by L B Anne
First, some men stole my dad's round stool he used when working on things in our garage. Neighbors saw it happen, but no one would stop them or get a license plate number, so I went after them. I followed them to a dark building on a campus of some sort.
Inside the building, there was a black sludge, worse on different floors and really bad in the attic. It reminded me of a thick gooey black mold. But it was alive. It covered the stairwells too, rolling and swelling, blocking my exit. I searched and searched for a way out while dodging the sludge tentacles it threw out, barely missing me. Finally, the only way I could escape was to burst through a window.
The sludge was after some kid, but it wouldn’t leave that building.
Then the whole scene switched. Dingy, the kid next door, was there for some reason. I promised to take him to see the new Spiderman movie for his birthday, but there was a strange guy there—a friend of his mom’s. And he was evil. He was somehow a part of that sludge.
I had to figure out a way to save everyone from him. I stood in between them, looking back and forth from the guy to Dingy, his mom, and the people that were suddenly behind them. Quite a few of them were kids. The guy lunged toward them, but he would have to go through me to get them. I jumped, throwing my body horizontal in front of them to block him off.
I awoke before feeling the impact and sat up squeezing my t-shirt at my chest. I used my body as a shield, I thought. What was that about? One thing was for sure, I was not going back to sleep any time soon.
My hands searched over my blanket for my phone. No matter what time it was, if Chana wasn’t in a deep sleep, she always picked up for me. I typed a text message, deleted it, and sat the phone next to me on the bed. Mr. Tobias’s warning about my friends and family kept repeating in my head. I would put them in danger.
“Sheena, what’s wrong?” my mom asked before I left for school. “You look like you haven’t slept a wink.”
“Nothing,” I replied as a grabbed my lunch from the refrigerator.
I wasn’t trying to be a brat. It’s just that I had nothing further to say. I couldn’t help it. I couldn’t act all cheery-jolly when I had so much on my mind.
“I’m making breakfast—”
“No, thank you.”
“You need to eat.”
“I have granola.”
I quickly kissed her on the cheek and headed for the front door. I knew without turning around that she stood there still holding her spatula, staring at me.
As I walked down the front steps, my pocket vibrated. Chana had already called twice that morning and sent several texts. I guess it was about time I answered.
I stopped walking and stared at the screen.
It wasn’t Chana.
Gleamer, you are not alone, it read.
My eyes began to water. I didn’t realize how overwhelmed I’d become with everything until that first tear rolled down my cheek. Another text followed that one with a phone number.
Before I could talk myself out of it, I tapped the number and it connected, ringing several times before it was picked up by a familiar voice.
“Mr. Tobias?”
“Little Gleamer, how did you— Never mind, I think I already know the answer to that. Have you calmed down?”
I nodded and sniffed as if he could see me. I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out as tears continued to roll down my cheeks.
Mr. Tobias let out a deep sigh and spoke gently. “Has something happened?”
I tried to speak again, but only whimpered.
“Close your eyes, Little Gleamer.”
I stood on the corner and did as he instructed, not even thinking about what I looked like if someone saw me.
“Breathe in and out deeply.”
I stopped crying and took a couple of deep breaths.
“Think about whatever is bothering you from beginning to end. Picture it, like a movie.”
There was so much, but the dream was the first thing that came to mind. I don’t know how long I stood there. I jumped hearing him speak again. I’d forgotten I was on the phone.
“I saw it,” Mr. Tobias said. “That sludge from your dream—something’s coming and people are in danger.”
Had we just connected somehow? How did he do that?
“You’re not alone.”
That’s what was in the text.
“I don’t know why you were shown this. You haven’t matured enough for this warning. You must be connected to it somehow.”
“What kind of warning?” There it was. My voice was back.
“I’m not sure yet. Watch the people around you. There will be signs. I’ll get back to you. May your vision be true.”
Why does he always say that? True? Like in my dream? Was that a vision? I don’t want that to be true. I was pretty much chased by a river of black lava that was alive! I thought as I watched cars passing by.
A guy in a silver truck stopped at the stop sign and glanced over at me.
I gasped.
He quickly turned away and sped off.
Either I’m seeing things. or his eyes just flashed red.
I hurried to school. In homeroom, someone plopped down in the seat next to me. My mind was on that guy's eyes. I believed I’d seen them before.
“Oww!” I rubbed my arm from the jab. “What was that for? You’re so violent.”
“What do you think it was for?” said Chana. “I’ve been texting you all morning, and you haven’t responded. What happened? Did you get caught? Is that why you didn’t text back? Did your parents take your phone? You must be grounded for the rest of the year.”
“You haven’t talked to Teddy?”
“I haven’t seen Theodore. He’s not even in class yet.”
I looked ahead at the vacant seat where Teddy usually sat in class just before Clarence sat down there.
“It was a mistake. We never should have snuck out.”
“What? Why? Did you get more information?”
“Not really.”
I tried to change the subject. “Your bun is super cute. I should’ve worn my hair up—”
“I don’t care about that. Did you see anything?”
