Aeden Stone

Chapter 7 Excerpt from Shadow People: Quickening of the Wicked
~ INFINITE PURITY ~

Featuring AEDEN STONE

His body quaked and rocked. Like two enormous pearls, his eyes glowed as his irises rolled up into his head. Grace’s fear fed supplication actually caused him corporeal pain. His tumultuous emotions radiated outwards from his physical body and rended the air around him. He could have easily transcended and transported himself to her in an instant, he wanted to but he knew…not yet, wait, wait, she’ll be all right. She needed to grow into the wholeness of herself. She had to find her own strength. He couldn’t let her become dependent upon him for anything. He could not, nor would not, become the crutch that she would never toss away, for that would prevent her from coming into the fullness of her own salvation, her own release from the negativity that held captive all in the material world.
     His glassy eyes rolled down and came into focus. He released all his thoughts of her. He emptied his mind and he resigned to feel nothing. He let it all go and allowed himself to be moved by the Power within, the Power without, the Power of everything.
     One of the two shadow-zombies that had been racing towards him ran straight through the spellbound shadow that floated above the ground and still faced Aeden.
     Aeden took a step sideways just as the zombie leapt at him and consequently fell, not on him, but instead, to the sidewalk. The other zombie, not allowing itself to follow the same movement as the other, ran at Aeden with its head down, intending to bulldoze him. Aeden, too quick for it, as one moment he was in front of it and then the next moment he was behind it, rammed his shoulder into its back, knocking it on top of the other zombie who had been trying to climb to its feet.
     At that moment, the floating shadow broke free of its stupor. It flew promptly towards Aeden, its purpose to fill and overcome him. Aeden, second-guessing the shadow’s intention, spun around and stood his ground in front of it. The shadow halted its flight as if it had hit a brick wall. The few spectators who timidly peeked through shop doors and curtained windows were witness to the miracle that was Aeden as he extended his arms straight out from his side and they saw an odd, at least for the circumstances, look of tranquility and affection spread across his face. Then the witnesses actually saw the air in front of him ripple like hot air coming up off the desert floor. The ripples became waves that rolled out to the shadow. When the waves hit the shadow it ruptured into thousands of tiny ash-like particles that disintegrated into nothingness before they touched the ground while the spirit from which it had been made, floated invisibly upwards.
     The zombies, having now untangled themselves and climbed back to their feet, were even more hell bent to take Aeden down. One grabbed both Aeden’s arms from behind and meant to bite him on the back of his neck. Aeden easily wrenched his arms free, turned, grabbed the thing by its arms just under the shoulders, lifted it, and threw it powerfully against the stucco wall, breaking most of the bones in its back. Aeden didn’t kill the unfortunate man’s body, but the shadow that controlled it was having a great deal of difficulty in getting it to stand up.
     The other zombie, hunched over, arms hanging like an ape, had gone for Gage, who disappeared and reappeared behind it. Gage jumped on its back, knocking it down again. Gage stood on top of it and his sheer weight was enough to hold the writhing zombie to the ground. Gage, predisposed to saving human lives would not take one without an order. He waited for Aeden to give him one.
     Aeden knew that he could not allow those possessed to roam free to slaughter. It saddened him for he truly honored all life but more than that, he loved and respected each of the souls that were the rightful inhabitants of their own bodies. He deemed he could not force a shadow out of an already possessed body but he did believe that by destroying the body that housed each glorious spirit, he could raze the departing shadow and free their tortured souls.
     Aeden nodded at Gage. He knew it had to be done. Gage bowed his head as well and then bit the side of zombie’s neck at the jugular vein causing death in one heartbeat. Aeden watched the darkness emerge out of the body and remain stationary no more than an inch above it. He knew it waited for the spirit, but Aeden would not let it have its way. It took no more than a glance, just a glint of peace from Aeden’s clear blue eyes. Having done it once before it was easier for him this time. Just as before, the shadow dissipated and the spirit was set free.
     Aeden and Gage moved from the corpse to the other zombie that sat against the wall and was still fraught to stand upright. With its back broken it could do no more than flop itself from side to side with its legs splayed out abnormally in front of its torso. Its eyes were scarlet, as all the blood vessels in them had burst. It shrieked piercingly with every step Aeden took closer to it. Aeden slowly lowered himself down in front of it, just far enough that it could not reach him. It furiously thrashed out towards him. Its mouth opened and closed showing its tongue that likened to raw hamburger and its teeth that were almost completely concealed under its swollen black gums.
     Aeden looked at him for a moment. Looking at the man it used to be. He felt sorry that something so evil had happened to him, but he would set him free to feel pain no more. Quick as a flash, Aeden leaned forward and slammed the heel of his hand hard against the zombies nose with an upwards motion forcing the nasal bone up into the brain. Death was instantaneous.
