Shine Your Light, Steven

Shine Your Light, Steven


A small wolf child sat on his bed with headphones over his ears. His hands were clamped over them, mashing them into his ears. Anything to stop himself from hearing what was going on outside. His father had demanded he go to his room and he obeyed without question. His hands began to tremble with fear around the plastic and cushioning of the headphones. He pulled one down off his left ear and listened. Silence. He slipped himself off his bed and crept over to his bedroom door, careful not to make the floorboards creak. He turned the knob slowly and peeked his head out.
“Daddy?” The little boy asked.


Just as all four kids had stood up to look out the window the doors to the car opened. What cool air was in the car was quickly replaced with hot, dry, desert air. Steven wanted to throw up. This wasn’t a dream. There was no way this wasn't a dream. His nose was bleeding and throbbing with pain, he was now hot and beginning to develop a sweat. Even in Steven's most convincing dream he had never felt pain before.

"This...this is a joke right?" Billy asked, trying to keep his cool. "Like...this is some stupid, elaborate prank. Sets and bullshit."

"This has to be." Zoe jumped in, wanting to believe. "Last time I checked there wasn't a desert in the middle of New York city!

"I'm not so sure about that." Steven said, leaning closer to the window. “If this is a prank then this guy must have Avatar money.”

“I don’t know if you can fake heat like this.” Koichi said, taking off his school jacket.

Koichi, letting his curiosity guide him, walked over to the open door. He poked his head out and looked around. “Be careful, kid! You don’t know if there’s scorpions.” Steven said and approached from behind. The two of them stepped out of the car and onto the sandy floor of the desert. The heels of their feet sank in. It seemed this was the real deal after all. Koichi ties the sleeves of his jacket around his neck and let it hang on his shoulders.

“There’s not any scorpions!” Billy said insistently as he hopped out of the car and stumbled due to the uneven sand. “Any minute now some jerk with blonde hair and a muscle shirt is gonna be screaming in our faces about how we got pranked.”

Zoe was still in the car as the boys each got out. She was adamant in her belief that this was all a big prank but seeing them all trudge through the sand and more importantly feet the heat, it made her less confident. She stepped out last and looked around. The subway car was simply laying in the middle of the desert. It wasn’t even resting on tracks. Zoe wasn’t a mechanics expert but she was already trying to figure out how this could be pulled off. Maybe they had been drugged and put on a plane somewhere. No. Some prank show wouldn’t go to those lengths. She was snapped out of her trance by Steven jumping up against the car.

“What are you doing?” She asked.

“Trying to get on top of this thing so I can see around us. Maybe then we can see the strings.” He jumped. “Or whatever.”

Steven jumped and managed to hook his nail close toward the top but all that did was make falling hurt more. “Ack!” He shouted as he slipped against the train and fell on his back with a ‘thump’.


A sudden crash happened from down the hall, sounds of broken glass. The small wolf boy retreated and closed his door before cowering in the corner of his room. He braced himself to be shouted at...but he heard no footsteps approaching the door. He went to the door again and peeked out for a second time. Instead of speaking he slipped himself into the hall and walked cautiously. He sidled up against the of the wall, like it was late at night and he was trying to his from his parents.


Zoe groaned as the heat started to get to her. She took off her hoody and tied the arms around her hips. Her t shirt was a pleasant shade of admittedly faded purple. It looked lived in and comfortable. “This heat is making me lose my train of thought.” She said as she rubbed her temples. She opened her eyes back up to see Steven, Billy, and Koichi all looking at her.

“What?” She asked accusingly. “....oh. No pun intended.”

“Steven.” Koichi approaches the older boy as he got up. “Can I help?”

“I-actually yeah.” Steven had a bright idea. “You think if I give you a boost you can get on top of the car for me?”

“Uh-huh!” Koichi nodded.

“Guys, come on.” Billy stepped in. “If we just sit around someone is bound to let us know when the prank is over.”

“Dude, I don’t know if this a prank.” Steven said.

“Well then what’s your explanation then?” Billy asked, getting annoyed. “That we just teleported to the desert?”

