Hope Evolved (formerly The Invisible War): Hope Defined, #2

By Shannon Humphrey

"Creating Earth was our greatest mistake."
 

On the other side of space, Azariah is one of the creators of the universes. But now his precious worlds are collapsing, suffocating from a poison that floats in from Earth. 

 

His daughter Dinah has returned victorious against the most powerful Scion alive— her mother. But is Dinah the bringer of poison? It drives Scions to hate each other, reigniting rivalries that could destroy space and Earth. Is Dinah now an asset, or an enemy that Azariah must destroy?

On Earth, Hope Casey fights to survive against her growing enemies. But Hope also sees it — the poison in the air, a pollutant escaping from humans. It infects other people, before it floats into a massive river across the sky. When a thundering cloud in the form of a man accosts Hope at night, Hope knows she's not crazy. How is she connected to these star people in another world? And will this dark poison cost Hope her life?
 

In this second book of the Hope Defined saga, prepare for a fight to the death.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Shannon Humphrey
• Release date: Aug 21, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393646648

Book preview

Glossary of Terms Located in Back of Novel

1

The Awakening

Hope

The school bus was packed rolling down the highway. Music blared, dice rolled, cursing and assaults hit poor pedestrians walking the street, and eggs torpedoed through the open windows at houses.

Ivy and Angel had returned to school today from suspension. Cutting their eyes at Hope, even while keeping to themselves, their resentment could not have been clear. Even Li’l Jay bothered to attend school and ride the bus today. Mostly missing the last few weeks, today he returned blasting his MP3 player and rolling dice in the aisle, yelling as he flung one-dollar bills. As annoying as he could be at times with his loud trash talk and insulting jokes, Hope had kind of missed his lively comedy. The school bus had been too quiet without him. His scratchy, pubescent voice cut through some of the tension from Angel and Ivy.

How will you wear your hair tomorrow, at the Crawford's house? Eti asked, cutting into Hope’s thoughts. Let’s think about something else. She smiled.

Hope smiled too at how her friend had picked up on Hope’s discomfort.

I don’t know. I’m still not really used to it being gone. I could just wear it natural.

Dat’s too boring. You can put little coils in it, or do tiny twist out.

I still look like a boy. It’s not long and pretty anymore, and I won’t have my Shirley Temple curls, like I had at the dance a few weeks ago.

"No mattah. Now you hide behind your hair no longah. Up there isn’t some chemical. It’s the real you."

Hope still felt self-conscious and naked, having only half an inch of hair, like people could see under her clothes. But some other kids at school had shaved their heads too, to show support for Hope. It had blown Hope away. Besides, as Gracie would say, there were far bigger problems in the world than hair. Syrian refugees had no home or country, kids starved in Sudan, and people died during conflict in Mozambique. In light of everything else going on in the world, what was a little missing hair? Hope could practically hear Gracie preaching it now, and the thought made her chuckle.

Why do people still call dis place Opal Lake? Eti asked, clearly still trying to distract Hope.

Hunh? Hope asked.

Why is it called Opal Lake? Dere is no lake, just a little dirty pond thah.

Don’t ever let my stepdad hear you say that. Mr. Lew says that way back in the early 1800’s, before the Civil War, it was beautiful and huge.

You believe what Mr. Lew said this weekend? About people dying? Their bodies buried? Eti asked.

Not really. I mean, if black people had so much, why couldn’t they fight? But then again, there are lots of black people with money now, and we still have problems. So, I don’t know, Hope shrugged.

Eti was right. What was now left of the Opal Lake, was a dried up pond. Putrid and brown, covered with puke green moss, empty cigarette packs and the occasional condom floating across it. That pond was the last place on Earth anybody would expect to find anything special.

As she got off the bus, Eti walked right behind her, the way they always moved—together.

I need some milk. I’m just going to walk up to the corner store and grab a carton of milk.

I’ll go wit you, Eti replied.

Hope didn’t argue since, to get to the corner store at the end of the street, she had to pass by Angel’s house.