     The shadow and the man’s spirit rose out simultaneously. Aeden stood and saw that the human spirit, slate gray and fused with hate and prejudice, was already entwined with the shadow. Even though the wayward spirit had wandered far from God, its freedom was granted after Aeden destroyed the shadow.
   Aeden looked down at the lifeless body. He felt weighted down by the heaviness of the task that lay before him. He fully understood why so many of his kind had chosen to Ascend and leave behind the terror that had begun to wrap itself around the sad world. So much pain, so much suffering, it was all almost too much to bear. But, he wasn’t alone. He knew that. He would never give up for he also knew that the Light of God never fails. Gage moved to Aeden and brushed his body up against his leg, letting him know that he was there for him.
     Aeden looked down at his old friend and said, “I know. We must go.”
     Gage looked at him and tilted his head to the side, his eyes filled with knowing.
     Both Aeden and Gage turned their attention to the light blue car that came alarmingly fast in their direction on the opposite side of the street as it veered in and out of traffic going both ways. Two bedraggled women were perched precariously on top of the car. One was lying on her stomach down across the back window as she held onto the luggage rack. The other knelt on top of the trunk with both hands clamped around the flimsy radio antenna. The car suddenly swerved and came crashing up onto the sidewalk. A lamppost stopped it short.
     With the impact, the woman holding onto the roof rack flew over the top and landed on the hood. The other flung hard against the back window, cracking it with her head. Both scrambled down and began to try the doors and beat furiously on the windows in an attempt to reach the two occupants.
     Aeden saw that the driver was a young man and he lay slumped against the steering wheel. Blood gushed from his nose and a gash on his forehead. The passenger, a young woman, was screaming at the man. Then Aeden watched her unbuckle her seatbelt, reach into the backseat, and take her baby out of the infant seat and cradle it close to her breasts.
     Aeden and Gage wasted not a moment. They immediately came to stand in front of the car and Aeden glanced through the crumpled windshield at the woman and her child. They seemed okay but he wasn’t sure about the man.
     He went around to the woman's side of the car and yanked away the shadowed woman who was beating on the window, and swung her through a store window behind him. He knew it didn’t kill her, but he didn’t think she’d be getting up anytime soon. He would have to deal with that one later.
     He saw that Gage had knocked the other zombie woman to the ground. Aeden moved to them in a blur and pushed his foot down onto her stomach. She disgorged bloody phlegm from her mouth and nose. In one quick motion, he raised his foot and stomped on her chest, splintering her ribs and crushing her heart.
     When he had disintegrated the shadow that came forth, he turned back to the car and saw that the woman had stopped screaming and sat in shock, staring at him wide-eyed but the child in her arms continued to wail.
     He went to the driver’s side first and opened the door. Without checking for a pulse, he intuitively sensed that the man was dead and that his soul still hovered close. He moved naturally, not instantly, to the other side of the car, as he didn't want to alarm the woman any further, worried that he might push her mind over the edge. He opened the door and held out his hand to her.
     “It’s all right, it’s okay, you’re safe now,” he told her, his voice musical, tender and soft.
     Her first inclination was to yell at him to get away from her. She didn't understand what was happening. She couldn't fathom why there were so many violently aggressive people or where they'd come from. Her mind was in distress at having just been in a car accident and because her husband was not responding to her, but when she heard the sound of Aeden's voice, she suddenly felt calm, unafraid, and assured that he just wanted to help. Her baby even stopped crying and turned her little head to face Aeden and then, spotting Gage at his side, a toothless smile spread across the baby's chubby face.
     “What about Ted? Can you help Ted? Please help him!” she begged as tears streamed down her pretty face.
   “He’s passed over. It’s okay. He’s okay. He’s fine now. He’s still here, close to you both. Can you feel him here?”
     She shook her head, not in negation, but with incomprehension.
     “Please,” Aeden implored her, “come with me. Let me take you and your child somewhere safe. You must get off the streets.”
     She looked at her dead husband and cried, "Oh God…Ted…no," and then turned back and stared at Aeden's outstretched hand. She wanted to wait for the police or the paramedics but everything was so crazy. She thought that there was a distinct possibility that no one would come to her aid before something else, something terrible, happened to her or her baby. So she took Aeden's hand and of course, once he touched her she felt calm, almost numb, but stronger somehow, more energized.
     Aeden smiled, lighting up his face so enchantingly that she had to force herself to take a breath. He helped her out of the car and walked them from the wreckage to the sidewalk. He didn’t let go of her hand and she was so very grateful for that. She didn’t want to lose the comfort of him and the thought that she might, caused her a twinge of panic.

Stacy STEPHENS and Cindy JACKSON

Authors ~ SHADOW PEOPLE: The Trilogy