Light in Dark Places

Chapter Nine

The desert at night redefines darkness. There are no lamps, in the desert. Nothing but shadows that dance with even darker shadows.

Henderson builds a fire. ("Build" is the wrong word. He piles some wood together and says fire on a hot day and the wood bursts into flame. Henderson is proud of his Ash, rightly so. The ability to command fire is a prestigious one; the most notable person with a fire-based Ash in Sahuaro is Clemente Hernandez, the Thunder King). The fire should make things better, except it only accentuates how dark it is, only makes the shadows longer and more varied. The meager light the fire gives off only creates the illusion that even the shadows have shadows.

Eric sets off a firecracker and the others cackle. Benedict huddles near the fire, alone in this crowd, feeling dizzy with echoes of paranoia.

Henderson has his arms around Susie and Mallory—the two girls are clinging to him "for warmth." Earlier, he and Susie were making out, but only Benedict had seen. The trio croon together in soft whispers and giggles and it makes Benedict sick. He hates public displays of affection, he always has. And even though the three aren't doing anything now—even though the arms around the two girls are fairly innocent, all things considered, there's something blatantly sexual about it that gets in the air like a contaminant, making Benedict queasy.

He wants to go home. He wants to be anywhere but this desert.

"If you could do anything right now, what would it be?" Thomas asks. Benedict is surprised when he realizes that Thomas is talking to him.

He tries to think of something intelligent to say. "Umm."

"I mean, think about it. The Kings have no control out here. You could do anything you want. No one could stop you."

No one could stop you. No one could stop you. No one could stop you. No one could stop you. No one could stop you. No one could stop you.

Benedict rearranges his legs, edging away from where Thomas sits next to him, trying to surreptitiously get away from the other boy without making it look like he was trying to get away. "I want to go back to the city," he announces. He sounds so firm, so sure of himself, he can't even believe the words came from him.

He decides that's a reflection of just how badly he wants to go back to the city.

"You've been such a freak lately, Benny," Thomas says.

"Benedict," Benedict says quietly. But no one acknowledges that he said anything at all. Maybe he didn't.

*

"Are we having guests over?" Joan asks when she finally ventures out of her room to see what Seung-ri was making for dinner. She stops short as she sees the table is set with four dinner plates.

"Hernandez and Nam are coming over."

Joan freezes. "The other Kings?"

Seung-ri glances over her shoulder. "Yes, that's right."

"The Thunder Beast is coming for dinner? Here?" Joan says, hysteria rising. "Clemente Hernandez?"

"He's really not as intimidating as you might think. Come here and help, nabi. You can shuck corn."

Joan walks forward automatically, grabbing the four corn left out on the kitchen counter. She begins shucking them over the trash can, just like she did for their mom. (It was one of the only kitchen duties their mother would trust her with). Their mother always felt there should be a good amount of vegetables with any meal, and corn was one of the only things her daughters liked to eat. Consequently, most dinners came with corn, regardless of whether or not corn went with the meal. (A guiding principle Seung-ri seems to have taken on, since she's currently making curry rice).