• 16
    Dane Mandel

    Forget it. I’m not going to stay. Jack and I can’t cooperate at all. If all the Perishers are going to be destroyed, I’ll figure out a way to save us myself. The problem was: I still had no idea where the heck I was. But I still had to give it a try. I’m not letting the rest of my life dealing with Jack. Fighting with him everyday is not something peaceful.
    I stepped out of the cabin with my coat on. It was night and I hoped everyone was asleep. I quickly jumped into a large tree. The leaves rustled. I expected something to come at me and I raised my arm in front of my face instantly.
    Just what I thought, there was something. It splattered on my arm. It was wet. With my sharp eyes, someone glowed blue.
    Oh, God. Why did Jack have to notice me? Why? Even worse, there was his blood on my arm.
    “Argghhh!” my hand gripped my arm. There was a hole, “you-”
    No, I couldn’t lose control now. I had to try to find my way back to the city first. I leaped deeper into the forest. Stomping feet followed me. I wouldn’t be able to fend off anyone with my arm like this. Blood oozed down from the wound. Would my arm ever go back to normal?
    “Dane, stop,” a strong hand grabbed my shoulder.
    “Let me go, Caleb!” I growled.
    “Sorry, I can’t.”
    I forced my way out of his grip, but he caught me again. He shined blue, refusing to let me escape. His unlimited strength crashed down onto my incomparable muscles.
    I snarled. My temper was taking over me. I knew I would regret what I had done. My electricity went into his body and he let go and fell to the ground, unmoving. I kept sprinting off toward the city, not having any feelings for him. I was still so far away. No familiar lights from the busy streets showed my way. There were just trees and more trees.
    I heard feet shuffling through the woods. I glanced back to see if any more Perishers were coming. I started to run again, I was making too much noise.
    “Someone’s there!”
    Flashlights flickered toward me. Not good, it was the cops. Why were they here? I quickly jumped onto one of a tree’s large branches. Several police rushed to where I used to be standing.
    “Are you sure, David? Doesn’t seem like anyone came here.”
    “Keep looking!”
    Their bright beams flashed around.
    “Search in the trees, too!”
    Smart guy. He suspected Perishers. The cops were here for Perishers I guessed. I climbed higher up in the tree. I tried not to make too much noise. A strand of light came through the tree I was hiding in. It lingered there for a moment and it flashed back to where I was. The cop seemed to be looking straight me, but the cop just walked away without even saying anything. God, humans have bad eyes.
    “Don’t move! We know you’re there! We’ve got our guns pointed!”
    Crap, did I just fall into their lame trick? That cop was just giving a signal. I wasn’t wearing my mask either; they probably already saw my face. I would just lie if they asked questions.
    “Come down slowly from where you are!” the cops commanded, “Put your hands behind your head!”
    I slid down from the tree smoothly. My wounded arm fell limp at my side while my other hand was behind my head.
    “Show off,” I heard someone mutter.
    “Why are you here?” the cops were still jabbing their guns at me.
    “To run away,” that was true.
    Their eyes narrowed.
    “From what?”
    “My enemies,” I replied. If they were cops, they should already know that I was a Perisher.
    “Who are your enemies?”
    Ah! What’s with these annoying questions?!
    “Erm…” I said, thinking, “Perishers, of course.” I decided that would be all I’ll tell them.
    “Chief! Come here, we got someone! We think he’s a Perisher!”
    Chief? As in Gabrielle Gall? That would be not good. I heard her rushing to us.
    She gasped when I came to her view.
    “Y-you’re supposed to be dead!” Gaby stuttered.
    Wow, did Caleb pound me that bad after I fell unconscious?
    “Oh, Nick!” she hugged me.
    I froze. The other cops tensed. What the heck?! Get your friggin’ hands off of me!
    “Chief, he can’t be Nick! He’s a Perisher!”
    “No way! That’s impossible, a Perisher wouldn’t save my life two times,” Gaby argued, “I know he’s Nick.”
    Gaby could feel me trying to pull away. She let go, her face was red. She reminded me so much of Min.
    “Why are you here?” she asked like she just realized I was here.
    “Uh…I’m running away,” I replied.
    “From what?”
