《Temporal Huntress》


 PROLOGUE: PART 01: Amalgamation

    They said I would get used to it, but I don¡¯t think I ever will. Wearing someone else¡¯s skin is like putting on a suit made of flesh and then expecting it to fit perfectly. This is not the case, it does not fit, it does not fit at all.


    The burning sensation of your consciousness amalgamating with someone else¡¯s body is pure searing pain until your consciousness stops fighting and settles in for the ride. And let me tell you the ride is often an extremely bumpy one, not unlike a bucking bronco where your host''s body is trying to throw you off in an attempt to get rid of you, the foreign invader.


    This side effect to the converging process is what we refer to as ¡®The Retaliation¡¯ because the body revolts and tries to cause as much damage as possible. It can sometimes be so severe that we have to abandon the host and return immediately to base to recover¡­ and that recovery could take months jeopardising the mission itself.


    This host however, seemed to be adapting fine. I wriggled my toes and rolled my shoulders, the new body I found myself in felt old and used, like a worn leather shoe. I fought hard to calm my breathing in an attempt to help ease the nausea that was starting to rise. Another temporary side effect, this one usually passed pretty quickly and without too much discomfort. Curious to find out whose body I currently possessed, I tapped the side of my face by my right eye, which brought up the soul stats in front of my vision:


    NAME: Agatha McKlintock


    AGE: 94 years


    SOUL AGE: 1,204 millenia


    SPECIES: Human


    TIME: 1:34pm Wednesday 31st January 2074


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.CURRENT LOCATION: Setting Sun Retirement Home, Sugu Province, Planet Meezes


    PLANET OF ORIGIN: Earth


    DIMENSION OF ORIGIN: 3rd


    HEALTH: 50/100


    MAGIC: 0


    STRENGTH: 50/100


    AGILITY: 20/100


    SPEED: 20/100


    INTELLIGENCE: 90/100


    SPECIAL SKILLS: Good with numbers, speed reader, excellent baker, prolific knitter, quilter¡­


    WEAPONS: Unknown


    ¡®Could baking utensils and knitting needles be weaponized?¡¯ I murmured under my breath. I tried to imagine how I could use them if I needed to defend myself, although I was hoping that because I¡¯d landed in an old folks home there wouldn¡¯t really be any need to use these things in any other way apart from what they were designed for¡­baking and knitting.


    Delayed, another skill blipped up on the list:


    SPECIAL SKILLS: Ex-salsa dance instructor


    Okay, ¡®Agatha¡¯, I could work with this once I finished downloading,


    Shaking out my new hands, I looked down at them curiously and saw the skin that covered them was dry and battered from years of use. The fingers were calloused probably from all the crafting that had been undertaken. I wriggled them, noticing the indentation at the base of the fourth finger on Agatha¡¯s left hand from where, I guessed, a wedding ring used to be.


    ¡®What else can I find out about you?¡¯ I thought as I awkwardly raised Agatha¡¯s head and took a deep breath.

 PROLOGUE: PART 02: Transitional Discomfort

    Looking around I saw that I was standing in the living room of a small furnished apartment. It appeared to be extremely well organised and tidy with everything in it seemingly to have a place. The afternoon sun filtered through the lace curtains casting shadows on the neatly arranged furniture. The room was filled with dark wooden antique cabinets, displaying delicate porcelain figurines and what appeared to be family photographs.


    In one corner, a rocking chair sat next to a small table with a porcelain tea set and I imagined that Agatha had spent many an evening there. The scent of freshly brewed tea made me realise that I had connected to the autonomic nervous system and the sense of smell had activated.


    I inhaled deeply, enjoying the aromas that lingered in the room. Hints of a floral perfume tickled my nose, and I smiled.


    ¡®Maybe Agatha¡¯s signature scent?¡¯ I thought as I visualised her applying her perfume as she started her day.


    Taking a tentative step forward, I caught a glimpse of ¡®my¡¯ new reflection in a small mirror hanging from a nearby wall. Curious, I paused and studied ¡®Agatha¡¯s¡¯ - or should I say, my new face. It was wrinkled and plump with reddened cheeks and twinkling eyes, a sign that she had a good soul. She wore glasses with thin red frames and her hair was short and the colour of snow. Her appearance matched that of my Grandma, which indicated that there was nothing out of the ordinary for the 94 year old. Her clothing looked comfortable, a mauve sweatshirt with grey tracksuit pants and I looked down to see that she was wearing slippers finishing the elderly lady ensemble.


    A sharp tweak on the top of my head brought me out of my thoughts, signalling that the transition process was well under way. I rolled my eyes up and back, closing my eyelids and calming my mind once more. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Beginning to meditate, I started to breathe slowly in and out, focusing purely on my breath itself. This small technique helped me relax and prepare for the intense pain that came as the next part of the integration was completed - as ¡®Agatha¡¯ was slowly pulled from this body and my consciousness was added. Through this part of the process I could feel threads of the host¡¯s own experiences and memories intertwining with my own, heightening my awareness and adding more power to my own abilities.


    Suddenly, there was a loud banging at the front door. Surprised, I opened my eyes. Jonty was meant to be holding the perimeter while the convergence took place. No one should be within 100 miles of here or at least no where near the apartment.


    ¡°Jonty.¡±¡­I whispered urgently. ¡°Jonty, I¡¯ve got a breach. Jonty?!¡±


    With one large thud an axe head smashed through the wooden door, the glint of the blade catching the light as it tore through the wood. It was pulled out effortlessly, then a few seconds later it came smashing through again. I heard laughter and grunting coming from out in the hallway, whoever was on the other side wasn¡¯t taking this very seriously, it sounded like they were enjoying the destruction.


    I quickly looked around the apartment to see if there was anything I could use to protect myself.


    ¡°Come out, come out wherever you are¡­¡± A deep rasping voice called, its tone sent a shiver down my spine.


    ¡°Ariah, we know you¡¯re in there!¡± More laughter.


    Shocked, I froze. How did they know my real name? Only Jonty and my colleagues at Integration Operations, IO for short, had that information. Our missions themselves were always top secret due to the dangerous nature of the work that we did and to protect the hosts that we needed to occupy to complete our investigations.


    More laughter followed, then the axe came through the door once more, this time knocking out the hinges that were attaching it to the door frame.


    It fell forward and crashed to the floor, attached to the door frame no longer.

 PROLOGUE: PART 03: Intruder Alert

    I felt my pulse quicken and my heart thump rapidly in my chest, or should I say, ¡®Agatha¡¯s¡¯ pulse. ¡®Agatha¡¯s¡¯ heart. ¡®Agatha¡¯s¡¯ chest. I hadn¡¯t claimed her as my own completely yet.


    Feeling edgy, I shook her hands out again, trying desperately to feel a stronger connection to her body. There was still numbness in most places due to the incomplete integration and the touch sensation to ¡®Agatha¡¯s¡¯ fingertips remained offline.


    Looking down, I flexed them, breathing a sigh of relief that I had control over them at least.


    I tapped the side of my face again and checked my stats to see how much longer I had to wait:


    NAME: Captain Ariah O¡¯Connoll


    AGE: 21


    SOUL AGE: Classified


    SPECIES¡­


    DOWNLOAD COMPLETE IN¡­10¡­years¡­


    Glitching, the stats gave me nothing and as for the top notch download speed, I didn¡¯t have 10 years to wait. From how I felt, it still seemed like hours before full connection would be complete.


    I glimpsed a canvas bag on the floor beside the couch with knitting needles and wool protruding from it. Using all of my focus, I walked ¡®Agatha¡¯ over to the couch and bent down as quickly as I could to pick up the bag, the stiff body aching at every movement. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    As I grabbed the handle, I turned to see two thugs burst through the doorway and into the reception area of the apartment. Pictures fell off their hooks, smashing onto the polished marble floor as they lumbered towards me, bumping into the walls haphazardly as they came closer.


    The first figure I could see appeared to be large and cumbersome, with slimy blue reptilian-like skin, his snake-like blood red eyes flickered in their sockets as he searched the room. The other intruder appeared thinner, his face gaunt and pale with an eye patch covering one of his eyes. He had what looked to be a scar that ran behind it all the way from his forehead down to his chin.


    Both beings were wearing what looked to be ELITE uniforms but they weren¡¯t the usual ELITE officers. The sleek navy blue uniforms were ill fitting and partially ripped in places, looking like they¡¯d potentially acquired them by dubious means in a back alley somewhere.


    The ELITE were the Intergalactic Police and they worked with the governing Galactic Council to facilitate compliance throughout the galaxy and beyond. These two looked like they¡¯d crawled out of the ELITE¡¯s garbage, so my trust levels in their credibility was basically zero.


    They stepped closer.


    I took a breath and closed my eyes.


    ¡°Awh, does Grandma need a nap already? We haven¡¯t even got started!¡± They both laughed, the sound of their cackles made me cringe.


    The larger one of the two pulled out a chainsaw from a pack on his back and grabbed the starter, pulling it roughly as he did so. The machine sputtered to life as he revved it and the blades began swirling violently.


    Growling, the motor spewed dark exhaust into the room and the assailant threw his head back, laughing maniacally as he revved the engine again.

 PROLOGUE: PART 04: Awkwardness

    Taking a deep breath in, I filled my lungs to capacity, drawing strength and oxygen into my system. I opened my eyes and looked at the two assailants, trying to gauge what I was up against by studying their statures to identify possible weaknesses. But from what I¡¯d learnt many times before is that looks could be deceiving, so a general overview on their demeanor would have to suffice until their updates came through.


    Hoping that my stats system was now running properly, I quickly tapped the side of my eye to see if I could bring up any information about them. My eyes scanned them both and their stats started to scroll on in front of my vision.


    Information about the one with the chainsaw blinked on first in bright glowing letters and numbers:


    NAME: Lar Farcel


    AGE: Unknown


    SOUL AGE: Unknown


    SPECIES: Brosund


    TIME: 1:41pm Wednesday 30th January 2074


    CURRENT LOCATION: Setting Sun Retirement Home, Sugu Province, Planet Meezes


    PLANET OF ORIGIN: Toruseek


    DIMENSION OF ORIGIN: 3rd


    HEALTH: 90/100


    MAGIC: 20/100


    STRENGTH: 90/100


    AGILITY: 50/100


    SPEED: 90/100


    INTELLIGENCE: 30/100


    SPECIAL SKILLS: Skilled in combat, marksmanship and martial arts


    WEAPONS: Chainsaw


    Chainsaw Attack Type: Physical


    Chainsaw Attack Power: 80/100


    Chainsaw Attack Rate: 90/100


    Chainsaw Defence Power: 20/100


    Hmm, this one would be a formidable foe but I¡¯ve had to deal with his type before and martial arts was also my specialty¡­in my own body. I wondered how I could attempt a roundhouse kick with the 94 year old body I currently inhabited. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Challenging but still doable?


    I turned and faced the other intruder with the eye patch and his information scrolled up into my view:


    NAME: Sei Doron


    AGE: 50


    SOUL AGE: Unknown


    SPECIES: Arcadian


    TIME: 1:42pm Wednesday 30th January 2074


    CURRENT LOCATION: Setting Sun Retirement Home, Sugu Province, Planet Meezes


    PLANET OF ORIGIN: Arcadiana


    DIMENSION OF ORIGIN: 3rd


    HEALTH: 80/100


    MAGIC: 40/100


    STRENGTH: 90/100


    AGILITY: 70/100


    SPEED: 80/100


    INTELLIGENCE: 40/100


    SPECIAL SKILLS: Remarkable physical endurance, can withstand extreme conditions and heals quickly from injuries


    WEAPONS: Axe


    Axe Attack Type: Physical


    Axe Attack Power: 50/100


    Axe Attack Rate: 50/100


    Axe Defence Power: 10/100


    Okay, so I definitely had a challenge on my hands, but I felt confident I could defend myself one way or another.


    ¡°Oh this is going to be fun. I¡¯ve never had the experience of chopping up a Star Armada Captain before!¡± Lar Farcel said gleefully. His gnarled hands clenched the lever on the chainsaw and it revved again, taunting me.


    ¡°Jonty, Jonty, where are you?¡± I whispered harshly. ¡°Now¡¯s your time to shine buddy¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no one here to save you.¡± The two laughed again.


    "Good thing I know how to save myself then, huh?¡± I smiled and assumed a combat position. This is great, I thought, my abilities must be finally connecting with Agatha¡¯s.


    ¡°We know you¡¯re bluffing, by our calculations you have about¡­¡± Lar looked at a bracelet on his wrist and then tapped it. It bleeped and he laughed again ¡°...2 hours before full integration is complete.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s more than enough time to make you wish you¡¯d just stayed in bed today.¡± Sei smirked at me, his decaying teeth showing behind his cracked lips.

 PROLOGUE: PART 05: Knit One, Purl One

    Lar lurched forward with the chainsaw, its blades brushing past my cheek as I dodged the attack. Using the knitting bag, which seemed surprisingly heavy for something that just carried wool, I swung it. It connected with his chin causing him to stumble backwards.


    Surprised, he lost his grip on the chainsaw and it fell, cutting into the linoleum between his feet. Sputtering to a halt, it stuck fast wedged deep into the floor. He growled as he tried to pull it out with both hands. His arm muscles strained as he tugged hard on the handle, working to get the floor to release his weapon.


    While he was occupied I turned my attention to Sei.


    The large cumbersome being grunted and ran towards me brandishing his axe. He lifted it above his head then brought it down with a mighty heave, narrowly missing me as I awkwardly leapt out of the way. It smashed into an antique wooden trunk, causing the lid to crack and he quickly jimmied it out and took another swing, missing me again and hitting the wall behind me. The impact sent a shower of splinters cascading to the floor.


    Swearing in frustration, he turned leaving the axe where it was and charged at me, his face set in a full menacing grimace. I swung the knitting bag again and connected with his chest, but Sei batted it out of the way with his large hand and lurched forward tackling me and knocking me backwards.


    I stumbled as I lost my footing, falling in a heap on the floor, the old body crumpling into the ground with Sei on top of me. He quickly got back to his feet and kicked me in the chest causing my heart to leap in my ribcage. I could already feel bruises forming and the pain was significant, more intense than any type of pain I had felt before. It was just my luck that I would be completely connected to Agatha¡¯s nervous system just as I was getting my ass kicked.


    As I lay there trying to will Agatha¡¯s body to let me take full control, Sei¡¯s large leather boot came down on my chest and held me to the floor. His sneering face peered at me from above.


    He applied more pressure as he pushed the sole of his boot further down onto my chest. I could feel my ribs aching against the force and my lungs fought for breath.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to tell us what we need to know and then we¡¯re gonna kill ¡®ya nice and slow.¡± Sei spat as he leant over and put his face into very close proximity to mine.


    I started to hyperventilate as I could feel my throat closing in panic and I reached up tugging at the sides of his boot in a redundant effort to get him to loosen his hold on me.


    My vision started to go dark around the outside of my periphery and I wondered how I¡¯d managed to get myself into yet another mess.


    ¡°So this is the great Captain Ariah O¡¯Connoll, it wasn''t so hard to defeat you. The stories of your abilities aren¡¯t true.¡± He grunted and laughed, rasping as he did so.


    I tried to move but his boot still held me firmly to the ground. Managing to turn my head slightly, I could see the discarded knitting bag next to me.


