Chapter 2

Finally finished

“Maybe I should call her”, Mason suggested as he frantically paced around Emily’s room. He eagerly bit his lip as his eyes repeatedly glanced down at the Iphone firmly planted in his grasp.

Emily sat at the end of her full-sized bed decorated with a purple and black zebra comforter with pillows to match. She removed the black scrunchie holding her hair hostage. She tossed the scrunchie to the head of her bed and began tousling her hair so it would not look so messy. She crossed one leg over her knee and leaned back on her bed. Her hands sunk into the bed as she leaned. She flicked her hair over her shoulder with a short swish of her head. Her eyes followed his panicked steps across her black faux fur rug sitting in the center of her room.

“What If something happened to her? I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to her. She’s my best friend.”

He ceased his frenetic pacing and removed the framed picture of her smiling back at him sitting on her jet black dresser. His fingertips traced the outline of the sleek purple frame outfitted with black irregularly shaped and sized diamonds so as to match the dark purple and black overall them of the room. It sat in the center of the dresser. To its two sides was a collection of earring, watches, bracelets, and a collection of hand lotions she meant to move however never found the energy or need to.

She uncrossed her legs and quietly sneaked up behind him. Her arms wrapped around his waist as her head gently brushed against his back.

“You need to relax. It hasn’t even been a half hour yet.”                

“I know but I have this bad feeling.”

“It’s probably the result of your overactive imagination.”

“I don’t think it is. I remember when we started junior high: Ember was being targeted by one of the school’s mean girl cliques. She said she’d get even but I told her no and she agreed with me. But I got this same feeling about that day. I thought it was nothing, just me being paranoid so I dismissed it. By the time the day was over, Ember had gotten into a fight with the girl who ran the clique. She sent her to the hospital with a black eye, a bloody nose, and a sprained ankle. The girl couldn’t come to school for weeks. But Ember took some hits too: She got a broken nose, a black eye, and because the girl was Ms. Popular, she was suspended from school for a month. All this happened shortly after I got this feeling.”

He removed her hands from around his waist and turned towards her. Her fingers interlocked with his.

“That’s not the only instance.” He spoke in low whispers. It was as if he was reflecting and regretting. As if he felt he was responsible. “Every time I got that feeling and I ignored it something bad happened to her. I can’t ignore it anymore. I’m sorry but I can’t.”

She gently but firmly placed the palm of her hand against his cheek. Her piercing eyes demanded his attention, and eventually, he gave it. His fingers intertwined with hers.

“It’s ok. I get it. If you think she’s in trouble then you should go. I get it.” Her soothing tones gave him peace and set his worried heart at ease. He smiled. His eyes gaped into her innate hazel eyes. They glistened with the reflection of the afternoon light penetrating the silk purple curtains that covered the windows. His fingers slid from her hand and lifted her chin. He leaned in and enveloped her lips with his: Her soft, delicate lips. His eyes shut in pure pleasure as did hers. They stood for a few moments, exchanging long, deep kisses.

“Thank you”, he whispered as his lips released hers. She smiled in delight. That was all she could do. He had rendered her speechless. Though it had lasted only a few seconds, it was as though time had slowed to a halt. She gathered her bearings and responded.

“Of course… now go. I’ll still be here.” He flashed her one quick grin before dashing out of her room. The sound of her front door swinging open and slamming shut resonated in her ears.

Meanwhile:

Ember peered out of the car window and observed the many vehicles zooming past her on the busy freeway. A solitary tear trickled down her cheek as her mind replayed what had just happened in her head. She didn’t know the man personally nor did she pull the trigger, and yet, she could not help but feel somewhat responsible. 

She still could not determine if it was a good or bad thing to tell Mason to stay behind. Her body subtly wriggled as they passed over the subtle potholes in the street. Her gaze shifted from the window to the driver’s seat. She glared at the silent, brooding man occupying the seat. She could not bring herself to wrap her mind around it. He had just killed a man, and yet, he did not even flinch. He showed no remorse or regret for his actions.

 

“Did you have to kill that man?” 

For a while, he did not respond. It was as though he did not hear her at all. His hands remained firmly planted on the steering wheel, and his eyes on the ribbon of road ahead. Her eyes shifted to the rearview mirror. Beneath the confinements of his hoodie was a wide, malicious grin.

“Why’d you do it?”

Her head began to throb in immense pain. Her vision blurred. The once clear world began to fade in and out. Her gaze dropped to the floor as her forehead collided with the back of the front seat with a thud. Low moans escaped her lips though she desperately tried not to scream at all. 

She wriggled around in her seat as she desperately tried to escape. Her wrists rotated every way possible as she tried to maneuver them through the tight cuffs. Unfortunately, her struggles proved to be in vain. She winced at the deadly scratches the tight cuffs left on her wrists. Eventually, she decided to give up. 

Her teeth violently pounded against each other  as she pursued yet another attempt to refrain from screaming.

“It hurts doesn’t it?” His gaze remained locked onto the road. She tried to lift her head only to find it the equivalent of lifting a 50 pound weight.

“What the hell are you doing to me?” She managed to get the words through her clenched teeth.

“I’m not doing a thing.” His tone was ripe with a naturally irritating arrogance. “You’re doing it to yourself. This is what happens when your powers first manifest themselves.”

“I told you I don’t have any powers!” She took in deep wafts of air as she attempted to steady her nearly shattered nerves. Her once defined curls were reduced to wavy strands dripping sweat. Her stomach twisted itself inside out. Her eyes slightly burned from the flood of tears escaping. Her head jerked itself back then forward as an incoming wave of vomit traveled up her throat.

A waterfall of broken down food gushed from her mouth as her head hit the back of the leather seat with a thud. She could not see; but she could have sworn he was smiling perhaps even laughing at her distraught state.

“Make it stop!” She pleaded in between sobs. A fit of hysterical laughter escaped his lips as he listened to her pitiful pleas.

“Oh Ember”, he remarked as his head shook back and forth. “You’re a mess.”

“Please…”, she begged. “Please make it stop.”

“I can’t… Only you can and i’d love for you to do it as soon as possible because these seats are real leather and I don’t like the idea of puke all over my seats.”

