The Flicker

The Flicker – Dylan Trotter

         The rays of light shined brightly, even through the passing clouds, down onto the city below. The sunshine lit up every corner, every crevice in the secluded alleyways, due to the large, glass reflectors placed at points all over the city, the last safe haven from the dark. A wall of solid steel, two feet thick at its thinnest point, surrounded the extensive city like a shield, and it rose hundreds of feet high, effectively keeping the darkness, and its inhabitants, out. The only way into or out of the fortress was to be air-lifted over the Barrier. Inside of the walls, there are streets, houses, office buildings, much like the old Chicago, and its people are just like the ancestors before them, but one exception stands. No darkness, no absence of light whatsoever. This exception is more of a law than a suggestion, and breaking it in any way would result in the immediate expulsion from the city, via helicopter, and nobody ever came back. Why? The darkness is where the Shadowers dwell. Back before World War III, American scientists attempted to experiment with the shadows of men, and the results created the most disturbing, yet interesting mystery at the time. Somehow, the experimentation gave life to a man’s shadow, and when the man stepped near darkness or larger shadows, he would gain the ability to become his shadow, but he would also lose his sense of control and sanity. The shadow would detach from the man and wander freely in the darkness… many, many died. Another mystery to us is how the Shade Virus spread so quickly, but despite our lack of knowledge, it found a way to jump from host to host and infect many. All this occurred during the third war and over time, the world was destroyed, along with the United States. The survivors fled to Solara, the last city, and shut themselves off from the darkness without. It’s been nearly twenty years now since then, and one teenage boy is about to find out why he is the only one of his kind within the walls, and what his true purpose for his abilities is. A war is coming, with him at its center. This is the story of a flicker that fought to keep the light shining.

High up on the side of the building, a figure could be seen scaling the walls, determined to reach a new height. Few people even bothered to watch, but those that did knew the climber and knew this was a normal event. The boy climbed with the agility never seen before, and he moved so quickly, it was hard to keep track. His black clothes made him easy to spot from the ground near the skyscraper he climbed so frequently. He glanced down, unafraid of the heights, and fought to pinpoint his target. Scanning the area, he caught sight of the beams on the construction site nearby. He looked over at the Barrier. He cursed under his breath as he saw that he was still not high up enough to see over the wall. Sighing deeply, he kicked off of the building, propelling his body out into the air. He free fell for a couple of seconds before landing nimbly on the beam jutting out of the incomplete tower, only to leap off again and land on the pavement below. He looked up at the Barrier and smiled, making a mental note to finally climb higher than that blasted wall next time. Then he walked away, towards the crowd of people who were milling about outside the street. He made a point of walking all the way around them and stepped into the doorway of his building. Due to his nature, he felt strange around large groups of people. He took the stairs two at a time and entered his room, shutting the door behind him. He tuned his television to the Updates channel, letting the information and news of the day play while he slept. It took no longer than a few minutes before he was drifting to sleep.

         “Asher! Hey…!” The knocks at the door grew louder. He woke up and stumbled towards the door. It was Keyra, his… friend. She stood in his doorway, dressed casually, with a very pissed-off glare in her eyes. He didn’t have time to brace himself before she shoved her way in and began to yell. “What were you thinking?! You climb that stupid building one more time, I’ll kill you myself if you make it down!” She must have seen him again today. She doesn’t like it when he climbs like that. “Okay, okay… sorry…” he apologized lamely. She frowned but accepted his answer. “So are you going tonight? To the party?” He shrugged and she looked at him again, this time with a different facial expression. He averted his eyes, trying to avoid the puppy-dog look she was pouring all over him. “Please?” she pleaded. “Oh fine… I’ll go.” She squealed with delight and began to bounce up and down. “What are you wearing?” she asked. He looked at his clothes and grinned. “Oh you are impossible!” she said before walking out. “See you tonight!” She winked, and then disappeared down the hall. He shook his head, laughing silently. Asher went back to his room to get ready. As he dressed up in a comfortable, solid black outfit, he thought about her… and what he was going to have to do tonight. Why can’t I tell her how I feel?!, he thought. She’s perfect and she feels the same towards me as I do towards her, but… He shook his head, knowing that she wouldn’t understand that he was different. He smirked at the understatement, because the truth was that he was a Shadower, or at least, he had the abilities. The thing that made him different from the others like him was that he didn’t have the desire to kill. The true Shadowers would become their shadows and kill freely. The skills that they used are the same ones that he had; He could walk through a crowd of people and vanish into their shadows, he could disappear and travel anywhere in the darkness as a shadow, he had incredible sight and agility, and his fighting skills were still developing. He often practiced his skills in his room, but never in public. If he was found, caught, he would be sent to die outside the Barrier of Solara. His thoughts snapped back as he realized it was time to leave for the party. Tonight he would tell Keyra everything, and then he would join the war. Outside the walls, Shadowers were trying to enter, and the Solara Police were in need of assistance. He could help. It was time to leave.

