Written By: Armina Qi Saxton

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Chapter 4: Watching From The Shadows

It was early morning on Thanksgiving, a day when all shops were closed and everyone was thinking about the food they would consume in the wee hours of the night. It was one of the three days out of the year that no one cared what they ate, Halloween and Christmas being the other two days in which were food-filled and craving-free. A day when family gathered around and caught up on gossip that they missed out during the rest of the year. If there was anything left to say around the dinner table that night, then it would be resumed on Christmas, where they would gather once again and continue with their conversations over presents and pumpkin pie.

There were few that would enjoy this day as a whole, those certain few seeing Thanksgiving as a waste of a holiday when there were so many other types of holidays that would be used. It was a waste of a day in their eyes, a day that would have been better off spent doing something more worthwhile then to spend time with a family that they did not care for. Even so, they went along with Thanksgiving as they had in the years before, quietly cursing the day that they would never enjoy for the rest of their natural lives.

But the hours just after sunrise, perhaps a little before seven, there was something stirring outside other then the early morning breeze. Something that moved along the shadows that hung from the sun, latched onto the ground below, and moved slowly towards wherever it was going to be heading to. It was as though the shadows themselves were moving, hiding from the awakening sun that came form it's darkened bed. These shadows moved silently towards a home that they had left so long ago, a home that they had not seen in years.

And these shadows moved from the path that lead from the north-end of Durem's Reclaimation Facility, only pausing to climb up it's steps and stare into the murky waters below, as if there was something in there that was amiss. How anything could possibly survive in it, they did not know nor did they care, moving away from the Reclaimation Facility and towards Durem without another moments pauses, at least until they were in the safety of the city. That was where they were going and that was where they were going to stay until they started the first phase of their plan.

They now went through one of the entrances of Durem, their shadowy cloaks swirling at their ankles. They did not stop there, moving past the closed shops and towards the one of the only places that go no attention in the city: a large mansion that rose almost as tall as the other buildings around it. It was only then that the twin shadows stopped, their heads craning up towards the spires of the mansion to look at it fully. They bore twin smiles on their lips, a sign that there was something else going on instead of being glad in seeing their childhood home.

"There it is, at long last. Our home," One said, removing the hood from her head and allowing it to drop to her shoulders. This revealed shoulder-length blonde hair and features so cold that it would make even Jack Frost himself shiver from this cold. The other, however, frowned at this action, as both moved their eyes and heads back down.

"Yes, home. A home that should have been ours from the start," The second said, her voice just as cold as the face of the other. She turned around and placed her hands upon her hips, her eyes moving along the barely awake city that should have been awake hours before. "It has changed since the last time were here in Durem. There isn't so much as single ounce of familiarity in this place."

It's been a good ten years since we left, remember? Places like Durem won't stop changing just because we weren't here to see those changes happening." The first woman sighed, walking up to the mansion steps, behind over to touch them with her fingertips. "So worn yet so warm."

"Warm, nothing. It's stone and it's supposed to be cold. I rather have it that way," The second said, her eyes narrowing at the empty road that lay in front of her. The other brought her back straight, looking over to her nearly identical companion.

"Coldness makes things forget. I wonder if anyone here remembers that," She said, walking to one side of the woman that sounded as though she did not want to be there.

"They had better damn well have remembered. We left an impression on Gaia that no one should have forgotten." The second smiled, the wicked grin illuminating her face. "Come on. We've got to collect the key to unlock our fortunes. That is the first step in getting back what is rightfully ours."

They would unlock more then just their fortunes in the months ahead, the two becoming one with the shadows once again. This time, however, there would more lives that would be turned upside down and, for some of them, it would not be the first time.

****

It was not the morning light that woke him up nor was it the cat that slept calmly upon the pillow, just above his head. It was something else entirely that made him sit up in bed as though something was rumbling past his doorway, sweat beads soaking his forehead and eyes wide open. No, a nightmare had awoken Ian up from a sleep that was troubled from the very moment that he had first laid his head down. A sleep that did not come as quickly as it should have come.

