“Everyone in this stadium will be cheering,” he said as they all looked at the source of their distaste. “And ironically while they are cheering for the Fire, the rest of the city is going to burn.”
18
It was 10:00 and the guys had already been eating pizza and playing video games for hours. They usually always stayed at Josh’s house because his room was the biggest and he always had the coolest stuff. Even though it had been a hard week for them, they were pretty much back to their normal selves.
Trent put his controller down and grabbed another piece of pizza while Mark and Jordan continued to team up online against their opponents. Josh was on his laptop looking up strategies to stay alive longer in the game.
“Are you finding anything good, Sparks?” Trent asked with a mouthful of pizza.
“Not really,” Josh replied. “I don’t think I’m cut out for these shooter games.”
“That’s ok,” Trent said with a grin. “Everyone can’t be as good as me.”
“If you’re so great,” Mark said, “then how come Jordan and I are still in and you’re out?”
“It’s called being nice,” Trent replied. “I’m allowing you guys to score some kills for once instead of me taking all of them.”
Josh clicked off of the website he was on and about closed his laptop when Trent stopped him. “Hey, can you show me that program that finds your cell phone when it’s lost?”
“I told you already,” Josh said, “when the battery runs out you can’t track it any more. It’s been a week since I lost it. There’s no way it will show up.”
“Ok. I just wanted to see what it looked like.”
“Well, I can bring up the map and show you. It will only tell us the last place it was when it still had battery and like I said before, I lost it in the field at the barn.”
Josh brought up the program and typed in his password. In a few seconds, the map loaded up. Josh moved the cursor on the screen to show Trent where it was, but when he went to look for it he couldn’t find the last location.
“That’s weird,” Josh said. “It’s not showing it’s last location anymore.”
Trent looked at the screen and noticed that there was a green circle next to a name that said Josh’s Phone. “What does that green circle mean next to your name?”
“What?” Josh said a little alarmed as he squinted at the screen. His old glasses were no longer the prescription he needed. “A green circle means that the phone is online, but that’s impossible!”
“Apparently not,” Trent said as he clicked on the name of the phone. Instantly the map began to zoom towards a new location. It wasn’t in the field any longer; instead it showed up on the street just a couple houses down from Josh’s.
Fear began to creep upon Josh as he struggled to talk to the other guys. “Guys! Guys!” he said. “My phone is back online and it’s on our street.”
“What does that mean?” Mark said without taking his eyes off of the game.
“It means that someone has it right outside of my house and there is only one person who could have it!”
Jordan instantly realized what Josh was saying and it stopped him cold. “Turn off the game, Mark.”
“What?” Mark said. “I’m really doing good.”
“Please,” Jordan whispered urgently. “Turn it off.”
Jordan quickly got up and turned off the lights to the room. Josh knew exactly what Jordan was doing, but understanding hadn’t fallen on Trent and Mark yet.
“What’s going on?” Trent said
“Drago is outside!” Josh rasped quietly.
“What?” Mark almost screamed.
“Shhh! Quiet!” Jordan said as he crept toward the window. Slowly, he lifted a couple slats of the blinds in order to get a glimpse outside. Josh and Trent stared at the computer screen as they watched the phone icon move towards their house on the map.
“Is your address on your phone somewhere?” Trent whispered to Josh.
“No, it’s not in my contacts and neither are any of yours,” Josh replied. “What would I have needed your addresses for?”
“Then how did he know where to find us?”
“I’m not sure. If I had to guess, maybe he got on my Facebook profile and looked at my info and yours as well.”
“I don’t have where we live on my profile.”
“I know but maybe he pieced things together through our pictures and comments.”
“You’d have to know Galesburg really well to do that.”
“Maybe he does.”
Suddenly Jordan whispered, “Guys, it’s him.”
Silence came upon the room as everyone collectively stopped breathing. Mark stumbled over to Jordan and had to take a peek himself. They were on the second floor of the house so they were looking down onto the street. Without mistake, standing under a corner streetlight, staring at a cell phone that partially illuminated his face was Drago.
Mark quickly stepped back from the window in a panic. “Oh my gosh! It’s really him! He found us! What do we do?”
“Just wait,” Jordan said. “Calm down. I don’t think he knows where we are. He keeps looking around as if he is looking for a clue to find us.”
This time they all approached the window. Drago was scanning the area. Occasionally he would look at the phone and swipe through some pictures and then look up again to see if he could match it with the neighborhood. It looked like Josh’s theory on how he got here was correct. The look of malice on Drago’s face was unmistakable. He walked a little closer towards the house and the guys could notice a very small limp in his step. He was still slightly hurt, but looked like he was a lot better than he was when they left him in that sinkhole.
“So what do we do?” Mark said. “He’s hunting us. If he finds us, he’ll kill us!”
“Should I get my parents?” Josh said.
“No,” Trent said in a rare moment of seriousness. “If we do, then he’ll know where we are for sure. Who says he wouldn’t hurt them too? We have the advantage. He doesn’t know where we are, but we do know where he is as long as he has Josh’s phone.”