Hope and Eti started walking, with Angel and Ivy towing a few feet behind. Li’l Jay bobbed his head up and down to his music, while scrolling through his phone. Angel and Ivy headed to the tree in the across the street where they hung out. Hope and Eti headed toward the corner store. Loud rap music approached them from behind, and they all turned to see the cotton candy blue ’57 Chevy pull alongside them all.

Li’l Jay bounced in the middle of a dance, mid-hop, when his feet stopped.

Bam Bam.

Heyyyy, wassup, Bam? Angel asked in a sugary sweet voice Hope had never heard before. Angel strutted over and made herself part of the wax on Bam’s car. Who was this syrupy person? Hope thought. She had never seen Angel as anything other than a bossy school diva in the last three years of attending school together.

Hope froze, entranced by all the rumors and mystery that swirled around Bam. She’d heard that he personally pulled the trigger, killing Ms. Mitchell and her young granddaughters a few weeks ago, while they tried to hide under the bed. Other kids had said Bam made one man eat his money until he passed out. Others recounted that he dropped a man in the Mississippi River with a concrete block chained around his leg, while he was still alive.

Jay… my guy, Bam said, switching his eyes to Li’l Jay. How things been wit ya?

Li’l Jay said nothing. He clutched his backpack straps the way Hope did when she was being taunted and didn’t know how to defend herself. He pursed his lips together, staring hard at Bam, like he had so much behind that stare he wanted to say, and probably would have said if Bam were not Bam.

Bam and Angel spoke in low whispers through the window for a moment before he slapped Angel’s rear end. The gangster opened the door, stepping out of his car and tossing a small brown package in Li’l Jay’s direction. Li’l Jay didn’t move to catch it. The package hit his arm and landed on the ground.

Bam Bam’s gaze turned to Hope, shocking the oxygen from her. Wassup, li’l mama, what’s good?

Hello, Hope managed, politely as she could.

I heard about you. I hear you real smart and you doin’ some thangs. Maybe you come work for me one day. Make yaself some money.

What? Unsure what to say, she just kept smiling, feeling like an idiot. How did she tell a gangbanger she wasn’t interested?

Alright then, Jay. Til next time. I’ll be seein’ ya, Bam called out. The speakers boomed again as his car rolled off.

All of them stood there, on opposite sides of the small, three-way intersection. No one moved. Hope looked at Li’l Jay, still paralyzed. The bold guy who had taught Hope to fight for herself, who cockily busted jokes on other guys for the whole bus ride home sometimes, now shrank.

Well, damn boy, ain’t you gon’ pick it up! Angel demanded. It wasn’t a question.

You know what’s gon’ happen if you don’t, Ivy added.

Shut yo ass up, Ivy, Li'l Jay snapped, his lips curling and eyes squinting. This was the first time Hope had ever seen any real serious side of him. His right foot suddenly kicked the bag past the other side of the street and into the field a few feet from the tree. He just stared out in the distance, pressing his lips together, like he was still deciding whether to go get it.

Hope didn’t know what to say. Are you gon’ be okay?

"Are you gon be okay? Ivy repeated in a nasally voice, mocking Hope. She then turned back to Li’l Jay. Bam gon’ come back and mess you up."

"Damn! Go home!" he ordered thunderously, the veins popping out of his neck, his eyes cold and glassy.

Yeh, c’mon. It’s getting late, Eti nudged.

Oh, my God! It talks! Ivy cracked, looking at Eti.

Etinosa’s slow, deliberate words challenged, Eet ees too bad you talk. I am sick and tired of yo’ mouth.

