Seeing Double - 5. Chapter 5

MATT

‘You can do it Matt, you need to do it.’ I heard Ailarha whisper in my ear over the crashing of the waves against the cliff face.

‘The environment will soak up the Energy?’ I asked once again.

She nodded and I turned around to face the ocean.
She smiled at me, urging me to continue.
I started walking up to the cliff edge, and once there I put my first foot out into the air, hoping that she was right.
Imagining that the air under my feet was solid I started walking across the air out to the ocean down below.

Once at the spot that Ailarha had designated, I turned back around to face the cliff face; Ailarha was just a tiny silhouette to me now.
I began chanting the Incantation of Initiation and as I did so a sphere of Energy about 20 metres in diameter formed around me.

Once the first Incantation was complete I took a breath; there was no going back.
Feeling the Energy straining against me I started the Releasing.

Whilst performing the seven hand movements of Hasha, I started humming and the Energy started to seep out of me.
All was going well, the Energy undulating under my will as I controlled how the Energy was released.
Not long after however, the Energy started to push out stronger than I wanted. I tried to control it but it was like breaking in a wild beast and I was out of my depth.
I cried out and the Energy took on an electrical form, giant arcs of electricity struck the sphere causing it to ripple and shimmer. It was trying to break free.
Once again I tried to bend the Energy back to my will, but the Energy was capricious like it had a sentience of its own and lashed out.

Lightning tore into my back and I could smell charring flesh.
At the agony that followed I lost all control, the Energy storming through me and bursting through the sphere.
True to her word, the Energy was absorbed by the ocean, instead of electrifying the water; the Energy reverted back to its placid form.
I felt my vision blur and my surroundings spin; I started to fall; I saw the ocean coming up to greet me...

I sat bolt upright, sweat drenching my body.

It had happened again, the dream, the revisit of my first failed Releasing, the one that had caused the scars on my back.
I had more control now, I had tamed the beast, but the reminder of what had happened and what could always happen put me on edge.

It was almost time for another Releasing.
Checking where Ailarha would be now in her time cycle I sent her a message.

‘Dream has occurred once more. It must be performed tonight.’

I thought for a while on the Energy going into the ocean, and wondered why it did that.
I remembered just how little I got told directly about the Energy I could control, I should ask more questions at the next meeting I promised myself.

The day was here.

The day of the Fresher’s party and as usual I was scared out of my wits.
Over the three days I had joined a few clubs, found my way around the Chemistry building and sorted out my course with my personal tutor.
This meant that I hadn’t seen Dan since that run in at the clothes store.

However, I had met some new people as I met my personal tutor and on my course I had chatted briefly to a few people.
The group seemed to be quite friendly.
Because my start had gone quite well, I had decided to dress up more than I thought I would normally. The dress code was formal.

I had a pair of jet black trousers that were a perfect shade of black; I had modified them so the black never faded.
For the shirt I had a deep red shirt which I teamed with a thin gold tie.
But now for the big risk.
I had been gifted a coat by Ailarha the day I mastered my powers for the first time and I tried it on once again.
It was a brilliant white coat, knee length, it fitted me perfectly and on the back of the coat was an incredible motif; it was an image of two snakes coiled around a book to face each other.

I walked out into the common room in the full attire and my flatmates gasped.

“It’s too much isn’t it? I’ll go change.”

“Don’t you bloody dare Matt!” said Will grinning.

The others also offered their praise.

“How are we supposed to live up to that?” asked Michelle.

I just smiled.

“Look at him the arrogant bastard; he could get plenty of women tonight.” Damien piped up.

I shot him a quizzical look.

“Or guys.” Damien said with a mischievous grin.

“I still can’t believe you lot are so great with me being gay.”

“Hey, we’re not the prats in high school; we all know all sorts of people are at Uni. If you can’t accept that there are guys who like guys or women who like women then you shouldn’t be here.”

“Thanks guys.”

“No problem Matt, now just make sure you have a drink.” Will said, winking at me.

