Her evil eyes pulled toward mine. “Yessssss.”
“Thisssss…isssssn’t over. It’ssssss…never over!” she warned, loudly. Taylor stepped up next to me ready to stomp her with his foot. I stopped him with my hand. “You have…no idea…what isssss coming, Lucassssss…”
I leaned in closer to her and carefully lifted her head from the dirt. As I propped her head upright, I said, “I’m listening.”
She let out a thick, wet cackle that carried across the room. “You have forgotten…the final piece…of the puzzle…”
“What are you talking about?” My patience was at an all time low and her threats were taking a toll on me. Queen Strickland’s eyes came alive with a deep silver hue. Her skin began to disintegrate in my hands and fell away like dust.
“You were supposed to find…your way back from that…other dimension. You were…dessssstined to make it back here. We wanted you here. We needed you here…”
I was completely confused. “What do you mean, we?”
“You didn’t escape our home world by yourssssself. You had help…didn’t you…” she spoke with her mouth no longer functioning. Her jawbone fell to the ground and shattered into tiny gray bits.
“Yes, Ripley told us how to escape. Ripley saved us,” I declared.
“Nooooooo!” she moaned, and her voice started to fade as if she were far away. “There wassssss another being with you.”
“Huh?” I dropped what was left of her head and stood back up. Her face began to melt, but her voice continued to taunt me.
“Ssssssssomeone else helped you. Ssssssssomeone…dark…ha, ha, ha, ha!”
The shadowed person from the maze, the Dark Beacon. That’s who she must be talking about. Her cackle grew louder as her organic body completely disappeared all around us. Only a faint pair of glowing silver eyes hovered in the air like a ghost.
“The Dark Beacon,” I mumbled. Her eyes finally succumbed to the darkness and her final laugh ricocheted off every surface in the devastated Nest.
Taylor looked over at me, and asked the obvious question, “What’s a Dark Beacon?”
“When Soph and I were trapped on that other world we were warned that we would never make it back home unless we found three things, the Beacon of Light, the Beacon of Virtue, and the…”
He cut me off, “Let me guess, the Dark Beacon.”
“Exactly.”
“Well, I assume that since you made it back to Earth, you found all three of them,” he shrugged.
“Kind of. Sophia is the Virtue Beacon, and I am the Light Beacon.”
“Who’s the last Beacon?”
“I don’t know. I never found the other one,” I sighed.
“You didn’t?”
“Nope, the Dark Beacon found me.”
“What?” Taylor exclaimed.
“I never really saw him, he was always wrapped in a shadow, but he pointed us in the right direction when we were lost. Now, I’m thinking maybe he wasn’t helping us at all. Maybe this was all part of the General’s plan?” I glanced over my shoulder, checking our surroundings for anything out of the ordinary. That’s when it hit me, everything in my crazy world was out of the ordinary. An overly aggressive smile curled onto my lips. Taylor tilted his head, curiously.
“What is it?” he asked.
“Nothing, T. I was just thinking that if there is another chapter in this amazing story, we’ll be ready. I’ll be ready. I can’t live my life in fear anymore.”
With a slap to my back, he chuckled, “It’s about freakin’ time!”
We made our way back to our friends. Morgan took Taylor’s hand in hers and placed her head on his chest. Roland was lost in the miniature screen of his cell phone as he filmed everything he could. Olivia sat holding Sophia in her arms, looking up at me with a warm smile. I leaned over and placed a soft kiss on top of Olivia’s head. Ripley slid up next to us and waited for me to give the order.
“All right, Rip, let’s clean this mess up.”
LEVEL 30
KINGS AND QUEENS
The next morning everyone decided we should meet up at my house for a quick breakfast and some healing. It was a very long night for Ripley and I as we made sure every person affected by the attack on our school was safely returned home. Ripley wiped their minds so they wouldn’t remember any of the abductions or craziness that had transpired. With the General and his Queen’s power gone forever, all the victims were spared and all the life forces returned back to where they belonged. I actually only got two hours of sleep and the dark circles under my eyes proved it.
