Eliza's Shadow (9 page)

“Can I show you something?” He asked his brow
furrowed.

“Sure.” I tried to remain calm, though excitement
danced in my stomach.

Ren jumped to his feet and rubbed his hands
together theatrically at first then winked at me. Like a chef with a spoon, his
hand swirled above the water beneath my feet.

Instantly the fish that had been lazily circling
the dock legs scattered. The waves that had lapped the dock grew still, leaving
the water unnaturally placid. Then subtly the water began to swirl
counterclockwise against the direction of the natural current. Directly beneath
my feet a whirlpool developed and began to pick up speed. The water spread
around the eye of the pool, white froth edged the whirling ring.

I managed to pull my eyes from the phenomenon to
view Ren. His hand was still above my head, his face a calm mask of
concentration. He smiled easily in response to my amazed expression.

The whirlpool grew stronger and emitted a wet
breeze, dampening my pants, face, and hair. The eye sucked deeper into the
depths of the water. The mesmerizing motion of the water seemed to gain power
at a dangerous pace. I became acutely and uncomfortably aware of my precarious
position on the edge of the dock.

Just as my anxiety gave way to fear, the swirling
water subsided. Within seconds the vortex that seemed to have a life of its own
dissipated and the natural roll of the waves resumed pace below the dock.

Stunned, I blinked dumbly at the gentle waves.

“Why don’t you try, Eliza?” Ren’s voice rang in my
ears.

I stared at him in shock. “Try what? How do you
expect me to do that? That was amazing!” I said breathlessly.

“We have to get started somewhere don’t we?” He
suggested, his face set with determination.

Ren’s eyes flashed mischievously as he reached for
my hand. Heat surged through me as our fingers touched. I struggled to stand.

Like a bird about to take its first flight, I
stared at the water doubtfully.

“Alright, for this to work the first thing you
need to do is banish any doubt about your ability to command the water. I know
that’s easier said than done but you have to believe in yourself. Then have
confidence in your instincts. There isn’t an instruction manual for this type
of thing. You have to feel it out. There is a part of you that knows what to
do, you just have to set it free.” Ren instructed encouragingly.

“Concentrate on the water, the flow of it, the
sound, the feel. Think about the molecules moving together. Then send your
force out and tell them what to do.” He whispered in my ear, his breath tickled
my neck distracting me.

“Mmm, I think I need a little space.” I said
softly.

Ren nodded agreeably and took a step back.

I took a deep breath, feeling silly but reminded
myself that this was real. He did it and maybe I could too. I closed my eyes
and listened to the water sloshing beneath the dock. Instinctively, my legs
collapsed into a sitting position, giving in to an urge to get closer to the
sound. As my concentration deepened, in my mind, I saw the ebb and flow of a
soft current swirling below the placid surface of the water. I observed the
graceful current for a few minutes before attempting to interact with it.
Thinking I was simply asking for a visible swell around the dock. I sent a
request out to the current.

Rise
.

With a crash, a huge wave collapsed against the
dock soaking me from head to toe. My eyes flew open. As my concentration
dissolved, the water receded like a wolf backing down from a rival.

Ren laughed. I turned to see that his pants and
shoes were sopping wet too. Clearly this was not what I’d intended yet I was
furious with myself for welcoming the onslaught.

“Wow, that was something, Eliza. Incredible!” Ren
gushed rushing toward me excitedly.

“What? We’re soaked! All I asked was for it to
rise. I didn’t mean for it to roll over me!” I spouted with annoyance.

“Well, be more specific next time then.” He said
with a shrug.

“I think we’ve found one of your strengths. I
certainly didn’t expect this would be so easy for you.” He said incredulously,
shaking his head.

He jerked his watch to his face. “We should go if we
want to make it to school in time. Now that we have to get some dry clothes for
you on the way.”

I squirmed in my uncomfortable wet clothing, then
thought of the time with chagrin. “Not possible. Jane is still home. I can’t
let her see me like this, she’ll freak.”

Ren’s eyebrows shot up as he studied my
appearance. A cold breeze blew in off the water sending the chill of the wet
clothes against my skin deeper into my bones. My teeth began to chatter.

