Legacy of Shadows: The Monster Within

Everyone downtown seemed locked into their own little world. Those who weren’t scrolling and texting buried their noses in their iPads. To be surrounded by people of all different colors and nationalities, religions, and sexual orientations and still feel disconnected and alone—both literally and figuratively—was a little … jarring.

Being one of the few teenagers without a tablet, smartphone, or social media profile, Apollo felt like the kid who’d been left out on a secret the entire class knew. The whole point of owning a smartphone and having a social media profile was to share memories, ideas, and information and stay connected with family and friends. Apollo had neither, or so it felt. Recording a few dance moves or partaking in various TikTok challenges for likes and followers never seemed appealing, and goodness knows what the government did with the personal information users of these platforms willingly (or unknowingly) gave up to create an account.

Odion always said Apollo was a “conspiracy tard” equipped with a “boomer mentality,” and would always brag about how many views some of his IG videos received, which made Apollo twist his head in confusion and question the layers of insecurities Odion possessed.

Sure, depending on the social media platform and your online persona, one could reach millions—if not billions—of people worldwide, like Mr. Beast, who’s done some amazing charitable work given his influence, but for someone imbued with cosmic energy and could read minds, who needed technology to impact the world?

If Saigon was right about this cosmic being stuff, it was in Odion’s best interests to stop denying that he was different and hone the abilities he was blessed with. There could come a time when they’re forced to engage in battle with the government to protect their privacy and freedoms. It’s not a future Apollo likes to indulge in, but a harsh reality he might be forced to live if he isn’t careful.

Apollo constantly twisted his body right and left along the sidewalk to avoid being bumped or shoved by careless pedestrians. Drivers were also noticeably more reckless than those back in Sauga, exceeding the speed limit and zipping past red lights whenever possible.

“HEY!” one pedestrian yelled, trying to cross the street. “Watch where you’re going,” he said, gesturing obscenities. He started mumbling to himself in a language Apollo couldn’t understand.

The fast-paced lifestyle of downtown Toronno would take a lot of getting used to, especially of the things he overheard on the train: people being pickpocketed, street gangs mugging citizens for being in the wrong part of town—crazy stuff. Not only that, but quite a few panhandlers were sitting with their signs and coin cups, begging people for change. At one point, Apollo saw a group huddled in a circle, sticking needles into their arms.

Whipping out his MP3 player to change songs, Apollo noticed portions of the energy bar were gone. Going anywhere without music wasn’t feasible, so the first order of business was to find the nearest Digitronics store in the area. Being in the heart of the city, that can’t be too hard to find. Turning on Dulligan St, a large crimson fluorescent Digitronics sign shined up ahead, drawing a smile across the corners of his lips.

Apollo’s eyes grew wide as he stepped through the automatic sliding doors, looking at the different headphones on display. The tablets fixed onto the table made checking out and comparing each model’s features easy.

“Are you in need of any assistance today?” a lighthearted female voice asked from behind.

“No, I was just …” Apollo met the eyes of the girl who approached him. Shining stars of the universe, this girl is fire! A wild berry scent radiated from her body. And she smells good! Apollo’s heart started racing, the crown of his head tingling. Why weren’t any words coming out of his mouth? Get it together, Apollo. She’s just a girl. Or was she? Her energy seemed a lot different.

“Is everything all right,” she asked, curling her brows, probably thinking he was mildly retarded.

Apollo nodded, blood flowing past his neck and spreading across his cheeks. He did a quick scan of her body. “I was admiring how the heart-shaped pendant around your neck brings out your beautiful eyes,” he said to fill the awkward silence. “May I ask where you got it from?” That was terrible, Apollo.

She smiled faintly. “Thank you.” She looked down and held it gently between her red nail-polished fingers. “It belonged to my grandmother just before she passed away.” Her mouth curved into a frown.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Apollo said, embarrassment itching in his voice.

