Chapter 8 - Unsharing is Uncaring

He finally showed his true colors. I signaled Neil to light the flares. He was positioned at the back, out of sight from the mayor and his men, so they couldn't see what he was doing.

The sky suddenly brightened with a vivid green light. The mayor and his group panicked, and the policemen immediately aimed their shotguns at us. "What the hell is that?" the mayor shouted. "Arrest them! They must have guns or weapons! Go!" He shoved his men forward, urging them to detain us.

But before they could lay a hand on us, I shouted to my mom, "Now, Mom!" She waved her hand toward the sky, and her scroll materialized. Small dots appeared several meters above the mayor and his people. They all looked up, confused and wary, wondering if some kind of weapon was hovering over them.

Then, the dots began to expand like popcorn, revealing lumber, steel, cardboard, cement, and other debris - all the trash we had collected from the warehouse. The rubbish came crashing down on the mayor's group, burying them under the weight of the falling objects. They screamed in pain as the materials rained down on them like a hailstorm.

"Run!" I yelled, laughing as I dragged my family toward the tower. Serves them right, I thought. The onlookers who had been eating nearby stared at us in shock. When they realized what was happening, they tried to stop us, even the kids. I finally reached the tower door and flung it open. By then, the mayor and his men were either severely injured or knocked unconscious under the pile of debris.

"Again, Mom!" I shouted, noticing that some people were still chasing us.

"But the kids?" she hesitated, reluctant to harm them. I rolled my eyes. Those kids would've beaten us up if given the chance. Still, I understood my mom's hesitation, they were just children, after all.

"Just block their path!" I urged. Mom complied, using her powers to create a barricade between us and our pursuers. The sheer size and noise of the objects were enough to scare them off.

She was doing an incredible job for someone her age who had never trained to use her powers. I was so proud of her I, always had been and always would be, favored or not.

We finally made it into the tower and shut the door behind us. Carrying our belongings had been easy thanks to my mom's ability. She could shrink objects to miniature sizes and restore them to their original form at will. I suspected she'd been gifted this ability because of her chronic hoarding tendencies.

Our house was always cluttered, with little room to move, because Mom insisted on keeping things she might need someday. Now, she could hoard to her heart's content without worrying about space. The only disappointment was that we couldn't resize the tower itself. Mom's scroll displayed some unfamiliar text, which I'd need to research in the castle library.

Suddenly, I heard thumping and banging at the door. "Mom, I need to handle this quickly. Stay here for now," I said, instructing my siblings to follow me once they'd rested.

I rushed to the castle's control room and charged the tower's crystal. With a surge of energy, I zapped the ground near the mayor's relatives, sending them scrambling back in fear. They didn't dare approach the doors after that. I was tempted to pulverize them all, but they hadn't done anything to warrant death, not yet, at least. Though, I had a feeling that day might come sooner or later.

The flares weren't just a distraction. They were unique to the terrorist group that had attacked me earlier. I'd found them at the group's stash before deciding to end them. The green light would signal the other members to this location. I couldn't help but wonder how the mayor and his team would handle them. My priority was to keep everyone away from the tower, unless one of them suddenly developed an ability, which would complicate things.

I needed to get my friend Raymond into this realm. I hoped he'd agree, even if I couldn't fully explain what was happening. He might bring his girlfriend along, too. This place was large enough to accommodate many people, but we'd have to be selective about who we let in.

••••••••••••••••••• 

My family was utterly amazed by the environment inside the tower. My parents were exhilarated by the prospect of having a home and land surrounded by such breathtaking scenery. We had always rented a cramped duplex, and the rent had been increasing year after year. The fear they had felt just days ago was now replaced with excitement and hope.

I turned to our eldest, Barry, and asked if he planned to bring his fiancée here. He explained that his girlfriend believed the chaos would eventually pass and that the government would handle it somehow. She was currently working overseas in South America as a healthcare worker but was scheduled to return home in a few days.

My other siblings, especially Fae, were thrilled. She mentioned that she could finally save the money she and her boyfriend had been setting aside for a mortgage, as they could now live in a beautiful home. Neil agreed, already imagining inviting his classmates over for sleepovers.

"Guys, we're all living in the castle. Why would you choose the other homes?" I complained. None of my siblings were married yet, and they all seemed eager to live separately. We had always lived in places that were too small for us, and I was excited about the idea of finally enjoying a spacious home together.

They all looked at me like I was crazy. Maybe it was because of my past relationships, but I hadn't thought about being in one again for a long time. Besides, with the Chasm looming, dating didn't seem like a priority for me right now.

There was so much to set up: the intercom, the cameras, the appliances, the training area, and more. With only me and my family here, our resources were limited. I also needed to retrieve the e-bike or find another vehicle so my family could move around the realm more quickly. They didn't have my speed, so traveling long distances would be a challenge for them.

The Moonlink I had ordered wouldn't arrive for a few days, so we'd have to make do with the natural beauty inside the tower for a while. I could give them a tour, though I wasn't sure if the terrain was the same as the tower we had known in the past.

As I watched the monitor, I noticed that the bandits had arrived. They had seized the mayor and his group. One woman was hiding near the door, knocking frantically, tears streaming down her face.

The mayor and the others were pointing in the direction of the tower, and the bandits quickly took notice of the structure. I just can't catch a break, I thought.

My family had already settled in for the night in one of the castle rooms. The place was so large that they felt uneasy sleeping separately, so they stayed together.

I rushed outside and opened one of the doors. The woman fell forward, groaning in pain. She was a bit older than me and strikingly beautiful.

She scrambled to her feet as I helped her up. I quickly shut the door behind her to prevent anyone else from getting in.

"Please, please help me!" she cried, hugging me tightly. She looked up at me, her face flushed from crying. "Please help them. They're going to get killed!" She clung to me even tighter, like a boa constrictor.

I managed to free myself from her grasp. "You might be forgetting that the mayor told us to scram, on our own land," I said matter-of-factly. I was about to send her back outside when she dropped to her knees, clasping her hands in desperation.

"Please! I'll do anything! Just help us!" she begged. The bandits were capable of unspeakable things, and her fear was palpable.

"Anything?" I repeated. She hesitated for a moment but then strengthened her resolve and nodded firmly. I smirked.