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Chapter 11
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When Judy awoke in the morning, it was to a gentle touch on the shoulder by Kyra. Her equally soft and genuine smile highlighted the winning battle against being up so close to sunrise. Or was it a losing battle? Judy couldn’t be sure with that one, but to this day she was certain alarm clocks were the epitome of evil.

Kyra held a short stack of clothes and said, “I brought you a shirt and some pants, based on the few measurements we took last night. Sorry I didn’t get you a bra, but I think Tatiana said she’d help you after work. She said it’s a short shift today.”

“Thank you,” Judy accepted her gift. “What about you?”

“Oh, I need to catch some shuteye.”

“It’s Friday morning.”

“My part-time job doesn’t need me today. Also, no classes since Math was canceled for the day.”

Judy stepped into the restroom to change from last night’s shirt to today’s outfit, but continued her conversation. “I wish I was in college. I didn’t even get to go to high school.”

“Maybe you can go once things get better; to college, I mean.”

“Yeah, maybe.” With her arms sticking into her shirt, Judy stared down at her boobs. The air caressed her nipples, leading to a feeling she hardly knew five years ago. They wanted to be touched by something firmer, and she resisted. “I wonder if there’s some special scholarship for people who’ve come back from the dead?”

“Maybe at the Undead University of Universal Umbrience, wherever that is.”

“Oooooh....”

“That sounded really creepy.”

“Sorry. My boobs just really liked this shirt rubbing over them is all.” Judy blushed. Why was she blushing?

Kyra, however, started laughing. “Welcome to being a grown woman. Now, be sure to give them plenty of water and sunlight.”

“What, my boobs?”

“Yeah, you never know; you might have some cute guy all over them.” There was a sudden pause. Then Kyra’s tone changed. “Oh, Judy, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“What do you mean? Why shouldn’t you suggest me being with a guy?”

“I mean, with how you died.”

By now, Judy had stepped out of the restroom and tilted her head at Kyra.

“You really don’t remember,” said Kyra.

Judy said, “I have a hard time remembering even the day before. Everything’s so foggy. If I try to remember after that, there’s these two strange dreams. One, was when I watched over the old base in a haze, unable to process any thought, unable to speak or act with anyone.

“And the other one is swimming between light and darkness, hearing the voice of everyone there, though all they did was hum. Then I heard Warren asking me if I could hear him. I did. For a moment, I thought I was inside of some computer, so I reached for him, thinking I could just pop out like I used to. Then I heard nothing, I was cold and alone, and there was so little light where I was. So little will left to move where the light was plenty. I couldn’t tell how much time passed, but I knew it was too long.

“While I was there, some of the light I did see was swept away by these shooting stars of almost every color you can imagine. It looked beautiful, but it left me more and more alone as it went on. A few of those stars felt like they could be touched if I just reached out to them, and let them carry me away as well. I was tempted, oh so tempted. I’ve no idea what would have happened to me then, but the feeling was there. It shakes me up to even think about it.” She shivered.

“Then,” said Kyra, rubbing Judy’s forearms, “let’s try not to think about it. You’re back here, and soon you’ll be able to see everyone you haven’t already.”

“Mom. And Denise.” Those names made her smile.

“Denise? Who might that be?”

“She was a friend of mine in middle school. I wonder if she’s done anything with her life yet? Denise was an excellent swimmer, but also a troublemaker. We’d probably be on the run as supervillains by now if I didn’t put my foot down at least once or twice. What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I’m just curious. You wouldn’t happen to mean Denise Grandt, would you?”

“Yes, that was her last name. How did you know?”

Kyra pulled out her phone, and looked something up. Judy couldn’t see what she was doing until Kyra turned the screen around. It was a news article about Denise, now a professional athlete with several deals and trophies to her name.

“I’m surprised you didn’t know, what with your computer access and everything,” said Kyra.

Judy shed a tear of joy. She made it; Denise followed her dream and made it. Judy did wonder if her friend still remembered her now, but she decided it was for the best to push that thought aside.

“She’s famous now,” said Judy.

“A professional athlete who grew up in Paragon without any superpowers. The media went nuts with the hype.” Kyra explained. “Weirdoes.”

“Thank you for showing me this.”

“What are friends for?”

“Any more surprises you have for me?”