         He showed up at the door, it was night but lights still lit the streets with a few dark spots. He was wearing all black, and she let him in, after a quick hug. People were dancing, and others sat and chatted amiably. He followed her to the floor and she began to dance. He tried to sway to the beat, but he didn’t want to attract too much attention tonight, and when she opened her eyes again, she looked at him and saw that he wasn’t really dancing. She knew he could move and dance better than any of the others on the floor, but why not now? She pulled up close to him as the song changed and whispered, “What are you doing?” He looked down at her, and thought, I might as well make this night memorable for her. He never answered her question, but put his hands on her waist, pulling her frail figure even closer. She looked into his eyes questioningly, only to see the intensity glowing from them. He started to really dance, like he’d never danced before, and he danced with her. She let the beat overflow her again and she twisted and twirled into motion. The song sped up, as did their steps. The pace quickened more and more while their feelings and emotions rose to new heights. He spun her around and moved with such fluidity and speed that she could hardly keep up. His form seemed to have no bounds as they danced, taking over the floor. They kept up until she was tired, and he led her to the bar to sit and grab a drink. They sat in silence, until he decided to speak up. “Keyra… I lov-”, but she interrupted him before he could finish. “I love you Asher!” He sat stunned and she turned redder and redder, and finally she excused herself and got up to leave. Just before she was out of reach, he grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him. They locked together in an awkward kiss, only stopping when he leaned over to whisper, “I love you too.” They left the party hand in hand, and once they were alone, he stopped. He looked around quickly then said, “Keyra. You need to know.” Asher stepped backwards, while she watched, confused, and he walked into the shadows behind him. He stood there, visible for a few seconds, and then, he disappeared. Keyra only had time to gasp in shock, before she felt his hands on her waist, holding her from behind. She whirled around, expecting to see Asher standing there, but nobody was there, until he reappeared in front of her. She stumbled back, stuttering as she tried to make sense of the situation. Asher, sensing her fear, ran forwards and caught her before she fell. He held her tightly, and she hugged him back, glad to have something solid, something visible to hold on to. After a minute or so, Keyra whispered, “Are you… one of them?” He nodded and let his arms fall to his sides. She sat down and put her back up against the wall. “Why didn’t you tell me before? How long have you been able to do that? Do you work with the Shadowers?!” Question after question, she hammered on, demanding answers. “I didn’t know how to tell you, and it’s been two years since I found out, and no, I would never help them!” “What else can you do?” Asher looked down at her, surprised. “What?” “Well, can you do anything else… like the things they do?”, she asked. He was taken back… he hadn’t expected her to be interested, only scared. “Umm… I can fade into the shadows, I can…”, he paused, thinking, “… travel through other peoples’ shadows, and I can be in my shadow and my body at the same time, although it hurts too much so I don’t try it often.” Her eyes grew wide, and she said, “Is this how you can climb so well?” “I guess so…” She jumped up excitedly and hugged him Asher smiled and began to walk beside her. They walked in silence, until she said, “Thank you for telling me… for trusting me.” He was about to say, “Thank you for being the only person I could truly trust.”, but a crash nearby interrupted him.

