《Static Heart》


 Chapter 1

    Crisp autumn air soured by gasoline fumes and cigarette smoke hit Elijah''s nose as he stared out his P.I.A.-issued Mustang window. Vibrant red and gold leaves swirled in the Mustang''s wake, settling over cracked asphalt potholes that rattled the chassis.


    "Corwood, Tennessee," Elijah mumbled, rubbing his salt-and-pepper beard. He chucked an empty cigarette pack out the window. "Hope there''s a gas station soon. Before Bruce lets one rip."


    Ashley, the blonde agent driving, glared at him via the rearview. "You should quit. It''s not good for your health."


    Eli smirked. "Neither''s this job."


    Bruce, the rotund agent riding shotgun, sprayed burger crumbs as he laughed. "C''mon, Eli! Free food, free gas¡ªhell, freeexistence!" Mustard dripped onto his P.I.A. jacket, staining a file labeledSite Gamma.


    The radio fizzed¡ªa country twang warping into static. Bruce smacked it.Thunk.


    "Real smooth," Ashley muttered, tossing her book¡ªThe Electrical Worldby Nikola Tesla¡ªonto the dash.


    Eli pointed to a flickering sign:Static Stop & Go. The ''S'' was dead, leavingthe taticglowing like a command: "Stop here."


    "Want anything?" Eli asked, stepping out.


    "I''ll have¡ª"


    "Not you." Eli cut Bruce off.


    Ashley smirked. "Cassette player? Bruce killed ours."


    Eli trudged toward the gas station. Graffiti marred its plywood-boarded windows: a crude hollow sun with rays ending in skeletal fingers. Inside, fluorescent lights buzzed like angry wasps.


    "Mornin''," croaked the clerk, an elderly man with milky eyes and aDavenametag.


    Eli grabbed a coffee, eyeing a vending machine hawkingStatic-X Energy Pills!The mascot¡ªa cartoon ghost¡ªgrinned too wide.


    The clerk''s radio crackled, distorting a basketball game into guttural static.


    "That happen often?" Eli asked.


    "Ever since thenew reactor," Dave spat. His gaze dropped to Eli''s P.I.A. badge. "Y-you''re here for the inspection, ain''tcha? I didn''t mean¡ª"


    "Relax. Just routine." Eli slid cash across the counter. The radio emitted a faint silver aura¡ªa shimmer only he noticed. His stomach tightened.Anonium residue.


    Outside, the Mustang idled. Ashley frowned. "You look like you saw a ghost."


    "Nah," Eli lied, glancing back. Dave stood frozen, staring at the hollow sun graffiti. His reflection in the boarded glass didn''t blink.


    Eli handed Ashley the cassette player and slumped into the Mustang as Ashley turned on the engine. "Not a good start for this job."


    Ashley raised an eyebrow. "Veteran instincts?"


    "Nah, Ether Trace." Bruce burped, mustard smearing theSite Gammafile. "Right, Eli?"


    Eli lit a cigarette, the smoke curling into the static-laced air. "Traces at a backwater gas station. Gloom''s here¡ªjust notloudyet."


    Ashley jammed her headphones on. "Every track''s static. Anomaly confirmed."


    Bruce tossed Eli the smudged report. "Gamma risk, per the Hotline."


    Eli skimmed it, his temples throbbing¡ªa familiar hum building behind his eyes.Job fatigue. Always job fatigue.Outside, the reactor loomed, its silhouette clawing the sky.


    "Who built this eyesore?" Eli asked.


    "Ether Tech," Bruce said, slurping his soda.


    Ashley slammed the brakes. "Fuck! What''s he doing?!"


    An old man stood in the intersection, windbreaker flapping, eyes vacant. A mulberry aura pulsed around him, syncing with the reactor''s distant hum. His lips moved soundlessly:"...bruise-colored skies... sew-n... thread..."


    Eli drew his Desert Eagle. "Stay here."


    The man turned. His irises were fogged mulberry, veins spiderwebbing like cracked glass.


    "Sir?" Eli called, finger tense on the trigger.Not yet. Not until he''s Hollow.


    The man''s head jerked toward the reactor. A static screech ripped from his throat¡ªThis tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    BRRRZZZTThe static screech tore through the air, vibrating in Elijah''s molars.The man''s veins blackened, spreading like ink through water, before he crumpled¡ªa puppet with severed strings.


