Nostalgia's Labyrinth

Freezing rain dribbling on the skylight above lulled him off to sleep, but right after he closed his eyes, a hand covered his mouth and he awoke with a start.

“It’s okay, Iszeldier.” His mother held him from making a sound. “Get dressed, the camera’s off, I’m getting you out of here.”

Somehow coolheaded, Iszeldier sat up in bed, looking immediately to the camera over the door. Its normal red light had gone out, and the door that was always locked sat open. His mother straightened her uniform, regal and commanding, her black hair slicked back in a tight bun without a single strand out of place. She grabbed him clothes, a tight, white tank top, black leggings, and produced a coat and a pair of shoes for him. Not a pair of slippers with no traction to keep him from running, these were real shoes, snow boots.

“What about Dad?” he asked beneath a whisper.

She made him put on the coat, not that he needed it, and she covered his white hair with the hood. With a stern look, she just shook her head. Dread sank in Iszeldier’s stomach. This was really happening. Nervously, his mother checked the camera, to make sure it was still off. “Stay close to my shadow, don’t make a sound. When we get to the door, you go straight into the bushes. Someone will meet you.”

He nodded shakily, adrenaline spiking now. Before he stood, she took his wrist, so terrifyingly strong. “Listen… the person who’s helping me get you out… he wouldn’t do it without something in it for him.” She reached into her breast pocket and took out a small notebook, one of his dad’s journals. “Give this to him, and he’ll take you somewhere safe.”

Iszeldier didn’t want to touch the book. His dad would be furious if he was caught with this. “But… Mom—”

“Shh!” she stopped him, “stay close, don’t make a sound.” She wrenched him to his feet, dragging him to the door and Iszeldier couldn’t help but look back at his room. His whole world. It was barren and dark, but he didn’t need toys, movies, or books to entertain himself. He made his own entertainment in this prison.

At the door, his mother gave his wrist a tight squeeze before letting him go and he got behind her. With a little focus while he still stood in the darkness he turned invisible. She then stepped out, keeping him close as she closed and locked the door. Under the harsh hall light his shadow was still visible, but not if he stayed right up on her back. Cautiously, acting normal, his mother began walking confidently toward the exit.

Iszeldier knew these halls, he already knew his way to the exit, but a Shadow would never make it out of here without being picked up by the cameras. Each segment of the hall sealed, harsh light, no hiding places other than offices and other cells. She swiped her ID at the first segment, opening the door to leave the cell block. But as soon as the door opened, a pair of officers came right up to her face.

The older one, a sun-wrinkled man with a strong accent and a twisted smile immediately taunted her. “You’re here late? Saying goodnight to the little weapon of mass destruction?”

She scowled, “You mean my thirteen-year-old son who’s never harmed a fly.”

Iszeldier clung to the back of her jacket, staying hidden, but he was still cautious of the other man there—not quite a man, he was the officer’s son, brawny and violent, trained since birth to hunt down his kind. Hector Geodé was a rank under Iszeldier’s mom, so he’d seen this tit-for-tat before, but against her back he could feel her heart pounding especially when Hector’s son Carlo glared at her suspiciously.

Iszeldier took stock of how many knives Carlo had on him from the bulky spots under his uniform. Suddenly, his mother skirted past the father and son, and he scrambled to stay in her shadow.

“Hard to believe they approve your overtime, Marigold.” Hector mocked her name, trilling his Rs.

“That’s Sergeant to you, Officer Geodé.” She brought out her commanding voice and Iszeldier faltered. He hated that sound, she could be so scary.

Hearing the shouting, another man came out of an office, “What was that about?” he asked. Iszeldier heart softened, it was far from the last of their barriers to the exit but at least this man was kind.

“Just heading home, Chief.”

The chief’s eyes softened, watching Hector’s back as he and Carlo patrolled down the cell block. “Don’t let Señor Café get to you. Everyone gets graveyard shift occasionally.”

“I heard that!” Hector called right as the door closed and locked behind him.

Iszeldier held back a snort and his mother reached behind her back to tightly squeeze his shoulder. “You seem to be burning the midnight oil yourself.”

The chief groaned and sighed, “Your husband’s… project is bleeding us dry. I can’t get his budget approved.”

Marigold couldn’t disengage from the interaction, it was her boss, her commanding officer. “I’ll talk to him.”

“Please do,” the man nodded, “and see if you can get him to go home, I can’t afford his overtime. And I don’t think he’s slept in a couple days.”

Iszeldier hadn’t seen his father in a few days, and before that it was intermittent. His dad was the one who put him in this place.