She nodded, brushing strands of curly, midnight-black hair behind her ear. “If you’re ever in need of any assistance, don’t be afraid to ask,” she said, walking away in search of another customer.

Apollo stuck his hand out in his mind and asked her not to leave. Unfortunately, this was a work environment, not a place for idle chat. “You’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen in my life,” Apollo muttered.

“What was that?” She turned around, her deep-brown eyes shimmering as bright and clear as a crystal chandelier.

“Nothing!” Apollo’s heart jumped. “I’ll call you if I need you, thanks.” He stuck his thumb out and smiled.

She returned the gesture and pointed toward her name tag. “My name’s Joy, by the way.”

You’re also a joy to look at. Another customer approached her with questions about the 4K televisions, disappearing into one of the aisles. Should I ask for her number? No, what if she’s got a boyfriend? His hands were shaking as he swiped through the tablet. Apollo took a deep breath and exhaled. Joy appeared from the aisle a moment later and conversed briefly with a colleague.

Her long curls extended down to the middle of her back, swinging each time she moved her head. Her burgundy uniform shirt was neatly tucked into the creamy-brown pants that matched her skin color and accentuated the curves on her petite body. Damn, this girl’s fire!

What were the odds of her being single? Just looking at her, it seemed pretty low. And even if she was, girls like her don’t usually stay that way for too long. Gosh, I really want to ask for her number, but—

“Sir,” someone said from behind, “have you been looked after?” Apollo hadn’t responded, eyes still glazing at Joy. “Excuse me, sir?”

“She’s beautiful,” Apollo said faintly, a smile drawing across his face.

“I beg your pardon?”

“It’s beautiful.” Apollo snapped out of his daydream and cleared his throat. “These new headphones—they’re beautiful.” He turned around to a daunting figure looking down on him with neatly combed blond hair and a perfectly squared jaw.

“Yes,” the salesman smiled, “I actually just purchased the Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless,” he said with a faint German accent.

“How is it?” Apollo was curious.

“Unbelievable!” he laughed. “The sound quality is impeccable to the point you can actually feel the vibrations of the different instruments in your chest. Powerful!” He emphasized with a chest bump. “It also all depends on the kind of music you listen to. If you’re looking for a more neutral sound, where there’s an even distribution of instruments playing in the background,” he smoothly glided his hand in the air to emphasize his point, “I’d definitely recommend the Momentum 3, no questions asked.”

“Yeah, I’m def—”

“On the other hand—sorry to cut you off,” the salesman continued, “if you like more of a heavy bass, I’d go with the Skullcandy Crusher Evo Wireless.”

“I’m more of a contemporary classical kind of guy. I like my fair share of heavy bass, but for the most part, I like my classical music,” Apollo said, looking at his name tag, which read Jeff.

“That’s pretty cool, dude,” Jeff said with a genuine smile, crinkles forming around his eyes. “Regardless, they’re both unbelievable, and you really couldn’t go wrong with either of them.”

“Yeah.” Apollo’s voice carried disappointment. “They also have an unbelievable price tag.”

Jeff’s smile quickly formed into a straight line. “Yeah, unfortunately, they are expensive, but you get what you pay for, right?”

“This is true.” Apollo nodded.

Jeff began stroking his chin as if thinking of a solution. “Okay, what’s your budget?”

Apollo shook his head. “Not enough.”

“What’s not enough?” Jeff pressed for an answer.

“Only a thousand dollars and I need it to last me for at least the entire week,” Apollo said reluctantly. “As a matter of fact, I only came in here to buy a charger.”

“Okay, I’ll tell you what. You seem like a good guy, so I’ll use my employee discount and give you thirty percent off the price tag. How does that sound?”

Apollo’s ears perked up as if he hadn’t heard him properly. “What?”

Jeff smiled. “I’ll use my employee discount to give you thirty percent off, and I’ll even throw in a charger in there as well if that’s okay with you?”

“Are you even allowed to do that?” Apollo wondered. “Couldn’t you be terminated for such a thing?”