Ian's quick moments from sitting up quickly to throwing the covers off of himself and swinging his legs over to the side of the bed made Rufus look up from his own sleep, tired eyes awakening to a new morning. The cat did not say anything, whereas a few words would have been exchanged between owner and animal, but he just stared at the man that shivered at a passing thought. Whatever was bothering him, the question that would be asked could be answered when it was not so early in the morning.

"Damn it," Ian swore, moving a hand along his wet brow as he glanced up at the small dream catcher that Peyo had made him for his birthday a couple of months ago. The object hung neatly above his bed on a nail, high enough from the bed itself so that Rufus wouldn't knock it down with his paws but low enough so that Ian could take it down if need be. It had worked for him up to this point and now it seemed as though it was useless. Still, it made him smile at the effort the boy had put into making something that would ensure that Ian's dreams would always be peaceful.

Still, the nightmare that he had awoken from was so real that he could almost still taste the burning ash inside of his mouth. It had all started with him walking with Ruby upon the sandy beaches of Isle de Gambino, Peyo picking up seashells not too far in front of them. It was a dream that he had every so often, which put a smile upon his and perhaps just a little bit more, but this time it ended differently then the other dreams that he had. Everything had come crashing down: the bank, the shops, even the mansion that had been destroyed almost a month ago was tumbling once again.

Ian swore he could still hear Ruby screaming at Peyo to get out of the way of falling bricks and stone, but it was too late. Her son was covered in rubble that had come from the air, having no chance to react or to be pulled to safety. where he once stood, collecting seashells, there was nothing but a pile of debris. Ruby had fallen to her knees, clinging to Ian's pants in sheer horror at the sight; he would console, as he was still in shock that everything had come crashing down like that, with no reason whatsoever for it to fall.

It wasn't until the dust had started to clear when they had started to come from the ashes. They were human, yet not so human; they walked stiffly and slowly, moving side to side as though they were drunk. It was a group of them, zombies from the looks of it, and they were coming straight for himself and Ruby. A low cackle came from across the ocean, female sounding, as the air swirled around him. There, coming towards him and Ruby, were the zombie versions of all of his friends and fellow shopkeepers, sunken dead eyes and hallow decayed faces. Even Johnny and Gino Gambino were zombies, drool coming from their mouths as they silently mouthed words that only they understood.

Ian desperately tried to get away from the advancing group but was held down by something clinging to him. It was only then that he realized that Ruby was holding him in place, his head moving down towards her to only see her gray face and paled eyes looking up at him. A hungry smiled played on her crackled lips, as she sunk her fingernails deep into his leg. He distinctively remembered screaming out in pain, as the group descend upon him and her into darkness, the same female cackling he heard before laughing at him in the darkness. That was when he awoke in a pool of sweat and cat hair, only coming back into reality when he saw that he was not upon the island but in his own home in Barton. That was the only relief that he got from the dream, waking to find that he was not about to become a zombie horde's next meal.

He ran a hand through his hair, moving his eyes to the clock that sat on the dresser on the other side of the room. It was nearly seven-thirty in the morning, still too early to start getting ready for the day but late enough for a long breakfast. A soft nudge from Rufus upon his right side indicated that the cat was thinking of the same thing, as Ian reached over and scratched him behind the ears. A purr came from Rufus, content on having some attention brought upon him.

"I suppose you want breakfast as well," Ian said, when Rufus sat upon his lap and looked up at him with round, wide eyes. He did not have to say anything other then a meow and a jump down onto the ground where he stretched and slinked out of the room. His owner shook his head, standing up with his own stretching as he made his way to the same doorway that Rufus had walked out of. Pausing there for a moment, he considered turning right around and attempting to fall back asleep, perhaps to finish the nightmare that he had awoken from.

The idea went out of his head the moment he heard Rufus's loud meowing coming from the living room, a chuckle coming from his lips as he made his way into the rest of his home. Maybe the day wouldn't be as bad as the nightmare that he had awoken from.

