It was becoming clear to me that every member of Elysian worked for or owned a member business. A secret society filled with workers of various skillsets. Doctors, electricians, plumbers, mechanics, police officers, firefighters, carpenters, and farmers, of which one, just pulled up on his tractor. Jumping onboard to claim my fender seat, I asked, “Everything good at home?”
“It is, and Olivia wants you to tell Karen the catering issue is resolved.”
“I didn’t even know there was a catering issue.”
“That makes two of us.”
Karen met me at the door with some cookies upon my return. Not her strong suit, but I ate a handful to be polite.
“How many Elysians have verifiables?” I asked while pouring a glass of milk.
“Two, Nicky and I.”
“Then we might have a problem.”
“How so?”
“I surprised Cathy McCall today by tapping her on the shoulder. She turned quickly and looked at me as if I was about to attack.”
“And.”
“It wasn’t Cathy.”
“Christian, what are you trying to say?”
“I saw a man named Borya Volkov. I played it off and asked her name. She wanted to know why I didn’t already know it, so I told her I was having problems due to my concussion. She studied me for a moment but appeared to be satisfied with my answer.”
“Hold that thought,” Karen said as she picked up the phone. “Robert, code red, meet me here ASAP.”
Hanging up, she turned her attention back to me. “Christian, sit down. You haven’t been trained to do this, so follow my guidance.”
“To do wh—?’
Placing her index finger over my lips, she said, “Close your eyes.”
A strange feeling came over me after I heard those words. It was like I had been preprogrammed to respond. I sat there for some time until I heard a knock at the door.
Shift is an online work of fiction.
This is the first draft of my manuscript Shift – Don’t judge a book by its cover. I am writing it online in sections as I go. So feel free to comment, good or bad. If you see mistakes, point them out.
The story centers around shapeshifting.
I’m currently working on chapter nine.
Timothy French 