    ¡°Who said I was defeated?¡± I wheezed as I quickly reached across and grabbed a knitting needle from the bag and thrust it deep into Sei¡¯s thigh. He screamed in pain removing his boot. Making the most of the opportunity to get out of his way, I rolled across the floor to the small table and grabbed onto it so I could use it to help me get to my feet. With what seemed like every muscle aching, I rose from the floor and stood hunched panting at the effort. Picking up the tea tray that was on the table, I flung it behind me catching Lar across the face while he was still trying to extract his chainsaw, giving me enough time to rub my finger and thumb together to create a small ball of static energy.


    Hope grew in my stomach as I realised that my abilities were almost fully connected with Agatha¡¯s body. Lar¡¯s estimation of two hours was wrong thankfully, or a mere ploy to make me think I was weaker than I actually was.


    I blew gently on the small ball on my fingertips and it grew into a basketball sized mass of blue throbbing energy, crackling with lightning. Lars and Sei scrambled towards me, pushing against each other in an attempt to get to me first. I threw the energy mass at them as hard as I could and Sei countered with a ball of his own. The two masses of energy collided in the air, erupting into a massive explosion. I murmured an incantation and quickly tried to cast a protection spell before I was thrown backwards.


    But unfortunately, it was not quite quick enough, the spell hadn¡¯t worked. Landing awkwardly against one of the cabinets from the force of the explosion, I felt my leg break, the pain that shot through me was unbearable¡­which meant full integration was finally complete, I could feel every part of Agatha¡¯s body. Gasping, I tried to get up.


    I saw stars and then¡­nothing.

 CHAPTER 01: The Beginning Of The End

    7:25am Monday 30th September 2024


    With my window down the wind whipped my hair playfully as we drove into the car park of my high school, Camden Falls High. The school year had only started a few weeks before and I was already feeling like I was in need of another vacation.


    I sighed and looked across at Mom, who was humming along to the music on the radio and tapping out a beat on the steering wheel with her hands as she did so.


    Mom had offered to drop me off because I¡¯d been running late and had missed the bus¡­again. My mind and body were still on holiday time and I was having trouble adjusting back into ¡®school mode¡¯.


    A gentle breeze blew into the car, causing the hairs on my arms to raise as the air brushed past my neck.  It had been unusually warm for autumn and the sky had a strange pinkish tinge to it like that of a late summer dusky sunset. I noticed it because autumn was usually my favourite time of year. I loved the cool clear blue days that the season brought with it, but the weather had been neither cool nor clear. Some aspects of it remained though, for example, a few of the trees had begun to shed their leaves and everything looked beautiful with golden and red hues. I enjoyed watching the colours of the leaves change and add a vibrancy to the landscape around the town of Camden Falls where we lived.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    Although I was extremely biassed since I¡¯d spent my whole life there, I considered Camden Falls itself to be a beautiful place, even without the autumnal glow. It always had so much life to it, so much richness and diversity with its amalgamation of people and cultures. Founded in 1683 by a group of early settlers from England, the town enjoyed rich traditions and cultural practices from that side of the world, many of which had survived through the hundreds of years since its establishment.


    Being a small coastal town with around 5,000 inhabitants, most people knew each other or knew of each other in some form. We had the usual trimmings that a town like ours would possess, things such as a local supermarket, movie theatre, primary school and high school, and so on. Most of my friends and I had been together from kindergarten right through to high school. Usually, the only time that people moved away was when their kids left for college or they went to work in the bigger cities further inland and usually the only time that people moved in was when they were employed by the Schooner Mills paper factory in the town¡¯s warehouse district.


    The Schooner Mills paper factory employed a large percentage of the town¡¯s population and boasted the fact that there were many ¡®lifers¡¯ there too, people who had given their entire lives to their jobs at the factory. Basically, they lived and died by the mill and its culture.


    I shuddered as I thought about having to work in the same job for my entire life. I could see the attraction but I didn¡¯t think it was for me. Although, I was only a junior in high school so I hadn¡¯t really given much thought about what I¡¯d like to do as a career.


    Time would tell I guess.

 CHAPTER 02: Feet Off The Dash

    The breeze caressed my cheek again and I smiled and I looked over at my Mom. She had a slight frown on her brow, caused by concentrating on navigating the overcrowded car park to get me to the drop off zone in front of school. With cars and students everywhere, the whole scene was chaos in its purest form.


    Just at that moment, our favourite song came on the radio ¡®Everywhere¡¯ by Fleetwood Mac and my smile got wider. Mom¡¯s frown softened at hearing Christine McVie¡¯s voice and she looked across at me smiling too, her frown melting. Every time I heard the song my heart began to fill with joy because it reminded me of our family¡¯s love of music. Mom and Dad had brought us up on a menu of bands like Fleetwood Mac, The Temptations, Led Zeppelin and a smorgasbord of other bands from the 70s and 80s that they loved, of which there were many. I put my feet up on the dashboard and tapped my toes to the tune singing at the same time, Mom started singing along too.


    Mom was a classically beautiful woman, she had curly chestnut hair that ran down past her shoulders and gorgeous big blue eyes that always sparkled when she was excited about something. She was wearing a short-sleeved shirt tucked into tailored pants and bright red high heels, looking very professional. She worked at an art gallery in town and was dropping me off before continuing on to her job. Being an artist herself, she still practised when she could find time on the weekends, by painting and also modelling small sculptures from clay. But these days she really loved selling other people''s work and made it her mission to know everything about the art scene in our little town plus working in the art gallery provided a reliable income. She''d helped quite a few artists gain traction in the art world and they were now successful in other areas, which made Mom feel proud that she¡¯d been a part of their journey.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Ariah, could you please get your feet off the dash?¡± Mom asked mock sternly, giving me the side eye in the process. I laughed and put my feet back down in the footwell and into my sneakers. Dressed in a Ramones t-shirt and jeans, my sneakers finished off my casual look for school. Mom said I looked a little too casual at times but I would retort with ¡®being comfortable in my appearance helps me learn better¡¯ which she found hard to disagree with.


    I reached down into my bag that was laying between my shoes and pulled out my sunglasses. Putting them on, I looked up at the sky again. The light had an even pinker hue to it and the air had an eerie stillness even though there was lots of commotion with the bustling movement of people and cars all around us.


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel somewhat edgy as a strange unease grew within the pit of my stomach.

 CHAPTER 03: Happiness Is Between Two Slices Of Bread

    Mom shifted in her seat, her gaze flicking from the parking lot to the rearview mirror, a bright smile on her face. Her gallery was gearing up for a big exhibition which she was really excited about and I could tell she was in high spirits, enjoying the calm before the storm of activity.


    Her fingers tapped lightly on the steering wheel, but this time to a tune she was humming under her breath, not from the music that was playing on the radio. It was a rare moment of quiet peace, and I couldn¡¯t help but feel happy seeing her like this.


    She turned her head slightly, catching me watching her out of the corner of my eye.


    ¡°What?¡± She asked with a teasing smile.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± I said, grinning back. ¡°You just seem... really happy today.¡±


    ¡°You know what Ariah, I actually am.¡± She admitted with a shrug, her smile growing wider. ¡°Things are finally falling into place. The gallery, the exhibition - everything feels like it¡¯s moving in the right direction. Plus, it¡¯s a new school year for you, a fresh start. What¡¯s not to be happy about?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t argue with that. Mom had been working so hard for this exhibition, and it was nice to see her feeling so optimistic. Her energy was contagious and I felt a sudden buzz of energy surge through me too which seemed to help eradicate the uneasy feeling that had taken root in my stomach.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Feeling much better, I smiled back and relaxed into my seat once more.


    ¡°Oh, here¡­¡± She said, giving me a playful look as she reached behind me into the back seat then handed me a small paper bag. ¡°Don¡¯t forget your lunch!¡± Her tone was lighthearted, but I knew she¡¯d been up early to make it, probably while thinking about a hundred other things she had to do for the gallery.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I said, taking the bag and opening it to take a peek at what she¡¯d prepared for me. Catching the familiar scent of my favourite sandwich: turkey, cheese, and just the right amount of mustard, packed neatly between slices of Mom¡¯s homemade bread, my stomach growled in appreciation. The smell of the food filled the car, reminding me of all the little things she did to make sure I had what I needed. From the perfect lunch to driving me to school when I missed the bus, she always made sure that she was there for me.


    I leaned back in my seat, the comfortable warmth of the moment settling in and filling my heart with love. Glancing out the window, I watched as the school parking lot continued to fill up. Families rushed around, kids with backpacks hurried to meet up with friends before classes started. There was an excited buzz in the air, a sense of anticipation, and I couldn¡¯t help but smile wider.


    For once, everything felt right. The day was starting off smoothly, and I could sense that the year was going to be different - better.


    As if she could read my mind, Mom reached over and gave my hand a quick squeeze, her expression still bright.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be a great year, Ariah. I can feel it.¡±


    I nodded in agreement. I thought so too.

 CHAPTER 04: Get Kraken

    ¡°What¡¯s on the agenda today sweetheart? Have you got art class with Mrs Roberts? She texted me to tell me that she was going to drop by the gallery later.¡± Mom said as she kept her eyes ahead, focused on what was happening around us in the carpark.


    ¡°Yep, it''s my last class of the day. We¡¯re working on a sculpture project using clay and wood.¡± I began, I could see her eyes prick up at the mention of doing sculpture. ¡°It¡¯s meant to represent one of the legendary sea monsters of Camden Falls.¡± I said, looking out the window.


    ¡°I¡¯ve chosen the mighty Camden Falls Coastal Kraken for my inspiration.¡±


    I was genuinely interested in the old maritime legend of the Camden Falls Coastal Kraken, or the CFCK as I liked to call it. What made it special was the fact that Kraken were generally found in Nordic waters, but according to the legend, one had somehow managed to make its way to a vicinity off the coast of Camden Falls, which I had always found fascinating.


    ¡°Interesting choice.¡± Mom smiled. ¡°How¡¯re you using your materials to create your masterpiece?¡±


    ¡°The wood represents the pirate ships that the kraken supposedly destroyed and I¡¯ve modelled the kraken''s tentacles around the ships to show it crushing them into pieces.¡± I made a display of smashing my fist into my palm as I spoke to illustrate the intensity. I was enjoying the project, pummeling the clay was proving quite therapeutic.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Mom laughed out loud and then tried to stifle her laughter by turning to look out her window and pretend that she was glancing in the wing mirror.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± I humpfed, folding my arms across my chest in mock annoyance. ¡°We can¡¯t all be amazing artists like you, it''s a lot of pressure you know, creating these masterpieces because of your artistic prowess. Mrs Roberts expects ¡®BIG¡¯ things!¡±


    She turned and looked back at me with a gentle smile on her face.


    ¡°I understand the difficulty you must be feeling, Ariah. My Mother was the best baker in town, her baking was not only delicious but oh so beautiful as well with the intricate icing decorations that she used to create.¡± She said, looking back out the front windscreen smiling. ¡°She made the best ¡®everything¡¯! So you can imagine my frustration when I would try to bake like her and my¡­let¡¯s use cupcakes as an example¡­my cupcakes would come out burnt and deflated.¡±


    It was my turn to let out a snigger as I pictured the cupcakes that Mom made. Her baking was pretty terrible and these days it was usually store bought so we didn¡¯t have to endure the burnt offerings that she made us. We had even given her a timer one Christmas so she would be able to pull the baking out of the oven on time but it hadn¡¯t helped. Dad had said it was a great mystery as to how she could still burn things even when they weren¡¯t in the oven for that long, but we all still appreciated her efforts no matter how burnt things were.


    I looked at her and smiled, patting her gently on the arm as I did so.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay Mom, we all know you try your best.¡± I said,


    ¡°Thanks Ariah, so you understand about the art thing now too, huh?¡± She raised her eyebrow as she replied. ¡°You¡¯ve got to do you. Focus on what makes you feel good, and if it¡¯s art then focus on the stuff about it that makes you happy rather than putting pressure on yourself to be perfect or to create like someone else.¡±


    I nodded.

 CHAPTER 05: Brotherly Love

    We pulled into the parking bay for the drop off zone and I saw that most of my friends had already congregated on the little grass verge outside of the main entrance of school.


    As I opened the door to get out of the car, Mom gently grabbed my arm. I stopped and turned to look back at her.


    ¡°Remember, Roderick is going to give you a ride home after school.¡± She said as she let go of me. I nodded, remembering that my brother had offered to take me home because I was going to be at basketball practice after school and wouldn¡¯t be able to get the bus. He would hang out at the skate bowl by the school gym until I was ready.


    ¡°Thanks Mom, yeah, Roderick reminded me before he left this morning.¡± I said. Although he was a few years older than me, and ran in different social circles, I loved my brother. Or should I say, I adored him. Mom used to tell us stories about how I would follow him around when I was small like a little shadow and I would always want to be doing what he was doing. He would start swimming lessons, I would have to start swimming lessons. He would start skateboarding, I would have to start skateboarding. He would start wearing his clothes inside out, I would have to start wearing my clothes inside out and so on. When I got into basketball on my own accord, he was really encouraging because I think he thought that he would finally get some space from me to do his own thing too.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    That was Roderick though, always supportive and kind, especially over the past year. Dad had disappeared one night on his way home from work and Roderick had been a rock for both Mom and I which made me love him even more. Mom had been a mess which was completely understandable, given that her soul mate and love of her life was¡­well, we just didn¡¯t know. The police had no leads, there was no evidence, no trace. It¡¯s like one minute he existed and the next he didn¡¯t. It was being treated as ¡®suspicious¡¯ and even though it was still under investigation, things had only just started to get back to normal, or the new normal that we had to live through without Dad.


    ¡°Awesome. Have a wonderful day sweetheart.¡± Mom smiled and blew me a kiss.


    ¡°You have a great day too Mom, I''ll see you later tonight.¡± I said as I got out and closed the door behind me. Blowing her a kiss back, I noticed how happy she looked, she exuded a gentle calm for the first time since Dad had disappeared. The heavy suffocating cloud of grief that we had all endured in the aftermath was slowly dissipating to let light back into our lives again.


    Winding down her window, she leant out. ¡°I love you Ariah.¡± She called as she began to turn the car back into the parking lot to head out onto the road.


    ¡°I love you too Mom!¡± I gave her a wave as I walked over to my friends. She gave me a little toot of the horn and then drove off in her silver SUV, its metallic paintwork glinting in the low light.


    Little did I know that would be the last time I would see her alive.

 CHAPTER 06: Heart Of The Matter

    I looked over towards my group of friends who had already gathered in front of the school. They were laughing and the boys were jostling each other good naturedly.


    The group consisted of my closest friends Georgie, Sakura, Jenna, Eamon, Raul,  Dylan and Owen. All of us had grown up together in some form and were like an extended chaotic family. Weekends were never dull when you had friends like these.


    There were always adventures to be had whether it was just hanging out at the mall or spending time at the local lake, it always felt like there was something to do¡­ and of course the group had supported me through Dad¡¯s disappearance, they had lent me their shoulders to cry on but also kept me busy so I hadn¡¯t fallen into a dark hole of misery and sadness.


    Georgie was my closest ¡®closest¡¯ friend, like literally. She lived next door to us which means we¡¯d grown up side by side and were always at each other''s houses. Due to the closeness of our arrangement, we basically regarded ourselves as sisters.