Olivia and Sophia arrived first. Sophia was back to normal after a much needed night of rest. Her bright smile filled my kitchen with positive mojo. She ran up and hugged me as tight as she could.
“I’m so sorry, Lucas. You were right. The Jynshee Rings are too much power for me to handle right now. I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready for them.”
“No sorry’s, Soph. You’re safe, you’re strong, and I’ll always be here for you,” I said, sweetly. Olivia nodded in agreement and Sophia gave me another big hug.
“Thank you,” she whispered, against my chest. Olivia kissed me on the cheek and ran her fingertip along the lines of my tattooed forearm. I loved when she did that.
“Good morning,” she smiled.
That’s when Taylor pulled up in his truck with his stereo blaring one of his favorite 90’s pop bands. We watched from the kitchen window as he turned the engine off with a fist pump. Morgan and Roland hopped from the passenger’s side door. Taylor exited the other side of his truck and they all headed for my front door. I ran to the door to meet them and when I opened it up, Felicity was already waiting there. She had her hand up in a fist, ready to knock on the door, but I had opened the door too soon.
“Lucas,” she said, surprised.
“Good morning.”
“I hope I am not too early,” she said, unsure. Olivia and Sophia joined us and offered Felicity a couple polite hugs. Felicity seemed taken aback by it and she tried not to let us see her smile. I pretended I didn’t see her uncontrollable emotions.
With a nudge to Olivia, I said, “Come on, we have so much to talk about.” We all met at the end of my driveway, next to a pair of rose bushes and my mailbox. Taylor shook my hand and announced loud enough for the rest of the block to hear, “I’m hungry! I want pancakes!”
Everyone laughed, even Ripley vibrated with approval under the skin of my forearm.
“Soon, my friend, soon,” I teased. We all made a circle and I smiled at each one of them, even Felicity. “Thanks for coming over this morning. I wanted to discuss the craziness of the last few days.”
“Is it over, Luc, I mean, really over this time?” Morgan asked, worried. Taylor and I exchanged a quick glance before I spoke.
“I think so. I had Ripley scan the school for any signs of the General or his Queen, and there was no evidence they were still around,” I said.
“What about the portal that the school is located on? Is it still active?” Roland asked, already sure of the answer.
“It’s still open. Wide open, actually,” I sighed.
“Is that bad?” Sophia chimed in.
I nervously smiled down at her, “Maybe. We can’t control what comes through it but we can be ready for it. And now that we know it’s there, I think it’s our responsibility to protect it.”
“Our responsibility?” Olivia inquired. She looked unsure and her arm pulled her sister closer to her.
I reached into the pocket of my shorts and removed all thirteen Jynshee Rings.
“Lucas, what’s going on?” Roland asked, for everyone.
“I don’t know when it’ll happen or how it will happen, but I am certain that this isn’t the end of our adventures.” I gently shook the rings in my hand and they sang with the sounds of wind chimes. “We need to be ready for whatever comes next. We need to be ready…together.”
Olivia looked at me and whispered, “Like a team.”
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I blushed a little. “I guess so. Hold out your hands,” I ordered, politely. Everyone looked around the small circle before extending their hands. I looked over at Sophia and she put her hands in her pockets.
“Soph, don’t worry. What happened to you last time won’t happen again.”
“How can you be sure, Lucas?” Olivia rumbled.
“Because, she won’t have access to all the rings this time. We share the responsibility. We share the power.” My eyes fell to Felicity who seemed overwhelmed to be included. “All of us.”
Sophia whimpered, “But I’m scared.”
I gently pulled one of her hands from their hideout and carefully placed two rings in her palm. She recognized them instantly, the Invulnerability Ring and the Time Ring. I figured she could wield their power better than the rest of us. She smiled as the energy from the rings washed over her. Olivia looked nervous as her little sister placed a ring on each of her index fingers.
Sophia smiled, “They still fit.”