    “Enemies…” only the cops knew about the Perishers and if told her Perishers were coming after me, she would start asking questions about how I knew them.
    “Are they still here?!” Gaby exclaimed.
    “I don’t know.”
    “Hurry, David! Escort him home!” she shoved me into a blond hair man. Then she finally realized I was hurt, “Nick! What happened?!”
    Gosh, a human can’t even notice blood dripping down.
    “David, send him to the hospital, too!”
    The cop nodded curtly and gestured me to follow him. I did, he would show me the way out.
    “I know you’re a Perisher,” he said after we were our of the other cops’ hearing.
    I stayed silent, waiting for what he would do.
    “I’d shoot you now if chief wasn’t here.”
    “Shoot me now,” I challenged, “Gaby wouldn’t know anything.”
    He growled.
    “Aren’t you going to do it?” I urged.
    “I will if you get on my nerves,” he glared.
    “I’ll go do that,” I said cheerfully.
    I heard his jaw clench. Humans were so fun to annoy.
    “You’re going to pay for this,” he snarled, “I’m defiantly going to persuade Gaby who you are.”
    “Impossible,” I stated.
    “You’ll see.”
    I rolled my eyes. We walked in silence for a while. With my excellent eyes, I spotted a car from the darkness. It was probably the cop’s.
    “Get in,” he demanded coldly.
    “Just tell me how to get out of here,” I said, “Running is so much faster. It burns of calories, too!”
    “Get in,” he repeated.
    I sighed. I opened the door and slumped onto the black chair. Driving was so slow.
    “You’re not Nick Stroud, are you?” he questioned once he started the engine.
    I stiffened. Did he know who I was?
    “You must be an imposter! A Perisher would never save a human’s life.”
    I relaxed. He wasn’t suspecting me at all.
    “Maybe I’m a nice Perisher,” I said.
    The cop snorted, “whatever.”
    “What were you guys looking for?”
    “That’s none of your business,” he snapped.
    “It is,” I insisted.
    “There’s no point in telling you. It’s nothing important.”
    Humans were so stubborn! But then, I was too.
    “Fine. Then answer this question. How old is Gaby?”
    “Why do you want to know?” his tone was exasperated, “that’s not going to help you at all.”
    “I’m just curious.”
    “Gaby is 20 and unmarried.”
    No wonder she’s been blushing all the time. But then, wow, a 20 year old chief?
    “Don’t get wrong thoughts. You’re too young.”
    Hahaha. Yeah right, I’m too young. I’m older than her.
    “Well then,” I clearly made my voice sound hurt, “how old am I?”
    “Hmph, you’re 18,” he guessed.
    18?! Are you serious?!
    “Way off, cop.”
    He grinned. He was having fun. I almost smiled myself.
    “Hm…younger?” he asked for help.
    “No way. Defiantly not.”
    “I give up, you can’t be older than 19.”
    “Believe it, or not, I’m 23,” I told him, “I’m turning 24 tomorrow.”
    “Not possible.”
    “Perishers stop aging once they’re 18, idiot. You should know that.”
    “You do?”
    “Yeah, all Perishers look like they’re 18.”
    “Well, happy early birthday, Nick.”
    “Thanks, but I never celebrated it.”
    “I should tell Gaby this.”
    “She’s going to think I’m a Perisher.”
    “You just said it was impossible to persuade her that you are one!”
    “Whatever, do what you want.”
    He laughed.
    “I don’t want to believe that you’re a Perisher,” his voice was somber, “seeing your attitude wants me to think you’re a human. But Perishers lack something. They can’t have fun.”
    “See? I’m a nice Perisher.” I ignored his statement at the end.
    It took all my concentration to act like this.
    David stopped the car and shut it off. I noticed he had parked at the hospital’s front doors.
    “Your wound looks really bad. You should let the doctors treat you.”
    All he could see was blood trickling down my arm. My hand was clamped over the hole. It was painful. I couldn’t move it at all.
    “The wound would be impossible to heal. A Perisher attacked me,” I lifted my hand off. More blood gushed down, “See? You can’t heal a hole.”
    David’s eyes widened.
    “Doctor Valance would be able to help you. He’s the best surgeon I know.”
    “He can even heal a hole?”
    “I wouldn’t underestimate him, Nick,” David told me.
    “Alright, I’ll give it a try.”
    “You should hurry up and get in,” he opened his door.
    “Don’t tell him who I am!”
    “Don’t worry, I’ll just tell him you’re a survivor of a PR*,” David assured.
    “Thanks.”

