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Anointed

By Jason C. Joyner

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The late-night highway stayed quiet, perfect for Demarcus walking along the side of the road. His mama was surely freaking out at this point, since she always watched the evening news. But his phone wouldn’t turn on from all the water thrown at him. Anyway, he needed time to figure out how things had gone horribly wrong.
He pounded his fist into his hand yet again. Nothing helped the overwhelming guilt that threatened to strangle his conscience. It was his idea. He had pushed trying to confront the other superpowered teens his friends had dubbed the Corrupted, by setting a snare for them. Except the tables turned when the Corrupted lured them into a trap at Hyde Pier. Then when they had the chance to retreat, he jumped back into the fray.
It was Demarcus being an idiot that had caused Sarah Jane to go missing. Lily to get hurt … John to be killed …
Oh God, please forgive me!
He’d prayed that over and over since he and his best friend, Harry, had dropped Lily off at her house. Harry had offered to teleport Demarcus as well, but he couldn’t face going home. Not yet. He didn’t know if he’d explode or crumble under Mama’s questions. Walking might give him time to corral his runaway feelings.
Then there was the gnawing in his chest. He’d tried pushing his palm into his sternum, but had gotten no relief. Something had changed when the disheveled man touched him. Demarcus couldn’t figure out why the man had attacked all of the gifted people tonight, no matter what side of the fight they were on. Whatever the reason, that attack left a sucking wound from what felt like inside his soul.
Cars whizzed by intermittently. There wasn’t a lot of traffic at 1 a.m. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder what passing drivers thought about a black kid in a torn-up suit walking down the road at this hour.
A flash of blue and red lit up the night. Ah, well there was one person who’d taken an interest in him. A cop.
Demarcus fought down a rising panic. It was always a worry before, but after the confrontation at Hyde Pier, he couldn’t handle another conflict. Either he was going to be in trouble for what happened in San Francisco or for being as a kid out where he shouldn’t be. Or with his luck tonight, both.
He stopped and faced the bright lights of the police cruiser, keeping his hands in the open. No sudden moves—even though he could race away before anything happened.
The officer got out of the car, a man with a trimmed salt-and-pepper beard and a pale complexion. He looked Demarcus over cautiously, with his hand staying close to his belt. If the man got spooked, would he reach for a Taser or a gun first? Demarcus had to proceed with care, not letting his frayed emotions affect how he reacted.
“What are you doing out on the road this late?” the officer asked.
“I’m heading home, sir.”
The officer cocked his head to the side. “Walking on the 101? Did your car break down?”
“No, sir. My … ride fell through and I didn’t have money to get a ride share.”
“Let me see your ID.”
Demarcus told the officer where his wallet was and reached slowly to get it out. He didn’t have a driver’s license yet, but his school ID would reveal his identity. He wondered if his name was already all over the police reports.
“Why are your clothes torn up and wet?” The officer eyed him with suspicion.
“I—I was at a party and things went south. I’m honestly just trying to get home.” Demarcus wondered about the cuts on his face and the multitude of bruises on his body. He probably looked like a wreck.
“I’ll be right back after I run these.” The officer returned to his cruiser. Demarcus stepped to the edge of the lights so he wouldn’t be blinded. He pulled at threads of his ragged sleeve. Sand trickled out. How was he going to tell this story to his mama? He’d either cause her to have a heart attack, or end up dead himself.
He reached for his phone, forgetting he couldn’t text his friends to see how they were doing. Lily had been beaten up worse than the boys. He knew she’d given as much as she could both fighting the Corrupted kids, then to chase off that smoke creature that appeared at the end and overwhelmed them. When he’d left Harry, he was going crazy worrying about Sarah Jane. Demarcus finally convinced him to get some rest before searching for her again.
Tomorrow they would tear the city apart to find their friend.
The officer climbed out of his car again. Handing the ID back, he said, “So, Demarcus, there are some interesting reports coming out of San Francisco. I’d like you to come with me to talk about things.”
Demarcus’s shoulders slumped. Of course this night would end with being questioned by police. Time for a personal appeal. The officer’s badge read “Riley.”
“Officer Riley, sir, it’s been a crazy night. I’d rather rest tonight, if it is possible, and I would be willing to talk tomorrow.”
“A male matching your description is wanted for questioning. Let’s do this the easy way, okay?” A hand lowered toward his belt. What would he reach for first?
The sound of squealing tires cut through Demarcus’s thoughts. An out-of-control silver sedan skidded across the asphalt, careening right towards them, headlights bearing down.

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