I quickly handed out a pair of rings to everyone except Felicity. I didn’t know which ring went to who, or what they could do with them. I figured we would all have to learn their secrets at our own pace. After everyone placed them on their fingers, I turned to Felicity holding the last three rings. Her eyes fell upon them and she noticed I had saved her original ring for her. With a crooked smile she scooped it up and returned it to the finger she had it on before. Even though she would never admit it, she missed the connection she had with its power.
“Thank you, Lucas.”
I held up a second ring for her to keep. “Here.”
“I don’t want it,” she said, coldly.
“Why not?” I asked, confused.
Sadness fell upon her face. “I don’t deserve it. I almost lost everything the last time I used mine.”
Playfully, I snapped, “And I’ve almost destroyed the planet! Twice!” I outstretched my hand again. “I believe in you.”
“You do?” she whispered. I figured it was time to move past the enemy zone with her and try my best to be her friend. She did know every one of my secrets after all. She slowly picked another ring from my open palm. It left one golden circle in the middle of my hand. Ripley became restless inside my arm at its presence, but I ignored it.
“Yes. I believe in all of you.”
A moment of silence rushed through our halo of friends before Taylor stuck his large fist out into the middle of our circle, and announced, “Team Believe!”
Everyone laughed and stuck their fists against his. I took a moment to enjoy the silliness of the situation. I was the last one to put my hand in and they all squealed when I did. At the same time we all cheered…
“Team Believe!”
Roland laughed out, “You do realize it’s only three months into this school year so far and we’ve already fought demons, aliens, snakes, spiders, and time travel!”
Taylor added, with a wink, “Yeah, it’s shaping up to be one hell of a year!”
We all cheered again, sharing hugs and fist bumps when my nosy neighbors, the Anderson’s, grumbled from their porch. I sent them a sarcastic wave and insisted everyone follow me into my house for some breakfast, and privacy. The Anderson’s spied us as we disappeared through my front door and at the last second, I turned to make sure they knew I was watching them, watch me. With two fingers I pointed at them and then pointed at my angry eyes. They frowned and turned around, retreating back into their hideaway across the street.
With an evil grin, I said, “You better run.”
LEVEL 31
NORTHERN LIGHTS
Monday morning started out like every other Monday, lethargic, annoying, and almost late for first period. You know, the usual. I wasn’t sure I’d even go to school today because I woke up not feeling like myself. I had a throbbing headache at the base of my neck and was having the hardest time keeping my eyes open. It was a very long weekend with saving the world and all, so I just assumed I had pushed myself too hard. As I strolled along the high school courtyard, Taylor and my team waved me over to where they were patiently waiting.
“Morning, Lucas,” Taylor greeted me.
“Hey,” I offered, a bit too groggy.
“Whoa, rough night? You look awful.”
With a yawn, I nodded, “I guess.”
Morgan stepped up wearing her rings, both on the same finger. Their shiny surface’s taunted me. It was as if they were as bright as the sun. “Ready for a new week?” Morgan asked.
I had a hard time pulling my eyes from her rings. After a moment of silence she waved a curious hand in front of my face. It snapped me out of my daze. “Huh, oh sorry…I’m just feeling a bit off this morning. I didn’t sleep well last night.”
“I can see that,” she teased, and tucked an arm around Taylor. He glanced around us at the other students and smiled.
He leaned into me and whispered, “Looks like no one remembers a thing.”
“Remember what?” I asked, without hesitation. They all looked at one another like I was crazy.
Roland placed a hand on my shoulder, and stated, “You’re joking, right?”
Feeling dizzy, I said, “No.”
“Queen Strickland, General Love…umm…saving the entire school,” Roland declared, under his breath.
“Oh, yeah, that’s right.” I let out a fake laugh. Morgan stepped up to me worried.
“Something’s wrong,” she whispered. From across the yard Felicity looked over at us, unsure whether to approach us. She nervously waved to me. Turning my attention back to my friends, I took a deep breath.
“No, I’m okay. I’m just feeling a bit off this morning,” My voice trailed off as I spoke. “I’ll be fine.”
