Three Years Ago

“Are you kidding me?” asked Alex as she watched her so-called best friend ditching her to take off with some guy she met at a party. Alex had been against going to the party, only being convinced when told it was the social event of the year.

Alex had expected the party to be filled with people wearing nice clothes, listening to music and chatting about the finer things in life. She’d found it to instead be nothing but people getting drunk, irritatingly loud music, and being surrounded by people she would never in a million years associate with.

“Hey, baby,” said a drunk guy as he approached her. “You shouldn’t be here all alone. Want to go somewhere else with me and be alone?”

“No,” said Alex as she looked into her purse for her cell phone, then realized it was in her friend’s car. It was then the guy grabbed her arm.

“Come on, baby, I can show you a good time,” said the guy as Alex struggled.

“Leave me alone,” shouted Alex, just a tap came on the guy’s shoulder. He turned around to see Kyle standing there.

“You heard the lady,” Kyle told him. “Leave her alone. I’m sure there’s some willing plastic cheerleader inside for you to hit on.”

The guy got angry and threw a punch at Kyle, who ducked just in time for the guy’s fist to hit the brick wall. The guy screamed in pain as he ran off, as Kyle looked at Alex. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, but my friend ditched me and I have no ride home, or even a way to call for one,” said Alex.

“This party sucks anyway,” said Kyle as he offered her his cell phone. “I was just leaving. Can I give you a ride? Or you can just call for one, I mean, I understand if you don’t want to go home with a stranger.”

“Well, I guess it would be–” Alex started to say as she saw Kyle’s car. “I think I’ll call for a ride.”

As she waited for her parents to send the chauffeur, Alex and Kyle talked outside. Two weeks later, they would officially start dating but for now – it was simple.

NO EVIL SHALL ESCAPE MY SIGHT

By Tobias Christopher

Today

Kyle adjusted the tie on his suit as he walked up to the mansion where Alex lived. Looking around to make sure no one was watching, he focused his thoughts and created a floating green full length mirror in front of him to make sure everything was perfect before he knocked on the door.

“Don’t blow this, Rayner,” Kyle told himself as the mirror faded away. “This is your one shot to impress the parents of the girl you love.”

Alexandra DeWitt was getting ready for her parents party, wearing a beautiful black dress. There wasn’t a single flaw in her appearance as she turned to look at her mother.

“How do I look?” asked Alex.

“Stunning, dear. I see that you actually managed to fit into the dress,” said her mother. “You look good enough to show off to our friends, and maybe find you a suitable man.”

“Mother, you know I’m still dating Kyle,” said Alex as she started having doubts about her weight again. “He’ll be here soon.”

“Why would choose such a loser?” asked her mother. “He’s not from our world, dear. I doubt the boy’s ever seen anything larger than a twenty-dollar bill. He obviously only wants one thing, dear.”

“We’ve never slept together,” Alex admitted.

“I meant, money, dear,” the older woman replied.

“In the three years we’ve dated, Kyle’s never asked me for a dime,” replied Alex as she applied her lipstick. “In fact, he’s turned down every chance I’ve offered to help him improve his drab lifestyle. It’s almost as if he’s happy where he is.”

“Happy? Being poor?” asked the older woman with a laugh. “I seriously doubt it. Now if you’ll excuse me, I must go make sure your father is ready for the party. The poor man can’t make any decisions without me there to guide him. But then again, what man can?”

As her mother left, Alex looked into the mirror. She was now wondering if her mother was really right about Kyle.

Maura Rayner had just punched in for her job at the factory, one of the two jobs she worked at. After her husband walked out on her and Kyle ten years ago, Maura had to work to pay not only the mortgage on her home, but also to support her young son. Even after Kyle had moved out into his own place, Maura had kept working two jobs, as it had given her something to do with her time with Kyle having grown up and living his own life.

As Maura walked to the conveyor belt, where her job was to make sure each marshmallow peep had two brown eyes, she noticed the lights starting to dim. It wasn’t out of the ordinary for that to happen in the small factory, but the lights seemed to be dimming a bit more than usual tonight.

No one seemed to realize that the shadows around the room were growing longer, as if they had a life of their own. It was only twenty minutes later, when Todd Rice was being fueled by the screams of the people who’d refused to raise a hand to save him from the abuse he’d endured for years at the hands of his step-father that they’d realized what was happening.

