Shadow

The Nine-Year-Old Pyromaniac

    Disgust. Confusion. Anger. I didn't know what to feel. It's kind of a tossup when you wake up in a prison cell smelling of mildew and urine. So, I went through the cycle.

    Disgust. I gagged at the stench that invaded my nostrils before I even opened my eyes. Seriously, people. Hygiene isn't a punishment. And the mildew? I thought that was just a thing in books and movies. I don't even think I knew what mildew smelled like but as soon as I took a whiff of the air, I knew. Yep. That's mildew.

    Confusion. Wait. What am I even doing in a place that smells like mildew and urine? And why am I more comfortable than I should be for a place that smells like mildew and urine? My eyes flew open at the realization.

    Anger. Daniel Cloud. That little nube was such a traitor. After all I'd been through to keep him on this Earth, and he repays me by throwing me into some sixteenth century dungeon.

    I sat up and looked around at the stone walls around me and bars on the fourth wall. Definitely some prison from King Arthur's age. It also had a Super shield around it. I could feel it sapping at my strength and powers. "Good morning, sleeping beauty," a voice said behind me. I turned and faced Cole, still in his Blaze suit but without his mask. I had been laying with my head on his leg and his arm must have been around my shoulders by the way that it dropped from midair when I sat up. "Isn't this a nice change of scenery?"

    "It's a prison cell."

    "I'm trying this new thing called 'optimism' and you're making it kind of hard, Kiera."

    I sighed and rubbed the remaining sleep from my eyes. "Where are we? How long have we been here?"

    He shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. I woke up about fifteen minutes ago. My reason for optimism is that no one has tried to come and kill us yet. That's a plus."

    A door outside of the cell slammed shut and footsteps came towards us.

    I glared at Cole and he squeaked in horror. "Spoke too soon."

    Daniel came into the faint light outside of the cell. His steps were tentative, as if he realized as soon as he got down here that it was a bad idea to pay a visit to me, the girl he went on a single date with, and Cole, the guy who set his hair on fire in the eighth grade. Man, the situations I get myself into.

    Cole stood up, an instinct that came along with the whole alpha Super thing. "Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in." Cole, you idiot. We're the ones in his prison cell!

    Daniel swallowed and leaned against the bars of the empty cell across from us. He got as far as possible from the two people he betrayed. "I-I'm sorry."

    "No you're not," I shot back with a scowl. "If you were sorry, you would realize that what your father and Strawberry Man are doing is wrong and let us go."

    He shook his head. "I can't."

    "Can't or won't?" Cole asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

    "Both." Daniel ran a hand through his messy hair. Usually, his careless and messy hair was attractive. Like the I-just-rolled-out-of-bed-and-I-know-I'm-still-hot attractive. Now, though, it looked like he hadn't slept properly in weeks and had been running his hands through his brown locks in stress. "I wish I knew everything that was going on, but—"

    "Then let us tell you," I blurted. "We'll explain everything. Just please, Daniel, let us go. We need to save those other Supers!"

    Daniel shook his head and his hair flopped into his eyes. "I'm sorry, Kiera. I really am. But these experiments are going to change lives."