Under Attack

by Katrina Kahler

  “I just know, whatever it was...wasn’t normal!” Richard said.

  “I won’t argue with that, but not normal doesn’t mean magical or supernatural!” I replied.

  “True,” Ruby agreed. “There are a lot of perfectly natural causes for people to see ghosts…mass hypnosis, some sort of illusion…” She stopped. “Okay, two reasons. Alright, maybe weird shadows, so three reasons.”

  “It would help if we knew what they looked like,” I sighed.

  Cami pointed behind me. “They looked like that.”

  Turning, we saw an army of skeletons rushing towards us. The skeletons came in every shape and size: some looked like people’s bones, others looked like animal’s bones, a few flying ones seemed to be bird bones. About the only thing they had in common was they all had angry looks on their skull faces.

  “I’ve got this!” Veronica said. She held up a hand and shouted, “Freeze!”

  The skeletons kept coming at us. Of course, Ruby, Frank, Fadhili, Ruth, Richard, Cami, and all the natives froze in place.

  “That did not go as planned!” Veronica was starting to panic.

  Pointing to our frozen friends, I said, “I would hope not! I’ll hold them off; you unfreeze our team!”

  Leaping through the air, I dove at the charging skeletons. When I landed right in the middle of them, they scattered before I had a chance to do any damage. For undead collections of bones, they moved extremely fast. Too fast! They moved like blurs, which didn’t feel right. I didn’t think it was possible for bones to be so lightning fast. I lunged, kicked, and grabbed. I didn’t touch a single one.

  Funny thing though, while the skeletons dodged me, they didn’t seem to react to me. Their faces didn’t change. I had never fought skeletons before, but this seemed to be really strange.

  Grandma Thorn appeared above me. “This isn’t right, honey,” she said.

  “Tell me about it. I can’t hit any of these foolish things!” I said, swinging and missing.

  "Skeletons are supposed to be slow, really slow," Grandma Thorn said. "These can't be real skeletons."

  Veronica turned to Ruby, Frank, Fadhili and the others and said, “Unfreeze!”

  They all started to move again.

  Fadhili and Veronica turned to Ruby. “Who is she talking to?” Fadhili said.

  “Has she lost it?” Veronica asked.

  “Probably not!” Ruby said. “I believe she is talking to her grandma, the ghost.”

  “Well, that makes sense!” Frank said.

  “Oh, right!” Veronica said.

  “It does?” Fadhili said.

  “In our world, yes,” Veronica told him.

  Leaping back to my friends, I said, “Grandma says these skeletons aren’t normal skeletons!”

  “Then what are they?” Frank asked.

  “I don’t know, but they move too fast to be natural.”

  “Hmmm,” Ruby said, looking upwards. “I have an idea.”

  “Is it to run away really fast?” Frank asked.

  “No,” Ruby replied.

  “Oh, good,” Frank said. “I hate running from a fight when people need us!”

  Ruby pulled out her notebook computer from her backpack. She carried that computer everywhere. I guess I should be glad she did. Ruby sat down and crossed her legs. She stared at the screen. She pressed some keys.

  The skeletons had stopped their approach. They stood staring at us, waving their hands and claws trying to look menacing.

  “Are they trying to scare us to death?” Frank asked.

  “Apparently,” Fadhili said.

  “It’s not working,” Veronica said forcefully.

  “It’s working a little,” Ruth whispered a reply.

  Fadhili looked at Frank. “Let’s show these things they need to be scared of us!”

  “I’m with ya!” Frank said.

  The two boys screamed and charged at the pack of waving skeletons.

  “I mean…come on,” I said. “I’m literally way faster than Frank, and I couldn’t touch them.”

  Veronica laughed. “Sometimes boys just need to learn the hard way.”

  “Actually, I can learn a lot from watching this,” Ruby said, pointing her computer’s camera at the charging boys.

  Frank reached the pack of bones a few seconds before Fadhili. Frank swung a monster right cross at what I believed was a charging rhino skeleton. The skeleton stopped charging and teleported backward.

  Fadhili flew across the air, doing a couple of mid-air somersaults. He landed on what would have been the back of another animal skeleton. This skeleton also teleported away.

