Ted Saves the World

by Bryan Cohen

  Chapter 32

  Winny had been blabbering to Erica about some online video when the power went out.

  Unlike the rest of her class, Erica didn't move when Nigel came on the loudspeaker. She was actually pretty prepared for it.

  "What are you doing?" Winny asked as she packed everything up.

  Winny's outfit barely met the school's dress code for covering up skin. Erica was certain she would have worn something easier to run in if she'd known an evil spirit from another world was going to try and kill them.

  "I like his voice. I want to see what happens."

  If she were telling the truth, Erica would have said she was figuring out which was the closest weapon she'd stored. She'd gotten to school a few minutes early to leave herself a few treats if anything interesting occurred during class hours. She'd rather carry a crossbow, but it would probably raise more than a few suspicions. Fortunately, she had little trouble finding items around the building that would serve her purpose.

  "Do you want me to stay?" Winny asked. "His voice is pretty cute."

  The previous Erica knew how easy it was to convince Winny and Beth to do whatever she said. She'd gotten both of them to break into their parents' liquor cabinets on multiple occasions. She'd also convinced them to skinny-dip during a visit to the contaminated part of the beach, resulting in a backside rash for all three of them. It was a power she’d abused on multiple occasions. The new Erica wasn't quite used to her own pull.

  "I'm just kidding, Winny. Go find Beth in the parking lot, I'll meet you by your car."

  "OK! Be safe."

  Winny joined the others scurrying into the hallway. Erica thought about Ted. He was on the exact opposite side of the building right now. She then wondered if Nigel had taken their schedules into account. She'd wanted to drop the act and warn Ted first thing in the morning, but he wasn't in homeroom. Between first and second period, he was nowhere to be found, and multiple tests in a row kept her occupied until the mid-afternoon. She momentarily wished she was put into the body of a janitor or the principal instead. The dead body requirement sometimes led to slim pickings.

  "The joys of being a teenager," she said. "Now, what's my prize this round?"

  Erica looked both ways and entered the hallway. There were two janitor closets, a book storage room and a utility area she'd used for storing her weapons. When she opened the door to the nearest location, she found her large metal plumber's wrench still in its resting place. She tucked it into her backpack and took a detached broom handle as well.

  "It's just like Christmas. Sometimes you get the best gifts for yourself."

  Erica poked her head out of the closet and saw one of the henchmen. When she didn't sense a dark soul nearby, she knew it was one of the humans. The dark souls had to keep humans around for their ritual, but Erica knew it was a bad idea to send one her way. She snuck up behind the man she recognized as Carter, the guy Ted had floated into the ceiling fan. He walked into Erica's classroom, and she followed close behind.

  "Oh little lady, come out, come out wherever you are," he said. "I always liked cheerleaders in high school."

  Carter pointed a gun in every corner of the room, mentally clearing it. He dropped the gun to his side and turned around. Before he could react, Erica kicked his right wrist, sending the gun under the radiator.

  "I was looking for you," he said, pulling out a knife.

  "I figured."

  Carter swung with the knife, which Erica blocked with the broom handle. The knife nearly cut the stick in two, forcing Erica to break it in half on her knee. When Carter tried to swing again, she quickly snapped his arm and elbow back with two quick blows. He switched hands, but his efforts led to the same result. Carter rubbed his elbow, where a bruise had already begun to form.

  "You're quick for a girl."

  "You're ugly for a person."

  Carter pulled the knife overhead, attempting to swipe down at Erica. She bent to the ground and swept her legs through Carter's ankles. He tumbled to the ground. The knife bounced out of his hands and landed a few inches away. Erica jumped on top of him.

  "Oh, I'm living out my fantasy," Carter grabbed her waist and lifted his head. He rolled to the side and kept going until he was on top of her. "Except I'm on top in it."

  Carter clenched his fists and swung, but Erica blocked his attempts to hit her in the face. As he reached for the knife, Erica grabbed his shirt and used his momentum to roll him back over.

  "And this is my fantasy."

  One powerful punch sent Carter's head right into the ground. He released his grip as the lights went out. Erica stood up and flexed her hand.

  "Not even a broken nail."

  She picked up the knife and the gun and tossed them out the window. Neither truly suited her combat style. She looked at Carter one last time before walking back into the hallway.

  "Not bad, cheerleader body, not bad at all."