Failing Test: Book One of The Shadow Series Read online

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  Test had flown to the midway point between the camp and the entrance into the pasture. He got down on all fours and stayed low in the grass to avoid being seen, though no one would have been able to see him in the dark of the country night anyway. He looked to the line of cars and saw a vehicle on its way to the exit. He ran, tripping over the tall grass and the uneven ground, attempting to get in front of the vehicle. Once closer, he could see that the SUV belonged to Jeremy Stevens. He was in band with Nicole and was a pretty okay guy as far as Test knew. Realizing that he wasn’t going to get in front of Jeremy, he waved his arms over his head to get his attention. At the moment Test thought he had lost his chance, Jeremy stopped. Winded and weak, Test approached the vehicle.

  “Hi Jeremy, are you heading back into town?” asked Test.

  “What’s going on, Test? Yeah, I have to work early tomorrow,” replied Jeremy.

  Test looked back over his shoulder to the line of cars. He could hear people yelling, and a couple of cars were beginning to pull out.

  “Do you think I could get a ride back into town with you?” he asked.

  “Yeah, man, no problem. Is everything okay?”

  He was so tired of answering questions. His legs burned from the run, but his mind ached from the stress. “Yeah, everything’s fine. I just got into a fight with my girlfriend,” Test replied, thinking to himself that he really wasn’t lying.

  With a short burst of laughter, Jeremy motioned to Test to get in. “I think we’ve all been there, buddy. Jump in, man, I’ll get ya home.”

  “Thanks. I owe you big,” said Test as he climbed into the back seat. He looked out the rearview window for one last look at the scene. It should have been perfect, he thought.

  In just a few minutes, Jeremy was back on the interstate and heading into town. In the westbound lane, they watched as four county sheriff’s cars flew by with their lights on. Test knew where they were going. As he watched them pass, Nicole’s words came flooding back into his head.

  “What have you done, Test? What have you done?”

  Chapter 11

  Family Secrets

  As Test climbed out of the car, he thanked Jeremy for the ride. Test stood at the end of his driveway staring at his house. His mother’s car was in the drive, and he knew that there was going to be an event. He really didn’t want, nor did he have the strength, to deal with his mother now. He was exhausted and just ready to crash. Slowly, he walked to the door.

  Inside, he noticed that the house smelled different. Someone had cleaned. He was confused. It had been forever since his mother had lifted a finger for anything in their home.

  “Test?” Maggie’s voice came from the hallway. “Test, is that you?”

  “Yeah, Mom, it’s me,” he replied.

  Maggie came from out of the hallway. She actually looked healthy. Normally, she had unwashed hair and smelled like the three packs of smokes that she’d had the night before. Now she was bathed with her hair done and actually wearing a little makeup.

  “Is everything okay, Mom?” asked Test.

  “You tell me,” Maggie responded with her arms crossed.

  Test cocked his head and turned away from her. “Come on, Mom, I’ve told you, I’m fine,” he replied, tired and ready to end the day.

  She walked towards him. Her face was serious and her actions very deliberate. “Honey, I think it’s time we had a talk. You can get mad at me, hate me, whatever, but we need to talk.”

  “Mom, I’m really tired. Can we please do this tomorrow?” he replied.

  “No. It has to be now,” she said, placing her hand on his right cheek.

  Test didn’t know how to respond. He couldn’t remember the last time his mother had shown him any affection. He felt comfort in this uncomfortable moment, and it confused him.

  “I heard something at the bar the other night,” said Maggie as she walked to the couch and took a seat. “Did you have a run-in with Ted and Bobby?”

  Test became hot and nervous. His heavy eyes burst open, and the adrenaline suppressed his exhaustion. He stalled silently for a minute, scratching his head and then patting both hands on his legs. He then decided that his mother was right. They did need to have this talk.

  “Yes,” he replied.

  “Can you elaborate?” she asked.

  The look on his face was that of pain. Maggie couldn’t recall ever seeing her son this way. She waited patiently for his answer.

