Chosen Spirits

In Dark Times Part Two

The dark spirits flickered their eyes at Jack's direction, teeth and claws still deep in the shoulders of the people. While others, silhouettes of the dead, grasped on the backs of their slaughterers and murders. The weight seemed to be slowly crushing some of the people and that they felt the full effect, others seemed to have felt nothing as they walked down the street, the ones that felt no guilt or were too numb to the pain.

Jamie's and the other children's eyes widen, and, much to the Jack (in the room) surprise, so did the Guardians. Jamie gave Jack a startled look "Jack, what the heck are those."

Jack swallowed. If he had doubts to the children being here earlier, it was nothing compared to right now."...Doppelganger's."

Sandy put a large question mark above his head. It took a second for Jack connect the dots, when he did, he shrugged "Doppelganger's, are like a darker version of yourself. A ghost, a piece of you basically. Doppelganger means double walker— as in a ghost or shadow of yourself."

After a long pregnant pause, they silently turned their attention back to the screen.

Most of the people in the screen looked like normal pedestrians, unassuming as they seemed to blend in with on another, aside from a few exceptions. Some, the Jack in the screen noted with  disgust, had Nazi badges sewn proudly and almost boastingly onto their arms. Others, mostly mothers and their children, Jack observed with a downcasted frown, had gas masks on in case of a surprise attack. Not that it would be much help if it came to that. But for the most part, every one just looked... weary. Weary and tired. Tired of the war and onslaught. The constant alertness and death wearing them down. Although that was nothing new, the people had been weary for a while.

The Doppelganger's seemed to have noticed Jacks absentmindedness on them, and took it for their advantage as some slowly released their victims and the guilty. And began to trudge to him. Out of malevolence or curiosity was uncertain.

The wind hissed and howled as an warning, and Jack raised his staff in both of fear and in preparation of self defense. The 'spirits' halted in their movements,

but they didn't move back.

Jack quivered as he now had a better look of the dark spirits, but not in fear. These spirits were not faceless. Even though they had pools of endless and dispassionate black abyss instead of eyes, even though they were nothing more than shadows, a mere silhouette of the dead, the wronged, and the restless. Even though they were twisted and mutated to be something almost unrecognizable...

Almost.

He still recognized these faces.

And in that moment, he didn't see a dark spirit, a Doppelganger, a shadow, a ghost or any of those names. 

He saw children.

The children that grew up, the children whom died too young, the very children that he had played with, even if they never known. The children he watch grow up, the very children he watched stolen away from their homes and families in front of his very eyes as he was unable to do or say anything to save them.

They may be shadows, but shadows are still a part of them. Shadows, are still a piece of the soul. They were simultaneously were, and weren't the same person as before. A piece, a small one, a dark piece. But a piece of them nonetheless. 

But only a piece.

He new better. He knew that they would tear him to shreds if properly motivated, that even thought he might've recognized them. He was still a stranger to them, after all they've never seen him, if they could even remember anything at this point. If they were human enough to even care. Heck, odds are, the majority of the soul had move on, only leaving... this behind.

Maybe.

But even though all of these facts pounded through his head, even though it was illogical and naïve to even think that they could be or do anything else...

He still saw those children from not so long ago. He could still see that resemblance. No matter how distant.

A loud bang had him tore his eyes away from the dark spirits, a fatal mistake, yes. But he knew the wind would keep them at bay if they attacked. It was two children who-

The Jack in the room widen his eyes as he stood up in a almost violent swiftness, with Sophie still safely asleep in his arms.  The guardians gave each other a grave and worried look, they went this far. What could be in store for them next?

Jack in forced and false calmness with jerky movements, stood in front of the screen, amazingly (and conveniently) pausing it instantly. Suddenly, his throat felt dry and his eyes held a terrified gleam that beheld a deep sadness. Then he looked at the children seeing how their emotion's radically shifted from annoyance to concern to something akin to fear in what could happen next as Jack stood there "I think... I think its time for you guys to go home."

*Authors note*

HAHAHA CLIFFHANGER! Well, sorta (not really). And, um, REVIEW!