    *Perisher Raid
    17

    “A-Are you sure he is Doctor Valance?” I stuttered. I never imagined the doctor would be him!
    “Of course,” David replied.
    I marched up in front of the doctor who had a smug face. Blood trailed behind me. I punched him in the face with all the strength I could muster. I could hear a bone crack. I was satisfied.
    “What are you doing, Nick?” David gasped.
    “Where is the briefcase I stole five days ago?!” I ignored him. I held the short man by the collar with my unhurt hand. My tone was low enough that David couldn’t hear me.
    “I’m not telling you anything,” his voice was completely calm.
    My hand surged with power.
    “You’re in public, Dane. If you use that on me everyone will know who you are,” he pointed out.
    “So?” I snarled, “It’s not like I work for you anymore. I can do whatever I want now, Sean Vacanti.” I spat out his name like it was dirt.
    “If you kill me now, I’ll never be able to heal you.”
    “Huh, like you can.”
    “I’m a Perisher, Dane. More like a Doll actually.”
    “It’s not like I’m gonna hold back to kill you!”
    “I’m only a doctor because I can heal with my power. A regular doctor can’t heal your wounds. You have to ask me.”
    “Heal me now,” I demanded.
    “Then let go.”
    My eyes narrowed. Was this a trick? There was no way that the old, ugly dwarf that had three zits on his nose could be a Perisher, especially when I was with him for eight years.
    “I can’t do anything to you except to heal. Is that assurance enough?”
    “No,” I snapped, “You could be hiding one of those bracelets in your pocket that’s upgraded.”
    “I don’t have anything with me.”
    “How can I believe you? You tortured me for the past eight years!” my voice was riser higher.
    “Perishers are just slaves, Dane. Understand that.”
    “I have feelings too, you idiot! All of us do!” I shouted, “The humans are the ones who think they’re superior, not us! We just want a normal life. But you cops are trying to kill us all! I can’t believe you can follow what the humans are thinking when you’re a Perisher yourself!”
    The people wandering in the hospital stared at me.
    “Nick, calm down. Don’t get too mad, the cops know Perishers can be destructive when their temper grows,” David whispered. I totally forgot that he was there.
    “Go away, David!” I snarled. I completely lost my cool.
    “Hurry up and heal,” he said somberly and went out the door.
    I looked down at the floor. I was standing in a pool of my own blood. My vision started to blur. I was losing too much of it.
    “Be lucky I didn’t kill you, Boss” I growled. I didn’t trust him at all for him to heal my wound. I rushed out the doors, blood was flying everywhere. The wound wouldn’t spill that much blood! Was this a cause of Jack’s power?
    I sprinted home.

    19
    Gabrielle Gall

    “Go immediately!” Captain Lin demanded, “You need to question him right now! I need the information.”
    “Um, right!” I stumbled out of the chair quickly.
    Why did Captain Lin want me to question Nick now? It was already one in the morning. I hurried toward Nick’s home anyways. I couldn’t ignore a command from Captain Lin.
    I rang the door bell and no one came to open the door. I let myself in. How wrong for a cop. Nick didn’t even lock the door. No lights were on. The huge house was dark. I heard someone breathing very hard. I followed the noise. Turning a light on wouldn’t hurt, so I searched for the switch and flicked it on once my hand touched it.
    I found myself in the living room. The white carpet was splattered with blood. Two couches covered part of the floor and one was occupied by someone sleeping. I saw where the blood was coming from. Nick’s left arm was bandaged. It didn’t help; his blood soaked it and kept flowing down to his clothes. I thought David had taken him to the hospital!
    His skin was paler than before, much paler. The wound was killing him. He was losing too much blood. But how could that happen with just a little wound? I needed to call the ambulance.

    20
    Dane Mandel

    I collapsed on the couch once I got into the living room. I tore off part of my shirt and wrapped it around the wound the best I could. I would get to the hospital tomorrow without letting Boss see me. I lost conscious immediately.
    I woke up suddenly after a few hours. I saw myself in a freakin’ hospital! Who took me here? I could hear my heart rate beeping and a tube was attached to my arm, injecting blood. I hand reached towards it to rip it off. I could barely move. I felt so weak. My skin was so much paler than usual. The cot I was laying on was soaked in my own blood. How could I be still alive?
    With my sharp ears I heard someone outside, whispering nervously.
    “I don’t understand why the flow won’t stop! I’ve done everything I could!”
    “I don’t know what to do either,” a man replied, “We should ask Doctor Valance for help.”
    That woke me up. A new bolt of strength came through my body. I ripped off the tube and my feet wobbled under me. I didn’t care. I smashed into the window, glass scraped my skin. I needed to get out now. There was no way I would let Boss near me ever again.
    I didn’t get very far. Not far at all. I legs were way too weak. Barely any blood pumped through my body. I collapsed at the parking lot, unable to stand up. I lay there, motionless.

    21
    Gabrielle Gall

    CRASH!
    What was happening inside the ER?! It didn’t matter if the doctors told me not to go in. I barged into the room hoping to see nothing happened to Nick. But that was impossible. Spots of blood made a trail. Nick had collided into the glass window. Why was he running away? The doctors were going to heal him! Or at least try to.
    I followed his trial.
    I saw him sprawled on the parking lot. He couldn’t go far, not when he had that deadly wound. There was already a puddle forming around him. I could even see the blood from where I was standing, about 30 feet away.
    Suddenly, a woman just appeared. She just magically appeared! Her face looked so familiar, but I couldn’t grasp onto the memory in where I seen her. He picked up Nick effortlessly and took him away!
    “Stop!” I yelled.
    She ignored me and started to run in incredible speed. She was a Perisher. They disappeared.

    22
    Dane Mandel

    I shuddered. I was so cold. My body temperature felt below freezing. I was probably dead, floating around in Hell because I was born as a Perisher.