Kyle walked into the ballroom with Alex on his arm as the two looked around. The party was being held on the DeWitt’s estate, in a wing of the mansion that was built just for parties like this.

“You look beautiful,” said Kyle as he admired his girlfriend.

“You don’t look too bad, yourself,” replied Alex as she looked down at his feet. “Are those sneakers?”

“Money was kind of tight this month, I didn’t know about the party in enough time to put something back for something fancy,” Kyle told her.

“You could have just asked for the money,” replied Alex. “It’s not like I wouldn’t give it to you.”

“I don’t want to be the kind of guy who has to depend on his rich girlfriend to get by,” said Kyle as they entered the crowd dancing on the floor. “I feel bad enough when I have to ask my mother or Terry for a loan.”

“You take money from Terry over your girlfriend?” asked Alex with a raised eyebrow. “Kyle, is there something going on with you two?”

Kyle started laughing at that thought. “I’m sorry, it’s just that it’s so funny that everyone thinks that me and Terry are like that. We’re just really close, that’s all. There’s nothing even remotely sexual going on between us, and there never will be. The only person I want to be with is right here in front of me.”

Alex smiled as the two leaned in to kiss, but were interrupted by her parents cutting in. With them was an older, overweight woman. Kyle took note that she had probably never smiled a day in her life.

“Alex, this is the woman who oversees the finishing school in Sweden that we were telling you about,” said Alex’s mother. “Frau Fetassey. We told her all about you.”

“Obviously not,” said the older woman as she looked at Alex through her glasses. “You didn’t tell me that she was at least ten pounds overweight. And something needs to be done with that hair.”

“Now, wait just a minute, Frau Fatass–” Kyle started to say as everyone looked at him.

“That’s pronounced Fuh-tas-ey,” said Alex’s father.

“Whatever, where do you get off -“

“Kyle, it’s– it’s fine,” said Alex nervously. “Excuse me, I need to go powder my nose.”

“I’ll accept her into my finishing school, but she’s going to need a lot of work done beforehand,” said the older woman as they seemed to just ignore Kyle while walking away. Kyle’s blood started to boil as he held his ring finger behind his back.

Terry was sitting on his bed, sketchbook in hand as he was listening to the television.

“The mysterious hero in Metropolis once again saved the day, rescuing a bus full of orphans, a convent that was on fire, and a kitten that was stuck up a tree,” said the reporter. “All within ten minutes of each other.”

As Terry was watching the report, he started sketching on the pad, modifying according to what he was seeing other heroes wearing on the news. Kyle’s look had to be original and not look like any other hero who was stepping out of the shadows. Just as he was finishing, he heard the phone ringing.

“Hello?” asked Terry as he listened to the person on the other end. “I was wondering when you were going to call me,” Terry tossed the sketch pad to the side as he leaned back. “What? When? Yeah, of course I’ll tell him. I’m on my way now! I’ll see you soon!”

Terry jumped off the bed, grabbing his sneakers as he headed for the door. Just as he was about to leave, he turned around and grabbed the sketch from the notepad before heading out, dialing his cell phone as he went.

As Frau Fetassey approached the buffet table, she looked over the food, wondering what to pick. She watched a young woman go to a cake, taking barely a thin sliver of it.

“Do leave some for the rest of us, dear,” said the woman as she reached for a plate. Suddenly, almost from out of nowhere, a green rat was sitting on top it, nibbling some cheese. It looked up at her with a twitching nose.

“Hi, how are ya?”

The woman screamed as she stepped back as everyone started looking at her. “A rat on the table!”

“There’s nothing there.” Mister DeWitt told her. “You must be seeing things, we keep a clean house here.”

“I know what I saw!” the woman shouted as she felt something down the blouse of her dress. Looking down it, the green rat looked up at her.

“I like you, we’re gonna be best friends!”

The woman screamed as she started thrashing around as the rest of the party guests started to whisper among themselves about her behavior. It was then that Alex returned, walking back to Kyle’s side as she watched the older woman act insane on the dance floor.

“What happened to her?” asked Alex.

“I think it was something she ate,” replied Kyle as he took her hand. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I just wanted to look perfect for my parents party, but–” Alex said as Kyle kissed her. He pulled back and smiled.

“You do look perfect,” Kyle told her. “Don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise.”

