February 7, 2014
4:16pm
I stared at my mother. Something about that bugged me, and my shoulderblades tingled. The last time they did that was when my father said he was going to work at the docks.
"Honey!" My father shouted suddenly, "I found a place that will take me." My father had been looking for a job ever since his last boss had fired him for no reason.
"That's great, dear," my mother said. She gave him a look that I knew meant something, "Where are you working?"
"The docks," He answered. My shoulderblades tingled and I got a bad feeling in my stomach.
My parents went to talk in their room, and something told me to follow them. I stood outside of their closed door and listened: "...Do they know about...that thing?" my mother was asking.
My father sighed, "No, they do not. And i see no reason to tell them and risk their lives over that. The boss seems like a nice man."
They walked towards the door and I quickly went to my room.
"Lae?" Ty's voice shook me back to the present. "Lea, are you ok?"
"Yeah," I lied, "I'm fine. Congrats, Mom." I went up to my room as quickly as I could. But not before I saw my mom give me a knowing and concerned look.
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The next morning, Amber met me a block away from school, with Ty right on her heals. They walked silently, sensing that I was tired and confused about how to react to my mom's new job.
In Pre-Algebra, Amber passed me a note: U OK? I nodded yes, giving an unconvincing smile.
When lunchtime rolled around, Ty and Amber were whispering furiously at each other. I sat down across from them and bit into my pizza. I glanced down at my tray, "Damn, I forgot a milk."
" I'll get you one!" Amber said quickly. I glanced at Ty just as he gave Amber a pointed look. I pretended not to see it.
Amber came back a minute later with my milk. I noted silently that Ty seemed to relaxe a little when I drank it. One hour later, I was sick.
In fifth hour, I started to feel sick. Mrs. Partrel, my English teacher, lat me, Amber, and Ty go down to the nurse's office. Miss Thorson told me i was running a temperature and that i needed to go home immediately. Ty called my mom and they talked in both English and some other language I had never heard before. Ty claimed that it was French. we went outside to wait in the hall... about a minute before chaos struck.
BOOOOOOOMMM!!!!!! The doors burst open and three creatures were silhouetted against a plume of dust and debris. They had large, hooked beaks, ragged, bat-like wings, foul breath, and transparent skin that revealed sickly, blue-black blood.
Before I could blink, Ty and Amber were standing in front of me, both holding...swords. Amber's was small and light while Ty's was broad and powerful. Amber also had a bow and quiver strapped to her back. I noticed that Amber's hair clips were missing as well as Ty's watch.
The duo faced the creatures with grim and determined expresions.
"Nekbars," Amber said under her breath. The creatures, or nekbars, hissed at the sound of their name, a horrible, sickening sound.
"Lae, stay behind us," Ty said as I stood up, horrified.
The nekbars hissed again and attacked. Hissing and spitting, they charged the warriors, who went to hacking the creatures to pieces. In a matter of minutes, only one creature was left. It ran away, screeching.
"We'd better leave, that one's going for reinforcements," Ty said, panting.
"Yeah," gasped Amber, "who knows how many there are waiting for us."
"Come on, Lae." Ty turned towards me. I grimaced at the sight of nekbar blood on his face and sword. "we have to get you out of here."
Amber was cleaning blood off her sword as her bow shrank down to a hair clip. I stared at them in fascination and horror, my brain trying to process what had just happened. The normal sound of a car pulling up to the ruined doors startled me.
My mom rushed up to me. "Is she ok?" she asked Amber. Amber shook her head yes. "Oh, thank God!" She ushered me to the car as well as Ty and Amber.
Through my fear and shock, I heard Ty and my mother talking: 'Mrs. Byrd, I think it's time." I could hear the fear and concern in his voice. "In case you didn't notice, They found her."
My mother sighed, "You think so?...I just... I'm just not ready. And I don't think Lae is either."
"I think she is," Ty was much better at this calming thing then I ever was. "Just let us take her. I promise no harm will come to her."
You could practically hear the gears turning in my mother's head. "Well... if you promise...Fine, where is the nearest portal?"
We drove to a back alley near Main Street. My mother squeezed the car, a blue 2012 Ford Focus ST, between two buildings and we all piled out. Ty picked up a normal looking pebble, aimed, and threw it.
It bounced off the ground, hit the fourth brick up, and dissapeared into a gray, swirling vortex.