Hi I'm Alex Sinclair, but I'm known by Carter Cains shadow. Shadows are lower class or poor children who are assigned to a wealthier child, or Lights. The shadow must be the same gender, same age (usually born about a month apart), and same blood type. Shadows are there for three main reasons. If Lights are injured, to help lights grades, and to take Lights punishments. We give the lights blood if they are severely hurt, if our Light is slacking in school we give one way tutoring, this is accomplished by starting school two years ealier than them. And if your Light gets into trouble they watch as we are punished for them, usually by whippings or being electrocuted. This is supposed to teach Lights that their actions affect others and not just themselves.
Unfortunately my Light is a self absorbed asshole. While this worked when he was younger as he got older he began listening to me less and less. He became immune to my screams and begs to stop when I was punished. I began to hate him even when I don't even know him.
I sigh and sit at the blank screen. We're set to do another tutoring session again, my back aches a bit, Carter was out past curfew last night and came home drunk, I was given ten lashes. The red light comes on and I hear a groan. "Can we just skip this, I've got a major headache and I'm not up for this."
I have to dig my nails into my legs to keep from rolling my eyes. If you don't pass this class you'll fail your school year and we'll be punished." There's a scoff and he says "no, you'll be punished, not my fault or my care." I cant help but flinch at his words even though I know he can see me. "Please, it will be an easy lesson, triangles aren't hard."
There's a long silence and I begin to think he left before I hear him say "ugh, fine. But I already know how to do it. I only failed the teast because dad upset me." I close my eyes and run my hands over my head. I look straight at the camera and say "have you ever been burned?" There's silence before he says "I once touched a candle when I was five. It blistered my fingers. Why?"
I sigh and feel the weary look come over my face. "Imagine those blisters popping and the fire slowly burns away the skin. You feel the pain, hear the sizzling and smell the burt flesh. Do you know that smell?"
---
Carter
I watch his face. His eye take on a haze and it looks like he far off somewhere. I furrow my brows. Is that what it felt like with the hot iron? What he went through. All cause I did something stupid...I snap myself out of it. So what, he's there for my misdeeds, why should I feel bad. At least thats what I teel myself, in truth I don't like how they punish them, its extreme to electrocute a kid because another broke a vase.
But I can't change it, and I don't want my friends to think I'm a pansy because I don't want a shadow to be hurt. "I don't. And I hope I never have to. Anyways I'll pass the make up quiz and it'll be fine-" "except it wont. I will still be punished for your small mishaps and you'll continue to do this because you have no compation. But thats the problem with this system, since the children don't ever get hurt they become to think their bad behavior is okay. I'll do something wrong and the other guy can take the blame.' It's a bad system and only a few actually learn their lesson. Most of you Lights only learn that its fine as long as YOU don't get hurt."
I freeze when I hear him say this. Then I begin to get angry. "Look, you don't know me. And you don't know how I think. Don't try to act like you do. I didn't make the system but it seems fine to me. We're just being normal kids and we can't help that we get in trouble. You shadows just need tk learn to hold your tongues and take you punishment quietly like your supposed to."
I close the computer and storm out. I decide to sneak out and still one of dads cars. Why not go for a fun little ride. It's getting dark by the time I pick a car that'll go super fast and hot wire it. I then head out and smile. I'll teach him to talk back, this'll get him thiry lashes at least. I speed up and laugh when I hit 90. Just a little faster and I'll be good, maybe they'll pull me over for speeding, that'll add an electrocution to the punishment. I finally realize what I'm going. I could have done something else to get him in trouble maybe this wasn't a good idea.
I look at the speedometer and my eyes bug out when I see I'm going 120. I put my foot on the break to start slowing down but it doesn't. Shit, my hand shakes and I press down farther then put it to the floor but nothing happens...the brakes are broken. I begin to panic and take my foot off seeing it slowly start to come down but its not decreasing fast enough. I look back up and see and intersection and I feel a tear as a van pulls into the center lane just as my car rams into the side.
I hear the scrape of metal, glass breaking, and everything dims. Then there's faint screaming and yelling but I can't seem to move, and I finally loose conciousness.
---
Alex
I'm woken in the middle of the night by four guards pulling me out of bed. "What's going on?" I ask as they drag me through the street towards a building. I gulp and feel my breathing increase as they strap me to the wall with my back exposed.
I'm left there for a long time before two come back in with a third person I don't recognize. A screen turns on and my eyes widen. They've never made the punishments two way before, shadows aren't allowed tko see their Lights unless...oh.god.
"Alex Sinclair, do you accept the punishment of your Light sneaking out and stealing a car in the form of thirty lashes?" The one to my right asks. "Yes..." I reply and sadly and they begin. I make it to twenty okay before it begind tearing old scars open, then I begin to wince and by thirty I'm breathing hard. I'm turned around and look at the screen. There's a boy sitting there with black hair and green eyes. He looks distressed and seems to be talking rapidly to someone outside the view of the camera.
"Alex Sinclair do you take your Lights punishment for exceeding the speed limit in the form of twenty shocks at forty volts?" My breath hitches because they've only ever done about twenty-five volts. "Yes." I mutter out and they bring the stick and touch it to my side for two seconds, then pull back. This continues and I'm shaking bad and my legs give out at eighteen. I'm gasping for air when they sit me on a stool and I look up and actually see tears running down his face. I can't hear him but he's saying something, and it looks like he's looking at me.
"Alex Sinclair do you take your Lights punishment of killing four people on the form of branding their names of your arm?" They've strapped my arm to a desk and I look at the branding tool and silver liquid thay will go over the brand. "I...don't want to..." I stutter out. Ive never said anything close to no so I'm a bit scared. "By the rules of the order you, the Shadow, shall take the pain of the Light so as to ensure that all of society learns that actions affect everyone." The person says and nods to the other guy sitting beside the branding tools. They slowly begin burning the names into my arm, and I begin to sob.
I look at the screen and a man has Carter pinned so he has to watch. He seems to be sobbing as well. They finally finish and I look at the names, as well as their ages.
SAMANTHA TEALS, 24
EMMANUEL TEALS, 28
HANNAH TEALS, 5
TALON TEALS, UNBORN
He killed a family in a wreck. I'm sure he did this to get me into trouble and managed to take four lives in the process. The screen crackles and I hear him sob as I guess his father says. "Take the boy back. Let him rest and bring his to the dunes tomorrow."
I whimper at what he said. Whenever a Light kills someone, accident or not, their Shadow must work in the dunes for three mothes. Your in the sweltering sun with little food or water and most out there, die from the extreme labor.
"Dad please, please don't do this. It was rigged, someone cut the brakes!" Thats all I hear before I'm dragged back to my room and tossed onto the bed.
----
It's been three month's and I'm finally going home...well I'll be with that family feom now on. If a light learb their lesson early or shadow makes it out of the dunes they are allowed to stay with the family. I've really found myself in that place and I no longer blame Carter for the things I had to endure. I only blame the system and the people who made it and continue to enforce it. A guard picks me up in a car and takes me back to my room to get my stuff, then heads towards the richer part of town.
Once there I slowly step out and look at the large house. It's very nice but I have to wonder how it's going to feel to stay here. Maybe it won't be so bad.