Her eyes shut as her side of her head leaned against the window. She groaned in pain. She now desperately wished Mason was there with her.

Meanwhile:

“Come on Ember pick up!” Mason screamed into his iPhone as he sprinted down the sidewalk to Marty’s.

“Screw it”, he thought to himself as he placed the phone in his back pocket.

The cool wind brushed against his face as he ran. He ran the back of his right hand across his forehead so as to remove the accumulating sweat. He smiled in relief as he neared the small restaurant. His black hi tops skidded against the asphalt as they attempted to slow him down. He slowed down his lightning fast pace until he came to a halt. His back hunched over as he grabbed his knees with his hands. He gasped for huge wafts of air. His speeding heart rate had just began to calm when he remembered Ember.

He yanked the door open and ran in. His eyes scanned the restaurant. The sign was still on open, so where was everybody. He reached into his pocket for his phone. He slid the screen to unlock it and quickly dialed Clara. He put the phone to his ear as he went deeper into the restaurant.

“Come on Mrs. R pick up.” He pushed open the door leading to the kitchen.

“Hello! Is anyone in here?” He did not wait long for a response. His eyes did a quick scan before deciding no one was there.

“The number you have dialed is unavailable…” He did not let the automated voice finish before hanging the phone up and dialing again. The monotone rings sounded in his ear as he eagerly waited for her to pick up.

“Hello.” Mason released a small chuckle of relief at the sound of Clara’s voice on the other line. His dying flame of hope had been rekindled.

“Hey Mrs. R.”

“Oh hello Mason. Is something wrong?”

“I hope not”, he muttered under his breath.

“What was that?”

“Oh nothing. Is Ember with you?”

“No she’s not. I thought she was with you.”

Mason’s heart sank upon hearing those words: the ones he hoped she wouldn’t say. That gut-wrenching feeling had returned and it was worse than ever. He felt as though he was 5 seconds from puking. He felt his spirits plummet to rock bottom.

“No she’s not.”

He could not bring himself to speak in a tone any louder than a whisper. He hung up the phone, leaving Clara with an apprehensive feeling at the very pits of her stomach. Mason grabbed hold of his stomach as it churned and turned itself inside out. His eyes scanned the restaurant once more, hoping to find some sign of where she could have gone. His fingers zoomed across his phone as he texted Ember:

“Em. Where are you? I’ve been trying to reach you. Call me as soon as you get this.”

“Damn it!” He screamed as he kicked the front counter with his foot.

“You must be looking for Ember.”

Mason immediately turned around to find the source of the deep voice resonating throughout his ears. His eyes widened for a moment at the figure standing before him dressed in black from head to toe. A thick black cloth was clad around his face, revealing nothing but the piercing brown eyes peering back at him.

“You are looking for her aren’t you?” Mason stood staring for some time.

“How do you know her?”

“I don’t know her, personally. But I do know the person who has her.” Mason’s eyebrow cocked in intrigue upon hearing this. He had no idea who this person was; however, he chose to associate him with a ray of hope.

“Could you take me to her?”

“Yes I could.” Mason nearly squealed for joy; however, he thought it best to suppress his joy as much as possible.

“Well what are we waiting for?”

“I said I could take you… I never said I would.” Mason’s fists instinctively balled themselves up. His jaw clenched.

“I don’t know who the hell you are and I honestly could care less! All I care about is getting my best friend back. And I will; whether you help me or not! So if you’re just going to be difficult then this conversation is over because I have more important things to do than deal with self-righteous, condescending jackaces like you!”

Though he could not see his mouth, the mischievous look that framed the cryptic eyes gawking back at him somehow gave him the impression the figure was somewhat pleased with his answer.

“I never said I wouldn’t take you either.” Mason rolled his eyes.

“Make up your mind!”

“So will you or will you not?” The figure walked over to Mason and grabbed his shirt with his fingertips.

“Dude what the hell are you doing?”

“In order for me to take you I have to make physical contact but I don’t want to make it any weirder than it has to be.”

“Oh ok”, Mason agreed with a shrug as though that made all the sense in the world. “Why would you have to touch me?”

Before he could receive a response, they disappeared into thin air, leaving nothing behind save a trace amount of black smoke lingering in the air.

A moment of excruciating pain shot through his legs as his knees collided with the indurate ground. His head shifted upwards to see a twisted mass of branches intertwined with each other.

The sounds of various birds chirping throughout the afternoon tickled his ears. The crisp afternoon air held a fragrant odor of animal manure and the sweet smells of the wildflowers that littered the dense forest. A slight breeze ran through his hair and tickled his scalp.

Sunlight warmed the forest floor through various openings in the tangled masses of tree branches. Mason’s eyes frantically scanned his surroundings as he rose from the ground.

Though the serene setting would normally induce a calm feeling, he could not help but feel panicked. He turned to the figure who observed Mason with a quite amused look as he attempted to explain to himself what had just happened.

“How did you...? Why are we in a forest?”

Mason’s brain immersed itself in the problem, leaving no scenario unexplored. He stuttered over his words, for he was still having trouble processing the events of earlier.

The figure responded with one finger to his mouth so as to shush him.

“Shh… our secret.”

Mason subtly nodded as his eyes wandered down to his hands which were covered with dirt and blades of grass. He dragged his hands across his pants.

“So where’s Ember at?” The figure pointed outwards. Mason turned around to see nothing but trees.

“I know she’s somewhere in here smart ace. I just want to an exact location.” The figure responded with a low chuckle. Mason had to strain his ears to hear it.

“Is something funny?”

“Go walk to where i’m pointing.”

Once more, he pointed to what Mason knew was nothing more than open forest. Mason directed his attention to the figure with a look of disbelief.

“Humor me”, the figure ordered. Muttering words under his breath, Mason ventured to where the figure was pointing.

He continued walking for sometime, still convinced there was nothing there. He turned to the figure with a look of pride practically screaming: “I told you so!” As he turned back, his head was greeted with a blow to his forehead, followed by a rather audible thud.

“Ow”, he groaned as he rubbed his hand across his now aching forehead. He made a fist then knocked at what he thought was pure air. He nearly fell to the ground in shock at the sound of an audible knock made by his fist. There was something there.

