Shadow Born Read online

  “Say cheese!”

  Gabriel gave him a blank stare as the flash went off and blinded him. Reeves smiled as he downloaded the info into the computer and sent it off. “Okay,” he said. “The police should have everything they need to find out who you are. Give ‘em a day or two and they’ll probably find your family, too.”

  A buzzing sound came from Reeves’ pocket, and he pulled his phone back out. He stared at the screen for a second, reading a text message. “Looks like Julia’s ready for your shopping trip, Gabriel. Shall we?”

  They didn’t speak on the way back to the house, but Jodi sat next to Gabriel with a comforting hand on his arm, as if she were trying to calm him down. He wondered if she could sense the anxiety he felt. He didn’t know how to deal with everything going on in his head. It wasn’t just the fact that he had amnesia. It was the strange feeling that had been building inside of him, the feeling that he was more than just an ordinary kid. He didn’t like it. He didn’t want to be different. He just wanted to find his family. He wanted to go home –wherever that was-and be normal. The anxious feeling in the pit of his stomach told him that it might not be possible, but he tried to ignore it.

  They parked at the front of the mansion. Jodi said goodbye as she climbed off the ATV, and started walking down the road.

  As they entered the house, Reeves said, “She’s really taken with you.” Gabriel snorted.

  “Truly,” Reeves said. “You should feel privileged. Usually she can’t be friends with a boy until she’s beaten him up!”

  “She must not have many friends,” Gabriel said.

  “Nonsense. She’s beat up just about every boy in town.”

  Chapter 7

  The rest of the afternoon was a blur. Gabriel had been expecting a new shirt and a pair of jeans. Instead, Julia took him on a whirlwind shopping tour of every store in town -including every store in the entire mall. When it was said and done, Gabriel had bags of clothes, new shoes and boots, a cell phone and a media player, and more stuff that he couldn’t even remember. He had enough clothes to go for two weeks without doing laundry.

  At one point, he’d mentioned that he only needed enough clothes for a day or two until the police found his family. Julia’s face grew distant at that remark. She smiled slightly and said, “Yes, of course.” Then she returned to shopping. Gabriel wasn’t sure, but he could have sworn he’d seen tears welling up in her eyes.

  She spent most of the trip on her cell phone, talking in one hand while directing him to try something on with the other. Over lunch, she paused to give him a brief explanation.

  “I’m putting together a little party,” she said. “More of a get-together, really. The police have been handing out flyers with your picture all over town and Channel 7 news has been running your story all day. The community is being very supportive. I’d like to show our gratitude by having a few people over to meet you. Would that be okay?”

  “Sure,” Gabriel said.

  He didn’t think much more about it until he woke the next morning to the rumble of diesel engines, clanging steel, and the ethereal sound of voices drifting on the wind.

  He dragged himself out of bed and looked out across the estate. Trucks and trailers lined the drive, and dozens of workers scurried back and forth across the lawns. They were erecting what appeared to be carnival equipment. The Ferris wheel was nearly complete.

  Gabriel shook his head, wondering if he was dreaming. Julia hadn’t said anything about a carnival. And then he saw the sign, and he understood. It was a long banner with the words, “Welcome, Gabriel!” printed across the front. Julia was throwing him some sort of welcoming party. With a carnival.

  The woman was nuts.

  She had said something about throwing a “small party” while they were out shopping, but he hadn’t thought much of it at the time. He never would have guessed she meant something like this.

  Under his window, Gabriel could see Reeves herding a crew of news reporters down to the south end of the orchard at the edge of the broad lawn. The reporters didn’t look too happy with the arrangements, but Reeves said something that seemed to pacify them and they went back to work. They began setting up their equipment. And then the security crew arrived. They crawled out of two long vans and went to work, setting up perimeters along the drive and around the estate. They began patrolling like rabid pit bulls with two-way radios and headsets.