  “What?” Frank yelled in frustration.

  “See, those are same results I had,” I said. “These things can teleport and are way too fast!”

  "Actually, no," Ruby said. "I mean it's not a definitive no, but from the readings, I'm getting from my computer...these skeletons aren't really here!"

  “Say what now?” Veronica said.

  “These skeletons are ghosts. Or at least they don’t have physical bodies,” Ruby explained.

  “But they aren’t transparent like ghosts,” I said.

  “They ain’t no ghosts,” Grandma Thorn said.

  “Grandma says they aren’t ghosts,” I told my team.

  Frank turned towards us. “Are you saying they aren’t really here?”

  “I’m saying they are projections!” Ruby said.

  “You sure?” Veronica asked her.

  Ruby looked down at her computer screen. "This is science, and a good scientist is never sure. I'm just sure these aren't real ghosts. Well, at least not the type of ghosts we are used to like with phantom ninjas or Grandma."

  “The girl’s right!” Grandma said.

  “Then what are they?” Frank asked.

  Ruby typed away at her keyboard. “Thanks to your dad, this computer has a lot of advanced sensors. I might be able to figure this out if I have time.”

  Without warning, all the skeletons simply faded away.

  “That was weird,” Fadhili said.

  “They didn’t even say goodbye,” Frank groaned. “How rude.”

  “That was definitely weird timing,” Ruby said. “It’s like they knew I was starting to analyze them.”

  “Now at least you know that we and the others weren’t crazy when we all saw these ghosts!” Richard said.

  “That’s true,” Veronica said. “But we never thought you were crazy.”

  “Sure you did, or you wouldn’t have come here,” Beth told us. “But don’t fret. I would have thought we were batty and crazy too! Truthfully, I thought maybe the tribe was undergoing some sort of mass hypnosis or something.”

  “Nope,” Ruby said. “Those things were definitely there. I just can’t tell what they were.”

  “Could they be a new type of ghost?” Fadhili asked.

  “They could be,” Ruby said. “I don’t know. I do know I recorded them and will analyze the recording when we get back to your base.”

  “Let’s get back there now,” Fadhili said. “I would love to see some answers.”

  “Me too,” Veronica said.

  I nodded in agreement.

  Nina Note: Okay, now this was certainly different. Something weird and not wonderful was going down here. I just had no idea what. I didn’t think those skeletons were supernatural, but I needed more proof. I needed some sort of solid evidence that those things were less real than real ghosts. Yeah, that sounds weird, I know.

  What’s not weird is Fadhili. That boy is cute! I actually haven’t even had time to miss Jimmy. I don’t know if that’s a good sign or a bad sign. I have to be careful here. First off, there is Jimmy. Second, I don't want to make Veronica mad; she is my cousin and a pretty powerful mind bender. Of course, I didn't freeze when she accidentally froze everybody else. My mind is certainly a lot harder to bend than most. But that doesn't mean she couldn't do it if she really focused on me.

  Part of me kind of looked at Ve
ronica as a friendly rival. I know that sounds weird, but I can be a bit competitive at times. I didn’t think of her like that because of Fadhili (okay maybe a little) but more because she’s a powerful teen and I’m a powerful teen. A part of me (a part that was bigger than I like to admit) wanted to test her out to see who had more power. I mean if we sparred, who would win? I'd like to think I would. After all, Veronica is pretty much a one trick pony. If her mind bend didn't work on me, I could take her out pretty quickly. A simple nerve pinch and she'd be sleeping like a baby. I smiled just thinking about that.

  Yeah, I did really have an aggressive streak in me. Pretty sure that comes from the cat in me. Cats are cool and laid back but they still like to prove to people they are the best. Cats in general rule. Tigers especially rule. They are the ultimate hunters and fighters. One on one there aren’t many (if any) animals on earth that can stand up to the tiger. And, if needed, tigers can hunt in packs. Even armored rhinos can’t escape from multiple tigers. Yep, I felt pretty confident that if I needed to, I could take out Veronica. Not that I would ever need to. She seemed like a nice girl, and she was my cousin. Yet, the tiger (or maybe the vampire) in me seemed relieved thinking this.