“Are you sure?” she asked. In the distance, Felicity gave up on a response from me and walked away. I put it out of my mind and returned my attention to Morgan.
“Affirmative.”
The first school bell rang throughout the courtyard just as Olivia walked up. She was all smiles and greeted me with a soft kiss to my cheek. It felt soothing.
“Whoa, you feel warm,” she said, surprised. My tattooed arm heated with a faint fever just under my skin. Instantly, I filled with worry. Maybe something was wrong with Ripley? That’s when it hit me, I hadn’t felt Ripley at all this morning.
“Lucas, what is it?” Olivia demanded. I hadn’t said anything to her since she walked up to me. I was too busy with my inner monologue. As the rush of students raced past us to their home rooms, I shook my head, and found a smile.
“Sorry, O, I was just thinking about something.”
“Let me guess, you were noticing my new necklace,” she teased, and held up a silver chain wrapped around her neck. Dangling from it was her two Jynshee Rings. They burned through my retinas like a spotlight and it felt like a hammer to my forehead. “I took Sophia’s advice and decided to work my rings into my outfit. Whatcha think?”
I placed my hand over the top of them to shield my eyes from their blinding light. As I did, my fingers slipped over the edge of Olivia’s hand and her smooth skin calmed the pain. “They look…beautiful.”
The next bell alerted us that we were about to be late. Taylor and Morgan ran off together, offering smiles before they left. Morgan was still worried about me but she pretended she wasn’t. Roland tugged at my shirt to hurry up. “We’re going to be late for first hour, Luc.”
“Okay,” I said, still mesmerized by Olivia’s touch. I leaned into her closest ear and whispered, “See you in second period.”
We quickly kissed before Roland and I raced for our home room. Just before I rushed through the front doors of the school, something caught the corner of my eye. A blazing burst of light along the horizon of the city. It burned with the same intensity as the reflection from the Jynshee Rings. It hurt to look at it, so I ducked my head down and disappeared inside the school.
LUNCH:
My day only became weirder after that. I couldn’t remember anythin
g in any of my first four classes. I was sure I failed a surprise Social Studies quiz, and now, I completely forgot I had lunch detention. As I sat down for lunch, Olivia messaged me on my cell phone.
WHERE U AT?
Taylor read the message over my shoulder as he sat down next to me with his sack lunch.
“That’s right, you may have reset everyones memories about the attack on the school, but you still have one of the longest detention sentences I’ve ever witnessed,” he teased.
“Oh, crap,” I sighed. “I guess I better hurry up and eat. My prison cell awaits.”
“No worries, Bro, just tell Principal Garner you were working out with Big Country, the school’s star athlete!” he joked, making his bicep stand up with a powerful flex of his arm.
I watched him unfazed, and said, “Who’s Big Country?”
Morgan and Roland walked up with their trays of food and sat down at our bench. Taylor stared at me with hard, intense eyes. His brow fell serious, as if he couldn’t believe his ears.
“I’m Big Country. You know that. Lucas, you, more than anybody else, know how much I hate that nickname,” he declared. Morgan and Roland exchanged a confused stare.
“Oh, yeah, that’s right,” I mumbled, embarrassed. I stood up from the lunch table and said, “I better get to detention.” My trio of best friends sat in silence as I scurried from the cafeteria.
I wish I could say the last half of the school day went better, but it didn’t. I avoided everyone and rushed home at the end of the day, missing my afternoon detention as well.
HOME:
Laying across my bed, I held my arms over my eyes, blocking out the unbearable light from the sky. My head was pounding still with an unforgivable migraine. I still hadn’t heard or felt anything from Ripley. I was officially worried now. Things weren’t right anymore. Something was very wrong with me.
Suddenly, a tap came from my bedroom window, and then, another. I hopped from my bed and peeked out my bedroom blinds. It was Olivia with a handful of pebbles in her hand. She readied to toss another one up at me but stopped when she saw me. She looked upset. With a nod of her head, she asked me to meet her downstairs.
Lucas Ryan Versus: The Return Page 19