    “Look, Mommy!” I cried out in joy, “Look what I can do!”
    My hand glowed and the grass that was placed on my hand shriveled up and burned. My mother screamed.
    “What are you doing, Dane?” my mother squealed in terror.
    “I don’t know,” I said innocently.
    “Matt!” she called out and scrambled away.
    That was when I realized I could hear so far away. My mother was hundreds of feet away, in the house with the doors locked and I could still hear her worried tone.
    “Oh Matt! Dane is doing all sorts of weird things!” she shrieked.
    “It’s starting?” my father asked in a strained voice.
    He unlocked the door and both of them came out. My mother was sobbing.
    “Dane, I forbid you to do whatever you did,” he told me in a serious tone.
    “Why?”
    “You must not use it,” he didn’t explain.
    That was when I realized my feelings were uncontrollable.
    “Why not, Daddy?!” I screamed, “I can do whatever I want!”
    The huge green field that our whole family loved became destroyed. Electricity burned through everything. The whole beautiful garden that my mother spent so much time on disappeared. My mother whimpered.
    “Dane!” my father did not know how to keep me in control. I couldn’t myself either, “Stop!” he scolded.
    My temper became even worse. I screamed in anger. My parents screamed too. But in agony. Shock burned through. I had killed them, just like how I destroyed my favorite place.
    I ran. I ran for hours and hours. Far as possible from home. My only fortunate thought was: at least my sister was still alive. When I stopped, that was when I realized I could move my legs so much faster than before. I was taken by the orphanage at five. My parents were dead because of me. I never saw my sister again.
    Soon, Dane Emlyn was changed to Dane Mandel.
    Many times I almost killed my students from school. But I knew better. I had to keep under control. I never used my power. I was completely different. The Mandels looked at me like I was an alien. That was when I realized I never ever smiled or laughed again.
    When I reached 14, everyday, I would go to the isolated park. There was a lonely place where I always hid, leaving myself separated from reality. I decided that was the safest place to be where I could finally understand my remarkable power. There, I trained myself alone. This was when I truly felt relaxed. It was when I could finally lift off the burden of holding my power in.
    Everyday, at the same time, I would come here. The Mandels would just ignore me, like I was just a stranger living in their house.
    On my 16th birthday was when everything changed. That was the last day I spent with the Mandels.
    I twisted in the air. I imagined a foe attacking me, lightning shot through the air again and again. I pretended to dodge attacks from an enemy. I continued with this for minutes. I landed on the ground completely exhausted. Someone applauded. I spun around seeing a short old man. Had he been there the whole time without me noticing?!
    “Who are you?” I asked.
    “Sean Vacanti,” he replied.
    “What are you doing here?”
    “Hmm…Obviously, I was looking at your powers,” he said, “You’re the perfect one, I’ll take you.”
    “What? What do you mean?”
    He walked closer. He observed my body.
    “What do you want?” I wasn’t scared. I could just kill him any time I wanted. But the old man was being very strange.
    His wrinkly old hand moved too quickly for me to react. He grasped my arm firmly and he clasped a black bracelet on my wrist. This seemed like a threat to me. I glowed blue.
    “None of that, slave.”
    Slave?! I was not a slave! What was he thinking?! Just as I was about to release my power, I crumpled to the ground screaming.
    What was with this unbearable pain?! He stopped it very soon.
    “You do as I say or you can feel this pain the rest of your life,” he snarled.

    What a great welcome to my new life. I became a wretched slave on my birthday.

    My mind warped back to where I was: Hell.
    “Dane, Dane!”
    That must be the devil calling out to me. He was coming to punish me. I was slipping into complete blackness.
    “No, Dane! Stay with me!”
    How could an angel still want me when I had murdered so many times?
    “Please heal him!”
    Heal me? Wasn’t I dead? No more thoughts came. I was swallowed by blackness. This time, I died. Defiantly.