“Did we leave our bikes outside?” Mark asked.
“They’re in the garage,” Josh replied.
Drago stood there like a statue. He was meticulous in his observance. He scanned the area like he was a robot. Every once in a while he would tilt his head or even nod. It looked to Jordan like he might have even been listening to someone. “I think Trent’s right,” Jordan said. “We don’t want any of our families dragged into this. I think he’ll take out anyone in his path to get to us. We need to wait and see what he’s going to do here. If he finds us, we call the police, but if he doesn’t then our families are safe.”
“For now,” Josh said.
“Yes, but it gives us more time to think.”
They watched as Drago continued to scan the area. They could see his frustration, but they could also see his patience. He wasn’t going to make the same mistake that he made in the woods again. Drago took one more sweeping look as he peered at each house looking at every window, including theirs, but he failed to see anything. Slowly, he put the phone back into his pocket and began walking back the way he came. Jordan stayed by the window while the other guys ran back to the computer. They could see the dot on the screen move away. After about five minutes, they heard the roar of a motorcycle starting up in the distance and watched the dot move faster away leaving the Bruce behind.
“He’s gone,” Josh said.
“But for how long?” Mark asked. “We need to talk to someone about this.”
“Who?” Trent asked. “Pastor Aaron?”
“Maybe,” Mark replied. “What do you think Jordan?”
“I’m not sure yet,” Jordan answered. “I’m still trying to figure everything out.”
“I�
�ve got an idea!” Josh said as he quickly started typing on his computer.
They watched in silence as he brought YouTube up on the screen. “Have you guys seen this video of Convert?”
“What video?” Jordan asked.
“Is he playing piano with a cat?” Trent asked.
“No,” Josh replied. “He saved a woman and her children from a car wreck last week. Their van was on fire and everything!”
“Whoa,” Mark said. “I gotta see this!”
They watched as Convert showed his strength ripping off the van door and pulling the mom out, seat and all. They stood there astonished.
“Did he really do that?” Mark asked. “This isn’t fake?”
“No, it’s real,” Josh said. “And this isn’t normal.”
“No kidding.” Trent said.
“What I mean is that this is supernatural and there has to be a reason for it,” Josh said as he turned around to look at them. “We’ve been wondering why everything has been so crazy. I think Convert might have some answers.”
“I think you’re right,” Jordan said. “I think he is someone we can trust and can possibly even protect us.”
“Do you think he’ll believe us?” Mark asked.
“Yeah, I think he will,” Jordan said.
“You think Pastor Aaron could get us in touch with him?”
“I’ll ask and see.”
The guys went from the computer to playing more video games to talking about school next Monday. They couldn’t shake the creeping reality that Drago was out there and he was looking for them. Josh kept checking his phone location app and saw that eventually the phone made it back to the barn where Drago had to have been staying. That gave them enough peace to stay up a little longer. After midnight, they finally turned everything off and got in their sleeping bags. It had been a tough week and they hoped for a better one leading up to Halloween. Eventually, they all fell asleep and once again they dreamt.
Second Time Out
When The Wall Fell
1
“Sir James,” Ralph said as he held out his aluminum foil wrapped cardboard sword toward the bushes on the school playground. “I believe I have found the lair of the evil dragon!”
“Careful, Sir Ralph!” James said as he unsheathed a sword of his own. “This dragon’s fire has been known to melt metal! We need our magical shields that fire cannot touch.”
Ralph pushed up his glasses and took his shield from its place on his back. “I have mine. Follow me.”
Together, James and Ralph walked cautiously into the gap between the bushes. Ralph held his shield up prepared for anything that may come at them. “I can feel the heat of his breath as we get closer. Do you still have the magical medallion that we got from our battle with the orcs?”
“Right here,” James said as he held out one of Ralph’s mom’s old necklaces. “What does it do?”
“It puts an invisible orb around us to protect us from the heat. Just put it on your neck, touch the gem, and say ‘Activate.’”
James began to put the necklace on when suddenly they both heard someone laughing behind them. They turned around to see a blond haired kid dressed up like a vampire laughing with a couple of his buddies behind him. One kid, named Rusty, was dressed like a football player while the other kid, Scott, was dressed like a pirate. The kid in the middle, with the vampire cape, was none other than Damon Marshall, but to the kids in school he was known by another name: Demon. He was by far the meanest kid in the school and he often harassed those smaller and younger than himself. Unfortunately, today Ralph and James caught his attention.
“So you guys are playing with mommy’s jewelry now?” Damon said with a sneer. “I always thought you two were a couple of sissies.”
“It’s not just a necklace,” Ralph said. “It’s a medallion of protection. We were about to enter the lair of the dragon. You guys can play with us if you want?”
James loved the inviting spirit that Ralph always had, but even he knew at eight years old that these guys weren’t here to play. “Come on, Ralph,” he said. “Let’s go to the playground.”
“No, wait,” Damon said with a false sincerity that James could see but Ralph couldn’t. “I want to play. Can I have the protective medallion?”
