Chapter 2
Jaden walked. His leaden feet scuffed over the concrete and echoed through the seemingly endless tunnel under the street. It was almost pitch black. Only the occasional spots of light through a manhole cover from some unnamed street above prevented total darkness. Whenever he paused to attempt to bargain his way out of the situation, the little boy would remain a silent figure in the dark until urging Jaden to continue with a firm push. Jaden's pleading and excuses were falling on deaf ears it seemed. He finally fell silent after what seemed like an hour of walking.
Finally the boy grabbed Jaden and stopped him. Ahead was a weak light. He stepped in front of Jaden and called out.
"Abby! It's me!"
A voice called back.
"I know."
The boy turned to Jaden.
"I'm going to talk to her. Don't run. I'll catch you quickly if you try."
Jaden was terrified. The words were heavy with foreboding. He looked around hoping to see some means of escape but the concrete tunnel was featureless in the dim light. The boy disappeared around what looked like a corner. Jaden backed away slowly in spite of what the boy had told him. He peered upward, searching for a spot of light from a manhole cover. All the while trying to quell his fear, to measure his steps, to be completely quiet. But he felt a powerful urge to panic and flee as quickly as he could.
The little side tunnel ended at an open metal door which led to a small room. The little boy stopped outside the room."Can I...?"
"You can come in." came the answer. He stepped into the room.
Concrete walls. Concrete floor. The room had once been a storage room for tools and equipment but had long since been abandoned.
A small mattress in one corner. A small table and two chairs in another corner. A large assortment of puzzles were scattered on the table.
Sitting on the mattress in dress that looked well past its prime was a pretty little girl. She appeared to be 12 years old. She looked tired.
"Owen."
"Abby."
The two children smiled at each other. An observer would marvel at the warmth in their eyes...almost as if they read each other's thoughts. The girl looked less tired instantly. She brightened...then a pained expression fell over her young face.
"Did you...?"
"Yes."
"Out there?"
"Yeah."
"Owen...are you sure?"
"I'm sure...you know I can tell."
"I worry that you are wrong."
"I'm not wrong."
Owen took Abby's hand and led her out into the tunnel. Not surprisingly, Jaden was gone. Owen listened for a moment and suddenly bounded off. Any Olympic sprinter in the world would be envious of his speed.
Jaden heard him coming. He felt his heart pounding in his chest. Something terrible was about to happen. The thought occurred to him that it was his heartbeat which was giving him away...
Abby stared after Owen and listened to the sounds that floated back to her from the tunnel. A scream. A scuffle. Within seconds Owen appeared, dragging Jaden behind him by his shirt collar.
Abby studied the face of the teen. She never knew. It didn't seem possible to know. But Owen knew. He looked like a normal kid to her. Somehow Owen knew the ones that were different. The parasites...the molesters...the monsters...the ones that caused great pain in the world.
Jaden saw Abby in the muted glow from the tunnel ahead. Another little kid! What was happening to him?
She approached him with a sad look on her face. Somehow that scared him even more than the emotionless face of the boy.
Owen kneeled down in front of Jaden. A half-remembered phrase from Owen's past came to him.
"Confess your sins."
"My...what?..." Jaden stammered.
"Save your soul...while you can."
Jaden suddenly knew. His life was over. He could only say...
"I'm sorry..."
The faces of the two children changed in the murky light. Jaden wasn't sure his eyes were really seeing it. They changed to...something else. Jaden whimpered...in a similar way to how so many others had at his hand. It was over quickly.