He constantly shifted glances between the figure and what he thought was nothing but air. Convinced it was nothing more than an elaborate delusion, he racked his brain, searching for a logical reason for the unbelievable phenomenon.

“Oh my god there’s something here!”

“I know!” There was a certain playfulness that tickled the figure’s voice as he spoke. It was almost as if he was enjoying himself. He ambled over to Mason.

“Who the hell are you?” The figure did not answer; but instead chuckled.

“What the hell is so funny?” He could not help but feel the slightest bit annoyed at the figure.

“You are.” The words managed to escape in between chuckles.

“Whatever.” His gaze shifted up and down the invisible object or building standing before him. “I don’t have time to figure out your riddles. I have a best friend to save.”

“And how do you plan to do that?” The once playful tone had morphed to one of utter seriousness.

“Are you going to just charge into the building? How are you going to do that when you don’t even know where the door is? And let’s say you do get inside: The person who has your friend is just like me, far too skilled for you to handle on your own. So how are you going to get past him?”

“You know what? You’re right. I have no idea what’s going on and I have no idea how I can save her. I just know I have to save her. Ember is more than my best friend, she’s family. I don’t like the idea of sitting on the sidelines while my family is in danger. So unless you’re going to help me, I suggest you stay out of my way because I will do everything in my power and a bit more for family. Although I wouldn’t expect someone like you to understand any of that.”

“Get out of my way."

“Or what?” Mason subtly stuck out his chest as he leaned in closer to the figure.

“Get out of the way so I can open the door. If that’s ok with you, of course.”

Mason’s head dropped as he sheepishly stepped out of the figure’s way. He reached into what looked like thin air to reveal a retina scanner. Mason’s jaw dropped in disbelief and awe. The figure put his eye up to the scanner. Moments later, a line of blue light traced over his eye. A slightly high pitched click followed this, revealing two full hand scanners shooting up from the ground.

“Is this a real forest?”

The figure placed both hands on each scanner. Mason quietly observed as the scanner read both of his palms. A whooshing sound resonated throughout the afternoon air as some invisible door slid back to reveal a grey metal door outfitted with a keypad lock.

“Wow...That’s a lot of security.”

“You can never be too careful.”

Mason nodded in agreement as he watched the figure input the 20 key combination of letters and numbers. Upon finishing entering the long combination, the figure gripped his black leather gloved hand around a sterling silver handle and turned. Mason was beginning to feel a cocktail of emotions settle down in the depths of his stomach. The door swung inward to reveal a pitch black room. That was all Mason could see from the outside. He swallowed hard. The figure turned to Mason.

“Are you nervous?”

“Nervous doesn’t begin to describe what i’m feeling right now.”

“You don’t have to go in, you know. I could go alone.”

For a moment, any fear Mason was feeling dissipated into the air. For a moment, fear was a distant memory replaced by shock.

“Are you out of your mind? I’m not leaving my best friend's fate in the hands of some stranger! Let’s go!”

With that, Mason ambled into the uncertain darkness, forgetting that cocktail of uncertain feelings at the door.

Meanwhile:

Low groans escaped Ember’s lips as her eyes opened to the dim sunlight peering through the car window. Her eyelids hung low though she did her best to prop them open. They kept shutting due to the seemingly blinding sunlight. She now longed for darkness.

She had finally managed to stop puking, leaving her stomach completely empty. If only the rest of her felt as empty as her stomach. Her head still felt the equivalent of a 50 pound weight. Her entire skull fiercely throbbed with a pain like no other. She was surprised her head hadn’t exploded. Though she had stopped puking, her stomach continued to churn.

“I see you finally decided to stop puking.” The figure’s voice reeked of amusement.

What could have possibly been funny about her current situation? She now felt worse than crap. Perhaps that was what amused him. She directed her eyes towards him; but her head remained fixated on the seat. She couldn’t find the strength to lift it. She could not discern much especially considering the strands of soaked hair which concealed her face like a curtain.

“When does it get better?” She could not raise her octave no higher than a whisper for all of the screaming, struggling and puking had taken their toll on her, some weighing far more than the other.

“I can’t say. It varies from person to person.”

“How long did it take you?”

“I’m not sure. I don’t really remember.”

“Where are you taking me?”

“I’d tell you, but I really would have to kill you after and I don’t think my boss wants that.”

“Who is your boss?”

“I can’t tell you that either.” Ember could not even find the strength to be angry. Her heavy eyelids finally shut.

“Is there anything you can tell me?”

“When we get to were we’re going, you’re going to be put through more pain than your mind can fathom. Hell is going to seem like summer vacation.”

A solitary tear fell down her cheeks. Ember did not wish to cry, for her eyes burned; but she could not help it at all. Her solitary tear soon found company with an entire river of burning tears.

“Please just let me go. I promise I won’t breathe a word of this to anyone. You don’t have to do this. Just let me go.” Her desperate pleas for her release were responded to with a fit of uncontrollable laughter.

“Do you honestly think that’s going to work on me?”

“Please…. Please just let me go.” Her words came in between long sobs.

“Sorry but no can do. Orders are orders.”

“You’re a monster.”

“I’ve been called that on occasion.” She could not speak to him any longer. All she could do was cry.

“Mason… Mom…Anyone... Please come save me.” She gradually ceased her sobs and drifted off to sleep.

"That's right Ember go to sleep. You're going to need it for the day you stand to face."

Meanwhile:

Clara frantically searched her contacts for her daughter’s number. She couldn’t shake the constantly growing feeling of worry taking root in her stomach, which violently churned. When she finally found it, she quickly pressed it, inhaled a sharp breath and anxiously put the phone to her ear. Her heart pounded anxiously as her ears registered the monotone rings.

“Hey! You’ve reached Ember. You know what to do.” A brief high pitch beep followed Ember’s brief voicemail.

“Ember it’s mom. Call me as soon as you get this. Mason can’t find you and i’m getting a bit worried. Just let me know you’re okay.” She hung the phone up and dialed again. She pressed the phone against her ear as she eagerly paced the floor.