They both stopped suddenly, and Asher said, “Keyra, hold on tight and take a deep breath. Whatever you do, do not let go!” She grabbed his waist and held on as everything went black. She felt the cold air… no… she felt the darkness, and she couldn’t see anything except Asher. Suddenly, they reappeared at the scene of the crash. Asher told Keyra to stay hidden, while he looked around. He saw a hole, big enough for an adult to fit through, in the solid steel of the Barrier, and he saw the shadowed figure standing next to it. Asher ran towards the other man, but stopped when he saw that the figure was a Shadower. The two stood face to face, and the outsider said, “Bring me the one named Kindle, or die where you stand!” The speaker pulled a slender knife identical to the ones that Asher kept hidden in his sleeves. As the man prepared for a fight, Asher was letting the two blades slide down his shirt sleeves into his open hands. The man repeated his demand, only to hear, “Leave now. This city is not yours to command.” At that, the outsider lunged, not expecting to fight someone of equal, or even greater agility and strength. Already prepared, Asher parried his dagger, and sunk the blade in his spare hand into the ban’s upper back. As soon as it had begun, Asher had ended it. He picked the dying attacker up and said, “What do you want with Kindle?” He replied with a grin, then died. Asher tossed the body out the hole as voices approached. He took one last look at the opening before vanishing into the shadows. The Solara Police arrived and filled the hole quickly, no sight of Asher or Keyra as the travelled through the shadows back to his apartment. He opened the door and went in to lie down. He fell onto his couch, tired, but sleep would have to wait. “Are you okay?!”, blurted out, after trying to digest what she just witnessed. “I’m fine.” “Who was that man, who is Kindle, and where on earth did you get those knives?!” She stood back and looked him over, checking for injuries. He stood up and walked over to the window facing the city. “That man was an outsider… a Shadower. He was looking for someone that isn’t here anymore.” “Kindle?”, she interrupted. “Yeah, and these knives were his. I am Kindle, or at least, I used to be. I changed my name when the Solara Police began questioning people during the first break-in. Since I have no family, it was easy.” She watched as he pulled a small pistol out of a drawer next to the window. He handed it to her and without questioning him, she put in his jacket, the one she was wearing. Asher looked over at the locked door and said, “Do you mind staying here, it’ll be safer.” Keyra stuttered, “Safe? From what?” “That man will not be the last. More will come, soon. We’d best stay out of the way for now.” She sat down in the chair nearby, and leaned her head back. “You know what I’ll have to do, don’t you?” Her head snapped back down to glare at him. “No! This isn’t your fight. You don’t have to do anything!” “Keyra, he was looking for me! How else would he know my name if it wasn’t concerning me!” Another crash sounded, and Keyra’s eyes darted to the window, while his eyes stared at her. “I must go. They need me! I’m the only one fast enough to stop this invasion.” She ran across the room and flung her arms around his neck. He held her tight, then let go. She said, “I won’t let you leave Asher!” He pulled at her hands and slowly, she loosened her grip. Asher freed himself and shaded over to the door. Tears streamed down her face as he shaded back in front of her, to wipe her tears away, then vanished out the door.

         Another break-in, how? He ran in the shadows, unseen, and found the new opening in the wall. Asher scanned the scene, hoping none had got in yet, but nearly gasped when he saw the numbers of Shadowers, all armed, all hidden. There were nearly twenty of them, and he was the only one that could see them. Out of the group stepped the captain, tall and commanding when he spoke. “Find the one named Kindle. Kill none, injure none, reveal yourselves not!” They began to disperse, leaving the captain and one other follower. Asher stepped out and they halted momentarily, then continued to walk along. They don’t know, he thought, they think I’m normal. He moved towards them and they passed on either side of him. Asher waited until they were both past and then he whirled around, both blades drawn, and attacked. The follower went down easy, but the leader was harder. He had not been hurt by the initial blow and he turned and pushed his assailant back. Asher rebounded quickly and knocked the captain down, then he sent him into unconsciousness with a blow to the head with the hilt of his dagger. Asher grabbed the still figure and shaded them both back to his apartment. He entered the door too quickly, judging from the handgun pointed at his head and the shaking form of Keyra. She dropped her arms and put the gun back in the jacket pocket, then helped bind the captain to a chair. She said, “Is he the only one?” Asher shook his head and pulled out one of his blades. “How many are there?” “Over twenty.”, he replied. “Oh, my god, what do we do?!”, she whispered. “We find out what he knows.” Asher took the point of his knife and ran it along the captive’s arm before making a gash in his upper arm. The man woke with a groan. “Who are you!” The man stirred, slowly gaining his consciousness. “Who are you!!”, Asher yelled again. “I am Captain Shayle, leader of the Shade’s forces. Release me!”, the captive shouted back. “The forces of the Shade will come, regardless of your interference. All I seek is the one named Kindle. Bring him, release me, and the city of Solara shall not be destroyed.” “Why do you want Kindle? What does he have to do with the likes of you?”, asked Asher. Shayle looked closer at Asher, then grinned. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for years. Hello, Kindle.” Asher’s face fell at the mention of his previous name. “What do you want with me?!” Keyra flinched at Asher’s sudden roar. “You are important to the Shade. You are the Flicker. Haven’t you wondered how you have such agility and strength? Shadowers possess the control of shadows. The people you live with are what we call Tel’anors. You are the child of a pure Shadower and a pure Tel’anor. That is why you are so different from both sides of the human race.” Asher fell onto the couch, stunned, and he didn’t even notice the captain shading out of his bonds with astonishing speed. In the blink of an eye, Shayle had Keyra by the throat and Asher was caught off guard. “Let her go!”, he shouted. Keyra gasped as the Shadower tightened his grip. “Come with me quietly Kindle, or she will die and your city will fall soon after.” Asher said, “Call me Asher. Let her go. I’ll come.” Squeals of protest erupted from the would-be hostage, but Asher ignored them. He dropped his knives on the table and put his jacket on before allowing the captain to knock him out. As his consciousness slipped away, he said, “Hide, Keyra… hide…”, and he passed out.

