The Children of Light Episode 5

She thought she had left her past behind, became a new person, so why does it still feel like no one knows her, like her past won’t let go? She isn’t that mousy girl anymore, that girl died with her family. Yet after facing death twice, Emma finds that the part of her that died might not be as gone as she would like.

Emma threw a punch at her attacker, and she narrowly avoided as she ducked and swung her leg under Emma’s. Sidestepping the attack, Emma blocked the punch aimed at her face and slammed her foot into the attacker’s chest. Even with the padding, she could tell it had left a bruise as her roommate staggered back. “Oh, I’m sorry…” Had she hit her too hard? She trailed off as Erin gave her a mischievous grin, brushing back her short brown hair.

Advancing, her roommate sent a punch toward her, and Emma ducked, taking advantage of her small height. Another punch followed, and Emma rolled to the left, and a well aimed kick met her own chest, way harder than Erin usually did.

Rolling to her feet, Emma blocked another punch, then sent a flurry of her own, dancing around Erin with a speed her roommate couldn’t compete with. In a matter of seconds, she had her friend cornered by a dresser and her bed.

“Any last words?” She grinned as she watched Erin’s freckled face calculate the best route to escape.

“Yeah. Checkmate.” Erin grabbed a pillow and leapt at Emma, latching on with her feet and bringing them both down to the floor as she pummeled her friend. Laughing, Emma grabbed the pillow and returned the favor, and they both fell into giggles.

A knock at the door sent them both scurrying to their feet, and Emma smoothed her ninja pajamas, unstrapping the sparring pads from her body.

“Who’s there?!” Erin yelled in her squeaky voice, and Emma had to stop herself from giggling again. Her friend was about as terrifying as a puppy.

“Lights out in five minutes,” came the muffled reply.

“Okay,” Erin called back, then whirled on Emma, who ducked. The pillow slammed into a lamp behind her, and with a clatter, it came to rest on the floor.

“That’s not what I would call quiet, girls.” The door couldn’t muffle the suppressed smile in Miss Lark’s voice.

Both girls had to cover their mouths in order to contain their giggles. Either Miss Lark hadn’t heard them through the door, or else she ignored them as she headed on down the hall. “I won that one. Fair and square.” Erin jutted her chin out, then stuck her tongue out for added effect. Reluctantly, she set the pillow on her bed.

Emma slid the lamp back onto the desk, “No one wins until the other one gives up.”

“Fine. Then give up.” Erin wiggled her eyebrows, and Emma couldn’t help collapsing into giggles again. Then, suddenly, Erin was on top of her, pinning her arms to the floor. Before Emma could throw her off, Erin started tickling her.

“Not—Fair!” Emma gasped out between giggles as she rolled around helplessly.

“Give up!” Erin’s tickling intensified, and Emma found she couldn’t reply.

Another knock sounded at the door, this time louder. “Lights out, girls!” 

Erin narrowed her eyes, staring intently at Emma, willing her to give up.

Just a few seconds longer. She just had to hold out for a few seconds.

“Erin! Emma! Don’t make me come in!”

“Stop it!” Emma gasped out. She rolled onto her side and Erin stopped. Emma lay there as her muscles relaxed and she gulped in air. Finally, she had recovered enough to sit up.

“I win,” Erin whispered, grinning as Miss Lark, apparently satisfied, continued down the hall.

“Not fair,” Emma hissed back, though she couldn’t help grinning too.

Without another word, Erin spun and headed into the bathroom, only to run back and grab her pajamas, then hurry back in. 

Emma smiled. There went her dramatic exit. As she sat there, the exhaustion of the day washed over her. Laying her head against the desk, she let herself relax, until, all too soon, Erin came out of the bathroom, and she had to drag herself in to brush her teeth and change before sinking into bed. At least Erin’s not blabbering, she thought. One night, she had missed the trip altogether because Erin just wouldn’t shut up!

She was tempted to fall asleep herself as she lay in her bed, waiting. Ten minutes passed, then twenty. Glancing at her roomate in the dark, she could see her chest slowly rising and falling. Still, she waited, just to be on the safe side.

