by Candy Crum
“It? What do you mean ‘it’?” she asked. “You said ‘thing’ before. I thought I heard something in there, but I have been trying to get that sound out of my head.”
Cass sighed again. He didn’t want to talk about it. The ‘it’ he referred to was a monster for which he didn’t know the true name. The Hydra. It was a demon with only one goal: to kill him. He didn’t know why, and he didn’t understand. Cass wasn’t even sure that he wanted to understand. Still, his friend was worried for him, and he wanted to help her.
“I don’t exactly know how to explain it,” he said. “It was terrifying. Before I tell you anything about it, just know that it sounds absolutely crazy. But I know what I saw. It was real.”
Jess reached over, gently holding his hand. “I know it was real. I may not have seen it, but I saw what it did. Like I said, that water was splashing up everywhere. Waves all over that pool. Under the water was terrifying. It is impossible that you did that on your own. Whatever you tell me, I’ll believe.”
Cass took a drink of his bottled water, trying to gather his thoughts before explaining the things he’d been too afraid to even think about on his own. His dreams had been much different since that night. Instead of him only being dragged down and fighting the water, losing every time, he saw the thing that pulled him down. Every night he saw the Hydra, wrapping its massive clawed hand around his ankle and pulling him down. He saw himself battling the monster, letting the water help him instead of being afraid of it. Still, though his dreams now allowed him to be the victor, he still considered them nightmares. He was still petrified of that thing and the possibility that it may come back.
“Like I said,” he began, “I have no idea what it was. It had multiple heads. Each one looked like a dragon.”
Jess’ brows furrowed. “Multiple heads?”
He nodded. “Multiple heads. Yes. Razor sharp teeth. Scaled skin. Its hands, feet, whatever you’d like to call them, were large enough to wrap around my torso. This thing was massive. If you’re asking yourself how it managed to stay completely under the water, well I can answer that for you. It was curled up. It had a very long tail. It was just a huge dragon with maybe six, or seven heads. I’ve seen it before, in books, but I don’t remember where from. Honestly, I am too freaked out about it to even look it up. It was trying to drown me, or I guess so anyway. It slashed at my legs, and kept me under, but it never bit me. I don’t know why. I don’t understand. If it wanted me dead, it could have just ended it with a bite, which it tried to do in the end. Somehow I managed to stop it.”
“Maybe it needed your body for something,” Jess said.
Cass looked up from the food he’d been playing with. “I didn’t think of that. When it disappeared, it disappeared into nothingness. It could have taken me with it. That’s even more terrifying. Thanks for the talk.”
Jess smiled. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you more. I just mean, maybe it needed your body as proof. I can’t understand why, though. Did anything else happen? How did you survive? You were under there for so long. You should have drowned.”
“I’m not sure. In all of the dreams I’d had, I never took a breath. I refused. I fought, and fought, but never took a breath. Finally, I’d just pass out, or die. I can’t be sure. But…” he trailed off a little, remembering the experience. Remembering something that seemed even more insane.
“What?” Jess asked. “What is it?”
“A voice,” he said finally. “I remember someone speaking to me. His voice was just a whisper, but something about it gave me hope. It made me feel safer.”
Jess swallowed hard, sitting back a bit as her eyes locked on his. She hadn’t been the only one to hear one.
“What did he say?” she asked.
“He told me to breathe,” Cass replied. “That was it, really. He just told me to breathe.”
Jess sat back even more, staring at Cass with shock on her face.
“What…” she sighed, unable to believe the direction the conversation had gone in. She hadn’t planned to tell him about the voice she’d heard. She was convinced she was losing it. “What if I told you that I heard a voice, too?”
“What?” he asked. “Did you hear him, too?”
Jess shook her head. “No. The voice that I heard was a woman. My body locked up. I wasn’t able to move. I couldn’t understand how being afraid was keeping me there. Keeping me from saving you. I was fighting it, though. I was just about to jump in; that’s when I heard her. She told me not to jump in. That you could survive what was happening, but that I would die. I had no idea what she meant by that. Wait… Did you? Did you breathe under water?”
