My parents noticed it first. They’d buried our old dog in the backyard after he died, and they watched three-year-old me petting the air above his grave. They found it touching, but they didn’t think much of it until they took me to visit my grandmother’s grave for the first time. I was five, and they said I was hugging my father’s leg as I asked why the sleeping people were glowing yellow.
After that, my parents realized I had an unusual gift, and they helped me study it and develop it. We ended up calling the hovering, glowing shadow that corpses emit “glowmains”. By the time I was fourteen, we were roaming forests, alleys, abandoned sites, and sailing around the bay, locating bodies and sending anonymous tips to the police. We felt it was important for their deaths to be given proper respect and closure.
My parents and I agreed a long time ago to never reveal my gift out of fear of me getting taken away for experiments. We had no idea how I’d come to possess this ability, and we were okay with that … but now, I think I’m close to finding out!
A few days ago, just after my sixteenth birthday, my grandfather got sick and my parents had to travel across the country to be by his side. I was old enough to be on my own for a few days, and I also had just started school, so I stayed behind. They made me promise not to go body hunting without them, but a few days after they called and said they were extending their stay for another week, I couldn’t help myself.
We had a half-day of school today, and after class, I ran home, grabbed one of my many cheap galoches, and took a one-hour bus ride to the abandoned hospital at the edge of town. We’d been meaning to check it out for a while, and I was excited to see how many bodies I could help find proper respect.
After sneaking into the building, I walked around, ignoring the glowmains of rats and lizards until I came across a human-shaped one. This one was very bright, which meant it was a fresh body. The closer I got to it, the bigger and clearer it became, until it was the size of a full-grown man right at my feet. The corpse was under a ratty blanket, but I knew he was curled up in the fetal position, just like his glowmains hovering over him.
He must’ve been a homeless man who died alone in this old, empty building. With sorrow tugging at my heart, I made a note of his location before I walked around some more, searching the quiet, dusty halls for others. Turning to a window, I froze in my tracks at the sight of dozens of glowmains in the desiccated garden, bigger than those of the birds and squirrels. I ran out and made a beeline to the closest one, and I grimaced at its shape. It was of a guy on his back, his decapitated head beside his feet. It was small, which meant the body was buried quite deep in the ground.
I ran to another, and I put a hand to my mouth, a chill trickling down my spine. This one had each leg split into three from thigh to toes, their skin in tatters. My heart hammered as I whipped around, my wide eyes scanning this morbid graveyard and its hundreds of mutilated glowmains. This had to be some murder cult’s dump site or something. I had to report it.
And I had to get out of here.
My body hunting over for the day, I ran out of the hospital gates and dashed towards the bus stop, only stopping to ditch the galoches. My heart continued jittering the entire way home, and I only let out a shaky sigh of relief once I ran through the front door and clicked the lock shut.
After collecting myself, I went to my mother’s computer and called the police through the untraceable system she’d set up, leaving an anonymous tip on where to find the bodies. My parents usually did this, but there was no way I was letting them know I broke their rules. I’d seen them do these calls often enough and I was certain I set it up properly.
Not a minute later, my mother called, and I stared at my phone, terrified she knew I’d accessed the computer. With my heart in my throat, I answered, and I let out a relieved breath when all they wanted to do was check up on me and give me updates on my grandfather and his upcoming surgery.
Satisfied I’d done a good job all on my own, I decided to go out and celebrate. After calling my friends and arranging for a movie night, I grabbed a quick bite, showered, and primped up before slinging on my purse and making my way to the bus stop. With the fall sunsets, I always kept my phone’s flashlight open for safety when I passed by alleys …
… but all the good that did me today.
Barely a block from home, a hand covered my mouth as I was dragged away and shoved inside a van, my phone cracking on the sidewalk. My screams scoured my throat as tape was pressed over my lips and a bag slipped over my head, my hands and feet bound with chains.
Once their hands were off me, I frantically scooted away until my back hit the side of the van. Trembling, I curled up into myself, trying to hold back tears as I wondered if these were members of the murder cult, upset I’d reported their dump site. Maybe my call wasn’t as anonymous as I’d hoped. Maybe the police were in on it.
Dread pierced my already beleaguered heart as I also realized they might ask how I knew there were bodies buried there. I had to get out of this situation with my life and my secret intact.
Despite my overwhelming fear, I tried to escape as I began twisting my wrists against the chains, but to my shock, someone hoisted me onto their shoulder and began walking. They’d just thrown me in here, and now they were carrying me out before driving anywhere? I shifted my terrified efforts into struggling, but all that did was make them dig their fingers deeper into my thigh to hold me steady.
I gasped as they flung me forward, and I grunted in pain as my butt landed on something hard, my bound feet dangling. The bag was removed off my head, and I winced at the bright light aimed directly at my face. Squinting, I looked around, and my dread grew at the sight of bare cement walls, floors, and ceilings. Where was I?
