

Matt and Miguel sat by the edge of the water watching a human boy fishing with his father. “I used to envy other children who had fathers like that,” Matt said, breaking the silence. Miguel remained stone-faced and speechless. “Com on Mig, it’s me, your friend. Talk to me,” Matt said. “If you don’t, I’ll be forced to tell Mimi about your crush on her,” Matt added. “You wouldn’t dare,” Miguel said. “So, you do still fear some things,” Matt laughed. “What’s that supposed to mean,” Miguel asked. “You’re different lately, Mig. You’re not the fun-loving guy who used to fry birds and squirrels for laughs or hide humans’ car keys just to amuse yourself watching them search futilely for them, only to have you deposit them in their pockets.” Matt chuckled hard. Miguel smirked, then resumed the look of stone. “I feel like I’m changing,” Miguel said. “I feel angry all the time. I feel like my powers are bursting out of me. I delight at the chance to make anyone who crosses me suffer. I don’t even care about saving children anymore. The thrill isn’t seeing a child’s eyes light up with happiness. The thrill is punishing their abusers,” Miguel said. “I’m here for you, Mig,” Matt said. We’re like brothers. After the things we’ve shared, there’s nothing we can’t overcome,” Matt added. A tear streamed down Miguel’s face. “It’s just a phase, man. Leaving home. Dodging Soulcatchers. Changes in your powers. It had to come to a head. Just because we’re not alive, doesn’t mean we don’t have feelings,” Matt added. Mat embraced his friend. They sat quietly for minutes.

“What’s your take on Fozzley,” Miguel asked. “Why is he doing the things he’s done for us? Why not keep to his quiet life back in Maine? Why so much interest in us? Is he just a human with gifts to communicate with the dead? Who is he, really,” Miguel asked rhetorically. “I’ve been wondering those same things,” Matt said. “Well, with the exception of why he didn’t stay in Maine,” Matt added with a laugh. “I think that you, Mimi, Jericho, and I need some time away to talk about things,” he said. “I think things have gotten so complicated that we’re losing sight of why we’re still anchored to our past lives and formed our team. I’d just as soon surrender to the Soulcatchers if we can’t get back to doing good and making sure children’s lives aren’t like ours were,” Matt said.