Shadowheart

Chapter 11

It's nighttime now. Dahlia was doing the dishes while her mom comes back home from work.

-"Hi mom." Dahlia in a happy tone greets her mother, but she ignores her as she takes off her coat. Dahlia, with a frown, turns back to do the dishes.

-"Dahlia, could you go to the store and fetch some things?"

-"Huh? What kind of stuff?"

-"Here's a list..." Caitlyn hands Dahlia a shopping list and $25. "Don't forget to buy your father's beer."

-"Mom, he drinks every day, can't I get him like... No alcohol beer or something?"

-"He needs his kick, honey. Like we all do."

-"Well... Alright, I'll be back then..."

Caitlyn sighs, and turns to Dahlia as she leaves.

-"Dahlia?"

-"Yes mom?"

-"Be safe outside, ok?"

Dahlia froze for a second, then she nods.

-"I will, mom..."

It's bizarre that Dahlia's mom is changing her careless behavior all of a sudden. Most of her life Dahlia's mom has been distant from her, hardly ever talking or her wishing her a good day or safety.

Dahlia's been walking down the street, thinking about everything that's happened. Her moms change in behavior, her powers... Maybe she saw her when she came back home on that one night. But who knows? She arrived at the convenience store to buy pasta, meat and sauce. Dahlia decided to leave her fathers beer as she reached for it, thinking it'll take a further toll on her home.

All of a sudden, a loud bang is heard. Loud noises are heard and Dahlia hears a man shouting at the clerk.

-"Give me the goddamn money, punk! Now!"

From the aisle she heard gunfire. The man was armed. Dahlia kneeled down covering her head, hoping that the gunman doesn't find her. The clerk opened his cash register and started dumping his money on a plastic bag. Dahlia just remembered... Her powers. She slowly stands up shaking, taking cover behind the aisle.

-"That's nice, bro! Now the safe!"

-"Come on, man, I need the money for-"

The gunman shoots the roof again. -"I don't give a damn about your story. Safe! Now!"

The clerk opens the backrooms door. He gets inside, kneeling down to the safe. The gunman was aiming his gun to the clerks head, on the brink of shooting him as he entered the wrong key several times. Dahlia sneaks up to an open area, with the gunman on her sights. As the clerk put another wrong code, the safe sounds its alarm. The gunman, enraged, sharpens his aim at the clerk. Dahlia slowly closes her hands with each finger closing on her palms.

-"Goddammit! Now you're dead, man!"

The gunman heard a weird noise, and looked down his chest. He was wrapped by black and orange tentacles, being pulled from his feet. He drops his gun as he was thrown into the drink coolers.

Dahlia clanches her fists again, shocked to see the force of her pull. She recovers her thoughts and moves away from the unconscious gunman without the clerk seeing her.

-"Hello!? Anyone here!?"

Dahlia manages to get to the storefront doors. She opens them, sounding the entry chime. The clerk turns to the front door but it was closing up, no one he saw. Dahlia was running away from the store. As she reached the next street, she bent down and threw up.

-Holy hell... I stopped him... I stopped him.

Dahlia was completely stunned. She raises her arms with the black aura emanating from her. She actually stopped a criminal and saved a life. It felt so... Empowering. Dahlia felt a strange feeling of satisfaction and empowerment. She ran back home, hoping her parents were still asleep. She arrived as they were arguing in the bedroom, but Dahlia turned to her room and locked herself there.

Dahlia threw herself in the bed. She still couldn't believe what she has done. She couldn't process what happened in the store. At the end she looked at her arms one more time after looking at the clock, saying it was 11:47 pm. Dahlia was asking herself what could her powers mean.

-What is this...?