Dreams

Soul Suckers

***this one's a bit confusing...so here's some background:

In this world, everyone has a Characteristic- good or bad.  For example, Mike and yo-yos or Jason's fighting ability and sense of others Characteristics.  The worst one is to be born a Sucker.  There are many types: memory, happiness, sanity, energy, ambitions, etc.  All that is necessary is to turn the ability on, and Suckers can take anything with a single skin-to-skin touch.***

Today, Mike went crazy.  From where I was standing by the window, my mind flashed back to the incident at the park.  He had started attacking people with his yo-yo.  And when someone's ability is to be able to spin four yo-yos off each hand at more than 100mph...well.

From the window, I watched the street below.  Some guys in white uniforms were dragging Mike into the back of a van.  I  thought about Lauren.  She'd been there, too, when Mike went insane.  It had been the three of us hanging out at lunch just like usual.  And then, it wasn't normal anymore.

Lauren had come back crying from what she'd seen.  Mike had almost killed a few kids.  So, for once, our lame principal decided to do something and took Lauren to his office.  "To help her calm down" apparently.  What a loser.

But, something hadn't felt right.  That's why I'm here now.  In the room beside the principal's office.  If I listened hard, I could even hear him laughing.

^^^^

Ted, apparently is the principal's name.  Lauren had learned this in the first few minutes she'd been in his office.  She was standing by the window now and noticed that the last bus was leaving the parking lot.   Nervously, she tucked a strand of her curly hair behind her ear.

"Well, I've gotta go home now," she said heartily, trying to escape the weird feeling that blanketed her.  "Mom will worry if I'm not in time for lunch- I mean dinner- because dinner is bef- um, after lunch.  And, I have to get home in time."

Lauren's heart beat fast.  She needed to get out or there.  The principal stopped in the middle of an anecdote about one of his old kung-fu classes.  Another thing Lauren had learned about him.  The principal frowned and dismissed the tall, dark-haired assistant he had.  Then, he turned his attention back to Lauren.  Well, he basically, leered at her.

"Lauren, I thought you would rather come home with me.  After all this talking and tension, I could help you relax."

Lauren's eyes flitted around the room and lighted upon a sign on the restaurant across from school.  W-E-C-L-O-E-M.  Her eyes flickered.  When she got nervous, Lauren developed a mild reading disorder.  But, she sounded it out.

"Welcome.  It says welcome," she said as she edged towards the door.  "I'm sure I would be welcome as well-"  The principal grabbed her arm and started dragging her out of the room.  She was too shocked to scream, but she tried to fight back...and got back-handed for her trouble.

"Don't even try.  There's no one here to help you now."  With that, he pushed her into a room and closed the door.  There was another man in there.  The assistant.

"Everything is ready, sir."  The principal nodded at the confirmation.

"Good, good."  His gaze lingered on Lauren.  She shivered.  How could she do anything with these two guys here?

^^^^

The door slammed open, and Jason burst in.  He was holding a sword and had a knife in a sheath on his belt.  He didn't want Lauren to recognize him so he had on a mask.  Black like the rest of his attire.

Looking at the scene before him, Jason realized that he was just in time.  Lauren's eyes went wide as she saw him, and she got out of his way.  Jason turned his attention back to the principal and his assistant.

With a gesture, the principal sent his assistant off to attack Jason.  At the same time, Ted grabbed Lauren, dragged her into an adjoining room, and shut the door.

Jason had to finish this guy off as soon as possible.  He had to get to Lauren.  They fought, and Jason stabbed him in the heart.  He didn't feel bad; it was obvious that the assistant was a Sucker.  Jason didn't care what kind.  They were all aberrations.

Jason moved the body out of the room so that Lauren wouldn't see it.  Then, he focused his attentions on the door that led to her.  And the principal.

As he opened the door, Jason saw the principal towering over Lauren.  She wasn't whimpering.  She was instead defiantly staring him in the eye.  Jason cleared his throat, and they both turned towards him.

Without thinking, Jason pulled Lauren away from the principal and pushed her out the door.  He hoped she would run.  Now Jason could face the principal.

They fought for what seemed like hours, but was only a few minutes.  The principal was almost as fast as- and stronger than- Jason.  There was no give on either side, but then, Jason's sword broke.  And, he'd lost his knife dispatching the assistant.  The principal smiled.

"Don't forget, Mike," said Jason as he moved onto his last resort.  The principal paused, uncertain.  Jason was positive now.  The principal was a sanity Sucker.  He had feasted off Mike and to fulfill his other wants, was about to hurt Lauren as well.

"Mike?"

"I may not be as good as he was," Jason said while pulling three yo-yos out of his pocket.  "But, I'm sure I can handle you."  Looping his fingers through the strings, Jason sent the yo-yos spinning.  They were soon each 80mph...at least.

The principal laughed.  "You can't beat me with yo-yos.  All I need is one touch and no one will ever listen to you again."  He leaped at Jason, but he was prepared.  With one twist of the strings, Jason decapitated the Sucker.

Breathing hard, Jason realized it was over.  He opened the door and saw that Lauren was still there.  She looked up at the noise and smiled.  Jason deepened and changed his voice.

"It's okay, Miss," he said.  Still smiling, Lauren walked towards him.  "You shouldn't go into that room."

"Don't worry, Jason, I can handle it."  Jason almost jumped.  How did she-?  Lauren pointed into the blood spattered room he'd just exited.  His mask was lying in a corner.

"Oh," said Jason, his voice back to normal.  "Well, now you now.  But, don't go in there."  She moved closer to him and looked into his eyes.

"Actually, I think you need a break."  Jason frowned.

"What?"  She stepped towards him again, resting her hand on his cheek.

"A permanent one."  Jason's vision went black, and he realized the Lauren was a life Sucker.