****

The sounds of the TV filled the medium-sized bedroom, low enough for it not to filter into any other room outside the bedroom area but loud enough for the person in the master bathroom to hear. The doorway between the bedroom and bathroom sat slightly ajar, the sound of running water being shut off was barely hard from under the low noise of the TV. The same someone from inside the bathroom, whom was listening to the low mutter of the TV, opened the door the rest of the way and walked into the bedroom wearing only a pair of brown sweat pants. Anyone who usually would see this person out and about, would be shocked at how little he was wearing.

Edmund walked around the end of the bed, not even looking up at the TV that played the same news stories that had been showing the night before. After all, it was early Thanksgiving and the real news wouldn't be on until noon, when the parades would be broadcasted from outside the Gaian Territories. It would be something for the background as he sat upon his bed and picked up the black laptop that was sitting near the top of the bed. It was already turned on and plugged into the wall, ready for him to check on more then jus the rumors that had just recently come up. He found it was easier to follow these same rumors online then to wait for the news to broadcast them.

There wasn't any particular rumor he was looking for or anything he hadn't heard several times over that the rest of Gaia had heard. In fact, Edmund hardly ever found anything worth reading, other then for his own amusement and to ease more then just Moira's and Vanessa's minds. It gave him little pleasure in reading some of the wild theories that he found on many online sites, half of them not even close to the truth. The rest were so close, it send chill's down his spine every time; it was as though someone was watching them from somewhere and could easily say something truthful, or just as close, to get them nervous. Those were the ones he stayed clear of, while he sat back and let everything unfold on their own.

But that was not what was worrying him at the moment. What was, was that he hadn't heard nor read anything on Johnny in the past several days. Whereas there was a flood of things he stumbled upon, there now was a small trickle of rumors and theories, if that much. Had people become disenchanted with finding the Gambino family while sharing wild tales of being one of Johnny's lovers or long lost siblings, or had they found him already and weren't telling? He shuddered at the though of what some of the Gaian population would and could do to Johnny, regardless of what they thought of him, not to mention the smothering attention Gino would receive. If he was found alive, that is, or found at all.

A knock at the front door broke Edmund out of his thoughts and away from the screen; it had been low enough that he almost didn't hear it over the soft buzzing of the TV. He didn't react to it as quickly as he normally did, listening to hear if the knock would come again to grab his attention from whatever he was doing at the moment. There were few people up at this hour of the day, especially a day that was a holiday, and even few that would bother someone who might still be asleep. If it was someone he knew that was in trouble, they would knock again and more frantically.

The knock did come again, this time longer and more louder then the first one. Edmund sighed, putting the laptop back pun the bed and stood up wearily. There were times that he did not feel like answering the door and this was one of those times, although there were some people that would stand at the door for hours, waiting for him to answer. The knocking became persistent, as if the visitor wanted his attention and wanted it now, regardless if he was awake or still asleep. Either way, as he strode through the bedroom doorway, down the hallway, and into the spacious living room, he was getting more then a little annoyed at the knocking, even if it was someone in need.

"Alright, alright," He muttered as he came to the door and started to undo the two latches that partly kept the door locked. The knocking stopped abruptly as he unlocked the deadbolt and opened the door to reveal who was standing there. He got a surprise for the day, as he stared at the two that were standing there as if they hadn't left for years.

"Hello, Edmund. Glad to see us?" The two women chimed together as Edmund stepped back in more then just courtesy. They smiled at the look of sheer surprise on his face as they stepped in, still wearing their tattered cloaks that had helped them keep in the shadows of the city.

"Anna. Marie. What in all the hells are you two doing here?" Edmund asked after the initial shock had worn off. One of the women, Anna, smiled sweetly at him as she closed door with the hell of her left shoe.

"We've come back for the key to the mansion, that's all. It's as simple as that," The other, Marie, said, checking her nails quickly before looking at Edmund with a bored look. "We'd have a set for the whole mansion, but apparently father didn't trust us enough to give us any."

"What key? I have no key to the front of the mansion, nor any other one. You'll have to go to Isle de Gambino to get them. Good luck searching," He said with a smile and a wink. And to wonder why their father never bothered to trust them. Hell, if they were my daughters, I wouldn't trust them with a single gold piece, he thought to himself as he got ready to turn around back to his bedroom to at least get a shirt on. Just as he was about to take one step forward, Anna jumped in front of him to block his quick escape.