  Then came the caterers. Three large trucks pulled up to the end of the drive and Reeves guided them across the lawn to the picnic area. A dozen cooks wearing white shirts and aprons piled out. They went to work like ants scurrying over a picnic. Half of them began erecting chairs and long tables, while the rest brought grills and barbecues out of the trucks and started cooking. Gabriel’s stomach rumbled as the smell of food drifted across the estate.

  He forced himself away from the window. He had work to do.

  Gabriel had finally gotten his clothes put away and was about to head downstairs in search of some food when the steady beat of an approaching helicopter drew him back to the window. It was the NEWS 7 chopper, and it was circling the estate. He glanced down and saw Julia standing at the front drive, dialing her cell phone. One minute later, the chopper fled. How had she done that with a single phone call? Gabriel was still learning the reach of her power. He decided that between her and Reeves, it was a wonder they didn’t scare everybody off. No such luck.

  The guests began to arrive at one o’clock, and the pressure began to mount. It was at this point that Gabriel realized that all the excitement was about him. The reporters, the security, the guests -whose cars now lined the drive all the way back to the road-were all there because of him. He started pacing back and forth. Maybe this party hadn’t been such a good idea. Maybe they should just call it off… Maybe, if he snuck out the back door, they would all just go away.

  No, they’d catch him. There were security guards everywhere. On the other hand, the mansion was a big place. If he could just find a good hiding spot….

  The door swung open and Julia stepped into his room. “You ready?” she said cheerfully. Too late. He should have run for it twenty minutes ago.

  “Not exactly,” he said.

  Julia gave him the once-over. “You look all right. Change into that blue shirt we got you yesterday, and brush your hair. That ought to do it!”

  Gabriel did as he was told. There was no getting out of it now.

  Julia wasn’t satisfied with his hair-brushing skills. She took over halfway through, jerking the brush through his tangled curls, and then stepped back to inspect her work. “There! All right, then. Your public awaits. Shall we?”

  Gabriel nodded sullenly. Julia must have noticed his pale face. “There’s nothing to worry about,” she said, taking him by the arm.

  She guided him slowly down the hallway, offering comforting words that he barely heard over the pounding in his chest. The worst of it came as they descended the stairs towards the main hall. “The press will have their chance to interview you on the front stairs,” she said. “You don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to, but it would be nice. They’ve been running stories of you on the news since yesterday morning. The whole town knows your story, and they want to help you find your family. Getting your face on TV might help.”

  Gabriel almost groaned. All those reporters were waiting on the other side of that door? He fought the urge to turn and run. It wouldn’t do any good. He set his jaw and resolved to see his way through it. “What should I tell them?” he said.

  “Whatever you feel like. Just try to be polite. And don’t get all panicky. I’m right here with you. If it starts to get too much for you just squeeze my hand, and we’ll go.”

  “Okay.”

  Julia turned the knob and the doors swung wide open. Flash bulbs went off and camera lights came up. Gabriel squinted against the flashes. Microphones appeared, lowered on long booms to within inches of his face, and everyone started shouting questions at once. Reeves ap
peared at the bottom of the stairs to take control of the chaos. “ONE AT A TIME!” he shouted. “ONE AT A TIME!”

  “How are you feeling Gabriel?” someone shouted. Gabriel tried to think of something funny to say. Anything but the truth, which was that he was terrified! His mind raced, and he took a deep breath. Just say something, he thought.

  He opened his mouth to speak, but stopped as something odd caught he eye. He did a double take. Standing innocently in the midst of the crowd, he saw an unusually tall man wearing a long black trench coat and a black fedora, the kind of hat that went out of style about the time television was invented. The man –if he could be called that-was strangely out of place. Gabriel felt a chill down his spine as he watched the thing. It stood a full head taller than the tallest person in the crowd. It was at least seven feet tall, probably a bit more.

  The creature turned and locked eyes with Gabriel, and he froze. Its eyes were black and soulless, the skin on its face pale and taut, revealing more skull than flesh. It emanated pure evil.