Marigold got herself dismissed, and made a break for the door, walking so quickly Iszeldier had a hard time keeping up. She was fit, she’d earned her title, and none of these men could really stand up to her. She checked out with security, swiping her card two different times before she got to the exterior door. Thermal didn’t catch Iszeldier, he slipped right past. She unlocked the door, pushed out into the rain, and as soon as the door closed, she shoved Iszeldier with all her might into the hedges and walked away from him without looking back.

Iszeldier landed on his back in a puddle, soaking wet and breaking up a layer of ice. Not a goodbye, not even a hug. Iszeldier watched his mother go in shock as water dripped down his chin.

“Are you okay?” a voice appeared very near to him.

He jumped, suddenly right next to another woman who had sparkling green eyes. “W-who are you?” he trembled.

She glanced out at Marigold, shocked he hadn’t been told anything. “I’m Heaven. I’m here to get you out.”

“She said it was a man,” Iszeldier retorted nervously, unable to trust her.

Heaven nodded, kneeling in the puddle with him. “Yeah, he’s getting into position, we’re just waiting for the signal.”

“What signal?” Iszeldier asked right as the door suddenly opened. He turned invisible again, freaking out, but too his surprise Heaven also vanished next to him. She was like him!

Hector Geodé came storming out into the rain, his son close on his tail. He scanned the rainy parking lot for Marigold then turned to Carlo and cursed. “That bitch. She walked right past us with him!”

“We’re gonna call this in?” Carlo asked.

Hector sneered, giddy with the implications, “I can’t wait to dethrone her and her autistic husband. Find Iszeldier. Do your thing!”

Carlo nodded, but right before he could run off toward the woods, the alarms started and he froze. Hector’s radio piped up with the obnoxious scream of voices. “All units. All units. Benjamin McElroy spotted at the south entrance.”

Carlo’s psychotic eyes lit up with anticipation and he looked to his father for approval.

Hector just shut him down. “Don’t even think about it. Just find Iszeldier, don’t engage McElroy!” he ordered. Carlo slouched his shoulders and complained but Hector just shoved him away. He held his radio close and called in his position. “Engaging from the left, two minutes.”

Iszeldier looked to Heaven, “That signal?” he mouthed and she confirmed it with a small smile. They waited as long as possible for Carlo and Hector to be far away, then Heavan stood up a little taller out of the bushes. From her pocket, she produced a small pair of binoculars and looked over the mostly brown fall leaves out toward the forest.

After a moment she lowered it and knelt with him. “Okay, hold your breath, this is going to be disorienting.”

Iszeldier panicked a bit, not able to ask why but he quickly closed his mouth. Heaven placed a hand on the wall beside them, and tipped his balance over. A well of black appeared, a wide hole to nowhere and she made him fall through. Sudden cold wrapped around him, tightening up his limbs then he fell onto the wet ground inverted from his previous position. Gasping, he looked up to see he’d fallen out of a tree, a blackhole on a tree.

Heaven stepped through the hole without any disorientation and she helped him up. “You good?”

He nodded but he had no idea what happened. He looked around to see the entrance a hundred feet away, across the rainy sea of the parking lot. They’d teleported. He’d never seen anything like it!

“This way.” Heaven took his hand and together they turned invisible, running away from the south side of the complex. Iszeldier was thankful for the snow boots now, his feet splashed through partly frozen puddles. He was soaked all the way up his backside, but how could he think of that while he ran for his freedom?

Right before they reached the fence, Heaven stopped behind a tree and took out her binoculars again. Iszeldier had never gotten to the fence before, even on walks outside with his mom. He tried to look where Heaven was and in the distance, barely visible, he caught sight of a motorcycle on the side of the road.

Suddenly, someone grabbed him from behind and Iszeldier let out a cry right before he felt the cold steel contact his neck. “Heaven!” he croaked.

“You made it too easy,” Carlo sneered, holding a knife to his throat.

Dropping the binoculars, Heaven whirled around and fired a black aura from her hand, manifesting a tiny black hole that sucked in the knife like a magnet. It flew free of Carlo’s hand, then Heaven swung to punch him.

Carlo dropped Iszeldier, kicking him to the pine needles as he dodged Heaven’s fist. “Well isn’t it my lucky day! When I bring you in, they’ll have to promote me to officer.” Effortlessly, he grabbed her next swing and twisted her arm behind her back.

Iszeldier didn’t think. She was his only way out of here. He thrust both his hands in front of him spraying a concussive explosion of ice, binding Carlo’s feet to the ground. Heaven took his surprise to headbutt him in the nose, and he stumbled his knees buckling so he landed on his back with his knees bent. “Let’s go!” Iszeldier cried.

