A Guardian Angel-in-training. A soul-eating djinn. A werewolf ex-convict torn between love and vengeance. More than a heart hangs in the balance.
Season 1 of Into the Wild Dark
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Wrongfully-convicted Jack Slobodnik wants his life back. Four years...
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Ch. 10: Jack's Shopping Spree
August 17 | Day
I draped a towel across my neck, surveying our students. Taekwondo practice was over for the day, but I had no hankering to run off. The canopy of oak trees over the park danced in a woodsy-scented breeze, and my sneakers sank into warm mulch. Kids were sprawled across playground equipment, munching cookies my mom had whipped up before work. Evening sunlight lit up snaggle-toothed smiles and crumb-streaked cheeks. Sunny was pushing a talkative sprite. He glanced at me with a soft grin.
My answering smile went crooked at the sight of a cluster of parents huddled near the picnic tables. They studied me and conversed in hushed tones. Of course, Denise was centerstage. Still aggressively campaigning to keep me ostracized? She was ridiculously skilled at cloaking her antagonism in neighborly concern, but at least one of the folks gave a weak nod to me in greeting.
As I shuffled back to my parents' studio, suddenly, a grade-schooler shot past me with a hoot and a jump-kick that landed him on his butt. I chuckled and helped him up.
"Thanks, Mr. Jack!" He hugged me before taking off again.
My heart did a little flip-flop. I marveled at how the students looked up to me. Like I could do anything. Like they trusted my expertise. I had been co-training with Sunny each day after the bodyguard got off work. His unfailing cheerfulness had prompted others within the apartment complex to tolerate me. But Denise Witherby was adamant: A man with my history wasn't the role model she wanted the neighborhood kids emulating. I swore under my breath.
"Say cheese," Sunny walked up.
I squinted to see who he was pointing at. The teen with the hoodie who had cracked jokes about the parents taking advantage of Sunny and me had a camera aimed in our direction. "What's that kid up to?" I crinkled my brow.
The sandy-haired knucklehead looked sheepish at getting caught and ambled in our direction. Once near enough, they tossed a frizzy swatch of hair from their face, easing the backpack closer over their shoulder.
"Hey." They stuck a hand in their pocket.
"Hey, yourself. You ready to start training with us? What's with the camera?" I tilted my head.
"Just a hobby. About that, uh, permission slip?"
"What's your name?" I cut in.
Their eyes widened as they connected with mine. "It's Kato. What I'm saying is, I'm seventeen-going-on-eighteen. So, technically, I'm an adult."
"Are you, now?" I uncrossed my arms and relaxed against a tree trunk. The kid had traumas, hypervigilance. I wanted to show I had no unction to give them a hard time. "Tell me about yourself, Kato.. Where do you go to school?"
"I don't go to school, man," Kato smiled wryly.
Sunny's eyes went from me to the kid. I sized the teen up. A trip to the Goodwill wasn't out of my budget, or some place better, once my monthly stipend started flowing. They could use new shoes, fresh clothes, some care and guidance. I had a hunch a concerned enough adult could help find the right resources and services for them, but I wasn't sure that adult was me. Why was I probing? What did I hope to accomplish?
