41

Summer lay with Summer beneath her cloak, her gentle glow cast sleeping faces in gentle relief at odds with their restless dreams. She didn’t feel safe but close. Yet dread haunted her.

Tessa’s destination was the source of light they’d seen upon entering the suburbs. The haven was only days away, and then they could recenter. It shouldn’t even be that hard.

That’s what her heart told her, yet every time the centipede’s distant clicks reached she wondered if it would find. Would something else take them?

It wasn’t a new fear, but here surrounded by people, and recent smiles, they found room to fester. So Summer sat and tried to keep her thoughts from her light. It was good practice, she huffed and a wan smile split her face.

“Still up,” her partner whispered in a low soothing tone.

“Ya,” she whispered, “Did I wake you?”

“Sort of I wasn’t sleeping well anyway.” He grumbled.

“How do you sort of sleep,”

“With great difficulty.” She smiled and the dread became beatable.

“Three days,” she said, and then they’d be safe.

“Are you sure she didn’t make that up,” he said the words more question than accusation.

Tessa didn’t have it in her to, the thought died, replaced by her desperate determined eyes. Summer liked her she liked all of them, but she didn’t know them. Let alone what they’d do under pressure. Yet, “I don’t think so,” she chose to believe.

“Okay,” and like that he was with her.

“But you don’t,”

He paused, “I don’t think it matters, maybe it’s there but we’ll be changing one set of problems for another.” He sighed, it was a hollow thing.

“Worse than here,” a fractured society was better than none.

“Maybe, Powers, growing abilities. Everyone we’ve met has them and Jess can alter perception, what if someone has mind control worse? Let alone the chaos of feeding and organizing a large group of budding superhumans.”He ranted and Summer listened to what he didn’t say.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

It was funny in a way, they’d met three inexplicable creatures of possibly thousands going by the cracks. That fathomless unknown terrified her, but to him for was a new normal.

“You don’t want to lose anyone.” She whispered softly, her hand found his.

His silence replied.

She held him tight.

They departed and, with casual ease, retrieved the group’s newest members’ bags. Well casual for Summer, who walked without the need to bow her neck. A fact she hadn’t appreciated yesterday. Her new companions walked so cautiously that they were slower despite being invisible to their main obstacles.

Summer and Mensha helped their pace by carrying the kids on rotation with Jeremy and Tessa. Yet Summer shifted uneasily as they waited for a thick of shades to pass.

The monster or heart eater as the children dubbed lurked a constant weight. That grew literal as it periodically circled close. Warded off by a gift none understood.

The mob cleared and Summer sighed happy to be on, she steadied the small weight on her shoulders, and checked that her bat was still in her bag. Secure she strode ahead, her eyes focused forwards.

Sound traveled strangely among shades and she’d rather not catch another nightmare-inducing glance.

The child on her shoulders stiffened, she squeezed their legs but they didn’t move. She swallowed a curse and lifted them off her shoulders and onto the floor. Susie’s trembled and her wide eyes stared into the distance.

Too frightened to move, she shook raking breaths shallow enough to asphyxiate. She bundled them in her arms and caught Tessa’s attention. The woman took one look at the girl and led them indoors.

They couldn’t speak on the streets, it made Jessy’s obfuscations harder, the more types of information she hid. Though Summer’s light apparently counted as sight.

Summer released Stace to Tessa’s attention and she’d grow unmarred by this experience. She glanced over the sympathetic children and that hope died. They offered warm words and kind hugs touched with maturity they shouldn’t have.

Lane looked up at the girl’s tear-filled eyes, “It’s not as bad the second time,” he smiled and it broke Summer’s heart.

Tessa’s met her and she understood the hardness in them. She left the children to Mensha and Jeremy, “What happened,”

“She saw the centipede,” Summer said and accepted guilts bite,

Tessa’s gaze swept over her, meeting hers with consideration. “You need to fix your,” she glanced at the thin sheet crawling with thin dark patches, politeness unsettled her authoritative tone “robe.”

“I do,” she said. Loath as she was to walk in the dark, she wouldn’t allow her light to endanger them.

“Is, it Mensha’s power.” She squinted and the ‘robe’.

“No,” She said noting tears in the fabric, “Its shade’s blood.”

Tessa stared at her as the words percolated into their awareness, Tessa blinked, “Wait does that mean -“

“We’ll Jessy help to catch one.” Summer plowed a prayer in her thoughts, “Do you want to help collect,” she said to the gaping woman.

“Well, if you need it,”

“Great, I’ll tell Mensha,” she said brushing past. She ignored her sudden pallor.

Worse comes to worse she’d blame Mensha