Mirrors and Shadows

Chapter Five

A shadow sneaks into the jeep and forms into a man. Everybody immediately turns to him, raising their weapons. Except me, since I'm driving the jeep and stopping is way too risky.

The man lunges into a mirror and jumps out of the mirror in my pocket, knocking me down.

The car spirals out of control.

My mirror self jumps out of the mirror and tackles the man while I try to control the jeep spinning out of control. Everybody is bumping around and I can't get to the wheel.

Then I hear a sizzling sound. Forget the jeep. "Get out!" I yell as I duck out of the jeep.

Everybody gets out the jeep just in time as the jeep explodes.

I turn around to see who threw the bomb. A middle-aged man. The same person as the robber. Colin Cleve.

My mirror self (a fluid shadow now) quickly darts by me and forms back out of her shadow.

The rest of our team hurries up. Nobody was hurt in the explosion. Somehow Mr. Ramburt is still holding Ms. Clarke's body unhurt.

Wait, I think. Where's the guy who assaulted us on the jeep?

I turn around right as we get attacked from our rear.

I jump into the air and nimbly turn around, kicking the guy who attacked us from the rear, while pulling out my gun. Everyone else turns to face Colin and the other Emergent members. All hell breaks loose as the Emergent members charge us.

------------------------------

The dean watches the live footage of the scene on the camera he fixed on the top of the jeep, tears streaming down this face.

He had thought that the attack would be a surprise to the Emergent, due to the fact it being the dead of night.

But Colin was much more calculating than he thought. Now Ms. Clarke, a long friend of his, was dead. All because of him. And the children... the odds weren't in their favor.

He gave the command to send out a few rescue helicopters and told the remaining teachers to guard the X school. He would go there in person. He prayed he would be fast enough.

------------------------------

No. This wasn't a fight we could win. Us? Inexperienced children and four teachers, one of which pretty much immobilized since he was holding a dead body? Although Mr. Ramble does have his mirror self at his side now.

What now? Flee into mirrors? Part of our team can't do that. Melt into shadows? There's no light now, which means no shadows. Only one option left... and it's really stupid...

"Retreat!" I cry. Although I know we'll tire at some point. Although the X school is near, we'll never reach it on foot in time. But what else could we do?

The fighting pauses for a moment, as everyone stares at me for a split second. Then we retreat, running back towards the X school.

In an instant, everybody's gone. I follow everybody. But obviously, the Emergent members follow. An Emergent member takes out a flashlight. How did I not think of that? Mental note to self: Bring a flashlight at all times. Some members melt into their shadows.

Shadows move much faster. Quickly, a few shadows slip towards us. Extremely luckily, a cloud drifts away and the moon's light shines through. Those who have shadow Gifts slip into their shadows and stay around the ones not in shadows, protecting them as we retreat. I try to fend the hostile shadows off, but there's too much. This buys some time for the others though. I retreat, then do the same thing again.