  Okay, I might have a power issue. Well, nobody is perfect.

  Chapter 7: Ant Attack

  Fadhili drove us back to Veronica’s home as fast as he could. We didn’t want to run into any more freaky skeletons. And Ruby really needed to talk to Dad about the information she had gathered. Ruby felt certain these skeletons were tricks or creations of technology, not the supernatural. I felt the same way. I trusted Ruby’s science sense.

  “I’m pretty sure those skeletons weren’t real!” Ruby said.

  “Well, they seemed real enough to me. They were really fast!” Frank told her.

  Ruby shook her head. “Let me put it this way; I don’t believe those were actual skeletons - as in the bones of people and animals that used to be alive.”

  “What makes you so certain?” Veronica asked.

  “They didn’t act like skeletons,” Ruby said. “They moved too fast. They didn’t appear to make sounds.”

  “Maybe they’re ninja skeletons?” Fadhili suggested. "Like the ninja ghosts that Veronica and I fought once."

  "Hey, we fought them too!" I said with a smile. I don't know why I smiled. I guessed it was the common bond we shared.

  “Have you fought glitters too?” Frank asked. “Those glittery things are pretty but also pretty dangerous!” he added.

  “Yes, of course,” Veronica said. “They tricked my dad into inventing a machine that made it rain all the time. It was so annoying until we figured out what was going on. Those glitters have a pretty strong mental pull on people. Almost as strong as mine.”

  “Wow, you are pretty impressive, Cuz,” Frank said gushing.

  “Calm down bro, she’s your cousin,” I told him. As soon as I said those words, I realized that I was feeling threatened by Veronica’s talents.

  Frank held his head up high. “I am aware. I am just telling her how awesome she is!”

  I couldn’t argue. Her mind-control power did have a lot of kick to it. Yeah, maybe for once in my life I was a little jealous. (Okay, maybe this wasn’t the first time I’d experienced jealousy. But this happened to be the first time I was jealous of a member of my own family.) I’d get over it. I figured a little jealousy could be good for me. It could help keep me humble.

  “Good job, Cousin Veronica,” I told her.

  Through the entire trip, Ruby kept concentrating on her screen. She had to have memorized every pixel by now. The image must have been ingrained in her brain. Yet, she still couldn't peel her eyes away from it.

  “What are you looking for,” I asked, giving her a little nudge.

  Ruby’s eyes blinked. “I don’t know. That’s what makes it so tricky. I mean I’m guessing these things were projections, but I can’t find any source that they could be projecting from. There should be weird or extra energy readings around them.” She leaned closer into the screen. “But I’ve got nothing. I hate it!” she groaned.

  “Don’t worry, once Dad and Cousin Vinnie help, you’ll crack this open. You’ll figure it out!” I said.

  “Yeah!” Frank said.

  “I agree,” Fadhili said.

  I smiled at him. My phone beeped. Looking at the phone, I saw a text from Jimmy.

  JIMMY> Hey, u there yet?

  NINA> Yep! And on the case!

  JIMMY> How is Africa?

  NINA> Hot

  JIMMY> How is the case?

  NINA> Not so hot

  JIMMY> Ha… Well I th… SIGNAL LOST

  “Oh no!” I said. “I lost signal.”

  Veronica nodded. “Yeah, even with Dad boosting the wireless signal here, it’s still pretty spotty.” She paused. “Was that text from your boyfriend?”

  “He’s a boy and a friend, a good friend,” I said.

  Frank and Ruby simply smiled at me. "Well, it's true!" I insisted.

  “Sure, sure!” Ruby and Frank both laughed.

  I glared at them, not at all thrilled with them at the moment. I didn’t appreciate them talking about my relationship with Jimmy in front of Fadhili. Funny thing was that I had no idea why. I really shouldn’t have cared. Ruby and Frank truthfully had done nothing wrong. I did feel sort of an attraction for Jimmy. Veronica had made it clear that she had her sights set on Fadhili. I really should have just left well enough alone (as Dad says). Of course, though, I wanted to leave my possibilities open. Yeah, maybe I was acting like a twit. But the heart wants what the heart wants. And on some level I knew, with Jimmy’s mom’s strong dislike of me, it would certainly make it difficult to be more than buds with him – maybe.