    23

    I expected the walls of Hell. The grimy cell bars and myself chained all over. Everything I worried about for my after life. But no, a bright white ceiling was on top of me. I was on some super fluffy bed. The whole room was decorated with polished furniture. The sun’s rays shined through the clean, glass window.
    Surprise, no blood on the sheets.
    The brilliant room would probably disappear in a couple minutes. Then I would be in Hell, feeling the must miserable parts of my life again and again. More unlimited pain. I would just enjoy my last relaxing minutes in here.
    The wooden door swung open. The devil was coming, coming to take me away to my afterlife.
    Was Satan a woman? Or could he change into anything he wanted? The woman who came in would be impossible to see if I was on earth, this must be Hell. My afterlife would be planted here. Where I could never appreciate the incredible room I laid in. The woman was who I hated. My death would be spent with her. Min.
    Her face was flushed and tears streamed down her cheeks. So the devil was going to start off making Min all lovey-dovey. Just what I thought, her eyes widened and she tumbled onto the bed. Her head shook on my chest, she sobbed. I shoved her away uncaringly.
    Min’s expression became hurt, and then she wailed, “I thought you would never wake up!”
    “Oh really? How long have I been here?” I played along with the devil’s act.
    “You’ve be out for two whole days!”
    “Yeah, yeah, hurry up with the judgments, devil, Satan, Hades, whatever you call yourself.”
    She stared blankly at me.
    “I’m not a devil,” Min objected.
    “You sure are at earth,” I muttered to myself.
    Min heard me, “You’re not dead, Dane,” her tone was flat.
    I rolled my eyes.
    “Then explain why my wound is gone. Explain why you’re here, alive,” I challenged.
    “Father told me you didn’t believe he was a Perisher,” Min recalled, changing the topic.
    “Well, duh. Who would believe an ugly old dwarf as a Perisher?”
    “He is,” Min insisted, “but he’s more like a Doll.”
    No, Boss could never be a Perisher or a Doll.
    “I’m still alive because of him,” Min started to answer why she was here, “When I got shot eight days ago and you didn’t take me to the hospital,” he voice cracked, “I was about to die, but father decided to heal me.”
    I was still not sure if I was on earth, Hell, or Heaven.
    “You’re would is gone because of my father, too. He healed you.”
    My hand immediately reached for my right wrist. No bracelet.
    “Impossible,” I said, still not believing, “Perishers stop aging when they’re eighteen, Boss is too old.”
    “That’s not true. Perishers do age. We just age a lot slower.”
    “Really? All Perishers look like they’re eighteen right now,” I shot back.
    “Do you even know how you were made? Have you even thought about it?” Min dodged my come back, “Perishers don’t just pop up, you know.”
    “No, haven’t thought about it,” I admitted, “My life was too miserable, I didn’t have time to think about it.”
    “The populations of Perishers are growing. Almost every single five year old becomes one now.”
    “What does that have to do with anything?”
    “More and more Perishers are getting desperate to break from their lives and they usually fall in love with humans now.”
    “Are you serious? The gene of being a Perisher passes down the child?”
    Min nodded, “The chance of being one is almost a hundred percent. That’s why the police want to destroy the SP (Shard of Perishers) or the world would just be full of Perishers.”
    “But I’m defiantly sure neither of my parents were Perishers,” I pointed out.
    “You know how my father was the first Perisher? Humans have been-”
    Someone stomped in, interrupting Min’s explanation. That annoyed me, I was finally going to learn who I really was and someone just had to intrude.
    “OUT!” he yelled at me, “BE GONE NOW!”
    I was too stunned to react.
    “No, father! Please, let him stay for a while,” Min begged.
    “You promised, Min. Once he awakes, he gets out!” he shouted.
    I would be happy to go right now, but I wondered why Boss wanted me to go so badly.
    “Its fine, Min,” I said.
    I grabbed my neatly folded black coat that was laid on the wooden dresser and I ran passed Boss and Min without giving them a second glance. I rushed out of the house. When I was outside, I had no idea where I was. I never knew where Boss and Min lived. Even though I knew her for seven years, she never invited me to see her family. Boss probably wanted to keep the secret about his daughter.