"You don't have the key? Not even to the safes?" She demanded, staring daggers at him. Edmund shook his head at the questions, still smiling at her as though it was a great joy to see her squirm with anger. "If you don't have them, who does?"

"Don't tell us that bastard, Gambino, does." Marie strode quickly to where her sister stood and crossed her arms over her chest. She stared at Edmund, her eyes narrowing to slits. "He took our eldest sister away, knocked her up, then forced her to marry him when she was going to leave with his child before he even was born. She died under mysterious circumstances, just like our father. I don't believe for a second that she died while giving birth to our nephew, as he said she did. I can't believe our father would trust him like that, with everything that he has done."

"Well, you'll be happy to know a few things about Johnny that has happened in the past few months, once you have gone to the island to see for yourselves. As I said before, good luck searching. So, if you excuse me, I have some work to catch up on and people to see today. Good day to you, ladies." He bowed his head slightly to them, wishing silently to himself that they would go away even if he was partly glad to know that they were still alive. While he would agree to what most of the sisters would say about Johnny, there were insults that even he, Edmund, would love to slap them for. There was only so much that he could take in one day, even if some of it were true. Even though they look innocent, they aren't exactly saints themselves.

"Edmund, don't give us riddles. We know you know something. Spill it," Marie said, glaring at him with the same coldness that was on Anna's face. Edmund stood there and looked at him, unfazed at the expressions on their faces and the looks that they were giving him. It wouldn't work on him, not the way they were going about doing it. If she didn't hate the sisters as much as she did, he would have sent them off to Ruby for a quick lesson on how to get information from someone with a look alone.

"Know what? If I knew anything, I'd tell you," He said simply, his smile fading and an annoyed frown taking it's place. Anna raised an eyebrow, leaning slightly forward as she watched him. He sighed, rubbing his forehead slightly as he felt a headache starting to form. "Listen, both of you. I am going to say this once, so you two had better listen. If there was anything, ANYTHING, that I knew that you wanted to heard, I'd be the first to tell you two. As it stands, the only thing I know is rumors, and I know for a fact that you two don't want to hear rumors. If you want to know more, I suggest you look for that woman that is a reporter from the Gaia 9 News station. Cindy something. I could never remember her last name. She has a habit of poking her nose into things, just like Ruby. I swear, if I didn't know better, I'd think the two were separated at birth."

Anna and Marie looked at each other, odd expressions on their faces. Edmund knew that he had just lied to them as best as he could, but it was something that he had promised a friend he would do, even at the expense of the promise he had given to the sister's father years ago. Of course, that was before he and everyone else on Gaian soil knew what the sisters were capable of doing, even at an early age. As reckless and dangerous they had been at their age then, he was surprised either one hadn't died yet from those two traits alone. Even Johnny wasn’t as reckless as they were, although he was very close indeed.

"If you say so, Edmund. Does Gambino still live on the island?" Marie asked, giving him a sideways look. Edmund opened his mouth to say something then closed it shut. He let a sly smile come upon his lips, as though he had a plan up his sleeve. That was what he wanted them to think, that there was something that he had in mind rather then to actually help them.

"Yes, he does. I suggest you start now for his mansion, if you don't want to wait. It'll take you a little while to get to the island, only because the boats from the port don't start their runs back and forth from the island and the port until about ten." That wasn't a total lie, but hopefully it would deter them from reaching the island at the moment. If G-Corp had picked up anything and everything that was of value after the Halloween party, then he had nothing to worry about and the sisters would have to resort to breaking into their mansion. Leon would have a field day if heard anything about the sisters breaking into their own mansion, probably killing them on sight if he had the power to do such a thing. If Edmund got his way, that is.

"Ten? But that's two and a half hours away," Anna wined, pouting. This reminded him of a young child that didn't get her way, although the sisters were long since grown up. "Isn't there another way of getting to the island without boats?"