    Ashley radioed for local law enforcement. Bruce gagged. "What the hell was that?!"


    Eli stared at the reactor and then at the lifeless husk of what used to be a man. "Our evidence that Gloom is here," he said as he holstered his gun. Let''s find a pay phone and contact HQ."


    "That''s Gloom!?" Bruce asked wide-eyed as Elijah got back in the car. "Why would anyone take that shit?"


    "Technically, that''s Sour Blood. Nasty shit, no wonder why the government has been keen to nip this in the bud," Ashley mentioned.


    "And we have been turned into glorified undercover drug operatives when we should be dealing with the para natural," Elijah said as he heard police sirens echoing in the distance. "I''m going to have a word with the mayor and get a vibe of this town. Can you all handle this?" Elijah asked as he gestured at the police cars arriving on the scene.


    The engine hummed as he drove down the country road toward Corwood, Tennessee. He lit a cigarette at a stop sign; his eyebrows furrowed as he watched an addict stumble into a parking lot before driving off. His eyes drift towards the pro- and anti-ether posters in the windows of local downtown businesses. Across the street, a female high school basketball team takes donations at a car wash. A yellow and purple cougar mascot danced to 90s teen pop as the girls washed muddy trucks.


    Elijah popped an Ibeprofun as he passed multiple vandalized closed businesses. Stained, scratched sofas sat, and feral cats occupied unkept yards. Homes were rustic and Victorian age with boarded-up windows and burn stains.


    "Fuck!" Elijah shouted as a broadcast began playing on the radio, promoting the Corwoods festival later in the week. He quickly turned off the radio as he arrived at the mayor''s office next to the town''s police station.


    Elijah presented his badge to the receptionist, whose eyes widened as she fumbled to get the mayor. His chestnut-toned hands rubbed his temples as he listened to the mayor bicker with someone on the phone. His eyes drifted to a slight yellow ether glow from the young receptionist, and her eyes met his. The receptionist''s fingers trembled as she dialed the mayor, her pupils flickering like a faulty bulb.


    "Sorry about that; I was not expecting the P.I.A. to arrive so soon," A middle-aged, clean-shaven man said as he rubbed his neck, leaving a faint yellow ether glow.


    "Elijah Carter, P.I.A. Special Task Force," Elijah said as he showed his badge. "I take it you''re the mayor of this town?"


    "Richard Corwood. It''s a pleasure. You''re here for the reactor, right?" Richard asked, then gestured to Elijah to follow him into his office.


    "I am, but an ether hotline lead also brought us. Have you heard about what we ran into on our way here?" Elijah replied as he followed Richard into his office and sat in a vintage chair.


    "I did, I did, he was Matthew Cambell. He was a good man but fell into rough times while the town waited for the new reactor to be built," Matthew explained as he sat behind his office desk and offered Elijah a glass of whiskey. "Seventy percent of adults in town have worked at the previous reactor in one way or another. Many people had a hard time finding work, and we are very thankful that Ether Tech built this in such a short amount of time."


    "So, is that why there is a gloom epidemic here?" Elijah asked as he sipped the whisky, leaving a sweet but sour lingering aftertaste in his mouth.


    Richard''s laughter cracked mid-syllable, his hand drifting to a drawer where a Gloom Pill sits. "I wouldn''t call it an epidemic. Some people use it, and our officers diligently keep it off our streets. Matthew was just a tragedy, not a good example of the overall picture in Corwood." Richard downs a shot of whiskey before pouring himself another. "We have an excellent high school sports program. Number one male and female basketball teams in the state for two years."


    Elijah scoffed as he glanced up at Richard. His temples throbbed as a faint yellow haze¡ªlike sulfurous fog¡ªcurled off the mayor''s desk. He forced himself not to react, but the afterimage burned behind his eyelids.


    "That''s all fine and dandy, but you''re not making a convincing case when I know you''re using it too."


    Richard''s eyes widen as his mouth slumps open. "What...I.. don''t, how could you tell?"


    Elijah rolled his eyes as he saw traces of Ether''s residue on Richards''s desk. "That''s classified information, Richard. I will link up with my other two agents and get a feel of your town. Is there a payphone around here somewhere?"