When half an hour had passed, she heard Erin’s gentle snore. Not able to wait another second, she slipped out of bed, grabbed the backpack from under her bed, then opened her window, which she had freshly oiled last night. She slung the pack over her front, then carefully removed the bug screen and climbed out the window, shutting it behind her.

It was a good ten feet to the flowerbed below. She braced herself, then lept, twisting around, and hitting the ground a split second later and tucking into a side-roll. She came out running, and didn’t stop until she had reached the clearing looking out over the boat. A few pre-programed commands later and the boat was up and running. Now, to wait.

Absently, she started a timer on her laptop, then she stared up at the night sky. Thousands of stars twinkled in the darkness, tiny pinpricks of light. It looked like someone had sprinkled Sphalerite powder in the sky

A rustling came from the trees behind her then the familiar footsteps, and she scowled as she glanced at the timer. Ten seconds. Nothing she could use to tease him.

“You’re late,” she said simply, closing the laptop and turning on Nicolau.

“Sorry. I thought my roommate was asleep, but then he got up and I had to pretend I had just gotten up to use the restroom—”

“Come on. Boat’s waiting.” Without letting him finish, she bolted for the boat, hearing Nicolau’s thundering steps behind her. He may as well have been a giant, seeing as he was twice her size and stomped like an elephant.

The ground soon turned to wood as she silently skirted the dock, then in one swift motion leapt onto the boat’s deck. A second later, the whole boat shook as Nicolau joined her. She considered teasing him for it, though that one had gotten old by now. She let it go as she slipped into the captain’s cabin. She knew the steps by now, and she didn’t even need to think as she inserted the USB drive into the ship’s on-board computer and rebooted it. As the lights came back on, the program started working, and in a matter of seconds she was in the system. From there, she typed in her location. Her USB drive had already disabled any messages the boat would send to the academy letting them know it was departing, and the horn was silent as the boat backed out of the dock.

A jolt suddenly rocked the ship, and for an instant, Emma’s heart lurched. She scanned the screens, looking for any indication of a collision. Then, her heart dropped, and she let her head drop with it. Not again.

Turning, she stalked out of the cabin to see Thomas standing at the bow, grinning like a fool. Nicolau was staring off the side, though she could see his grin was just as ridiculous.

“Missed me?” Thomas swung his backpack to the deck in one fluid motion, then plopped down on a bench. He didn’t say any more, and neither did she as she glared at him. She spun around and stalked back into the cabin. If he wanted to come, that was fine by her, but the thought of having to talk to that maniac made her stomach churn. She had finally gotten used to Nicolua’s company after all this time, and now this boy had to show up.

Lucy’s the shy one, not Emma, not me. She reminded herself, typing the coordinates of the city into the computer. She wasn’t that mousy girl anymore. Turning back to Thomas through the open door, she sent him another withering glare. “You know you can’t keep doing this. If you want to come with us, you’ll have to earn your keep.” She gave Nicolau a warning look before he could interject. 

“Earn my keep as in…?” Thomas asked. 

“You can swab the decks for starters.” She said it with all the authority of a captain, and Thomas looked worried for a split second, then smirked again.

“She’s not actually going to make you do it,” Nicolau piped up, just like she knew he would eventually. “She’s just teasing. Honestly, all you have to do is promise you won’t tell on her, and she’ll have to let you tag along. That’s what I do, anyway.”

“As if,” Emma retorted. “If you rat on me, I can provide proof that you’re the one who steals the boat.”

Nicolau  humphed in reply, turning back to the water.

Emma turned away from the two boys and toward the approaching shoreline. Unfortunately, there was no train to catch tonight. They were going to have to walk. She heard the boys talking in low whispers behind her, and felt a stab of loneliness. “My only friend in the Academy doesn’t even know me. This was supposed to be her chance to start over, but she was still that frightened heartbroken girl who had been yanked away from her family, only now she had to hide it. Don’t feel. Don’t show. Don’t let them know. One wrong move and everyone would know.

