What Dead?

1. Mysterious Cloud

"Alma!!!" A boy called from behind the group of teens.

"Hm?" A girl whipped around to look at the boy. Her long auburn hair undulated in the process. "What is it, Val?"

Val stopped in his tracks to admire her unique lavender eyes. "Er-um-are you done with your work in the resource room?"

"Oh, yes I am." She smiled, revealing a perfect set of pearl white teeth.

He blinked in response and cleared his throat. "Okay. I'll go ahead and lock up."

"Go for it," Alma says as she flashed him one last smile before heading towards the van.

"One, two, three, four..." A tall, slender teen pointed as he counted the group sitting and mingling ready to depart the building. "...sixteen," he turned to Alma. "...seventeen. Where's Val?"

Alma poked a thumb behind her. "Doing his job."

"How about the resource room?"

"Just now." She nodded towards the sound of keys jingling towards them.

Val threw and caught the keys in his hands. "Guys, have you seen Instructor Merl?"

Both teens shook their heads.

The group is known as a team of which their school has chosen to represent their small town. A competition of physical training as well as academics was to take place far from home a week later. The team has been practicing five times a week for that moment. They have been training under the great Instructor Merl who is well respected and experienced. He believed in each of their potential and encouraged the leaders of their school to participate in the competition.

"Maybe he went to do potty break." A member stuck her head out the window and into our conversation.

The tall teen nodded and sighed. "Maybe you're right. We'll wait here for him."

Silence engulfed them as they waited patiently. A boy broke the silence when he pointed to the sky.

"Hey guys! Look! Was that there just now or ever since?"

Everyone's head turned simultaneously towards the sky and a look of uncertainty crossed their faces.

"I don't know."

"Now that you've mentioned it, what is it?"

"It looks creepy. Ew."

"Is that a black cloud?"

The last comment got Alma studying the eerie cloud from afar. It definitely is black. Not dark like the usual stormy sky but black as in pitch black. It was a small black swirl in the middle of the sky until it rotated and slightly expanded. The team watched in awe and scrambled out the van to take a better look. Some even popped out their smart phones and snapped photos of the eerie cloud. After conversing with each other, they waited once again. The place slowly darkened as well as the members.

Val spoke. "Argh, how long does it take to take a shit?"

Alma slapped his forearm receiving a glare in return. She always did not like it whenever Val cussed. It seemed very improper. Val knew this all too well than she does but nevertheless he continued to do so.

The tall teen responded. "Let's wait a little longer."

"Shut your trap, Dean!" He snapped. Val then turned to the team. "It's getting late and our parents might be worried sick!"

A member responded. "I want to go home. I still have work to do."

"That's right! Me too."

"And that cloud is scary as hell. I don't want to be caught up in that.