"Ah....well, then. I hope that you two have kept up with your swimming lessons, because that's the only other option available. Just be careful, thought. The water is damn well near freezing this time of year, even the waters around the island are cold." H smiled at something then shrugged. "If you don't want to wait, then don't go. I am sure that Leon would love to have a reason to have you arrested, if you decide to break into your mansion."

"Who says we're going to get caught?" Marie asked, her own sly smile coming upon her lips. She nodded to Anna, who gave Edmund a look of pure disgust before the two walked towards the doorway, apparently having taken a liking to the idea of not having to go to the island. "Don't bother showing us out, Edmund. We know the way."

"Yes. We'll be around again soon. Expect it," Anna said to him as her sister opened the door and allowed themselves out without bothering to close the door behind them. Edmund watched them leave, frowning even more as he walked to the door and held the know in his hand for a few moments. There was something about them that had changed, as though they had grown more cold to Gaia, her territories, and all of her inhabitants. He hated the foreboding tone in which Anna had in her voice, his free hand moving up to the scar upon his forehead.

"I'll expect it. Don't you two worry," He muttered to himself, closing the door to keep the rest of the heat in the house. If he remembered correctly, he and the rest of the Gaian population would be seeing something interesting happening shortly.

****

The shadows were a most peculiar thing to see, even if they held dark mysteries that people were too scared to try and figure out. they were great for these same mysteries to hide and escape in, for people to disappear to when they did not wish to be seen, and to hold secrets that did not want to be told. These secrets were just as dark as those that often held it, even at the expense of an innocent life. Shadows were always willing to divulge these same secrets, but a price that few were and still are unwilling to pay.

Which was why he was no where willing or even intent on finding what lurked in the shadows, as the early morning sun crawled into the mid-day sky. It was still early by his own standards, but late enough to be up. He stretched out into the air, getting the last kinks out of his back before smiling at the sky above him. It wasn't warm enough to be wearing nothing to cover his arms, but that did not stop him from ignoring the nipping wind that came from the north. What he was going to be doing would not require an overcoat for long, or anything that would get in his way. That would only hinder him and his work.

He set about picking up metal pieces off of the piles of junk that were laying around, absently thinking of what he was going to create next. He had no set plan on how he was going to get to the end result, or what it was he was going to create next, yet it would be something he would be able to do with a few hours of free time he had, regardless of the holiday. He was one of the few that did not like the day to be wasted on feasting when there was so much other things he could be doing instead, like standing in awe at the things he was able to create with his own two hands.

He leaned down to reach for something small that was upon the ground, not watching where he was reaching or what he was reaching for. His hand hit a pair of shoed feet before his head came in contact with a pair of legs that was hiding behind a soft cloth. He looked up to see a woman standing there, staring down at him with a stern look that twisted her dark features and body art she had painted on her face. She had her hands balled into fists and those same fists were upon her hips, in a posture that reminded him of a stern-looking mother.

"Josie," He muttered with a half smile, standing up straight as he cradled all sorts of scrap metal in his arms. He would have tried to hide this behind his back, but that would be useless since she had seen them. "You are probably wondering what I am doing."

"Building another one of those robots that won't ever work, thank the gods and goddesses. Isn't three working ones enough as it is?" Josie asked with a sigh. It had taken him months to understand what she was saying with her thick accent when he first met her, but it was well worth her repeating every word. "Liam, why can't you make a simple wind chime instead of those.....things? And put a coat on. You'll freeze to death, if one of those things doesn't do it first."

But what's the point in making simple things that will take me only minutes to create? I've stopped at simple years ago," Liam said, his voice straining. He had known her since they were little kids, Josie only a few years old then he was . She he had been on his own since the age of five, she had been like a mother to him, regardless of the slight age difference. That didn't matter to him at all, the age difference; he was glad to have someone else that was human to talk to. He hardly remembered his own parents, having only a few remaining memories of them that only came to him in dreams.

Both had lived in the place that many Gaians referred to as the 'junk pile', even before it was considered a town. Liam had build some of the only three buildings that were usable from the wreckage of the buildings before it and things that were left abandoned years ago. He had also built, much to Josie's displeasure, three robots to help with the construction, since he could not do it all himself. Despite her distrust in them, she felt it was hard not to even slightly appreciate the uses that they had, even if she said that there was more then just a few slight problems with them.