The shore was now approaching faster, and she turned to the boys, clapping her hands to get their attention.

“Alright! Do exactly as I say. When the boat reaches the dock, it won’t slow down. We’ll have a two second window to jump onto another boat as we pass by. When I say ‘jump,’ jump. Got it?”

“I’m quite capable of judging distances and timing, thank you,” Thomas interjected. Thomas crossed his arms, and Nicolau gave her a resolute nod.

“Then you know you’ll have to jump when I do,” Emma shot back, lifting her chin.

The boat was now speeding alongside the pier. Soon, they would be at the dock. Get ready… The first boat whizzed by, too far to jump to. She bent her legs as the next boat approached, this one close enough to jump to. And… “Jump!” she shouted, taking a running leap at the boat. In the blink of an eye if took for her feet to leave the boat, she knew she had miscalculated. The gap was too wide, and she hadn’t had enough of a running start. The desk zoomed up to meet her, and she shut her eyes, bracing for the impact.

The next instant, something slammed into her from behind as her shoulder slammed into the dock. She felt the world spin around her. Something wrapped around her, then the world stopped in an impact that left her gasping for air. Struggling out of the arms of whoever had saved her, she stumbled to the deck, coughing.

“Thomas!” She heard Nicolua’s voice from behind her, and it took a minute for the words to register. When they did, her eyes snapped open, and she sprung to her feet, wincing at the stab of pain in her shoulder. Searching the deck, she found a heap leaning against the ship’s cabin. Thomas.

Her heart froze. Stupid, stupid stupid! It had been too dangerous. She hadn’t calculated right. She hadn’t had to take that risk. A thousand thoughts rushed through her head, and her breathing quickened.

Thomas groaned, rolling onto his back, and Emma let out a sigh of relief. At least he wasn’t unconscious.

“Hold on. I’m going to call an ambulance. Don’t move. You might injure yourself more than you already are, which looks like a lot considering the fact that—”

“I’m fine,” Thomas croaked out, straightening and testing his limbs. None of them looked like they were broken, or at least not noticeably. “It’s happened before. I put the brunt of the force on my back muscles. I’ll have a bruise,” at this, he touched the spot and winced, “but it won’t last more than a week or two.” His face hardened, and Emma gulped, taking a step back.

“Isn’t there a way to get here without risking our lives?” he snapped.

She had earned that. “I’m sorry.” Her voice came out as a squeak, and she cleared her throat, trying to loosen the knot in it. “I…” What would Emma say?

“From now on, no more daring stunts,” Nicolau interjected, saving her from even more embarrassment.

The three of them stood there for a moment, each of them trying to figure out what to do next. With one more shake of his head, probably more to test if it was sprained than to scold her. He started off down the boat, hopping the railing and onto the dock in one swift movement. Nicolua followed, and Emma came last, carefully lowering herself over the edge.

“So, when does the boat come back for us?” Nicolau asked casually as they hurried up the stairs and onto a concrete bridge leading toward a boathouse.

“Exactly at ten o’clock, like always,” she replied, slipping back into her normal confident tone despite her insides feeling like jelly.

“And I assume we’ll have to jump on it again while it’s moving?”

“Actually, I was thinking more of a drop-from-the-bridge kind of exit,” Emma said with a smirk.

Nicolau let out a sigh, and Thomas groaned again.

“Alright.” Nicolau rubbed his forehead. “But after this, no more risky stunts. I don’t even think they are to avoid suspicion.”

“You don’t have to come with me.” With that, she slipped into the shadow of the boathouse.

Emma felt ready to collapse as she made the final turn onto Thompson street—she had ditched the boys a while ago. At the sight of the cafe, all thoughts of weariness melted away. Out of everywhere she had ever been, this cozy corner cafe was the closest place to home. Scouring the area around the cafe, she saw that it was clear. Everyone in the neighborhood was either in their apartments or off working. Hardly anyone wanted to be out in this city at night.