    Our Moms were also old college friends so when a house had become available next door to Mom and Dad when they were first married, Mom had called Georgie¡¯s Mom Sandra, to let her know. Lucky for me, Georgie¡¯s parents bought it and moved in straight away. Sandra and Mom also were pregnant with us at the same time and often joked about how we were ¡®womb mates¡¯.


    We were quite similar in height and looks which suited us just fine, because we got to swap clothes and shoes with each other so it was like having an extended wardrobe to choose from.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Sakura and Jenna I had met at kindergarten on my first day there. The memory of that time in general was now a little hazy, but we had hit it off straight away over a platter of cookies at my first lunch break. A shared love of food had brought us together which had continued throughout all the years of us knowing each other.


    Sakura¡¯s family had moved to Camden Falls from Japan when she was just a baby, but her family still enveloped her in rich traditions from their Japanese culture. We got to share in a lot of the experiences too which we all embraced and enjoyed. I loved visiting Sakura¡¯s family home, her parents and Grandmother were always incredibly welcoming and I found a lot of comfort in that after losing Dad.


    Jenna on the other hand had grown up with her Grandma after her Dad had left when she was small and her mother had been called away for her job as a marine. Her mother visited a few times a year and Jenna would look forward to seeing her, getting excited in the months leading up to each date.


    With Eamon, Raul and Dylan, we had all started hanging out together when Sakura and Eamon had dated during our freshman year. They had since broken up but had remained really great friends, which was good for the rest of us because we all enjoyed each other''s company.


    Owen had been the last to join the group. He was the comic of our collective and made every interaction jovial with his quick quips and wit. Owen had sadly lost both parents when he was young and currently lived with his Uncle who was an archaeologist. His Uncle Sabian also ran the town¡¯s museum and often let Owen and us hang out there after hours so we could explore and look at any new artifacts that had been discovered to put on show.


    I smiled as I looked at them all. They were more than friends to me, they were my heart.

 CHAPTER 07: Reputation

    ¡°Hi everyone!¡± I said enthusiastically as I went and joined my group of friends. They turned and welcomed me with big smiles, happy to see me.


    ¡°Hi Ariah! Did you see the latest posts by Jamie Markie on Instagram?¡± Georgie exclaimed excitedly as I made my way to stand next to her.


    ¡°The best news to hit this town in a while!¡± Sakura laughed.


    ¡°No, I haven''t checked my phone this morning. Has he posted? He hasn¡¯t posted anything in months!¡± I quickly got my phone out and logged in to Instagram, scrolling to Jamie Markie¡¯s account.


    A picture appeared on his feed stating that he was going to be doing a special concert to raise money for those affected by the wildfires that had been plaguing the region recently. I gasped and squealed. Our favourite singer was going to be performing this weekend at a local concert at a park down by the lake!


    ¡°Are you all going?¡± I asked looking around the group to see who would respond.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Was the enthusiastic unanimous reply.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°We¡¯ve just been online getting tickets and we got one for you too!¡± Georgie waved her phone at me, pointing to what looked like a confirmation email with tickets to the concert.


    ¡°Thank you so much!¡± I said gleefully. ¡°I¡¯ll just have to ask my Mom but I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be really happy for me to go.¡± Although my friends had kept me busy during the days, my social life after dark had been pretty quiet since Dad had gone missing. I''d chosen to stay at home in the evenings to keep Mom company instead of going out. But now she was in a good place, I wouldn¡¯t feel guilty about leaving her and I¡¯m sure she¡¯d want me to enjoy the concert with my friends.


    ¡°I''ll pick you up, I think it starts about 8 so I¡¯ll be at yours about 7 to give us enough time to get a car park and a good spot to watch the concert from.¡± Dylan offered.


    ¡°Thank you! That¡¯d be great. I¡¯ll make sure I¡¯m ready on time!¡± I gave Dylan a massive hug, which he returned, his large arms wrapping around my back. His warmth made me smile and I noted how lucky I was to be part of such a caring group of people.


    He let go and stepped back, giving me a mock frown and raising his eyebrow at me.


    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯ll be no messing around, I want to be able to enjoy the concert without having to rush to get there. I¡¯m also picking up Eamon and Raul¡­maybe I should pick you all up the day before knowing how you are with being on time.¡± Dylan said, giving me a smile. My reputation for tardiness was well known, I always meant well and tried my hardest to be on time but seemed to get distracted easily resulting in delays in me actually getting places.


    ¡°That might not be a bad idea.¡± I smiled back.

 CHAPTER 08: Strange Encounter

    Jenna let out a high pitched squeal and did a little jump up and down to show her excitement.


    ¡°I¡¯m picking up the rest of the group so we can all meet there.¡± She explained. ¡°Or grab some dinner beforehand at Eddie Burgers?


    ¡°No, no, no. Let¡¯s just meet there. If I¡¯ve got to get these guys to dinner AND a concert I¡¯m going to miss the concert for sure.¡± Dylan fake scowled.


    We all laughed.


    ¡°Maybe we could pack some picnic hampers and take some blankets? Then we could sit down by the lake, watch the concert and eat at the same time?¡± Raul suggested.


    Everyone agreed with the idea and nodded enthusiastically.


    ¡°Let me get a photo!¡± I exclaimed.


    ¡°Why?¡± Eamon asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, this just feels like a photo opportunity.¡± I shrugged as I swiped the camera app on my phone and held it up ready to take a shot.


    Everyone jostled each other to get into a pose. I stepped back onto the footpath to take the photo, but collided with someone, causing both of us to drop our phones on the pavement.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°So sorry!¡± I quickly bent down to pick up the phones and stood up to see a tall dark haired stranger in front of me.


    ¡°No problem.¡± He responded and smiled.


    Holding his phone out to him, I noticed that his eyes were an electric blue, vibrant and shimmering. His hair was ruffled like he¡¯d just got out of bed and he wore a loose T-shirt with khaki shorts and converse sneakers. As he reached for his device, our fingers touched and I felt a surge of energy run up through my hand. Shocked, I quickly pulled my hand back, almost dropping my phone again. He looked at me quizzically.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± He said, colour filling his cheeks as he stepped backwards, away from me.


    ¡°You¡¯re thanking me for almost knocking you over?¡± I laughed nervously.


    ¡°No, for this.¡± He motioned to his phone. ¡°My life depends on it.¡± His smile faded and his eyes darted around, searching the car park for something.


    ¡°Are you new here?¡± Dylan called out.


    ¡°You could say that.¡± The stranger responded, turning to look at Dylan and the group.


    ¡°Maybe you could take the photo for us?¡± Eamon asked. ¡°Then Ariah could be in it too.¡±


    He looked at me. ¡°Ariah?¡± He looked shocked.


    ¡°Yep, that¡¯s me.¡± I smiled up at him, wishing that I didn¡¯t feel so awkward.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s definitely her. Can you please take the picture so we can all go about our days?¡± Raul laughed.


    The stranger looked at the group, then back at me. He hesitated, obviously he wanted a way out but thought better of it. I held up my phone to encourage him to take it.


    ¡°Yeah¡­yes, sure.¡± Grabbing my phone, he took a large step backwards to fit everyone into the shot and I went and stood next to Dylan who slung his arm causally over my shoulders.


    ¡°Ready?¡±

 CHAPTER 09: Smile For The Camera

    We all smiled large smiles and the stranger took the photo.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I said as I walked back over to him. Handing me back my phone he looked directly into my eyes.


    ¡°Ariah? Ariah O¡¯Connoll?¡± The colour drained from his face as he spoke.


    It was my turn to be surprised. ¡°Yes? How do you know my last name?¡±


    He went to answer but just as he opened his mouth to reply the bell rang sending hordes of students rushing past us.


    Leaning in, he whispered quickly in my ear. ¡°Ariah, you¡¯re in danger. You need to come with me.¡± He grabbed my arm and pulled me along with him as he tried to walk away. I stumbled after him.


    ¡°You need to let go of my arm. I¡¯m not going anywhere with you.¡± I said defiantly as I pulled backwards against him, his grip firm.


    Seeing what was happening, Dylan and Georgie came rushing over. The others had already started to head inside at the bell.


    ¡°Hey man, what do you think you¡¯re doing? Let her go.¡± They yelled as they got closer.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand, she needs to¡­¡± The stranger whispered intensely looking around again as he did so.


    ¡°She needs to get to class and she¡¯s coming with me.¡± Georgie said as she grabbed my waist in an attempt to help pull me away from him.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Principal Carter walked up to us with a concerned look on her face.


    The stranger let go of my arm, and quickly looked around again. Georgie let go of my waist and stood beside me with her fists clenched.


    ¡°Nothing, nothing¡¯s wrong.¡± He said quickly as he moved backwards away from us.


    ¡°Ariah, is that true?¡± Looking at me, Principal Carter nodded her head in the direction of the stranger.


    I looked at him then back to her.


    ¡°He grabbed me by my arm and tried to make me go with him.¡± I told her, folding my arms over my chest in a staunch pose, I didn¡¯t want him to see that he¡¯d frightened me.


    ¡°Who are you and what are you doing on school grounds?¡± Principal Carter rolled up the sleeves on her suit and turned to the stranger.


    ¡°I can explain, but you won¡¯t believe me.¡± He sighed.


    ¡°Maybe the police will. Shall we give them a call?¡± She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone and began to dial.


    Not giving a response, he turned around and ran into the car park. Dylan went to give chase but I put my arm out to stop him. He relaxed and put his arm around me protectively instead. I leant into his chest and he squeezed my shoulder in support.


    ¡°Ariah, let¡¯s get you to my office.¡± The Principal whispered to me as she held her phone up to her ear waiting for someone to answer. She motioned for me to follow her as she started to walk towards the main entrance.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay, thanks Principal Carter. I¡¯d rather just get to class.¡± I whispered back.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    I nodded numbly, even though I wasn¡¯t sure that I was okay at all.

 CHAPTER 10: A Warm Breeze

    Principal Carter looked at me concerned and raised one of her well groomed eyebrows.


    ¡°Okay then Ariah, I¡¯ll come and see you later to get a statement from you.¡± She said softly and then turned her attention to the person on the other end of the phone, gently waving us off to class as she did so.


    I turned back to look to see which way the stranger had gone, but he had already disappeared leaving no trace that he¡¯d even existed.


    How did he know my name? I thought and I tried to remember if I¡¯d met him before in some random encounter, but nothing came to mind. I didn¡¯t really have that much of an online presence for someone to know me through social media and the presence that I did have was only accessible by my friends and family so I quickly ruled out ¡®online stalker¡¯ from the list that was forming in my head.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± Dylan asked, concern etching his features as we walked up the concrete steps towards the front doors of school, his arm still around my shoulders, a comforting weight that strangely made me feel both protected and vulnerable.


    ¡°A bit shaken to be honest, but I¡¯ll be okay.¡± I said, my voice trembling slightly as I struggled to maintain my composure, still in slight disbelief about what had just happened. Something had been triggered in the back of my consciousness, a whisper of familiarity that eluded me, teasing my thoughts but slipping away just as I tried to reach for it. I couldn¡¯t quite grasp onto what was causing the slurry of thoughts and feelings but I instinctively knew deep down that the stranger was definitely part of the solution. There was something about their eyes, a spark of genuine recognition that hinted at a deeper connection, as if fate had intertwined our paths for a reason.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°Make sure you talk to us if you need to.¡± Georgie said with concern on her face.


    I nodded again.


    A warm breeze blew past, making the hairs on my neck stand on end. It sent a shiver down my spine even though it was warm in temperature and I turned and looked back out across the car park. The light was pinker than it had been earlier that morning and with the slow swirling clouds looking puffy and full, it was almost like the sky was turning the colour of candy floss. It was like nothing I''d ever seen before.


    ¡°Can you guys see that?¡± I asked incredulously, pointing up at the sky. ¡°Are you seeing what I''m seeing?¡±


    ¡°It''s probably just something to do with the dust from the wildfires.¡± Dylan suggested as he pushed the door and held it open for Georgie and I, motioning us to walk past him. ¡°Sometimes the smoke can do strange things to the light.¡±


    Whatever it was, it was making me feel uneasy. As I walked through the doorway into the main entrance of school, I shivered again.

 CHAPTER 11: Heightened Senses

    We walked into school and the door banged closed behind us as Dylan let it go. The hallway was bustling with lots of students and teachers trying to get to their classrooms and the air had a distinct scent of mustiness still lingering from the school having been shut up over the summer vacation.


    I was suddenly aware of Dylan¡¯s aftershave, with its hint of musk, it was quite alluring and I tried to ignore it. Thinking of Dylan as just a friend, I felt uncomfortable with the sensations that the smell of him caused and I could feel the slow rise of heat up my chest. Blushing, I looked over at him and he gave me a gentle smile and a nod. My senses felt heightened and the uneasy feeling in my stomach felt like it was expanding as Georgie, Dylan and I walked down the corridor.


    Over by the lockers, I saw my brother Roderick and his girlfriend Reese standing talking to each other, both of them looking adoringly into each other''s eyes. Over the past year Roderick had been a rock for Mom and I, but Reese had been a rock for him.


    Reese was like a big sister to me, she and Roderick had begun dating a few years ago when they¡¯d met at a skatepark and had pretty much been inseparable ever since. She was an amazing skateboarder, I loved watching her perform her moves down at the local skate bowl.


    With long flowing black hair that she often kept in a ponytail, sparkly sneakers, and three quarter denim jeans, she was the epitome of style to Roderick¡¯s ¡®throw something on from off the floor¡¯ look. My brother always looked slightly dishevelled. His shirts were often half tucked into his jeans, with his baggy sweatshirts a couple of sizes too big for him haphazardly pulled on over top. I would watch him wrap his arms around Reese, sometimes making her disappear in giggles beneath the folds of excess sweatshirt material.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    Roderick smiled and gave me a little head nod in acknowledgement as he looked in my direction. I gave him a watery smile back.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you in class, I just need to talk to my brother.¡± I said to Dylan and Georgie as I walked over to Roderick and Reese.


    ¡°Remember we¡¯re here if you need us!¡± Dylan called out after me. I turned and gave him a wave in thanks, I felt lucky to have friends who looked out for me, I would do anything for them too.


    ¡°Hi little sis!¡± Roderick said as he grabbed me under one of his arms, giving me a playful hug and messing up my hair as he did so. I wriggled out of his grasp and quickly tried to fix my hair without drawing too much attention to myself.


    ¡°What are you up to?¡± Roderick asked as he flicked his fringe out of his eyes.


    ¡°Nothing, just wanted to say ¡®Hi¡¯ and get a hug from my big brother.¡± I said trying to forget about what had happened out near the car park.


    ¡°Are you sure? You seem a little edgy.¡± He put his hand on my shoulder and looked in my eyes, trying to read my mind.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± I lied. ¡°Did you hear about the Jamie Markie concert happening this weekend?¡± I quickly changed the subject, averting my eyes from his gaze.


    He didn¡¯t look convinced.

 CHAPTER 12: Ridicule

    Reese moved in between Roderick and I, wrapping her arms around our shoulders as she did so.


    ¡°Yeah, the Jamie Markie concert will be amazing huh?! We¡¯ve just been talking about it too!¡± Reese replied and looked at me smiling. ¡°Do you want to come with us?¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the offer, I¡¯ve already organised something with my friend Dylan and the others.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Great, that works well for us. I can have some alone time with Reese.¡± Roderick laughed nuzzling into Reese¡¯s neck, I awkwardly removed myself from the group hug as he did so.