    "What, don''t arrest me! Look, I take it from time to time. Helps with stress, but it''s not like I am selling this shit to my community," Richard pleaded.


    "Oh, I believe you, but that''s not my job to arrest. The FBI can handle that. I deal with things related to that Ether hotline tip that someone in your town sent."


    Richards''s eyes lowered as he darted from side to side and gazed over documents on his desk. "Ether hotline?"


    "Experienced anything unusual in town? Electronics not working correctly, strange local legends or people acting unusual?" Elijah asked.


    "Well, the radio stations have been a nuisance of the last month. Especially the closer you get to the High School. Nothing of the sort about unusual behavior or local legends. We are talking about ghosts. So, are the rumors about the P.I.A. investigating that type of stuff true?"


    "No, because ghosts are not real. Also, Classified intel," Elijah said as he had one last sip of the whiskey and began to leave. He stopped and glanced at the receptionist. "Unless you want to end up like Matthew, I suggest you lay off the gloom, too."


    Her eyes drifted from his gaze, and her eyebrows furrowed as he left the building.The receptionist''s pen clattered to the desk, her pupils dilating like black holes. A tremor raced through her hands as she muttered, "How did you know?"


    Elijah stepped into the brittle afternoon light, the reactor''s hum vibrating in his molars. The high school mascot''spainted smile now a rictus grin. Static crackled from its speakers, warping the pop song into a guttural chant: ''Sew-n... thread... from-a dead star dress...''". He walked over to the pay phone across the road, sparking a cigarette as he held the phone to his ear. He inputs zero, zero, and one before dialing the number that displays on his pager.The phone rings three times before someone picks up.


    "News already, Agent Echo?"


    "Wanna report a likely Gamma risk level anomaly and Gloom Smuggling during assignment 010-24. How do you want me to proceed?" Elijah responded as he glanced up at an Ether Tech billboard and the high school at the edge of the suburbs.


    "Proceed as normal, prioritizing the investigation into Ether Tech and their possible link to Los Fantasmas del Mercado. Ashley and Bruce will provide support if Risk Tier Level exceeds the initial assessment."


    Elijah set the phone back down, the mayor''s lies still souring his tongue. He was halfway to his car when the mascot''s speakers erupted¡ªa jagged burst of static that clawed at his eardrums. The speakers gargled a warped, dark pop tune, the lyrics twisting into somethingwrong:


    "An'' it''s hummin'' yer face like a broke-down train..."

 Chapter 2

    Rachel''s sneakers squeaked against the waxed court, the stench of sweat and lemon disinfectant sharp in her nostrils. The gym lights buzzed like hornets trapped in a jar. She held her breath as she passed the ball. Her stomach churned like a storm-tossed sea. Every missed shot felt like another nail in the coffin of their dreams


    "What the hell was that, Marissa!? "Rachel''s Coach yelled as she blew the whistle to end the practice.


    Rachel wiped her forehead; her jersey clung like a second skin, the fabric salt-stiff and reeking of desperation. She shook her head and put her hands on her hips as she walked towards the coach, gesturing them all to huddle around.


    "That was a shitty practice for two-time defending state champions. We got a chance to be the first three-peat high school in state history; we can''t afford lazy practices. Now get dressed, Rachel, a word."


    Breathing deeply, Rachel nodded and brushed her strawberry-blond hair away from her face.


    "Why didn''t you take the shot?" Rachels Coach asked with a raised eyebrow.


    Rachel shrugged. "She was open, figured she would hit it."


    "I need you to be taking those shots. You''re the captain; you know you can''t rely on any of them to hit a shot like that when the game is on the line."


    Rachel nodded, forcing a smile to stretch across her face as her coach gripped her shoulder.


    "Three-time champions, putting this town on the map and getting scholarships. You got this."


    Rachel sulked to the locker room, changed into her multicolored windbreaker and jeans, and headed out on the way to her locker. After changing, Rachel stepped into the hallway; her headphones sat crookedly on her skull as she played a grungy pop song from her cassette player. Her eyebrow raised as she saw a mocha-skinned middle-aged man wearing a P.I.A. agent jacket walking with the principal. The P.I.A. agent''s gaze lingered on Rachel, his eyes narrowing as if he''d spotted a flicker of... something. Her headphones crackled¡ªa frequency too high for human ears.


