“Mama!
“Papa!”
Tears streaked down the boy’s face as he clutched his brother’s hand. The twins tried to walk toward the door but his brother stumbled. He tried to help him stand when the door burst open and both of them were suddenly in the arms of their mother. Heat assaulted their skin as they sprinted from the room.
They were running through the house going from his room and down the stairs. Bright flames exploded from his parent’s room and he could hear shouting down the stairs. It sounded like his father and he was screaming up a storm. His mother was taking the stairs two at a time. They made it to the bottom when another explosion rocked the house this time coming from the kitchen.
His mother took two steps before she was knocked down and both children were sent flying. He landed on his behind and then rolled onto his back. Bruised but not seriously hurt. He turned to look for his brother and instead he watched him float in the air. Slowly he began to float away and toward the kitchen.
His mother screamed, trying to reach for him but she couldn’t pick herself up. His brother was crying hard and he tried to crawl after him but he couldn’t move. Two red eyes appeared in the flames as he was dragged away. Before anything else could happen, his mother was subsequently grabbed by a hand of fire and dragged into the flames.
“Richard, huir!”
The red eyes jerked backwards as his mother was suddenly engulfed in the flames and he heard her screams followed by a wet cracking sound. Wood cracked and the ceiling began to crumble then collapse on the kitchen. The flames surged and started rapidly coming toward him.
He shouted for her but his voice was drowned out by a door opening behind him. The cool outside air flew in and he was picked up yet again. This time he was rushed outside and he reached back toward the door for both his parents but his voice was drowned by sirens.
The siren got louder and louder, blaring into his ears before everything went black and his eyes opened. Staring up at the ceiling he gasped, chest covered in sweat. He took another breath and his chest felt empty. Trying to roll over and find his phone he ended up on his arm and groaned.
Reaching around the dresser for his phone, he finally got it and punched the center button. Doing a mini push up he moved off the sheets and groaned again. “Hey mijo! If you wanna make breakfast you better speed it up!”
Rubbing his temples, he shook his head. “I’m coming!”
Rolling himself out of bed he went over the edge and landed on his butt, legs sprawled out and head tilted back. The dream was still in his mind, feeling the heat, seeing the eyes, hearing his parents and his brother. He felt his breath quicken and head get light. Covering his face with his hands he rubbed it slowly.
“Concentrar, Dick. You went to therapy for this. Remember what she said. Breathe. Count to ten and breathe.” Gripping the blanket behind him he did just that, taking deep slow breaths as he counted in his head.
After he hit thirty he made an attempt to stand up. When he didn’t go toppling backwards he took that as a sign of success. Checking his phone, he saw it was almost 7 and rushed to the bathroom. He really was gonna miss breakfast if he didn’t hurry. Granted he didn’t care about the crappy school breakfast but he did care about meeting his friends.
Shoving the bathroom door open, he stared at his face in the mirror for a long second. Tall, brown skin, biggish nose, frizzy black hair and brown eyes. Pulling down his lip he checked his teeth and then pulled down on his eyes as well. Everything looked like it should have.
He hastily brushed his teeth and showered before changing into his uniform. A black blazer, slacks and dress shoes. On the right breast of the blazer was a patch with the school’s symbol, a pair of interlocking circles almost like an infinity sign.
He went to his dresser and picked up his oval shaped pendent on a thin silver chain and put it over his head. Tucking it into his shirt he patted it lightly. Getting his shoulder bag and thin black glasses he grinned at himself before going up down the stairs to the living room.
“There you are Dick.”
The man speaking had an old chipped mug in hand as he sipped his morning coffee. He wore a bright green floral pattern shirt, half tucked in and a pair of jeans. He had skin darker than his own, a bald spot on his head and black hair. A pair of glasses rested on his forehead and fell onto his face as he looked at Dick. Dick was shorter than his uncle Keenan but not by much, his uncle wasn’t even that tall. Both of them hovered around the 5’9 range.
“Took you long enough. I’m on my second cup.”
“With the coffee you make, tio, I figured you’d still be struggling through the first.”
Scowling he bopped him on the head with his free hand. “Watch it mijo. I don’t have to be nice to you today you know.”
Rubbing his head, he scowled. “Come on tio, you only turn 16 once.”
“Yeah yeah. Come on. Get going before you’re late.”
“Really? Aren’t going anything special for your dear mijo?”
“Not now. Maybe after you get home from school.”
Dick gave a wide grin and nodded. Turning quickly, he darted out of the house and broke into a run down the side walk. Cars were lining the streets from the small suburb he lived in. The air was a little warm giving the impression that it was going to finally become spring. The sun was out despite the clouds threatening to block it. Getting his phone out he checked it quickly to make sure that he wouldn’t miss the train. He also noted he needed to get a new case for the thing.
He ended up missing the first one but lucked out on the second. This early the train was unsurprisingly full and he had to stand, holding onto the overhead rail. With his free hand he had his phone out and open to the group chat amongst his friends. It was very active, all with shit post directed toward him.
SuperStar: You see this loser? Late to his own birthday!
N.E.R.D.: So rude.
SuperStar: Hella rude.