"Eet ees too bod, Ivy cocked her neck like a chicken and moved her mouth big and wide as she repeated Eti’s Nigerian Edo dialect. You even talk like Kunte Kinte. Girl, lemme go find you a stick so you can go kill some damn lions and elephants. How many teeth you got in yo’ mouth? I bet you got like a hundred teeth. Eet ees too bod you talk. Well, come shut me up then, Ivy challenged Eti. The big weight in Hope’s chest sank. She should have known they wouldn’t get through the day without starting mess. Ivy continued tauntingly, I didn’t think so. Run on home, African Kunta Kinte. Hope saw Eti cut her eyes at Ivy, to which Ivy just laughed. Yeah, I know ya’ll missed us while we were gone."

Like I miss dirt, Hope replied.

Forget you, little rat! I got your dirt! I’ll wait ‘til all your hair grows back so I can cut it off again, she shot back.

Hope’s eyes flared at her nemesis. That was the first time Ivy actually admitted she did it.

Boy, go git that ‘fo Bam come back here, Angel chastised Li’l Jay, while scrolling through her phone. She looked up briefly and Hope’s eyes met Angel’s. Angel smirked, dismissing Hope and walking off. As she did so, Hope saw the tiny globes that looked like bubbles floating away from her head and upward into space. Hope gasped.

You see that? Hope asked before she had a chance to stop herself.

Ivy looked in the same direction as Hope’s eyes. Crazy ass geek. You don’t see nothin’. There you go again. Sleepy smart ass. Hopeless Case.

Hope shut up, watching the glowing spheres float from Angel’s head to the sky. She longed to go catch one and inspect it. But no one else seemed to see these globes.

Hope had watched the movie A Beautiful Mind with her grandmother, and she learned what happened to people who hallucinated. Even really smart people got punished for seeing stuff that didn’t exist. Hope restrained herself from rushing to examine the radiant globes.

Li’l Jay started walking again. Hope would go find LeDaryll, Li’l Jay’s older cousin. Right after she left the corner store.

A few minutes later, Hope and Eti picked out their items from the shelf at Ms. Sissy’s Nickel and Dime. Hope counted out enough money for milk and chips to tide her over until Mama or Daddy came home with groceries. As she turned for the cash register, standing two feet from her was Bam Bam.

You want anything else? he asked. Gon’ ‘head. I got you. Whatever you want in here, you can just go pick it out.

Hope blinked several times, searching for words.

Naw, that’s okay. I’m good. I don’t need anything, Hope said, trying once again to force a smile.

I didn’t ask you what you needed. I asked you what you want, the tall, stout young man replied. And you don’t have to get all nervous, li’l shawty. I ain’ gon hurt you. I just came in to pay you a visit. Say hello. Tell you congratulations on that cool technology stuff you doin’. How old is you? he said. His incorrect English hurt Hope’s ears.

I’ll be fourteen in a few weeks. And thank you.

You welcome. So, you ever heard o’ me?

She nodded her head, and swallowed. Yeah.

What’s my name? he asked quizzically.

Bam Bam, she smiled. Everybody knows your name.

Aw yeah? I don’t know if that’s good or bad. But I've heard o’ you too. You different. It ain’ too many females around here that’s doin’ what you do. You not out here on these streets real hard. You focused. Got more important things to do. I like that. I could use you to help me out. Ya know? Show me some o’ that technology stuff you got.

Hope shifted legs and chuckled. Thank you, but uh, my inventions are not… for what you do.

He laughed out loud and propped his elbow against a shelf. And what do I do?

She paused and looked around, cocking her head back with a nervous chuckle. Stuff you probably shouldn’t be doing.

Hahaha! Good answer. That’s real good. You pretty smart. I like you. And you know, I really want you to think about doin’ a little work for me. With your technology. That glove you got. Sounds real good. And I bet you got a whole lot more in dat smart ass head o’ yours. I’d pay you. I’d pay you real nice. You think about it, okay?

Hope swallowed. Probably not, but I appreciate you offering.

Bam pushed off of the shelf and leaned closer to her, stopping a few inches from her face. I’m not… really… askin’. If you know about me, then you prolly already know this is my town. And I run everythang in this town. That includes you.

At that moment, out of the corner of her eye, Hope saw Eti walk forward. Hope also saw Ms. Sissy coming toward them.

