Shifted

Chapter 9: Raine

Raine led me through the small crowd to a cool, twisting stairwell wedged between two shops near the castle. We climbed several flights of stairs until we stopped at a short arched green door. A small gold nameplate on the mailbox beside his door read: Bennett Raine. He dug around in his pocket and produced an ancient-looking key that he hastily used to unlock the door.

I stepped inside his foyer, not quite sure what to expect. Immediately, I noticed swaths of white and green as I slid my shoes off at the door. The last thing I wanted was to dirty his pristine entryway rug.

I glanced into the living room and was surprised to see light, airy curtains hanging from two windows and a sleek, white couch sandwiched between two recliners. There were framed knock-offs of world-renowned pieces of art on every wall. A coffee table in the middle of the room had a neglected cup of coffee creating a ring on the wood. There were even a few magazines and books strewn across the table.

"I'll put on a pot of tea," Raine disappeared into the kitchen. "Make yourself at home," he called.

I sat on the white couch and ran my fingers along the soft throw pillows, idly wondering why this was his choice of furniture. I looked back to the coffee table and picked up the book on the top of the pile, it was Ishmael by Daniel Quinn. Intrigued by his book choice, I began slowly flipping through the pages. There were notes and questions in a small script scrawled in the margins. I had already read the book before, but this would serve a purpose while I waited.

Raine's notes and take on the book were intriguing. I was almost to page fifteen when he walked back into the room, looking refreshed and carrying a large serving plate with tea and sandwiches in his hands.

"Have you read it before?" he asked, nodding at the book in my hand.

"Oh yes, I read it freshman year of high school. It's an eye-opening take on philosophy and society," I said, placing the book back down.

Raine looked at me knowingly and handed me a cup of tea. I poured in a bit of sugar and milk and took a sip. It quickly warmed me from the chill in the stairwell. He remained quiet, sipping his tea as well.

"Your notes in the margins are fascinating. I like your view on the connection of humans to each other and the earth," I continued scanning the margins.

"As much as I wish I could claim those notes, they're actually Charlie's," Raine confessed. "I have read Ishamel though, definitely a classic."

"In that case, are you a Leaver or a Taker?" I asked, referencing the book.

In Ishmael, a man finds an ad that is asking for a student looking to save the world. The man answers the ad to find the teacher to be a gorilla named Ishmael who can speak with him telepathically. Ishmael begins teaching the man about human society, which he explains as two groups, leavers and takers. Takers are very dominant humans who use the world for its resources until there is nothing left. Leavers live simple lives using what is necessary for life. There is also prose on captivity as Ishmael was held in captivity from his youth, eventually working for a circus up until his death.

"I'd say I'm a Leaver. I can't say I'm perfect by any means, but I don't like to think of myself as one who would take more than he needs," Raine explained. "I think most Shifters like us are Leavers."

"You're a Shifter too?" I'm not sure why I was surprised. He hadn't mentioned much about himself yet, so I had assumed he didn't have any special abilities.

"Yes," he said simply, smiling now. "That's why I was asked to come here by the king himself."

"The king asked you to move here?"