The Children of Light Episode 4

“Checkmate!” Jonathan’s squeaky voice radiated with enthusiasm that filled the entire hang-out area, and Quin glanced over at the teens studying a table over. Not that Jonathan noticed, as he jumped to his feet and began a victory dance that looked more like a monkey hopping on hot coals.

“Guess that makes you better than me,” she said, smirking as she started gathering the pieces strewn about the table. Eight-year-olds weren’t exactly the neatest, and Jonathan was one of the least neat of all of them.

“Can we play again?”

Quin grinned, checking her watch. She didn’t have to be in the kitchen for at least another fifteen minutes.

“Just—”

A new, quieter voice came from beside her, cutting her off. “Quin, can you read me a story?”

Quin turned to see Ella standing beside the table, a book clutched in her pudgy hands.

“I was just going to—” Quin stopped as Ella’s face crumpled.

“I was waiting forever for you to be done.”

Quin’s heart melted, and she knelt down and opened her arms, which Ella ran into, squeezing her ribs. Quin hugged her back, taking the book out of her protective grasp and reading the title. Lost at Sea. 

She shot a glance at Jonathan, and was relieved to see he was staring at the carpet. Maybe he had forgotten. Opening to the first page, she began to read.

“This story begins in a little fishing village on an island you’ve probably never heard of.” Quin softened her voice, putting on an air of story-telling. “In fact, not many even know it exists, for the island was very small, and the town no more than a—”

“You never read me any stories.” The little boy mumbled.

Jonathan... Quin closed her eyes, then scooted around, opening her free arm toward him. He stubbornly stayed sitting in his chair, hands crossed and a pout on his face.

“I want to play chess.”

“How about we play chess after the story.”

Jonathan didn’t move.

“It’s a mysterious one!” She gave him a sly smirk, though he still didn’t budge. “It might have pirates…” She coaxed, having no idea if this was actually true. Jonathan perked up, forgetting he was in a bad mood. He didn’t sit down on her lap, instead plopping down on the floor. 

“In this disheveled town—” she began again.

“What’s disheveled?” Ella asked, and Quin gave an inward sigh. Why did Ella have to pick such a hard book?

“It’s what happens when something gets old and falls apart. It gets disheveled. Anyway—”

“You didn’t say what the town was.”

She bit back a moan, looking up at the cavernous ceiling as she gathered her patience.

“You said, and the town was no more than a— and then you stopped.”

She gave Ella a wink. “Ahh… How about we start again. We aren’t that far.” She started reading again, and Jonathan bounced where he sat, like he did when he was bored. She started reading faster, and that seemed to do the trick, until Ella burst out in a quivering voice;

“You’re reading too fast.”

“You two are hopeless!” Quin laughed, glancing around the spacious room for something to distract the two kids other than the chess board. There wasn’t much to work with: a potted tree, tables, a computer area which the kids were banned from using, and three huge windows looking out across the Academy’s grounds. For a moment, she was caught up by the familiar buildings, woods, and the ocean in the distance. Growing up here, she had already explored every inch of this island, and she couldn’t help noticing how small it was. Something in the corner caught her eye, and turning, she saw a boy standing there, arms folded, staring at her. She didn’t recognize his face, which was odd, since she knew everyone enrolled here.  He must be one of the new kids.

“I’m bored,” Jonathan stated glumly, and Quin turned to him, smiling.

“I have an idea.” A mischievous grin spread across her face, and both children looked at her, eyes widening. “There’s a new kid standing in the corner. We can’t have anyone sulking here. We’re the sulk squad.”

“You mean sulk-busters,” Jonathan corrected, and Quin winked at him.

“Sure. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to go up to that sad boy and give him a hug.”

“Why is he sad?” Ella asked, genuine concern showing on her pudgy face.

“He’s new and hasn’t made friends yet. So we have to be his friends. Just one thing,” she said as the two of them jumped up. “Don’t let him get away.” She smirked as the kids raced toward the guy in the corner. Before he even knew what was happening, two kids had wrapped their arms around him, and he stiffened up like a tree. Quin folded her arms, getting up, and striding over to him.

The boy tried to pry Ella off his leg, but she only held on tighter, glancing at Quin. The boy followed her gaze, and a scowl crossed his face.

“Tell them to knock it off.”

“What makes me so sure you won’t run away if I do?”

“I will,” the boy growled. “And I know martial arts, so you’d better get off. Now.”

Ella glanced at Quin, uncertainly, but the boy’s statement had only made Jonathan hang on tighter.

“Fine. I’ll tell them off if you promise to do one thing.”

The guy obviously mulled it over, then stared at Quin. “What?”

Quin only smirked in response, crossing her own arms.

The boy tried to shake Jonathan off, but that only made him cling tighter, and he winced. “Fine. Do your worst.”

