I shouldn’t be feeling bad for myself though. I couldn’t even imagine what Amber must be feeling right now…all of her friends and family dead. Life wouldn’t even be bearable if that happening to me. I looked over at Casper who hadn’t said a word since we arrived at that shack. He seemed to be in deep thought about something but of course I had no idea of what it could be. I guess we’re all silent for the same reasons though. No one should die like Amber’s friends did. Amber leaned against Tavin with glassy eyes. Tavin tried to calm her down along with Tiny while she let out a few sobs. I tried to keep my gaze away from her feeling as though it was partially my fault in what happened to her friends and family; my dad could have been one of the Retter that killed her family or friends, maybe even both.
About an hour had passed since we had gotten back in the car when Mr. Moore (Aaron) yelled out “Stop!”
Spark stomped on the brakes making all of us jerk forward while…Aaron (I still have a hard time not referring him to Mr. Moore) moved past us and got out of the car “Where are you going?” Spark asked angrily but Aaron just waved him off and ran into a little store across the street. The car started going again then when I realized that Spark intended to leave Aaron behind.
“Spark we can’t just leave him.” Fawn said to him
“Sure we can, he can take care of himself.” He replied
“Spark.”
He sighed “Fine.”
We waited for a few minutes and every second that passed the tension in the car raised. I shifted what little I could. We all then heard a thump on the car and Casper opened the door and Aaron got in with bags filled with snack food and a radio. Spark looked back when Aaron pulled out a box of donuts “Are you kidding me?!” He snapped “We stopped just so you can get donuts?!”
“I was hungry.” He replied with a donut in his mouth
“Are you insane!?”
“No but I dropped yours on my way out of the store. It’s probably still back there if you want it.”
“Do you know how much danger we could all be in right now?!”
“I didn’t even take that long! So back off why don’t you?”
As they argued I looked over at Casper who was still as silent as before. The next second Casper looked over at the back window and Sonic replied “Spark…I think it’s time to go.”
Spark then tore his gaze away from Aaron and we all saw a black van coming down the road. I didn’t understand when Spark stepped on the gas and we sped down the road. I then noticed how the van kept on following us trying to match our speed. As Spark turned around the corners, all of us in the back kept bumping into each other and I felt like I was in one of those rides at a carnival that makes you slam into whoever is sitting next to you as you’re thrown around.
I could hear cars honk at us as we cut them off and passed them. The next moment I heard Twilight curse when I heard a loud snap. She put her hand behind her back and opened her hand to find a bullet “Are they serious?” She snapped
“What else are they going to shoot us with?” Fawn asked sarcastically “Styrofoam?”
“Ha ha very funny.” She replied and I saw how her back was covered in some kind of cut glass…I then realized it was diamond covering her back. She smiled when she saw Tavin’s expression “I told you my skin turns bullet proof.”
“More like a disco ball.” Chem muttered
“Shut up!” She snapped
I looked back towards the van and watched as it started to gain on us. I knew by now that it had to be what these guys called the Retter. I wondered if my dad was in the van….All of a sudden Casper cried out in pain and the others soon followed. I couldn’t figure out why they all covered their ears but when the car started to swerve I knew something was wrong. I tried to get up so I could take the wheel but there were too many people in the back. I saw Chem grab something out of his pocket then and say to Spark “Hey charge this up for me.”
Without question Spark took the small round device and I saw what almost looked like electric currents flow in and out of the object. He then tossed it back to Chem and he pushed past everyone “Open the door.”
“What?!” Twilight asked in shock
“Don’t argue with me miss priss just do it!”
She glared at him for a moment and we all heard a loud pop as one of the bullets hit a tire. Twilight and Casper shoved the doors open and Chem spit on the object and quickly rolled the object onto the road where it broke off into tiny pieces and the all the black van’s wheels popped as it drove over them shooting a couple of electric currents through the van in the process.
“Yah that’s what I’m talking about!” Chem yelled but we all knew that we had another problem when our van started to slow down “You think we can outrun them?”
“We don’t have another choice.” Spark said as he stopped the car and we all quickly jumped out and started running down the street.