    ¡°How can you have ¡®alone¡¯ time when you¡¯re with another person?¡± I asked, he shrugged and we all laughed.


    ¡°I¡¯m not big on semantics, I don¡¯t need to use the right terminology for you to know what I mean.¡± He smiled.


    ¡°I sometimes think that you two somehow share the same brain, either that or have telepathetic abilities.¡± Reese laughed and playfully tapped Roderick on the arm.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you mean telepathic?¡± Roderick said, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°I know what I said.¡± Reese said, winking back.


    Roderick rolled his eyes and laughed.


    ¡°Eurgh!¡± I said, shuddering in disgust. ¡°Imagine sharing a brain with Roderick!¡±The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°If it¡¯s as untidy as his room, you¡¯re in big trouble.¡± Reese said, laughing again.


    ¡°Hey, hey, hey!¡± Roderick stepped back from us and motioned with his hands in a downward push. ¡°Let¡¯s calm down on the disrespect.¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon babe, you know I¡¯m only joking. I love your messiness, it¡¯s what makes you so creative.¡±


    ¡°I think Mom would disagree.¡± I smirked.


    ¡°Let¡¯s keep Mom out of this, I don¡¯t think she¡¯s been near my room in years and I would like to keep it that way.¡± Roderick pouted. ¡°Don¡¯t go conjuring the domestic cleaning spirits by mentioning her name and my room in the same sentence.¡±


    ¡°Maybe those spirits might clean your room for you, although they, like Mom, probably wouldn¡¯t want to go near it either.¡± I retorted.


    ¡°I have wondered the same thing, Ariah.¡± Reese said, looking at me with mock concern on her face. ¡°Do I step across the threshold into the land of a thousand dirty plates or do I live to see another sunrise?¡±


    ¡°You know, he¡¯s even lovingly named his pile of laundry ¡®Mount Washmore¡¯.¡± I added.


    Roderick groaned, slapping his forehead comically at the same time and we all laughed. The banter was definitely helping in dissipating a tiny bit of the uneasiness in the pit of my stomach.


    I glanced at the large clock on the wall above the entrance way and realised I was going to be late to class.


    ¡°Is it still okay to get a ride with you after school today?¡± I said hurriedly.


    ¡°Sure! I¡¯ve just got a couple of things to do first, but I''ll meet you and Reese at the car after you finish basketball practice, okay?¡± Roderick answered.


    ¡°Awesome, thank you!¡± I gave them both a quick hug and rushed to my locker. Putting my extra books away, I then grabbed the books that I needed for my first class, which was my favourite subject - Math. It was also my Dad¡¯s favourite subject too, he¡¯d always help me with my homework showing me new ways to approach problems and equations.


    I sighed wishing with all my heart that he hadn¡¯t disappeared. His calmness had always made me feel safe and I really needed a dose of it right then and there.

 CHAPTER 13: Volunteer

    Hurrying to class, I couldn¡¯t shake the rest of the feeling of unease that seemed to have made its home in the pit of my stomach. Opening the door, I saw Georgie motioning for me to come and sit next to her, so I made my way to my desk and sat down, setting up my Math books on the desk ready to go. Our teacher, Mrs Newman, walked in and the noise level in the class reduced. She went to her desk and put her bag down.


    Mrs Newman was in her fifties and led with a vibrant presence in the classroom. With her warm smile that instantly put her students at ease, her passion for Math was infectious. She had a way of turning complex concepts into truly engaging stories, often using her own worldly life experiences in examples that made the subject come alive.


    With her tousled hair and quirky black rimmed glasses that lived perched on her nose, she moved around the room energetically, encouraging students to explore their problem solving ideas and ask questions without hesitation.


    Her laughter would fill the air whenever a student made a clever remark or solved a challenging problem, fostering an environment where curiosity thrived. Mrs. Newman believed that every student had the potential to excel and her unwavering support helped us embrace our abilities with confidence and enthusiasm.


    ¡°Good morning class! Are we ready for a day of learning?!¡± Mrs Newman said as she looked up at us while shuffling her papers.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    She was answered with silence.


    ¡°I see. We better get our brains warmed up then huh?¡± She laughed. ¡°Let¡¯s start with some algebra, I¡¯ll just grab my whiteboard marker¡­¡± She stopped and looked around searching her desk and ledge of the whiteboard for it.


    ¡°Looks like I''m missing some markers. Who would like to go down to the basement to the supply room and get me some more?"


    Nobody in the class put up their hands.


    The basement of the school was a spooky place. We¡¯d been told so many eerie stories about students going missing down there that everyone was apprehensive about volunteering. Of course we all knew that they were just stories because no one actually knew of any student personally that had disappeared. But if you¡¯re told the sky is green a thousand times there¡¯s a part of you that begins to believe it.


    Mrs Newman¡¯s cheery smile started to fade and the people pleaser side of my personality started to feel uncomfortable, so I raised my hand.


    ¡°I''ll do it, I''ll go down to the supply room.¡± I said, my voice shaking slightly as everyone turned and looked at me. ¡°What colours do you need?¡±


    ¡°Thanks so much Ariah, I really appreciate it.¡± Mrs Newman¡¯s smile returned, and I felt happy for making her happy. ¡°I need a green, a red and a couple of black markers.¡±


    ¡°Okay, can I take a friend with me?¡± I stood up and looked around the classroom.


    Georgie caught my eye, then quickly raised her hand.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with her.¡± Georgie said.


    ¡°Great, yes Georgie you can go.¡± Mrs Newman smiled and Georgie enthusiastically stood up and followed me out of the classroom.


    ¡°See you in a bit.¡± Mrs Newman called after us as we walked out the door.

 CHAPTER 14: Walk And Talk

    With everyone in their respective classrooms, the hallway was so quiet that we could hear our sneakers squeaking on the polished wooden floors as we walked. The basement entrance was down towards the other end of the building so we had to cover a bit of distance to get there and back.


    ¡°Haha, this is a waste of 20 minutes of Math time!¡± Georgie said.


    ¡°We¡¯ll probably still have to make it up though.¡± I sighed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re super smart at it so you¡¯ll make it up in no time, then you can help me!¡± She smiled.


    I laughed.


    Georgie was just as smart as I was, and that¡¯s why we found ourselves in the top Math group together. Mrs. Newman¡¯s class was known for its rigorous curriculum, specifically designed for all her gifted students - a group that Dylan, Georgie and I all proudly belonged to. My Dad¡¯s love of Math and Science had also inspired me deeply and when he used to have time over the weekends would often share fascinating puzzles and experiments with me, igniting my passion for learning that I then carried into the classroom.


    ¡°Ariah, did you see the way Dylan was looking at me this morning?¡± Georgie asked, a tinge of excitement accentuated her tone as her comment broke my reverie.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    I hadn¡¯t but I decided to play along. ¡°Sure, he seemed quite attentive?¡± I replied, hoping that was the right answer.


    ¡°Do you think he likes me?¡± She asked shyly, looking at me.


    ¡°Of course he likes you!¡± I replied.


    ¡°No, I mean, ¡®likes me¡¯ likes me. Like¡­romantically.¡± She whispered. Even though the hallways were empty, she looked around to make sure no one was listening in.


    ¡°We all think he likes you. I reckon he¡¯s liked you for a long time but just doesn¡¯t know how to express it.¡±


    Georgie nodded and smiled, happy with my answer.


    ¡°Do you think he''s going to make the first move?¡± She asked as she looked at me more intently.


    ¡°Why does he need to make the first move? If you like him, why don¡¯t you be the one to instigate something more?¡± I shrugged.


    ¡°But I don''t want to be the one to make the first move, what if he doesn¡¯t actually like me back?¡± Georgie sighed, looking a little crestfallen.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± I thought for a moment. ¡°The concert is on Saturday night, so that might be a good opportunity to do some reconnaissance?¡±


    ¡°I don''t know, maybe.¡± She let out an even deeper sigh. ¡°I¡¯m not good at talking about my feelings.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s Dylan, he''s been a friend since¡­ well, since forever.¡± I smiled encouragingly.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s the problem. I don¡¯t want to lose his friendship, but I like him so much it¡¯s now hard to be around him without feeling awkward.¡±


    ¡°If you feel awkward around him anyway, what have you got to lose?¡± I asked.


    ¡°True, I guess.¡± She responded looking like she had already begun to imagine the scenario of asking Dylan out on a date herself.

 CHAPTER 15: The Basement

    As we walked, I thought about how I really didn¡¯t have any romantic feelings for anyone in the group, which I was quite relieved about, I felt awkward enough as it was without throwing unrequited love into the mix. I¡¯d leave that to Georgie and just focus on basketball for the rest of the year. I was sure there was less drama in that compared to trying to manage dating on top of everything else in my life.


    At that thought, my heart panged. Who was I kidding? Of course I wanted a boyfriend, I would love to experience my first kiss before I was 80 years old or before I finished high school at least.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been quiet for a wee while.¡± Georgie noted, turning her head to look at me. ¡°Are you bored of me talking about Dylan?¡±


    To be honest, I¡¯d been so lost in my own thoughts that I hadn¡¯t realised she¡¯d still be speaking. I admonished myself for being such a bad listener and I turned to look back at her, shaking the residue thoughts of first kisses and boyfriends from my own mind.


    ¡°Of course not!¡± I said with a grin. ¡°I could talk about Dylan all day if you wanted.¡±


    She laughed.


    ¡°That¡¯s a long time.¡± She smirked. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯d be up for that kind of verbal marathon?¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Give me some throat lozenges and some water and I¡¯d cope fine.¡± I joked back. ¡°Imagine if Dylan found out that we were planning on talking about him for that kind of duration!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he wouldn¡¯t know whether to be super proud of himself or to run and hide!¡± Georgie responded.


    We both laughed so hard that tears ran down our cheeks.


    Dylan was used to having plenty of girls talking about him, not only because of his good looks but also because his charm and wit always made him friendly and approachable. A real drawcard on the ¡®secret crushes¡¯ scene around school. I knew for a fact that Georgie wasn¡¯t the only member of the Dylan fan club.


    We finally stopped laughing as we reached the door to the basement and found it slightly ajar.


    ¡°That¡¯s weird, someone else must be getting something too.¡± I said surprised.


    I pushed the door open gently and peered down the staircase. The light was already on and lit up the darkness with a faint orangey glow that fought against the encroaching darkness. Mustiness and dust filled the air like a thick blanket, enveloping me in its damp embrace as I hung in the doorway, fighting the feeling of foreboding that was forming in my stomach.


    Shadows danced along the walls in the pale light, creating an eerie atmosphere that conjured up goosebumps over my skin.


    The wooden steps creaked softly under my weight as I took a tentative step forward.


    ¡°Hello? Is someone down there?¡± I called out, a shiver going up the back of my neck as I did so.


    Rustling sounds came from the back corner of the room.


    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s the ghost from the stories? Georgie asked me ashen faced.


    ¡°I guess we¡¯re about to find out.¡± I replied.

 CHAPTER 16: Ghosts Of The Busted Kind

    ¡°Hello?¡± I called out again as I stepped onto the landing at the top of the stairs. The basement acted like a storage and supply room for the whole school. It was dank and smelt musty and the air felt suffocating with the thickness of the dust that had accumulated over time on the shelves and objects contained on them. Old books were nicely stacked in corners and lots of old team uniforms were packaged up in boxes that were lined along the back wall. The supply cupboard was in between it all, containing the teacher¡¯s stationary and an array of whiteboard markers in various colours.


    More rustling sounds came from the other side of the room. I gulped and fought the urge to run. Moving down to the first step, I could hear Georgie breathing heavily behind me.


    ¡°Is someone there?¡± I yelled, gripping the railing tightly, my breathing heavy and my body alert.


    Nervous giggling was the reply. I looked across the room in the direction that it was coming from and saw two people emerge from the shadows. The familiar figures stepped into the dim light laughing awkwardly and looking slightly embarrassed.


    Roderick and Reese. I breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°There are your ¡®ghosts¡¯ Georgie!¡± I laughed. ¡°What are you two doing down here?!¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Roderick moved forward towards me looking sheepish and trying to fix his shirt in an awkward attempt to tuck it into the top of his jeans.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got a free period so we ah¡­ thought we¡¯d do some study.¡± Roderick replied, his cheeks reddening.


    ¡°The study of human anatomy?¡± I laughed and Georgie sniggered behind me. I could feel the heat from their embarrassment from where we stood.


    ¡°Ah no, we were working on our science project.¡± Roderick stammered and tried to brush out his hair with his fingers, it was all mussed up and standing on end.


    ¡°In the basement? Why, Reese isn¡¯t even in your science class!¡± I feigned mock horror, I enjoyed seeing him squirm. ¡°Look we¡¯re just here to get some markers for Mrs Newman then we¡¯re out of here so¡­ as you were.¡±


    I made my way carefully down the stairs, navigating each old rickety wooden step with care, then walked towards the supply cabinet with Georgie following behind. Roderick and Reese stood brushing themselves off from the dust that they had accumulated on their clothes.


    Suddenly, there was a loud metallic bang and the floor beneath our feet began to shake violently. With my heart racing, I stumbled, tripping on the uneven concrete floor beneath my sneakers.  I reached out, disoriented, but before I could steady myself, Georgie walked straight into the back of me and we both fell to the floor. The door at the top of the staircase slammed shut with a heavy thud, giving us a fright as we tried to stand up.


    The sound of sirens erupted in the air and the feeling of unease that had been in my stomach all morning grew into overwhelming fear.


    As I tried to make sense of what was happening, complete darkness engulfed us.

 CHAPTER 17: Shake, Rattle and Shake Some More

    An ear-piercing screeching noise began to join in with the sirens, the sounds gnawing their way into the very recesses of my brain causing me to wince and cover my ears with my hands. After a few seconds the sounds dissipated and the screaming started.


    Shelving toppled to the floor around us, sending markers and books cascading everywhere. I could feel debris from the ceiling hitting my arms as I tried to protect my ears and head.


    The shaking stopped and I felt shivers run down my spine as I stood upright. Georgie whimpered next to me, getting back to her feet and rubbing the dust off her arms. Releasing the hold on my ears, I put my arms down and stood up, my body beginning to tremble in the process. My fists balled up in an attempt to control it and to calm myself.


    ¡°Ariah! Georgie! Are you two okay?¡± Reese called out above the sounds coming from outside.


    ¡°Yes, I think so.¡± I said shakily. ¡°Are you guys okay too?¡±


    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± I heard Roderick say, then I saw him activate his phone. The screen lit up and I could see his and Reese¡¯s worried faces.


    Using the torch light on his device, he quickly made his way up the stairs and grabbed the door handle. He yelled out upon touching it.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°The door handle is boiling hot!¡± He said as he shook his hand to try and ease the pain of the burn it had given him. Taking a breath, he carefully reached out and touched the wood of the door. He quickly pulled his hand back again.


    ¡°This is crazy! The wood is hot too?!¡± He stepped back in disbelief and stumbled backwards down a few steps before using the concrete wall to catch himself.


    ¡°Huh.¡± He said as he looked at his hands with interest.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Reese whispered loudly to him.