The doorbell rang pretty much on cue. Kyra and Judy stood in silence while someone answered the door. Who else was here this morning? Judy didn’t know. Not until she heard Walter and an older woman. Not just any older woman.

“Mom.”

Mai ran inside, barely able to speak. She barely managed saying “please” and “help me” countless times amidst her frantic behavior. She might have even spoken in Japanese for some of it, but there was no way to be sure. She didn’t care. All Mai knew was that she needed help, and the League was the only group of people she trusted these days.

The only other person she saw was Walter. He was doing his best to calm a storm when he said, “Calm down, Mai. Calm down. What’s happened?”

“It’s my baby girl. She was stolen.”

“Stolen? I don’t understand.”

“After that phenomenon last night I could hardly sleep. I had to go see her. I went to her grave, and it was dug up. Who would do this? Why?”

Walter looked stricken. His gaze did not meet Mai. But then Mai heard a whimper behind her. She turned toward the stairs, and saw the impossible standing before her. A young woman with the appearance of a grown-up Judy stood, grasping for words and trembling.

The young woman took two steps toward a frightened Mai, even raising her arms, and then she collapsed to the ground.

Kyra ran down the stairs too late. She picked up the young woman, and felt at her wrists.

“Her pulse is weak,” said Kyra, “but she’s alive.”

“How is this possible?” asked Mai. “What have you done?”

“This wasn’t us.”

“Is this some kind of trick? Have you become villains or monsters?” Mai said this while whipping her head between Kyra and Walter.

“It’s nothing like that! She appeared last night. We don’t know how it happened. Not enough, anyways, but Warren says Judy left a part of herself locked away inside the base computer. He also said that there was powerful magic at work, probably aiming to do something else. Something terrible.”

She lifted and turned over the young woman. “This is Judy,” Kyra said.

Mai trembled the entire way towards her daughter. She fell to her knees and held on to her tightly. Tears rolled down Mai’s cheek.

A hand came down on her back. Walter said, “We will find out who is behind this. And, if possible, we will make things right again.”

“Make things right? My daughter’s come back. This is more than I could hope.”

“Bursts of emotion and power make her susceptible to fainting. That’s hardly living. That’s why we’re looking for answers. Judy has every right to be alive, truly alive.”

That was when Mai stood up carrying Judy in both arms like she weighed nothing. “Do you remember when she was kidnapped, and you promised to bring her home safely? Do you remember what you told me, Walter? You better make good on this promise.”

“You have my word, Mai. I will honor it.”

“Um, Mai?” said Kyra. “Not to change the subject or anything, but do you need help carrying Judy somewhere that’s comfortable?”

Jail gates opened with all of their metallic racket and fanfare. Patrick Franks stepped through them while his hands and feet continued to be bound so well that someone twenty times his strength could not break either cuff nor chain.

Two guards guided him from behind as Patrick walked into the visiting room. He sat down at the designated window and recognized his ex-girlfriend right away.

Neither of them liked seeing one another. At least this wasn’t an interrogation room; that would have meant she was especially pissed. The woman scared him, and he had every right of it.

After sitting in grim silence for a time, Mai said, “Do you remember our deal?”

“It’s not something I can forget,” said Patrick.

“Good. I came here to let you know that you will hear things, see things, but our deal doesn’t change. You continue to pay for what you’ve done, never stepping out of line, and I won’t have to kill you.”

There were cameras, microphones, guards, and other measures in place. Yet, Patrick knew that she meant it, and could do it with ease.

He nodded.

“Is anyone giving you trouble in here?” she asked.

“No.” He spoke the truth.

“Have you started or joined any gangs?”

“No.”

“Anything else?”

“The same as usual. I’d change it all if I could. Now, can I go back to serving my sentence in peace, or would you like to go make our visits more conjugal?”

Mai stood up and left without any show of emotion.

A guard came to start off Patrick’s escort back to the holding cell. Everyone here still hated him who knew what he had done. That was the way with prisons. A man didn’t rape and kill his own kid without being loathed and worse. For him it was even worse since his child was a hero respected by even half of the men in here.

He was surprised no one killed him yet. But then he figured that someone, probably Mai, got to the guards and top gang members. No one made things easy for Patrick, but no one went out of their way to make things difficult for him.

So then he lied back down on his bed, wasting away the first of multiple life sentences.