Shadow Girl - (Book Two)

Chapter 1 - Mama's Silk Rug

Jane

"Mom, Dad, I'm home! Lacrosse practice was crazy. Shannon-" I stopped mid-sentence to see a girl, well a young woman really, smiling, as she watched my father struggle against a small spinning metallic object brushing against his temple. I looked down to see my mother, holes where her beautiful black eyes had been.

"And this must be little Janey." The woman held her arms open. "I've been waiting for you."

In an instant, the metallic object shot through my father's skull and I heard myself scream. I dropped my backpack and lacrosse bag and ran. I went for the door and heard the lock 'snick' into place. The woman walked slowly and purposefully toward me as I bolted up the stairs.

Jack said I wasn't supposed to use my powers, but I'm going to die if she gets to me!

I squeezed my eyes shut and opened them to see a distorted world in various shades of black and grey. I was still standing in the stairwell and the woman was still coming up the stairs.

"You can't hide from me Janey." The woman played with a coin and I recognized it as the item that had just killed my father. The only way I noticed was that the woman seemed to be the one thing in color. Red dripped between her fingers as she flipped the dime around like a magician. She sent the coin out, seeking... searching. I heard her curse under her breath. "Ugh, I hate teleporters."

"Teleporter?" I heard myself say. My voice felt deeper and richer and carried further. I gasped and covered my mouth, but the woman didn't react. I waved my hand in front of her face. "Hello?"

The woman muttered to herself again. "I am never going to live this down. I swear if Helen gives me grief about this, I will send those Swarovski crystal bobby pins that she likes so much, straight into her skull. We'll see who the retard is then."

She smirked and a moment later, she was gone.

I breathed again and held back a cough. The air here, wherever here was, was heavy. I ran back down the stairs, or at least I tried to. It ended up as a sort of gliding, skipping movement. Almost like swimming, except far less graceful.

I surveyed the scene. It was gruesome, but I didn't feel like I was going to vomit or faint or anything. I was on the fast track for early acceptance to Stanford's Medical program. My grades were perfect. My school's lacrosse team won the NY State Championship last year and I volunteered weekly. What kind of doctor was I going to be if I couldn't stand the sight of blood and death?

But, not just any death.... This was my mama and papa.

Not just any blood. It was theirs.

Their skin was colored in, but fading fast. I fell to my knees and watched the scene. Red darkened to black and my mother's pale skin, that she was so proud of, took on an ashen tone.

I touched my face and noticed that I was crying. It was an understandable reaction.

I heard sirens far away, coming closer. One of the neighbors must have called the police. They would want to talk to me, but they might ask about Jack.

He had told me the night he left that I would be safe as long as no one knew that I was special. He didn't tell me what I could do or how to make it work. Just, don't do it.

I had promised him and I had just broken that promise.

-

I watched the police as they processed the cadavers. They weren't my parents anymore. They were shells. That was what I kept telling myself. The officers and crime scene staff managed to maintain a professional level of respect and care. It was a stance that I could emulate.

Everything was fine until a young man, an intern or newbie, voided the contents of his stomach on my mother's silk rug. I tried to slip out of whatever in-between place I was stuck in. I wanted to give him a piece of my mind.

That rug was my mother's pride and joy. It had been a wedding present from her parents. They had it imported from India to Tokyo and it was the only thing they brought with them to New York.

Then here was this idiot, who had eaten something greasy and tomato based before coming to a crime scene! What did his commanding officer do?

He laughed.

Yes, that's right. He laughed and pointed the young man to our downstairs washroom. The gall!

There were the tears again. I just couldn't seem to stop crying. What was wrong with me?

Professional detachment Jane! You'll never be a doctor if you act like this.

I took a deep breath or a facsimile of one at least. There was something very off about this place. Everything was richer and shallower at the same time. The police men and women were bright and vibrant. Their skin glowed with an inner light, but every time I tried to do something that lushness faded.

They had overstayed their welcome though and finally, the sun fell and they left, taping up the door as they went.

My parents' bodies had been carted away. I was grateful for that. They hadn't cleaned up any of the blood though. My backpack and lacrosse bag were taken, along with my mother's purse and father's wallet.

I heard them put out an 'APB' on me and Jack, but they wouldn't find him. For goodness sake, I was right under their noses and they couldn't even find me!

I hopped/floated up the stairs to my bedroom. I really just wanted to sleep. Could I even sleep in this place? Or maybe, if the world was merciful, I was already asleep and I would wake up.

-

Author's Note - I'd love to hear what you guys think about this new story and Jane.

Dedicated to Madara_Uchihoe as as thank you for being the first vote!

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