    ¡°The concrete wall is cold.¡± He replied, turning to study the wall next to him.


    The screeching noise started again, this time more intense than before. Outside the sound of people screaming got louder and louder. Roderick raced back down the stairs, taking two at a time and using his torch light, he located Georgie and I. He quickly grabbed our hands and guided us over to where Reese was.


    ¡°I think we need to hide.¡± He said, letting go of us and putting his arm over Reese¡¯s shoulders, hugging her tightly.


    Grabbing his phone from his hand, I shone the torch towards the darkness. Looking around I saw a dark corner at the back of the room between some boxes.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hide there!¡± I whispered hoarsely as I pointed to the corner. Everyone moved quickly to the position and huddled down, holding on to each other as we did so. All of us were terrified at the thought of what was unfolding outside of the room.


    ¡°What is going on?!¡± I cried in anguish as I tensed my body in fear and manoeuvred closer to Roderick.


    As I finished speaking, the screaming coming from outside stopped and everything went deathly quiet.

 CHAPTER 18: Aftermath

    For a few minutes, we all sat very still, not saying a word.


    ¡°Do you think there¡¯s been some kind of attack?¡± Georgie asked nervously, breaking the silence.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know, that sound is so bizarre. Screeching? Sounds so alien.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Maybe it is aliens?¡± Georgie said, her voice shaking.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not speculate too much, we just need to try and stay calm and figure a way out of this.¡± Reese said gently.


    ¡°Whatever it is it doesn¡¯t sound good, did you see the sky this morning? Maybe it was an ominous sign.¡± Roderick asked.


    ¡°Yeah, it was different this morning. It was abnormally pink.¡± I whispered.


    ¡°I noticed that too," said Roderick. ¡°I thought it was to do with the wildfires and the smoke.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I think that''s what everyone else thought. I have this strong feeling that there is something else going on and maybe it¡¯s connected to whatever this is.¡± I thought back to what had happened in the car park that morning, it all seemed too coincidental.


    I stood up, needing to walk around to release some of the nervous energy that had built up in my muscles.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Ariah, what are you doing?¡± Roderick whispered from the floor.


    ¡°I need to move otherwise I¡¯m going to explode.¡± I answered gruffly back.


    The lights flickered and came back on, dimly illuminating the room once more. My shadow loomed on the opposite wall as I walked nervously over to the staircase, stretching my aching legs.


    ¡°Ariah, don¡¯t go up there, you need to come back here and get down.¡± Roderick commanded.


    My sisterly defiance flared but I understood his concern. Nodding mutely, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, the dusty air filling my lungs. I coughed. The sound of it echoed in the quietness and made me jump. My eyes flicked open, alert once more to my surroundings. I quickly strode back over to the others and popped down to the floor, sitting myself between Georgie and Reese.


    ¡°So this is what we know. The metal and wood are problem areas. There is something outside causing the destruction.¡± Roderick started listing off the obvious things, in what I thought was an attempt to slow things down in his head so he could get some clarity over the situation.


    ¡°Maybe some kind of weapon did it?¡± Georgie whispered hoarsely, her voice trembling with suppressed emotion.


    ¡°Could be, although it does seem weird that it didn¡¯t affect the concrete?¡± I replied.


    ¡°Concrete is made up of a different chemical structure.¡± Roderick added.


    ¡°So now your science knowledge comes in handy. You should keep going to class.¡° I said with a deadpan expression on my face. ¡°Besides, metal and wood are made up of different chemical structures too, so I¡¯m not sure where you¡¯re going with your statement.¡±


    Roderick ignored my attempt at humour.


    ¡°Imagine if I¡¯d still been in science class instead of here. Imagine if all of us had been in the places that we were meant to be. I wonder what happened to everyone else.¡± Roderick said, with a frown.


    We all shuddered and I felt a surge of fear in my chest as I thought about Mom and my friends.

 CHAPTER 19: Bombshell

    Reese cleared her throat and turned to Roderick.


    ¡°Okay, we need to think about what we¡¯re going to do.¡± She said softly.


    Everyone murmured in agreement.


    ¡°Roddy, I don¡¯t understand how the concrete could be cool, to be honest.¡± Reese said, looking at the walls around us.


    ¡°Well, you think about it. Concrete is more durable than wood and can last up to three or four times longer than wood can. Wood is more vulnerable to fire and concrete can absorb and retain heat so that¡¯s why it felt cooler to touch when I tested it.¡± Roderick replied, over-explaining in his nervousness, while drawing on the floor with his finger in the dust in an attempt to illustrate what he was talking about.


    ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is, if we¡¯re protected by concrete, we¡¯re safe?¡± Reese asked.


    ¡°I guess so.¡± Roderick said, shrugging his shoulders.


    ¡°So what about paper and cardboard? Is that hot too?¡± Georgie asked, looking around at the boxes that lay scattered on the floor. ¡°How come we didn¡¯t get hot?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s because we¡¯re also protected and shielded by the fact that we¡¯re mostly underground here in the basement and surrounded by copious amounts of concrete - concrete floor and concrete walls.¡± Roderick replied.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    ¡°But we would be considered organic wouldn¡¯t we? We¡¯re not concrete.¡± I asked, pondering his answer.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I think it¡¯s most likely to do with the fact we¡¯re encased in this area.¡± He said, motioning around us. ¡°Dad once told me that concrete has elements of aluminium in it which makes it more resistant to chemical attacks and high temperatures. Some of the research he was doing was to do with the chemical elements within concrete and if they¡¯d be able to be used on other planets like Mars. He was also looking into the environmental impact of concrete production and if it¡¯d be sustainable here and on other planets.¡±


    ¡°So using Earth as a source for materials?¡± I replied, my full attention on Roderick at his mention of our father.


    ¡°Yes, until he and his team could locate resources on each individual planet.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like it would take a lot of time and research.¡±


    ¡°I think it would take a few lifetimes at least, especially with the time it would take for anything we had to get between planets.¡±


    ¡°Before he disappeared, he said that they had made some big steps in discovering a way of cutting down the time it took to do such things.¡± Roderick said. ¡°I often wonder if what he told me about his research had something to do with his disappearance.¡±


    Shocked, I looked at Roderick.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that little factoid before?¡± I whined. ¡°That is huge! Of course it¡¯s got something to do with his disappearance! It sounds so ominous.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to worry you and Mom with speculation.¡± Roderick sighed. ¡°Besides, what good would it have done? What good has it done now? You can¡¯t do anything with the information.¡±


    ¡°I can tell the police, that¡¯s what I can do.¡±


    ¡°I already tried and they didn¡¯t want to know about it.¡± He said, his eyes beginning to water. ¡°They think Dad was ¡®overwhelmed with the stress¡¯ of his research and took off.¡±


    I gasped as his words sunk in.

 CHAPTER 20: Knowledge Is Power

    Reeling from what Roderick has just dropped on me, I frowned at him.


    ¡°How come you¡¯re telling me all this now?¡± I whispered harshly.


    Roderick shrugged, looking defeated.


    ¡°I just needed to share it with you, I didn¡¯t really want to, but I think you should know. It''s a heavy burden to bear knowing that people think our father was an eccentric flake.¡±


    My heart panged, not just for our father, but for the weight of the whole situation that Roderick had been dealing with unbeknownst to me.


    I flung my arms around him and cried, my tears flowing freely down my cheeks and onto Roderick¡¯s shoulder. Surprised, he jumped back slightly but then relaxed into the hug and we just sat there for a few moments holding each other.


    Roderick leaned back, letting go and looked at me.


    ¡°By telling you that information Ariah, I thought that with the knowledge Dad gave you over the years that we might be able to figure something out together. You know? About the way he disappeared and everything.¡±


    I nodded gently with tears still running down my cheeks and a newfound determination to get us safely out of our current situation, growing in my heart.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Jumping to his feet, Roderick pulled the sleeves of his sweatshirt over his hands. He then tentatively reached out and touched the cardboard of the boxes next to him.


    ¡°Interesting, the cardboard isn¡¯t hot.¡± He said as he hurriedly began moving boxes away from the walls. ¡°Maybe it was protected because it was in here with us and not touching the outside, like the door and door handle?¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡± I murmured, still trying to rationalise how the door and door handle had got hot in the first place. ¡°So everything else like the shelves and cabinets should be safe too then.¡±


    Roderick nodded and went over to one of the fallen cabinets that lay on the floor.


    ¡°Help me with these, I think there¡¯s a small window to the outside here somewhere.¡± Roderick said as he pushed a cabinet to the side. We all went over to help him and moved a larger cabinet out of the way to reveal a tiny window high up on the wall.


    Roderick moved a few boxes underneath it and climbed up, carefully holding the concrete walls as he did so. The window had been boarded shut to the outside so he ripped the old rotten wooden planks away with his hands inside his sweatshirt to protect them from any more burns, exposing the window underneath. Using the sleeve of his sweatshirt he wiped the dust and dirt off the glass.


    ¡°What can you see?¡± I asked as I moved towards him.


    ¡°Stay back," he said forcefully. I ignored him and tried to move forward to take a look too. Overwhelming curiosity had taken a hold of me and I wanted to know what was out there and what we were dealing with.


    ¡°I said stay back!¡± Roderick yelled. I stopped and my lip quivered, it was really unlike Roderick to get angry.


    When he finally turned and looked at us he had tears in his eyes.

 CHAPTER 21: The Overwhelming Urge

    Roderick jumped down from the box and stood, ashen faced, looking at us. His eyes were wide and the tears flowed freely down his cheeks wetting the collar of his shirt.


    ¡°What did you see?¡± Reese asked, her voice trembling. I grabbed her hand and held it tightly, my own throat tight with fear. She gave my hand a squeeze back and we stood together waiting for Roderick¡¯s response. In the corner Georgie started to wail and fell to her knees rocking back and forth, wrapping herself into a tight ball and shielding her ears from what he had to report with her arms.


    He put his hands up to his face in what appeared to be an attempt to wipe away the tears and what he¡¯d just seen from his eyes. Lingering for a minute, he composed himself and then lowered his hands to his sides, his fingers shaking as he did so.


    ¡°Roderick, what is it? Please tell us, you¡¯re scaring me.¡± I quivered.


    Taking a deep breath, he looked at us and the tears started rolling again.


    ¡°Bodies¡­lots of¡­bodies.¡± He choked out. His hands went to his face again to cradle it as he sobbed.


    Reese and I gasped in shock and Georgie started screaming. I quickly let go of Reese¡¯s hand and ran to Georgie, falling to my knees to embrace her in a massive hug. She hugged me back and started crying into my shoulder, her tears wetting my t-shirt.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Reese asked.


    He nodded mutely and looked away, not able to look Reese in the eyes.


    In disbelief Reese went to see for herself. Roderick put an arm out to stop her but she pushed him away. She climbed up on the boxes and tentatively looked out the window. I watched as her face turned pale and she wobbled. Roderick quickly grabbed her as she stumbled backwards, falling from the box she had been standing on. She turned her head away from him and began to vomit violently.


    Taking a deep breath, I let go of Georgie and rose to my feet.


    ¡°I need to see for myself.¡± I said determinedly.


    ¡°No Ariah, that really isn¡¯t a good idea.¡± Roderick said hoarsely, his hands still shaking.


    Ignoring Roderick, I walked towards him and clumsily climbed up onto the boxes next to him. A couple toppled to the ground as I got my balance and adjusted my weight so that they wouldn¡¯t cave in under me.


    Roderick embraced me and held me tightly. I paused and let his kindness comfort me, but I still had an overwhelming urge to see what had happened. Untangling myself from his arms, I moved towards the window. He grabbed my wrist in another attempt to stop me.


    ¡°Let her look Roddy, she¡¯s going to have to eventually.¡± Reese mumbled before vomiting again. Roderick looked at me sadly and let me go.


    I gulped and moved forward. My throat felt tight again. Shaking, I climbed up on the box at the window and looked out.


    I was definitely not prepared for the horrific scene before me.

 CHAPTER 22: Take A Breath

    The words ¡®oh shit¡¯ escaped my lips and I felt tears prickle my eyes.


    One word described what I saw - carnage. Absolute carnage.


    Bodies littered the courtyard in front of the school. Partial bodies at least, most of them looked like they had been vaporised and many parts were in piles of what looked like dark dust. There was what looked like blood and debris strewn across the main entrance and car park, making those places look totally different to how they had been only hours before. Cars had been up turned and parts of the main school building had crumbled into heaps on the ground in front of it. Scorch marks scarred the grass and the sky was erupting with fire and lightning above us.


    I started to hyperventilate and my vision started to blur. My mind was screaming with thoughts of escape and my fight and flight system was all the way up to extreme danger levels. Putting my hands out in front of me, the concrete wall felt cool and I leant my forehead against it. The coolness momentarily helped ease the alarm that was going off in my brain so I was able to think through the cloud of horror that had rolled in like a blanket over my rational thoughts.


    I turned to say something to the others but no words came.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    My stomach took charge and started to churn. I felt bile rise up and burn the back of my throat. I turned my head and vomited down the side of the box.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Roderick asked quietly, as he came over. He stood beside me and rubbed my back gently just like he used to do when I was sick when we were younger.


    I nodded, still looking away from him. The nausea rose again but I managed to suppress it. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, then nonchalantly wiped it down the side of my pants without thinking. I kept rubbing the seams down the sides of my jeans, the feeling of friction under my fingertips had a strange calming effect.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± He asked again, looking at me strangely while I stood there rubbing myself.


    I looked at him and stopped the motion. My hands felt hot and clammy, looking down at them they suddenly felt foreign like they belonged to someone else. The room started to spin and I stumbled. Roderick grabbed me and held me gently. Swaying, my legs felt like jelly and I had trouble standing upright. They buckled underneath me and I went to the floor with Roderick supporting me.


    ¡°I think she¡¯s in shock.¡± I heard Reese say.


    ¡°I knew she shouldn¡¯t have looked.¡± Roderick said angrily.


    ¡°If we¡¯re going to get out of here, she¡¯s going to see worse I imagine.¡± Reese replied gently.


    Taking a deep breath in, I closed my eyes to calm my racing brain and heart. It was a technique I had learned from a therapist I had been seeing to help me cope with my feelings about Dad¡¯s disappearance.


    Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out.


    I opened my eyes and felt much better.

 CHAPTER 23: Blood And Dust

    As I lay on the floor, I looked up at Roderick. He seemed to have a halo of blue and yellow colourful light pulsating around the edges of him. I blinked my eyes a few times and looked up at him again. The colourful pulsating aura glowed more brightly and for a brief second I thought that I¡¯d died and that he was an angel.


    ¡°Ariah?¡± Roderick said softly, gently patting my face with his hand as he did so. ¡°Ariah? Are you okay?¡±


    I decided that angels wouldn¡¯t hit my face so I closed my eyes and took a long blink before opening them again.


    His touch brought me back to focus on the room around me and the light that I¡¯d seen around him slowly faded away like it had never been there at all. There were lots of strange things going on so it didn¡¯t occur to me that what I¡¯d just seen around Roderick would have been any stranger than what we¡¯d already been experiencing so I instantly forgot about it.


    Grabbing my hand he helped me to gradually sit upright. My head spun a little but faded after a few moments leaving a throbbing sensation instead.


    ¡°We¡¯re lucky that we¡¯re in here.¡± I whispered, my voice feeling foreign to me.


