either one of you see…something?” my voice asked desperately.
“Like what?” she asked, softly.
“Umm…like a snake thingy…”
She jumped up almost knocking over her brother. “Snake! Where?”
“Luc, the only snakelike thing around here is embedded in your wrist,” Roland said, calmly. I glanced at my wrist and then, back to the green terrain below our feet.
“I guess…” I mumbled, scratching my head. This was crazy. What was gong on? I saw that creature as clear as day but now it was nowhere to be found. Maybe I was slowly losing my mind. Everyday I would fall deeper and deeper into loonyville. The price to pay for having this growing power inside of me. I inhaled a long deep breath and tried to focus on Taylor throwing a football in the distance. He chucked the ball to a group of teammates and they all fought to scoop it up into their arms. He noticed I was looking his way and gave me a polite nod. I smiled back but it was only a half smile.
Fully ignoring me now, Roland continued his insane thoughts. “You know, if I’m right about Ms. Strickland, we’ll have to be extra careful around here.”
“Careful of what?” I barely asked.
“Careful not to track too much attention our way, especially your way, Luc.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because, if she is what I think she is, she is here for one thing and one thing only. You, my friend.” Roland shrunk in his stance a bit. “The last secret military person that ended up snooping around this campus turned out to be a demon from another dimension that fed on unimaginable power and death.”
“The General,” Morgan whispered.
General Love, the galaxy hopping entity that hunted Ripley down to this planet and tried to end all life on Earth just because he could. I almost died trying to stop him. Yeah, I remembered him.
“He’s dead,” I promised.
“Are you sure?” they both asked in unison. I just looked at both of them, not knowing what to say. I saw him die. I saw him be wished into nonexistence by Felicity just before we disappeared over a month ago, but I’d be lying if I said he was gone for good. So, I didn’t say it. I didn’t say anything. Morgan and Roland settled themselves and stepped closer to me. Our little circle closed itself to the outside world.
“Don’t worry, he’s not coming back,” I said, with fake confidence. Suddenly, a shadow fell over our bundled group. It was long and thin, and brought with it a new chill in the air.
“Who’s not coming back, Mr. Ryan?” Ms. Strickland inquired, as she marched toward us. With her long legs she managed to greet us unnaturally fast. Her voice was deadly calm and her makeup and hair were still perfect. Too perfect. Roland made sure his tablet was snugly back in his bag and pulled it to his chest. He frowned and looked at me as if to say, “I told you so!” Morgan took a small step back, keeping her eyes from directly making contact with hers.
After what felt like a minute, I said, “No one.”
Ms. Strickland circled us with her long strides. Her steel eyes locked onto each one of us as she passed by. “Is that so?”
I nodded yes. She stopped just in front of me, in the same exact spot I thought the spider-snake fell to the ground. One of her heels tapped on the grass gently.
“Mr. Ryan, I will see you in detention after school.”
“I remember.”
“Good.” She turned from us and began to walk away. Just as she did, her head turned back to us. “Don’t be late.” Before I could make some kind of smart comeback a voice called out from behind us.
“Look out!”
Just then a football rocketed past us, directly for the back of Ms. Strickland’s head as if her tight bun of hair were a bullseye. In the last possible second she spun around just enough for one of her hands to snatch the spinning ball from the air. She never even looked at it. She just grabbed it like she had eyes in the back of her head. She dropped the ball to the grass and continued
“Like what?” she asked, softly.
“Umm…like a snake thingy…”
She jumped up almost knocking over her brother. “Snake! Where?”
“Luc, the only snakelike thing around here is embedded in your wrist,” Roland said, calmly. I glanced at my wrist and then, back to the green terrain below our feet.
“I guess…” I mumbled, scratching my head. This was crazy. What was gong on? I saw that creature as clear as day but now it was nowhere to be found. Maybe I was slowly losing my mind. Everyday I would fall deeper and deeper into loonyville. The price to pay for having this growing power inside of me. I inhaled a long deep breath and tried to focus on Taylor throwing a football in the distance. He chucked the ball to a group of teammates and they all fought to scoop it up into their arms. He noticed I was looking his way and gave me a polite nod. I smiled back but it was only a half smile.
Fully ignoring me now, Roland continued his insane thoughts. “You know, if I’m right about Ms. Strickland, we’ll have to be extra careful around here.”
“Careful of what?” I barely asked.
“Careful not to track too much attention our way, especially your way, Luc.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because, if she is what I think she is, she is here for one thing and one thing only. You, my friend.” Roland shrunk in his stance a bit. “The last secret military person that ended up snooping around this campus turned out to be a demon from another dimension that fed on unimaginable power and death.”
“The General,” Morgan whispered.
General Love, the galaxy hopping entity that hunted Ripley down to this planet and tried to end all life on Earth just because he could. I almost died trying to stop him. Yeah, I remembered him.
“He’s dead,” I promised.
“Are you sure?” they both asked in unison. I just looked at both of them, not knowing what to say. I saw him die. I saw him be wished into nonexistence by Felicity just before we disappeared over a month ago, but I’d be lying if I said he was gone for good. So, I didn’t say it. I didn’t say anything. Morgan and Roland settled themselves and stepped closer to me. Our little circle closed itself to the outside world.
“Don’t worry, he’s not coming back,” I said, with fake confidence. Suddenly, a shadow fell over our bundled group. It was long and thin, and brought with it a new chill in the air.
“Who’s not coming back, Mr. Ryan?” Ms. Strickland inquired, as she marched toward us. With her long legs she managed to greet us unnaturally fast. Her voice was deadly calm and her makeup and hair were still perfect. Too perfect. Roland made sure his tablet was snugly back in his bag and pulled it to his chest. He frowned and looked at me as if to say, “I told you so!” Morgan took a small step back, keeping her eyes from directly making contact with hers.
After what felt like a minute, I said, “No one.”
Ms. Strickland circled us with her long strides. Her steel eyes locked onto each one of us as she passed by. “Is that so?”
I nodded yes. She stopped just in front of me, in the same exact spot I thought the spider-snake fell to the ground. One of her heels tapped on the grass gently.
“Mr. Ryan, I will see you in detention after school.”
“I remember.”
“Good.” She turned from us and began to walk away. Just as she did, her head turned back to us. “Don’t be late.” Before I could make some kind of smart comeback a voice called out from behind us.
“Look out!”
Just then a football rocketed past us, directly for the back of Ms. Strickland’s head as if her tight bun of hair were a bullseye. In the last possible second she spun around just enough for one of her hands to snatch the spinning ball from the air. She never even looked at it. She just grabbed it like she had eyes in the back of her head. She dropped the ball to the grass and continued
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