Raymond Walker, Jr., Ms. Sissy said, don’t I hear your mother calling you somewhere? This child’s mother is going to be worried about her.

Bam turned and threw Ms. Sissy a menacing eye.

Ms. Sissy's jaw tightened. "Don’t mess wit me, young man. I know your whole family. Your daddy was my best friend and still sends me Christmas cards from prison. And I don’ already warned both him and your mama that I’ll lay you down if I have to, she said with tight eyes, and one of her hands shoved inside her red apron pocket. They all watched as she pulled something out of that pocket. Hope saw what looked like black metal she clutched. She pushed it back in. Hope, take your friend and gon’ home. Take the milk wit ya."

See you later, Hope, Bam called, a smug grin playing at his lips.

Hope’s trembling legs barely walked out. Still, she turned to look at him a last time. Tiny broken mirror shards swirled over his head, and she tripped, unable to look away. Millions of broken shards percolated around Bam, waiting to cut her up.

Rubber screamed against asphalt. Hope’s drooping eyes jerked open. The clock on her desk displayed 11:12 p.m. A block down the street, wailing and cries escaped several throats.

Hope hopped off the bed, bolting from her room, to the living room window. Down the narrow road, at the street corner two blocks away, red brake lights glowed against night. Shadows scurried around the car’s headlights. But Hope was too far away to see who they were, or what they did.

The rubber tires skidded again. More tormented screams. Bodies rushed around a yard, black silhouettes scurrying under a dim porch light.

Hope’s mother and little brother kept sleeping. Letting the window blinds fall, she trudged back to her room. If she could snatch victory from the jaws of Caitlin in Sky Honors, Hope would be in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this summer. Far away from shootings, bullies, and scary cars.

Headlights from the narrow street cut through the slits in her window blinds. Daddy’s truck pulled into the driveway, arriving home from work.

A few minutes later, he poked his head in her room. What you still doin’ up?

Studying for my big physics test in a couple days. Did you see that car speeding off when you were coming around the corner? Those people running around?

I saw a car goin’ fast, and yeah, folks are standin’ in front of Talley’s house. It’s takin’ the ambulance forever to get there. I didn’t wait to find out. I ain’t tryin’ to get caught up in nobody else’s mess.

Are the police there at least?

Naw. They probably won’t show up ’til tomorrow, he joked. Stop bein’ nosey and go to bed.

Hope turned her lights off, just for a quick nap. The ninth grade’s top scientist planned to rise again in a little while, to keep studying.

As soon as she closed her eyes, Hope leapt up, her book flying off the bed. Tires from the street skidded into her ears again. This time, the rubber screeching raged toward her house! She waited for the crash. Instead, more tormented cries echoed through the street, only this time, closer to Hope, just outside her window. Unable to ignore them, she ran back to her living room and forced her tired eyes to focus. Red brake lights now streamed yards from her front door. Why hadn’t Mama or Daddy gotten up yet to check this noise?

A dark Cadillac revved its engine, white steam curling up its tailpipe.

Shattered glass in the air! Mirrored shards floated from the car. But the car windows were rolled up! The car windows were still in tact. Shiny, black shards rose in the night, whirling around the street. The same shards floating over Bam’s head the day before.

Hope rubbed her eyes, making sure they saw clearly. The countless fragments multiplied as they spread, a massive cloud of shiny black and silver metal dust.

Swirling through the air, the shards flew toward Hope. This cloud of tiny, floating mirrors did not form any shadows under the streetlight. Appearing at her window, one minuscule shard rested at her windowsill. Small as it was, Hope still saw an image inside it, of someone moving.

Who is that?

But many other teeny shards rushed to the window. Beautiful but jagged, Hope would not dare step on them if she found them lying on the street. As she strained to see the images inside them, the shards whipped together in a tight cluster. They exploded into fire of many colors, blasting into Hope’s house.