“Hey! You’ve reached Ember.---” She hung the phone up before the voicemail could finish. She scrolled through her contacts for Mason’s number and quickly hit it. She eagerly put the phone to her ear and prayed he would pick up.

“Hey it’s Mason. I can’t get to the phone right now so shoot me a message and I might call back later, depending on who you are. If you’re a crazy person, absolutely not.”    

“Mason, it’s Clara. Call me the moment you get this. I can’t get a hold of Ember and i’m getting pretty worried.”

She hung the phone up and trailed her fingers through her amber locks as her mind frantically scoured for the the next thing to try.

“Don’t worry…. Ember’s just fine.”

A deep voice speaking in icy tones threatened her ears. Clara’s steady beats soon quickened their pulse in less than a second. She swallowed hard and inhaled a deep, cleansing breath so as to calm herself. She slowly turned around to see a man peering back at her with his piercing gray eyes.

He was 45 and yet did not look to be out of his 30s. His pale skin appeared to be iced over though it still held a trace amount of hope and happiness. However, the moment was short lived for fear and cruelty demanded full attention. He looked to be accumulating a gut; however had not reached that point yet.

His spired hair was a perfect blend of dark and light grey hair. He wore a white shirt, a jet black medium length wool coat with a tie, pants and dress shoes to match. Covering his hands was a pair of black leather gloves. One look into his icy grey eyes was all it took before she realized exactly who she was dealing with.

“What do you want?” She spoke in a low, threatening tone so as to give the facade she had not been fazed.

“Hello Clara.”

“You never did like anyone else in control.” The figure responded with a low but audible chuckle.

“You were particularly difficult to find.”

“I know! That was the idea.”

“Even still, did you really think you could keep her from me forever?”

“I’d certainly hoped so.”

“Well it didn’t work. You had to have known this day would come: the day when I found you.”

“But why now? Why after all these years? Why couldn’t you just forget about us like you do everything else? Why can’t you just move on?”

“You don’t think i’ve tried? I have… twice! I had two sons.”

“I know! And you were happy… we both were. So why did you let that go? Why did you do anything you did that day?”

“I couldn’t stand seeing you happy while I was miserable.”

“What’s miserable about having two sons?”

“They weren’t ours!” For the first time, Clara saw his eyes soften just a touch. And for the first time, she recognized an emotion she’d thought he’d grown immune to years ago: pain.

“What did you do with my daughter?”

“Our daughter!” Clara nearly jumped out of her skin at the surprise of his quiet voice soon turning booming. She clenched her fists in anger. Her teeth grated against each other as her jaw clenched.

“Ember has nothing to do with you. You know that!”

“I’m her father!”

“You killed her father!” The figure stood silent for a few moments. Clara tried not to look into his normally cool gray eyes which were quickly filling themselves with red hot flames of anger.

“I thought we agreed not to talk about that person.”

“No! You agreed! Just like you killed him!” The figure quickly ambled deeper into the house. Within a few moments, Clara found herself face to face with the devil himself.

“I had no choice.” His voice returned to it’s calm relaxed tone.

“The hell you didn’t. It’s always about you. If you’re not happy, then no one can be happy. That’s how it works with you isn’t it? That’s how it’s always worked with you. You listen to me Maddox: If you hurt one hair on my daughter’s head I will see to it that it becomes my personal mission to destroy you. You will be begging me for death by the time i’m through with you.”

“Why would I want to hurt her?” Clara could see he was growing increasingly hurt by her remarks. She was touching on some rather fragile subjects.

“For the same reason you do everything else: You like the attention. You crave it.”

“You and I might have our history but don’t think for a second that you understand me. Because if you really knew me at all, then that statement would never have crossed your mind.”

For the first time since the tense conversation had begun, Clara had been rendered speechless.

“Maybe you’re right and i’m wrong, or maybe it’s the other way around. I don’t really care. I left our relationship in the past which is where it belongs. I just want my daughter back. Just give me my daughter back… please. If you ever cared about me, then prove it. Give me my daughter back.”

Clara desperately searched his eyes for a clue. For the first time in a while, she genuinely wanted to get inside of that twisted man’s head. For a brief moment, she thought she caught a glimpse of remorse and regret shining in his eyes. However, the moment disappeared in an instant, and his eyes soon returned to their usual cold, distant look.

“I wish I could Clara. I really do. But I need Ember for something really important. I promise you’ll get her back the moment i’m done.” Clara’s feelings of disappointment were soon replaced with a martini of shock and anger.

“What the hell are you going to do to her? If you say experiment I will end you right here!”

“I’m not gonna hurt her.”

“No, you’re going to study her. And if she happens to feel pain in the process then ‘Oh well’ That’s what you mean isn’t it? Did you really think you could play around with words? Did you seriously think that’d work? How stupid do you think I am?”

“I don’t think you’re stupid at all. I never have and I never will. I think you’re too smart for your own good.”

“Oh please. Your speeches about how much power you’ve got and threats about what you could do to me might work on your employees but not me. You seem to have forgotten: I knew you before power. I know exactly what you’re capable of.”

“If you knew the things I had to do to get this power, I guarantee you you’d think you were looking at a stranger.”

“I don’t care. I told you before: I just want my daughter back.”

“And I told you before: you’ll get her back… eventually.”

“I will find her. And when I do, for your sake I hope not a hair on her head was harmed.”

“I know you will. Now as much as i’d love to continue this conversation, i’m afraid I must go. It was really nice seeing you again Clara.”

“I wish I could say the same.”

Her amber locks caught a slight breeze as she watched Maddox disappear into thin air, once again leaving behind nothing more than a trace amount of black smoke.Her eyes briefly shut upon feeling the cool wind brush her face.

Meanwhile:

Ember’s weary eyes opened to a blindingly white light shining down on her. Her head bobbed every which way as she attempted to discern more features about her location. This proved to be a rather futile task until her vision decided to finally clear.

“Oh good! You’re awake.” Ember’s ears registered a distant voice that faded in and out due to her groggy state. Her eyes finally focused to a white back drop all around. There was no furniture-- save the cold metal counter Ember had been strapped to with thick black straps. There were no pictures, no color, no nothing. Everywhere you looked for as far as the eyes could see there was nothing but white.