    ¡°We¡¯re really lucky.¡± Reese said from beside me. She sat next to me and put her arm around my shoulders giving me a side hug. I could smell the perfume mixed with the mustiness of the room and my senses heightened again with the feeling that I could smell and see everything all at onceDid you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°All that dust. All those lives.¡± I stuttered. ¡°It must be a weapon that¡¯s caused this, what else could do that kind of damage?¡±


    Georgie sniffled again from her corner and continued to rock back and forth. She had gone into full shutdown mode and I worried that she would get even worse when she saw what had happened outside.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re right. It has to be a weapon.¡± Roderick said, his face sullen. ¡°And if it is a weapon, who does it belong to? Who¡¯s attacking us?¡±


    ¡°Camden Falls seems like an unusual place to start don¡¯t you think?¡± Reese added. ¡°So are they also attacking the rest of the country? Is anywhere safe?¡±


    We all sat in silence apart from Georgie who had started sobbing again.


    ¡°Whoever it is doesn¡¯t seem to be taking any prisoners. What kind of people would want to disintegrate other people?¡± I stated angrily. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make any sense to me.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t make any sense to us because we wouldn¡¯t do anything like that to anyone.¡± Reese said, running her fingers through her hair as she spoke.


    ¡°Maybe it is aliens.¡± Georgie spoke up from the corner. ¡°Maybe it is aliens and they want to destroy us all!¡±


    ¡°It could be, because I don¡¯t think anyone on Earth would have these weapon¡¯s capabilities.¡± Roderick responded.


    ¡°I think we¡¯d be surprised. If Dad was working on some pretty heavy technological advancements, he wouldn¡¯t be the only one in the world doing so I imagine.¡± I replied as my heart panged once more as I mentioned Dad¡®s name.


    ¡°Well, whoever is causing this needs to deflect their anger elsewhere.¡± Reese sighed.


    I nodded in agreement and wished with all my heart that the attack was over. I should have realised that it had only just begun.

 CHAPTER 24: In A Rush

    A large thudding sound came from outside the window and we saw bits of dirt hit the glass from the outside causing it to crack. The ground rumbled beneath us and we all quickly leapt to our feet in anticipation of a fresh assault.


    Georgie muffled her screams with her hand as she ran over to me and intertwined her free arm into mine. She stood next to me trembling and I wrapped my arms around her, unsure of what to do next.


    The floor started to shake and crack beneath our feet. Dust from the ceiling above us shook down onto our heads, covering us in a thin film of grey. The wooden beams that had held the ceiling broke, sending a shower of splinters into the air and I watched helplessly as some of split wooden beams fell around us causing the roof to partially cave in.


    The shaking suddenly stopped and the floor was still once more. Bits of debris fell from the ceiling, but things outside seemed deafeningly quiet. There was no screaming, no nothing. I felt a warm breeze come through the window from where the glass had broken and it caused the hairs on my arms to raise as goosebumps on my skin formed in little lumps.


    Roderick started to pace across the floor where there was space around the fallen beams and raised concrete. He pulled his fingers through his hair in frustration and fear, his face covered in sweat.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Roderick? Are you okay?¡± Reese said, dusting herself off.


    He didn¡¯t answer and continued to pace back and forth deep in thought.


    ¡°Argh!¡± He yelled, releasing his stress into the air as he threw his fists up in frustration.


    Clinging tighter to me, Georgie¡¯s breathing became rasped as she trembled beside me.


    ¡°We need to get out of here.¡± She whispered hoarsely.


    ¡°Agreed.¡± I said, hugging her tighter.


    Roderick stopped pacing and looked at us.


    ¡°Yep, you¡¯re right. We need to get out of here.¡± He said. ¡°I think whatever¡¯s out there is trying to break the concrete around us and if it does that, we¡¯re sitting ducks.¡±


    Georgie shuddered.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± She said, releasing her hold of me as she headed towards the stairs.


    ¡°We need a plan, Georgie.¡± Reese said gently. ¡°We can¡¯t just go rushing out there, especially when we don¡¯t know what¡¯s waiting for us.¡±


    Georgie stopped and nodded mutely. Looking dejected, she walked back over to where I was and stood closely to me again.


    ¡°Before we make a move, we need some more information.¡± Roderick said, and pulled his hands through his hair again as he tried to think.


    ¡°How are we going to do that? How are we going to find out more information?¡± I said nervously. ¡°It¡¯s not like whoever¡¯s behind this is going to give us an instruction manual or an up to date blow by blow of what they¡¯re going to do next.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but like Reese said, we can¡¯t just rush out there. We need to think it through, and fast!¡± Roderick said, looking up towards the broken window to the outside world.

 CHAPTER 25: Hide

    The high pitch noise started sounding loudly again and I felt my heart drop into my stomach.


    The floor started to vibrate and I stumbled trying to remain upright. What was left of the ceiling started to dance above us, shaking and twisting like it was jumping along to a frantic club mix and the wooden beams jerked along in rhythm.


    Thumping sounds erupted from outside, each one more intense and louder than the last. With each deafening thump the floor shook violently, causing it to buckle and ripple as if it was merely water, warping and bending in unpredictable waves.


    ¡°Quick!¡± Roderick yelled as he grabbed me and pulled me back into the corner to hide. Reese hurried over to us and fell into Roderick¡¯s arms as we huddled on the floor, finding a tiny semblance of comfort once more in each other''s embrace and using each other to balance against the onslaught. I worried that the ceiling was going to cave in on us, so I cowered further into Roderick, burrowing my head into his chest.


    I went to grab Georgie but she was no longer beside me. Looking up I saw her running frantically towards the stairs, deftly jumping over the rolling concrete floor and manoeuvring herself through the debris as she ran across the room.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°No Georgie, come back!¡± I screamed. She ignored me and in her panic started crying and gasping uncontrollably as she scrambled up the trembling stairs on her hands and knees. Falling over herself, she tumbled forward catching the edge of the step on her shin and gave a whimper as she got back up in her rush to get to the door.


    A vibrant pink light came through the window, like a laser it scanned up the stairs, streaming through the glass in what seemed like waves of light moving with precision as it did so. Pulse after pulse the rays came, penetrating the dimness of the room and casting shadows aside.


    I saw it rapidly scanning the stairs right behind Georgie and my heart started beating quicker.


    ¡°Georgie! No!¡± I tried to get up but Roderick pulled me back down. I tugged against him, trying to push his arms away but he wrapped them around my torso, restraining me from moving any further.


    ¡°Georgie!¡± I screamed again as Roderick held me. It was too late. The light hit her feet first and she screamed in pain when it made contact. As it rose, her body began to turn to flame then dust and it disintegrated into nothingness. Her screams reverberated around the room and I watched in horror as she started to disappear before me.


    The embers from her clothing swirled and twirled up into the pink light, glistening and shining like stardust within it. The particles illuminated the room then faded to darkness as they burned out and fell to the floor, leaving a pile of ash as the rays scanned upwards through her body.


    In a few short seconds she was gone.

 CHAPTER 26: Not So Comfortably Numb

    Stunned, I sat gasping, trying to catch my breath and control the panic that had taken me hostage.


    I started rocking back and forth in disbelief at what I¡¯d just witnessed. Georgie was gone. My best friend had just evaporated before my eyes and my heart was completely broken.


    The light dissipated and the room went dim again. My eyes adjusted and I could see Roderick and Reese¡¯s shocked faces.


    ¡°Ariah, I know you¡¯re upset, we are too¡­ but we¡¯ve got to move. We have to get out of here before it starts up again.¡± Roderick said urgently as he put his arm around me. I looked up at him and Reese. She was pale and had her arms folded over her chest in an effort to protect herself and I could tell Roderick was panicked by the way his eyes were flicking back and forth, alert to danger.


    I felt emotionally and physically numb.


    My brain was dancing between thoughts and I couldn¡¯t hold one in place for more than a second. Shaking, I moved slowly towards the stairs and looked at the pile of dust that had once been my best friend. Nausea rose and I turned my head and vomited, bile burned the back of my throat as my heart and stomach emptied themselves. As I wiped my mouth, a sudden feeling of extreme determination took over and adrenaline surged throughout my entire body.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, we need to get out of here. We need to find Mom.¡± I said, my fists clenched into balls. Digging my fingernails into my palms took the pain away from my chest and helped keep my focus out of my head.


    ¡°If we can get to my car, we could get across town to the art gallery and see if Mom¡¯s there.¡± Roderick agreed.


    ¡°She might be on her way here to look for you too. Maybe we should go to your house and if it¡¯s safe, wait for her there? You can drop me at my house, I¡¯ll get my parents and bring them to yours.¡± Reese said shakily. ¡°They had a day off from the bookstore today so they''ll be at home.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to split up, but you¡¯re right. Going to our houses is probably the best idea because then we can collect supplies and clothing. We¡¯ll go to yours first, get your parents, then onto ours.¡± Roderick walked over to Reese and enveloped her in a hug.


    ¡°Why do we need supplies? Why can¡¯t we just stay there, at home? And what if the car doesn¡¯t work or has been destroyed?¡± I started to feel panic rising again, but I clenched my fists tighter and managed to hold it at bay.


    ¡°Whatever this is Ariah, I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll spare homes. I think we need to get to the lake and go up into the forest. And as far as the car goes, I guess we¡¯ll have to see. We need to get to the carpark.¡± As Roderick finished his sentence, the piercing noise started again and sent Roderick and Reese diving into the dark corner of the room.


    I ducked down as the light hit the stairs above me and I scrambled across the floor, throwing myself into their outstretched arms. We huddled together, quivering in each other''s embrace and watched as the light scanned the stairs up and down again.

 CHAPTER 27: Counting

    ¡°It looks like it¡¯s searching for something.¡± Reese whispered.


    ¡°It also seems like it¡¯s coming in waves.¡± I said, suddenly aware of the timing of the pulses of light. ¡°If we can time the pulses, maybe we have a chance of getting out of here in between them?¡±


    ¡°Good idea. I¡¯ll time them with my stopwatch.¡± Raising his arm, Roderick started playing with the buttons on the side of his watch, but then stopped and looked at us. ¡°It¡¯s not working, my watch isn¡¯t working.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s odd. I¡¯ll try the timer app on my phone.¡± Reese said as she took her phone out of her pocket and pressed the screen. ¡°That¡¯s weird, the only function working is the torch.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll just have to keep count the old fashioned way, I think we need to get out of here as soon as we can. It already feels like we¡¯ve been down here far too long.¡± I looked around the room trying to see if there was any other way out.


    ¡°Agreed.¡± Roderick nodded. ¡°After the next set of pulses, I¡¯ll stack some boxes to help us reach the window so we can climb out. It might be a tight fit, but we should all be able to get out through there.¡±


    We sat quietly for what seemed like an eternity, all just focusing on breathing and staying calm. I tried not to let my thoughts return to Georgie and I kept my gaze away from the staircase, choosing instead to think about hugging Mom when I saw her. I always felt safe in her arms and smiled softly at the thought of her warm embrace.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°Okay, here it comes again.¡± Reese said.


    ¡°How can you tell?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve noticed there¡¯s a slight popping sound before we hear the high pitched one and before we see the pink light itself. I just heard the faint popping noise coming from outside the window.¡±


    We went quiet and listened closely. Reese was right, we could hear the popping sound. Then just as that went quiet the high-pitched sound started again. I covered my ears in an attempt to muffle it and stop it from vibrating my brain.


    ¡°Remember to count!¡± Roderick yelled over top.


    I nodded and began to count slowly in my head. Each second felt like an eternity as we slowly counted and waited.


    Finally the sound and the light disappeared again. I pulled my hands away from my ears and started counting from zero to time out the duration in between. We all looked at each other as we quietly counted upwards.


    I looked at my hands while I ticked off numbers in my head, they were still clenched tightly and blood had appeared from where my fingernails had pierced my skin. My heart felt sick with worry but I buried it deeper so it wouldn¡¯t reach my thoughts and send me spiralling.


    We kept counting upwards, for a brief moment I thought it was over and that the light wouldn¡¯t return, but it seemed to read my mind and within an instant had started again. I stopped counting and covered my ears once more.


    The pink light broke the darkness above us again and scanned the staircase.


    We seemed to be relatively safe in our little corner and I shuffled myself further back against the cool concrete wall, trying to bury myself within the darkness that it offered.

 CHAPTER 28: Escape Plan

    Once again, the light and sound retreated, like violent waves lapping at a shoreline, coming and going.


    ¡°Okay, what did you guys get? Each wave itself was about 2 minutes then 5 minutes in between.¡± Roderick said, looking at us.


    ¡°I got that approximately too.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Me too.¡± Reese responded.


    ¡°Right. Let¡¯s quickly get these boxes into position. After the next wave, we go okay?¡±


    Reese and I nodded in agreement. We all got to our feet and quickly made our way to the spot under the window. Reese and I pushed boxes full of gym equipment over to Roderick who then moved them into position. Working together, the three of us lifted the lighter boxes and stacked them on top of the heavier ones, moving debris out of the way as we stacked them into a tower.


    My arm brushed against the concrete and it was cool on my skin.


    ¡°The light doesn¡¯t affect the concrete, the concrete was still cool but you said the metal and wood were hot, correct?¡± I noted as I helped push a box higher.


    ¡°Yes, scalding hot.¡± Roderick answered.


    ¡°So to get out and then across to the car park will potentially take longer than the five minutes we have.¡± I said thoughtfully.


    ¡°Possibly.¡±


    ¡°I think we need to get to the shower room in the gymnasium by the car park to help give us more time.¡± I suggested.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.¡°Because the shower room is concrete and tiles? Good thinking.¡± Roderick said as he finished lifting the last box onto the stack.


    ¡°The popping has started again.¡± Reese said hurriedly, grabbing Roderick and my arms and pulling us back to the corner. We quickly huddled again and waited for the wave to pass.


    Nervousness filled my stomach, this was it. We had to go, suddenly the basement seemed like the safest place in the world and I didn¡¯t want to leave it.


    ¡°Okay? Get ready, as soon as the light stops we climb out the window and we run to the gymnasium.¡± Roderick said, looking at Reese and I.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know what¡¯s out there though, I only saw ash and bodies. Did you see anything else?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, but we¡¯re going to have to risk it. Stay low as you run, don¡¯t look back.¡± Roderick replied.


    I nodded mutely. The bravado I had felt moments earlier suddenly felt stuck in my throat and I wanted to cry. What had happened to the rest of our friends and family? Had they been able to get to some kind of safety?


    Reese took a deep breath out and I felt her tense up.


    ¡°You can do this Ariah, we can do this. Ready?¡± She said and gave me a nervous smile.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I whispered hoarsely. I looked over at Roderick who was counting out loud to time our escape.


    The pink light appeared again, if it wasn¡¯t disintegrating people I would have thought that it was quite beautiful with the way it made the dust in the air sparkle as it came through the window.

 CHAPTER 29: Time To Leave

    Breathe in, breathe out. Stay calm. Conserve energy. Breathe in. Breathe out. Stay calm. Conserve energy. I played the mantra over and over in my head, preparing for what was to come.


    Roderick continued counting, each second felt like hours. My heart pounded making my chest feel heavy. Perspiration ran down my back, and my palms were clammy so I rubbed them on my jeans to try and make myself feel better.


