Shadow Girl - (Book Two)

Chapter 5 - Philosophies and Viewpoints

Jane

I finished up with the peanut sauce and set everything up on the dining table. It wasn't as good as what Mama would have made, but it was healthy and tasty; spring rolls with tofu served two ways.

Grabbing two waters out of the refrigerator, I set them down with everything else and sat down in my seat. I said my mealtime prayer and felt Leo watching me from the staircase.

"What does it mean?"

"Roughly it means - food is the universe's gift and every mouthful is a sacrifice of life. I ask to be worthy to receive it and that the energy given to me will grant me the strength to turn my poor qualities into wholesome ones. I express my gratitude and fervent wish to realize the Path for all beings."

He sort of cocked his head, as if absorbing the information. I'd seen him do this before. It was like every time he learned something new, he had to roll it around, taste it, and digest it. It was oddly fascinating.

"I like that philosophy."

"So do I," I felt a smile spread across my face. He was a strange guy, but he certainly had an interesting viewpoint.

"You look better when you smile." He sat across from me, a goofy grin on his face, as he dug in to the food.

A blush creeped into my cheeks and I asked, "You don't have a filter, do you?"

"A filter?"

"You know, you just say exactly what's on your mind."

"That's not exactly a question." He said and then bit into one of the spring rolls. He looked inside it and pulled out one of the strips of tofu, examining it. Leo looked at it intently and then dipped it in the peanut sauce and ate it. "They're kinda gross so it's a good thing the sauce is nice."

He had just managed to insult me and compliment me in a single breath and I couldn't help but laugh.

We ate in the quiet, but it wasn't uncomfortable. It was strange that he had insinuated himself in my life so quickly. I knew in my head that I was using him as a coping mechanism. He was a convenient crutch to keep me from falling apart. Though, the tiny voice in the back of my mind said that he was special. He was worth my trust and attention. In some ways, maybe he needed me too.

"So, I've been thinking and I decided that I want to find my brother."

"Okay."

"I don't know where he is or how to find him, but if you're right and the news crews we here yesterday, then he will be looking for me too."

"So why not just wait for him here?"

"That woman," I shuddered involuntarily. "She might come back and I don't want to be here if she does. So I'm going to leave."

"Right, we can go in the morning."

I wasn't expecting him to just come with me. In fact, I half expected him to stay in my parents' house until it was picked clean. I wanted to hate him for his laissez-faire attitude, but the fact of the matter was that he wasn't really doing anything wrong. Technically, everything in the house belonged to Jack now and with him gone, that meant it fell on my shoulders. What was I going to do with my father's favorite polo? Why let the food spoil?

There was no real reason to be angry. I just- I missed my family. A wave of sadness rushed over me as I stared at my half-eaten plate of spring rolls. The shadows on the food lengthened and stretched. I watched in awe as they danced their way across the table. They moved like waves lapping at the shore. There was power there, but it was grace and elegance.

It was inevitable.

Then all at once, like flicking on a switch, they rushed up Leo's hand and wrapped around his arm. A glimmer of a ghost and then the shadows just seeped into his skin.

"What in the hell?" Leo asked, eyes wide, as he watched the scene playing out on his skin. "Jane! Help me!"

I willed the shadows back and felt a tugging outside of my body. The connection was surreal, and it was like a part of me, my soul, was under the thinnest layer of his skin. I felt it sink lower and I pulled back; hard. The world faded to grey again and Leo was still sitting across me, panic written all over his face.

Is this my power?

"Jane, what happened? Why is everything like an old movie?" He frantically spoke with distorted words.

"You can see me?" I gasped and waved my arms in his face. "Honestly, you see all of this?"

"Yes of course!"

He grabbed my arms and his touch felt like nothing I had ever experienced. The world was coming back in all of its' technicolor glory as my skin warmed beneath his hand.

Leo had lovely hands. They were slim, like a pianist's, but slightly weathered and dry. He had lived outside for too long.

My attention was severed when that woman blinked in front of me. She stood in the living room, less than ten feet from where we were sitting, with a scowl on her face.

"I swear, if she has sent me on another wild goose chase..." Her voice trailed off as she looked around the room. Her eyes fell on our plates of food as she scanned. "Ohh, what's this? There are two of you now? Who is your friend Janey? Another Power or a silly little mortal?"

Her every word was punctuated with venom. She really did take pleasure in all of this chaos and evil. Everything metal on the table began to vibrate and in a single breath, they flew across the room and imbedded in the wall.

She lifted her hand and a fork began to wiggle out of its temporary sheathe. A black look took over her face and woman cursed. The fork finally pulled itself free and flew directly at Leo.

I screamed as the fork situated itself in the chair. Both Leo and the fork were occupying the same space.

"What is happening?" The woman yelled. "Why isn't it working?"

I rushed out of my chair and pulled Leo with me. We skip-glided up the stairs and I instinctively sought out Jack's room. The door was closed, but after my initial jolt at seeing that fork protruding from Leo's chest, I realized that physical matter didn't seem to matter much.

No pun intended.

I mustered up all the will that I could manage and took a deep breath. I pushed Leo through the door and toppled after him.

Well that's one way to conduct an experiment.

My hypothesis was proving to be correct as we were there, in Jack's room. Leo, most probably still in shock, just sat there on the floor staring at me.

"Jane what is happening?"

Author's Note: I struggled a little with this chapter. I couldn't quite seem to get things where I wanted, so I just ran with it. That little relinquishment of control saw the mystery woman show up again and I like the direction it took. It is unedited as on right now, but I should get that sorted early this week!

Anyone notice anything weird (okay... beyond my normal writing weirdness) in this chapter? Guesses?

Like always, please vote, comment, and share! It means the world to me to see those notifications pop up on my feed. Also, I am definitely still looking for a cover...