Chapter 4: 14 years ago
"In a world, full of injustice, we should strive to be equal to be accepting, to be accommodating especially to those individuals less fortune than ourselves. You can help us change the world, change the future so that, perhaps in time, the notion of poverty will be eradicated and we all will be given the same opportunities as the person next to us."
To be honest, I had no idea why I stepped into a seminar conducted by the Red Cross Appeal in the Mission's auditorium, no less. Ofcourse a befitting venue considering that the 5 or 6 people attending had to be considerably generous of spirit to reach the $5,000 funding mark that Katherine has been vying for.
Equality, the notion that Katherine was selling, was little more than an abstract concept. One that would never be attained. Humanity was not made to be equal. If you believed in a Higher Being then it would be foolish for you to assume that God did not play favourites. Hell! John was Jesus' most 'beloved' disciple.
We're all human right. Big on flaws, slight on perfection. But our potential varies and that, my friends, creates our differences. My potential exceeds the normative ofcourse. I was born near to perfect. Brown hair, blue eyes and a winning smile.
I had shown promise, at the age of four when my ability to quickly grasp and calculate sums that were deemed for those twice my age had been recognized. Personally, everything came easy. A puppy eyed glance, a toothy grin was all I needed, to gain whatever commodity held my attention for that point in time.
When I became older, things were slightly more difficult. But in the end I always got what I wanted. I bet that I could even convince the CIA to let me glance at their Op list. I was just that good.
You need little more than power to win your way through the world. And that I had in bucket loads along with a great package. I was every girls' wet dream come alive. And sure that might sound cocky, arrogant, narcissist even. But then it was true.
Shifters were stated to be the evolved shamans. Like our ancestors, our soul could 'shift' into the different realm. The Shadowland, which if one ventures into further enough, would translate into a gateway to the Underworld. Not a place that I was likely to delve into considering the phosphorus deal that Slaski ended up making, with a demon no less.
The promise of time travel itself held a lot of appeal. It was a discovery that perpetrated his status to new heights among the academics of folk law. A fictional concept for those who failed to understand this specialty as anything more than an unambitious low. Regardless, Oliver Slaski's name had credentials, not one that Rick Slaski wanted to be associated with. Couldn't blame the guy for renouncing his birth name, after all, impressions were a necessity in my father's world.
Success at the end of it equates to money. After all, everything had a price. Even Susannah Simon, ofcourse she would deny it, especially where I'm concerned. While some of it had to do with decorum, as such the majority of it arose from a misconstrued idea of Rico Suave being her one and only although the guy was well and truly, a deadbeat. But then the whole hands-off deal just makes her all the more appealing.
I had never been one of those guys to say no to a challenge and the reward, I knew would be immense. Despite Suze's resilience, the girl was all passion. Dainty females had never been my thing but then, in the case of Kelly Prescott, the commodity was hot and available. A good fuck, if you will. And ofcourse, my first preference was being rather stubborn in her denial.
But even then, denial only ran so far. Suze had caved. Sure, I didn't manage to persuade her to go further than the five minute mark but the fact remains that the girl wanted me plain and simple. The only complication arose from the do-goody complex that she made her a viable target for the dead and their varying demands but then it was that very trait that held me so captivated by her.
All that stood in the way was the speck of a man that Jesse De Silva literally was. Although dead, he was well and truly alive for Suze and thus, all my measures to eradicate his being had all but failed. The fact remains that Susannah Simon fancies herself in love with the Spaniard. And the remedy for that was pure and simple: A future rather a present, where De Silva was nothing more than a 19th century figment.
According to the current scientific belief, the human body is not able to withstand anything beyond the three-dimensional-space-and-time continuum but we shifters are naturally built to withstand dimensional changes. Slaski stated that as the shifter's powers intensify, he could move not simply his soul but his actual physical being beyond the earth plane.
Bloody dumbass didn't realize that it left him vulnerable with not a grass root hope of coming back. Which ofcourse, left him with little opinion but to trade his soul if he wished to see daylight again. Slaski, ofcourse, had little idea that I was aware of his mishap but the bugger always underestimated me. Inter-dimensional travel obviously notched you down a brain cell or two. Your physical being would deteriorate in time but not to the point that Slaski demonstrated.