I thought about what Mr. Tobias said about the Murk not being able to see what’s in my mind, but when I talk, they learn all they need to know. “No. It was uneventful.” Don’t bite your lip. Don’t look off to the side. She knows when you’re lying.
Chana looked at me strangely. There was so much I wish I could tell her. But if I acted like I still didn’t know what I was, which I really didn’t really, the Murk wouldn’t know either. Sheesh, why didn’t I calm down enough at the hospital to ask more questions, so I could’ve at least found out what the Murk were? Now I wouldn’t know what it was if I saw it, or them, coming.
The next day, I waited for Teddy to sneak up on me and pull my hair, or punch or poke me when I wasn’t looking, or run up on me and Chana with a, “Double trouble! What’s up?” But it never came.
As much as Teddy complained about school, in all the years I’d known him, he never missed a day. I believe he held off getting chickenpox until summer so he wouldn’t miss school. Where the heck was he?
I texted him that night, but he didn’t respond. Chana and I checked his grams and snaps, but there were no new posts.
“Is Theodore sick?” Mr. Haleigha asked in class, like I know all of Teddy’s business.
“I don’t know.”
The last thing I wanted to do was go to his house. Talk about the most irritating parents ever. His mom treated us like babies and his dad made fun of me every chance he got. “Just leave her alone, Dad, please,” Teddy would say as his dad laughed at his corny jokes. Being the respectful girl that I am, I faked laughing so his dad would really think he was funny.
I ignored Chana’s stares in class. I think she was worried about me even though I tried to assure her that everything was okay. I was totally stressed, though. Mr. Tobias hadn’t gotten back to me about the dream, I couldn
’t figure out why the guy in the truck’s eyes flashed red, my mom acted like she thought I might be on drugs because of how distant I’d become, Teddy was missing, and Ariel stopped showing up also. I didn’t even know where she lived so I could check on her. Nor did anyone else. I was more than ready to go back to the way things used to be—pre-Tobias—pre-angel sighting.
After a couple of days things were back to normal, like all was becoming right in the universe again.
“Sheena!” Ariel called from the hall as I headed to my class. Her eyes were brighter than any human being I had ever seen, except for one…Mr. Tobias…Her eyes were like Mr. Tobias’s. Interesting.
Her flowery scent hit me before she got close.
“Ariel, where have you been? Were you sick?”
“No, I had to, umm…go out of town.”
“Oh.”
She touched my shoulder.
“Ouch.”
Her fingers flicked together, releasing the piece of lint she’d removed from my hair. “Sorry, I carry a lot of static electricity. I’m overflowing with energy.” She laughed and looked around at the FPS that were prancing down the hall. “You know, not everyone here is as nice as you. Thank you for that. I will remember it forever.”
Why did she say that? “Are you going somewhere?”
Instead of replying to my question, she said, “We have gym class together now. Did you know that?”
“No. Were you just added?”
“Yep,” she said with a huge grin.
“Okay, after lunch I’ll see you there. Where’s your next class?”
“Upstairs.”
“What subject?”
“I don’t know. I know when I get there,” she laughed.
I shook my head, watching her bounce away. She was the sweetest, oddest girl I’d ever met. How does she not know her class?
“Boom shakalaka!”
I think I jumped ten feet.
“Stop sneaking up on people. Why are you even saying that, did you just dunk a ball or something?”
Teddy couldn’t stop laughing. “Nope, just sneaking up on you. You’re best friends with the new girl now?”
“No, just friends." I pulled him to the side. "Something is odd about her.”
“Ya think?”
“No, I mean really. But we can talk about that later. I stared at Teddy with my I-should-punch-you look.
“What?” asked Teddy.
“Are you going to tell me?”
“Tell you what?”
“Where have you been?”
The bell rang.
“We’re late, run!”
Teddy walked into class with a huge grin and his arms outstretched as if he expected the whole class to smile and cheer at his appearance. Instead, he received several laughs and one clap.
He jumped into the seat next to me, causing the girl that was about to sit there to have to find another seat. “Good-bye, see you later,” he said as he waved at her.
“That was rude, Teddy. Excuse him,” I said to the girl.
Chana sat on the other side of me.
“Any new developments? I keep forgetting to ask you about that question you were supposed to ask Mr. Tobias.”
“What question?”
Chana leaned toward me and whispered. “Can they take—”
“Oh, no. I forgot. I still need to ask about that.”
“Then what the heck did you talk to him about?”
“I don’t even remember.” I looked ahead at the blackboard, at her from the corner of my eye, and back at the blackboard. Sheesh, she knows me. She knows I’m keeping something from her. I need to figure out what I’m going to tell her, just a little something that I won’t have to go into detail about.
Chana sucked her teeth. “I have something. I asked my parents about him.”
“What did they say?” I wanted to know even though now I totally believed everything Mr. Tobias said about himself.
“My dad said Mr. Tobias used to help the police. He called with information, or he would show up at a crime scene, and they thought he was a part of the crimes that were happening at first. They think he has ESP, or something.”
