The bustling street knocked Amos off his feet yet again. He grimaced as the rough pavement tore through his palms. The crowd continued to flow and move around him like an undisturbed school of fish. A stranger’s foot caught his leg as he tried to stand up and he braced himself to avoid tumbling a second time. He growled at the passing people who didn’t give him a second glance. Just another kid on the street.
“Come on, man. I only let you come along because you said you could keep up.”
Amos felt someone grip his arm and pull him off to the side against a concrete building. The owner brushed her brown hair out of the way to reveal an irritated expression. Amos shook his arm out of her hold.
“Oh please, you know you can’t pull this off alone. You brought me because you need me, Cathy.” He examined the specks of blood rising to the surface of his dark skin - curtesy of the asphalt that was a little too familiar with his callused hands.
Cathy folded her arms over her chest and raised her eyebrows. “Get over yourself. Let’s just get on with it so we can get back to the Colony as soon as possible.” She looked around nervously. “Being outside during the day gives me the creeps.”
“Typical Illumina,” Amos whispered under his breath. No sooner had the words faded in the air that he felt a fist slam into his shoulder with more power than Cathy should’ve been able to generate with her small frame. He crashed against the concreate wall next to them and grabbed his throbbing shoulder.
“Dude!” he shouted at his partner. Cathy turned on her heel and walked down the street.
“Gotta keep up, Amos. And don’t call me dude!” she called out behind her.
Amos groaned and followed her reluctantly. The two slipped in and out of alleys and between honking cars with ease developed through years of practice. The large city had become a safe haven for their kind as of late. As far as anyone else was concerned, they were just faceless teenagers among the horde of faceless people. This enabled them to stay hidden when needed, but also to roam the outside world without any fear.
Cathy stopped suddenly in front of an old antique shop. The fogged, barred windows allowed outsiders to see little of what was inside. She rubbed her dark sleeve against the glass and peered into the shop.
“Do you see it?” Amos asked nervously.
She waved her hand to shush him like he was an irritating fly and continued to study the items lined up inside. An old scroll with an amulet dangling from the end caught her eye. She nodded and stepped away from the glass.
“Ready?” her eyes lit up with an inhuman glow fueled by the prospect and excitement of their mission.
Amos sighed and pulled the hood up over his head reluctantly. He used the edge of his worn-out hoodie to open the door as Cathy disappeared behind the building. An old cowbell above his head announced his entrance as the door swung open. He tucked his hands inside his pockets and tried to appear disinterested in the objects around the room. An older couple also meandered around the small shop slowly as they pointed at the different bits of history and remarked on their worth. A quizzical middle-aged woman stood behind the counter sorting receipts quietly. Amos waited.
The lights flickered, causing everyone to stop what they were doing and look up curiously. Suddenly, every bulb and plug throughout the shop sparked and exploded, casting the room into a hazy dusk.
“Oh dear,” the older woman broke the silence.
Amos smiled slightly and pulled his hand out of his pocket along with a waded page from a notebook he had stuffed in there earlier. He gripped the crumpled ball and smiled wider as the heat from his hand transferred to the paper. The owner of shop was turned away from him as she played with the breaker box on the wall, so she didn’t see the fiery wad launch from his hand and land underneath a Victorian curtain in the corner of the shop. The small flames licked the bottom of the tapestry and took to the old fabric quickly. The older woman gasped as the corner of the room lit up in flames.
“Everyone get out!” Amos shouted in feigned fear.
He followed the two customers and shop owner out the front as the fire continued to grow, successfully distracting them from the female figure that slipped in the backdoor. Once on the street, the owner whipped out her phone to call the fire department as the elderly couple consoled each other.
Amos slipped away quietly back down the alley. He pulled his hood back down once he was clear of the shop and jumped over a trashcan as his body filled with adrenaline. When he rounded the corner to another alley too quickly, he nearly collided with Cathy on the other side. Her wide smile matched his own as she held up the old scroll.
“Mission accomplished,” she said confidently.
“Nice job with the lights!” Amos couldn’t hide the excitement in his voice.
Cathy cocked an eyebrow. “Bet a Blazen couldn’t do that if he tried.”
Amos rolled his eyes. He opened his mouth to respond when arguing voices reached his ears. He grabbed Cathy’s arm and pulled her down behind a dumpster as two other people entered the alley. Cathy tucked the scroll into her jacket and peaked around the dumpster.
“Who is it?” Amos whispered.
Cathy shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. Looks like a couple of red-heads.”
ns 15.158.61.48da2