Cass nodded. “Maybe that’s what she meant. If you’d jumped in and that thing grabbed you, you’d have drown. Maybe she knew that.”
“This is all…” Jess paused. “I don’t even have a word to describe it. So, you can breathe underwater?”
“When I inhaled, I thought for sure that was it. I was going to drown. That was the only logical thing that could happen. Instead, my lungs stopped burning, and I felt stronger. I felt so much stronger. I didn’t realize it then, but looking back on it now, when I can think clearly, that’s what I felt. Almost powerful, even. It was unbelievable.”
“Have you tried to do it since then?” she asked.
Cass shook his head. “I thought about it, but I couldn’t bring myself to try. I’m still not even sure how I did it then. Even believing that I had that kind of ability tucked away somewhere, how did it work with all the chlorine in the water? That should have burned worse than anything.”
Jess shrugged. “Maybe your body was able to filter it out.”
“It’s possible,” he said. “Well, possible in the impossible sense. None of this seems possible. What is happening to me?”
Jess squeezed his hand again. “Us, apparently. Something is happening to both of us. I’m not sure what, but we will figure this out. Together. I promise.”
“I’m going to go dump this,” Cass said. “I’m not hungry, which is very strange for me. I just can’t eat right now. Thinking about all of that.”
Cass stood and made his way over to the trash cans, dumping his tray and leaving the cafeteria. Jess had promised they’d figure everything out, but Cass wasn’t so sure. He didn’t even know what there was to figure out.
Κεφάλαιο VII
TUESDAY
Texas
Darius sat in his seat, waiting impatiently for the bell to ring. His pencil tapped furiously on the desk, annoying several of his classmates that were in close proximity. Since the game, Darius had been confused and rather obsessive about what had happened. When that lightning bolt destroyed the large light pole, he’d felt something: an almost electric current flowing through him. He wasn’t sure what meant, but it had him worried. He had always been very good in school and had always enjoyed being around his friends, but he worried about that night. It was something that happened all the time, lightning striking something, but for a reason that he couldn’t understand, he felt utter anxiety about it.
As soon as the bell rang, Darius was up and out of his seat. He grabbed his things and left the class. His locker was just down the hall from where his previous class had been, and he stopped to exchange his books before heading across the school to the next class. As he made his way down the hall, he heard shouting, his curiosity then only serving to move him faster. When he arrived, he saw one of his female friends, Lauren, arguing with her boyfriend, Josh. They hadn’t yet drawn a full crowd, but they had caught the attention of some of the other students in the immediate area.
“Leave me alone!” Lauren said. “I don’t want to be with you.”
“Would you shut up?” Josh replied. “Stop yelling! Just get over yourself.”
“What does that even mean?” she asked. “You cheated on me. I don’t want anything to do with you. I won’t be treated like crap. You’re a liar and a jerk. Just go away. You might have been able to do that to oth
er girls and have them let you get away with it, but not me.”
Lauren turned to walk away and Josh grabbed hold of her arm, yanking her back toward him.
“Ouch!” Lauren yelped, trying to tug her arm back, but unable to in his vice-like grip.
“I’m not done talking to you,” he said.
“Let her go,” Darius said, fully arriving to the site of the argument.
It did not matter to him what was happening. There was no reason for Josh to grab hold of Lauren the way that he had.
“Butt out,” Josh said. “This is none of your business.”
“Let me go,” Lauren said, again trying to pull away.
Josh tightened his already painful grip, causing Lauren to grimace in pain. He yanked her toward him for the second time, causing her to cry out yet again.
“I told you to let her go,” Darius said. “That’s the last time I’m going to tell you.”
Darius stepped closer, only inches away from the couple. Tension filled the air not only around them, but even in the growing crowd of students as they watched on.
“You can speak to her without having your hands on her,” Darius said.