The old guy found some loophole within the deal; after all, if the demon didn't quite fulfill his end then he got off scotch free. A brilliant plan really but ofcourse Slaski didn't believe in sharing, at least not anymore. He learned his lesson but just a little too late.
The fifth dimension wasn't quite as daunting as the Underworld. Despite Hollywood's belief in time-machines, travelling into the past was not particularly difficult. However, despite even my potent, the future would always remain so. The fifth dimension, in terms of events yet to be, was somewhat undefined. There was a stricken belief that such attempts would create a vortex in which the individual would be stuck in, for days, for years, some even believe eternity. For the here and now, I was happy to concentrate solely on eliminate Suze's roommate. A simple but effective plan. One that would guarantee Suze on my bed and well, who knows.
Of course, the girl would deem my action callous. But then she wouldn't be any the wiser, after all, my little 'transgression' would change the events in the foreseeable future including the very fact that Suze would not be wasted away pining over some…ghost.
Besides if anyone should come under the pump, it's Suze. It's evident, after all, that the girl had thought about sticking Enrique's soul down my throat. Perhaps it may only have been for a second but nonetheless it could occur. Especially considering the fact that Suze wields a lot of raw power and the girl doesn't even realize it. Even wiling her time, thinking about the very fact puts my soul in jeopardy. After all, I had not yet attained full control of my abilities and considering that as a shifter, my soul was prone to acting as a separate entity. Well, it could be easily parted.
Sure, Susannah Simon was all about social justice, ready to part with her very life for those who didn't even share that very attribute. But the fact remains: even the most 'trustworthiness' of people are capable of performing the most horrendous crimes known to man and all things considering, couldn't blame the girl if she tried.
- § -
Carmel, California looked undeniably different in the 1850s. Barren of all luxuries except the Mission which would firmly remain a central attraction even 150 years down the track. Ofcourse, the Mission didn't hold the same grandee as it did in the 21st century. It was yet to be rebuilt into a semi decent structure. And that would occur ofcourse, in approximately three decades. For now, a substantial portion of the Church was rubble beneath my feet. The stone walls crumbling as I leaned against it for support.
It was hard to gain my bearings in the dark. But then at the same point, I would be able to snoop around unnoticed. In this time period, people had no qualms about killing those who trespassed their property, not that I would ever be caught.
I had a day perhaps two to find the slave runner and salvage Jesse's life. Have him living his 1850s dream so that I could satiate mine.
Figuring my way through to Jesse's place of death, the Ackerman's place of residence in the 21st century, was a little heavy handed considering that I had little to go by in the way of a map, at least not the 1850 version. Luckily enough for me, I was well acquainted with Suze's district. Besides a couple of stumbling blocks, I managed to find the boarding house, complete with peeling paint and bullets engrained within the cement.
A barn was around the corner in the place where Suze's backyard would eventually be. Whilst I had never equated hay accompanied with the strong stench of horse manure as a great place to sleep, in the circumstance, there was little option but to accept the humble board but unfortunately despite my sleep deprived state, there were things that needed to be attended to.
Putting on my 'polite' smile which always seemed to grace my mother's lips, I went over to the boarding house, knocking loud enough to be heard but tentatively enough to not be considered rude. It took a minute or two for a woman to answer the door; in a hoopskirt no less. At any other time, I would have found the whole deal rather amusing but I knew better than to express that thought.
"Yes?" The woman asked me, her expression both curious while simultaneously being suspicious.
"Ah! Yes. My name is Charles Edward. I'm…an acquaintance of Mr. De Silva…" Somehow the term 'friend' evaded my lips. Too much of a sham, even for me.
"Mr. De Silva?" she asked. I nodded my head briskly, hoping the lady would give me the freaking information already.
"Mr. De Silva will be arriving here tomorrow morning. Is there anything I can do…?" Ofcourse, the woman was unsure what I wanted but then I wasn't here to appease here. I was here to test out Slaski's time-travelling theory but foremost, to win the girl.
"No, thank you Mrs…"
"Mrs. O'Neil", she said rather sweetly. The Slater charm has always been particularly persuasive.
Flashing my award winning smile, I stated, "Well, thank you Mrs. O'Neil," somewhat sarcastically although it seemed to be rather lost on the woman. "You have been most helpful."
Which meant that De Silva had yet another day and I could finally get some sleep.