They Called Me FIVE

LANCE

I look at my shoes. At the black soil crunching under my feet. The blackness...I reach out. Stretch my senses...

Nothing. I sense nothing.

I grunt in frustration and look at her.. "Seven, I gave up. I don't know what you want me to see. There's nothing in here." I said.

She gave me one lingering look and sigh. "You lost it I see. It's okay. Magnus can help you in your problem. We just need to bring him back to normal."

With that, she turn around. Not giving me another look. I followed her. My feet falling back. I look down at my hands.

What does she mean? Lost? Lost what? My power? Death is still here. My shadows are still with me. I haven't lost anything...

Or was she referring to something else?

I watch her lean closer to Magnus. He whip to meet her face. Her hands find it's way on his shoulders.

"What?"

"Your strides are too shallow." She answered.

Magnus sense something is wrong and have skidded to the side, trying to get away from her.

"What are you doing?" he snap.

"I'll carry you to the end of this forest." She wasn't requesting for permission. She immediately scoop him to her arms. He protests and squirm in her grip.

Sam, sensing he shouldn't get himself involved, fall back to meet my pace.

"Hey," he's immediately at my side. Eyes trained ahead.

"Hey,"

"How long have you been together with these guys again?"

I pondered. "Not sure. Few months maybe? I forgot. I first met Magnus back at Opra."

"Where's that?"

"Not far back from North Carolina. Its a small town. Remote place with farmhouses and barnyards."

There's a slight pause after he spoke again.

"Then what about that guy who attack us inside the Madel's inn? He was also on the night in the forest. I can tell you guys are acquaintances."

I scratch my scalp. Magnus stops fending off Seven. He buried his small head on her shoulder. Like a small child scared of some clowns playing surprise and dock on his back.

"That guy...he used to be one of us. He's loyal to Seven...he has the power to change his appearance to anyone he wants. Copy their power. Remember that parrot back in your house? The one with me when I wake up? That's him."

He blinks twice. "You mean that funny little blabbermouth?"

I chuckled. "Yeah. You can't believe it too right? He was always with us."

"But why? I mean, we're good at Madel's inn right? All of us ate her food. We even fought for who gets what. He cheated by picking the chicken bucket first and hid under the table... Man, I don't know if you'll believe me but I haven't eaten with anyone for so long that one time makes me so happy. I want to try it again. With all of you guys."

He stared at me, eyes sparkling with sincerity.

"Believe me, me too. But I don't know. There must be something that urge him to switch side. He said it's about Seven. Seeing her fight makes him remember..? I don't know. But one thing is clear. Faeries urge him to betray us. They must have told him lies or have done magic voodoo hypnosis to point his sword to us. It must be." I urged.

Sam nods beside me.

I rest my eyes to the two figures walking ahead of me. I caught Magnus's eyes following me before he tuck himself on Seven's neck. He's trying to hide that he's staring at me.

Why?

Are they discussing something with each other?

Something about me?

Nah. That's impossible.

Far ahead, the trees concluded. My shadows disappeared into the ground. Almost like being swallowed. I felt it slithering back to me.

Seven put Magnus down. His face is a bit flushed and he's wiping his nose to hide it.

"Magnus you okay?" I ask.

"Yeah....So...where's the house?"

I pointed to the thick alignment of vines and leaves tangling at the center.

"Behind that. There's our houses. But are you sure about this?"

"Sure about what?"

"That Jesper is there, getting holed up by this crooked glasses man and is in danger."

Magnus looked at me, incredulous. "Well, yeah. If you think about it. Wouldn't you arrive in the same conclusion as I did? Just think about it. Three hundred bones underneath the soil? In a quiet neighborhood like this? I mean, what are the odds of that not getting find out?"

"Pretty much low. Not with housewives hopping from one houses to another and spread gossips." Sam murmur.

"Exactly. And that raises the question how? How did the owner of the house escapes the eyes of neighbors? Do his deeds at night? People are bound to notice if citizens are disappearing one by one. Human police will find that strange and check the neighborhood. That should put them in track for the missing people clues."

We burst out of the thick tangled vines and come face to face to the familiar backyard where I was earlier. The seesaw is still there. The kids playground amusement things that you usually saw in the park. The blue house stands silent and dark inside.

Not a soul is on site.

Magnus patted the soil. Searching the ground for digging signs. There's a lot of them. Uneven ground. Soft mound of soil. Upturned grasses.

"See?" He pointed.

"How come people in here won't notice if murder activities is happening three hundred times? Its bound to have magic involve in here."

Magnus crouched down and pick up a handful of soil. His eyes are trained to search for things out of ordinary.

"But if Jesper was here... If he was really involved..how could he be used as accomplice for the killings?"

It was Seven who answered.

"Time. He freeze the time in this area. While watching that man kill people, he helps him by letting him commit a murder in a blank space without time." Seven raise his nose up in the air and sniff.

"I can sense his blessings in the air."

Magnus stretch out his hands. Caught something in midair and rub it between his middle and index finger.

"Jesper. His blessings is everywhere. This is really not a good sign."

For a brief moment, I have forgotten these two possess skills far greater than what I and Sam have.

Fighting skills, experience, sensitivity...which I totally lack by the way. Seeing Seven's expression earlier made me want to vomit my worthlessness out.

Beside me, Sam close his eyes. Then he suddenly crouch down. His hands traveling, patting the grass.

I take one step back from him, surprised.

"What are you doing?"

He's suddenly up on his feet and leap the ground with long strides. Seven and Magnus did not hesitate to follow after him.

I have a bad feeling about this. I swallowed the crazy pumping of my heart and I move. We rounded the corner and arrived at the front.

We stand, looking up at the two-story house with blue light painted wooden house. The front walk leads to a slightly dark blue painted front porch with a rocking chair rocking back and forth. I touch the surface. Human body heat (or someone's hot butt) left impression in this chair.

Someone is here. Just sitting around. And then immediately left.

The bushes that function as a fence is well tended and cared. Even at this heat, it didn't dehydrate, the color of the leaves are still green.

As I thought, the black portion covered by the blinds make me realize the people here are actually not inside the house.

There's no movement...just as I predicted. No, it's just as I saw. There must be no one inside.

"Hey guys? Why don't we just go and search the basement instead? I don't see any -"

Sam pulled me against him and covered my mouth. Magnus has to scuttle beside Seven and she moved to crouch down behind the bushes. But Sam stops her.

I can't tell what he's trying to do. But I didn't fight back. He has hold on me and Seven and Magnus.

And then I heard it. The signs of heavy footsteps rocking the wooden planks of the house. Creaking the set of stairs.

Sam did not let go of me. Even if I feel suffocated I did not fight him. I look down to my chest and see that I can no longer see my body.

We disappeared. Right off the bat. Without any warning.

I looked over my shoulder. Sam has his eyes glaring at the door. Expecting who's the other side to come out and challenge him for a fight.

I don't think it's a good idea. The doorknob twist. A small creak appeared.

I gasp.

The man who opened it... Wasn't Jesper or the guy with crooked glasses I see.

It was a boy with shaved hair at the side, spiky hair at front, piercing everywhere on his tongue, mouth, nose, eyebrows....

But that wasn't what surprise me. It was his face.

It's Jesper.