    "Shit!"


    Her locker slammed shut. Mike loomed over her. His varsity jacket, reeking of Axe body spray, and entitlement. "The fuck was that for Mike!?"


    Rachel rolled her eyes, and they narrowed like daggers as he laughed. "What the fuck do you want, Mike?"


    "Relax, jeez, Rache, what got your titties in a twist?" Mike joked as he leaned against the lockers while chewing on a toothpick. He grabbed a comb from his pocket, intent on combing his moose-soaked blonde hair.


    "Not you anymore," Rachel grumbled as she grabbed her books and attempted to get past Mike.


    "What''s that supposed to mean?"


    "Fuck off, Mike. I am not in the mood for this today."


    "Woah, don''t be like that, Rache."


    "Don''t call me that anymore."


    "Look, just give me a chance to explain at the festival this Sunday."


    "Explain how you cheated. Yeah, I think not."


    "At least let me treat you to dinner tonight."


    "I am going to Emily''s, and you can take Becky since you gotta thing for her," Rachel said, a grin stretched across her face as she pushed past Mike, leaving his mouth open and hands up in the air.


    A burst of cool air smacked Rachel''s face as she left the high school. Her pink Mazda Miata sat silently with leaves speckled across the windshield. She glanced at the black P.I.A. Mustang parked further down. A catchy pop song played on the radio as she turned on the engine.


    Neatly trimmed yards with multi-story Victorian-style homes stretched for blocks as she drove through the suburbs. Kids played in the leaves at the town park while their parents gossiped about their affairs. American flags with pro-ether picket yard signs seemed to multiply at every stop sign. She parked her Miata in front of a two-story neo-colonial house with a brick foundation and double windows.


    She grabbed her bookbag and opened the front door with a key.


    "Mom, I''m home," She yelled, her voice competing with the loud dance workout her mom had on TV.


    Her mom, wearing a skimpy workout outfit, glanced back at Rachel, reaching for the remote to turn the TV down. "You''re home a little early. How was school?" Rachel''s mom asked.


    Rachel shook her head as she slung her bookbag on the marble kitchen counter. "Coach called it early, and some P.I.A. agent walked in the hallway with the principal."Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    "Oh, that must be the guy who will inspect the reactor. Once it''s inspected and approved, your father and the rest of the town can get back to work."


    Rachel chuckled as she grabbed an apple from the refrigerator. "I bet you can''t wait, huh?"


    "You have no idea; all he does is bitch about football and politics. Are you heading somewhere?"


    "Yeah, I''m going to Em''s place. I just wanted to drop off my backpack first," Rachel explained as she bit into the apple and walked towards the front door.


    "Why don''t you just invite her over here? I get worried when you head to that side of town," Rachel''s mom said as she saw Rachel''s father, wearing a football jersey, walk into the kitchen to grab a beer.


    He cracked his beer, glanced at Rachel, and smiled. "How''s my champ!"


    "Doing better than them," Rachel chuckled as she pointed at the jersey he was wearing.


    "Hey, we getting better-"


    "Hey, let''s not humor him, Rachel. I already know every person who scored a touchdown on that team the past three years," Rachel''s mom interjects as she steps toward Rachel, encouraging her to leave. "Just be safe and consider bringing her here, okay?"


    Rachel rolled her eyes and smiled. "Okay, Mom, I love you," she replied as she hugged her and headed towards her car.


    Her eyes widened as she saw a distorted version of herself in the rearview mirror. Her reflection flickered¡ªa staticky doppelg?nger with hollow eyes. It grinned, mouthing a jagged radio screech before vanishing. She paused, turning on the engine mid-grip, and glanced up at the mirror again to see nothing. The engine hummed to life as she turned it on, and minutes later, she arrived at a grungy mobile home park.


    Grunge music blasted from a bedroom window. Rachel did her best to keep her sneakers from getting muddy as she approached the front door. Cigarette smoke, musk, and marijuana mixed into a cocktail that burned her nose as she entered the cluttered living room. Static shadows followed her reflection in Emily''s child photos scattered across the entertainment center.