    I guess I would go with that I was still alive, still living in this troublesome world, always being hunted down. At least it’s better than Hell.
    It was a sunny, afternoon day. And I had no idea where to go. I guess you could say I was lost. I started running along the sidewalk in a human pace, just in case if there was a curious person looking through the window. I guessed out my way out of the enormous subdivision. It was a rich place. The houses appeared like mansions. The owners here would gawk at my casual clothes if they saw me. I hoped I would be able to find my way home or at least into the busy city.
    I followed after cars, wishing they would lead me out of here.
    My surroundings were all unfamiliar. I had no idea where I was. There was only one option left: ask the drivers. A tan Toyota slowly drove down the road. I waved and surprisingly, it came towards my way and stopped. The driver rolled down the window. The driver was a woman and she seemed somewhere in her mid thirties. She had the same dark hair and eyes like me. Her skin was also pale. That freaked me out. She looked exactly like me.
    We just stared at each other, amazed at our similarities.
    She broke the silence first, “Is there something you need?”
    “Uh, yeah! Do you know the way to the city?”
    “The city? Are you sure that’s the way you need to go?”
    “Yes.”
    “That’s about two hours away if you’re driving,” she told me, “You’re not walking there, I hope?”
    Why did Min have to live so far away?
    “Can you tell me the directions, please?”
    “You have to go on the freeway. That’s about a couple miles straight from where we are right now. Then there’s like about a hundred miles, I guess?”
    “Thanks for the directions!” I hurried down the sidewalk towards the freeway.
    “Whoa, wait!” she called out.
    I stopped and turned around.
    “Yes?” I asked.
    “You can’t walk there! Let me drive you.”
    Ugh…Just what I thought. My running was so much faster. But I couldn’t refuse, she wouldn’t let me go. I walked back to her car.
    “Well, thanks again,” I said once I let myself in the front seat.
    “It’s fine. I can’t let a guy in high school walk all the way to the city,” she started the driving.
    How humiliating, she thought I was in high school. I turned 24 yesterday while I was dying.
    “And it’s a Tuesday, aren’t you supposed to be in class right now?” she inquired.
    “I’m not in high school,” I replied.
    “You’re not? Then you must be in college, but why are you our here in the suburban area?”
    “I’m not in college either,” I said flatly.
    “Then how old are you?” her tone was clearly exasperated.
    “I’m a really young looking adult.”
    She laughed.
    “Okay, okay. You’re like 24,” she joked.
    “I am.”
    “You’re kidding, right?”
    “Yeah,” I agreed. I wanted to end the topic.
    “Well then, can I ask for you name?”
    “Dane Mandel,” there was no point in hiding my name now. I was free. I could do whatever I wanted.
    She frowned.
    “Yours?” I asked.
    “Emma Emlyn.”
    I frowned too. Emlyn? I scanned her face. It looked like mine, but older. Could she be…?
    “Sorry if I’m being rude, but are you adopted?” she questioned.
    “Yeah, but I ran away from home. Kind of,” I said.
    “Did you get adopted when you were five?” her hands that were turning the wheel were shaking.
    “Uh, yeah.”
    She became speechless.
    “Hi, Emma. Long time no see.”
    She drove her car to a stop and made a U-turn.
    “I’m glad I didn’t kill you,” I whispered.
    “I’m taking you to where I live” she said firmly.
    “I can’t. I have to go back to the city,” I protested.
    “Dane, I’ve been living alone for so long. Please stay,” she begged. Her voice cracked. Tears formed.
    “Emma, don’t cry!”
    “I haven’t seen you in…19 years! I need you. My husband and I divorced and I have no children or money,” she sobbed, “My little brother can’t go.”
    I didn’t reply. I stayed in silence, all we could hear was my sister’s hiccupping. I didn’t have time for this. All the Perishers were on the verge of death by the police trying to destroy the PS and my sister wanted me to live with her! But in my true feelings, I was really, really glad to see her.
    Emma drove back to Min’s subdivision and up her driveway. What was she doing?
    “You live in that house?” I asked.
    “I have no money,” Emma explained, “The Vancanti family is so nice, and they took me in.”
    This was not good at all. But wouldn’t Emma know that I was in here for two days, unconscious?

