had the last bit of paint dried than he began having blackouts. Waking in strange places, or looking up from a soggy, lukewarm bowl of cereal to see that three hours had passed. He was sure he’d finished his last meeting with the adoption agency before the bleeding from the ears and the great, sudden spouts of blood from his nose began. He’d forgotten one of the girl’s names in those last weeks; woke up in an alley all the way in town the next; lost almost two days at some point. That was when he knew he could not take care of the girls. If he could have sent them back, he would have. But it was too big of a risk. He remembered that much, the rest just in broad strokes.
Now, here he was, almost a decade and a half older, with only vague recollections of dropping the girls off for the last time. He’d told social services that he had a brain disorder and was the last of their family. He just recalled that . That was now his last somewhat clear memory of them, hearing one of them call for him as he stumbled out of the office. There was more, a lot more, it seemed, just out of focus. But it was all he could piece together right then. He put it out of his mind for the moment. It was overwhelming him.
His clothes stuck to him, the smell of mud and his own filth crawled ever into his nose as he walked the highway, the woods at his side. Rivulets of water slid down his face from his wet hair, tickling him. Cars zoomed by, pushing at him like weak fists. So Jonas stepped further into the ditch, not wanting to add being run over to his bad day. That was when he saw it.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the thing rushing at him. Even over his own stench he recognized its faint odor. But he reacted a moment too late. At once, he was no longer on the side of the road, or even on Earth. The Wraith had gotten into his head, showing him an auburn sky filled with screeching, gangling things. They circled him like buzzards. Their droppings smacked the ground around him, sizzling as they ate at the hard, dry earth. One of them swooped close, and the air from its skin wings knocked him forward. Jonas scrambled to his feet. Another of the things lunged at him. Its claws found his back and it rose again, wet ragged pieces of him in its grip.
Gasping, he returned to himself, to the real world, to see the empty, alien eyes of a Wraith inches from his own. Jonas had hoped in his most desperate prayers never to see such eyes again. Of the entire Fade force, the Wraith could do the least physical damage. But it was one of the most feared warriors. They sacrificed physical forms for technological advantage. The knowledge that they could enter your mind at any time, tinker with your thoughts, conjured worse fear than that of blade or gun. And they were quite sadistic in their creativity.
The Wraith were greedy with their words unless they were in your head. But this one’s gasping, echoing voice chilled Jonas. “I found you.”
With that, Jonas began to feel it climbing into his mind once more. His head already throbbing from the first round. This is going to hurt like hell , he thought, squeezing his eyes tight. In one moment he was wrestling the Wraith, the next he was twenty years younger, sitting in Elizabeth’s studio apartment, having tea. Fear hadn’t worked, so now the Wraith was pulling at strings Jonas feared might just make him dance. But back and forth, he fought it. It was their first date. The hollow eyes of the creature again. She would kiss him soon. For the first time. He wanted to stay so much. In fact, every inch of him argued to stay in that fantasy. But he had to fight. She was leaning in. He could smell the tart fragrance of her perfume. Feel the warmth of her breath as she drew closer. Her mouth opening in a teasing smile.
The Wraith screamed and so did he. His brain felt like it might swell right out of his skull and his eyes felt like someone were pouring alcohol into them. It took everything he had, which
Now, here he was, almost a decade and a half older, with only vague recollections of dropping the girls off for the last time. He’d told social services that he had a brain disorder and was the last of their family. He just recalled that . That was now his last somewhat clear memory of them, hearing one of them call for him as he stumbled out of the office. There was more, a lot more, it seemed, just out of focus. But it was all he could piece together right then. He put it out of his mind for the moment. It was overwhelming him.
His clothes stuck to him, the smell of mud and his own filth crawled ever into his nose as he walked the highway, the woods at his side. Rivulets of water slid down his face from his wet hair, tickling him. Cars zoomed by, pushing at him like weak fists. So Jonas stepped further into the ditch, not wanting to add being run over to his bad day. That was when he saw it.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the thing rushing at him. Even over his own stench he recognized its faint odor. But he reacted a moment too late. At once, he was no longer on the side of the road, or even on Earth. The Wraith had gotten into his head, showing him an auburn sky filled with screeching, gangling things. They circled him like buzzards. Their droppings smacked the ground around him, sizzling as they ate at the hard, dry earth. One of them swooped close, and the air from its skin wings knocked him forward. Jonas scrambled to his feet. Another of the things lunged at him. Its claws found his back and it rose again, wet ragged pieces of him in its grip.
Gasping, he returned to himself, to the real world, to see the empty, alien eyes of a Wraith inches from his own. Jonas had hoped in his most desperate prayers never to see such eyes again. Of the entire Fade force, the Wraith could do the least physical damage. But it was one of the most feared warriors. They sacrificed physical forms for technological advantage. The knowledge that they could enter your mind at any time, tinker with your thoughts, conjured worse fear than that of blade or gun. And they were quite sadistic in their creativity.
The Wraith were greedy with their words unless they were in your head. But this one’s gasping, echoing voice chilled Jonas. “I found you.”
With that, Jonas began to feel it climbing into his mind once more. His head already throbbing from the first round. This is going to hurt like hell , he thought, squeezing his eyes tight. In one moment he was wrestling the Wraith, the next he was twenty years younger, sitting in Elizabeth’s studio apartment, having tea. Fear hadn’t worked, so now the Wraith was pulling at strings Jonas feared might just make him dance. But back and forth, he fought it. It was their first date. The hollow eyes of the creature again. She would kiss him soon. For the first time. He wanted to stay so much. In fact, every inch of him argued to stay in that fantasy. But he had to fight. She was leaning in. He could smell the tart fragrance of her perfume. Feel the warmth of her breath as she drew closer. Her mouth opening in a teasing smile.
The Wraith screamed and so did he. His brain felt like it might swell right out of his skull and his eyes felt like someone were pouring alcohol into them. It took everything he had, which
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