    "How are you doing, Ms. Voss?" Rachel asked as a middle-aged woman with wild, unmanaged black hair approached the bathroom. The bags under her eyes competed with the frown on her face.


    "Here for Em? She is in her bedroom as usual," Ms. Voss said as she gestured towards the door down the hallway.


    Rachel smiled as she avoided Ms. Voss''s gaze, scooting past her toward Emily''s room.


    Her eardrums throbbed as the grunge music hit her ears as she opened the door. The music from Emily''s room warped momentarily¡ªa split-second of static that mimicked the frequency Rachel heard in her headphones. Cassettes, Band shirts, black jeans, makeup, and Converses littered the floor. Rock band posters and Eldritch Art decorated every corner of the room. A charcoal sketch pinned to the wall depicted a machine with too many gears, its center a mulberry solid eye. The eye seemed to follow Rachel, its pupil pulsing like a dying star.


    "Em!" Rachel shouted at the raven-haired girl, nodding while sitting at a crude art desk.


    "Em!" she shouted again as she stopped the music.


    The raven-haired girl turned her head sharply, her teal highlights complementing her shocked blue eyes. She rubbed her glassy eyes.


    "Em, back to earth."


    Emily quickly pushed pages containing the lyrics "You paint our future in static and sirens" to the side as she forced a smile on her face. "Rache...I uh-"


    "Why were you not at school today? Like you didn''t even answer my page."


    "Sorry, I wasn''t feeling it today," Emily replied as she yawned.


    Rachel shook her head and threw a band shirt at her. "You going to be held back if you keep this up, Em,"


    "Relax, I still do my homework," She explained as she gripped a Gloom pill tightly before tossing it under the desk. She breathed a heavy sigh as she tracked Rachel''s eye movements to see if she caught her.


    Rachel jumped on the bed and began browsing Emily''s artwork. Her eyes narrowed with each mechanical eye drawing she set to the side. Her eyes widened as she noticed a page of lyrics. We''re flickerin'' ghosts on a cracked TV screen hidden beneath a drawing.


    "Nope," Emily victoriously shouted as she snatched it the minute Rachel''s hand grabbed it. "Not for your eyes yet."


    Rachel''s mouth dropped comedically."Em, how could you keep things from me!"


    Emily smirked as she ate the paper and then jumped on the bed. Emily''s forced smile faltered. "It''s for your own good."


    "Are you serious?" Rachel asked as she looked at Emily''s hazel eyes.


    "You keep secrets, too; you just haven''t thought about it yet," Emily muttered as she kissed Rachel on the lips.


    BRRRRRZZZTTTT


    "Rachel!" Mike yelled as his Cringy Love song played on his boombox. "Rache, I know you''re in there!"


    Rachel raised her eyebrows as she gazed at Emily''s confused face. She got up, her smile faded, and her eyes shot lasers at Mike as she opened the window.


    Rachel crossed her arms, glaring at him. "What do you want, Mike?"


    "I''m sorry!"


    "What?"


    "I said I am sorry!"


    "What!"


    With a frustrated kick, Mike sent his boombox flying. Metal shards scattered across the yard, denting Rachel''s car. The music died in a static, slow death. Mike rubbed his neck as he saw Rachel''s eyes blazing lava as she stared at the dents in her car.


    "My bad...I, uh, I will fix that."


    Rachel breathed heavily, her hands balled in a fist. "Go...home...Mike."


    Mike slowly backed away as he stumbled back to his car.


    "Unbelievable," Rachel muttered as she rubbed her eyes.


    "Looks like I got competition," Emily laughed.


    Rachel''s eyes lowered. "Har-Har."


    Emily grinned as she watched Rachel jump back on the bed. Her mind was too focused on Mike''s performance to think about the lyrics she ate.


    "So my mom wants you to come over," Rachel said as she looked at Emily.


    "I don''t think that''s a great idea," Emily replied as her eyes drifted towards the posters and drawings on her wall.


    "Why not? They already know we are best friends. We are just two teenage girls doing typical teenage girl things. With a few extra steps," Rachel laughed.


    "Extra steps. That''s what we calling it?" Emily laughed.


    "I will do your homework for a week."


