Shadows Linger Until Dusk

I tried to avoid even glimpsing at him after that. One day, two days, three days…about a week passed. Mid-term exams were just weeks away. I walked only with Max and only talked to her, almost. One Tuesday, when I realized I was better of as a freak, than being a geek who didn’t talk to Dusk, I decided, I was ready. I’d give my powers another chance. I tried at really hearing people’s thoughts. I actually brought myself to finally let the guard down…I wished Dusk was there to supervise my first freaky act. Perhaps get some backup for safety. I saw Roidh Scott, his elder cousin coming out of a classroom and talking to a dark-haired girl. The girl was talking of some bribe money. I listened closely. Roidh told her, “You are really becoming more of a pest, you know? It’s not like I’m dating Alanna again. And he’s my brother. He’s your brother too, Kiki. Just because of some freak accident, you can’t hate him still! He’s tried. Tried really hard to apologize – more than he should. You just don’t give him a chance.” “He’s not my brother!” she hissed, inching closer to him. “And he shouldn’t be yours’ either. Now, my fee—” “Whoa…ease up girl,” Roidh pulled back, “Back off. I’ve already bribed you more than I should have. And now, I’m not giving you one more penny!” “Alright, fine. It’ll buzz off Mamma’s ears right next morning.” “No, please. Don’t do that,” he griped. “Alright how much do you want?” he asked pulling out his wallet. “Five pounds.” Roidh stared at her for a moment and like his sense was slowly coming back to him, he said, “That’s not fair. Anyway I don’t have that much – for now.” She snatched his wallet out of his grasp. I was sure he was thinking of killing her. “Oh…you really don’t have five pounds…I see. You have ten pounds!” “No, don’t.” He tried to snatch his wallet back but she had the note out of it, when he finally got it back. “Dusk’s story. Mum’s angry ears…remember?” she teased evilly. “Really not fair,” he tried to catch her but she’d reeled away. “I guess, I’ll see you at home. Then there’s no way out…” And he walked into a group of guys and started talking. Roidh was a good guy, I decided. He was handsome, no doubt, but also possessed a good soul. His thoughts were clear on his face – he chided away from his friends and sat there alone, because he was thinking about his brother, Dusk. And there I focused on his eyes, and concentrated how his pupils dilated…and then I saw it…the incident he’d witnessed as an eight-year old boy. It was a sunny morning – Easter and the kids of the neighborhood had gathered to play cricket in the church-yard. They’d just played a little above an over, when his sister wanted to play too. With her was her best friend, their cousin Dusk. But they were too small and couldn’t have held the bat right. So he’d told them to sit and watch instead. It was then Dusk took the bat and swung it easily, “See, Ricky. I can play too.” But that was unnatural. He snatched the bat from the four-year-old boy. The others wanted to leave them alone because of that, but he somehow convinced the other children that they were hallucinating. Then he suggested everyone that they play hide-and-seek instead of cricket, and then the little ones could play too. Once it was announced that they were to find places to hide, he’d felt right then that something wrong was going to happen. He’d known it. Dusk was something. His Aunt Ceana never got pregnant, and still, she had a little baby cradled against her chest when they’d come to church for Christmas. And indeed there were the talks about a mysterious lady in the streets, though he wasn’t much sure about the connection of the lady with his cousin. His mother had said that she was a witch who had charmed his father once...and so her family had banished her... He returned to the churchyard scene, and I could see, how he was to find each one of his friends. He’d found everyone…Claire inside a van – Ethan behind a trashcan – Kiki was, well, trying to hide behind him, and the others in different places…but, Dusk, the last one was nowhere to be found. They searched the entire place. They called out his name, but it was of no use. Defeated and scared that he might have ran away somewhere – offended by the others’ comments, Roidh had gone to inform his uncle and aunt of their son’s disappearance. Only when his terrified aunt had called out for Dusk to come out of hiding, he had answered – from up the church tower. It scared the hell out of everybody. Ceana ordered him to come down and he did come down – took the shortcut. He plunged down the church tower and fell in the middle of the yard – that scene evaporated from my sight right there. As of that moment, a tall, very pretty green eyed girl came and sat beside Roidh, like she’d sit on his lap if they weren’t in the school setup. I guessed she was his girlfriend. I remembered her vaguely from the Music class – Alanna Wilde, yes she was. She whispered into his ear, “How do you manage to look hotter every freaking day? What’s your secret?” He looked at her and turned to look at her. She crooned in an offensive tone, offensive to me, probably not to him – “Won’t you tell me, baby?” He turned away from her. “I’m not in the mood, Alanna,” he said, trying not to look at her again.