It was then that his cell phone started ringing. “Hello? Hey, Terry, this isn’t really a– What!? I’ll be right there!”

Kyle put his phone away as his face went pale. He was about to rush out the door when Alex caught his arm. “Kyle, where are you going?”

“My mom’s in the hospital,” said Kyle, the emotion showing in his voice. “I have to go to her. I’m sorry, Alex, I’ll call you later.”

“But this is my parent’s party, I wanted too–” Alex started to say as Kyle cut her off.

“Alex, my mom’s in trouble,” said Kyle as he took her hand. “I have to be with her. You’d do the same thing if your mom was in danger. I’ll call you soon.”

Kyle rushed out the door, leaving Alex standing there alone in the middle of the party.

Kyle arrived at the hospital as soon as he could, finding Terry sitting by Maura’s bedside. She looked cold, pale, and nearly lifeless.

“What the hell happened?” asked Kyle as he sat down next to Terry.

“No one can explain it,” Terry replied as he looked over to his friend. “Everyone they brought in from the factory looks like this. Something attacked the people working there, and no one can explain what it was. Then there’s this–“

Terry lifted Maura’s hand, revealing there was no shadow. “No one they brought in from the factory has a shadow, Kyle.”

Kyle got a tear in his eye as he looked down at his mother. “I’ll find who did this to you, mom. I swear. Terry, stay here with her.”

“Of course, but what are you–” Terry started to ask as he looked down at Kyle’s ring finger. He reached into his pocket and handed Kyle the sketch he’d made earlier. “Take this. It’s not perfect, but–“

Kyle looked down at the drawing of the costume Terry had come up for him. It was different shades of green with a domino mask. “Not crazy about the mask, though, but I like it. Thanks.”

“Be careful, Kyle,” Terry told him. “Go kick this thing’s ass for your mom.”

“Where did your date go?” asked Alex’s mother as the party was winding down.

“He left, his mother is in the hospital,” replied Alex as she looked at her mother. “He seemed really concerned for her.”

“He showed more concern for her than for someone who can help him move up in the world? What an odd man,” the woman replied.

“Mother, why were we never close like Kyle is with his mother?” asked Alex, finally wanting to ask. “I don’t remember us really bonding.”

“That’s what a nanny is for, dear,” her mother replied. “Why do something yourself when you can pay someone else to do a better job?”

Alex got a hurt look on her face, turning around before her mother could see her pout. She’d probably complain about pouting causing wrinkles, after all.

Todd Rice’s shadow form had grown since stealing the shadows of the people from the factory. His mental stability had also gotten increasingly erratic as he used his powers. What had started as simple revenge on the factory workers had grown into full-blown vengeance on the entire world for letting him suffer under abuse of his step-father.

Todd’s shadow form was moving over the city, blanketing it in complete darkness as he moved along. The more he covered in darkness, the more power he gained. And once he was finished with this city, he would move on to the next, then the next, until the world was as consumed with darkness as he was.

Todd came to a sudden stop when a giant green stop sign appeared in front of him.

“Alright, pal, I’m gonna have to ask you to step out of that thing and show me some I.D.,” said Green Lantern as he floated in front of the giant shadow, wearing the design that Terry had come up for him.

The shadow growled as several large black tentacles shot out at the hero, who held his ring finger forward and shot several powerful blasts at energy at them. When that didn’t seem to work, Green Lantern flew higher up and tried to think.

“Alright, how do I clean up a mess this big?” Green Lantern asked himself. He concentrated as a fifty foot Donna Reed appeared in the middle of the street, holding a vacuum cleaner. She started sucking up the shadow into the bag as Green Lantern landed on the ground. “There, that should–“

The vacuum bag started expanding, finally exploding as the shadow released itself. The darkness flew out as Green Lantern flew back up into the sky to avoid the darkness before it could engulf him.

“Okay, that didn’t work,” said Green Lantern as more tentacles shot up out of the darkness to try to grab him. Before he could get any higher, the tentacles wrapped around his legs and started dragging him down. As Green Lantern shot blasts at them to get the tentacles off of him, more grabbed onto his body.

As he tried to fight, Green Lantern found himself being sucked into the shadow, hearing Todd’s maniacal laughter. Soon, only Green Lantern’s hand was left sticking out of the shadow, until it was also pulled into the darkness.

To be continued…