  I understood that right now, Veronica had a strong interest in Fadhili. I couldn't blame her, the boy was handsome and nice and smart and smelled great. I guessed the tiger in me really appreciated his scent. Sure, right now he was kind of off-limits, as Veronica had made perfectly clear. But who knows what changes the future could bring? That's why I wanted to keep my options open. Oh dear...was I being a twit, or what?

  “Oh, that’s not good!” Fadhili said, pointing in front of the jeep and snapping my mind back to the present.

  Following his finger, I saw a line of very large reddish ants marching towards the house.

  “Yeah, that can’t be good!” I agreed.

  “Those are army ants. Right?” Ruby asked.

  Veronica nodded. “They are, but they are bigger, way bigger than any army ants we’ve ever seen.”

  “And even the little ones are super destructive!” Fadhili said. He looked at their path. "They are heading towards our house. This can't be random, somebody or something has to be controlling them!"

  “Maybe I can control them?” Veronica said.

  “Have you ever controlled ants?” Ruby asked.

  “No, but I did control my Aunt Vi when she was a pain in the butt,” Veronica said. I kind of liked the fact that she could make a joke under these stressful circumstances. It showed that she kept her cool.

  “Funny,” I said.

  “True,” Fadhili told me. “We were all grateful though. Aunt Vi, we love her, but she can painful.”

  “Seriously, though. If those ants are being controlled by something or someone, there should be no reason why I can’t break that control,” Veronica said.

  She closed her eyes and took some deep breaths. She took one very deep breath. She opened her eyes and locked them (and her mind) on the marching ants. “Stop moving!” she ordered.

  The jeep suddenly veered to the right. I noticed that Frank and Ruby had frozen in place. That meant Fadhili must have too, with his hands locked on the wheel and his foot on the gas. Jumping over the seat to the front of the car, I grabbed the steering wheel and pulled it towards the right. The car straightened on the road. Wow, I was driving for the first time. Well, kind of. Sliding over the seat, I used my foot to kick Fadhili’s foot off the gas. Stretchi
ng over his foot with my leg, I pushed down on the brake. The car jammed to a halt. Holding my foot on the brake, I told Veronica, “I hope your mind command worked as well on the ants as it did on our friends.”

  “Nope!” she said, pointing to the ants that marched on.

  “Can you let our friends move again?” I asked.

  “Right,” Veronica said. “Everybody move!”

  “That was weird,” Frank said.

  Fadhili turned to me. I still had my leg over his as I held the brake pedal down. He smiled the moment he figured out what had happened. "I will place my leg on the brake, and then you may remove yours," he said.

  “Gotcha!” I said.

  Fadhili said, “On three: one, two, three.”

  I lifted my leg. The jeep moved forward. I pulled my leg back. Fadhili pressed down on the brake. Then he moved his foot back to the accelerator. The car started up again.

  “You can’t control these ants. Correct?” he said to Veronica.

  “Correct,” Veronica said. “I can’t pick up any thoughts from them!”

  “Great! Then I don’t feel bad at all doing what I am about to do!” Fadhili said, stepping on the gas harder. The car shot forward.

  “Are you going to the house to warn them?” Ruby asked.

  Fadhili shook his head as we zoomed past the ants. “Not really. If what I have in mind works, there will be no need to warn them.”

  Fadhili pulled the steering wheel, yanking the car in the opposite direction. He lined the car up with the rows of ants. He pushed the gas pedal to the floor as steered directly into ants. The jeep slammed into the lead ants crushing them underneath the tires. Fadhili, keeping the pedal to the metal yelled, "Yahoo!" Driving forward, he swiveled just enough to make sure the wheels of the jeep ran over all the ants. The ants may have been big, but the jeep was bigger and moving faster. After a minute of driving, all that was left of the ants was a mile long line of squashed ant parts.

  “Gross!” Veronica squirmed.

  “Cool!” Frank laughed.

  “Hmmm,” Ruby pondered, “these things should be gross, but instead they are sparkling.”