Heaven scrambled free right as the spotlights from the gate turned on, scanning the darkness. “Hide!” she urged, clinging to the nearest tree.

“Over here!” Carlo shrieked like a goat. “They’re over here!”

Panic appeared in Heaven’s face. “Just kidding, run!”

Iszeldier nodded and they scrambled out, dashing along the fence, dodging trees. The fence looped all the way around the complex, and their only option was to go to the south gate. “Why can’t we just teleport?” Iszeldier asked frantically.

“I have to see where I’m going, it only works short distances.” Heaven got in the lead, pulling him to turn invisible with her as they neared the gate. Gunshots rang out, bullets whizzed through the trees and Heaven dropped, pulling him down with her. “Stay down!” they crawled closer, peeking over the ridge into the south side of the complex.

There, Iszeldier made out Hector Geodé, his gun drawn, firing rounds mercilessly at a man down there who gained ground with every shot. Iszeldier’s jaw fell open. The man swung a sword at Hector, taking each bullet, deflecting it off the edge, splitting them in two. It clicked, Iszeldier had heard his name before today, he was a menace, a vigilante. He was Benjamin McElroy.

“We’re not supposed to be this close…” Heaven whispered, getting scared.

Iszeldier caught footsteps approaching from behind and he whirled just in time to see Carlo barreling up behind them. “Look out!”

Heaven rolled out of the way and Iszeldier screamed as a knife landed right where her chest was a second ago. Heaven stepped back, fists bared, but not equipped to fight against the knives.

“You thought I didn’t have more?” Carlo taunted, pulling another knife out of his shirt.

Heaven spread her hands, a blackhole in each palm, but Iszeldier didn’t know what good they’d do against Carlo.

“Well aren’t you a one-trick pony?” Carlo laughed and thrust at her, shoving her over the ridge and down the ditch onto the side of the road. Flood lights cast on her as she kicked him off, scrambling to her feet.

“Over there!” Officers shouted. Iszeldier instinctively vanished.

Benjamin saw her fall and took a moment to easily disarm Hector then run over. Meanwhile, Carlo slashed at her arms, cutting her elbows and driving her further out into the open.

“Switch to Inhibitor rounds,” A booming voice echoed from the door and Iszeldier saw the chief’s silhouette. “Bring her in alive!”

The dozen men switched their clips, surrounding Heaven on all sides and trying to cut her off from Benjamin. “Fire!” The chief ordered. Heaven held up her black orbs, frantically expanding them to draw in both the needle tipped round and magnetize the weapons and the officers.

“Hang in there, Heaven!” Benjamin called out to her, trying to get closer. Hector didn’t switch rounds, he drew a new gun and pointed at Benjamin’s back. Iszeldier almost screamed when he fired but Benjamin’s sword flew on its own, deflecting the bullet without him even looking.

Out of the gunfire came a loud cry and Iszeldier winced, covering his mouth when he realized Carlo had gotten up behind Heaven, and plunged his knife into her back. Iszeldier could see the blood from the ridge. Heaven’s blackholes receded and she gaped, not sure what happened. Carlo just forced her down, pleased with himself.

With her last strength, Heaven grabbed his collar, pulling him down with her, and kicking his stomach to fling him down into the ditch. Wincing, struggling, Heaven rolled up onto her knees, “You missed everything vital, kid,” she said, her voice pained like she was lying.

Growling, his face covered in mud, Carlo jumped at her, right as she brought up a new blackhole, one approximately Carlo-sized. He ran through, into oblivion, and fell face-first into his father as the portal let out on the other side of Benjamin’s back.

He ran to her. “Can you stand?” he asked, pulling her up and assessing the damage. “Where’s Iszeldier?”

She didn’t say, she just looked up, making eye contact with Iszeldier through the trees.

“Okay…” Benjamin nodded, “get him out of here, I can take it from here.” Before they could take a step in any direction, bullets and darts came whizzing at them. Benjamin’s sword moved so fast it blurred.

Carlo heard it all and puffed up, “You’re not getting away!” he roared, engaging, drawing a gun.

“Carlo, espera!” Hector reached out, stopping him from disobeying the order to take Heaven alive.

Carlo aimed at Benjamin, unloading the gun and Heaven brought up a new orb, one much bigger which she threw on the ground, creating an infinite black pit between her and Carlo. And then… it started to pull.

Ice had already started to stick on the wet ground and Carlo’s feet slid forward. Undeterred, Carlo adjusted his stance, steadied his feet, and drew his longest knife.

