Kaira Cade – MirandaSparks.com

Glimmer Girl #24 – “Shimmering Dusk” (Part 2)

SOME NIGHTS AGO

Lovers of stories know the tale of Dracula, king of the night walkers. Once the world thought him vanquished in the latter part of the nineteenth century. Such presumption of his demise brought comfort to humankind, and who was the Count to rob them of that? Better thought a myth than an ever-present danger.

The ocean air blew with the taste of salt. A mortal man might have thought it refreshing. Though for the night king it was more awareness than sensation. The same went for the humidity of this South American villa. His flesh, more numb than cold, did not stick and did not perspire. He was neither comfortable nor uncomfortable in this environment.

All that sated him was life blood pouring direct from a host. But even that, after a time, became the property of the mundane.

With hunger muted by experience Count Dracula idled in a wicker chair. Staring at the waves he wondered what mortal eyes saw. Color, shade? Would the gentle hiss soothe them instead of sharpening their awareness? What irony that he should find enviable the existence of short-lived cattle. Continue reading “Glimmer Girl #24 – “Shimmering Dusk” (Part 2)”

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Glimmer Girl #23 – “Shimmering Dusk” (Part 1)

Tanya sat under a dark cloud for the better part of a week. She curled in her blankets. The sounds in her headphones alternated between new wave and podcasts. Every second meal consisted of leftover pizza, and the only time she left the dorm was to drag herself to class. How long had it been since she’d changed out of her pajamas? I couldn’t tell you, but the smell was too much.

Soon I was at my limit. “You need to get out.”

She presented the typical arguments; ‘I’m fine.’ ‘I need time.’ ‘It’s not that bad.’ ‘Don’t waste your time worrying about me.’ Next she offered distraction by reminding me that there was a city to patrol. Though all had been quiet since the reign of cats and dogs.

No more talking. I threw the duvet to the floor and dragged her by the feet. Tanya kicked and whined but it was no use. Tough love was the order of the day, followed by a shower and some real food.

I sat and waited for her while she was in the bathroom. Tanya had every reason to mope. Her first romance met with one disaster after another and fell on its face. It could be it was never meant to last, but even so, she was still a girl, and girls always remember their first. Or so they say in TV dramas.

But she couldn’t wallow forever. There was a life to live. Continue reading “Glimmer Girl #23 – “Shimmering Dusk” (Part 1)”

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Glimmer Girl #22 – “The Reign of Cats and Dogs” (Part 6)

You probably saw the news.

“-With reports coming in that the immediate danger has passed. Officials and the CDC urge citizens to stay indoors until a thorough sweep is conducted. Milestone Metro has decommissioned the subway network until further notice. Non-essential emergency staff are to steer clear of sewers and water systems.”

It turns out that aerosol dispersal only covered the surface of the problem. To be effective we’d have to force our way down, probe the dark corners of the city, and tackle what’s left head on.

I couldn’t leave. What if there were more monsters down there, bigger than the experts could handle? The emergency crews were more qualified, but didn’t have my firepower, or my speed. So, like a sucker I raised my hand to go another round. What could it hurt except my everything? Continue reading “Glimmer Girl #22 – “The Reign of Cats and Dogs” (Part 6)”

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Glimmer Girl #17 – “The Reign of Cats and Dogs” (Part 1)

In an infinite universe all things are inevitable. Every beginning finds its end, but the energy behind it is never lost. Rather it takes a new and stranger shape.

Eons ago in a neighboring solar system drifted an insignificant planetoid. It never bore life. The white star whose orbit it followed was faint and cold. Born alone and light years from the nearest system, fate consigned it to idle.
The star was nearing the end of its life. Supernova was imminent. The lonely mass of stone, ice and other elements was doomed. Nobody, not even some far off astronomer would mourn its passing. The universe would not remember. To all appearances the planetoid served no purpose.

After an age of struggle the star tipped into oblivion. The fiery battle in its guts between ceded to gravity. Lingering mass quantified and collapsed on itself. When it did the mass unleashed a wave of force that rolled into the cosmos. No nearby celestial body could withstand its strength, including its planetoid progeny. Continue reading “Glimmer Girl #17 – “The Reign of Cats and Dogs” (Part 1)”

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Glimmer Girl #16 – “Hero Complex” (Part 7)

SEVEN HOURS BEFORE…

I stood no against the ceramic cuffs, and wasn’t game to try. Any attempt to free myself meant game over for civilian life. And even if I managed to escape there were a slew of detectives ready to track me down.

There was still time for diplomacy. Ortega thought I was a kid, and responded with paternalistic condescension. Maybe if I cried I could milk him for sympathy. Crying came easy in that concrete tank.

Cold radiated from the walls and through the thin layer of my costume. The holographic material only protected me from nudity. Still I was glad they hadn’t taken it from me. Kaira Cade made for prison lunch meat, adept or not.

Captain Ortega entered the interrogation room with an aura of finality. He stood like a seven foot executioner ready to drop the switch. He didn’t so much as look at the guards when he gave the order for them to leave the room. His deliberate easing into the chair was like torture. I stewed in anticipation. He folded his hands, and frowned.

“I’m sorry that-”

“Don’t speak,” he said. “Listen.”