Spraying toward Hope were flaming mirrors. With faces outlined inside them. Grimacing and ferocious, their mouths opened in full yelling position, they charged forward. The cloud of fragments switched into open snouts of alligators that thrashed at her! Just as the snouts almost decapitated Hope’s head, the broken mirror pieces switched again.

They formed angry men standing over her, kicking and beating her body. One attack after another, they pummeled her.

Hope’s brain finally catapulted her backward, into her living room table and her mother’s china. Noise clanged through the house.

Hope! Go to bed! her mother yelled from her bedroom.

Groping and confused, Hope's eyes still dashed around her living room in search of the exploding faces.

Now! came her mother’s command again.

Shaking, Hope forced herself from the floor. Outside their window, black and silver metallic shards still floated. They were serene once again. Her teetering legs bolted back to her room. Terrified, she peeked through the blinds in her window.

The tiny fragments drifted past her window and floated upward. Hope’s eyes followed them up. They flowed to a long, glowing stream of gold and white across the sky. Over her house stretched a massive, radiating river. The minuscule black pieces floated into it. Twisting, golden liquid ropes swooped upward, to an unseen point among the stars.

The river's glow illuminated Hope’s neighborhood — rooftops, yards, trees and cars. Then, the scenery changed. Her surroundings disappeared. In their places appeared lavender mountains and a smooth, silvery river.

But tires screeched again, disrupting the vision. The mountains transformed to static. The picturesque tranquility disintegrated. Darkness.

Hope waited to wake up again. Just as she had in all of her other dreams. But after touching her skin and looking at herself in the mirror, she looked at the clock. 3:36 a.m. She had already been asleep.

She was already awake.

2

Not Sixth Grade Anymore

Hope

Hope’s eyes cracked open. Fear paralyzed her. She wasn’t waking up from a nightmare. What happened with Bam yesterday was real.

Why was this happening? What were those broken mirrors drifting from his head? The gold spheres from Angel’s head? Bam’s seemed to be sharp-edged broken metal, and Angel’s seemed be round, smooth and glowing.

You start preparing for Sky Honors today. You can finally enjoy this moment, Hope's friend Eti smiled.

Hope wished that were true, but she did not dare tell Eti about the particles, since Eti did not appear to notice them too. Hope would have to suffer being crazy on her own. Instead, when she could escape her parents, she would find Mr. Lewis. Of all the people in Opal Lake, why would Bam Bam come to her? What did he want with the nerd? What would a gangbanger do with electromagnetic technology? What did he want to control? Hope shook, waiting for the school bus, trying to shove the black mirrors from her head.

The light gray, November sky threatened rain. Papery brown leaves meandered to the yellowing grass. The lushness of summer was long gone. Laughter rang out from younger kids who entered Opal Lake Elementary School across the street.

Ya’ll hear what happened last night? One of the other high schoolers walked to the stop. Mr. Talley. Somebody rushed up in his house, while his whole family was watching, and knifed him to death.

Damn, somebody else muttered. Why? I haven’t ever heard anything about Talley. He just go to his job everyday and come home. Square dude.

They say he had debts. His creditors collected, yet another kid concluded.

Hope and all the other kids knew who the creditors were. Bam Bam.

Hope, Ivy called. You're the genius… gettin’ folks suspended from school and stuff. Why don’t you use one of your nerd gadgets and end all this?

Hope held her tongue. She would not argue, not even to correct her that she and Angel got themselves suspended. It wasn't her fault.

Her ass will get killed. That’s why, Angel snickered, her eyes laying into Hope. A veiled threat. You can try that smart girl stuff at school, but do it here in the 'hood and see what happens.

Another guy ran his hands over his head and down his face. They could have at least took Tally somewhere else and offed him. They didn't have to do it in front of his family.

Hope didn’t want to think about it anymore. Not the visions, not about death, and not the stupid happenings in Opal Lake. This was supposed to be a happy time, like Eti said.