    ¡°298¡­299¡­300! GO! GO! GO!¡± Roderick yelled as he pushed us up off the floor and we all quickly ran to the pile of boxes. Reese pushed me ahead of her and the two of them got me up on the boxes.


    ¡°Go Ariah! Remember, don''t look back!¡± Roderick said urgently. I climbed hastily to the top with their strength helping me go faster. I scrambled up the wall to the window and looked out, more of the same carnage I¡¯d seen before littered the grounds in front of me, dust and partial bodies were scattered across the grass. Everything looked still and silent so I pulled myself up onto the window sill and felt the others push me up and out from the bottom of my sneakers.


    I awkwardly got to my feet, stumbling forward as I started to run. Fighting the urge to look back, I picked up speed and kept my focus on the gymnasium in front of me. The sky above was dark pink, almost crimson in colour reminding me of blood.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    ¡°Keep moving, keep moving!¡± I panted to myself as I pushed myself forward. All those sessions of running in gym class were paying off, I ran faster than I ever had before.


    I heard the sound of someone running behind me and hoped that the others had made it out too and that I wasn¡¯t being chased by whatever had caused the chaos.


    Dust blew across the grass in front of me and I tried not to think about who it belonged to. I kept my gaze straight ahead and didn¡¯t look down. The gymnasium was just a short distance away and I felt relief start to wash over me but I still had to get inside. I wondered if the door would be hot like the one in the basement.


    Making it to the entrance, I stopped and gently touched the handle of the door. It was cool so I quickly tried to open it but it was jammed.


    ¡°No!¡± I cried out. Reese came running up behind me.


    ¡°Get inside Ariah, quickly!¡±


    ¡°The handle is broken!¡±


    She grabbed it and tried to open it with her hands. It was stuck fast.


    I gulped as I heard the popping sound start to fill the air.


    ¡°It¡¯s coming!¡± I said, grabbing the handle again, trying to shake it.


    ¡°Stand back!¡± Reese pushed me backwards and raised her leg kicking the lower glass panel of the door. It smashed and she took her jacket off and wrapped it around her hand, punching out the rest of the glass pane from the door.


    ¡°Come on, get inside!¡±

 CHAPTER 30: Poolside

    ¡°You¡¯re amazing!¡± I said incredulously as I ran past her, bending down quickly to get through the gap that she had created. She followed hurriedly after me and we ran straight through the broken foyer doors that were falling from their hinges, into the pool area.


    The sound of our footsteps reverberated on the concrete tiles that surrounded the pool as we ran towards the shower block. I looked down and saw that the pool had massive cracks throughout it and that the water had mostly drained itself through them. Bits of debris from the roof lay scattered along its bottom and piles of dust were positioned haphazardly amongst it.


    I gulped as I wondered who¡¯d had swimming training and gym class that morning and I wondered why the concrete of the pool hadn¡¯t protected them.


    We rounded the corner at the back of the room and made our way into the nearest changing rooms, throwing ourselves into the closest shower cubicle, diving onto the cold painted concrete floor as fast as we could.


    The piercing sound started again, hurting my head. We both put our hands up to cover our ears as the sound grew in volume. Pink light started to pulse through the windows above the gymnasium roof and filled the room.


    We crouched down in the corner of the shower and made ourselves as small as we could. I could see the streams of pink light fill the locker room to the side of us and scan the area, sending my heart racing faster than it already was.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    I closed my eyes and hoped with all my might that the light would miss us. I could feel Reese¡¯s heartbeat through her chest as she cradled into the side of me. I tried to focus on regulating my breathing so I didn¡¯t start hyperventilating and spiraling back into panic.


    With everything that was going on and Dad¡¯s disappearance on top, I thought I couldn¡¯t take much more stress and overwhelm. My nerves were frayed and my heart was close to exploding, I was sure of it. But a strange quiet feeling rose within me, filling my thoughts with a calm warmth, telling me that I had to survive this moment and all the moments that I was about to face because my life and millions of other lives depended on how I dealt with the outcome. It calmed me then disappeared back from where it came.


    Stunned, I tried to process what it meant.


    ¡®Did I have something to do with the solution to this situation? And to who or what was causing it? And there were millions of lives depending on me? Woah!¡¯


    ¡®That¡¯s a lot of pressure for a sixteen year old to bear.¡¯ I contemplated as the thoughts circulated like they were in a tumble dryer in my head, but the strange calmness held and the thoughts eased then went away.


    The piercing sound gradually came to a stop, and everything around us was silent again. I opened my eyes and withdrew my hands from my ears and looked at Reese, suddenly realising that Roderick wasn¡¯t with us.


    ¡°Where is Roderick?!¡±

 CHAPTER 31: Malevolence

    I stood panicked, my eyes darting around the dimly lit shower block, looking for any sign of the arrival of my brother. Icy tendrils of fear clawed at my heart, sending sharp sensations throughout my upper body.


    I started to tremble, I didn¡¯t want to lose Roderick too.


    Reese jumped up and grabbed my shoulders and looked me directly in the eyes. Her own were slightly watery with tears but she held them at bay and blinked them away.


    ¡°Ariah, it¡¯s okay. He¡¯s okay. There wasn¡¯t enough time for him to get out too so he was going to wait until after the next wave.¡± She said calmly, her voice steady and soothing looking me in the eyes as she spoke, her words bringing a calming reassurance helping to ease the tension I felt in my chest.


    ¡°Okay.¡± I breathed, feeling the tight knot of anxiety loosen the hold it had on my throat.


    ¡°He¡¯ll be here soon.¡± Reese said as she looked out into the gymnasium past me.


    ¡°I hope he¡¯s alright.¡± I whispered softly, my voice quivering with the pent up emotions that I was feeling. The grim reality of our situation began to weigh heavily as I suddenly thought about all of our friends and family and the unknown entity that was causing the malevolence.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯s on his way now, the wave has subsided so he¡¯s got time to get here.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Just as Reese finished speaking, the ground shook beneath our feet sending tiles falling off the shiny shower walls around us. We stumbled, trying to keep our footing and I reached out grabbing onto the shower head to stabilise myself.


    ¡°What the hell?!¡± Reese exclaimed, widening her stance to keep her balance, her years of skateboarding helping her to stay upright.


    Another massive shake and low sounding rumble followed, sending me to my hands and knees on the dirty floor.


    As I fought for control, the shaking stopped then what seemed like only a few seconds later, it started again.


    ¡°It looks like the tactic has changed. Light and sound were weird enough, now it¡¯s rhythmic earthquakes?!¡± I yelled out to Reese above the rumbling, realising that this was no ordinary seismic event. The tremors weren¡¯t random, they were like pulses just like the light attacks - calculated in their execution and deliberately timed to cause the most damage.


    Bits of the ceiling started falling from above and fell smashing onto the floor around us. The mirrors above the sinks cracked and broke, shards falling into the hand basins, shattering into even smaller fragments, littering the sides of the white porcelain.


    The wall separating the showers in the locker room crumbled, falling into a large dusty heap, sending debris across the tiled floor towards our direction. Broken wooden framework, concrete and steel protruded from the pile of destruction as the earthquake continued.


    Just as I thought I was wrong about my pulsed earthquake theory, the tremors stopped once more. I felt my muscles relax and I took a breath and counted, hoping to get a rough idea as to how long we had between attacks.


    I looked up to see Reese doing the same, silently mouthing numbers as we counted up.


    We got to two minutes before the floor started moving violently again.

 CHAPTER 32: Stumbling In

    Reese stumbled over to me and fell down beside my legs. I crouched down next to her, and we covered our heads with our arms. The little white tiles came off the walls around us, falling like ceramic snowflakes onto the ground. A few hit me, sending a sharp pain to my fingertips, cutting into my skin on my forearms.


    ¡°I think we need to get out.¡± I yelled.


    ¡°If we go outside we might get hit by the light wave.¡± Reese answered.


    ¡°Maybe, but if we stay here we might get crushed.¡±


    The shaking suddenly stopped and things went quiet apart from the sound of the occasional piece of debris still hitting the floor from above.


    Covered in dust and tiny pieces of glass in concrete, we got up and gently dusted ourselves off. The gymnasium hadn¡¯t fared well in the shaking, the outer walls to the shower room had been damaged and offered no protection from the outside.


    I could see out into the main gym and the bleachers that had only recently held cheering fans were now just a twisted mess of metal and shattered concrete blocks.


    The basketball hoops hung limply casting long shadows across the once polished wooden floors which were now cracked and splintered into varying sections. Strewn across the floor were mangled pieces of gym equipment and shattered glass from the trophy cases.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°We are lucky that we were in here.¡± I breathed as I took in the devastation and destruction in front of us.


    ¡°Yes, but we won¡¯t be lucky for long if we stay here. We¡¯re exposed now with that wall missing. That light that causes the disintegration process could come in more easily.¡± Reese said, looking around us, studying the damage and pointing to the end of the shower block where the back wall of the room had fallen away.


    ¡°When the next wave comes we¡¯ll count out how long the attack goes for to give us a clearer sense of both durations of earthquake timing and non-earthquake timing.¡± I suggested, thinking that if we knew both parameters we could work out a solid plan to help us escape to the car park.


    ¡°Agreed.¡± Reese replied, looking at me with tired eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know how much more this building will be able to withstand. I think we count the next wave, gather the data and move as soon as we can.¡±


    The sound of glass breaking came from out in the main entrance and made us both jump. It was followed by the sound of something metallic being dragged, scraping the broken floorboards. Shivers ran up the back of my neck as my imagination went into overdrive at the thought of what could be causing it.


    Reese pushed me behind her and got into a combative stance, fists clenched in anticipation of what was coming. I braced myself too and saw a metal rod laying on the ground. I reached out and grabbed it, holding it like a baseball bat ready to swing into action.


    ¡°Prepare yourself Ariah.¡± Reese whispered.


    I gulped.

 CHAPTER 33: Cough Cough

    The scraping got louder and louder as it drew nearer to our location. Sweat started to bead on my forehead and my hands were clammy. I shifted my grip on the steel rod, the tension in my fingers tightened around it. Reese breathed heavily, the dust made the air dense and hard to take decent breaths in and out without feeling like we were inhaling the earth itself.


    Scape. Scrape. Scrape.


    Time seemed to slow and the waiting was becoming unbearable. I fought the urge to run, overriding my natural instinct to react. More debris fell from the trembling ceiling, landing to the side of us, but we didn¡¯t flinch. Our survival depended on being able to take on whatever was coming around the corner.


    ¡°Reese? Ariah?¡± A croaky voice called out in a loud whisper, then started coughing.


    ¡°Roderick?¡± Reese exclaimed, quickly dropping her stance and running in the direction the voice came from.


    I dropped the steel rod and ran too, scrambling over the piles of concrete and steel that had formed on the floor.


    When I rounded the corner from the changing rooms to the main gym, Reese was already in Rodericks arms hugging him tightly. I ran and jumped onto them, enveloping both of them in excitement.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    ¡°Roderick! I¡¯ve never been so happy to see you in all my life!¡± I cried as I put my head on his chest. Reese stepped back allowing my big brother to embrace me.


    ¡°Hey little sis!¡± Roderick said, his voice hoarse with emotion. I looked up at him, his face was covered in concrete dust and blood.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I said suddenly worried, looking at his weary eyes.


    A groan came from the ground next to us. I hadn¡¯t noticed anyone else, I looked down.


    ¡°Eamon?!¡± I gasped. He was lying on a makeshift stretcher with two metal bars on either side with Roderick¡¯s sweatshirt tied between them to make an area for Eamon to lay on.


    ¡°I found him under some rubble. He¡¯d managed to get inside the janitor¡¯s shed and I heard him calling for help as I was running here from the basement. Luckily the shed had a high concrete foundation that went halfway up the walls, so we were able to lay low while the light pulses passed by.¡± Roderick explained, looking down at Eamon¡¯s gaunt figure as he did so. ¡°Then the earthquakes started again and we got stuck for a few pulses. He was too heavy to carry, so I quickly made a stretcher to drag him on while we were hiding.¡±


    ¡°Is he okay?¡± I asked worried about my friend.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Roderick replied. ¡°He¡¯s in a lot of pain and I¡¯m not quite sure what to do to make him feel better.¡±


    I bent down to Eamon and took his hand softly. Holding it in mine, I rubbed the back of his hand with my thumb to help comfort him.


    ¡°Eamon? Eamon? Can you hear me?¡± I asked gently, hoping that he was going to be okay.

 CHAPTER 34: Warm And Clammy

    Eamon¡¯s eyes were closed but he turned his head slowly in my direction. His lips opened and he made a low moaning sound.


    ¡°Eamon, can you tell us where you¡¯re hurt? We need to know so we can help you.¡± I said, looking down at his limp body.


    He swallowed, his mouth sounding extremely dry and sticky. He opened his mouth again.


    ¡°My legs. The pain is in my legs.¡± He whispered hoarsely.


    ¡°Okay Eamon.¡± I replied. ¡°We¡¯re going to take a look, okay?¡±


    He nodded gingerly, every movement an effort.


    ¡°Roderick, Reese, take a look at his legs. I''ll keep holding his hand.¡± I said as I looked up at them with tears in my eyes.


    They nodded and crouched down next to Eamon as well. Roderick carefully lifted the sweatshirt covering his legs and Eamon screamed in pain. Reese pulled back his jeans and he screamed even louder.


    Underneath the denim Eamon¡¯s legs looked like they¡¯d been burnt. The skin was red and raw, revealing flesh and muscle in places. Other parts looked like crisp charcoal, blackened and bloody. The strange thing was that his jeans weren''t burnt or damaged at all, looking like whatever had caused it had gone through his clothes or gone up the inside of the legs of the jeans.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Holy shit.¡± Roderick muttered under his breath. Pulling Eamon¡¯s jeans down from the top over his hips, Reese lifted his shirt up and revealed black and red claw marks across his stomach. They seemed to stop around his waist and didn¡¯t go up his torso. From what we could see, the upper half of his body was totally fine.


    ¡°Thankfully it¡¯s not all over his body, but whatever had done this is vicious.¡± Reese said incredulously.


    ¡°Eamon, can you tell us what happened?¡± I asked him gently while still rubbing the back of his hand. His skin felt warm and clammy to the touch and I wondered if he was running a fever because of his injuries.


    He tried to speak but his words got stuck behind his parched lips.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to get you some water, just wait right there.¡± I put his hand gently back down at his side and stood up. Eamon nodded, knowing that he couldn¡¯t move anywhere anyway.


    ¡°There¡¯s a little staffroom kitchen area behind the counter in the foyer with a fridge and a vending machine. I''m gonna go look for some water.¡± I said to the others over my shoulder as I started to move towards the foyer entrance.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Roderick said, calling after me. ¡°But be quick and careful. We don''t know how much time we¡¯ve got before the next wave starts.¡±


    ¡°I expected another one before now.¡± Reese said, looking up at the windows in the ceiling. ¡°Nothing has happened in a little while, maybe it¡¯s stopped?¡±


    ¡°We should still be on alert just in case. We''re not in a very safe space here.¡± Roderick replied.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be as quick as I can.¡± I said as I turned and ran towards the foyer.

 CHAPTER 35: Break The Glass

    Careful not to trip on all the debris that lay on the floor, I got to the foyer and jumped over the counter sliding along it, thinking I looked like a parkour expert in the execution of the leap.


