When Night Breaks

I walked home on the empty streets of Elliot Springs, back to my hidden retreat where I knew Leo would be waiting impatiently and angrily. So, I took my time. I soaked in the midnight air, as a cool crisp breeze blew fallen leaves onto my path. No one was out at this hour except the people that the world had forgotten. A homeless man sitting against a brick building was fast asleep as I strolled past him and his plastic bag of possessions. He looked old, but I assumed the half empty bottle of vodka at his side has enhanced the effects of time upon his face. His white beard hung long and his clothes were stained and torn. He was lying on an old sleeping bag with an old wool blanket over his legs. His wrinkled arm had an old faded tattoo of an anchor, a globe, and an eagle. He was a Marine.

In the back alley a few hundred yards away, I could hear the breathing of another person. That’s one thing the night brought me: super enhanced senses. I could hear the heartbeats of those that weren’t close by, the heavy breaths they let out, the footsteps as they drew closer. I could smell the musk to their sweat, and see them through the dark shadows of the evening. I stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, and turned back to the old homeless man. I spotted the adolescent boy; he was strolling from the alley and walked up to the man’s makeshift bed. He began to rummage through the now torn plastic bag, as the old man awoke. The youth reached into his jacket and pulled out a pistol. He began to press the barrel to the old man’s head as he demanded him to give up his things. I rushed to them and in one swift motion, the boy was hanging in the air, suspended by my one arm. Pinning him against the brick building, I felt the veins pop out from my neck and I knew I was raging. I squeezed his neck and held the gun up to his face with my other hand. I grasped the barrel, bending the metal under the force and threw it down to the concrete. As the gun hit the ground, so did the boy. I slung him into the street and stood over him as he pleaded for his life.

“Leave. Now!” I roared, and the boy scampered away, frightened and alarmed. I knew he wouldn’t be bothering anyone for a while. I quickly got my rage under control and returned to normal. I turned back to the homeless man who was sitting balled up in shock. I pulled a ten dollar bill out of my wallet and drew it down beside him as I walked away silently.

“Th-thank you.” he stammered out as I quickened my pace back to the house.



I slowly put the key into the lock and turned the knob to the front door. I entered to a dark and quiet house. Leo must have already been in bed, I thought as I slipped my shoes off and left them by the door. I started towards my room, when suddenly the light flicked on. Leo wasn’t asleep after all.

“You scared me.” I told him.

“Good.” He said emotionless.
“Well, I’m going to bed. See you in the morning.” I headed towards the hallway trying to escape him,
but Leo quickly darted in front of me.

“No. We need to talk.”

“Leo, it’s late. I want to go to bed.”

“Oh so you’re tired now but wasn’t while you were out on your little rendezvous with that girl?”

“Samantha. Her name’s Samantha.”

“I don’t give a damn what her name is. Why the hell do you think it’s okay to bring her into our lives and act so careless?”

“Why the hell are you acting like such an asshole?” I retorted back.

“Because with the secrets we’re holding, I have to be an asshole for you to understand!”

“Well too damn late, she knows the secret!” I screamed at him without thinking of the words before they spilled from my mouth. Leo’s face drew up a look of such anger and shock that I took a step back. He breathed in heavily and stared at me.

“Leo, listen to me before you blow up.”

“Listen to you? Okay Jay, I’ll listen.” He said in a sarcastically calm tone.

“Samantha is different. She can be trusted.”

“She’s different? Like how Kara was different?” The very mention of the name sent my blood to boiling and my heart rate to quicken.

“No.” I answered sharply. “Samantha is nothing like Kara. We have things in common.”

“Oh okay I get it now. She has corrupted DNA too and has had to move from state to state trying to elude the crazy people who tried to kill her just like you, huh?”

“Damnit Leo, can you stop with the sarcasm?” I knew that every rude comment he made was said out of an honest concern for me and for him. But I had to make his understand that this time was not a repeat of the past.

“Can you stop putting us in danger with your love interests?” More sarcasm, of course.

“She lost a brother too! Okay? Like I lost Jeremy, her older brother got murdered.” I seen the anger in Leo’s eyes diminish. He knew the subject of Jeremy was tough for me, and he was always sensitive when it came to talking about him.

“Oh. Well, I’m sorry. I just don’t want this to be like last time.” I heard the sincerity in his voice as the fury and sarcasm faded.

“It’s not like last time. I promise. I can -- I can feel what she feels.” I had no better way of explaining what was happening.

“What do you mean?”

“Like, it’s not just the senses I get at night. Those are still there of course but it’s more than just hearing the heartbeat. I can honestly feel what she’s feeling; the pain, the sadness, the joy, the nervousness. I didn’t understand it at first, but I get it now. Any emotion Samantha has comes through me too. That’s how I know she’s…” I couldn’t think of the right word but Leo knew what I was getting at.

“Whoa. This may mean you’re evolving. That your DNA is still changing. We’ll run tests in the morning and I’ll monitor you for a few days.” I stopped him short.

“No Leo. It isn’t about the science this time. My tests and DNA are still going to be the same.”

“Well I can do a brain scan, see if it’s mental.”

I couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.

“Leo, I’m not mental. Not fully.” It made him laugh too, and I knew our little argument was over.

“Look man, I know you think this is all crazy. But trust me on this one, okay?”

He was hesitant but soon gave a half smile and said, “I guess she’s sort of cute.” It wasn’t much but for Leo I knew it was as much of an approval as I was going to get. I nodded my head in agreement and reached my hand out to him.

“Friends again?” I asked.

“Always.” He took my hand and pulled me in for a bro hug. He pushed me away after a minute and punched my arm.

“Quit being so mushy.” We both smiled and I tousled his hair like I knew he hated.

“Goodnight, Leo.”

“Night, Jay.” We parted ways and went into our separate rooms. I crashed on my bed, replaying everything from that night. This reminded me, I better not mention the homeless guy to Leo. I had already pissed him off enough for one day.

It didn’t take long and I was fast asleep. I awoke in the early morning hours, sweating and shaking. I had just had a nightmare; for years, I had experienced terrible dreams that terrorized me every night. When we moved to North Carolina they had stopped. Until tonight. Although the details were still fuzzy, I knew exactly who it was about. I just didn’t know why. As I tried to fall back asleep I kept seeing one face: Kara’s.