“Where am I?”

“I can’t tell you that.”

“Is this where i’ll experience more pain than my mind can fathom?”

“No. I was never going to take you there.” An entirely new set of questions began to swirl around in her head.

“What do you mean?”

Her heart rate jumped as the source of the voice stood directly in front of her. Ember bucked her eyes wide open in disbelief. Her eyes had been greeted by a face different from the one she had been acquainted with. Though his skin still held that pale complexion, his eyes were a stormy gray and this man looked to be in his mid 40s, far older than the 20 year old man her eyes had grown accustomed to.

“Who are you?” Ember’s jaw dropped open in disbelief as she watched the man’s face change to that of the 20 year old and return to the face which now peered back at her.

“I’m the same person… just different faces.”

“You just changed your face. How did you just change your face?”

“You’ve never heard of shapeshifting? Did you think that was a fairytale? Just something to entertain the gullible human mind?”

She subtly nodded her head yes.The mysterious man briefly chuckled though Ember failed to see what could have possibly warranted his chuckle.

“You really have no idea what’s going on. This should be common knowledge to you.”

“Well it’s not.”

She finally spoke after several moments of silence. Her head had begun to develop a slight headache as it struggled to process the unbelievable phenomenon unfolding before her eyes.

“I’m just a normal girl with normal problems.” The man broke out into a fit of uncontrollable laughter upon hearing this. Again, Ember failed to see what was funny.

“Your mother told you nothing of your past? Of your father?”

“She doesn’t like to talk about him, not that it’s any of your business.”

“But it is… I can’t believe she didn’t tell you about your past.”

“What do you want with me?”

“Nothing… I just want you to be safe.”

“I was safe… until you came along at least”

“No you weren’t. You remember the face I kidnapped you with? He was sent by someone who has some horrible things in mind for you. If I hadn’t intervened then you really would be in more pain than your mind could fathom.”

“So it was you I was talking to during school?”

“No it was the guy who wanted to harm you. I was able to track the guy and then I took his place. All of our conversation at the diner was basically staged so those agents or anyone else who might’ve been watching wouldn’t suspect a thing. I couldn’t take any chances.”

“So who are you?”

“No one knows my real name… I go by X.”

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t make a lot of friends.”

“How do you know my mother?”

“We have history.”

“What kind of history?”

“I don’t think I should say anything else… If your mother wants you to know then she’ll tell you.”

“Why didn’t she tell me before now?”

“For the same reason she ran away all those years ago: She wanted to protect you.”

“From what?”

“A lot of things.” Ember thought over this carefully. She now wondered how well she knew her mother.

“Like what?”

“It’s not my place to answer that.”

“Are you going to hurt me?”

“No. Why would you ask that?” She began wiggling her whole body to remind him of the black straps that tightly restrained her.

“I’d almost forgotten.”

He reached into his back pocket and removed a pocket blade. Ember grew somewhat fearful towards the sharp metal blade glaring back at her. Her eyes followed his every move. He ran the blade across each of the straps until she was finally free. She sat upright on the counter, her legs dangling over the side.

“Why’d you have me restrained in the first place if you weren’t going to hurt me?”

“I knew you’d be panicky when you first woke up and I didn’t feel like having to chase you or anything. So, you got restrained.”

“So can I go home now?”

“Absolutely not! It’s too dangerous.”

“What about my mom?”

“Trust me, your mom can take care of herself. She’ll be safe.”

“I’ll believe that when I see her in front of me with my own eyes.”

“Your mom would want me to keep you safe.”

“And I want to keep her safe.” She jumped off the counter to her feet and made eye contact with the man.

“Your as stubborn as your parents you know that? They became the mountain that couldn’t be moved whenever they got an idea in their head.”

“So you’ll take me back to her?”

“At your own peril and against my gut, yes… I’ll take you back.” Ember smiled at his response. This X character was growing on her.

“How do we get out of here?” Her eyes scanned the room for a door or some other form of an exit.

“Give me your hand.”

The man outstretched his hand, his palm facing her. Reluctantly, she put her hand in his. He squeezed it tightly. That was the last thing Ember felt before she found herself trying to refrain from falling to the ground. Her eyebrow arched in curiosity as she recognized the familiar asphalt sidewalk. Ember looked around in disbelief. She stared down the street of manicured lawns and yards decorated with their own arrangement of deep pink and vibrant yellow flowers. They were hiding behind a row of blindingly white fences stretching down the street for as far as the eye could see. It was definitely her neighborhood; but a half a second ago they were still in that white room.

“How did we go from that white room to my neighborhood in less than a second?”

“Did you think teleportation was simply another made up tale as well? Like I said, this should be common knowledge."

“Like I said: It’s not.”

She ran up her driveway and to the cherry red door which served as the entry to their house. She swung the door open and quickly entered. Her eyes scanned the living room. The collection of sports illustrated and the occasional gossip magazine remained neatly stacked underneath the glass coffee table sitting atop a glossy beige fur rug. The many family photos that lined the walls were proudly displayed. Everything was as she had left it this morning. So why could she not seem to shake the feeling that something was wrong? She ambled deeper into the house and down the narrow hallway to her mother’s bedroom.

“Mom!” She called out. There was no answer. With each second that passed by, Ember found herself growing increasingly fearful. She entered the bedroom to find Clara sitting on the bed. Ember stopped dead in her tracks as her brain raced to process the overwhelming wave of relief which rushed over her as she stared back at her mother. She stood still for a few fleeting moments before rushing over and wrapping her arms around her. She squeezed her mother as hard as she could.

“I was worried something had happened to you.” Tears of joy ran from Ember’s ears as she savored the warm embrace in her mother’s arms. Clara caressed her hand up and down Ember’s arms as she too savored her daughter’s touch.

“I’m ok”, she reassured her daughter.

While she was truly overjoyed to have her daughter back in her arms safe and sound, she knew the long list of questions that was coming. She knew she would have to reveal the truth about everything. There was only one thing she wasn’t sure of, one question which taunted her in the deepest parts of her mind: Would she be able to handle telling her daughter all of the secrets of the world she had worked so hard to keep her from?