    24

    Emma brought out the key to open the door and pushed her way in. I stayed close behind her. I was not looking forward to Boss’s reaction.
    “Oh, Emma! You’re home!” Min greeted cheerfully.
    Then Min saw me.
    “What are you doing here?” she hissed, “Father isn’t in the greatest mood to see you!”
    “You know her?” Emma inquired.
    I nodded.
    “My relationship with them isn’t so great,” I said sheepishly.
    “I’ll go get your suitcase!” Min rushed out the door. I knew she was escaping from Boss’s temper.
    Boss came down the stairs. His eyes were cold; they were glaring at me angrily.
    “I’m sorry to have a welcome back from your business trip like this, Emma. But I need to ask, why is he here?!” he snarled.
    Emma took hold of me and hugged me tightly.
    “It’s okay. I’ll deal with him,” I said. I pulled out of her hug. She was too protective over me, just like always.
    I marched up in front of Boss.
    “What do you want?” I growled.
    “You are not putting my life in risk,” his voice was low enough that Emma couldn’t hear, “Jack has been here two days ago while you were unconscious. He’s been spying this subdivision ever since.”
    “Your life is already at risk. The PS is already being hunted down! And you were so gleeful when I gave you the information. You want yourself dead! So what’s the point?!”
    Boss reached for his bracelet.
    “You can’t do anything to me now, idiot! So just deal with it!” I snarled.
    I walked back to Emma.
    “We have to go, now. I can’t stand this place,” I took her hand and dragged her out the door.
    “What? But we have no where else to go!” Emma said in shock.
    “Yes, we do. I have a home, too.”
    “What are you doing, Dane?!” Boss shouted, “What are you doing with Emma?”
    “Shut up! That’s none of your business!” I shouted back.
    “Why do we have to go now, Dane?” Emma asked.
    “I’ll explain later,” I replied quickly, “Let’s go.”
    I pushed her outside. Min looked at me warily. Without saying anything, I grabbed the suitcase that Min held. That was probably Emma’s.
    “Let me carry you,” I told Emma.
    “We aren’t driving?”
    “No, it’s too slow.”
    Without a warning, I picked Emma up. I ran in full speed. I could hear Min calling out to stop. But since I didn’t, she began tailing me. I would just have to deal with her later. I sprinted even faster. I would only be a smear to a human eye. In just a few seconds I reached the highway. Listening to Emma’s directions, I would be able to reach the city in 15 minutes.
    I didn’t stop till I reached the front door of the massive house that Boss bought eight years ago. Emma appeared dazed. Her eyes were vacant.
    “Are you okay?” I asked nervously.
    “Yeah,” she said faintly.
    Min appeared a few seconds later. Her eyes full of jealousy.
    “What do you want?” I inquired coldly.
    Emma glared at me for my rudeness.
    “I want to know what you’re doing with Emma.”
    “You don’t need to know anything,” I told Min.
    I opened the unlocked door and led Emma in. Min followed, regardless of my snarl. Behind me, Emma gasped.
    “What’s wrong?” I asked.
    I saw her staring at the carpet which was splattered in my blood.
    “Oh…Sorry, please ignore that.”
    “What happened?” she was clearly worried.
    “I got hurt,” I replied briskly. Emma had no idea how different my life was compared to hers, “Wait for me in the living room.”
    I hurried upstairs and placed her suitcase in a spare guestroom and I rushed back down to the living room. Of course, Min was still here. Both of them sat on the couch that wasn’t covered with my blood. The incident with my wound was still displayed in my house.
    Emma suddenly got up and hugged me. I hugged her back. My love for her still lasted. She started crying again.
    “I never thought I would meet you like this,” she sobbed.
    “I didn’t think so either,” I agreed, “I’m sorry I never tried to search for you.”
    “I didn’t either,” she admitted, finally calming down, “But I thought you were dead!”
    “Why did you think that?”
    “Well,” she pulled away from our embrace, “I heard the Mandels lost you and I never heard of you again…”
    She trailed off.
    “Oh! Just tell me what happened! No one would tell me when I came back home seeing mother and father…gone,” Emma didn’t want to use the word dead, “And you disappeared, too! I had to live alone for so many years.”
    I grimaced.
    “It’s not a happy story, Emma,” I warned.
    She looked at me in pleading eyes.
    “Whoa, whoa!” Min started to through a fit, “You interested in old ladies?!” Min marched up to me in a crazed expression.
    “What?! Me, old?” Emma’s voice sounded hurt, “I’m only ten years older than Dane!”
    “Min, stay out of this!” I growled.
    “What’s with your relationship with her?!” Min asked.
    “Since your idiotic brain can’t process the information,” I snarled, “Emma’s my sister.”
    Min frowned.
    “Now you know, so you can go know,” I waved her toward the door.
    Min’s eyes became furious. Her temper never flared up on me before.
    “Fine,” she shuddered, controlling her temper.
    “Dane,” Emma protested, “she can stay.”
    “No, its fine,” Min told her in a very sweet voice, “Since he wants to kick me out, I’ll go.”
    She ran out the door.
    “That wasn’t very nice…” Emma said.
    “I absolutely hate her,” I seethed.
    “They have a nice family,” she insisted.
    I rolled my eyes. Yeah right.
    “You will never understand,” I said.
    “Are they that bad?” Emma asked.
    “Yes! Vacanti tortured me for eight years.”
    “Start from the beginning! Tell me what happened when I left home for a week and came back to see nothing there.”
    “You really want to hear?”
    “Yes.”
    I gestured her to sit down.
    “Did father tell you I was different?” I asked.
    “Very.”
    “Do you know what I am?”
    “That sounds very ominous. No, I don’t know.”
    I sighed. This would take a while.
    “Then let me show-” I stopped talking. My ears heard something right outside my door. Who was there?
    “What’s wrong?”
    “Shh…be quiet,” I whispered.
    People outside were spitting angry mutters.
    “Stop struggling!” that voice was so familiar, “if you want to stay alive, cooperate!”
    I gestured Emma to stay put and I crept down the hallway towards the door. It suddenly burst open. A streak of blood flew at me without warning. I ducked.
    “Stay back, Emma!” I shouted, “Don’t come!”
    “Black Shadow, don’t do anything or I’ll kill this girl,” the intruder came in, holding Min captive. His hand covered her mouth and a knife threatened to slice her throat.
    “You!” I growled, “Why are you here, Jack?”
    “To take you back, of course,” he said, “I’m surprised you survived the wound I gave you.”
    I glowed blue. Jack pushed the knife further. I stopped.
    “You don’t want her to die, do you?” he challenged.
    What should I do?