Steven gave a small, “basically yeah” shrug. Billy threw his hands in the air and scoffed. “That doesn’t happen!” Billy asserted. “People don’t just teleport! It’s impossible! If you want to screw around go ahead.”

Billy took a few steps away, distancing himself from the rest of them. He was sweating. If he were being honest the heat was getting to him too. He wanted to take his suit jacket off but to him that would an admission of defeat. Instead he wiped his sweat away with his hand and flicked it away from him. He then crossed his arms in defiance. This had to be a prank. If it wasn’t then his date would be an impossibility.

Steven took a second to dust himself off and shake the sand from his shirt. Steven grabbed Koichi by his sides and lifted him up. The small fox was able to get his hands on the top of the car. Koichi swung his leg around and hooked it into place. With Steven pushing up on the boy’s other leg he was able to get on top.

Koichi stood on top the cable car and shielded his eyes from the intense sun. He scanned his eyes horizontally, trying to find something, anything that wasn’t sand and sky. After turning around he paused. Way off in the distance, just poking up beyond some sand dunes looked to be a structure.

“You see anything, Koichi?” Zoe asked.

“I think I see the top of a building over that way.” He answered pointing toward the south.

Steven turned back to Zoe and Billy before giving a shrug “Buildings mean people.” He said. “Might get us out of this heat at least?” It was that last part that made even the skeptical Billy change his tune. Prank or no, it was simply too hot to be walking around in a suit jacket. They all agreed to head towards the structure that Koichi had seen.

Everyone in attendance had been to the beach at some point but walking through desert sand was entirely different ballpark. Climbing up their first dune proved difficult as both Zoe and Koichi fell and ended up plunging their hands into the hot sand. Billy, being a reptile was handling it a little better but he was having difficulty carrying himself up the sheer inclined of the dune. Steven helped all of them as best he could.

“Come on! We’re almost there! ¡No te rindas!” He yelled.

“What?” Koichi asked, cocking his head to the side as he tried to keep up with the older kids.

“It’s Spanish. It means don’t give up. Where you from, Koichi?” Steven asked, trying to keep spirits up. You’re Japanese right?”

“Yeah.” Koichi nodded. “I’m from Manhattan though.”

“You got any words of wisdom?” Steven asked.

“Um....あなたが失った場合、それは終わりではありません。あなたが止めれば、それは終わるでしょう.” Koichi said.

“What’s that mean?” Billy asked.

“Basically, it means just because you lost, that doesn’t mean it’s over. It’s only over if you quit.” Koichi explained.

“Isn’t talking too much going to make our mouths dry out? In the desert? Where there isn’t much water?” Zoe asked rhetorically.

“That’s a good point.” Steven conceded.



The hallway from his room to the living room was long and imposing. At night he would be afraid to go down it, out of fear there was some unknowable being, hiding in the darkness and watching him. Just waiting in the corner with a small, sinister smile on its face, waiting for him to come in reach. Even at the hallway’s darkest he had never been this scared of what was on the other end.


Twenty minutes of walking. Steven had taken his button up shirt off and wrapped it around his head to keep the sweat from running into his eyes. Billy was carrying his suit jacket in his hands and had opened up his dress shirt. Koichi seemed to be gasping from the heat. His fur was not made for this kind of weather. Zoe wasn’t fairing much better. It was a cool day back in New York and she had been dressed for it. Now she wished she had worn her jogging shorts.

The four of them had reached the top of the latest dune and they stood there, stunned. Koichi was right, there was a structure off in the distance but he had only seen the top. This was more than a simple building, it looked like temple. The massive stone structure looked like it had been there since the dawn of time. It had been eroded through time and constant battle with its sandy terrain. But still, the remaining building was huge.

“Okay...probably not a prank show.” Billy said, won over.

“Yep. I’d say I’m convinced.” Zoe panted.

“I don’t know where we are...” Koichi said.

The three older kids looked at him in confusion. “I don’t think you’re alone in that, Koichi.” Steven said.

“No. I mean approximately.” Koichi corrected. “With deserts like this you would think we would be in the Middle East but...none of the big landmarks in those parts of the world look like that.”