“Hello Clara.” X greeted.

Clara’s eyes zoomed past her daughter to see X standing in the doorway, watching the heartfelt reunion between mother and daughter. She dried her eyes and stumbled to her feet.

“Thank you for bringing my daughter back. You didn’t have to.”

“I only brought her back because you’re the one she should hear her history from.” Clara’s head dropped upon hearing this. She knew that; however she still dreaded it.

“She’s not ready yet.” Ember’s eyes rapidly traded glances between X and Clara as she listened with increased fear at the tense exchange.

“Are you sure you’re not just talking about yourself? Her powers are manifesting.”

A worried expression almost immediately set itself into her features. Her eyes cut to the floor as the words turned over in her head. Maybe she was the one scared. She turned her gaze to Ember who was staring back at her with an unfathomable expression. Was she trying to tell her she was angry, or afraid; or perhaps both? In that moment, she honestly could not decipher what her daughter was thinking. In that moment, she did not know her daughter.

“Say something Em.” The words were hardly audible for she was using every fiber in her being to refrain the wave of tears that threatened to devour her.

“Is it true?”, Ember responded.

Her mother had hidden such a big part of her for years. She had hoped this was all a dream; however, she was quickly coming to realize this was reality… a cold, bleak reality. And yet, deep down in her heart of hearts, she could not help but hold out hope that this all really was a horrid dream.

Ember could no longer hide behind her once welcomed veil of ignorance and denial as her mother slowly and rather subtly nodded her head yes. At once, Ember felt entire being grow pale as her mother confirmed her darkest fears. She had lied to her for over 16 years. Clara stepped forward to comfort her daughter, her hand stretched out to her.

However, Ember instinctively took a step back with a look warning Clara any further advancement would be at her own peril. She immediately stopped and returned her hand to her side with a low sigh. Ember could not bring herself to look her mother in the eye.

“Ember i’m so sorry. I just wanted to protect you.”

Perhaps it was the weight of the day sinking in on her. Or perhaps it was simply her confusion; but Ember simply could not control the wave of rage sweeping over her as her mother uttered those words.

“Protect me?” She snapped. “You lied to me for over 16 years and for what? Protection! I almost died today all because you kept this from me! I was puking my brains for what felt like years! I thought I was turning into some kind of freak! This stranger has been more honest with me over the past 6 minutes than you have been over the past 16 years! ”

As her rant continued, her anger wavered. Her voice cracked. Her eyes mirrored the wave of tears and anguish she was preparing to brace. Her knees began violently quaking beneath her, mirroring her breaking spirit. Moments later, she collapsed to the floor with a thud. She exhaled a shaky breath before continuing.

“I don’t know who I am anymore. I don’t know who you are anymore.”

Her tone had now turned to a heart-stopping quiet. Each word cut through Clara like daggers. Ember’s head looked towards the floor. She could not look up. If she did, she would cry for sure. Clara did not say a word. Instead, she quietly turned on her heels, and exited the room. She needed space and so did Ember.

“Keep her safe”, Clara whispered to X as she exited. X replied with a subtle nod so as to say: “You have my word”.

Moments later, the sound of the door quietly opening and shutting resonated throught the house. Ember brought her knees in front of her and wrapped her arms around them. Hugging them tightly, she began to rock back and forth as uncontrollable bawls escaped from her lips.

Tears came gushing down like a waterfall. She had managed to damn them while her mother was here; but now, she couldn’t. In fact, if Clara had stayed just 5 minutes longer, Ember would have cracked. But Ember knew she couldn’t; for one minute seemed to last one century.

“Well that was intense”, X remarked. His tone told Ember he was trying to brightened the bleak atmosphere. Though it was kind of funny, Ember did not have the energy or the will to laugh. Instead, she buried her head in her knees and continued to sob. X stared at her as though she was some foreign object. He never was good with emotions. Reluctantly, he strode over to her and awkwardly placed on hand on her shoulder. He gave it a brief squeeze before sitting down beside her. He crossed his legs under him, cradling him like a chair.

“Don’t be too mad at your mother. She protected you the best way she knew how.”

Ember’s sobs had reduced greatly, though tears still ran down her face. She ran the back of her hand across her nose not caring how gross some would’ve thought it to be. Her eyes glanced upwards at X who stared at her with an impassive look as he offered her a handkerchief. She took it from him and began to clean her tear-stained face.

After some wiping, she balled the handkerchief in her hand and looked up at X who still stared with that impassive look.

“How did you know her?” Her tears had ceased, and her crying reduced to a sniffle every now and again. X scoffed and ran his fingers through his hair. A semblance of a smile played around with his lips. Ember chose to believe it was because he was recalling a rather happy memory.

He turned to Ember with a slight grin and for once, she recognized a gleam in his normally hooded  eyes. It was a gleam of happiness.

“Once upon a time I was in love with her.” He finally answered. Ember’s features twisted themselves upon hearing his answer. She could hardly believe her ears.

“You? In love?” She turned to X with a quizzical look. He briefly chuckled at her response before finally responded.

“I might have done some bad things in my time but I am still human. It was bound to happen at some point.” Ember began to feel ashamed of herself for her response.

“Sorry it’s just a little hard to believe.”

“No need to be sorry”, he reassured her. “I understand.”

His gaze shifted to the floor as he recalled events from long ago.

“We were barely in our 20s. Your mom was one of the brightest agents to ever walk the halls. She was smart, resourceful, kind, funny, warm and stubborn as hell. She had the most contagious laugh. It was hard not to fall for her. The problem was, I wasn’t the only one who fell for her.”

“Are you talking about my father?”

She gauged his reaction. He nodded his head yes and paused for a few moments, as though he was lost in thought, before continuing.

“It was him, me, and Maddox. He’s the one who sent one of his people after you. Anyway, we were all crazy about her but at the time, she wasn’t crazy about any of us. It took some time before she eventually fell for your father. When I saw she was in love with him, I backed off. I was even best man at his wedding, even though it did hurt like hell. He and I were pretty close. But Maddox, he was a different story. He was pretty pissed. One of those psychos who think the world revolves around him. If I can’t have her no one can: that was his logic. So he did some pretty horrible things. It’s not my place to tell you. Anyway, when Clara found out she was pregnant with you she told your dad. He was elated but Maddox was pretty pissed. One thing led to another and he killed your dad and Clara ran away before he could get to you. And that’s the summary of our story. I won’t bore you with the details.”