  Test wanted to answer his mother, but to him it was almost like being sick. You know you’ll feel better after you vomit, but the act of vomiting itself can be somewhat traumatic. After a long pause, he finally answered. “They were attacking Nicole,” he said.

  “Nicole? Who is Nicole? Look, honey, I don’t know who this girl is, and I’m glad you helped her, but can you tell me how you were able to handle those two drunks? Granted, I know that they’re not the most spectacular physical specimens, but still.”

  Test dropped his head and looked to the floor. “What do you mean, Mom? I’m not a pushover,” he replied, playing dumb.

  Maggie patted the cushion next to her. “Sit down next to me please,” she asked tenderly. “I want to tell you a story.”

  Test took a seat next to his mother and listened eagerly as she continued.

  “After your dad died, it was just you and me. Everything that I did, you were with me. Everything that you did, I was with you. Life was really pretty good. It saddens me to say it, but your dad dieing was the best thing that could have happened to us. Besides you, it was the only thing that your father had done that I was grateful to him for.”

  Test fidgeted uncomfortably in his seat. The subject of his dad always set off a primal sadness that he couldn’t understand. “Mom, really, I don’t know if I want to hear this.”

  Maggie, without breaking stride, continued. “When you were a little under one year old, your grandpa bought you a new mobile for your crib. It had tractors all around it hanging from little pieces of rope. You loved it. I would wind it up, and you would watch the tractors go round and round. It became your favorite toy. One day, you were just waking up from your afternoon nap as I was cleaning the house. I could hear you fussing, but I was right in the middle of washing the kitchen floor and didn’t want to stop until I was finished. You yelled louder and louder, and then there was a loud bang. I jumped up off the floor and ran to your bedroom. I was scared to death that you had fallen from your crib, and that I was going to find you unconscious. As I entered the doorway, there you were, standing up in your crib looking at the wall across from you. The plaster wall was dented and cracked, and lying on the floor beneath was your mobile. I stood in the doorway for a moment, trying to figure out what could have just happened. Then you reached for the mobile. Slowly, it rose off the floor. I dropped to my knees, scared to death, and covered my eyes.” Maggie’s voice trembled. She grabbed at her pack of cigarettes on the coffee table and lit one frantically. After a prolonged inhale, she continued; smoke trickling out her nose as she spoke. “It was like being in the middle of a dream. I uncovered my face, and I watched the mobile as it floated across the room and into your hands. I was frozen. Then you started to giggle and laugh. I looked at you for what must have been around five minutes and then I stood and walked toward you. You just smiled and smiled; it was as if nothing had ever happened.”

  Test looked at his mother softly and in disbelief. “What are you saying, Mom?” He stood up and walked across the room, breathing deep and feeling dizzy, the furnace within him igniting. “I don’t know what to say, Mom,” he replied, facing the wood paneling wall that lined their living room.

  Maggie stood, walked over to her son, and ran her fingers through his hair, something that she had done when he was younger to ease his temper.

  “I’m not finished, honey. Please let me finish?” she asked. “That was just the first time that I saw it, though at the time I didn’t know what I was seeing. Over the next year, there were several other
times that I saw you use it. I didn’t know how to handle it.” Tears now welled up in her eyes. “I couldn’t tell anyone, Test. I was afraid that someone would come and take you away.”

  Test looked at his mother in amazement. “You’ve known about this my whole life?”

  “Yes,” replied Maggie, tears streaming down her face. “By the time you turned five, you were using your gift more and more often. I couldn’t even send you to preschool or kindergarten for fear of you doing something in front of your class. Also, with every year that passed, you also became more and more difficult to handle. You developed uncontrollable mood swings. One day you got sick, and though you never really acted ill, you developed a very high fever. I had no choice but to take you to the doctor. You pitched a fit the entire time that we were in the waiting room; so much so that we were taken back to a room away from everyone. Once the doctor came in, he witnessed you switch from the demon child to a soft-spoken angel in a matter of minutes. He talked to me about your behavior, and that day we decided to put you on medications to help with your mood swings. The byproduct of the medicine was that your gift also seemed to go away. I thought that it was all over, and I wouldn’t have to worry any more. For a short period of time, I actually thought that I might even be able to forget about it. Well, I was just fooling myself. Even though it wasn’t happening anymore, I could never get it off my mind. I worried every single minute of every single day for your future.”