Just as we were turning around the corner of a building I heard another gun shot and heard them running after us. When I started to get left behind Casper grabbed my hand and pulled me forward. I could see people running into the stores screaming when they heard the gunshots but I had no time to look back and see if any of them had been hurt. When we had passed the stores of people Spark and Chem stopped letting us get ahead of them. Just as I passed Spark I could hear what sounded like the crack of lighting and the sound of Chem spitting. I could hear the Retter cry out in surprise and agony. Spark and Chem were then right back with us running down the street.
I could see a beach coming up ahead but there were still more of them running after us. I saw Aaron stop and saw a cloud of darkness surround him before streaks of what looked like smoke lashed out at our pursuers. I felt Casper’s grip on my hand become tighter and I felt a light breeze brush past us and I looked down expecting to see my feet but to find nothing…I looked over to where Casper would be but he had simply vanished as well, but not completely; I could still feel his hand in mine. So this is what it was like to be invisible. Truly invisible; to see everything around you but no one (not even yourself) can see you.
“It’s better that the Retter can’t see you.” Casper’s voice said and I knew what he meant. The group didn’t want me to get in the clutches of the Retter…they didn’t want me to reunite with my father…not now at least. No matter how much I wanted to tear away from Casper’s grip and run towards those men who could take me back to my father I just didn’t feel that they were the trusting type of people. Casper and Tiny were though; I had to believe that. If I don’t have belief I don’t have anything. Yes it sounds kind of corny but it was the first thing that popped in my head. Well that and now Melvin eating popcorn.
I looked up ahead to see Amber and Tavin running next to each other a little behind the others before I saw Amber looked back “Where did the others go?” she asked him without stopping
He looked back quickly as well “They’re still around…” he said and I could almost swear he was looking straight at me even with Casper’s invisibility engulfing us.
I counted everyone except for Aaron and looked back to see that he was only a few feet behind us. Casper’s grip then pulled me forward and forced me to watch up ahead as we neared the middle of the group. We had run a little more than half way across the beach when my ears hummed with the loud echo of another shot of a gun, a cry out in pain soon followed.Ñ
I tried to conjure up at least one shadow but writhed in pain when one of them kicked me in the stomach “Worthless pieces of skin, nothing but an infestation.”
“Sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me.” I managed a smile through my pain
They laughed and a guy with short black hair and a crooked nose pointed a gun down at my head “Let’s see how funny you are with a bullet in your head.”
A black blur then jumped and slammed into the Retter. He cried out in shock and then screamed in agony as they were literally torn apart. I smiled when I realized it was Fawn “Kitty cat to the rescue.”
She hissed and bared her fangs as four more Retter joined in on the scene. Fawn surly couldn’t take on all of them by herself and the others were too far away to reach us in time to help. I tried to get up but the throbbing in my shoulder increased making me fall back down.
Shouldn’t have turned around to attack stupid I chastised myself
I saw a Retter a few feet away aiming her gun at me but before she could shoot Fawn attacked her sending her to the ground and havinging the rest of the Retter focus on her for the time being….that is when I heard almost complete silence near the shore. I saw the water flow backwards and then a deep rumbling came soon after. I looked up and saw a twenty foot wave racing towards us.
“Fawn!” I yelled as loud as I could and the Retter and her looked over towards the wave. Fawn bolted away just in time to get the spray of it as it plunged down onto the Retter. I saw Fawn jump and immediately turn into a house cat and bolted towards me where she climbed up onto me while sinking her claws into my skin in the process “Fawn! Damn it that hurts! It’s just water for crying out loud!”
Her small furry body shivered on top of my head as the group finally decided to join us “Are you ok?” Spark asked
“Just dandy.” I replied but I knew he was talking to Fawn
“This is why we don’t stop.” He said then looking over to me
“Yes because I’m supposed to know that I’ll get shot!” I snapped but then squinted at the pain
“We need to get him to a hospital….” I heard Anna say
“No need,” Sonic replied “I know someone who can help; He’s not too far away luckily.”
Spark then lifted up Fawn’s cat form up into his arms and nodded as Sonic helped me up slowly as I winced in more pain. I looked back at Fawn and smiled “Sorry you got wet kitty cat.”