N.E.R.D.: We even got him things.
SuperStar: I kept my receipt.
TheWhite: I wish mine came with a receipt.
N.E.R.D.: Pretty sure you can resell it
TheWhite: I like that idea
Halfsie: You guys are awful friends.
SuperStar: Get your ass to school already. Tired of waiting.
Halfsie: I’m like already there already.
Just as he finished typing that he heard the robotic voice from the train announce his stop. He caught a glimpse out the window and marveled at how quickly the scenery changed from the low topped suburb homes and shops to tall multi story office spaces.
Once the train stopped he hopped onto the station and darted for the stairs, taking them several at a time. He started running once he was on the sidewalk, trying to maneuver through the people who had the time to just walk. He was in a rush but slowed near a gap between a Starbucks and some beauty shop.
Turning down it, he knew a short cut that would take him behind the school and cut the trip in half. Doing so he entered deep shadows of the alley, the sun hidden behind the building. Skirting around a dumpster he stumbled over some trash on the ground but righted himself and kept on his way.
His phone buzzed in his pocket and he glanced at it. It was a text from TheWhite that simply read, ‘Lisa got impatient so we’re eating without you. Tried to stop her’. “Come on Gav. Try a little harder,” With an eye roll he put his phone back in his pocket and round a slight corner.
He paused because there was a man there. He had a face full of hair and raggedy clothes, holes and torn edges galore. He looked at the man and forced a smile for a second. “Hey there. Just passing through.” He made a move to side step him but the man moved to keep blocking his path.
Dick’s heart skipped a beat as he looked at the man and saw that he was actually bleeding from the temple and both his hands were shaking vigorously. Holding up his hands Dick took a few steps back and glanced over his shoulder to make sure he had a way out of here.
When he turned back to the man he thought he was dreaming again. The man’s eyes were glowing red and a gurgling sound emanated from his mouth. He jerked forward and then started violently shaking. A huge hand and arm exploded out of his back, crashing into the wall. It was scaled and dark red. Another one burst forward and crushed a dumpster like it was made of paper.
“Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit what is that.” He stumbled backwards as he watched something like a salamander dig itself out of the man’s back. It crashed, stomach first onto the ground. Its head whipped back and forth, long and snake like with a mouth riddled with teeth. Its forked tongue flicked between its lips as it focused on him.
It was at least the size of a garbage truck but it was fast as it wriggled through the alley and lunged at him. For a split second he felt a tingle in his body and he couldn’t move. Just frozen in horror. And then he heard his mother’s voice shouting, Run Richard! He turned and tried to run but it was too big and too fast. He felt the things breath over him as it’s shadow started to cover him. He thought for a moment that he really was going to die.
“Cover your head!”
He didn’t know where the voice had come from or who had spoken but he did what it said and ducked down, covering his head with both hands and his bag. He fully expected to be crushed or eaten by the lizard thing but instead he was still alive. Looking over his shoulder he watched the lizard get thrown into the wall by a person who floated in the air for a moment.
They landed in front of him and he figured out they was a she. She was wearing a pale blue t-shirt, dark blue skirt, and leggings. She had long curly black hair and rich brown skin. But the real strange part of all of this was her hands and feet. On both of them was silver plate armor that seemed to glow. Gauntlets that covered her fingers and boots that encased her entire leg. The lizard trashed as it got back onto its feet and Dick could see the rage in its eyes.
The girl took a step backwards and then ran straight at it. The lizard swiped its claws at her and she ducked under the attack getting right under it. Jumping she punched it square in the jaw before spinning in the air and landing a solid kick in the same spot. The blow sent the lizard into the wall again sprawling on its side.
The lizard seemed to hack at the air before orange glowed from its throat brightly. It opened wide and belched out a gout of fire. She covered her face with both arms, the flames going on either side of her. She jerked both arms aside and split the flames aside and jumped. Coming down feet first onto the creature’s chest the things body froze almost immediately, encased in ice.
Standing atop its body she brought her arm back. She punched it and it exploded into pieces of ice along the floor. Landing on the ground she stared at the shards of ice and kicked through it. Dick watched her do this appalled. He’d just watched something straight out of an anime and really had to wonder if he was still conscious. Maybe had really had died.
She had turned toward him, though her gaze was still on the ground he saw a mask around the entire lower half of her face, from the nose down. But he caught glimpses of her eyes which were a light brown, bordering on orange. He closed his eyes, forcing himself to breathe and counted to ten. When his eyes opened she was way closer than before. “You look like you’re in one piece. Can you walk?”
Her voice was gentle but curt. He gave a slow nod toward her and she nodded back. “Good. You’ll want to get out of here. Fighting those things isn’t quiet.” With that she turned and jumped, leaping to the wall and then over the roof.
He stared after her speechless. He wasn’t sure how long he would have stood there because his phone rang snapping him out of it. It was Gav again and when he answered he heard his annoyed voice. “Dick where are you. First period is about to start!”
He looked at the phone and stared at the time before swearing under his breath. “Shit. Alright. Yeah something came up but I’m on my way.” He gave the alley one last look before running to school.
The Harlequin Library 