Chlorine Halos

Villains

"Teach yourself to trust; You'll learn more that way."

I raised the penrose over my head and threw it down with all the strength I had. Splashing into the shallow pool, it shattered against the solid bottom and sent out a burst of radiant light, causing me to avert my eyes and block my face with my forearm. Cautiously, I brought my focus back to the fountain. The surface of the water had the same translucence as the ceiling above us. A small bead shined on brightly, filling the clouded pool with a mysterious glow.

"Go ahead, Avian. You break it, you own it," Jasper said over my shoulder.

With one hand on the wall, I reached into the water and loosely grasped a strangely shaped trinket. Once it touched my palm, the light ceased to shine and the pool became crystal clear. I brought the tiny object above the surface and opened my hand. It was a chess pawn, layered with the multiple colors of the penrose which created it. Despite not knowing its purpose, I was fascinated.

"You can always do something beautiful with something broken," Jasper said, looking at the pawn.

"What is this?" I asked, holding it between my thumb and finger.

"That is your strata," Jasper answered. "Like a penrose, it will get you where you need to go, but it's also obedient to you. This is how we travel outside the city and around the grid. Your strata will activate when you need it to and will make shifts, depending on how you hold it."

"Is there a wrong way to hold it?"

"Not exactly," Jasper said, pulling out a blunt nail with a wide head from the pocket of his corduroy pants. Similar to mine, it was layered with colors. "Everyone's strata can sit on a flat surface." He placed the nail on its head on the top of the fountain's wall. "This is right side up. Turning it in your hand will signify which way is up and which way is down."

"That's amazing," I said in an exhale. "But, what do we need it for right now?"

"This is how we're going to find out how you are connected to Nicholas Michaels," Jasper explained. "I'm preparing you for a relay. It's a method of communication. Here." He handed me the nail, his strata. "Hold this. I'm going to need yours." I handed over the chess pawn as instructed. "Now, close your eyes and clear your mind. I need you to focus on what I say. Don't speak. Just think and focus." I took a deep breath and did as I was told. "Who is Nicholas Michaels?"

The nail became unbearably hot and I dropped it in a reflex. I immediately opened my eyes and found myself in a sea of darkness. The nail hit the ground and threw brilliant white sparks in every direction, then disappeared with the light. I heard Jasper's voice in the distance. 

"Focus, Avian."

Tiny white lights sparkled, dimly showing their surroundings. The more I concentrated on Mike, the more light crept over the darkness. Jasper startled me when he put his hand on my shoulder.

"Very good, Avian," he said with a pat. "Do you know where we are?"

I knew exactly where we were. "This is my ninth birthday party," I responded, still trying to comprehend it all. My house was standing, decorated for this occasion. I saw the bay windows of the kitchen, the deck where my parents entertained guests, and then I turned to see myself, nine-years-old, sitting on the stairs in the swimming pool. "Did we just travel back in time?" The sound of a doorbell chimed.

"In a way," Jasper said. "A relay projects your memories along with how the grid interacted with you. You bring the memory, my strata brings the grid. Now, where's this Nicholas Michaels?"

"This was the last conversation we had," I explained. "It was after everyone had left. I was sitting right there. He came through the opened gate. He'll be here soon. We talk about chlorine—"

The whistle of a tea kettle cut me off. I saw myself get out of the water and run up to the house, slowing down for the last few steps.

"No, no, no," I muttered. "This isn't right. He was here. Mike was here." I looked over to see myself crying on the deck. I realized that this was the moment my life changed. I ran to the windows in the French doors. My mother was crying on the floor. She was devastated. Then, I looked down at the younger me. My younger reflection in the window caught my eye. It wasn't me. This kid had sandy brown hair. Cut into a mushroom. Muddy eyes. He smiled.

A blinding light drowned everything. When I opened my eyes, we were back by the fountain in the pentagonal room. In my hand, I still held Jasper's strata. He grabbed the sides of my face.

"Are you okay?" he asked, deeply concerned. "What happened there?"

"That's when my mother died. That's when all of this started," I said, breathing heavily.

"I understand that, but we didn't leave that relay. We were kicked out," Jasper said forcefully.

"It was because of me. It was all because of me," I said with a twitch. "I'm not a hero. I'm a villain. I'm Mike. I'm Nicholas Michaels."

"We can't do this again, Avian," Jasper said, becoming irritated. "We just saw that Nicholas Michaels wasn't real. You brought us to a conversation that never happened. He was your imaginary friend who somehow got the same name that troubled your father."

"But, I saw Mike! He was standing in the reflection! It's me!"

"Stop it! He doesn't exist!"

"So sorry to interrupt," Donovan said, standing underneath the archway. "I'm afraid to say this, but you're both wrong."

Jasper cleared his throat and took a breath to calm himself. "All right, Donovan. Continue."

"We have a lead on Nicholas Michaels. He's on the grid."

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[Ch. Ded.] @tg7angel
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