Perched on a thin wooden stool, I wobbled as I turned to glance behind me, and three stern men and a woman looked back, their eyes piercing green, their burly physique intimidating. I didn’t know if they were cops, but I was certain they were killers. From the murder cult I’d tattled on. And now I was at their mercy.
The woman reached over in the blink of an eye, and I flinched as she ripped the tape off my mouth.
“Now we may begin.”
I gasped and turned to the front again, towards the voice, and my frightened gaze landed on the silhouette of a man walking towards me. He stood within kicking distance, but I didn’t dare make a move. He remained silent for a while, studying me, and I gulped as I tried to study him back. The bright light behind him didn’t allow for much detail, but I could smell his cologne and see the shine of his shoes.
“You reported bodies buried in the old Mercy Care Hospital. We have people in the force who traced the call to your address. Who told you about the bodies and why?”
My mouth hung open as fear paralyzed my mind. He’d inadvertently given me an out. I could put the blame on somebody else. But I didn’t know what the safest thing to say was.
The man stepped closer. “If you don’t tell me how you knew about the bodies, I’ll make you tell me.”
I flinched, drawing back. “It … it was an a-anonymous call,” I said, my trembling voice cracking.
He sighed. “Then it must come to this.”
He reached for me, and I broke as I shied away and cried out, “I saw their glowmains!”
“You saw their what?”
Still cowering into myself, I squeezed my eyes shut, regret coating my frazzled heart as I began to weep. “I saw their glowmains,” I whispered.
He stepped back. “What are glowmains?”
“The d-dead, they … they have hovering, glowing shadows.”
“Stop crying and explain it to me.”
I winced at his harsh tone, my breaths hitching as I swallowed my last sob. “I d-don’t know how it works. I just … see it. It … it’s the shape of the dead body. Floating d-directly over them. Always in air. If they’re buried, the glow is above the ground where they’re b-buried. If they’re in the water, it’s above the surface where they are. The smaller it is, the d-deeper they are. The brighter it is, the f-fresher they are.”
He remained silent for a while, and antsy anticipation gnawed at my nerves. He now knew what I could do, and what he planned on doing with that information was a mystery that terrified me.
“Unchain her,” he said to his goons as he turned off the bright light.
I blinked in surprise as they followed his orders. Now no longer blinded, I could finally make out my interrogator’s features. He was just as tall as the thugs who worked for him, but he was less burly with greener eyes. He also looked older and more polished, his hair longer, his dark skin flawless, his face clean-shaven, his canines prominent, his black suit a far cry from their jeans and leather jackets.
He put his hand to his ear and spoke in a strange language before he said to me, “I’m taking you to meet my mother.”
Baffled, I stood up on shaky legs and rubbed my sore wrists. “Who’s your mother?”
“She’ll let you know. Follow me.”
“B-but why are you—”
“If you won’t come with me voluntarily, I’ll have my team escort you.”
I tensed up and shot a glance behind me at his goons’ scowling faces. “No, n-no, I’ll come.”
Gathering my courage, I followed him, his team behind us. After walking through a drab, gray hall with no doors, we reached a dead end. My confusion didn’t last long as a hidden door slid open, revealing an elevator. Only my interrogator and I entered, my unease increasing by the second as the door slid closed. There were no buttons inside, and even after the man tapped his bracelet against the wall, we didn’t seem to move. Frowning, I turned to him, only to look back at the door in surprise when it opened to reveal a vast, black marble office.
“Mika, please bring our guest in,” a woman said, her voice echoing.
I had to squint to see her behind a glass desk at the far end of the room. A huge emerald chandelier hung above our heads as we walked past marble statues and pedestals holding fancy vases, the metallic scent in the cold air intermingling with that of leather. We finally made it to the lady’s desk, and she stood up and gestured to a couch across from her desk.
“Have a seat, dear.”
Shivering, I sank into the soft leather and hugged myself, feeling the effect of her authority already. She didn’t seem much older than her son, and she was also extremely pale. She must have adopted him. She was as beautiful as he was handsome, her canines just as prominent, but her green eyes were so bright they seemed to be glowing as power and confidence radiated off her.
“What’s your name?” she asked.
“S-Serena,” I replied after a second of hesitation.
“Serena, welcome. I’m Cassiopeia.”
I eyed her as she smiled and walked over with a red, wool shawl, and I flinched when she draped it over my shoulders.
“Don’t be scared,” she said, sitting beside me. “We won’t hurt you. I apologize for the way you’ve been treated, we assumed you were working with the enemy.”
“Enemy?” I asked, pulling the shawl tight around me. “Wh-what enemy?”
“That isn’t important right now. What I’m interested in is your case. My son tells me you have the gift of seeing the glow of the dead. It’s a very rare gift for a human to have.”
Shock merged with my unease. “Wait, you … you know about gifts like this?”
“I’ve heard of creatures that possess such an ability.”
“Creatures? What creatures?”
“I’ll let you know once you give me more details about your gift. You’ve had the gift for as long as you remember, haven’t you?”
I never imagined divulging my secret before, but now it was out, and despite my apprehension, I wanted answers. “Yes.”