“Carlo, disengage!” Hector ordered, his gun and flashlight trained on Heaven and Benjamin.

Carlo didn’t listen, his eyes locked on that promotion even as the hole widened. Heaven stared at him, standing on her own, giving him the faintest taunt to try it. Carlo was out of his depth, he just didn’t know it. Charging forward, his short sword bared high, he went for it.

“No!” Hector roared at him, coming up from behind and slinging him to the ground. Carlo splashed in the puddles, suddenly making himself physically small under his father’s blows. He cowered, flinching, ready for another but it never came. He looked up, in the second the intense gravity took Hector. The terrifying man fell into the portal and Heaven closed her fist, swallowing him up.

Carlo sat in the rain glancing around the parking lot for where the portal opened up and dumped his father, but it never did. Scrambling to his feet, he turned in a frantic circle. “Where is he? What did you do?”

Heaven began preparing another orb. “Get closer. I’ll send you there too. And there’s no air in there.”

Iszeldier’s heart sank, and in the same moment the realization hit Carlo.

“You killed him?” he murmured, shock and horror compounding.

“Heaven, out of here… now.” Benjamin said calmly. Heaven nodded, thrusting the orb onto the ground to make a hole for her to jump inside of.

Thunder rang out, and something blew her back. Two more gunshots rang and Benjamin’s sword started flying. Heaven hit the pavement, her back in the freezing water, her hands shakily moving to her stomach. She’d been shot! Benjamin got over her, deflecting an entire clip’s worth of bullets. Iszeldier looked on to see where they were coming from and all at once, he froze. Coming out of the building behind the chief, Iszeldier’s mother stormed toward Benjamin.

“Give me back my son!” she roared, only stopped when her gun emptied.

Benjamin held his ground but Iszeldier could see the shock on his face, the double-cross, he’d been baited out, and she’d risked her own son to catch him. Iszeldier’s jaw trembled, tears rising up. No way. No way this was all just to catch Benjamin! He felt the notebook stuffed into his pocket. Was this even Marigold’s plan? Maybe… his dad had planned this.

The chief spoke up, backing her up. “You have no claim to any of the Shadows here. And it seems one of your Shadows is on our property…” he sneered.

Benjamin’s sword lowered, he dried it off and returned it to a scabbard at his belt. “Glad to see you haven’t changed, Archer. You’re still okay with the experimentation and torture of children?”

Giving a smirk, the chief gestured around to the men behind him. “You finally surrendering?” he asked as the men each took out their handcuffs.

“Nah…” Benjamin smiled, “just getting a hand free…” he stuck two fingers in his mouth and whistled, then grabbed Heaven up off the ground right as a giant raven descended from the sky. Big as a car! Its black feathers glistened in the floodlights, and so disorienting* fast, Benjamin climb up onto its back and took to the air.

Archer didn’t open fire on them, letting him get away. He looked disappointed, spending years trying to get through to Benjamin.

Marigold abruptly grabbed his arm and shook him. “Where’s Iszeldier?” she shrieked with panic in her voice, very convincing.

“Still up on the ridge,” Carlo suddenly pointed and Iszeldier ducked right before the floodlights touched him. He clamored to his feet shakily, “She let him out, this was all her plan. She’s just changing her tune because it didn’t go her way.”

Archer gave Marigold a hard look, but no one trusted Carlo’s word. The kid and his father had been trying to usurp her station for a year. He then stepped out, ordering the men to lower their weapons. “Iszeldier!” he called, soft toned and gentle. “Come on out, let’s get you out of the rain.”

Iszeldier didn’t budge, clinging to the soggy leaves and crying. Had he ever been close to escape? Had his mother actually wanted to get him out? Benjamin just left him, was he ever here to help?

“How about a little trip down to the cafeteria, I’ll get you something from the vending machine.” Archer offered, sounding kind and fatherly.

Iszeldier just scowled, they liked to lure him around with food. The vending machine was a source of magic, little goodies from the outside world with colors he’d never seen. This was a prison, Iszeldier had no illusions about that anymore. He’d rather be wet in the freezing rain than ever go back there. He peeked up at his mother, begging for some kind of confirmation that she wasn’t using him for status. He was a domesticated predator in their eyes, a wildcat that hadn’t quite grown to full size and was still amusing to keep as a pet. Their plaything, their show of power, their trophy, the experiment.