He could hear the chatter in the background from the other students starting to gather, but he ignored it.
“I won’t get to do much talking if she runs off, now will I?” Josh asked. “No get the hell out of here. This isn’t any of your business.”
Darius had warned him twice and kept true to his word. He didn’t plan to warn him a third time. Darius grabbed hold of Josh’s wrist, the very one connected to the hand holding onto Lauren. He squeezed, feeling the bones in Josh’s wrist move a little. The effect was immediate. Josh groaned as his hand lost its grip. He let go of Lauren, though it was involuntary. She stepped back a few feet, wanting to get out of Josh’s reach.
As soon as Lauren was out of the way, Josh swung at Darius with his free hand. It was so quick that Darius didn’t have time to counter, taking the full brunt of the punch directly in the face. Josh yelled out, stumbling backwards as the pain hit him. Darius looked at his opponent, very confused to see Josh in pain instead of himself after having taken a punch to the face.
Josh’s brows furrowed, no doubt enraged at seeing his strike had absolutely no effect on Darius at all. He jumped forward again, but Darius was ready. Josh ran directly at Darius, clearly intending to take Darius down to the floor, but failing. Darius had braced for the attack and, as Josh collided with him, Darius went nowhere. He moved one foot forward in order to get a better position before shoving hard, tossing Josh several feet back.
A hallway full of gasps and chatter could be heard from the crowd reacting to the powerful shove. Darius, himself, joined them in their shock at the strength he’d just discovered. He felt it again. A small tingle in his fingertips. It was a feeling that he couldn’t explain. He felt it the night of the football game, but in the sleepless nights since, he thought that it was his adrenaline causing a strange sensation in his body. Right then, feeling that again, his anxiety over that night grew all over again.
In that moment, he decided to do anything that he could to keep from fighting Josh any longer. He didn’t want to take the risk of hurting him, or anyone else. In his mind, he truly believed he was being irrational in thinking the way that he was - that he held some kind of secret ability. His subconscious, however, would not allow him to believe anything else.
“Josh,” Darius said. “This needs to stop. You were out of line grabbing her, and you know that. Just drop this.”
“No!” Josh said. “You decided that you wanted to start something. You put your hands on me first, Darius.”
Darius felt so angry at how Josh was behaving. Josh was completely okay with grabbing Lauren, and believed he was just fine and allowed to do so, but Darius doing the same to him was the problem. Darius couldn’t believe the arrogance and disrespect Josh had. He was struggling between the need to stay away from his opponent and the desire to teach him a lesson in not picking on people weaker than himself.
“You put your hands on her first. It should be her kicking the crap out of you, but you’re a lot bigger than she is. What’s wrong? Don’t like it much when the roles are reversed?” Darius asked, immediately regretting his words. They weren’t just words. They were a challenge.
Josh ran forward again, swinging as soon as he was close enough to Darius to reach him. Darius moved, but not far enough, as he still took the punch. Again, the hit barely registered with Darius. He had no idea why he was able to withstand the blows so easily, knowing Josh was a very strong guy, but he certainly didn’t want to argue it.
Darius fought back, striking Josh in the stomach, causing him to double over for a moment.
“Leave Darius alone!” Lauren shouted.
“Shut up, you idiot. You’re the reason this is happening,” Josh snapped.
That was it. Darius couldn’t handle any more. He couldn’t stand watching his friend get treated so badly, especially knowing how good she’d been to her boyfriend in the first place. Darius’ hands began to sweat a little as his nerves grew. The tingling had become almost unbearable, but he no longer cared. The lights flickered and everyone but Darius seemed to notice.
When Josh charged again, Darius was prepared to retaliate. Without hesitation, Darius lifted his right leg and kicked Josh right in the chest, sending him flying backward ten feet, landing flat on his back and sliding even further. Darius took a few steps forward, his fists clenched and his well-defined arms flexed tight from the tension and adrenaline. A surge of energy passed through him.
“Enough!” Darius yelled, his voice echoing through the halls.