I could hear a soft growl come from her in reply and chuckled before a sharp pain came from my shoulder again.
“Not fun being shot is it?” I heard Spark reply when I was having a hard time walking surprisingly
“Oh it’s just like a picnic in the park.” I said sarcastically.Ë
I slowly opened my eyes and jerked back when big bug eyes looked down at me only a few inches away. I heard people laughing and looked around to see that it was my “friends”. I looked back over and saw a short woman who seemed to be in her late fifties wearing glasses that made her eyes look ten times bigger than they probably were. I noticed how we were in a small room with one bright light (that wasn’t florescent but close) on the ceiling. There were no windows along the walls and I started to feel claustrophobic as I looked for an exit. I closed my eyes and laid back down on the cold table and sighed. There was still a little throbbing in my shoulder but it didn’t hurt as much as before.
I tried to remember coming here but I couldn’t….strange because I don’t remember passing out.
“We had to knock you out.” Tavin replied and I glared at him
“Don’t read my mind.” I growled
“Well isn’t someone getting grumpy?” the short woman pouted as she walked over back towards me “You’re even grumpier asleep.”
“What do you mean?” I asked confused and a little insulted
“We had some problems before we turned the lights on,” the woman replied when everyone else was silent “Tell me how long have you had your powers?”
I hesitated for second but then replied “Since I was thirteen.”
“Hmmm nine years is a long time….”
“So what do you mean by problems.” I asked ignoring her comment
She scratched her head for a second and looked towards the others “Well we were thinking it might have just that the shock of what happened was setting in but we weren’t sure, but I’m sure that must be it now. Before we put you under your powers must have thought we were a threat and lashed out at us….but we’re all fine now I believe.” She said looking towards everyone again and they nodded their heads
I looked down. I lashed out at them? I don’t remember that either…I caught Fawn’s gaze for a second and noticed how she was in her human form and was wearing cloths.
“So what was up with the wave earlier?” I asked remembering at least that
“That was Amber.” She replied shortly
I looked over at the dark haired girl “I said I was sorry.”
“Yah well you should have warned me before you decided to create a fricken tsunami.”
“If she didn’t you’d both be dead,” Spark replied flatly looking from her and then to me
“So Meg…” Sonic said “now that the bullet is out how long is it going to take for him to heal?”
“He should be fit enough to get up and walk around by tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?!” Fawn and I asked in unison while Spark sighed in annoyance
I forced myself up onto my elbows which made my shoulder hurt more but I clenched my teeth and sat up “No, screw this I’m not staying here.” But before I could get off the table Meg, Sonic, and Chem forced me back down.
“You’re only going to cause yourself more pain if you push things too fast.” Meg said looking down at me
“I’m not staying here.” I repeated flatly
Meg sighed and walked away as Sonic and Chem tried to hold me down as I tried to get up but I knew it was a challenge for them even in my “condition”. I tried to twist and turn out of their grip and I heard a loud slam come from the corner of the room where the door was and behind it I couldn’t see nothing but black. I wanted so badly then get out of this bright light and back into my own protective cloak of darkness. In here I felt exposed, small, and powerless. Spark and Fawn ran to the door and pushed up against it as the shadows tried to get in.
“Aaron damn it calm down!” Spark yelled
But I couldn’t….the shadows always seemed to have a mind of their own, even to this day I didn’t have complete control over them. I truly did try to calm down but with the adrenaline still pumping throughout my body and the claustrophobic feeling still looming over me I just couldn’t. The moment I felt the needle bury into my skin the door stopped shaking and my vision flickered. I felt everyone’s grip on me loosen and someone even dared to dim the light down a little bit. My breathing slowed and I started to hear a humming in my ears. I felt a small hand that I knew could only be Meg rest on my head “So much power for one person to handle….sometimes I really do pity you Chosen.”
“Why did he freak out?” I heard Anna ask
“Shock probably but it also could have been the lights too.”
“The lights?” someone else questioned
“Well take Amber for an example; her power seemed to be to be able to control water….”
“Correct.” Amber replied
“Well I don’t think you would be that calm in a hot room either. It’s a guess but the same thing seems to be for Aaron here.”