“Chana and Sheena, do either of you have the answer?”
“Ubiquitous!” Chana exclaimed.
The whole class turned to us and laughed.
“He hadn’t really asked a question,” said Teddy.
“Okay, that’s enough. Pay attention, please.”
“You got it, Mr. Haleigh,” Chana replied.
I turned toward the teacher and sat up straight in my seat. I looked like I was paying attention, but I wasn’t. I thought about what Chana’s parents had said. Is that how I’m supposed to help? Am I going to be able to do what Mr. Tobias did and help the police? I couldn’t see myself doing it and didn’t want to know about murders and whatever else might be going on. Kids don’t know about that kind of stuff. I wanted to stay in my naive little cocoon.
The lights dimmed and the movie version of the book we were reading began to play on the screen at the front of the room.
Chana tried to slip me a note, but my eyes drifted toward the windows.
The sky darkened. It didn’t darken like storm clouds had drifted in, but like something large and dark flew past the window, circled around, and hovered near.
I stood transfixed by the shadow and walked to the window.
“Sheena…What are you—?”
I didn’t see anything outside, but then I closed my eyes and focused, removing any room noises. I opened my eyes and froze there like a statue. At least I didn’t scream or panic.
“Sheena,” said Mr. Haleigha.
Teddy jumped up and ran to my side. “She wants to pull down the shade so we can see better,” he said as he pulled down the shade of the next window. I know he was covering for me, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away from what I saw.
“What are you doing?” Teddy whispered. “Pull down the shade.”
I reached up as I stared out the window. “The Murk,” I whispered.
“Just pull it down,” Teddy responded nervously.
I trembled as I pulled the shade down and then ran from the room.
Down the hall from the class, I leaned forward and braced myself with an arm out against the wall, breathing heavily.
Mr. Tobias was right. I can see them, and they know where I am. But what I was more concerned about was the dark area that swirled and expanded was most severe near Mr. Tobias’s house.
Teddy followed me out of the class. “What is it?” he asked.
“Mr. Tobias…” I replied, my eyes tearing. “They’re going for him.”
“Who?”
“The Murk.”
17
“W
ait right here,” Teddy instructed.
I nodded while leaning against the lockers, trying to calm myself to keep from hyperventilating.
He ran back down the hall a few minutes later. “I called Mr. Tobias. He’s okay.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, but he’s worried about you, though. Like you’re really his granddaughter or something. He wants us to come over.”
“I don’t want to. Wait, why do you have his number?”
“He gave it to me. I’m kind of team-Tobias now. I believe him. He says there are things you need to know. He mentioned your dream. What did you dream?”
“I-I don’t remember.”
“You remember. I can tell. You know, Chana and I are a part of this with you. We stand with you, or we fall with you. That’s the kind of friends we are. Don’t push us away.”
“I’m not.”
“Yeah, right. Anyway, about that angel, I know you’re scared, but there’s some kind of major destiny you have, I think.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t ask for it. My normal destiny was fine with me. I didn’t want to be a gleamer. Things are happening…”
“What things?”
“Nothing.”
“There y
ou go again. You’re really starting to get on my nerves. Stop shutting me out.”
The bell rang, and Teddy and I were still standing in the same place, arguing. I needed to go back in the classroom and make up something to explain myself to Mr. Haleigha.
Kids flooded the hall. Those from my class looked at me like I was more weird than usual.
“I’ll meet you in the cafeteria,” yelled Chana before hurrying off somewhere.
After I mustered up enough fake tears to make Mr. Haleigha believe I wasn’t faking having stomach pains (somewhere between I stubbed my pinky-toe on the bed frame, and my cat died), I grabbed my sack lunch from my locker and trudged to the lunchroom.
Chana walked up, put her arm through mine, and dragged me off to the lunch counter with her. “Rumor has it—meaning bathroom gossip—you ran out of class because you had to throw up. Are you okay? And what were you lovebirds in such an intense conversation about?”
“Kissing.”
Chana almost dropped her lunch tray. “Really? Will it be your first kiss?”
“No.”
“Dang, how many boys have you kissed?”
“No, I meant I was joking. You know everything about me. You would know if I’d been kissed.”
“Just checking, but I bet Teddy kissed you. That’s what happened when you ran out of class, huh?”
“Yeck, no! Stop it.”
“Well, it should happen. You guys need to stop fighting it, you’re getting married one day.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Anyway, you’ve been off, but something is even more off about you today,” Chana said as she carefully placed french fries inside her cheeseburger. That’s the way she always ate burgers and fries, and she was the only person I’d ever seen do it. “Here comes your friend.”
I looked up, seeing Ariel approach and sit with us.
“Are you going to eat today?”
“I’m not hungry,” she replied, looking around.
“Are you sure? I have extra.”
“I’m sure. That kid over there in the jean jacket, he didn’t get in the lunch line and he didn’t bring a lunch.”
She just came in. How could she possibly know that? I pulled a sandwich out of my bag. “Do you want to give it to him?”