“What was my father like? Mom can’t talk about him without breaking down so I eventually gave up on it. She just said he was a really good man and that I remind her of him.” X chuckled.

“He was the biggest idiot i’d ever saw. I don’t know how he made such a good agent. He would always joke around and play pranks. He had a huge heart though. He had his own morals. He never killed an innocent. And he never killed period without knowing exactly why. I guess that was how he coped with the killing aspect of our job. He loved your mom… a lot. I never doubted it for a second. And she loved him. She brought out the best in him. He was kind of sensitive but didn’t like to admit it. But, as great as he was, he was so stubborn to the point of driving me insane. I thought your mom could be stubborn. She had nothing on him. He was as stubborn as hell. Nothing could make him budge when he made his mind up. He asked your mom out on a date. She said no of course. He asked her everyday for a week before I finally took notice. I asked him how long he would keep asking. He said “Until she stops being stubborn and says yes.” That was your father. He was a good man but a stubborn one. Your mom is probably the only person who could wear his stubborness down… not by much though.”

“I wish I could’ve met him. He sounds nice.”

“He was. You would’ve loved him and he would’ve loved you.”

“So how close were you two? Were you brothers?”

“We might as well have been. We had a bond that ran deeper than blood. That’s why I backed off the second I realized he had feelings for her.”

X finally looked up from the floor and locked eyes with Ember who had locked her eyes on him the entire time.

“I mean it Ember. Don’t be too angry at her. She was just trying to protect you the best way she knew how.”

Ember’s mood immediately dropped. She had been trying to forget everything that had just happened; though she knew that would not help her situation. She still could not help believing that it would. Her gaze fell to the floor as she wiped a stray tear off of her face.

“She let me believe I was normal for over 16 years, then all this happens.” She looked up and waved her hand dismissively around the house. “She lied to me for 16 years. How can I forgive her for that?”

Her gaze shifted from the floor to X as she seemingly searched for the answer in his stormy gray eyes that seemed to shine with unshed tears. He ran the back of his hand across his eyes, clearing them of any tears. He cleared his throat and returned to his normal demeanor. He unfolded his legs from under him one by one and stood up, clearing his throat once again.

“We all do questionable things for the ones we love. Don’t forget that.”, he finally answered.

Ember nodded her head and stood up as well. She wiped her face as clear as she could of the tears before they further destroyed her already tear-stained face. Though she could not actually see, she could only imagine how horrible her appearance must have been at that moment.

“So, would you tell me your real name?”

“Maybe one day”, he answered. Ember nodded her head.

“Thank you for staying with me. I know it’s not something you normally do.” X simply nodded his head dismissively as if to say “no thanks is necessary”.

“I was simply repaying a debt I owed your mother.”

“You sure it’s not because you’re still in love with her?” A grin sliced its way through her features as she teased X who seemed to slightly blush at her remark. He awkwardly cleared his throat as he made his way to the front door.

“You’re not denying it”, she continued to tease.

“That was a long time ago”, he finally responded. She rolled her eyes at his statement.

“Have you seen my mom? She’s gorgeous. I mean, she did give birth to me after all and have you seen me?” She playfully swished her brunette locks over her shoulder and batted her eyelashes. X could not help but laugh at her shameless flaunt of her beauty. “There’s no way you couldn’t still be in love with her. It’s just not possible.”

“Your mother had the same cocky attitude”, he remarked between his deep chuckles.

“Had”, Ember corrected him. “She still does do it sometimes. It surprises me.” X shook his head as he and Ember made themselves comfortable on the couch.

“Are you gonna be ok?” All traces of a smile gradually fled from her features as his words sank deeper into her brain. She propped her elbow up in the couch and buried her forehead in her hand. She shook her head dismissively as she struggled to find the answer.

“Honestly”, she finally answered. “I’m really not sure. It’s all still a lot to take in.”

“Just keep an open mind”, X suggested. Ember complied with a nod.

She absently reached into her jean’s back pocket which was where she normally kept her phone. Her hand dug into her pocket to pull out nothing. She then checked her other pocket only to come up with the same result. She frantically patted down her clothes as she racked her brain, trying to figure out where her phone could be. She needed to call Mason to let him know she was alright. A half hour had probably come and gone, and if she knew Mason, which she did, he had probably called any and everyone he could think of looking for her.

“Do you know where my phone is?” She met X’s eyes with a quizzical look. “I can’t seem to find it.”

He paused to think for a few moments before reaching into his back pocket and pulling out the rose gold iphone. He handed her the phone with a look of apology.

“Sorry. I forgot I had it.”

She shook her head dismissively as if to say “don’t even worry about it”. She turned on the iphone to see multiple missed calls and voicemails from her mom and a text Mason.

Mason!. A look of desperation had silently overtook her features as she her fumbling fingers unlocked her phone to read the message.

“Em. Where are you? I’ve been trying to reach you. Call me as soon as you get this.”

She saw the several missed calls from him. Her eyes watered as she came to realize just how worried he must be. A small smile graced her lips at the thought. She scrolled through her contacts for his number and pressed it. She held her phone to her ear as she waited for him to pick up.

“Ring, Ring, Ring”, the monotone rings sounded through her ear.

“Ring, Ring, Ring….” Ember found herself growing increasingly worried as the phone continued to ring. She crossed one leg over her knee and anxiously shook it. Her teeth sunk into her bottom lip. She uncrossed her leg and pressed the phone harder against her ear as she realized the phone’s seemingly endless ringing had stopped.

“Hey Mason---” She was interrupted by his voicemail.

“Hey it’s Mason. I can’t get to the phone right now so shoot me a message and I might call back later, depending on who you are. If you’re a crazy person, absolutely not.”

She normally chuckled at his somewhat comical voicemail; however, her humor was quickly overrided by a wave of panic. She inhaled a deep cleansing breath as her eyes shut in an attempt to calm her already panicked self.