Will was definitely straight but we had an easygoing banter in which he would flirt with me and I would play along. It had become the game and joke around the common room.

“Let’s go then people.” I said cheerfully. The rest of them were wearing a suit and tie or a dress so I stood out a bit, wait...a lot.

“Matt, don’t worry; don’t be afraid to stand out.” Jenna said, feeling my coat. “Wow, what is this made of?”

“Um... actually, I don’t know. It was a present and I return it to the person who gave me it when I want it cleaned.”

“Who gave it to you?”

“One of my Aunts; I think as a Uni present.”

I hated lying about where certain objects came from, but it was a necessity. I couldn’t go and tell them the truth.
We had almost made it to the building when I felt people’s eyes on me.
I noticed Dan near the entrance gathering tickets from people, which made me instinctively, check my pocket for my ticket also.
Gary was on the other side of the entrance and saw me first. He stared before calling Dan’s attention.
Although I shouldn’t have been hoping for Dan to like me, I was hoping he would notice. Maybe I could figure out if he was gay or not.
He acted straight and my gaydar was about as broken as you could get.

Dan turned around and froze. I think he was trying to figure out if it was me or not.
I smiled at him and he gave me a puzzled expression.
As I got closer he finally got himself together. Well, he wasn’t totally straight then.

“You look amazing Matt, well done!”

I looked him up and down assessing his suit. The shirt and tie looked good on him.
The girls filing in thought so too and I had an urge to shove them away. It was then, as I saw the slim fitting suit contouring his body and his trousers fitting him achingly well, that I knew that if I had Dan I would be in heaven.

“Have you got your tickets guys?” Dan said, addressing the group of us. Had he deliberately done that?

We handed over the tickets and made our way into the building.
The five of us- Will, Damien, Jenna, Michelle and myself- all sat around a table together; the sixth member of our flat, Charlotte, had become ill the previous night andshe was still too ill to make it.
She was fairly quiet anyway so didn’t think much of missing the party, though she said “Take plenty of pictures for me to laugh at!”

After several minutes many of the students had entered and the helpers were sitting down at their tables as well.
Dan kept shooting me looks. Each one seemed to convey a different emotion, sometimes annoyed, sometimes shocked and others that I didn’t want to acknowledge.
I felt uncomfortable; surely he didn’t need to keep looking at me?

The others noticed the situation as well, “Matt he’s probably just in awe of your outfit.” Jenna said and I raised my eyebrow at that.

“He doesn’t need to keep looking though.” I replied; if I wasn’t quite so unsure of myself when it came to relationships I could have probably put everything together.

“He likes you.” Damien said simply.

“Do you think so?” I asked lamely, to which Damien nodded his head as well as the others.

I looked straight at Dan as he looked at me and this time I didn’t look away, which unnerved him as it was his turn to turn away.
It could all still be an elaborate trick, a plan to humiliate me.
And oh how easy it would be to learn the truth... just to slip into Dan’s mind and silently search for the answers.
He wouldn’t even notice if I was careful enough, but as those thoughts entered my head, Ailarha’s voice entered my head and the words she spoke in my training returned to me:

“You shall never, unless in the most urgent of circumstance should you enter a mortal’s mind nor manipulate their thoughts to your own personal end.”

I sighed and proceeded to listen to the speeches of those welcoming us to the University and wishing us well with the year.
The dinner part of the party had gone pleasantly well and I had learned a bit about everyone and they knew snippets about me.
The bit I was dreading though was the disco. Never had this sort of thing been ‘me’ so to speak.
My group dragged me there anyway saying that if only to have a drink and laugh at the others dancing.

Only one thing was on my mind though. I kept it under wraps for most of the night but I knew the hour of the Releasing would soon come around.
Ailarha had said midnight; how apt.
Dan was constantly watching me and it was getting irritating.
If I knew why he was it wouldn’t have been so bad.
The others had gone up to the dance floor and I saw Will and Jenna grinding up against each other; both of them laughing like hyenas. I couldn’t help but laugh as well.