“I…I… have an idea.” I stammered haltingly.
“Laun…laun…dro…mat. We can dry my clothes there. Won’t… take long.” I managed
to say. My shoulders shook uncontrollably.

Ren’s forehead creased. He quickly whipped off his
coat and stooped to throw it around my shoulders. “Alright let’s go then.” He
agreed.

He reached for me with both hands and pulled me to
my feet. For a brief moment the deep chill in my core vanished, overpowered by
a surge of warmth flowing from our clasped hands.

“I have to ask…will this always happen when I
touch someone… you know, someone who has, a gift?” I asked shyly.

A crooked smile crossed Ren’s face. “Probably not
in the same way. We all sound and feel different to each other.” He responded
with equivalent shyness.

Unable to meet his gaze, I focused on controlling
my wobbly legs and numb feet, negotiating my way across the rocky beach toward
the path that would lead us to the street. As we started the climb up the
stairwell toward the street level, a sense of satisfaction washed through me.
I’d accomplished my first magical feat. I felt stronger with the thrill of
power coursing through my limbs.

But after the initial thrill, a creeping anxiety
settled in. A chasm was forming that I knew would only deepen, separating me
from the life I knew and the person I knew myself to be. I was entering a new
world but more importantly, I had to learn about a powerful stranger. Myself.

8

As the sun sank into the
sea and the streetlights flickered, illuminating the sidewalk and trees. I
stood at the window, with my coat on, anxiously spinning a woven leather
bracelet around my wrist. I glanced up the street, waiting for Pete’s car to
arrive. The trees on Main looked tattered, their leaves yellowed and brown.
Most of them lay in heaps on the sidewalk, swirling when the wind gusted down
the corridor between the rows of buildings.

I restlessly shifted from foot to foot. The
incident at the old marina flashed in my mind. My fingers flexed and tingled at
the memory of Ren’s hands clasping mine. It had been a strange week full of
exhilarating new discoveries and new feelings but tonight, all I wanted was to
be the old Eliza, just a normal teenager enjoying a concert with her normal
friend, if only for one last time. Defiantly, I pushed the thoughts of Ren and
my newfound identity from my mind, committing myself to the experience of the
night.

Pete’s ancient sedan pulled up to the curb below
my apartment. Excitement shot through me as I grabbed my bag and dashed out the
door.

“Hey Pete! How’s it going?” I asked, jumping into
the passenger seat.

Pete’s car smelled of musky cologne and tobacco.
Though not a habitual smoker, he had a penchant for smoking clove cigarettes
occasionally in his car. The scent along with the smell of burning leaves that
seeped in from the crisp night made my pulse quicken with anticipation.

Pete smiled from the passenger seat. “Good… now.”
He said and pulled away from the curb heading out of town.

“So, do you know how to get to this place? I’m
sorry to be dead weight tonight, I didn’t look for directions or anything.” I
shrugged realizing that I’d been too preoccupied this week to help Pete prepare
for this adventure.

“Yeah, I got directions online, it doesn’t look
hard to find.” He said, rummaging under his seat. He pulled a crumpled piece of
paper out and handed it to me. I noticed that it was a map and list of
directions.

“Just read the directions to me as we go. Don’t
think too much about them, just read what’s on the sheet, ok?” He shot me a
sarcastic grin.

“I think I can handle that.” I responded crisply.

Pete was well aware that I was extremely
directionally challenged. Of course, I could certainly read the directions to
him but the map was useless in my hands.

Mellow instrumental music floated from the car
speakers. Pete focused on the road, navigating our way out of town and onto the
highway. I leaned back in my seat and watched the lights of town rush by my
window. Just as I was beginning to relax and distance myself from any lingering
thoughts of Ren, Pete spoke.

“So, Eliza, what’s the deal with Ren? Are you
gonna start dating him?” I blushed hot at his question. There was no denying my
attraction to Ren. But he was my pharos. He had a duty to spend time with me.
It was entirely unlike Pete to question me about anything this way. Odd as it
was, he seemed innocently curious.

“No. Why?” I asked defensively.