The electricity began whistling as it surged through the lights, the hallway getting brighter as the florescent bulbs were brought to the brink of their capacity.
“Relax, man!” Josh said as he looked around almost frantically.
Josh was still on the floor, sliding backwards as Darius slowly approached, his fists still clenched.
“I am tired of watching you hurt everyone that cares about you,” Darius said. “I’ve seen you hurt her for the last time.”
“I won’t!” Josh said. “I won’t go near her anymore!”
“That is exactly right,” Darius said, his voice low. “I don’t want to see you around her, or picking on anyone else around this school that you feel is beneath you, because I assure you, they aren’t. You are the lowest one here.”
Darius stepped closer. Josh was unable to back away any further, hitting the roadblock behind him that was a wall of spectating students refusing to let him get away. Most of them having been victim to Josh’s bullying at some point in time. Darius stood over Josh, looking down at him with angry, furrowed brows. His expression deadly serious.
“I’m warning you now,” Darius said. “If anyone tells me that you have caused them any pain, then I will make sure you feel ten times what they did. Do you understand?”
Josh stared up at Darius, afraid, but clearly angry that he’d been bested. The lights began to dim a bit as they turned back to normal. Darius stood, patiently waiting for Josh to answer, but he just stared at Darius, clearly not wanting to give in with so many of his previous victims watching.
Darius quickly realized that Josh was hesitating, and knew that he wanted to preserve his bad boy image. It angered him all over, and he took another step forward.
“Answer me!” Darius shouted, the lights growing so bright that the flash forced everyone in the hallway to turn and close their eyes. The whining bulbs blew, one by one, starting just above Darius and moving down the hallway.
“Yes!” Josh shouted above the confused chatter. “I understand!”
Darius didn’t bother replying. He simply turned and walked away, exhaling deeply as he walked down the hall away from everyone. As soon as he could, he turned down another hall, quickening his steps. He wanted out of the school. He wanted away from everyone. He’d felt it again, the exit of all that energy, and th
ere was no longer any question in his mind. Something was happening to him, and he was afraid. Darius was very afraid.
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON
(Central European Time)
Italy
For years the people of Naples and other towns and cities surrounding Mount Vesuvius had prepared for the possibility that it may erupt. In the past sixteen years many safety measures had been put in place, given the volcano was essentially ready to go at any time. It had even earned the title “Europe’s Time Bomb” because of it. The time had come for those safety measures to be put to work.
The video footage that was leaked by Davide, Antonio, and Mark had gone world-wide, and still, the people that it affected most were indifferent. Arguments arose among the Italian and Greek people. The Greeks warned of myths from thousands of years ago come to life, and the Italians shouted back. They wanted to know why they should believe any of it when the Greeks themselves dismissed the gods over two thousand years ago.
Municipalities around Vesuvius had long been divided into sections according to which were most in danger, and what types of dangers those were. Red areas, those directly surrounding the grumbling mountain, had already been evacuated due to the increased seismic activity, as well as other evidence of an eminent eruption. Most of the time, weeks would pass, allowing them to follow each protocol on alerting the citizens properly as to not induce panic.
The coming eruption, however, was not an ordinary one. While people were indifferent at first, the obvious changes in the volcano were no longer able to be ignored and were inducing panic. All safety measures had to be skipped, as they were forced to go straight into the alarming stage. Italy panicked as Mount Vesuvius once again rumbled. Earthquakes measuring over 7.0 were crumbling buildings down to the ground. Alarms could be heard everywhere, TVs were showing footage of the now heavily smoky volcano, radios no longer played music, but only warnings.
“Leave now!” the DJs said. “Leave the area! This is not a joke, or a test. Seismologists and Volcanologists say that Vesuvius is erupting. Earthquakes are tearing down cities in the area. We just hope and pray that the area was fully evacuated before this happened. We will not be issuing any more alerts because we are also evacuating. Please do the same. Tell your family and friends. Leave now while you still have the chance.”