Then it arrived, so sudden, so violently that I was almost sick.
Energy coursed within me and I gritted my teeth against the sensations now being forced upon me. I stood up and slowly walked out of the room towards the exits.

Another wave of Energy coursed through me and I grunted in pain.
It had to be now.
I had delayed the Releasing for too long, and now it was rearing its head in defiance.

Even through the pain I could sense Dan making his way towards me.

“Matt, what is happening?” Dan asked gently.

“I can’t...” I managed.

“You can’t what Matt?”

This time, as I spoke, the Energy twisted my voice and made it sound almost demonic “Do not get involved...too dangerous.”

Dan looked alarmed as I bent over double.

“Matt...”

I looked up; I could feel that my eyes had turned into pits of flame, dark blue flames flickering around my eye sockets.
I couldn’t let anyone else see me like this, so with a large amount of willpower I retained my form and ran, ran for the nearest exit, forgetting to check that no one was following me.

As I ran I began searching for Ailarha through the aether that was the River of Energy. I sent her a message.

‘It has to be now.’

And with that I headed straight for the park we had decided on. I just hoped the Releasing would go according to plan.

DAN

Moving as silently as I could and avoiding the street lamps I followed Matt.
He was heading to a park that was nearly always deserted. Matt had managed to completely astound me once again.
I couldn’t believe this was real.
I was scared when the fire started blazing in the pits of his eyes, his true power showing a small glimmer of itself in that moment.

And then he had fled and despite being scared half to death, I felt myself following him.
As he entered the park, I hung back a bit until he was on the field; I then snuck around the other end where there was more cover I could hide behind.
I was about thirty metres from Matt but I could still see him clearly.
He was standing still in the middle of the field, no breeze was blowing and all was silent.

Matt looked up all of a sudden. I faced the sky also and my jaw dropped.
Five columns of smoke appeared from nowhere and descended to the ground, each coalescing into a humanoid form.
They all had weapons of some sort, and facial features were hidden by the ornate helmet each of them was wearing.
The humanoids nodded as one and I saw Matt tense up.

There was a breath of wind from nowhere; just a mere breath, but as that wind appeared a dome of Energy materialised around Matt.
However, the dome seemed to disappear after a while.
Matt waited a few more moments before continuing with whatever he was doing; and there was no denying his
powers now.

I waited with baited breath. I was afraid, I was excited and I was worried. After tonight, what would happen?
Matt made seven hand gestures and immediately his eyes blazed with power.
Energy formed spider lines around the edges of his eyes and the lightning must have been dancing in his eyes again.
Whilst this had happened, the five figures had developed fighting like stances and looked like they were about to brace for something.

Matt held up his hand to the first figure and yelled as a thick bolt of lightning shot out from the palm of his hand directly at the figure.
I almost shouted to the figure to get out of the way, but remembered I wasn’t supposed to be here.
The lightning bolt struck something invisible then I remembered the dome that had ‘disappeared’

The dome became visible for a few seconds as it buckled and rippled from the assault against it.
The figure braced and seemed to calm the dome, the buckled Energy being replaced by its original smooth appearance.
I was in awe; nothing like this should be real! What would have happened if that bolt had struck something tangible?
My answer was going to come sooner than I realised.

With a scream Matt unleashed dozens of bolts, this time of varying sizes and, at a guess, strengths.
The five acted as one to reinforce the dome, allowing the dome to prevent the bolts from escaping, protecting them from Matt’s power.
However, a single bolt pierced through the dome and was heading to a tree just several paces away from me.
The bolt pierced the tree and it exploded with the sound of a bomb.

I covered my ears and curled up as splinters the size of novelty pencils were hurled out in every direction.
I felt a few slam into my back causing me to weep with pain as I didn’t want to cry out and be heard.
I unfurled myself and saw only a blackened stump where the once proud tree had stood.
I continued to watch Matt, the display both frightening and exhilarating at the same time.
But as I looked back at Matt after trying to protect myself from the blast, I saw that he had changed.