“Will he be alright?” I heard someone who I couldn’t identify ask
“He needs rest for now, if he’ll be fit enough after what happen to leave will have to wait until tomorrow, until then you all are welcome to stay if you wish.”
“Thank you Meg.” One of them replied
“Always happy to help.” I heard her reply happily
I tried to blink the blurriness away but it only seemed to make it worse. My muscles started to go numb and my eyelids felt heavy. I didn’t want to pass out again but it sounded so good right now…I turned my head over towards the others but their hazy figures gave me a headache. No longer able to fight to stay awake I let my eyes close. About a minute later and then I was pulled back into a deep sleep.Ë
“Yah….” I said softly while Casper didn’t say anything at all
Tiny and I looked over to where Spark and Fawn seemed to be discussing about something but I couldn’t hear what “Well…I guess since we’ll be staying here we might as well find something to do. Any ideas?”
“Can we go outside?” I asked not wanting to be in this small little basement in this house anymore.
“We can go upstairs but it might not be the best idea to go out at the moment…” She replied
My shoulders slumped but at least we could get out of this darkness. I followed Tiny and Casper upstairs to find that the window’s curtains had been shut concealing the last of the sun that was still probably shining outside. Chem and Sonic were already playing a game of Chess over at the coffee table and Tavin and Amber were nowhere to be seen. Tiny seemed to have the same thoughts “Where’s Tavin and Amber?” she asked walking over to the game
Chem looked up from the blue prints we found while Sonic still pondered on where to make his next move “I think they went into the kitchen.”
“Maybe I can whip up something for us all to eat then too, I’m sure meg wouldn’t mind.” Tiny said and disappeared into the kitchen
“Come on Sonic you’re so slow when it comes to chess. Make your move already!”
Sonic stayed silent for a second longer and then moved one of his pawns in which Chem knocked over easily “Check mate.” Chem grinned and Sonic sighed
I looked over to Casper who was sitting in a lazy boy chair and decided to sit on the couch. The TV was on some over dramatic TV show. Uninterested in about five minutes into the show I looked over and saw a stack of paper and walked over to it. I then reached for a pencil on the shelf above it and then grabbed a big thin book and walked back over to the couch and tried to think about what to draw. I caught how part of Casper’s sleeve was glowing and realized that the others’ were too. How did I not notice before? I started to sketch out Chem’s, Sonic’s, and Casper’s profiles and then tried to draw what I could see of the glowing mark.
About a half an hour later I had finished the drawing and saw Casper looking over at me “What are you drawing?” he asked me
I shrugged “You and the others. Sorry I draw when I get board.”
“Can I see?”
“Sure.” I replied and handed the piece of paper over to him
He went silent for a few more seconds as he looked over my drawing. At first I thought he was going to get mad at me for drawing him because I’ve had that happen with other people before but he just handed it back to me and replied “It’s good.”
“Thanks.” I replied and we both looked over when Chem and Sonic started to exchange riddles
“Ok so what odd number becomes even when beheaded?” Sonic asked Chem
Chem took only a few seconds before answering “Seven.”
“Dang it.” Sonic cursed but smiled
“Why seven?” I asked
“Well if you write out the word and take off the first letter which is ‘S’, the “head”, all you have left is the word even.”
“Huh, cool.” I replied
“Okay, so what is the beginning of eternity, the end of time and space, the beginning of every end, and the end of every place?”
Sonic went silent and repeated it to himself and I saw lines appear on his forehead as he tried to think it over “I have no idea.”
“Oh young Erinaceus albiventris this one was easy! The letter ‘E’ of course!”
Sonic looked at him and then hit his head “God I’m so stupid!”
“The trick is not to think about it too hard,” Chem laughed “You’re getting wiser though!”
I smiled as they laughed; maybe these guys weren’t as bad as I thought. They have been keeping me safe after all and nothing bad has happened to me. I looked over back at Casper again but he was either invisible or had left to another part of the house. Even so though I still had the empty feeling of home sickness. I really hoped I would be able to go home and see my family (and Melvin of course) again after this was all over.Ñ
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