“Calm down Ember.” These words became a mantra in her head as she released her deep breath. She dialed his number at least three more times. And each time, she was greeted with the same response-- his voicemail.

“I’ll call Emily”, she muttered to herself as her fingers scrolled through her contacts. Once she found her number, she immediately pressed it and once more held the phone to her ear. Her eyes absently did a quick gloss over the entire living room in an attempt to occupy herself to refrain her from allowing her mind to wander too far as she thought on what could have happened to him. Tears threatened to spill as she thought the worst despite her efforts.

“Hey Ember! What’s up?” A pang of relief washed over her at the sound of Emily’s cheerful voice on the other end of the phone. However, she was not out of the woods yet.

“Please be with her Mason.” She silently prayed as her mouth opened.

“Is Mason with you?” Ember’s spirit plummeted at Emily’s brief hesitation to answer.

“No I was just about to ask you to tell him I told you so.” Emily’s cheerful tone had been replaced with a rather worried one in seconds flat.

“What do you mean?”

“He couldn’t shake the feeling that something bad was happening to you so he went to Marty’s to find you and make sure you were alright. Are you alright?”

Ember’s heart slightly warmed at Emily’s answer. Mason always did get those feelings. And he was always right. But he usually ignored them. Why did he have to pick now to be the hero when she was in big trouble?

“Honestly, no. I feel like crap came and threw up on my head but i’m more worried about Mason. I haven’t seen or spoken to him since back at the school. I tried calling but he’s not picking up his phone.

”

“Oh God! I tried calling a few times too to see if you were ok since I kept getting your voicemail. He didn’t pick up. I just kept getting that stupid voicemail. I should’ve gone with him.” Emily sounded as though she was on the verge of tears. Although frankly, so was Ember. She couldn’t blame her. Mason meant the world to both of them. He was her best friend for God’s sake. She had to do something.

“Emily don’t worry. I’ll find him. Knowing him, he probably stopped at Icy’s for frozen yogurt or went to a movie", she reassured her.

She tried to make her voice sound as convincing as possible; however, she could hear a few wavers in it. However, unless you had a very keen ear, or were Mason, who knew her better than she did herself, they were virtually undetectable.

Any doubts she might have had about her performance had been eradicated as Emily’s soft chuckle tickled her ears through the phone. A small smile graced her lips before quickly fading. Her eyes unconsciously zoomed to X who was regarding her with a rather concerned look.

“Ok but call me the second you find him. I’m gonna keep trying him. He has to pick up at some point. Right?”, Emily responded.

“Yeah”, Ember attempted to reassure her. She hung up the phone and turned to X who shot up from his position on the couch.

“Let’s go”, he ordered as he extended his hand outwards. It was as though he had read her mind. She smiled at this as she placed her hand in his. He briefly squeezed, almost as though he was reassuring her. In the next blink of her eyes, they were gone.

Author's Note

Feel free to comment! :)

Reviews

[.]

I am hooked!
Besides some typo's and mistakes in tiny phrases (I'll list some below) I really didn't notice anything worth changing. I really like this story! I especially like Mason, he's such a likeable and goofy character! Your characters react very realistic in a fictional situation, which is very well done. You keep reminding the reader that the whole situation is unknown territory to your characters, which makes the story more believable.
By the way, I LOVE your descriptive language! It is natural yet it gives a fairy tale feeling.
Tiny things I noticed:
"I could care less" while the correct phrasing is "I couldn't care less".
"Smart ace" but I think you meant "Smartass"??
"Your as stubborn...." instead of "you're as stubborn..."
Overall I am really curious about the next chapter. Especially the whole family situation! It was sort of coming, since Ember obviously should have gotten her powers from someone in the family.
All in all; Amazing story so far! Please update soon, I am dying to know what happens next!

[Tashida]

Thank you very much and I will be sure to correct it... :) :) ;)

[KnightsEye]

Wow, wow, wow. What else can I say?
Pure brilliance.
I really, really enjoyed this! It was so mysterious and intriguing and tied together, the characters felt real although the situation was obviously not. It was a perfect mix of know and unknown.
(also as silly as it is, I love you name choices, they are all names I like so thats a plus!)
I truly felt sucked in and now I'm lost in this story, I want to know more, I want to know why and what, I want to read the rest of the tale you have weaved in your mind. I'm to really sure where it's going yet but I kinda love it, it makes me want to have the rest of the book!
PLEASE write more or I might die of suspense!

My only complaint would be with your dialog, sometimes (pretty often) I could not tell who was talking. Frequently you described one characters reaction to a thing said by another character... if that makes sense (I may just be dumb, very possible).
Example...
(“No. Why would you ask that?” She began wiggling her whole body to remind him of the black straps that tightly restrained her.)
...the man said that/you describe what Ember is doing which may lead to confusion.
You might fix it by saying...
("No. Why would you ask that?” the man said, sounding almost offended. Ember had no time to contemplate his seemingly misplaced feeling and began wiggling her whole body to remind him of the black straps that tightly restrained her.)
...Just an idea, it gives more clarity and allows room for even more description.

Still I LOVE LOVE LOVE this concept, just for reader ease try and tell who is saying what :)
Again PLEASE WRITE MORE!!!

[Tashida]

Thank you very much for the review. And I will be sure to review the dialog again to make sure it's clearer. Again, thank you for reading and reviewing :)

[Tashida]

Feel free to review! :) ;)

[matrixmark]

Good descriptives of Emily sat in her bedroom, quite a vivid image you painted there. I really did have a great image of her doing all the things that she did because of the images which you painted with you words.

I can see very good improvements in your lenght of sentencing in this piece of work. They have become more compact and are now packing a punch.

Great kissing - very well executed and that includes the bit which followed immediately afterwards. Your word craft is coming along really nicely and may it go from strength to strength.

You painted really rich and vivid images in this piece and I was really happy and pleased that I read this good piece of writing.

Mark.

[Tashida]

Thank you :) That means a lot coming from you :)

[matrixmark]

You're welcome.

It was really, really good. I mean that.

Mark.