It took a second for the implications of Koichi’s words to really hit them. None of them recognized this structure from any of their history classes. But if they weren’t on earth, then where were they?  A fear overtook them for a moment, an anxiety harshly bubbled up in their stomachs giving them a brief moment of panic. Steven took a step forward.

“Well...no use standing around. Let’s at least get in there so we can escape the sun.” He suggested. “Then we can figure out where we are.”

That was the only real option. The subway car could provide shelter but it was small. This place they might be able to find something useful. Maybe a map? They made their way down the dune, careful not to topple over and go rolling down. As they approached the stone structure it only became more impressive. A massive staircase lead to and entrance frame by four stone pillars. A curious detail they noticed as the ascended the steps was a pair of stone feet. Obviously it was the remnants of a statue that had stood there some time ago.

As Billy, Zoey, and Koichi crossed the pillars they noticed Steven was not with them. Billy turned around and raised a brow. Steven was stopped right at the entrance staring ahead with a look of apprehension on his face. The inside of the temple was black. Pitch black. Steven was 17 but the dark still freaked him out. But that wasn’t all that was bothering him. The chanting was back. That foreign language repeating and repeating in his head.

“You okay?” Billy asked.

“Do you guys hear anything?” Steven asked.

“Uh...no. Not me at least. Billy answered, followed by similar answers by Koichi and Zoe.

“Right. Uh. I’m gonna hang out here for a sec. Is that okay?” Steven asked. “I...I’ve got a headache and I kinda need to sit down.”

“I guess so?” Zoe shrugged. “Stay out in the heat if you want.”

Zoe, Billy, and reluctantly Koichi, left Steven where he stood. As soon as they were out of sight he took a few steps back, away from the dark, away from the chanting. Why could only he hear it this time? Was the desert heat already messing with his head? He took a seat on the steps and rested his face in his hands. He wanted his mom. He wanted to just call his mom and have her pick him up. His movie plans were the furthest thing from his mind.

Billy, Zoe, and Koichi walked into the temple and were already much cooler. The inside wasn’t cold per se but the shade made the heat much easier to bare. What wasn’t making things easier was the darkness. It was not hyperbolic to say none of them could see their hands in front of their faces.

“You think Steven is okay?” Koichi asked.

“I’m sure he’s fine.” Billy said. “He’s probably just freaked out.

“You seem to be holding it together okay.” Zoe said.

“I’m used to not seeing.” He quipped.

They didn’t notice it while they were talking but if they stayed silent they would have heard it, the simple tapping of...something above them. Watching. It moved nimbly, more than familiar with the temple’s ceiling. It was waiting.

“Zoe do you still have your phone?” Koichi asked. “Does it have a flashlight?”

“It broke during my fall.” Zoe sighed. “Believe me, I’ve checked.

“Okay...so how about we start feeling around for wood? Maybe we can make a torch?” Billy suggested.

“Do you know how to start a fire?” Zoe asked, doubting him.

“Well...I know the basic idea. Look, just keep an eye out, okay?” Billy snipped.

“Hey!” Zoe snapped right back. “Don’t take an attitude with me little boy.”

“You’re the one that’s had the attitude all day!” Billy yelled back at her. “I’m trying to be solution oriented!”

“Guys stop!” Koichi groaned.

He tried to feel around for the two of them, to get between them but ended up going on another direction all together. The thing on the ceiling had tipped and tapped its way from the ceiling and down to the wall. Still watching the three bicker. The smallest one was coming near. He reached out with his little hands and touched it’s left claw. It watched as the small one curiously felt the claw, unsure of what it was.

“Guys!” Koichi said, feeling this strange surface. “I think I found-“

In one swift motion it had snapped its claw tight around the small one. It felt as Koichi’s small bones broke. The small boy screamed out bloody murder as his entire body was racked with pain. It drew its other claw back and swung it, bashing the fat one aside and into a wall. The girl screamed.

Steven couldn’t get the chanting out of his head. He didn’t want to move too far away from the temple and get further separated but it just wouldn’t stop. It was at a constant whisper in the back of his head. That and the dark. He felt so childish. Why was a 17 year old still scared of the dark. Then a sound hit his ears and sent a chill down his spine. It was a blood curdling scream coming straight from the temple.