    I pushed the door to the kitchenette but it was stuck, so I crouched slightly and used my shoulder to ram it. The shaking must have made something fall down behind it, I thought as I pushed against it again with all my might. This time whatever was blocking the way moved and slid across the floor as the door opened. I put my head around the corner and saw that the gym teacher Mr Margoyles was laying on his back on the floor behind it.


    ¡°Mr Margoyles! Are you okay?¡± I exclaimed in fright as I pushed through the doorway and into the kitchen area. I quickly knelt down beside him and shook his shoulders gently.


    ¡°Mr Margoyles? Can you hear me?¡± I looked at his face. His eyes were wide open and his tongue hung awkwardly from out of the side of his partially open mouth. I felt his cheek with the back of my hand and his skin was cold and pale. There was a blue tinge around his mouth and I put my head on his chest listening for a heartbeat. There was none.


    Mr Margoyles was dead.


    Stunned, I fell back onto the floor beside him. Taking a deep breath, I reached forward and closed his eyes with my fingertips.


    ¡°Ariah?! I heard the others calling. Where are you?! We need to move!¡±


    Jumping up I hastily looked for the small kitchenette fridge and located it over the other side of the room. I ran over to it, throwing open its door causing it to fall forward tipping out containers and water bottles from the shelves. Mr Margoyles'' lunch container fell on the floor beside me and I quickly looked back at him realising that he wouldn¡¯t be needing it anymore. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Seeing a kit bag on a table in the corner, I reached for it, shaking all the contents out of it onto the floor. I quickly scooped up the water bottles and containers of food, ramming them into the bag.


    There was a vending machine near the window, with food and beverages inside it. Looking around the room for something to break the glass panel with, I saw a chair by the table. I grabbed it and using all my strength, I lifted it above my head, bringing it down on the panel. The glass smashed on contact and the vending machine wobbled and started spewing out packets and plastic bottles.


    Using what Reese had shown me, I wrapped my hand in my sweatshirt and broke the rest of the glass around the edges of the panel and reached in grabbing as much food as I could. I filled up the kit bag to overflowing and then flung it over my shoulder. It was heavy but in my survival state I didn¡¯t feel it weighing on me.


    I stepped over Mr Margoyles, giving him one last look.


    ¡°Rest in peace, Mr Margoyles. Thanks for being a great teacher.¡± I murmured tears filling my eyes, I wiped them away with the back of my hand and left the kitchenette.


    I put the bag up on the counter and went to jump back over it, as I did so a loud rumbling started and the room around me shook. I looked across the foyer and saw the others motioning for me to hurry up.


    At that moment the roof between us caved in and blocked the doorway back to the gym. With the force of the trembling, I fell backwards off the counter top onto the floor, the kit bag fell down on top of my stomach, knocking the wind out of me.


    As I groaned, I looked up just as a beam came down from the ceiling above me.


    ¡°Oh no!¡± I cried as I put my hands up to cover my face.

 CHAPTER 36: Killing Me Softly

    As the beam came down, I rolled to the side narrowly avoiding being crushed, unfortunately the kitbag wasn¡¯t as lucky and was flattened instantly. Bits of plastic water bottles and broken chips from burst packets flew everywhere and I shielded my eyes as bits of chips hit my face.


    I took a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling. The roof started to break apart and what appeared to be large translucent red fingers made from light curled around it.


    Whatever it was slowly prised the rest of the roof open, pulling it apart as easily as if it was peeling through the skin of an orange. Sections of roof iron and debris fell around me as I stared incredulous at what I was seeing above. The fingers began to glow pink and emit light rays, pulsing and throbbing as they made their way further into the roof cavity of the gymnasium.


    Strangely transparent, I could see through them to the dark red sky beyond. They seemed to crackle with vibrant pink energy sending sparks cascading down upon me.


    As the roof continued to break open, a large head with two dark sets of eyes came into view and peered down at where I lay. Reaching in, the fingers opened to reveal the gigantic palm of a giant hand. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    I scrambled to get to my feet, but the creature grabbed me, wrapping its fingers around my entire body and squeezed tightly. Gasping, I tried to scream but nothing came out. With my arms pinned to my sides, I kicked frantically as I felt the electricity from the creature crackle around me.


    It squeezed tighter, until I couldn¡¯t breathe at all. I fought as hard as I could, my legs working overtime to kick my way out of its grip but it was too strong. The edges of my vision started to blacken and I felt a strange dizziness take hold.


    Suddenly a loud crack filled the air and a lightning bolt flew through the sky hitting the creature between its top set of eyes. It cried in shock and loosened its grip. Another bolt struck it in the same place and it let go of me, choosing instead to use its hands to try and block the attack.


    I fell to the floor and landed awkwardly on my feet, taking in ground shock to my ankle on my right leg. Screaming in pain I fell to my knees and curled into a ball grabbing my ankle and holding it tightly.


    Above me, the creature was hit with more and more lightning bolts sending massive waves of energy through the air. I felt them wash over me like warm pulses, the static electricity from them sending the hairs on my arms and the hair on my head on end.


    Roaring through a mouth that opened in the middle of its body, the creature dripped with ooze and fragments of what appeared to be some kind of glowing radioactive green coloured bile.


    It took a step back then launched forward again, trying to grab me.


    Another bolt hit it and it recoiled from me, stumbling backwards out of my sight.


    I took my chance and got moving.

 CHAPTER 37: Chips And Dip

    The pain started to subside in my ankle and I stood up quickly putting my weight on it.


    I was able to hobble over to the countertop where the beam had fallen and I looked for the kit bag to see if anything remained. A few bottles of water in it had escaped harm and had rolled under the counter so I picked them up and grabbed a couple of bags of chips that had also survived. I tucked in my t-shirt, then stuffed the bottles and packets down the top to make a makeshift carrier so my hands would be free if I needed them.


    Above me the battle continued, I could hear the creature howling with every strike of lightning. I squinted my eyes to see what looked like a person hovering to the side of the creature as they came back into view through the hole in the roof. The unknown assailant was firing balls of lightning at the creature with both their hands.


    Blinking a few times to clear my vision, I looked again and confirmed to my brain that it was actually happening.


    ¡°What is going on?!¡± I whispered out loud trying to figure out if it was all just a really bad dream. A bolt of lightning went awry and came down towards me, grazing my skin just underneath my eye as it flew past into the ground. The pain told me that the situation before me wasn¡¯t a dream at all and that I needed to get back to the others.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    I hopped up on the counter and flung my legs over to the other side, careful not to hurt my ankle and I tried to keep my breathing slow and steady even though my heart was beating frantically. Slowly jumping down from the counter top, I ran to where the entrance to the main gym used to be, hopping every so often to take the weight off my injured ankle.


    ¡°Roderick?! Reese?! Are you there?¡± I called out keeping a watchful eye on the battle above. I heard rustling from through the other side of the pile of debris, and some of it started to fall around my feet. I heard Rodrerick¡¯s voice call out


    ¡°Ariah! Are you okay? What happened? Roderick cried out.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay. Can you all see what¡¯s happening above us?¡± I replied.


    ¡°Yes, now would be a good time to get out of here before the whole gymnasium comes down around us.¡± Roderick said, his voice wavering.


    ¡°I think I can get out through the door that we came through and meet you around by the carpark?¡± I suggested, looking around for a quick escape.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to leave my sight again, there is a small hole here that you can crawl through and you won¡¯t have to go outside without us.¡± Roderick answered with a sternness to his tone.


    ¡°Have you seen the state of this gymnasium?¡± I said looking around at the building around us, there were holes in walls everywhere, plus what was left of the ceiling was only partially covering everything else. ¡°We¡¯re basically standing outside as it is.¡±


    ¡°Climb through and we¡¯ll pull you the rest of the way while that beast is occupied.¡± He responded ignoring my witty retort.

 CHAPTER 38: A Tight Squeeze

    I weighed up going through the hole in the debris or going outside and decided that I didn¡¯t want to face what was out there alone. Taking the water bottles and packets of snacks out of my t-shirt, I pushed them through the hole first then put my arms and head through. Reese and Roderick were waiting for me and grabbed my hands, helping to pull me the rest of the way.


    Just as I was halfway through, the pile started to wobble and the roof from where I¡¯d just come from started to crash to the floor behind me. I felt a rush of dust and fragments hit my legs and I yelped.


    Roderick and Reese looked at each other then at me and pulled my arms even harder just as the pile came down and enveloped us all.


    Coughing, I worked my arms free from the concrete dust and pushed debris away from my face allowing me to take a deep breath. My body was still halfway through the hole and now pinned below the waist on the other side of the pile. Roderick appeared from under a mass of wooden boards and broken concrete, pushing up through them. He stood up, wiping his face to remove some of the dust, revealing a large cut to his head. Blood trickled down into his eye.


    ¡°Roderick! Are you okay?¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    He seemed stunned and put his hand up again to check the cut, patting the blood then bringing his hand back down to look at it. He stood there examining it as if in shock at what he was seeing.


    ¡°Roderick!¡± I yelled trying to get him to focus on me. ¡°Where¡¯s Reese?!¡±


    He looked up at me, then quickly shook his head in an attempt to regain clarity.


    ¡°Reese!¡± He yelled, quickly bending down and pushing debris out of the way. A hand pushed up through a mound of dust beside him and he quickly removed the larger pieces of concrete and split wooden boards from around it revealing Reese beneath it. Helping pull her to her feet, Roderick started to cry and tugged her into his arms.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay Roddy.¡± Reese whispered, then began coughing, the dust irritating her lungs.


    A few pieces of concrete moved and slid past me smashing into what was left of the floor.


    ¡°Uh, can you please get me out of here?!¡± I said as I tried to wriggle free, using my hands to pull at the debris locking me into place. My fingernails filled with dust and grit as I pushed full giant chunks of concrete and metal away. I felt sweat beading on my forehead as I upped my effort to escape.


    Another giant roar came from above, the creature screeched overhead and what remained of the roof shook. Reese ran over to me and grabbed my arms and started to pull as hard as she could, gritting her teeth and straining as she did so. Roderick followed and began removing the larger pieces of debris from around me.


    The pile started to wobble and Roderick grabbed my arms too, then pulled with Reese, the joint effort helped and my body was pulled free from the hole just as it completely caved in, collapsing around us.

 CHAPTER 39: Raw

    My brother enveloped me in a massive hug, crushing some of the already flattened chip packets that I¡¯d forgotten about to my body.


    ¡°Are you okay, what was that?¡± He asked and looked at me curiously as I lifted up my shirt and revealed the chip packets and chips sticking to the skin on my stomach.


    ¡°Ariah!¡± Reese gasped. ¡°What is on your body?¡±


    ¡°Oh it¡¯s just broken chips, I put the packets down my shirt to carry them more easily.¡± I responded, slightly embarrassed.


    ¡°No, not those, that!¡± She said and pointed at an area on my stomach.


    I looked down and saw what looked like burn marks across my stomach and chest, in the places that the monster had held me.


    ¡°That must have been from when the monster grabbed me. It had a pretty tight grip.¡± I said, examining the marks. Oddly I felt no pain which I thought was weird and it hadn¡¯t burnt my clothes, only my skin. My flesh rose in raw bloody bumps where the burns were.


    ¡°It was holding you?!¡± Roderick exclaimed looking at my stomach. ¡°They look like the burns on Eamon¡¯s legs¡­¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Eamon!¡± We all exclaimed and looked at each other realising that in the chaos we¡¯d forgotten about him.


    We looked over to where he had been laying and the mess had fortunately missed him, only covering him in a thin layer of dust.


    ¡°Eamon!¡± I called out as I ran over to him and fell to my knees beside him. I wiped away the dust from his face. ¡°Where are the water bottles that I saved?¡±


    The others looked around the floor and managed to find a couple that had survived. Roderick threw me one and I caught it, immediately opening it and putting it to Eamon¡¯s lips. He opened them slightly and I was able to tip some water gently into his mouth. I tilted the bottle a little higher and he was able to take down a fair amount, which I hoped meant that he was starting to feel slightly better. Eamon murmured, letting me know he was done and gave me a slight smile as I lifted the bottle away from his lips. Wiping his forehead, I noticed that he felt hot and his skin was clammy. His eyes stayed closed but he seemed to drift off to sleep again so I stood up and looked at the others.


    ¡°He¡¯s okay but I think we need to get him out of here and get something to treat his wounds.¡± I said putting the bottle of water to my own lips and taking a big sip. My mouth felt dry and full of dust, the water was refreshing even though I could taste concrete.


    ¡°Yes, we need to move. This gym isn¡¯t going to remain standing for much longer.¡± Reese said looking up. Another lightning strike flew across the sky.


    ¡°That creature must have been causing the earthquakes and those pink light attacks. They seem to have stopped.¡± Roderick noted as he looked up too.


    ¡°I think so too. It¡¯s occupied at the moment, but for how long?¡± Reese continued to look up, keeping a watch on what was happening above. A worried frown appeared on her forehead.

 CHAPTER 40: Take A Chance

    ¡°I think we need to take a chance and get out now.¡± I said putting the cap back on the water bottle and sticking it in my back pocket.


    ¡°I think we still need to get to the car park and just see what we can find. Maybe there¡¯s another car we can use if mine¡¯s not functional.¡± Roderick suggested.


    Reese and I nodded in agreement.


    Turning to me, Reese walked over and gently grabbed my shoulders, looking directly in my eyes.


    ¡°Ariah, so we know what we¡¯re up against, you need to tell us what happened in the foyer. Was there anything that you noticed about the monster that we could use against it if we have to?¡± She asked with a serious look and firm tone to her voice.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you would believe me if I told you.¡± I replied, still shaken from the encounter.


    ¡°I think we believe anything at this point.¡± Roderick laughed nervously.


    ¡°Well, I do think that the source of the pink rays of light is the giant monster. It was glowing pink and seemed to have electricity crackling around it.¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Reese let go of my shoulders and stepped back, still looking at me. ¡°What else?¡±


    ¡°When it picked me up it squeezed me really tight but I didn¡¯t feel any burning. I did feel like it was sapping my energy though, the electricity that it was emitting felt like it was crackling around my body like super charged static electricity.¡± I explained. ¡°It let me go and I fell awkwardly then something or someone came to my rescue. But I couldn¡¯t quite see what was happening with the way the light was projecting from the monster''s fingertips. It looked like the person was floating and shooting lightning bolts from their hands and striking the monster.¡±


    ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is that there¡¯s a real life superhero out there combating this thing?¡± Reese said incredulously, looking up to see if she could see anything.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure but whatever it is I know that I owe it my life.¡± I said and gulped remembering the tightness I had felt when the monster had grabbed me.


    Loud crashing noises came from the other side of the wall and pink light started to seep through the gaps. We ducked down quickly as the light swept past us, hitting the wall to the other side of us, igniting the wooden frame of a school championship photo that was hung haphazardly against it.


    ¡°Okay, we¡¯ve got no more time to waste, we have to leave now! If this monster has done that to you and you escaped, it''s probably going to come looking for you if that other thing doesn¡¯t take care of it. And in finding you, it will find all of us.¡± Roderick said as he went over to stand next to Eamon.


    ¡°While the monster is occupied, let¡¯s move. Ariah, Reese, both grab the end of a steel pole each and I¡¯ll grab the other sides.¡± Roderick ordered.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±