Daylight

Daylight
Sarah's POV

Elena had just finished describing the trap when the fire alarm began to sound.

I could hear students running and yelling upstairs as the library was filled with red lights.

"That's not a real fire alarm," Elena uttered feebly. "It was pulled to cause chaos."

On the floor, Detective Martinez was beginning to stir. She appeared alarmed and perplexed.

She inquired, "What happened to me?" "It feels like hours have passed since I went to sleep."

"You were possessed," I informed her. "By Susan's spirit."

Martinez looked at me as if I were crazy. "That isn't feasible."

I helped Elena to her feet and said, "A lot of impossible things have been happening lately."

I could smell smoke coming from somewhere in the building as the fire alarm grew louder.

"Sarah," Elena said frantically. "We must leave this place immediately."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"They're attempting to push us outside after setting a real fire upstairs."

Martinez continued to hold her head while seated on the floor. "Outside? Why is that bad?"

I could see genuine fear in Elena's silver eyes as she gazed at me.

"Because it's bright sunlight in the middle of the day."

"So?"

"My biggest weakness, Sarah, is that I can't use most of my powers in direct sunlight."

My heart fell. "You didn't tell me that."

"We've always worked indoors or at night, so I never needed to before."

Outside, sirens could be heard, and the smoke was growing thicker.

Martinez said, "We have to go," and got to his feet. "The structure might fall."

Elena took hold of my arm. "Whoever organized this knows how weak I am, Sarah, and they're pushing us outside, where I'll be virtually helpless."

"Almost?"

"I can't use my silver light or transform into mist, but I can still see supernatural things."

The stairwell was filled with dense black smoke when we arrived at the stairs after running toward them.

"This way," Martinez said, guiding us to another exit.

We sprinted past all of the study spaces and book shelves in the library's basement. My eyes were beginning to water, and the smoke was getting worse.

When we reached the emergency exit, Elena stopped.

She remarked, "I can see sunlight through that door."

"The building is on fire, Elena, so we must leave."

"Sarah, if Susan or her friends are waiting for us, I'll be powerless the minute I step outside."

Martinez opened the door and pushed past us. The basement was filled with bright sunlight.

She yelled over the fire alarms, "Come on!"

Elena caught my eye. Her silver eyes were already starting to look less bright, just from the sunlight coming through the door.

"We'll figure it out," I assured her.

Together, we ran outside.

There were lots of people on campus. Police officers, firefighters, teachers, and students. Watching the library burn, everyone stood around.

Elena was correct, though. She changed as soon as we were in the sunlight.

Her once-pale skin turned nearly gray. Her silver eyes became a typical shade of blue. She appeared weak and exhausted, like any other person who hasn't slept in days.

I said, "Elena?"

She said, "I'm okay," but her tone had changed. More human.

I saw her then.

Susan Cole stood beside a red car on the other side of the street. However, Detective Martinez was no longer under her control. Once more, she felt solid and real in her own body.

I questioned Elena, "How is that possible?"

Elena narrowed her eyes in the intense sunlight. "She must have found a different body to hold for a sufficient amount of time to regain her physical form."

Susan saw us looking at her and waved. Then she climbed into the red vehicle.

I shouted, "She's getting away!"

Elena was unable to keep up with me as I started to run toward the street. She was just an ordinary person in the sunlight.

Behind us, Martinez was chatting on her radio and requesting assistance.

Susan turned on the ignition and headed our way. I briefly believed she was going to try to run us over.

Rather, she rolled down her window and stopped directly in front of us.

She smiled evilly and said, "Hello again, Sarah." "What is it like to be aware of Elena's greatest secret?"

"What secret?"

"That she's just another creature with weaknesses, not the all-powerful monster hunter everyone believes her to be."

Elena was panting heavily from her run. She appeared perfectly normal in the sunlight.

I demanded, "Susan, where is Tommy?"

"Safe for now, but not for long."

Susan gave Elena a contented glance. "I've been preparing this for months, Elena. I've been learning about you, analyzing your habits, and identifying your weaknesses."

"How did you find out about the sun?"

"Because I've been watching you hunt other killers and I've noticed that you only come out at night and that you spend the day in the shadows."

Elena appeared ill. "How many others know?"

Susan chuckled. "Enough. Did you really think you could spend years hunting supernatural killers without some of us learning how to defend ourselves?"

The engine of the car roared.

I yelled, "Wait!" "I'll work out a deal with you."

"What kind of deal?"

"You can exact your revenge on me rather than Tommy, and I'll give myself up if you let him go."

Susan cocked her head as if contemplating. "I have a better idea, but it's tempting."

"What?"

"Come by yourself. You and Elena meet me at the old cemetery tonight at midnight."

"Why the cemetery?"

Susan's smile widened. "Because I'll show that even with her full strength, Elena can't save everyone there, and she'll be strong enough to try to fight me."

The vehicle began to move.

Elena yelled, "Wait!" "With Sarah's nephew, what do you want?"

Susan drove off, sticking her head out the window.

"I've been gathering them for weeks, Elena, so he's not the only kid I have!"

Around a corner, the red car vanished.

Elena looked exhausted as she fell onto a bench.

"This is awful, Sarah. Really awful."

"How many other murderers are aware of your vulnerability to sunlight?"

"I'm not sure, but if Susan figured it out, then probably others have too."

Martinez approached us. "Detective Chen, we'll find her. I have units looking for that red car."

"It won't matter," Elena muttered. "She'll simply leave that body and take possession of someone else."

Elena took a seat next to me. "So what do we do?"

"I honestly don't know, for the first time in years."

My phone buzzed with a text message at that moment.

The message made my blood freeze, but the number was blocked.

"Detective Chen, we have five children now, including your nephew. Elena has until midnight to surrender herself to us at Riverside Cemetery. If she doesn't show up, we kill one child every hour until dawn. If she does show up, we might let them live. Might. -The Organization"

I showed Elena the message.

"The Organization?" she inquired. "I've never heard of them."

"Elena, five children are currently in danger."

Elena buried her head in her palms. "I can't fight multiple supernatural killers at once, Sarah, even at full power at night."

"So we get help."

"From whom? The police are unable to combat supernatural beings."

I reflected on the silver power Elena had bestowed upon me earlier. I still felt a small amount of it inside of me, but it was almost gone now.

"Elena, what if you formed a team and delegated more authority to others?"

Elena's blue eyes gazed up at me with concern. "There's something else, Sarah. Sharing my power makes me weaker."

"What?"

"Every time I give someone power, it transforms them forever, just as it altered you."

"Changed me how?"

Elena got to her feet and turned to face me in the glaring sun.

"Look at your shadow, Sarah."

I glanced at the floor.

My shadow had vanished.

"What happened to it?"

Elena's voice was terrified. "I believe The Organization is aware that I gave you more authority than I intended, Sarah."

Another text buzzed through my phone.

"Detective Chen, we have plans for the shadow-less woman as well. Bring her with you tonight."

Elena took hold of my arm. "Sarah, they want you too, not just me anymore."

"Why?"

"Because you are a human being with supernatural abilities who can work during the day, something that has n
ever been seen before."

"Is that bad?"

Elena's blue, worried eyes were fixed on me.

"I think that's exactly what The Organization was trying to create, Sarah, and I think you might be more dangerous than I am now.”