Steven shot up and spun around as more screams start to come from the darkness. “Guys?!” Steven called for the three of them. Suddenly the sounds of crashing against rocks. Steven bolted into the darkness of the temple busting into a sprint. The teenage wolf’s sight went to only black writhing a few seconds.



To say he braved the hallway would be inaccurate. He inched his way bit by bit, taking him minutes to traverse the hallway. He looked around the corner toward the living room. Furniture was turned over. Framed photos were on the ground and now cracked. A vase or two was now shattered on the floor. In the middle of it all was a wolf man, dressed in a wrinkled suit that hadn’t been washed in days. This was his father. Clutches in his hand was a clear bottle filled with brown liquid.

“Daddy?” He asked.

His father groaned and turned his face toward him. He looked disappointed. The son assumed at him. The father slowly put the bottle to his mouth and drank from it. “I told you to stay in your room, Steven.” He said. His breath smelled horrible. He didn’t say anything back. Steven leaned in and hugged his dad, burying his face in his neck.

Steven’s father, Luis, sighed and placed his hand on the back of Steven’s head. He rubbed it. “I’m going to have to go away for a while, Niño.” He said sadly.

“Why??” Steven said, pulling himself away. “I’m sorry I didn’t stay in my room!”

“No. No, no, no. Don’t cry.” Luis said. “Look...I need to leave for a while. Can you do something for me?”

“Uh-huh.” Steven asked, sniffling.

“Protect your mother. Can you do that for me?” He asked.

Steven nodded and then hugged his father again as he started to cry.




“Billy!!” Steven shouted as he ran in the pitch dark temple, the chanting becoming deafening. “Koichi! Zoe!”

He heard something stomping towards him, what sounded like over a dozen steps barreling toward him. Out of instinct Steven ducked and felt something sail over the top of his head and crash into the ground behind him. He screamed out and panicked, running in a random direction. Still that chanting, getting louder and louder as he ran.

Something large hit him in the back. He felt like a truck had struck him. He went sailing through the air before skidding on the stone floor. He spun out and didn’t stop until his side hit the wall. Steven turned on his back and started to cough. He felt blood coming up. Was he going to die? Were they all going to die?

That damn chanting. It was the loudest it had ever been. He felt around for anything. He felt a lip in the wall, probably a doorway. The battered teenager dragged himself through the doorway, desperate to get away from whatever had struck him. He managed to pull his aching body into the other room. The chanting was at its loudest. Steven turned over on his back again and clamped his hands on the side of his head, digging his fingers in.

“Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!!!” Steven yelled at the top of his lungs.

Silence. Silence for the first time since he had been in the temple. Steven opened his eyes and looked deeper into the new room. It was dark still, but there was something there giving off the faintest glow, almost unnoticeable. Steven picked himself up and dragged his battered self toward it. It was about his height and thin. Like a rod.

Steven found himself in front of this radiating object. He reached forward and took it in his hand.

“Steven!!!!!!” Koichi screamed for help in the other room.

Steven was in his living room. Crouched down in front of his drunk, collapsed father. Only this time, he wasn’t a child. He was his age, seventeen. Somehow he had been transported back to this moment. It was this moment that Steven got a good look at what it was he had grabbed. It was a long silver staff. It looked to be in pristine condition, greatly clashing with the dilapidated temple it had been staying in. The top was an egg shaped ring with a glass bubble at the top.

“Dad?” Steven asked.

“Shine your light, Steven.” Luis said from down on the floor.

Within the blink of an eye Steven was back in the temple, staff in hand. The chanting had returned and with it something more. A vibrant blue light exploded from the staff, so rich and bright that Steven thought it would wear his corneas but it didn’t. His eyes didn’t need to adjust to it at all. The light broke apart into strands and circled around him, going around his head, under his arm, between his legs.

Steven was overcome with a new feeling, something that penetrated his very core. He felt like he had something to protect. He spun around and began to march out of the room, towards whatever had attacked the other. He walked with a gait that exuded a sense of purpose. He didn’t notice it at the time by his body was heal. His bones mended and free of pain.