    "I hate you...fine, you win," Emily said, rolling her eyes as Rachel grabbed her arm.


    The warm afternoon sun hit Racheal''s face as she dragged Emily by the hand to her car. Her smile stretched ear to ear, and she did not notice the multiple reflections of herself and Emily opening the car door. Her car hummed with latency as it came to life. A rush of deja vu swelled inside Rachel briefly before it faded away as the vehicle got further from Emily''s home.


    As Rachel halted at an intersection, a black Mustang idled ominously on the other side of the road. D¨¦j¨¤ vu washed over her again, stronger this time, as though the car itself was always supposed to be there. Rachel''s temples throbbed, the hum of her Miata syncing with the Mustang idle engine.

 Chapter 𝟎???𝟏???𝟎???𝟏???

    "What the fuck is going on in this town!" Eli yelled to himself. He cranked the ignition again, but the Mustang stubbornly refused to start."


    "Fuck my life," He groaned as he tilted down to retrieve his cigarettes, oblivious to the pink Miata stopped at the opposite side of the intersection.


    A catchy pop song caught his attention as the pink Miata passed, just as he sat back up in his seat. An eerie, static-charged glow surrounded the car, its deep mulberry hue pulsing like a heartbeat. The mulberry aura buzzed against his molars, a frequency that tasted like burnt hair and regret. His eyebrows furrowed as a rush of d¨¦j¨¤ vu washed over him. The d¨¦j¨¤ vu wasn''t just familiarity¡ªit was the same feeling he felt flying over the Bermuda Triangle. The same hum. The same dread.


    "There''s no way,''" he muttered, shaking off the unsettling sensation. He forced himself to focus as his eyes fixated on the license plate as the Miata turned the corner.


    "Stc-0101"


    His Mustang hummed to life like a Frankenstein monster. The radio blared at full volume, thanks to Bruce.


    BRRRRZZZTTT


    A distorted static voice resembling a teenage girl echoed from the radio. "S???????t??????????o?????????p??????????????? ??????????R????????????????????e??????????????????????????a???????????????????????d????????????????????"


    {?????? ????????, ?????????? ?????. ????????????? ???????...????????}


    "''You rewrite fate like a scratched-up cassette.''"


    The cryptic message shot chills down Eli''s spine. With a growl, he bashed the radio until it fell silent, though the words echoed in his mind like a warning.


    "It''s an easy job, they said. Just a gamma level anomaly, not a damn Delta or Omega Level Conduit!"


    Eli stepped out of the car and headed towards the payphone on the opposite side of the road. "I am too old for this shit," He muttered to himself as he lit a cigarette and picked up the phone."


    "Did you enjoy being back in high school, Agent Echo?" Ashley chuckled on the other side of the phone.


    "Knock it off, Ash. We have a serious problem. I need you to run a license plate number for me," Elijah replied as he lit another cigarette.


    "Alright, what is it?"


    "Stc-0101."


    Elijah leaned against the phone booth as he gazed back at his Mustang. The haunting message from his radio still lingered in his mind. However, he had no recollection of the static voice before, as if it wasn''t meant for his ears.


    "Pink Miata?" Ashley asked.


    "Yup, that''s the one."


    "It belongs to Rachel Harper. Looking deeper, she is this town''s high school female basketball captain. You think she is smuggling Gloom?"


    "I can''t say for sure, but either she or whoever else was in that car was a conduit."


    "A conduit? There are only twenty of them around the world. You sure, Eli?"


    "Yes, I am sure because I am one myself. Now listen, I need you and Bruce to do some reconnaissance. I need eyes on who was in that vehicle while I go to the Reactor to inspect."


    There was a pause; Elijah could hear Ashley talking with Bruce in the background. "Okay, what should we tell HQ?"


    "Nothing."


    "Ummm, Why?"


    "Because they won''t believe you if you told them I think an Omega-level conduit was in that vehicle."


    "Okay, Eli, stop fucking around. There never been an Omega level anything."


    "I wish I was joking. I single-handedly classified twenty-five percent of all anomalies at HQ because of my Ether Trace. The energy reading I got from that car was off the charts."


    "And you want us to do reconnaissance on that! We don''t have any powers like you," Bruce yelled.