“March right up to that group over there,” she pointed to the group by the table, “and introduce yourself. No one can be your friend if you don’t let them.” She nodded at Ella, then told Jonathan, “Alright. You can let him breathe now.”

As soon as the boy was free, he backed up a good five feet from the kids. “You know what? Maybe some people just want to be alone! Maybe they don’t want to be forced to have friends. Maybe they’ve only been hurt by friends!” With that, he turned and stormed out the door, making a point to walk in the opposite direction than the group.

Quin bit her lip, wishing she could take back what she had done. Maybe she had been a bit too aggressive. Maybe it would have been better off not even trying to help. You’re not responsible for what other people do. Her mother’s voice rang through her head, and she took a deep breath. She had done what she had thought was best, and she had learned. That was all that mattered

“Can you give me a piggyback?” Ella called her attention back to reality, and Quin let the thought slip as she hoisted the girl up like she was a pillow.

Checking her watch, she pursed her lips.

“Alright. Break’s almost over. Let’s get you two to your classes.”

Quin let the sun-warmed sand slither in between her toes as she stared out over the river that separated her from the rest of the world. She came here often, just to wonder the same thing she was now. What would life be like if she was out there? Sure, there was plenty to do at the Academy. And it wasn’t like she never got to go to the city every now and then, but still… It was almost like she was trapped on a paradise island. She could live her life here and be happy, but she couldn’t help but feel there was something better out there.

Sighing, she turned away, then started when she saw she wasn’t alone. Somehow, a figure had snuck up behind her. Even though the sun made him a silhouette, she recognized her dad’s skinny, tall figure with his almost glowing blonde hair.

“You really like it out here.” He stepped out of the sun’s shadow, and his familiar easy smile came into view.

Quin turned away. She knew exactly what he would say if she told him she wanted to leave. His smile would transform into that protective stern face, and then he would say that she wasn’t ready, and that she had to count the blessings that she had. She decided to take a different angle this time.

“You’re the one who said that we can’t stay where we are forever, that we need to push past our comfort zones.” She turned to him, and sure enough, there was that mask of protection.

Her dad squeezed his eyes shut. “Please, let’s not get into this again. We already agreed when you’re eighteen, you can do what you want, but until then—”

“You said that teenagers are capable of more than people think. I can protect myself. You go out into the city all the time! You’ve even gone into gang territory and preached the gospel!” She hated to interrupt, but the fire that she always tried to stuff down had sprung up again.

Her dad pursed his lips. To anyone else, it would have looked like he was lost in thought, but she knew better. He was thinking up every outcome, mostly bad, and weighing them. Finally, he spoke in his calm, authoritative way that no one dared to disobey. “Quin, I love you, and I won’t let you go out and risk getting yourself hurt. They don’t play nice. They’re—”

“I’m not talking about the Rose.”

He winced, as if saying their name out loud would bring a squad of Rose agents to their door.

“I just want to get off this island and help people. You say the world is in darkness, so I want to spread light.” There. She had said it. She looked into his eyes with the most hopeful look she could muster. “I just want to help people.”

He smirked, stroking the stubble on his chin. “That was pretty good. Just try not to lay it on quite as thick next time. You almost had me there.”

Quin couldn’t help but grin, even though she knew she had lost the argument.

“Terri and I will talk about it—again—” he gave her a pointed look, “but I’m guessing the answer won’t change. Until you stop your recklessness, I’m not sending you off into that city.” He checked his watch, even though he had a perfect concept of time. “I have to start a meeting in ten minutes.” He opened his arms, and Quin hugged him, letting his warm embrace calm the flames inside her—almost. “And you better get to class.” He kissed her, then turned and trudged up the beach, leaving her alone again, with that flicker of flame still burning. Waiting.

Thomas lay on his bed, staring at a piece of paper caught in the vent, fluttering in the breeze. What now? Sure, God wanted him to become a Child of Light, but what did that even mean? Going off into the city to pick up trash?

“Lord, please show me where to start.” He caught himself right as he said it. Last time he had asked that he had been chased into the walls by a janitor who thought he was a wild animal. The room. Maybe the answer was there, in the newspapers. Maybe he could find something that would give him a clue. Why had the Children of Light disappeared? What were they up to? Could they still be at the Academy? The questions just kept on coming, and with each new one, one thing became clear. He had to figure out who they were and find them. They would have the answers. He just had to find them.

The minutes seemed to drag by as Thomas waited for Mr. Lark to wrap up the history lesson. He seemed to drone on endlessly in his thick British accent about the “pros and cons of the emancipation proclamation.” Finally, however, he ended with a simple, “in conclusion, the pros outweigh the cons, and the North ended up winning the war.” 

As soon as he had dismissed the class, he grabbed his bag, slinging it over his shoulder as he headed for the door. He had spent most of class time planning out the quickest route to the room, and now he walked purposefully along the route, making sure he didn’t move at more than his normal pace. In a matter of minutes, he had reached the closet door, and when no one was looking, slipped inside. This time, he was prepared, and he flipped on the penlight he had brought, excitedly undoing the wire that held the panel in place. Then, he plunged into the darkness, closing the panel behind him.