“Your parents don’t possess the same gift, do they?”
“No.”
“Do you see this glow for every dead body?”
I nodded. “Not plants or bugs, b-but everything else, yes.”
“You said the brighter the glow, the fresher the body. How long does the body have to be dead before the glow is completely extinguished.”
“I … I don’t know. My grandma died ten years before I was born a-and I can still see her glowmains in the graveyard.”
“And how old are you?”
“Sixteen.”
She smiled. “That’s wonderful.”
“It is?”
“Yes.” She reached over and held my hands. “Tell me, Serena, what do you do with your gift?”
Feeling at ease, I smiled back. “My parents and I find bodies in the woods and alleys and the bay and stuff and we report them to the police.” My smile vanished. “Why do you guys have a graveyard full of mutilated bodies in the hospital garden?”
That question had been writhing in my mind, and I felt a strange compulsion to ask it just now. Horror wrung my heart, but Cassiopiea’s words soothed it.
“There are no bodies in the hospital garden.” She rubbed her thumbs over the back of my hands. “Trust me. You do trust me, don’t you?”
I nodded, sighing in relief. “Yes.”
“Wonderful. Now, tell me Serena, have you ever had a DNA test done?”
“No, and I don’t need to. I know my parents are my parents.”
“They could very well be your parents, but as I’ve heard, certain creatures have a way of injecting their DNA into other species. If you don’t mind, we’d like to take a sample of your blood to run a DNA test.”
“You?”
“Yes. We have our own labs. And with our knowledge, we’ll focus on areas other labs would gloss over.” She smiled, holding my hands tighter. “You are interested in finding out the source of your gift, aren’t you?”
I gave her an eager nod. “Yes, I am.”
“Wonderful! Mika, please draw a vial of Serena’s blood.”
Mika grimaced. “The lab can do it later.”
“Mika,” Cassiopeia said in a warning tone. “Let’s not keep our guest waiting. I have the kit on my desk.”
Mika, still grimacing, walked over and snapped on the gloves with irritation, and I tensed up. “I’m … I’m afraid of needles.”
“Just look at me and relax.” Cassiopeia said. “It will be over before you know it.”
Her green eyes drew me in, and I smiled. “Okay, I’m okay.”
“And it’s over before it started!”
“Wha …?” I looked down at my arm in shock to see my sleeve rolled up, gauze taped to my inner elbow.
“How … how did you do that so f-fast?” I asked, turning to Mika in bewildered discomfort.
“Experience,” he replied, snapping off the gloves in disgust.
Cassiopeia squeezed my hands and scooted closer. “Serena, I would like you to do something for me.”
I turned back to her. “What do you want me to do?”
“My only brother Perseus was murdered fifteen years ago by one of our rivals.”
“Oh, no, I’m so sorry,” I said, my heart dropping with sorrow.
“I am too, that I wasn’t able to save him. I’ve been trying to locate his body and bring him home for a proper burial, but I’ve been unsuccessful. This is where I ask for your help. We have certain locations where we believe his body could have been dumped. To save us from searching the entire area, you could point out his body’s glow if you see it.”
“But I don’t know what he looks like. And even if I did, glowmains don’t have a lot of detail.”
“He’s easy to identify. He only had one leg. And he would be decapitated.”
I winced. “Oh …”
“Please, Serena.” She ran her thumb over my knuckles. “Perseus and I built this business together and it pains me that his body is so far from home. Are you willing to help me so that my brother can rest in peace?”
I couldn’t help but reply, “Yes, of course I’ll help you.”
“Do you promise?”
“Yes.”
She cupped my hands in hers. “Thank you so much, you’re an angel. Tell me, Serena, is anyone expecting you tonight?”
“No, my parents are across the country with my grandpa because he’s sick,” I replied without hesitation. “But they do call me every day. I was also supposed to meet my friends at the movies tonight. I should call them and tell them I didn’t bail on purpose. I don’t want bad blood between us.”
“How long will your parents be away?”
“Only a few more days, unless my grandpa’s surgery goes bad.”
“Wonderful. Listen, Serena. We would like you to stay with us tonight, so that we may begin our search tomorrow.”
“What? Stay here?”
“Yes. We’ve recovered your purse and SIM, and we can give you a new phone so that you may talk to your parents and friends.”
“I get a new phone?” I asked with delight.
She smiled. “Yes, the latest version. Just promise not to tell your parents, friends, or the police about what happened today.”
“Oh, I won’t. I wasn’t supposed to be body hunting by myself today. My parents would ground me if they found out. And no one else knows about my gift, so I won’t tell anyone anything.”
“Promise?”
“Yes.”
“Wonderful. I hope you enjoy your stay with us.” She let go of my hands and stood up. “Mika, please escort our guest to her room.”
And here I am, in this awesome room with the softest bed and newest phone. They even gave me cookies and milk for dinner! I just finished talking to my parents and apologizing to my friends, and I can’t wait to help Cassiopeia find her brother tomorrow!
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Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5
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