Wraith

Dark Stirrings Chapter One

Author's Note

In this second part, Olive tries to return to the life of a Normal, only to find that it isn't as easy as she thought. Please comment with your thoughts and feedback.

Dark Stirrings

Chapter One

Originally, Olive Eckert had planned to go to Gordam for university, but with all that had happened over the summer with her family, she decided to remain close to home so that she could keep an eye on her Dad. She was able to transfer to the local University, Megalopolis South, having lost only a few weeks of the first term and was soon settled into her new pattern of life. It felt odd not waking up for night patrol; and sometimes as she brushed past them for something else the empty parts of her costume in the wardrobe seemed to stare accusingly at her. But Olive was determined to lead a Normal life. She went everywhere at a sedate walk so as not to reveal her speed, and did her best to keep her other talents under wraps too.

University itself was dull. She had chosen to study English language long before her powers had manifested, as it was a subject that had fascinated her. Now however, although the material was the same, she wasn't interested. It seemed to have no bearing on her life. And the students around her, laughing and joking in class and making friends away from home for the first time, seemed to be in a world of their own. One that knew nothing of the gritty reality of an Abuser mother and brother and a Dad who was still so reliant on medication that he couldn't go back to either his normal job or his work as a User.

There was only one bright spot, as she found out the second week of term. One of her modules, 'Heroes and Myths', was compulsory for all first years, and the lecturer was very familiar. He was dressed soberly in greys, and it wasn't until he started speaking that she realized that it was the Captain. We're being taught about Users by the Messenger? She thought in amazement. When she considered it though, it made sense. Who better to teach about Users than someone who knew them?

Olive spent the rest of the day in a daze. Somehow, seeing someone she knew from the summer made the events she had participated in more real; as if the two worlds of User and Normal were colliding. Which is fanciful nonsense, she told herself as she walked home. I see Dad every day and he was definitely an integral part of everything that happened. No matter what she said however, she felt more on edge than she had since the night they had stopped the Chairman for good. And she made a note of Dan's surname, James, and the email address he gave the class to use if they had any further questions. Not that I'll have any, but it might be useful at some point.

Over the next few days she found herself pausing at odd moments to listen for a cry for help that never came, or waking up in the middle of the night to stand and stare out her window at the distant rooftops, but Megalopolis seemed to tick along nicely without her help and she gradually faded back into her stupor.

Then students started disappearing. Olive only knew about the first one, Belinda, because they were supposed to be working on a project together. She didn't think much of it at the time because Belinda was the sort of student who was more focused on living university life than on actual study. When she still hadn't reappeared two days later, Olive assumed that she had dropped out. But then word was passed around that it wasn't safe to walk around campus at night; another girl had gone missing.

The Users will find them, Olive said to herself, but she was no longer content. Her dreams were disturbed and full of vague menace, and she couldn't settle herself to anything. It's not my problem, she thought, trying not to look at the accusing costumes in her wardrobe. The Users will have it well in hand – and I wouldn't even know where to begin looking. She ignored the idea lurking in the back of her mind that she could start patrolling the campus and went to bed.