Clarity Writing Contest

Showing off her Smarts

I took another bite of my donut and saw Mick staring at it sadly from the corner of my eye.

"So, who gets to explore the pirate ship and who gets to stay behind?" Jax asked.

I smiled excitedly and looked at Todd. "Todd should come! He's never seen a Time Pirate ship before."

He tilted his head and looked at me. "And you have?"

"Most of us have," Leonard said to him. "You're the new guy, remember?"

"Didn't ask for the sass," Todd retorted.

I looked between the two while finishing the donut before turning my attention back to Rip.

Rip looked at me before turning to the others. "Ms. Springs, Mr. Snart, and Mr. Rice will accompany me. Ms. Lance, Dr. Palmer, Mr. Rory, and Mr. Jackson, I need you to monitor the pirate ship while we're inside."

"Got it, captain!" Ray beamed with a tiny salute. His excitement spread to me and I smiled in anticipation, the lights growing a bit brighter.

"What he said," Sara said with a lazy grin. Jax just nodded. Mick ate the last of his donut.

Rip turned back to me, Leonard, and Todd. "You three get dressed and meet me back here."

<O>

The Time Pirates' ship was dead. There was no electricity running through it. The only electricity came from the small flashlights Rip handed us. Even then, their electricity was thin and slowly running out. It wasn't reassuring, and I bit my lip nervously. I hated the feeling of not being able to feel my way through a ship. Especially an unknown one.

The small beams of light from our flashlights bounced off the metallic walls in sharp angles. The ship was so colorless and dull. Why did all evil things have no color? Maybe that's why I always wore such bright clothing - to ward off the darkness, the evil.

We all walked from where we had left the jump-ship down a wide hallway. I shivered at how wrong it felt for a ship to feel this dead and hugged myself.

"Are you cold?"

I looked up to see Rip staring at me with concern, his eyebrows knitted together.

I smiled reassuringly. "This ship just feels...wrong," I tried to explain.

"Wrong?" Todd asked.

I nodded. "I don't feel even a single current of electricity."

Leonard frowned from beside Todd. "Something is off about this place." He looked at Rip. "It almost seemed too easy to defeat those pirates."

Rip looked down the dark hallway. "I thought so too."

"And we still came?" Todd asked, fear could be heard in his voice.

"Well, I couldn't prove it," Rip deflected. "It's just a feeling."

Todd glanced at Leonard nervously. Leonard returned the look with a more calming gaze and somehow that seemed to reassure Todd.

The hallway eventually split into two sections. I looked at Rip. He was looking at Leonard.

"You and Mr. Rice go left. Ms. Springs and I will go right."

Leonard nodded, and he and Todd left.

I glanced back at Rip nervously. "Rip, I don't like this."

He looked at me and squeezed my hand in reassurance. "Nor do I."

I stayed close to Rip as we walked down the drab hallway. Feeling his body heat next to me boosted my confidence. I could feel the small electrical impulses traveling along his central nervous system. I hadn't always been able to do that. Sometimes it felt like I could never master my powers, but sometimes I was amazed at how much I could do. And afraid. It wouldn't take much for me to kill.