Creeping through the passageway, he emerged into the dark room. He felt his way through the room toward the glowing light switch, and a second later, the room was flooded with blinding light. Blinking, he looked around the room again. Nothing had changed, of course. It still looked as if someone could have been living here a few minutes ago, except for the dust and rotten smell from the fridge. If he planned on coming here more often, he would have to clean that out. He grimaced at the thought.

Shaking his head, he walked over to the bulletin board, and started scanning it. There were the familiar newspaper clippings pinned to the map of the city. There didn’t seem to be any order in which the newspapers were pinned, except that the headlines corresponded to the area it was pinned. Where one read “Superheros clean up park,” there was a pin stuck in the center of Rosewood Park. Still, there didn’t seem to be any clues there.

Turning to the picture, he studied the group again, with their carefree grinning faces, and that familiar cold ache of longing filled him. He turned away, but not before he had unpinned the picture and stuck it in his pocket. Scanning the room,he took in the books, random gadgets, and Bible on the shelves, the lamp, and a bin he hadn’t noticed before. That was odd. He was sure he hadn’t seen it before.

Walking over, he opened it up to find it was filled with coins, and inspecting it, he saw the symbol of a book with a torch as a spine. It must’ve been the Children of Light’s calling card. 

A vibration from his pocket startled him back into the present, and he pulled his phone out to see it was 9:55. Logic was starting in five minutes and he didn’t dare be late for that. He shuddered remembering Mrs. Fergurson’s odd punishments. Taking one last look around the room, he slipped out through the panel and into the cleaning closet. Opening the door a crack to make sure the hallway was clear, he stepped out, then froze in his tracks as he heard footsteps behind him.

“Explain to me what you were doing in a cleaning closet.” Jack.

Thomas spun around, glaring at the boy who seemed to have made it his job to ruin his life. “Why? Why do you keep following me? The last thing I need is someone sneaking around spying on me.”

“If you want to learn your enemy, watch him.”

“And how exactly am I your enemy?” Thomas retorted.

“You’re competition. Therefore, my enemy.” With one last smirk, Jack spun around and walked away.

“You know that’s not the way to class, right?”

Jack’s only response was to stiffen slightly, and Thomas smirked. Yeah, he knew.

Mrs. Smith studied the picture Thomas had given her with furrowed eyebrows. Finally, she looked up at him, a very odd look on her face. “Where did you find this?”

Thomas shifted in his chair, though he didn’t drop his gaze. “I’m afraid the person who found this made me promise not to tell you that.”

“And who, praytell, is that?” Her gaze, although intense, reminded him more of a mother than a principal.

“I can’t tell you that either.” He felt bad lying to her, but for some reason, he couldn’t let her know about the room. He knew it was pathetic, but it was his secret. After years of not having anything of his own, it felt too precious to give up. “Do you know them?”

“I do, but I can’t tell you anything until I know the truth. And if you can’t tell me why you need to know, then I can’t help you.” 

She looked genuinely conflicted, and Thomas could tell he had struck something deep. “Is there anything else?”

He wasn’t about to give it up, though he could tell he was now treading on thin ice. “Actually, yes. Does this mean anything to you?” He took the coin out of pocket, placing it on the picture. The logo of a book with a torch for a spine glinted up at them.

Mrs. Smith slowly shook her head. “What aren’t you telling me?” She looked right into his eyes, and for a second, Thomas wanted to tell her everything, but he caught himself.

“I don’t really understand any of this.” That was true. “I just thought you could help.”

Mrs. Smith put her head in her hands. After a minute, she looked up, any trace of a smile gone. “I really don’t know much about it. Their names were Gregory, George, Katherine, Tonny, and Jack. They went missing. We still don’t know where or why. We’ve tried to find them, but they seem to have vanished. That was five years ago. We had to tell the parents that their children had been abducted. If you have any information that might help find them, Thomas, then please don’t hold it back. We have to be honest with each other. Maybe you could ask your friend if you can go back on that promise now that you know.” She seemed to look right through him into his soul, and he could tell she saw right through his lies. 

Thomas tried to put on an innocent expression as he pieced together what he knew. The Children of Light had been trying to help the city, then, one day, they had vanished. Maybe the newspapers held some sort of clue about why. Maybe the Crystal could case the room, but he doubted they would find anything.

“I have to get back to my work, but if you’re able to tell me anything else, please don’t hesitate to talk to me.”

Thomas got up and walked to the door, feeling Mrs. Smith’s eyes on him until he had closed the door. It felt like two battles were thrashing around inside him. A fierce burning to go out and spread light, and the guilt of not trying to rescue the group, and both were winning. The flame inside him sputtered.