CHAPTER 127: THE SUN AND HER SHADOW.

Moon had always hated Sunshine long before her cousin started staying with them after the death of her parents. Obviously they were both her grandfather’s granddaughter’s but he always favored Sunshine more because she looked like their grandmother the most.

Sunshine had always been the sunlight in the room, just like her name. Her laughter was sweet and warm. She was great at coaxing their grandfather and all the people around them. She was always taking care of everyone and nurturing plants that were about to die.

Their grandfather once joked that Sunshine was kissed by luck. She was born clever and her parents were scientists. As for her, Moon sneered and she looked at her parents, they were nothing but servants.

While Sunshine’s family owned a house, her parents did not even own a small apartment. She once thought Sunshine would be miserable after becoming an orphan but no....the bitch remained positive. She was always smiling like she had a reason to be happy.

When she came to live on the Quinn estate, she made friends with all the servants. Even some of the Quinn’s loved her, especially Rori Quinn. Rori would buy Sunshine, bags, bicycles, dresses, books and shoes.

When they went to grocery stores around, people would give Sunshine extra fruit "just because." Everyone wanted her to babysit for them and they paid her more than what they paid most teenage babysitters.

She was whispered about as the useful one--the practical one. Others called her the nice one. Moon always knew that they were comparing them. If Sunshine was the nice one, she was the bad one.

Moon hated her even more then. What right did the orphan have to be loved and happy? She hated the way Sunshine made her feel--like a shadow cast by something too bright. Like she was invisible when she stood besides the beautiful warm Sunshine.

She had this unsettling feeling in the depth of her stomach that this Leah woman would make her feel the same way. And she was not going to let it happen.

Moon’s eyes darted to Dominic. She had heard about him in her past life but she never met him. He was the commander of a large base in the central, close to the city. It was one of the places attacked by monsters from the mist the most and yet, it was also one of the safest zones.

This was because Dominic was a superhuman who was considered a warlord among superhumans. He was a man that was feared by many. He was known to be merciless in battle, intolerant of traitors and his victories were legendary. To see him now, a calm leader of a small camp was strange....but in Moon’s mind, it made him even more desirable for she knew what he would become.

"This is the kind of man I want beside me." She thought to herself. But, there was Leah. An obstacle that she had to take out of her path.

She continued to study the woman with intense curiosity, Leah’s every movement suggested she was not merely ornamental. She spoke to a passing guard, asked a question, listened intently, and then gave an order. Her command was smooth but forceful.

Someone said something to Dominic and his whole body sparked. Leah touched him and the sparks did not affect her. She even succeeded in calming Dominic down with a single touch.

Moon’s instinct whispered. This one will be harder to manipulate than Sunshine.

This time round, she would move slowly. She had learned a lot from her mistakes after rushing into a deal with pastor Salem. She had ended up loosing everything including the lucky bracelet. Her eyes closed shut at the thought of the loss.

No matter what, she would find that bracelet. Only someone that knew of its ability as a lucky charm could have stolen it and that number was countable. But before seeking for it, she would cement her place on this base.

This time i will be patient and meticulous, she thought. Moon had a plan drafted already, she would earn Leah’s trust, learn her patterns, discover her weaknesses and use them against her. It was the same tactics she had employed to steal Cassius from Sunshine. When the time came, Leah would be gone and there would be no one to stand between her and Dominic.

As the man she was thinking about walked towards her, Moon wondered what kind of smile she needed to put on. But when she recalled that Leah was there, she held back the smile.

Dominic’s steps halted before the Raines, looking first at Dustin who offered him a tiny respectful bow.

"Dustin." He said, his voice was deep and calm.

"Yes sir." Dustin replied, trying and failing to hide the nervousness in his tone. There was none of the bravado he had displayed when he was liberating Moon.

"It is nice to finally meet your family, forgive me I was too occupied last night to receive you." A smile grew on Dominic’s lips.

"This is my wife Rowena and my daughter Moon." Dustin made the introduction.

Dominic’s eyes lingered on Moon for a bit too long, as though weighing the truth of what he had been told about her by her father. "I hear you have special.....insights." He said at last.

Moon gave a faint smile. "I have seen enough to know where trouble will come from."

He tilted his head slightly, intrigued but skeptical. He did not believe in prophecies, he believed in only what he could see. To him, Pastor Salem had ruined himself by being led by the nose by Moon’s insights.

None the less he turned to Leah and said, "She has a valuable gift, see to it that they get one of the best single resident rooms."

Leah smiled warmly at the Raines. "I will personally make sure that they are comfortable."

Moon returned the smile with one of her own, masking the flicker of contempt beneath it. "Thank you for welcoming us, Mrs. Steward."

Dominic’s wife smiled generously and replied, "Please call me Leah."

Dominic walked away and Leah led them through the camp, past the bustling training yard where superhumans sparred under the watchful eye of two supervisors. Their movements were precise, their strengths evident in every strike.

Moon had to admit that this was better than Salem’s all day prayer sessions which would not save anyone in the apocalypse.

In another section, children, [some clearly gifted] were gathered in small classes, learning everything from basic literacy to combat tactics.

They passed by another area where women were weaving blankets and clothes using manually controlled machines. On some roofs, men were fixing solar panels to add more power to the base.

Moon wondered how the superhuman that controlled water had been able to create some kind of shield around the base to keep the rain out. However he did it, she was glad for it. This was a community built not just to survive, but to thrive.

And they had thrived to the very end.

"Here we are." Leah opened the door, revealing the a clean, though sparsely furnished room. "Your parents will be next door. There is a small lounge downstairs and private dining room."

Dustin was the most excited. Up until now he had been sleeping in the public quarters where everything was shared because he was still considered a temporary resident but he was being elevated now thanks to his daughter.

"You are very kind...Leah." Moon forced a smile to her lips.

After Leah left, Moon fell onto the bed, already she had beginnings to her plan. She would start by making herself useful in small ways. She would become Leah’s sister. Once close enough, she would watch for weakness: a health issue, a dangerous mission, a subtle push towards the wrong decision.

Leah would never see the knife until it was at her throat.