Nor (Wattpad Featured Story, WriteAffair finalist)

Chapter 34: Others

We get snow that Christmas. It's rare in Kendall City, and seems to inspire spirit in a lot of people who normally wouldn't have cared about today, like my father. He even tries to get me to go out and have a Christmas dinner with him and Maggie. Before my refusals and his blasted ego can rise into a quarrel, Maggie calms him down and takes him away, winking at me on the way out. Sometimes, I wonder whose side she's really on - mine or my Dad's.

I check in on Pia and Brian every once in a while, especially after I hear news stories of incidents happening on the streets being attributed to Watchers. We can't seem to decide if it's just wrongful speculation on the part of the cops, or something else.

Brianboy: There's no way.

Skunky1010: Why not?

Brianboy: Too many people. You know there's no more Watchers left.

Skunky1010: Not from your batch. But what if there are others?

Brianboy: What do you mean?

Skunky1010: I mean, what if totally new groups are popping up, groups you guys don't even know, groups with their own leaders?

PiaLazziri: You mean like copycats?

Skunky1010: Well, not really. More like slow joiners who established their own …

Brianboy: Franchise?

Skunky1010: Err, sort of.

PiaLazziri: I don't know. I never thought about that happening. I always thought that, you know, if there were Watchers, they had to be under Nate.

Skunky1010: Nate was great, but people can't just stop without him. I think people out there realize that the Watch can still go on and keep growing.

PiaLazziri: You really think this is for real?

Skunky1010: I don't know. I'm not sure.

But I do become sure when New Year's brings dozens of burning eyes in the snow, gasoline-smeared marks of the Watchers. These were not started by me, Pia or Brian this time. Someone else is doing them. Someone saw us the first time, and now, they're answering.