Ren had slipped effortlessly into our little group
of friends. Though, the flavor of the group was distinctly different in his
presence. I didn’t sense that he irritated either Pete or Bryn. Rather, they
both seemed bewildered by his interest in all of us. Bryn, observing the bond
I’d developed with Ren, dismissed any hope in finding love but bugged me
incessantly for details that would indicate a budding romance. Having little
information that I could share with her, I’d shirked her inquiries, shifting
the focus to helping Ren get acquainted with his new town and school. Bryn had
been very helpful in that regard.

“You just act weird around him.” He said laughing.

“Means a lot coming from you, freak.” I snapped,
punching him playfully on the arm.

“You two just seem to be getting close, that’s
all. He obviously likes you.” The phrase ‘obviously likes you’ coming out of
Pete’s mouth sounded ridiculous but my stomach flipped when he said it.

“Oh really? You think so?” I asked sarcastically,
trying to mask my hope.

Pete glanced over at me with a smooth grin.

“Yeah, I do.” He said.

I laughed and shrugged Pete’s comment off
self-consciously.

“Oh, I wanted you to listen to this bootleg I just
found online yesterday. It’s awesome.” Pete said, easily switching topics as he
fiddled with his iPod.

It was a relief that Pete had dropped the subject
of Ren. We continued the drive without further discussion, enjoying the music,
until we saw signs for Providence.

After driving around town awhile, we managed to
find our way to the concert hall. Pete railed me for reading the directions
wrong.

“Look I’m sorry! It’s dark. I missed a line. It
could happen to anyone!” I defended myself.

“Ok, Eliza, anyone who has below a third grade
reading level, maybe.” Pete snapped. If there was anything that ruffled Pete’s
feathers it was being late for a show. We walked quickly toward the doors of
the concert hall, shivering in the chilly air.

I stalked ahead of him, charging into the building
but halted when I remembered that he still had both the tickets. It wouldn’t be
a good idea to get separated now.

Pete caught up with me, taking his time.
Obviously, he remembered the ticket detail and was reveling in his upper hand.
The lobby was still crowded but the opening band was well into their set by the
time we arrived. Pete reviewed a seating chart before guiding me up a staircase
and across a landing to an entry door. An attendant scanned our tickets and
pointed out the best route to our seats.

We slipped inside the loud, dark theater. The song
raging in the auditorium had most people up on their feet dancing and cheering,
making it easier for us to shuffle down our row into our seats. We had a clear
view of the stage. Pete and I scanned the energized audience before sharing
satisfied grins, our skirmish entirely forgotten as we settled in to enjoy the
show.

As I’d hoped would happen, I became entirely
immersed in the music, the heat and clamor of the crowd. The tangled thoughts of
Ren and all that his presence in my life had brought shrank into my
subconscious. Pete stood next to me but we both enjoyed our own universe of
experience. That was part of what made Pete such a good friend. We understood
each other’s need for individuality and space. As strange as that was, we were
excellent partners in solitude.

The headlining band opened with one of my favorite
songs and the crowd exploded around us. It was a full sensory experience. The
music was magical and flawed in a way that only live music can be. The heat of
the crowd intensified as the night wore on and aromatic smoke rose over our
heads.

I let my inhibitions fall like a heavy coat to the
floor and relaxed enjoying the anonymity of the crowd. My mind wandered with
the music away from my surroundings, floating unencumbered and free. That was a
mistake.

Suddenly, the lights around me grew dimmer and the
haze above thickened. The sound of the concert began to fade like a song
playing on the radio of a car that was driving away. It happened so quickly, I
didn’t have a chance to scream or reach out to Pete. I found myself alone in
dark silence, as if I’d slipped into an abyss.

Then a light passed over me. It was clear, like a
full moon on a cloudless night. Then I realized that, in fact, it was the moon.
A gentle breeze blew the haze around me away revealing a scene that invoked a
wave of cold fear in me. No! I thought with terror and quickly set about
pinching my arms and stamping my feet trying to shake myself out of the trance
that had brought me there. But the soft moist dirt of the road beneath my feet
quietly absorbed the assault and the pinching of my arms served only to remind
me of how much trouble I was in.