The stomping came for him again. Still Steven walked, glaring with determination. Just when it sounded like the step were on top of him Steven waved the staff with confidence. The creature that attacked them had struck a see through wall that flowed with the same blue as the lights that hovered around Steven. Steven raised the staff in the air and a flash erupted from it. The light was so bright that it made every inch of the temple clear as day.

The creature that had been stalking them was finally exposed. It was a scorpion, massive in scale. The tip of its sting easily reached past the 20’ mark. In its claws were Koichi and Zoe. Billy was still up against the wall.The scorpion hissed at Steven, recoiling at the light. The scorpion flicked the stinger toward him. Steven the staff in both hands and raised it. The stinger stuck another barrier and bounced off.

“Let go of them!” Steven shouted at the scorpion. “Right now!”

Steven raised the staff again and a bright light radiated from the glass bubble. The scorpion roared and began to move back, toward the Temple’s entrance. The scorpion desperately tried to stab at Steven. In a stylish move Steven let go of the staff and snatched it up out of the air in time to manifest another barrier, and another, all while walking steadily, never slowing down.

He held the staff in one hand and pulled it back. He thrust the glass bubble toward the scorpion and light beamed out enveloping the beast. It screeched and ended up dropping Koichi and Zoe. Steven remained stalwart, holding the staff with both hand and maintaining his offensive streams of light. Steven felt the strength leaving his body as he continued his assault.

“Get out!!” He shouted.

The scorpion was pushed to the temple entrance. It screeched as the sun’s intense rays touched its body. The scorpion toppled down the temple staircase and crashed into the sand below. It convulsed and yelled, flailing its claws about as it baked in the sun. Smoke was rising from it. Steven collapsed onto the ground, holding the staff as the scorpion slowly turned black. After the scorpion turned black as coal it cracked, splintered and then fell to pieces.

Steven sat there, panting. He felt like he had just run a triathlon. He heard two steps behind him. He turned and saw Billy standing there, clutching a broken arm. The two boys stared at each other for a moment. “What the fuck was that?” Billy asked.

“Me or the scorpion?” Steven asked.

“Both.” Billy shrugged.

“I....I don’t know how I did that.” Steven admitted. “Wait. Where are Koichi and Zoe?”

Billy grimaced and motioned behind him. Steven got up and walked over to the temple entrance. Steven retched at what he had seen. Zoe was breathing but she was covered in blood. Whether it was all hers was unknown. Koichi’s arms were mangled and his torso looked like it had been crushed. They looked like they were on death’s door. “I...shit man, what do we do about this? We’re not doctors. They’re going to-“

“No.” Steven interrupted. “No they’re not.”

“Steven...” Billy sighed.

Steven approached his unconscious traveling companions. He stood over them, looking down. He twirled the staff between his fingers like it was second mature to him. He tapped the bottom of the staff on the ground and the sound echoed through the temple. Just when Billy was going to step in the staff glowed. The glow seemed to pour out of the rod and into the floor below. It pooled and stretched out, getting under Zoe, Koichi and even Billy.

Billy yelped. He get the bones in his body mending. It was unnatural, feeling his bones move back in place and eventually the pain left. He looked up at Steven. He looked to be in pain. He was bleeding through his nose and straining. Whatever he was doing, it was straining him. “Steven...are you?” Billy stopped himself. He saw Koichi’s arms move back in place and Zoe’s wounds start to close. Steven places his head on the staff and started to yell. Doing this took great effort on his part. As soon as the last wound was healed the pool disappeared. The two unconscious kids shot up, wide awake. Just in time for Steven to fall to the floor.

“Steven!” Billy rushes to his side.

“What the fuck happened?” Zoe asked, groggy and confused.

“Where’s that thing that got us?” Koichi got up and started moving away from the temple.

“Steven beat it.” Billy said, in somewhat disbelief. “Steven saved us.”

Steven turned over on his back. He was tired and he wouldn’t remain conscious for long. He looked at his companions and said one last thing.

“I’m going to protect you guys.” He said. “Count on it.”

Then just like that he was knocked out. Koichi was next to rush toward Steven. Zoe didn’t move. She was too confused. The confusion was only just beginning. Things would only get stranger from here. But for now they were safe from harm. All thanks to Steven Amaro.