"Then at least come inside for some Thanksgiving lunch, so you won't starve yourself. That is the last thing I need today," Josie said, smiling gently at him. Liam watched her face change from the stern look she was giving him, to a more relaxed expression. There had been only one other time that he had seen her face change to this relaxed expression so quickly and that had been years ago.

"Okay, what's wrong? I haven't seen you go from giving me glares when I am working on new ideas to being okay with something in years. What is it?" He asked, setting the scrap metal onto the ground. She looked at him with a mild expression, relaxing her arms to her side. Her eyes went hazy as she looked over towards the entrance of the town, as though she was expecting something to wander in at any moment.

"There is something in the wind that doesn't feel right. Something I don't like. I don't make this suggestion much, but you should shut down those things for now, until this feeling passes."

"What?" Liam asked, looking offended by the suggestion. He knew that Josie didn't care much for the robots, and hadn't suggested he turn their power supply off in several months, but that was something he wasn't willing to do unless there was a problem with one of them. "Why? I built all three of them myself and programmed them as best as I could. They won't hurt anyone, not unless I activating something in their systems, and I am the only one that can do that. And don't give me that look, Josie. I did it for protection."

"You may not see the big flaw in that, Liam, but I do. It is not worth having the extra programming in them, if something should go wrong," Josie said with a frown. Liam put his hands into his pockets and turned around, in a vain attempt to starve off the fleeting anger that was rising inside of him. If he knew Josie, and he knew her well enough, then he knew that she would attempt anything to shut the robots down.

"Tell me, then. What is this 'big flaw' all about? You've mentioned it before and never gave me a straight answer," He demanded without turning

Josie sighed, rubbing her forehead slightly at the tone in which she was asked in. "You'll only get even more angry at me if I say anything else."

Liam swirled around to face her, his hands coming out of his pockets. He fought the rising urge to do something he would regret later; instead, he balled his fists and stared down at the ground, wishing for once that someone would give him a straight answer instead of hiding the truth from him. He knew that there was something that even Josie was refusing to tell him, about his life, about the things he built, and the things that were to come. He knew that she could see things that were going to happen, even if those things were wrong. Those inklings had always seemed to help prepare them for the worst, even if the worst would never happen.

"No, you've already got my attention. What is it?" He said as calmly as he could, unclenching his teeth so that he could speak. Josie didn't respond right away, rubbing her upper arms with her hands as she shifted her weight from one leg to the other. She was stalling, that much knew, but what she was stalling for, he wanted to know.

"You don’t get it, do you? those things, those robots, aren't totally in your control as you believe. There is something out there, just waiting to use them for a greater evil. You may have created them for innocent things, but that doesn't mean that this greater evil doesn't have ways to use them."

"What? What is out there that you are so afraid of? This 'greater evil'?" He gestured towards the entrance, as though something was waiting just out of there, out of their reach.

"I don't know just yet," She said softly, biting her lower lip. "There is something in the shadows. Something that I see in the corner of my eye, but when I turn around, it is not there anymore that I can see. It is as though the shadows moved and covered it up."

Liam stared at her, his mouth hanging open slightly. Josie was talking about things that she thought she saw, most likely her mind playing tricks on her instead of actual things that knew were there. Perhaps it was just the stress of things, or maybe it was just something that he didn't understand; whatever it was, it wasn't something he would be remotely worried about at the moment. Not until he found something else to worry about.

"You are getting paranoid, Josie," He said with a forced laugh. She stared at him, snorting and trying not to smile.

"Paranoid, am I? We shall see, Liam. We shall see," Josie said with a quick roll of her eyes. "Now come on and eat, before you catch more then just a cold."

Liam sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat as Josie turned around and walked towards the building that sat the farthest from them. He knew he was going to get anything else out of her until he at least ate something, trudging after her. The scrap pile he collected remained upon the ground where he had put it, until he was able to come and collect it once again. Maybe he'd build something simple, just to keep Josie from grumbling about other things he created.

Things that might just very well decided the fate of Gaia.