  Test was stunned. Turning to his mother, he had tears filling his eyes as well. “I can’t imagine how that affected you,” he paused, forcing himself to swallow. “I don’t know what to say. I’m so sorry, Mom.”

  “No. Don’t you dare say you’re sorry to me,” she said firmly. “You are still my perfect little boy. I haven’t been there for you, and what I’m now afraid for is your present. I’ve failed you for the last several years, and I’m not going to fail you now.”

  She leaned into him and held her son as tight as she could. He returned the embrace with equal vigor and affection.

  “Now, talk to me about what’s going on. Be straight with me,” she asked, still holding her perfect little boy.

  “I screwed up, big time,” he replied with tears trickling down his cheeks. “Everyone knows.”

  Maggie gasped. “What do you mean, Test? Who is everyone?” she asked frantically.

  “By now, most of my class, the police, you name it,” he replied.

  “Oh my God, Test! What are we going to do? They are going to come and take you away!” she cried, standing behind him and shaking him by the shoulders.

  Test panicked. With his pulse racing, he broke away from his mom. He walked down the hall and threw open his bedroom door. As he walked into his room, he heard Maggie’s footsteps coming quickly down the hallway. Now standing several feet from the doorway, he threw his left hand from left to right through the air, slamming the door shut and just missing his mother’s face.

  It had been years since Maggie had witnessed his power. Now that he was grown, it was much more intimidating. She stood at the door trembling and out of breath. With her hands shaking, she laid them on the door and tried to calm herself. The silence in the room brought all sorts of things to her mind, none of them of any comfort. Panicked, she pounded on the door. “Test, Let me in! What are you doing?” she cried.

  “I need a minute, Mom,” yelled Test.

  He realized that tonight had changed his life, as well as his mother’s, forever. His mother was right in the fact that there was no way he would ever be left alone again. At the very least, the police would be coming to question him about the damage to Justin’s truck. Images of some black van pulling up into the drive and grabbing him out of his house flashed through his mind. He didn’t know what he was going to do, but he knew that he couldn’t be here. In a moment of frustration, he threw his right arm to the windows over his bed, and with a burst, they blew outward and into the night. With a loud bang, the air conditioner slammed into the ground below.

  Maggie, hearing the crash, yelled in a fevered pitch, “Test! Don’t, please! Test!”

  He slowly walked to his bed, stood on it, and climbed out the window. As he hopped down to the ground, he noticed the smell of ozone in the air. He looked overhead and saw steady flashes of lightning and could hear the steady rolling of thunder. Suddenly to the left of him, the front door of his house came open and out walked his mother.

  “Test, please don’t leave me,” begged Maggie lovingly.

  “I’m in trouble, Mom. If I stay here, they will take me away. I have to go. I promise I’ll come back, but for tonight I have to go.”

  He walked to his mother and gave her a hug. For the first time in so long that he couldn’t remember, he felt love for his mother; and as fate would have it, now was the time that he would have to leave her. As he released her, she gave him a kiss on the cheek. He didn’t know where he was going; he just knew it wasn’t safe here. He stepped down the stairs of the front porch and walked down the drive.

  “Goodbye, Mom. I’ll see you soon, okay?” said Test.

  “Test,” called Maggie.

  He paused, and without turning replied, “Yeah, Mom?”

  “Why don’t you take my car?” asked Maggie. “You can’t be walking all over town at this time of night.”

  He couldn’t help but smile at his mother’s comment as he realized that she didn’t know that he could fly.

  “I think I’ll be okay, Mom,” he replied. “I love you.”

