Whispers on the Shadow Wind : Daily Flash Story— Chapter 2
Each chapter will be written by improvisation and inspired by a random InspiroBot poster until we reach a natural end. I hope you enjoy it!
Click the chapter to link to other segments: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25
PERSPECTIVE
No one could see the world quite the same way as Austin Fairmont, though he wished more did. It wasn’t that they couldn’t, because as long as monetary power had existed, there had been those who’d fallen into it by luck and circumstance. They could’ve seen the error of the system as well, the cracks in the wall of society’s illusion.
But they didn’t, and so he remained in a class of his own. That class certain had its perks, however. He sat quietly in the corner of the college cafeteria, his three closest friends beside him, all silently observing the other students, wondering at the inner workings of their minds. Were they all here to pursue degrees they thought would make them financially successful? Or did some of them think like him, that knowledge sated far more worldly desires than money every could?
“Oh, my god . . .” a soft, female voice said from behind him. He turned lazily toward the sound and regarded the speaker curiously. She had the plastic attraction, store-bought and cast from a mold like all the other boys and girls who desired society’s perfection instead of their own. “You’re Austin Fairmont! I had no idea you went to this school!”
As expected, another fangirl of the rich Fairmont name, a family legacy spanning six decades in Real Esate and country clubs — both places Austin despised. “I am, what of it?” He asked rudely.
The woman gave a huff and stared at him. She opened her mouth to speak but before she could, Shannon spoke from Austin’s right. “You’re about to accuse Austin of being rude. You better leave before you cause a scene.”
With an uncommon wisdom, the woman left without another word, dumbstruck by Shannon’s ability to read her mind. Most people were. Few had an appreciation or even knowledge of telepathy. “Speaking of scenes,” Lucas said from across the table. “I think we may have found another. I’m hearing some whispers, and if you look over there . . .”
All four of the table’s occupants looked behind Austin to where a bespectacled student glanced around frantically. Only Lucas could hear the whispers, but it was Tara who sat on Austin’s left who would make the confirmation. “Yes, two Sprites dancing around her.”
“Keep me informed,” Austin said.
“Austin, they’re about to attack her!” Tara whispered harshly, and Austin wasted no time in springing to action. He held his hand out, open-palmed toward the woman to increase his focus, then pushed her over with telekinetic force. She fell forward with little dignity, and Austin used the rest of his focus to keep her against the ground. They’d learned long ago that Sprites only attacked moving targets. The longer she remained still, the better chance she had to be left alone.
“They’re moving off,” Tara confirmed after a moment. Austin relaxed his grip and watched as the girl accepted her glasses from a tall stranger beside her. She ran from the cafeteria as soon as she made it to her feet, and Austin felt guilty about adding to her embarrassment.
But embarrassment was always better than being tormented by Sprites. The little bastards from the Nether Realm were becoming more frequent of late, and once they found a receptive target they rarely let it go.
Austin looked back at the others nodding appreciatively to them all for a job well done. Shannon, Lucas, and Tara had all come into his life at different times, times when he’d realized the haze of reality had cracked even further than before. He’d given up wealth and financial opportunity time and time again for these people, against his proud father’s wishes and rejecting his family’s money in order to pursue the life he wanted.
The life he wanted lay before him, now. He had to find that girl and make sure she knew the truth before it was too late.
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Thank you for reading! I write fiction for a living, and I’m currently trying make ends meet. If you like this short story and would like to read my other work, find out more at Patreon or email me at Samuel.D.Roe@gmail.com.
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