Resistance proved futile. I was the prisoner, and he was the gatekeeper. He and a few less sympathetic figures oversaw the path to my release. If they weren’t satisfied then I was be trapped.

“I need you to stage a breakout,” he said. Continue reading “Glimmer Girl #16 – “Hero Complex” (Part 7)”

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Glimmer Girl #15 – “Hero Complex” (Part 6)

The suppression foam was thick as it was heavy, but not enough that I could gain traction. Whoever designed it was smart. There was no getting out on my own.

Tremors rocked the cells with the sound of fists. With all her superhuman might Punching Judy collided with the densest metal. It cracked the foundation and lifted from its hinges. It didn’t take long for the door to crash to the concrete.

Automatic gunfire rang through the hall at ear splitting volume. I continued to fight the gunk encasing my body. Judy drove like a linebacker through the guards, laughing like a mad woman. Thank the gods she was on my side.

Her weight clicked against the cell as she sang. “Mar-co!”

“Polo! Polo! Polo!” The suppression foam grew thicker with every kick. I couldn’t stop unless I wanted to drown.

The exit buckled under the force from the other side. It snapped under the pressure and hit with the ground. The muscle-bound harlequin lingered on the other side. She grinned from ear to ear, still in full costume, boxing gloves and all.

“I gotta hand it to you, glow stick. You really came through on this one!” Continue reading “Glimmer Girl #15 – “Hero Complex” (Part 6)”

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Glimmer Girl #14 – “Hero Complex” (Part 5)

The red hoodie collapsed into the chair with a scrawny boy still in it. Sat before a steel table in front of mirrored glass he shook. He’d never been in this kind of trouble. All he wanted was to make a quick buck.

What might have been an interrogation didn’t last long. The words ‘inciting panic’ connected to criminal charges, and the boy spilled everything. He told them about the masked stranger and the money. A simple task had become a nightmare.

“Next thing we know we’re broadcasting Glimmer Girl like it’s fight night on cable,” he said. “I didn’t know what was going to happen! Nobody did! Please, I’ve got a boyfriend. I wanted to help pay for his transition-”

Behind the mirror Captain Salvador Ortega scowled. He never cared for small fish, not when there was an ocean of predators to catch. Continue reading “Glimmer Girl #14 – “Hero Complex” (Part 5)”

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Glimmer Girl #13 – “Hero Complex” (Part 4)

Across the city a thousand screens blinked to life. Faces framed in red hoods carried them into the streets. Their message was not spoken with words, but violent images steaming from Midtown. On their monitors three twisted figures of humanity tore the world apart.

Like moths to a flame passersby collected around the feed. Every one of them had some sort of reaction, whether it be shock, alarm, disgust. Some expressed excitement.

A hooded evangelist proselytized from a street corner. “Step right up! Come one, come all, and witness history! Glimmer Girl versus our beloved Milestone City! See these superhuman wrecking balls destroy our way of life! Whoever wins, we lose!” Continue reading “Glimmer Girl #13 – “Hero Complex” (Part 4)”

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Glimmer Girl #12 – “Hero Complex” (Part 3)

I soared across the skyline. Captain Ortega had me at a disadvantage, but what kind of a hero would I be if I let that stop me? What I did was in the name of justice, and guys like Waylon Dervish deserved to be in prison.

Tanya echoed in the back of my thoughts, fired up on social justice rhetoric. She ranted about cops as the tools of capitalism doing more harm than good. Guys like Ortega weren’t worthy of the authority they wielded. She could be right. Why would a department struggling to maintain order turn away help?

The air shook with what sounded like rolling thunder. Horns cried and plumes of dust billowed from across town. It was dark and dense enough to choke out the sun. There were people down there, hurt. Screw Ortega’s threats. Someone had to do something! In a shining burst I dived into the cloud and followed it to where it started.

Dirt and soot flew into my face. It was aggressive and driven by some unseen source. Human shapes radiated with heat. Thrown from their feet they rolled en masse to whatever refuge they could find.

Panic froze in my veins. I pushed through the fear. People first, disaster later.

Continue reading “Glimmer Girl #12 – “Hero Complex” (Part 3)”

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Glimmer Girl #11 – “Hero Complex” (Part 2)

Ten minutes into my first college party and it already defied expectation. In place of a raging kegger was a spread of pre-twenty-somethings under the fairy lights. They held pre-mixed drinks in hand and chatted to a chill-hop soundtrack. Milestone Academy might not have been a party campus, but I could imagine my parents at a place like this.

A burning stink wafted from down the hall. It drove me toward the rec room. Nobody seemed to mind the smell. Gods, I was already losing my appetite.

I found Tanya by the kitchenette chatting to a random group of guys. She seemed right at home in an old band tee, jacket and her hair spiked. Both she and her new friends laughed as if they’d known each other forever. It was at that moment I realized the nightmare of high school was over for good.

“Hey, you guys!”

Tanya threw up her arms to create an opening between us. She introduced me to her new friends; Matthias, LeShaun, Trayvon, Lucas – what was the first guy’s name again? By the time she finished I’d already forgotten. I found myself drawn into fresher chit-chat about classes, schedules, you know the rest.

Continue reading “Glimmer Girl #11 – “Hero Complex” (Part 2)”

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