    "I just need to see who was in that car. I don''t need you two doing anything crazy. I need to know what we are dealing with before I tell HQ."


    "Wait a minute, Stc-0101. That''s an SOS."


    Eli''s eyes widened as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. His eyes darted from side to side as he tried to organize all the information he learned about the town so far. He started to recall all types of anomalies and Conduits in his previous jobs, how they were created, and how they behaved. He lit another cigarette as dread began to claw up his body like a cat clinging to clothing.


    "That''s no coincidence," he muttered to himself as a rush of Deja Vu dug into him again as he hung up the phone. He hesitated to pick up the phone and call HQ immediately or return to his Mustang. Elijah couldn''t shake the feeling that he had done this all before as he returned to his car.


    He stared at the radio for several seconds, expecting something to happen as he turned on the engine. The radio stayed silent the whole ride up to the Reactor. His eyes narrowed, noticing several unmarked black SUVs around the gate of the Reactor. Latino men wore black suits that hid most of their tattoos. Each man had a similar skull tattoo on their hands, which Eli immediately recognized.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "Los Fantamas, I guess the intel was on the money," he muttered as he drove up to the gate.


    A bald Latino man raised an eyebrow as he approached Eli Mustang. "No se permiten visitas. "Got it?" he yelled as he waved Elijah off.


    Elijah pulled out his badge as he rolled down his window, one hand on his waist where his Desert Eagle lay. "P.I.A. Special Task Force, I am for the inspection. Comprendo?"


    The Latino man''s eyes widened as he turned his head towards Eli. "Eres tonto? I don''t give a fuck if you''re the president. We ain''t taking visitors."


    Eli''s head throbbed as he fixated on the faint yellow ether residue on the man''s hands and face.


    "Of course, he is fucking high on gloom," Eli thought to himself as he noticed the other men turn their heads toward him, hands on their weapons.


    "Easy, kid, your boss knows I am coming, I assure you."


    The Latino man laughed as he shook his head and gazed at the others watching. He leaned on Elijah''s car and branded his pistol at the door.


    "Last chance , amigo."


    BANG!


    Elijah''s eyes dilated as the man''s blood splattered on his face, and his skull bounced off his window as a high-caliber bullet pierced his head. His head bounced off Eli''s door before his body slumped on the road like a ragdoll.


    "Apologies, Agent Elijah. No me gusta el comportamiento grosero y poco digno," A Tall Latina woman wearing a designer raven-colored blazer with golden buttons that matched the ether aura radiating off her. Her sharp cappuccino-colored eyes stared at the dead body on the road and then at the blood that dripped off Elijah''s door and face.


    "Dezerea Hernandez, I would like to take a moment of your time before you meet my brother regarding the Reactor inspection," She said as she gestured to one of the men, who then gave her a handkerchief.


    Eli''s hands shook as he accepted the handkerchief and wiped the blood off his face.


    "Ummmm, Okay," Eli forced himself to mutter as he opened his car door and followed Dezerea to a black Mercedes Benz. Her high heels clicked on the asphalt, splashing blood on her pants.


    "Tequila?" she asked as she poured herself a drink while they sat in her Mercedes'' backseat.


    Elijah nodded as he accepted a glass from her. "Thank you," he said. "Could I get another?"


    Dezerea smirked and poured another for herself and Eli.


    "Ir¨¦ directo al grano. We have been watching you since you arrived, and yes, I am aware that your agency, your government, is investigating what relationship Ether Tech has with Los Fantamas del Mercado." Dezerea explained with a stoic expression.


    "Then why are you just best begging for the FBI to arrest you?" Elijah replied as he downed his second drink.


    Dezerea chuckled. "Please, Agent Elijah, we both know your government has nothing on me that would stick in court. Si acaso todos me necesitan."


    "Need you; what are you going on about?"


    "I know you are a conduit, Ether Trace that, right? I am a Binder; your agency has me down as Mirror, correct?"


    Eli''s eyebrows raised as his head corked to the side, his mouth slightly open. "How the fuck do you know that?"


    "My influence is as vast as the ocean, Agent Elijah. But that isn''t important; what is important is what you will do after completing your inspection of the Reactor."


    "And what is that?"