“What did you do!” a new voice roared from the entrance, and Iszeldier looked up to see a new man had appeared, his silhouette casting long shadows out over them. A mix of hope and horror passed in Iszeldier’s fogging breath when he saw the white lab coat, and the man stormed out into the rain. “You took it!” he ran right to Marigold, “my journal, you took it! What did you do with it?” he yelled over her.

Archer suddenly turned from the woods to Marigold and her husband. All at once, Carlo’s story made sense, he was telling the truth. With merely a look and a gesture, the nearest officers grabbed Marigold’s arms. “You better have a very good explanation.”

Marigold closed her mouth, choosing not to spin easily dissected lies.

“Does he have it?” the man in the lab coat howled, more enraged than anyone. “Did you give my life’s work to Benjamin McElroy?”

She held her chin high, not letting him bully her. “He’s our son. He’s a child. He’s not your life’s work.” As the words came, the officers cuffed her hands behind her back.

With all the confirmation he needed, Iszeldier’s father let out a pealing yell in frustration and strode away, clutching his fists and tearing at his hair. Five paces away, he drew his gun and pointed it directly at her.

“Whoa!” Archer shrieked, “what are you doing?”

Disheveled, unhinged and enraged, Iszeldier’s father faltered, “You don’t know what you’ve done! You might as well have handed over all my research to the fucking Overseer!”

“Don’t hurt her!” Iszeldier couldn’t stop himself, crying so hard. Even if she’d used him, she was still his mother, the only love he’d ever felt in this place.

His father fell quiet, mechanically still, and he turned up to the ridge, facing his son coldly.

Archer gave the order calmly to Carlo, “Get around behind him, Inhibitor rounds only.”

Carlo nodded quickly, drawing his gun and switching clips.

But Iszeldier’s father shouted again, “No! They won’t work on him, they’ll just piss him off!”

“Run, Iszeldier!” Marigold screamed, and all at once the plan felt real again. She hadn’t been using him, the plan had just gone wrong when Heaven got hurt. “Run! You’re stronger than they are! Just run!”

He rose to his feet, but he didn’t run yet, standing on the ledge in full view of a dozen officers, his parents, Carlo, and the chief. “Why?” he asked suddenly, his eyes flaring as he locked on his father. “Why did you do this to me? Why all the experiments, the needles, the surgeries? What do you want from me?”

Archer spread his hands, “I’m sure your father can explain it all once we’re back inside. It’s cold out here, why don’t you—”

Iszeldier scoffed, his fists tightening as frost climbed up his skin. “Like that ever bothered me…”

“Run!” Marigold pled inconsolably.

Her husband just rolled his eyes, adjusted his aim and shot her in the foot. Iszeldier jumped and covered his mouth as she screamed and fell to the pavement.

“Please!” she wailed on her knees. “Jules! He’s your son!”

With emotionless eyes, Jules put his hands on his knees and bent down to her. “He’s the future. Iszeldier, is the bridge between Shadows and humans.” With a cold, commanding stature, he turned to the men under his watch. “Sweep the compound, Benjamin might still be in the area trying to pick up Iszeldier.” He walked closer, stepping up the embankment, toward his son.

Iszeldier backed away, horrified. His father’s blue eyes came up over the ridge, scary and determined. He couldn’t stay still. He picked up his feet and tried to scramble away. Jules switched clips with a nonchalant posture, and pointed his gun as Iszeldier turned away. Running with all his might, Iszeldier turned invisible, weaving in the trees with Jules’ flashlight on his back. He pulled the trigger, the air whizzed around a tiny needle-tipped dart, and it struck him in the back.

Yelping, he ran into a tree, clinging to it for a second to reach back and pull it out. That wasn’t an inhibitor round, it was sedation. He was about to fall asleep. He had to get over that fence. It was his only chance. He brought down his body temperature as much as possible to stop the spread of the tranquilizer. He slipped in leaves and brambles. He could see the fence!

With a swipe of his arms, a stairway of ice appeared, up and over the fence, and he slid down the other side, thrown into the deep Appalachian forests. He ran with all his might, for his freedom, even as his eyes grew heavier. He heard shouting behind him. The gates opened and patrol cars sped out in two directions, meaning to cut him off. Their sirens, lights, and spotlights probed the darkness for him.

He slipped, falling down into the deep pool of a creek, under a fallen log. He crashed through its inch of ice, and before he lost to the drug, he refroze the water to make it still. Just his face came out of the water, and hidden under the fallen log, he waited there, silent and frozen until the lights passed him by. He’d be safe here for an hour or two, but he had to move. He didn’t leave much scent because of his cold, but their dogs knew his smell.

His eyes slipped shut, breathing contently, embraced by the cold as he slipped off to unconsciousness.