“Who has to know?” Jeff asked.

Good point. Apollo tried to do the calculations in his head.

“So including tax, you’ll only be paying around three hundred ninety-five dollars as opposed to the five sixty-five,” Jeff said.

Apollo had stopped to think about his decision but figured six hundred-five dollars could last him the entire week. Not only that, but the Momentum 3 was the latest model to hit the market, and an opportunity like this didn’t come around very often. Heck, he even threw in a charger to sweeten the deal.

“Okay, let’s do it!” Apollo said emphatically.

“All right, follow me.” Jeff motioned with his head.

Apollo followed him, looking around the store to see if he spotted Joy one last time before making his purchase. I have to shoot my shot. I may never see her again.

“Hey Jeff,” Apollo called.

“Yes?” He turned around.

“Gimme a moment, I have to take care of something quick.”

“Changed your mind already?” Jeff jokingly asked.

“Oh no, opportunities like this come only but once.”

“All right, I’ll meet you in the front by cash nine.” Jeff pointed toward the location.

Apollo took a stroll around the store, his heart stirring up a war in his chest, thinking of every possible scenario that could’ve happened. What if she laughed at him for being sincere? What if she had just gotten out of a relationship and wanted to take some time for herself? What if she was only focused on her studies? What if she thought it was weird a potential customer was hitting on her? I’d imagine that’s happened to her often, given how sexy she is. Why did it even matter so much if any of those scenarios came to fruition? It wasn’t a matter of life or death, so what exactly was there to be afraid of? She’s just a girl, Apollo. Steady your nerves. Why was this so nerve-racking?

Perhaps it was best to leave her alone and hope, by some miracle, they had cross paths again. It would only be a matter of time before employees of Digitronics looked at him and thought something funny was going on. The last thing Apollo wanted was to roam the store, looking like some teenage pervert, hoping to get a piece of some poontang pie.

Apollo licked his dry lips, throat scratchy. A long glass of cold water would’ve sufficed right now. His fingers bore dry, white spots nestled within the crevices. Damn, wish I had some lotion right about now. Did women really hold this sort of power over men, or was it all in his head? Maybe it was just his inexperience dealing with the opposite sex. Yeah, that’s it.

“Have you found what you were looking for?” someone asked from behind. Their voice serenaded him with grace.

“Yes, I have,” Apollo said, turning around.

“That’s good.” Joy nodded and smiled a gracious smile.

If Apollo didn’t know any better, he would’ve believed she had gotten more beautiful within the short period they had been away. “Listen, Joy,” he said, voice wavering slightly, “I’m about to say something I’ve never said before.”

Her smile quickly faded.

No, you idiot, don’t word it like that! “I mean …” Apollo struggled to steady his voice. “You probably hear this often, and it might sound weird coming from a kid you just met, but I couldn’t leave without saying it,” Apollo blurted, words tumbling out too quickly.

“What are you trying to say?” Joy knitted her brows together.

Apollo paused, gathering his thoughts. “Look, my name’s Apollo, and I believe you’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever met. There, I said it.” He glanced at the floor, feeling a rush of embarrassment. “I just had to tell you before I left,” he added, raising his eyes to see her cheeks flush pink.

“Oh … thank you,” Joy said, her tone uncertain.

Apollo took hold of both her hands, shaking his head. “It’s not just about your looks,” he rushed to explain. “There’s something different about you. Something in the way you carry yourself … in your energy.” Apollo noticed her growing blush. “I-I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.” Apollo watched her gaze flicker across his face, her lips parting as if searching for the right words.

“You know,” she began, hesitating, “for some reason, I believe you.”

Apollo’s heart fluttered with hope, a smile breaking his nerves. “Maybe we could—”

“Joy, service to cash one, service to cash one,” a voice interrupted over the store intercom.

“I have to go,” she said, gently pulling away.

Apollo watched her glance back before tending to her duties. Maybe fate will bring us together again.

It was more wishful thinking than anything else.