    "This town, you know something is off," Dezerea said as she glanced at the backseat window. Her once brown eyes faded to a sickly eggshell white for a few seconds before the window cracked. "I can sense it too, but not like how you do."


    "And what do you see?" Eli asked as his eyes narrowed.


    "A distorted static woman. I can not see her face, but the visions get clearer the closer I am," Dezerea explained as she glanced at the Reactor looming just beyond the gate. "And they are as clear as a movie in this town."


    "She really knows," Eli thought back to the Pink Miata. "No, not yet. Can''t trust her yet."


    "What are you saying?"


    "If you encounter anything or anyone, specifically a female, that may have something unusual about her. Please consider handing her over to me instead of your agency.


    "What are you not telling me, Dezerea? Are you saying you''re better suited to handling para-natural things than the P.I.A.?"


    "In this specific case, yes. Your government and agency are complacent or ignorant of the threat in this town. Now, Agent Elijah, you may think me a monster, but it takes a monster to hunt a monster. You know something is hazardous in this town, and you can be my bloodhound so I can end it before it ends us. "


    Elijah''s eyes narrowed as he met Dezerea''s gaze. His eyes drifted away as he remembered the mulberry glow vibrating off the Pink Miata. His hands got clammy as his spine tingled.


    "I know your duty to your agency is by force. After all, how can someone like you or I live amongst the general public." Dezerea said as she gestured for someone to open the door for Elijah. I have to return to Mexico for business. I will be back in three days. Please consider my offer, and I will find a way to get you out of the P.I.A."


    Eli didn''t reply as he glanced down before leaving the car and walking up to the reactor gate; its natural hum reverberated off his chest. He glanced back as Dezerea''s car as it slowly drove down the pothole-riddled road. The reflections glitch in latency as the sunlight shimmered off it.


    The gate rattled as its rusty chains crackled as it opened. The Pearlescent White Reactor loomed over him, its shadow casting down the hill. As he approached the main entrance, a Latina man sporting a v-cut black business suit approached him with a smile.


    "Agent Elijah, I see you met my sister." The man said as he forcefully shook Elijah''s hand.


    "Yeah...I did. And you are the CEO of Ether Tech, correct?"


    "Yes, Diego Hernandez. I hope we understand one another and that this inspection will not cause complications, " he asked with a smirk as he led Elijah into the Reactor.


    The sound of gears, running water, and disinfectant rattled Elijah''s eardrums as he walked down what seemed like an endless catwalk. Yellow pipes stretched along every wall, leading to a large core that hummed and glowed with an eerie mulberry aura.


    "Are you sure you want to be here, Diego?" Elijah asked as he glanced at the eye of the core that seemed to follow them as they walked.


    "No worries, I already passed my ether aptitude test," He replied as he handed his passport to Elijah.


    Eli glanced down to see his agency''s stamped insignia on one of Diego''s passport pages. He stopped walking and handed the passport back to Diego." You and your sister seem really dedicated to this community in one way or another."


    Diego smirked as a nervous laughter passed his lips. "Don''t get in the way, Agent. Dezerea has hopes to make an alliance of some sort with you. But Amigo, I do not give a fuck. It''s just a backwaters redneck town. Little shit to fix a much bigger problem."


    "Oh, so you see something too?"


    Diego shook his head as they walked to the exit. "I can''t see what my sister can see, but I can feel something is off about this town."


    "Maybe that''s the gloom you are smuggling into town," Elijah said with a raised eyebrow.


    Diego smiled as they exited the Reactor and reached the gate. "Consider my sister''s offer; you don''t have to die over this."


    Elijah didn''t respond as he watched the gates close before returning to his vehicle. The engine roared to life, and his radio turned off as he drove down the hill. His mind drifted back to the Miata as the Mustang approached the bottom of the mountain. He kept glancing at the radio as he drove, expecting it to hum to life on its own, but no such thing happened.


    BAM!


    Shattered glass and metal ripped through his skin as a truck collided with his Mustang. His vision blurred, and his body ached as he willed himself out of his mangled vehicle. The dented truck radio blasted a dark, catchy pop tune amongst the continuous car horn noise that reverberated in his eardrums.


    "Oh, the agents search in echoes low,


    For truths that only we will know.


    If you listen close, they''ll tell you lies:


    We''re all just static under endless skies."