Hurrying  over to the back of the cafe, she checked the door. It was unlocked. She relaxed, opening the door and stepping inside the small kitchen. It was quaint enough, with its small shiny counters, industrial dishwasher, range stove, ovens, and sink, but the thing that made it feel like home was the girl standing barely visible through the kitchen window. Sure, she was 25, but she never thought of her sister as a grown woman. 

Slinking silently through the kitchen, she pressed herself up against the door. She probably shouldn’t always sneak up on Fiona, but that’s what made it all the more fun. Finally, after what felt like minutes, her sister came into the kitchen, then sucked in a breath and clutched her heart as Emma jumped out in front of her.

“Seriously, Emma?! You almost gave me a heart attack!”

“Guess I should try harder next time, then?” Emma grinned as they embraced, and she could feel her sister’s heart still pounding double-time. Alright. Maybe that is the last time I’ll do that.

“So, anything new happen over the week?” Her sister asked after she pulled away.

“Not really,” Emma replied casually. “Thomas just got back at Jack, so the score’s now one to one. Carter and Jillian still don’t know that they both like each other. I’m pretty sure I saw Quin actually swat someone with a spatula for adding too much salt. You know, normal stuff.” Both of them giggled

“Oh, I needed that.” Fiona leaned against the counter, “Hold on a minute!” She ducked into the pantry and came out a second later with a cheese danish, winking.

Emma smirked, taking it from her, and taking a bite of slightly-warm gooey pastry. “So, what’s—”

“Shh!” her sister hissed, frowning. In the silence, they both heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps outside the door. A lot of them. Eye’s wide, Fiona started for the open pantry, but wasn’t fast enough.

The door burst open, and four guys entered, each holding a glock in one hand.

Emma stood there, temporarily frozen. She couldn’t think as blood pounded in her head. The smell from the guys mixed with a thousand other senses. Her muscles twitched to run, but she couldn’t. Her sister had frozen in her dash to the closet. For a moment, no one moved.

“Where’s your money at?” the leader, a short man covered in jewelry, asked, jerking his gun at them.

“W—we’ve already emptied the drawer,” Fiona said, breathlessly.

A flash of rage surged through Emma’s veins, and she clenched her jaw, shaking.

“Then where’s the money at now?!” Flashy yelled, taking a step toward them, his jewelry making a clinking tinkling sound.

The option to run was gone, and it took everything in her not to attack. The image of blood all over the kitchen stopped Emma. They were outnumbered.

“I said, where’s it at?!”

“It’s in the office. I—”

“Show me.” He stepped forward, jabbing his gun at Fiona. He turned back to his goonies. “Ray, with me. You two guard the girl,” he directed at the other two. Just like that, it was one to two. It might be possible to fight them, but then a stray gunshot would signal the other two.

“Where’s the key?!” She heard Flashy bark from around the corner.

“My manager has it,” came Fiona’s weak voice.

A gunshot suddenly rang out, and Emma’s heart stopped. No! Ignoring the goonies, she turned and dashed around the corner, almost running right into her sister, staring shocked at the open door. There was a small hole in the lock.

“You run like that again and you’ll be dead,” one of the goons said, jamming the hard barrel of his gun into her side. Emma forced herself not to flinch as it hit.

“I don’t see it! Where is it?!” Flashy was now obviously angry, and Fiona had gone pale. Then, she did something completely unexpected. 

With trembling lips, she began to pray. “Lord, please save us.”

Emma immediately felt the tension in the room as everything went quiet. Then, the room erupted into a light. Spinning, she caught sight of a blinding white figure with wings that touched the ceiling. A mist wafted up from the figure, filling the room. Disoriented, she reached out to steady herself. Her legs grew weak, and she fell to her knees as dizziness overcame her. The next instant, everything faded as she fell unconscious.

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Comments

2 responses to “The Children of Light Episode 5”

  1. Best. Episode. Yet. Good work on the added description!

  2. WHAT??

    These just keep getting better. On my way to the next episode now.

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