Before James could say anything, Ralph had taken the necklace from his hand. “Sure,” Ralph said as he gave it to Damon.
A devilish grin came across Damon’s face as he squeezed the necklace in his hand, “You idiot,” he said. “Did you really think that I wanted to play this baby game with you guys? You’re dumber than you look.”
“Then give it back,” James said.
“Or what?” Damon replied. “You gonna’ slay me with your cardboard sword?”
“Just please give it back,” Ralph said. “It’s my mom’s necklace.”
“Well,” he said as he grabbed the necklace with both hands, “your mom needs to know that she has an idiot son who likes to steal her jewelry and pretends to be a girl.” At that moment, he pulled hard on the chain and snapped it in front of their faces.
“No!” James said as he began to lunge toward Damon. Ralph put his arm out and stopped him.
“Let’s go, James,” Ralph said.
James could see the sadness in Ralph’s eyes. The huge glasses he was wearing only magnified it. Damon and his buddies laughed as he kicked the remains of the destroyed necklace down the sidewalk. Defeated, they tuned to go to the playground. Unfortunately, Damon wasn’t done with them yet. He reached out, grabbed Ralph’s shoulder, and spun him around. “I didn’t say you could leave yet,” he snarled.
“Let em go, Demon!” Came a voice from behind.
All five of them turned to see the Wall standing there. Jeff Wall was the biggest kid in the third grade and was simply known as Wall to everyone. He wasn’t wearing any Halloween costume, which wasn’t a surprise since his family life was a lot like James’ was, and in his left hand he was clutching a brown lunch bag that he carried everywhere. No one knew what was in the bag, but he never went anywhere without it. He stood there red faced staring at Damon and his pals. “You leave them alone and start picking on people your own size! I’m tired of seeing you bully everyone!”
Damon’s smile left his face as he turned to face Wall. “Demon isn’t my name and you better be careful what you say to me.”
“No,” Wall replied as he got right in his face. “You better be careful what you say to me.”
Damon looked at Ralph and James. “We’ll continue this another time. I don’t forget.” With a final glance of disdain at Wall, Damon and his friends went over to the basketball courts.
“Thanks, Wall,” Ralph said.
“Anytime,” he said. “I’m tired of how he treats everyone and I’m not going to let it happen anymore.”
“Hey!” James said. “They’re playing kickball over there. We should go play too.”
“C’mon, Wall,” Ralph said. “We definitely need you on our team!”
Together, all three of them ran to the kickball field. Wall never put down his brown bag, but it sure didn’t affect how he kicked the ball. Every time he was up to kick, he would boot it way past everyone else to the cheers of his team. James and Ralph laughed as they ran the rest of the bases and made it to home plate. It should have been a great day for everyone, but unfortunately, Damon, had other plans.
It had come to the time when Wall was up to kick again and to his left he saw Damon approaching. Wall looked over to see what he was doing when suddenly from behind he was blindsided by Rusty. Wall’s head snapped back as his body heaved forward and arms flailed in the air. Wall landed face first into the dirt as Rusty landed on top of him. The force of the crash made him let go of his brown bag and he watched in horror as it flew to the feet of none other than Damon.
Everyone, including Ralph and James, st
ood stunned as they tried to comprehend what had just happened. With a look of demented glee, Damon picked up the bag. Wall tried to get up but couldn’t due to the combination of Rusty’s weight and the fact that the wind got knocked out of him. With all his strength, he reached his arm out as Damon began to open the sack. “Noooooo!” He screamed, but it did no good.
Damon reached into the bag and took out a little pink stuffed bunny along with a couple of pictures. “Stop!” Wall screamed through tears. “Don’t touch those!”
The teachers monitoring the playground came running towards the commotion, but to Wall’s horror they couldn’t stop what came next.
Damon held the bunny up high and yelled, “Wall plays with baby toys! Ha Ha!” And with both hands he grabbed the head of the stuffed animal and ripped it off throwing both pieces to the ground while stomping on them.
Wall wailed as he was powerless to stop it. Without thinking, Ralph rushed towards Damon. “Leave his stuff alone!” He screamed.
When he got to Damon, however, he was pushed down to the ground by Scott. Damon next took a look at the pictures and understood what they were to his added glee. “Look!” He said. “It’s his baby sister! This is great!”
“Stop! Stop!” Wall pleaded, but it fell upon the deaf ears of Demon Marshall.
With one motion, he ripped the pictures in half and threw them up in the air. Wall wailed as he saw the things he valued the most destroyed in front of him. Damon walked over to him and kicked him right in the face. “That will teach you to ever mess with me again.” Damon took a sweeping glance at everyone there who stood in shock. “This is what happens to anyone who messes with me!”
James couldn’t take it anymore and charged toward Damon. At the last moment, Damon sidestepped and tripped him send him rolling on the ground almost ruining his costume. James got up quickly and looked Damon straight in the eyes. “You’ll get yours, Demon. You’ll get yours.”
Damon walked toward him menacingly and said, “That’s not my name and I’m not through with you or Ralph yet.”
The Scarlet Plan Page 26