  An invisible force seemed to push at Gabriel like the repelling of a magnet, and he took a small step back. Why didn’t anyone see the horrid thing? It was standing there in broad daylight, head and shoulders taller than anyone else. It didn’t even seem to be human.

  The pressure increased, and Gabriel’s breath caught in his chest. The creature’s hands came up, grisly and pale, almost fleshless. The bones beneath the pallid skin were clearly visible. It spread its fingers wide as if it were catching a ball and then quickly doubled them into fists. An invisible fist struck him in the gut and Gabriel doubled over, exhaling loudly.

  He sucked air into his lungs and forced himself to stand straight. He scanned the crowd and saw an ocean of blank faces. The creature was gone.

  Chapter 8

  Gabriel realized all the reporters were still watching him, their faces etched with confusion. How long had they been waiting for him to answer their question? He blinked and realized that the widow was squeezing his hand desperately. “I’m sorry everyone,” she said. “I don’t think he’s been feeling well. Shall we go back inside Gabriel? Gabriel?” Julia knelt over, putting her face very close to his own. “Are you okay? Do you want to go back inside?”

  Gabriel saw the worry in her eyes and suddenly felt like a terrible disappointment. The importance of the moment overcame him. He steadied himself, determined to see things through. The man in black was gone. Compared to him, these reporters weren’t scary at all.

  “I’m fine!” he said. The reporters cheered and a smile flashed across Julia’s face.

  “Gabriel, how do you like living in a mansion?” someone cried out.

  “It’s nice,” he said. “But I keep getting lost trying to find the bathroom.” Laughter erupted, although Gabriel didn’t think it was that funny because it was true. The place was practically a castle. It had taken him fifteen minutes to find his way back to his bedroom from the kitchen Saturday morning.

  The questions resumed and he answered them to the best of his ability. They asked about his amnesia and when he would be well –something he couldn’t possibly know-and then a few questions about Gabriel’s new “family.” It went on for about fifteen minutes, until the final question ended the interview rather abruptly.

  “Are you really going to try to find your parents, now that you’re rich?” said a reporter with a cynical sneer on his face.

  Gabriel didn’t know how to respond. Why wouldn’t he try to find his parents? Was the man implying that he wouldn’t want to, now that he lived with Julia? Because she was rich? Gabriel stood there flabbergasted for a moment, but Julia stepped up to the microphones.

  “I WILL NOT tolerate that sort of rudeness!” she said. The chill in her voice cut through the crowd like a knife and they all began to murmur nervously. Julia pointed to the reporter “If you value your job, you’ll be gone by the time I count to ten!”

  The reporter stumbled back a step, right into two large security guards who were ready to escort him off the estate. Several more guards materialized from out of nowhere and began herding the reporters back to their trucks. As they left, Gabriel heard some of the reporters giving the loudmouth a tongue-lashing. He’d ruined a great interview for the rest of them.

  Julia guided Gabriel down the stairs and in the direction of the party. “Don’t pay him any mind,” she said. “Sometimes when people are unhappy with their own lives, it makes them feel better to bring others down. You do understand that I’m going to do everything in my power to find your family, don’t you?”

  Gabriel nodded. “I know. Thanks for that.” He glanced around and saw Jodi headed in their direction. She waved, and he waved back.

  “Don’t mention it,” said Julia. “I know what it’s like to be separated from people you love. In fact, if you ever want to talk about things just remember I’m always here for you.”

  “Okay,” he said. Maybe someday he really would be comfortable talking to her. At the moment however, he just wanted to get the party over with and get on with his life. Somehow, he doubted she wanted to hear that.

  Julia checked her watch. “Look, we’re a little early. That interview was supposed to go a bit longer than that. Would you mind hanging out with Jodi for a few minutes while I get everything moving?”

  “Sure.”

  Jodi arrived just as Julia left. They greeted one another with a passing smile. Then Julia disappeared into the fray and Gabriel found himself standing at the bottom of the stairs with Jodi.