Matt had grown taller; I could tell that from here, but by how much I didn’t know.
He had become more muscular, his arms more toned and his appearance bulkier; he was too far away and, being wreathed in Energy, I couldn’t see his face properly.
I wondered what had brought on such a transformation.

Again I asked myself questions.
Why did he change?
Was it necessary for him to change?
And the main question, which was his real appearance?

Matt continued to exude Energy; this time fire engulfed the dome, licking at the dome trying to escape once again, but Matt held strong and he reigned in the fire.
Smaller pulses of Energy had now started to bleed out of Matt and in a matter of minutes the Energy had disappeared, leaving a drained looking Matt in the centre of the dome.
With a flash of light the dome crackled and disappeared for good this time, I assumed.

The figures slowly walked towards Matt and I thought they were going to attack him so I edged away from my cover, ready to charge towards them.
Matt looked up to them and I heard a voice rip through my head.

‘NO! Not so soon! You promised! You promised!’

I reeled from the voice that had brutally entered my head.
I saw the four figures lift Matt to his feet. Four.

“Human, you will identify yourself.” A voice said coldly from behind me.

I spun around to face the fifth figure.
I was speechless.

The figure stood seven foot tall and had an athletic build over which hung heavy set robes.
Its mask was that of a flaming skull, the black eye sockets making my knees go weak.

“Identify yourself.” It said again.

“Er...um...ahh.” I couldn’t speak; in the presence of this figure I couldn’t do anything.

“That’s enough, Drackhir.” Matt said forcefully even after such a spectacle, he still could come across strong.

He and the other four figures had noticed me and that the figure named Drackhir had come over.
The six of them standing there made me fall to my knees sobbing.

“What shall we do with him Ailarha?” A female sounding voice said casually.

“He shouldn’t be allowed to know the secrets he has witnessed.” Another female voice said.

I looked up at each figure and saw a mask similar to the one worn by Drackhir, their expressions unreadable, their voices inaudible.
I didn’t know what was going to happen so I stared at the ground instead. I was still on my knees.

“I will deal with him personally.” Matt said with an air of authority.

“Now that he knows, you can tell others, but be careful to whom you trust this secret.” The second female said without emotion.

I still hadn’t looked up from the ground, afraid of what I would see.

“We must go. Remember Matt, six months.”

I looked up just as the figures faded to smoke once more and then dissipated into the air.

“Stand up Dan.” Matt commanded and I did so quickly.

I opened my mouth then closed it again.
I saw what Matt looked like in this appearance.
His hair had become lighter; his face was smooth and defined.
I allowed my eyes to wander for a split second and saw how defined he was, it was a body to rival an athlete’s. I was too scared to imagine anything that was underneath the clothes we wore.

“Turn around.” I did so, my back now towards Matt.

The splinters which I had forgotten about now reminded me of their presence causing me to gasp with pain.
I felt a slight tingle and the pain slowly ebbed as the splinters were removed.
I turned back around to face Matt, whose face looked sickly.

“Matt.” I croaked.

“Please Dan, I can’t. Not right now.”

I stepped towards him, but he shook his head.

“Don’t come near me until I’ve slept.” He said and with that he performed the same trick as the figures had; he transformed into smoke and the smoke disappeared into the air, leaving me on my own in the park.

I looked over to the blackened stump of the tree. Police will think its arson or yobs, I thought.
I started to walk back to my house. I couldn’t believe what had happened, even though I had seen it with my own eyes.
I felt scared still at what he was capable of, and yet I had a sense of that not being the true Matt.

His appearance, had the situation been different would have made me go hard in an instant, which begged the question I asked myself earlier; which was his real appearance?

As fear turned to slight anger about how he was I realised now why he was so secretive. How could one expect to keep something like that low key and be exuberant?
So many questions I needed to ask him.
He wouldn’t come to me I knew that so I needed to go to him for the answers. He owed them to me. I walked into the house to no one at home as they were all partying still.

I sent Sam a text saying that I was home and so was Matt, at least I assumed he was.
Exhausted I relaxed into bed thinking of the questions I needed to get answered. I quickly dropped off to sleep.