Victor Black - And the Garden of the Gods

Chapter 14: Shadow

"Give it back, it's mine," shouted Josh. His body twisted around on the floor while he jerked and tugged on the basketball Darius held. The two fifteen-year-olds tussled until Darius kicked Josh in the side.

"Ouch," said Josh, who pinned Darius to the floor.

"You're getting sloppy," said Darius.

Darius freed one hand and slapped Josh, kneeing him in the crotch. Josh fell to the side of Darius, on his back, and groaned in pain.

From the palatial lobby of the Pinery, the double doors to the teen center burst open and in strode Victor, followed by Willow. About twenty feet behind them, an ashen girl no one had ever seen before followed the pair inside. In the middle of the room next to the foosball table, Josh and Darius continued to slither on the floor, groaning and grunting as they smacked each other, laughing as they did.

"Ha-ha, true love," said Victor, who commented on the commotion. Willow grabbed a Coke from the fridge, slammed the door shut, and turned around.

"Cut it out," she said, aiming her command at the two boys on the floor.

"Look at these two," said Victor, "they make quite the pair, don't they?" He laughed, taking out his cell phone—even if he couldn't call anyone he could still take pictures. "Perfect for bargaining material," he said. "This has blackmail written all over it."

Darius looked up. He hovered over Josh, laughing but acting concerned at the same time. Josh writhed on the floor, still in agony from the shot to his side.

"Who are you?" said Darius, pointing at the girl behind them. She wasn't as shy as she looked, and she made her presence known by speaking up.

"Mutual respect is the best policy," she said. "You shouldn't be mistreating each other."

"But who are you?" said Darius. "I've never seen you before, definitely not in school."

Willow and Victor shot looks at the new girl as well. She couldn't have been more than thirteen years old.

Her outfit was a shade of dark metallic gray, even her shoes. She wore large sunglasses, hiding her eyes.

"Nice outfit," said Josh, sitting up, having spied the girl as well. "Not quite funeral attire but close. You pull it off."

"Josh," said Darius, scolding him, "what a horrible thing to say. I mean, look at you." Josh was covered in carpet fibers and had abrasions on his arms and face from rug burn—hardly the one to talk.

The girl looked around the room, quiet and poised. She ignored the rude comments.

"I heard about this place," she said. "I just needed to, well, get out. Seemed like the best place to go."

"You look familiar," said Victor.

Willow whipped around and grimaced. "Where did you see her? I've never seen her or anyone dressed like that in town."

"Oh, I never go anywhere. I'm not allowed," said the girl, "just the Great Church on Sundays, where we get to listen."

"Now I remember," said Victor. "Your people sit in the back."

"Yes. We get to listen and study, that's about it."

Willow found her peculiar. She piled her black hair on her head in a grandmotherly bun (Willow didn't blame her, she too put her hair up in buns when it annoyed her). Every button on her gray jacket was buttoned. She even wore pantyhose.

The girl's skin looked slick and pale, almost a translucent gray color. Not only was it obvious she never saw the sun, but she also seemed downright sickly. She was also radiant, and this attracted the boys in the room despite the flaws Willow noticed.