  His instinct told him to launch, but his heart and mind told him that his mother had experienced enough stress and shock tonight. He walked away into the dark and soon to be stormy night. He felt more alone now than ever before, and in his mind, all of this was his own fault. His lack of control had cost him everything. With each step, his lips curved downward.

  Everything, he thought. Until a few days ago, everything was nothing. How could I be so careless?

  As he rounded the corner leading out of the trailer park, the first drop of rain hit his face. Without a thought, he instinctively took to the air. No longer worrying about someone seeing him was freeing. He pulsed harder and harder, making this his longest flight yet. He landed in an empty lot behind a gas station some two miles away from where he had taken off. He thought about his situation again. It was only a matter of time before everyone knew, of that he was sure. He needed a quiet place that he could be alone and to try to think it all out.

  Thoughts of Nicole came in waves. His emotions weighed heavily on him. He wanted nothing more than to be with her, but he knew that was impossible. He walked around to the front of the gas station, tripping over cracks in the concrete as he walked. His timing was such that he avoided becoming soaked by only a matter of seconds, as the rain began to come down in sheets. Completing the obstacle course of a parking lot, he walked in the front door. The smell of fresh coffee made his eyes open briefly, and he walked to the pot and poured himself a cup. He took a sip and let the warmth of the liquid slip slowly down his throat. He walked to the booths by the windows and took a seat, watching the weather outside lose its temper. He had found his spot. Chilled by the combination of the air conditioning and his mildly wet clothing, he hovered around his steaming cup of coffee. He took another sip and then laid his head down on his folded arms. All that he needed was a short rest, no matter if it was a couch or a table. Within seconds, he was sound asleep.

  Chapter 12

  Trust and Friendship

  Test was awakened by a hand on his shoulder, followed by a subtle nudge and an old man’s voice.

  “Wake up, kid. This ain’t no hotel, and you ain’t paid for that coffee yet neither.”

  Test looked up to see a silver-haired black man with a heavily receding hairline standing beside him. Hanging low on his nose was a pair of thick-lens, black-framed glasses that were millimeters away from sliding off the tip of his nose. Clenched between his teeth rested an unlit cigar that looked as though he’d been chewing on it for da
ys. His name-tag read “Cliff.”

  “Let’s go, kid. You can’t stay here less you pay for somethin’,” the old man complained.

  Test sat up straight and rubbed his face. “I’ll pay for the coffee,” he replied with a yawn. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep, sir, I’m sorry. I guess I didn’t realize how tired I was.”

  “Oh, you kids and your fast lifestyle. Up all night and sleep all day; it’s no wonder the world’s going to hell in a hand basket,” replied Cliff as he pointed his finger accusingly at Test.

  Test watched the old man speak. For some reason, he liked him. Even though the old man was yelling at him, he got the feeling that was just how he was, and didn’t necessarily mean to come off as crabby as he did.

  “What are you doin’ out this late, young man?” asked Cliff.

  Test took a sip of his now-cold coffee. The bitter taste hit his tongue, and his face contorted in disapproval. He choked the cold coffee down and replied, “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

  “Try me,” said Cliff as he sat across from Test. “What’s your name, son? You don’t look familiar to me. Don’t recall seein’ you before.”

  “Test Davis, sir,” he replied.

  “My name is Clifford Johnston. Folks just call me Cliff,” said the old man as he reached out his hand.

  Test shook the old man’s hand and replied, “Good to meet you, Mr. Johnston.”

  Cliff dipped his head and turned sideways in the booth. “No, no, no. Didn’t I just ask you to call me Cliff? You kids don’t listen well these days neither,” he said gruffly as he pushed his glasses back on his nose. “Now, back to my original question; what are you doin’ out this late?”

  Test looked out the window and noticed that it had stopped raining. The parking lot was full of puddles, and the wind had become still. Glancing back to Cliff, Test answered as honestly as he could.

  “I had a party to go to tonight. It was really the first night that I was going to hang out with my new girlfriend. Let’s just say that everything didn’t work out as I had hoped.”