My heart fluttered nervously in my chest as the jet touched down in San Francisco.
Whether I liked it or not, there I was.
Having always exercised absolute control over those around me, I wasn't at all accustomed to the panic and helplessness that I felt. For the first time in my life, I had absolutely no idea what to do or how to do it, and it was not a pleasant experience.
"Enjoy yourself, Miss King," the pilot said simply as we screeched to a stop.
"Thanks," I mumbled as I ran down a ladder to the ground, hoping that rapid movement would provide momentary relief from my frantic state of mind. I looked around me to see other planes landing and people boarding them, an ordinary airport scene. However, something was off.
The people around me seemed completely oblivious of both me and the jet taking off a few yards away. When I took a closer look, I noticed a strange, almost bubble-like film that separated the one runway I had landed on from the rest of the airport. Curious, I reached out to touch it. It rippled like the surface of a lake where my finger made contact with it. Suddenly, I heard a high pitched scream.
"Aaaah! It's a severed finger! It's coming after me!" a woman who had just exited a large plane shrieked as I quickly retracted my finger.
"You might not wanna touch that," came a voice from behind me.
"Jade!" I beamed, turning around. Finally someone to answer my questions. "What the heck am I—"
"Amanda will answer all of your questions at headquarters," the WGO representative interrupted, shaping her lips into a semblance of a smile.
"Hey, and about the invisibility shield," Calvin said sheepishly from behind us. "I think it's a little too late for a warning." He pointed to the woman who had called over two airport police officers and was pointing feverishly in our direction.
All three of us began to laugh incredibly hard at the dumbstruck, entirely disbelieving expressions on all of their faces. However, I stopped awkwardly in the middle of a guffaw, struck with realization.
"Wait...invisibility shield?!" I looked over at Jade for an explanation.
"Yeah, it's what separates WGO area from the rest of San Francisco. To non-Glitches, that whole thing over there looks like part of the airport." She gestured to a group of three black buildings in the distance decorated with large WGO insignias.
"Whoa," I said as I widened my eyes, craning my neck to look up at the shield. It stretched so high into the sky that I literally couldn't see the top. I stood for a few seconds in absolute silence, speechless. The whole invisible shield thing must've taken Glitchwork so abstract and complex, I couldn't even dream of attempting anything like it.
"It has something to do with physics and multiple dimensions and manipulation of reality or something like that." Jade shrugged. "I honestly have no idea exactly how they made it. You'd have to ask the Codies about fancy Code stuff like that. Of course, if you ever asked one of them a Code question, they wouldn't let you leave until you listened to an hour-long lecture, but that's not the point."
"The Codies?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, you'll find out about the positions you can hold in WGO later. I think you'll really like it!" she said. "Oh, and the Cookies are here!" Jade waved excitedly to a sleek, black Mercedes as it pulled over beside us.
"Hop in," Calvin called as he swung one of the doors open.
"Wait...cookies? Like chocolate chip cookies?" I felt totally clueless.
"Forgive my Glitch slang," Jade replied. "You'll figure it all out at headquarters, I promise. It's not as complicated as it sounds."
"You guys sure got style," I laughed as I climbed into the vehicle. My body seemed to sink into the deep, leather seat and I was instantly enveloped in warmth.
"Amanda's budget is quite healthy," commented the older girl driving the car. "We can afford a few luxuries. Oh, and, welcome to WGO! I'm Ellie Ross, leader of the Cookie division."
"Right, a few luxuries," I nodded as the shining walls of WGO came into view. From my position in front of the buildings, only the front portion of the base was visible, but even that alone was the most splendid thing I had ever seen. And I was by no means poor or deprived.
Two shining, black skyscrapers rose into the clouds, their sides lined with softly glowing glass. They were surrounded by a neatly trimmed, verdant lawn that exuded the pleasant scent of freshly trimmed grass. Immaculate sidewalks connected these to other complexes of buildings in the distance, gardens, and cafes. The sound of kids laughing accompanied by loud splashing indicated the presence of a swimming pool somewhere in the vicinity.
"I know what you're thinking, but we're no cheats," Jade confirmed. "Everything we have is the result of Ellie and her Cookies' hard work over the years."
I nodded, relieved that I wasn't riding into a thieves' den.
"Here we are, hope you like it!" Ellie smiled as she pulled the car to a stop in front of the largest of the black buildings. I reluctantly rose from my seat and followed Jade and Calvin out toward the building.
"Either a Cookie or a Sloppie will show you where you'll live. You'll have a day to rest up before your orientation tomorrow. Also, say whatever you want to your family and friends right now," Jade pointed to my phone. "There's no reception in the alternate dimension of WGO."
I nodded again and sent a quick text to Justin, making sure to tell him not to tell our parents.
"Actually, there has been a change of plans," came a commanding voice from deeper inside the building. "Claire's orientation will be this evening."
"We have a new Glitch here!" Jade snapped as we walked further into the building. "This isn't the time for pran—"
She stopped dead in her tracks and her face turned white when she realized who she was speaking to. "Amanda?"
"That's right. You're one of our oldest members, you know better than to disrespect me."
"My apologies," Jade put her head down, her lively speech instantly dropping to a formal drone. Looking around the room, I noticed that Amanda was having a similar effect on the other Glitches there as well.
"Claire," Amanda said my name with an eerie crispness. I was afraid to turn around and answer her, afraid of what I might see. Images of the undead from just about every horror movie I had ever seen popped up in my head and I shivered. I thought of how Dad feared her very name and looked around at the bowed heads and clasped hands of the Glitches surrounding me.
"Claire, is something the matter?" Her voice had an echoing, almost hypnotic quality. Somehow, it simultaneously invited you to trust her and warned you to respect her.
"No, I'm fine," I said shakily as I slowly turned my head, squeezing my eyes shut. Giving myself a few seconds to adjust, I willed myself to open them, and my fears subsided. Sort of. Amanda Myers was tall. She was an older teenager with long, dark hair, hazel eyes, and a sly smile. Not a ghoul, not Medusa, and definitely not a zombie, but just as—creepy. Maybe even creepier.
"Welcome to WGO," she smiled thinly. "I'm very sorry about the suddenness of everything. I'm sure it's very alarming, but my associates and I are on a very tight schedule. Megan, do her orientation." Amanda turned to another girl who looked about her age.
"Me?" the other girl, Megan, asked, looking horrified.
"Come on, you don't want the new Glitch to think she's not welcome here, do you?" Amanda smiled cruelly.
"Of course, she's welcome. But what if she knows?"
"About what?" Amanda asked. It's like she read my mind.
"You know," Megan hissed. "That." She then darted her eyes at me.
"Oh, forget that. Just hurry up and start the orientation," Amanda commanded, waving her off. "We don't have all day." Her face still wore that bitingly nonchalant look.
"Yes, of course, President," Megan whispered, her knuckles turning white as she balled her hands into tight fists.
Was it just me, or did I hear the slightest hint of sarcasm in the word, "President."
I looked at Megan to Amanda, then back to Megan again. There was something between them that my mind couldn't quite come to terms with. And somehow, I was a big part of it. I wouldn't be surprised if it was somehow tied in with Dad's story as well.