  “How’s it going?” she said. “It looked like there was some trouble with the interview.”

  “Nothing major,” Gabriel said. “Just some jerk. I just wish this whole thing was over.” He didn’t mention the creature, of course. He was already starting to wonder if it had just been a daydream -perhaps a hallucination caused by his fear during the interview-and if he brought it up, Jodi would just think he was crazy anyway. He decided it would be best to keep that whole incident to himself.

  “I don’t blame you. All those people talking about you, staring at you. That’s gotta suck. Reeves said it‘d be twenty minutes before the party’s ready. Wanna go for a walk?”

  “Sure.” Gabriel didn’t care what they did as long as it was away from the reporters. Jodi led the way around the west side of the house and they began strolling through the orchard.

  The walnuts and oaks in the ancient grove grew in straight lines, which seemed odd compared with their misshapen, gnarled appearance. The place had a haunted kind of feel to it, but not in a threatening way. It was just strange and beautiful all at once. In addition, it was cool, shady, and quiet. It was just what Gabriel needed. Unfortunately, the peace that settled over him wasn’t to last.

  “All right,” Jodi said suddenly, turning to face him. “Let’s see it!”

  “See what?” Gabriel said.

  “You know what I’m talking about. The mark. Let’s see it.”

  “Oh.” The realization slowly settled over him. His birthmark… She wanted to see it. But how did she know about it? And why would she care? “What’s the big deal?” he said suspiciously.

  “Just show it to me,” Jodi insisted.

  “Fine.” Gabriel unbuttoned his new shirt enough to pull the fabric over his shoulder. Jodi caught her breath as she saw the mark.

  “Is it real?” she said. She reached out, tracing the star-shape with her finger. There was an awkward moment as Gabriel stood there feeling half-naked, with Jodi running her fingers along his shoulder. His cheeks went flush with embarrassment. Jodi must have noticed, because she looked up and then took a quick step back. Her own face reddened a bit.

  “Are you happy now?” Gabriel said. He pulled the shirt back and started buttoning furiously. He realized he sounded a bit rude because of his embarrassment, but he wasn’t about to apologize. After all, she was the one who’d insisted on seeing it.

  “Sorry,” she said thoughtfully. “I guess I just didn’t believe it.”

  “Y
ou didn’t believe I had a birthmark? What’s the big deal?”

  Jodi started walking again, and he fell in by her side. She took a moment to form her thoughts before she spoke, as if she were deciding exactly what she should tell him. Or perhaps, what she shouldn’t. “You’re shadowborn, aren’t you?” she said.

  “I’m what?”

  “Never mind. Have you ever heard of Dark Matter?”

  “No. Why?”

  “It’s a scientific theory. Astronomers figured it out when they were looking at the stars. They realized that some planets were being affected by gravity from objects that weren’t there. They realized that there must be something there, they just couldn’t see it. So they called the invisible stuff in the universe Dark Matter. They started doing calculations, and figured out that our universe is about ninety percent Dark Matter.”

  “So ninety percent of the world is invisible?”

  “Exactly, which makes sense if you think about it. I mean, you can’t see atoms or molecules, right? There’s all kinds of stuff we can’t see with the human eye. So we make machines that can see it. Only, there are some things out there that we haven’t figured out how to see yet. With our current technology, you can only see the effect that Dark Matter has on other things.”

  “Like the orbit of those planets. Doesn’t that mean this invisible stuff has to be pretty big, to affect the movement of a planet?”

  “Bingo. For all we know, there are whole planets out there that we can’t see. Basically, a whole universe. There could be anything out there, even life forms and other civilizations.”

  Gabriel laughed. “So what you’re saying is there’s a whole universe around us that we can’t see. Even planets up in the sky that are invisible? Maybe even invisible creatures around us right now?”

  “Think about it. You’ve heard of paranormal phenomena… ghosts, demons, UFO’s. Stuff like that. Did you ever wonder if any of it was real?”