         Asher heard voices, but he dared not open his eyes. He listened to the muffled conversations around him until he tuned into one specifically. “We have him—yes, he’s—still out—wake him up? Yes, okay, it is done.” The conversation ended and a sudden pain in his arm opened his eyes. Shayle stood over him, smiling wickedly. “Come now, Kindle, or Asher, was it? We are leaving the city.” Asher looked at him and stood up, observing the situation. He noticed the soldiers from before were back. Best not to try anything foolish… yet. He shoved his hands in his pockets, and felt the pistol that Keyra had put back in his jacket pocket. He was careful to make no facial expression betraying the weapon. Asher followed the captain towards the hole, and despite his better judgment, he made his move. He jumped and kicked off of Shayle’s back and propelled his body over the Shadowers while pushing the captain through the hole. Instead of shading to a safe spot, he pulled his gun and fired six, quick shots, with perfect aim. Seven Shadowers hit the ground, one bullet went through twice. He landed on a ledge of a nearby building. The other Shadowers rushed with no hesitation. He pumped another four shots out of the ten-shot handgun, and the targets fell, leaving seven more. The first to reach the ledge was instantly rewarded with a blow from the discharged gun. Before he fell back to the ground, Asher robbed him of his sword. Asher spun it around to get accustomed to its weight, before slicing it down in a great arc, separating the next assailants head from his shoulders. There were five Shadowers left, each one coming at the same time. As they ran up the face of the skyscraper, Asher dove down in a spiral, sword spinning to his side. He fell between the five men and the sword twitched ever time it cut through flesh. He counted seventeen twitches of the blade and then landed smoothly on the pavement below. All of his attackers were gone, and once again, the Solara Police arrived to seal the hole, but this time, he left all eighteen bodies at the scene. He watched as they sealed the hole, then disposed of the bodies. Then he shaded out to his apartment.

         Keyra heard the door open and she wielded Asher’s blades in defense. He walked in, looking for her, and when she saw him, she ran to meet him, dropping the blades in favor of open hands. Asher picked her up and set her back down, glad that she was unharmed. “How’d you get away??” He tossed the empty gun on the table and took the sword off from his back and put it down on the floor, blood still staining the blade, and then walked over to the window in silence. “All of them?” He shook his head. “I let Shayle go… but the others, they are all dead.” Keyra nodded, “What do we do? They want you, obviously…” “I don’t know, but, first, you need to learn to defend yourself.” “What?! Why?” she asked. “Shayle could have killed you! It was too easy, and I won’t take that chance again. Here, take this.” he said and handed the sword to her. “You need to learn, so here we go.” He took her arms and began to place her into the standard fighting stance, when suddenly she stepped away from him and let her sword arm rest at her side. “What are you doing? We don’t have time, Keyra!” he said. Keyra glared at him, and with sudden speed, she twirled the blade around, her experience showing as she put on a display of the finer skills of swordplay. Asher stared, stunned, as she sheathed the sword and said, “I know how to fight. He was just too fast.” His surprise was evident when she put the sword on her back and walked towards him. Asher said, “Okay, I need to go outside the Barrier and deal with this. You—“. “I’m not staying behind!” she interrupted. Asher sighed audibly and took the sword off her back. She tried to take it back, but he tossed it across the room and ran into his bedroom. When he returned, he was holding another sword, one much thinner and longer than the other. “This sword is Spark. It belonged to my mother, before she came to Solara. It should be more your… style.” Asher watched as she took the sword and a glowing sensation overcame her, flowing from the tip of the blade down past the hilt and into her body. She sheathed the new weapon, and walked to the door. “How about we take this fight to them?” He grinned and grabbed her by the waist before shading to the skyscraper he had been scaling earlier that day. They both looked up, and she held on as he leaped upwards, nimbly bouncing from beam to beam, windowsill to opening. The wind rushed past, now cold at the middle of the night, yet warmer than the darkness of the shadows, and as they climbed, they finally reached a point even with the edge of the Barrier. Keyra and Asher took one last glance at the glowing city before he kicked off the wall and floated towards the Barrier. He landed on the edge of the Barrier and they balanced themselves before sliding down the outside wall. The sudden darkness shocked her since she was a Tel’anor, but as for Asher… he felt strangely at home.