    25

    “Don’t move and this girl will stay alive,” Jack growled.
    “Let go of her!” I demanded.
    Min’s frightened eyes stared at me helplessly.
    “Come back with us and I will let go.”
    “Why do you want me back anyways? It’ll never work out,” I told him.
    “You’re the one who has the information where the Shards are!”
    “What? How would I know?”
    “You’re the one who killed William!”
    “I don’t even know who he is!” I protested.
    “Ten days ago, you fell in our decoy. You’re the one who took the fake and killed William, according to Megan. The next day we sent out Alex to steal the real one, but he never came back. You must have the information!”
    What was he talking about? Who were William and Alex? Was he talking about the briefcase that I stole so long ago for Boss?
    “I don’t understand,” I said.
    “It was the briefcase!” he said, “Three Perishers were killed by you! William was carrying the fake ten days ago. Alex was carrying the actual nine days ago. Shane was the one at the mall because chief was there.”
    Memories came flooding back to me. The briefcase carried the information which I gave to Boss. Shane was in the PR at the mall. They must have thought the police had the briefcase and chief cop was at the mall that day so they tried to capture her. Sooner or later, the Einstein Perisher, Megan, probably came to the conclusion that I stole the briefcase since only Captain Lin, Boss and maybe some other higher ranks knew about it. But no one knew that I worked for Sean Vacanti who worked for Captain Lin. Now all the Perishers must have thought that I knew the locations of the Shards.
    “You got it all wrong,” I said, shaking my head. “My boss ordered me to steal the briefcase. Before, I knew nothing about the Shards. So my boss has the information.”
    “What?!” Jack exclaimed.
    “No, that’s not true. Captain Lin has it,” I corrected.
    “How did it get into her hands?”
    “My boss works with her. He’s the Lieutenant of the police,” I said, “So there’s no point in taking me now. You can go and give Min back to me.”
    “No,” Jack snarled, “You’re coming back.”
    “Why? I rather work alone.”
    Min made a squeak, but of course I had no idea what she was saying since Jack’s hand was covering her mouth. My eyes narrowed, what was Min telling me? I spun around to see if anyone was there, creeping up behind me. No one was there. Even if he or she was invisible, I would still be able to sense some noise. But I hinted danger. I ran to the living room to see if Emma was okay. She was waiting impatiently.
    “What’s happening?” she urged me to answer.
    “We gotta get out, now,” I took her hand.
    “But we just got here! Why are we running away so much?”
    “I’ll explain later!”
    I decided I would crash into a window to get out. Min’s squeak made me nervous. She would only warn me if something was really dangerous. I pulled Emma to the window.
    “Dane! I’m going to kill her!” Jack called.
    I froze. The unknown danger took advantage. A floating knife whizzed out to meet my throat. Emma screamed. What was controlling it?
    “Did you get him, Nate?” Jack asked.
    The controller was a Perisher. What was this remarkable power? I couldn’t sense him at all!
    A tall, dark skinned man appeared next to me, the knife was still there, “Yeah, I got him.”
    Jack came into view with Min still being threatened. Emma whimpered. She was not having a good day.
    “Now, stay still,” Jack ordered, “If you move, Nate will behead you without hesitation.”
    Nate moved the knife closer. The cold weapon touched my skin.
    “What’s happening?” Emma repeated her question.
    I stayed quiet. What was Jack going to do? He threw Min callously to the floor.
    “You’re so stupid, Dane,” Jack sneered as he walked closer to me, “I would never kill Megan’s sister.”
    I glared at him in fury. I glowed blue. Nate pushed the knife, it sliced my skin easily. I had to stop or Nate would really chop my head off. Jack took my right hand roughly. He brought out a black bracelet. The same one that Boss had put on me eight years ago. This time I would put on a fight. I would never let that bracelet on me again.
    I pulled my hand away quickly and leaned left as Nate swung his knife desperately. I touched Jack and I glowed blue. But he hastily moved away from my touch. Nate glowed blue and he disappeared. I couldn’t sense him at all. My only option was to predict his attacks. Jack brought out his knife again and cut his already scared arms. Thinking that Nate would try to stab me with his knife, I jumped up. I didn’t know if he swiped me or not, but at least he didn’t cut me. As I came down from my leap, I attempted to touch Jack again. But he knew what I was aiming for and he dodged. At the same time, his blood flew toward my face. I dropped down quickly and rolled. Jack edged closer and he raised his arm for more blood to drip on me. He suddenly yelped and turned around. A stiletto stuck out from his shoulder. Min was helping! Her opponent would be Jack while I would have to defeat Nate. I rolled again, just in case if Nate would stab me in this position. I scrambled to my feet. I saw Emma standing near the window, petrified. Jack was standing still, closing his eyes, trying to hear movement from Min. I was paying too much attention to observing Min’s fight. I hissed as Nate stabbed me on the shoulder.
    Jack and I continued like this. Standing still, trying to find a hint where the enemy was. It was impossible for me to find Nate without my senses. Jack just appeared to be horrible at using his ears. Emma just stood there, horrified. Soon, Jack became too frustrated to go on. He went for the most vulnerable opponent: Emma.
    He cut another wound and the blood aimed toward her.
    “No!” I shouted.
    I knocked Emma down to the floor before the blood could touch her. We both slammed down onto the ground.
    “Do it now, Nate!” Jack ordered.
    Was his attack a trick? I didn’t have time to get up to block whatever was coming for me. The cold steel plunged through my back mercilessly. I could taste blood in my mouth. I stumbled to my feet the best I could, my hand clutching my chest. My breathing became ragged.
    “Dane!” Emma and Min cried out in unison, their tones in despair.
    Jack’s blood dripped to my right leg as he came closer. My body couldn’t produce he energy to dodge it. He glowed blue. I crumpled to the floor with a hole in my leg. I could not run away. Jack took out the black bracelet again. My hand twitched to move away from it. I couldn’t do anything. The bracelet was on me once again.
    I became desperate. I glowed blue and I tried to destroy it with my electricity, but the bracelet absorbed it.
    “This one is impossible to break,” Jack sneered, “you won’t be running away now.”
    He left me here, with a knife in my back and blood continuously oozing out of my leg.