Today, the Sky Honors school finalists were having their first meeting, and Hope had earned a spot in the elite group of ten finalists. She would sit among the exclusive clique of Caitlin, Stephen Easton and Allen Doherty. Hope’s presence alone would defy their attitudes that Sky Honors was a privilege reserved only for them.

In her class, Hope was unsettled and distracted. In her head, Bam's face still leaned close to hers. Hopefully, Mr. Lewis would be at his car garage after school.

She drew little sketches on her paper, of the tiny spheres she had seen floating from people’s heads. Why don’t they come from everybody?

Hope? Are you with us? Ms. Sexton cut into her thoughts.

Yes, ma’am, Hope answered, sitting up in her seat. For the next hour and a half, she would actually have to pretend she cared. Hope loved physics, but today, she was concerned about another physical matter. Further up the aisle, Gracie glared at Hope over her shoulder. Hope fought not to look at the clock, or to think about Bam, or to think about who got the highest grade on the test.

Caitlin, Thalia and Stephen passed notes, lowering their heads and giggling at Hope. For once, Hope didn’t care. She had bigger problems now.

Her mind slipped off again, remembering Li’l Jay’s face yesterday. The goofy, annoying, jokester he was, Li’l Jay rarely got mad. He was too busy having fun and making everybody else mad, giving people noogies, running up from behind to give them surprise wedgies, and slipping raw eggs into peoples’ backpacks or seats. And he was so fast that nobody could catch him. Having fun was the main reason Li’l Jay showed up to school. Hope had seen Li’l Jay get into fights two times, and both of those times, the other guy had started it. But Li’l Jay finished it. Even then, he had a taunting smile, as if a fight was no big deal, a game to him. What could Bam be doing to Jay that would upset such a good-natured guy?

Right at 9:23 a.m., two minutes before the class ended, Ms. Sexton had them all close their books.

And now for the moment I know you all have been waiting for, she started with a wide, excited grin. Their teacher was just as excited as they were about the results, maybe more. This would be a fine time for us all to take a moment and reflect on how many kids around the world would love to be in your position right now… Ms. Sexton grinned, as she stalled jokingly.

Aaahh, c’mon! Forget the kids! Nobody in Indonesia studied for this test for me! a student cried.

Shame on you! I’ll have you know that third world kids are studying very hard right now, and one day you may be calling them ‘boss’, Mrs. Sexton replied.

I’ll do whatever they want me to do, after we get these results, Stephen shot back.

The others chuckled.

The third highest grade in the class… Hope Casey.

Hope’s heart plummeted. She couldn’t believe it. She had studied so hard.

The second highest grade was a tie… Grace Kennedy and Caitlin Crawford.

And the highest grade was also a tie… between Sochie Chin and Stephen Easton. All of you did incredibly well on this test. I can tell how important this class is to you. You’re grooming yourselves for Sky Honors and the Ivy League. Guys, you’re working so hard I’m almost scared of you. Congratulations.

Hope had come in third. Neither she nor Caitlin could walk away with bragging rights. The bell rang and they all began to filter out.

Hope, Ms. Sexton called out. Her feet trudged toward the teacher’s desk. Ms. Sexton waited until everyone else was out of earshot. Everything okay?

Hope nodded her head in silence.

"Really?" Ms. Sexton pressed.

Yes, Hope lied, squirming.

I don’t believe you, but I can’t make you tell me. You rushed through that test. You understand the problems. You just made some simple missteps that can easily be corrected. Slow down next time.

Hope nodded her head up and down.

Ms. Sexton kept eying her. I’ll find out what’s going on with you eventually. See you tomorrow at Crawford’s house.

Hope headed out, where Gracie hung right outside her door. Congratulations, Hope offered.

Dude, Earth to Hope. Earth to Hope. Where were you today? It’s like you were ten times flightier than you already are.

Hope squinched up her face at Gracie’s offensive way of showing concern for her. "Um, thanks for caring… I think. So what… are you and Caitlin going to be, like, BFF’s now?"

"Up yours. She can share my