Trouble With Choice

“Where are we going?” Toby asked as Ari flew with him through the dark night.

“Across the country. We’ll be there in a few minutes. You don’t have to do anything. I’m just giving you a lesson tonight.”

“If it’s a lesson, then why do we have to fly halfway across the country?” Toby protested, and he flew closer to her to hear her answer.

“Because you enjoy flying. And it’s a practical lesson. You are going to learn to blend in with the surroundings so others don’t see you. And if you can pull it off with the gang that we are going to visit, then you can pull it off with anyone.” Ari asserted to him, and they flew another mile in silence.

“Who are we going to see?” Toby asked as they began to drop in elevation.

“The trouble makers I told you about earlier. None of them have replied to the mandatory letters that we sent out two days ago.”

“Aren’t they dangerous?” Toby asked, a shot of adrenaline rushing through his body.

“I’ll be there. You’re not going to die. No worries. Land here, in this patch.” Ari directed him, floating to the ground easily. Toby landed slightly less gracefully, misjudging the distance in his dark. Thankfully, he was wearing jeans, so when he landed on his knees and rolled a few feet, it wasn’t too bad.

“Maybe you should let me take us next time.” Ari pointed out to Toby, offering him a hand to help him up.

“Haha. Funny.” Toby took her hand and got up. He released her and brushed his jeans off. Ari handed him a black t-shirt from thin air.

“You know, if you just created a line of shirts, you could be a billionaire. It would be all profit.” Toby commented, and Ari shrugged.

“Okay. So, basically, if you think of yourself as invisible, you’ll become so. Attitude is an important part of blending into somewhere and not being seen. Another key point is walking. You always want to walk toe to heel when you are sneaking around.”

“Toe heel. Got it.” Toby said, taking a few test steps. The leaves crunched around his feet.

“Remember the feeling you get when you have your wings out? The process of letting them loose, I mean?” Ari asked him, and Toby nodded. The freedom, was what she was referring to.

“Take that energy and use it as a shield. Imagine yourself blending into your surroundings, and you will be as close to the non physical world as you can get. Being three quarters – Toby?” Ari turned around, confused.

“Yeah?” Toby shifted back into sight. He had disappeared. “Am I doing it wrong?”

“No. You just turned invisible. Fully. Amazing. I haven’t seen a mortal do that yet, but I thought that you might.” Ari admitted. “How long can you hold that?”

“All night. I didn’t realize I turned invisible. I take walks every night.” Toby said. “I never even thought about the fact that I’d pass people and they’d be surprised and startled when I would say hi to them. Damn.”

“Well, turn your sorry ass invisible and we’re going to pay a visit to these assholes.”

“Is there more than one half mortal?” Toby asked her skeptically, and she nodded.

“Unfortunately. They discovered each other somehow, at a bar or something, and became friends.” Ari told him as they reached a driveway of some sort. “Alright, invisible yourself.”

“That’s the best you can do?” Toby asked as he faded from her mortal sight. “Invisible myself?”

“I’m working under pressure here. I want you to stay behind me at all times. And I’m going to shoot you if your wings pop out and hit me.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve got myself under control. Are you really going to knock on the door looking like that?”

“What do you mean?”

“You don’t look very... intimidating.” Toby’s voice came to her from behind her mortal ears. She nodded.

“You’re right.” Instantly, Ari began morphing into a Viking sort of woman, taller, broader shouldered, angrier. “How’s this?” Ari’s voice was deeper.

“You just better hope they don’t have a thing for butch lesbian goddesses, because they may just fall in love.” Toby snorted.

“Hush, you. And watch a professional.” Was Ari’s only response to him as she headed up the stairs. Toby stayed behind her as she rang the doorbell. He reminded himself that he was supposed to be invisible, and not get involved.

“Can I help you?” A man answered the door and looked up at Ari. She was most likely well over six feet and easily towered over the man before her.

“My name is Ari. You were invited to a council for other people as gifted as yourself, and you didn’t send any notice about not being able to attend.”

“We didn’t want to.” The man assured her, moving to close the door.

“And then we sent you a notice stating that a reply was mandatory.”

“Sorry. We don’t want to be involved. Good bye.” The man slammed the door in her face. Ari turned back to face Toby, anger nearly steaming out of her ears.

“Go stand by the window, if you want to watch. I’ll be back momentarily. Do not enter.”

“Yes ma’am.” Toby whispered, taking a few steps back. He had a feeling that he did not want to watch what was about to happen.

A strong wind blew the wooden door open and Ari stormed into the house. She looked around and rose a few feet into the air, until her head was barely touching the ceiling above her. The fan spun around several inches from her mortal face. She looked down at him.

“You do not have to attend. You do not have to care about the Choice campus. But understand one thing, mortal. Your powers will be stripped and you will be imprisoned, instantly, if you ever, ever harm another mortal being with them. As it stands, you should be tried and punished for the killing of the thirty church members last summer.”

Ari’s voice was amplified through each electronic speaker appliance in the house – be it a radio, television or computer. When she stopped speaking, her voice echoed several seconds after.

“Do you understand?” Ari’s voice rose even louder, and Toby cringed. He hoped the man didn’t have any children, because it would have guaranteed to have woken them.

“Yes ma’am.” The man said, trying not to look scared. Toby would have shit himself if that anger had been aimed at him.

“Good. I’ll be watching you.” Ari said, disappearing. Moments later, the door slammed shut, leaving the man to contemplate his other worldly experience.

“Nice work.” Toby commented as he felt Ari’s hand on his shoulder. Seconds later, he was lifted off the ground and whooshed through a block or two to another house.

“Don’t worry. This one will be surprised, too.” Ari grinned at Toby in the dim light. “I cut the other one’s phone lines.”

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