Chapter 9: Lurking Shadows

I spent the rest of the day falling into old habits. They fit me like a glove a size too small. Over the centuries, as I watched nations rise and fall, plagues, wars, and disasters unfold, my life remained eternal and constant.

I had no reason to associate with the mortals, nor would I want to. But that didn’t mean I couldn’t observe them from the sidelines, or actively find appropriate marks.

I’d used my powers somewhat excessively over the last day cycle, and they’d begun to feel slightly sore from use. That didn’t stop me from leaning into the shadows once more, launching myself up through the ceiling and onto the roof. Occasionally, the birds might visit, but other than that, this remained a perfect place to survey my territory. I’d say I enjoyed it, looking down at the crawling mass of insects beneath my feet, but it honestly felt more like a chore. My territory hadn’t been challenged in decades, if not longer. Unless I counted last night.

Eventually, the sun rose too far for me to want to stay, and I retreated back into my apartment. The landlord didn’t even know I existed— this room a black hole in his memories. So I spent the early day in my shelter, the blinds closed and the windows locked. But today the blinds were wide open; no doubt Zophie’s doing. A flash of annoyance pulsed through me now that I’d have to go out of my way to reset them the way I liked, but somehow… If she was here, I wouldn’t mind leaving them open, I guess. There was also the leftover mortal food on the counter. Ugh, I didn’t have any waste disposal here. That’d be a pain to deal with later.

After I finished closing the blinds, still leaving the food for future me to deal with, what little sunlight remaining in the apartment acted as the perfect catalyst for practicing my powers against. I’d distort it with shadows, practice shadow-walking, or simply do my best to snuff it out altogether.

The one exclusive thing I did appreciate about mortals was their unique creativity for gaining muscle. I’d walked in and out of a ‘gym’ a while back, taking a rack of weights along with me. It’d taken some time to figure out how to use them all, but once I did, they helped break up the monotony. It’s something I’d joked about with other immortals before, how humanity was only good for their exercise equipment.

I pulled my weights from the closet, relishing the burn of muscle as I lifted. Hundreds of pounds, sometimes thousands, for hours at a time— anything to focus my mind, to drown out my thoughts. It became a meditative state; I just needed to get my mind off the last few days, keep myself from thinking about Zophie and her bright smile. Nothing could draw me, drown out the world around me like this could. Tonight, I decided, I wouldn’t go searching for future marks. I’d just let the time continue to flow, unending, my mind effortlessly focused on this single, routine task.

***

After two entire days stuck at home, I began to feel restless. Drowning myself in weight lifting could only go so far, and eventually, I wanted to go out. While I never sought out the presence of mortals, that didn’t mean they were incapable of preserving the Earth’s original beauty.

With the sun long set, I ventured out, the moonlight swallowed by overcast skies. It might rain, but even if it did, I wouldn’t mind. I was quick to walk out of the urban streets and their stink of machines. Some human or another had decided to preserve a bit of nature not far from here. Guess even man couldn’t stand to be around their own perverse creations for too long.

When I got there, I took in a big deep breath. Immediately, the paradoxically pleasing scent of rotting mulch and fresh pine surrounded me. Around me stood a fenced-off enclosure. On one side stood the artificial city lights. On the other side stood tall trees, ferns, and a well-maintained gravel walking path. The gate to the park was chained shut this time of night, but that couldn’t stop me. In fact, the chained gate was a feature, not a flaw, since it meant I could enjoy the park all by myself.

Easily bypassing the gate, I took my time wandering the meandering paths. The park had never been darker on this moonless night, and I appreciated that none of the humans had infected it with lampposts. Maybe one day they’d renovate it so folks could come out at night, but until then, I’d keep it as one of my go-to spots. For me, the darkness wasn’t a hindrance in the slightest.

For a moment, I thought about how Zophie might like this place too, but I quickly discarded the idea. I’d already decided not to bring her any further into my affairs, and I didn’t need to re-justify my decision to myself now.

I shoved my hands into my pants pockets; for once, I’d actually bothered to dress up a bit— something I did semi-frequently when I went out at night. I wore a black button-down trench coat with a matching undershirt and slacks— not exactly hiking gear, but it put me in the right head space. Focusing on my breathing, I allowed myself to bask in the scents and the darkness; I could almost feel the steadying presence of the earth and flora around me.

With a gentle flex of will and an intake of breath, I grew the shadows around me up into the air, turning them into a physical presence. If a mortal was unlucky enough to be around right now, he could accidentally run headfirst into the conjuration. As I exhaled, the shadows fell back into the ground.

Eventually, I grew tired of wandering the park, so I decided to move on to something a bit less relaxing. That didn’t mean I wouldn’t enjoy it, though. Traveling through the shadows, I emerged under the canopy of a large pine at the edge of the park. From there, it was simple to appear on the other side of the fence and back on the city sidewalk.

I roamed the city, keeping to darker alleys and dimly lit shopfronts. Catching a scent on the wind, I began tracking a promising target. It didn’t take me long to find him, some homeless guy who reeked of theft. His filthy jacket and torn-up boots wouldn’t do him any favors in the current cold weather.

He seemed to catch on to the fact he was in danger, though, so he wasn’t brainless. Of course, he wouldn’t ever be able to realize I was after him, but his instincts from living on the street had been honed to detect danger.

As I got closer to him, the man grew increasingly frantic. He’d look over his shoulders, rapidly turning his head. His gaunt frame and sunken cheeks spoke of heavy drug use, his sin of theft fueling a desperate vice I’d seen in countless mortals before.

Now, though, as I got closer, he could smell something in the wind. I represented everything he feared: the weight of his sins. I drew the moment out, like a cat playing with a mouse. Deciding to give him a bit of false hope, I let him turn the next corner. He’d probably think he’d avoided me, since I didn’t pursue immediately.

I gave myself a mental count of ten, and then I turned the corner to follow after him. His ragged brown clothing caught my eye immediately, standing as he was beneath the lighting of a convenience store. His breathing had eased up considerably— strange, since I’d only let him go for a few moments. He’d sat down on a bench outside the convenience store; maybe being in the light of civilization had given him the false idea he’d be safe.

All it would take was a dozen steps, and I’d be upon him. But then, the glass door to the convenience store chimed open, drawing my attention. My first thought was wondering why the store would be open this early in the day, but a 24-hour sign answered that quickly enough. Then I saw who stood in the doorway. A flash of strawberry blonde hair led down to a small woman carrying something wrapped in foil, steaming in the cold early spring air.

My heart spun in my chest; my steps faltered. I watched incredulously as Zophie approached the homeless man, offering him the food in her hands. He accepted it happily, a word of thanks was exchanged. And that was it. He didn’t attack her, didn’t try to steal from her. He just… took the food and allowed Zophie to walk away. She did so with a smile on her face and a happy little skip in her step.

Marking this man as my next target no longer felt appealing, so I turned around and left, heading back to my apartment. Maybe a night of sleep would help me sort out the dread I felt inexplicably eating away inside me.