Legacy's Ghost

Episode 18: One Door Closes And Another One Opens

I'm out of breath by the time I get back to my room to pack my stuff. Luckily, it doesn't take much for me to be ready. I have almost no earthly possessions.

Edmond made sure I got a bag for my things the day he made me a TAG. My bag isn't even half full and it has everything I possess.

I lean against my rock and stare up at the sky, watching the sunlight eat away at the darkness, incrementally brightening my room. It's pre-dusk when the Ghost appears in my doorway quieter than a whisper.

"You ready?" he asks.

A thrum of excitement fills my veins, and I nod.

He throws a bundle of dark clothes at me, and it lands at my feet with a thud. "Put these on first. Leave your trainee clothes in your room. I'll wait outside the door."

I glance at the pile at my feet and back at him, but he's already gone, the door closed.

Leave my clothes in the room? Am I only allowed the clothes on my back?

I pick up the garments. A surge of adrenaline and excitement rushes through me as the bundle unrolls, revealing the treasure-trove of contents.

I start with the thin mask-like covering that feels like skin, pulling it over my head until it covers everything but my eyes. Once in place, the mask tightens over my head until it's snug but not overly tight. Despite covering my nose and face, I have no difficulty breathing.

I glance in the mirror next to my door, I see my body and my purple eyes, but where my head should be, there's nothing. I see right through my head to the wall behind me.

Next, I put on the dark gray underclothes. One piece covers me like a compression T-shirt, and the pants are made of a stretchy material that stops at my ankles and squeezes my muscles, invigorating them as if infusing them with energy.

I smile at the tingling of my muscles, then notice several pockets of varying sizes along the waistband, hips, thighs, and small of my back. I find pockets in the compression-type T-shirt too. One is positioned in the front, like a kangaroo pouch, and another is at the base of my back. I find several more pockets on the outside of my arms, along the seems at my ribcage, and shoulders.

Next, I pull on a set of dark gray gloves, matching socks, and light, flexible shoes that are sturdy and of high quality. They look a lot like the moccasins I'd been wearing, but lighter, and better quality.

Finally, I slip on the dark gray robe with a hood, similar to the Ghost's.

I've never had a chance to examine the Ghost's robe for long before, so I'm not sure what to expect. The robe opens in the front, but two long strips of Velcro made of the same material as my mask, wrap around my torso, keeping the robe close to my body so I don't get tripped up in the material, and giving the illusion of being loose and unencumbered.

I stare at my headless self in the mirror. Aside from wearing dark gray instead of the Ghost's black, and having purple eyes hovering over my shoulders in the black vacuous space of the hood, I look like a miniature version of the Ghost.

None of my impossibly white skin or hair is visible.

For the first time in my entire life, I don't feel self-conscious. In fact, I feel powerful behind the mask. Not only will nobody know who I am, they will respect me. I am the Ghost's apprentice. I have power and authority.

Sort of.

I feel the Ghost's presence and glance from my reflection to the doorway. He's leaning against the frame, his arms folded over his chest. "Done?"

I clear my throat and wince. "Yeah. Sorry."

"Rule #1: Don't apologize. It' denotes weakness and lack of confidence," he says.

I bit my lip. "Sorry." Wincing, I shake my head and try again. "I won't do it again."

He nods. "Wearing the robe takes a little getting used to. But it's the only thing you'll wear from here on out. It doesn't come off unless you are bathing or changing." The Ghost pushes off the doorframe and goes into the hallway, pausing to wait for me to catch up.

I yank my old clothes out of the bag and place the on the grace, the pick up my pathetically empty bag filled with a couple of toiletries, and bunch it in my left hand. Then I follow him into the hallway.

"Do you have everything? You won't be coming back," he says.

I lift up my bag to show him. "This is everything I own." I feel stupid holding a duffel bag with nothing but a comb and a bar of soap, but it's mine and it's more than I had a couple of weeks ago, so I'm taking it.

He nods, then as he begins to walk, he says in a muted voice, "You may take the robe off while you're sleeping, but everything underneath stays on—even when you sleep. It is imperative nobody knows who you are. Understood?"

"What about everyone who has been at the school these past six months? Won't they know?"

The Ghost shakes his head. "The others will be told about the altercation with Rigel, and told you were hospitalized and cannot come back. Rigel will also not be returning."

I stop mid-step and turn to face him. "He's not?"

The Ghost shakes his head, but doesn't stop, forcing me to hurry to catch back up to him. "We want people of the utmost integrity in leadership. He proved that he was not," He says, his voice turning hard.

I glance out one of the windows in the hallway. The sky is now pink and bright with the sun filtering through the leaves of the treeouse. The room was the first thing I've ever been able to call mine. Now I'm leaving it behind.

It feels like there's a rock in my stomach, and a sense of longing and sadness pulls at my chest. I push the feeling away with a deep breath and say, "Where are we going?"

"Follow me," he says. "I'm going to take you someplace almost nobody has been before."