by Wesley King
“You should be getting better every night,” Eldon growled, appearing over me.
“I’m not going to get any better,” I said quietly.
He turned and walked away. “I hope you’re wrong.”
We trained for a while longer. He walked me through sword motions and how to use a bow, though he told me I would only really be using the Iron Hammer.
“So let me practise with that,” I said, frustrated.
He narrowed his blue eyes. “Only when you earn it.”
So mostly I just ran the course, stumbling and tripping and failing again and again. The other Monster Crushers and the Swords weren’t even laughing anymore—they just looked scornful. When I hit the ground on my tenth time through, I immediately stood up and started for the gate, my entire body throbbing with pain.
“We’re not done,” Eldon called after me.
“Yes, we are.”
He followed me through the village, and I heard him stop as we crossed into the meadow.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
I looked back at him, scowling. “I can’t do this.”
“You have to.”
“I can’t!” I said, suddenly feeling my eyes well with tears. “Do you know who I am in my world, Eldon? A target. Girls make fun of me and call me fat and I just stand there and take it. Why? Because I’m a coward. I’m not a warrior—find someone else.”
Eldon stared at me for a moment. “You’re not a coward.”
I wiped my eyes. “And how do you know that?”
“Because you came back,” he said. He paused for a minute, but then didn’t say anything more, just turned and started back for Arnwell. “See you tomorrow.”
I stormed into the elevator, swung the lever, and shot back to the surface, not even saying goodbye to Porton, who was just watching me with a knowing look. He seemed to always know what was going on. When I got back to my bedroom, I climbed right under my blankets and thought about what Eldon had said, my vision still blurred with hot tears. Maybe he was right.
But if I wasn’t a coward, then why I was so scared to see Liam in the morning?
Chapter Sixteen
I didn’t eat breakfast the next morning. My stomach was too busy tying itself into some sort of pretzel to even look at food. I’d barely slept—which seemed to be a theme in my new house—and when I did, I had terrible dreams of Allison Black turning into a goblin and trying to eat me.
“What’s wrong?” Tom asked me from across the table.
“Evil girls,” I said quietly.
Tom nodded. “I figured they lived here too. Fat jokes?”
“Worse.”
He seemed to think about that. “Boy jokes?”
“Bingo.”
“What are you gonna do?” he asked.
“Probably take it and mope around all day. What else can I do? Punch her? Make up some nasty rumours and spread them around?” I paused. “Actually, that’s not bad.”
Tom looked at me with a very serious expression. “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind—”
“Oh, shut up,” I said, and he just grinned and went back to his English muffin.
But he was right. I wasn’t that girl. I hated rumours and gossip, and I wasn’t about to join the party now. When you spend your entire life as the subject of awful stories, you develop a certain sensitivity to gossip. Of course, Allison Black deserved all of that and more—I just wasn’t the one to do it. And so what did I do? I took it and moped.
They laughed in the yard when I got there. They whispered about it during first period. They drew pictures and threw them at me. Allison started calling me Mrs. Kelp, and Tim asked if I used him as a toothpick after our dates. I was used to name-calling. I was used to things getting thrown and laughter and dirty looks. But this was different today, because Liam could see it. He could hear them calling me Mrs. Kelp.
And that made it much, much worse.
But they didn’t really get me until lunch recess. I was sitting with Shal and Mia in the corner like usual, as far as possible from Allison and the other girls. It was cool today, and I had my jacket pulled up to my chin as we sat against the fence, watching the breeze rustle the leaves in the old maple tree that kept us company in the corner.
“So she didn’t exactly forget,” Shal said soothingly. “But it’s Friday. By Monday she’ll have moved on.”
Mia opened her mouth to say something, but she was silenced by a stern look from Shal. I just absently picked some grass and let it fly off into the breeze.
“It’s fine,” I said quietly. “I’m just not used to the boy jokes.”
Shal snorted. “Those are usually Allison’s favourite. Trust me, I’ve had plenty.”
“I’m sure I would too if she ever had a chance to talk to me,” Mia agreed.
“You really need to stop running away,” Shal said, glancing at her. “It’s sad.”
Mia shrugged. “It’s survival.”
Shal just sighed and shook her head. “I’m sick of school already and it’s Friday of the first week. That can’t be good.”
“Only ten more months to go,” Mia said.
“Until the joys of high school,” I pointed out. “Older Allison Blacks.”
“Ugh,” Shal muttered. “My mom’s already talking about the changes I’ll have to make. New clothes. New haircut. New…” She paused.
“New what?” Mia asked.
“Nothing,” Shal said. “Who listens to that crazy, old pageant queen anyway?”
I knew what she was about to say. Friends. I was just about to say something when Mia suddenly stood up and took off like a puff of smoke. I watched her hurry down the fence, heading for the safety of the portables. That could only mean one thing.
Allison Black was walking toward us with a group of popular kids. I glanced across the yard at Liam, and I saw him watching the impending confrontation.
“Is it too late to run?” I asked quietly.
Shal had blanched. “Definitely.”
“Hey, girls,” Allison said, not even bothering to sit down this time. Clearly she was going to get straight to the point. She looked at me. “The girls and I were out buying skirts and talking about makeup last night when we realized we were being terrible friends. We should be setting you and Liam up.”
Some of the girls snickered. Tim and another jock named Ian were there as well.
“I’m good, thanks,” I muttered.
She waved a hand in dismissal. “I doubt it. Now, we know you like him, but I’m not convinced he likes you yet. We need to make a few changes.” She looked me up and down. “First things first, you’re really going to have to stop dressing like that. Boys don’t like homeless girls, unless they’re hot, and well…you aren’t. A diet might also be nice. I’d say about forty pounds should do. You know what, I’m just going to ask Liam what he likes—”
I stood up without thinking, my hands balling into fists. Allison took a tiny step back, but she was still smiling. I knew why. If I hit her, I would be the one who got suspended and grounded and treated like a murderer. But I really, really wanted to.
“Something wrong?” she asked sweetly.
“Leave me alone,” I said, walking by her and heading for the school.
Shal stood up and hurried after me.
“It’s fine,” Allison called after me. “We’ll talk to him for you!”
I walked straight into the school and headed for the bathroom. When Portia used to really get to me, I’d go sit in a bathroom stall for awhile. Sometimes I cried; sometimes I just needed a place to cool down. Today kind of felt like a cry day.
“She’s just an idiot,” Shal said, following me in. “She gets bored and decides to…are you going to the bathroom?”
I closed the stall door behind me and sat down—well, I put the lid down first. “I just want to be alone for a bit,” I said quietly. My eyes starting welling with tears.
“Oh, cool,” Shal said, clearly not going anywhere. “I’l
l just hang out.”
The bathroom door opened again.
“Oh, the mouse returns,” Shal grumbled.
“Sorry,” Mia replied.
I just sat there and let the tears spill out over my shaking fingers.
The rest of the day was more of the same. People made comments, and I pretended they didn’t bother me. When the final bell went, I quickly grabbed my stuff and hurried to my locker. I just needed to get home. People walked by, called me Mrs. Kelp and muttered “gross” and laughed, and tears streamed down my cheeks as I stuffed my books in my backpack. I wiped my face with the back of my hands, zipped up my bag, and turned to go, trying desperately to hold in the next wave of tears. I froze.
Liam R. Kelp was standing right behind me.
He was going to yell at me. He was going to tell me to stay away from him. He was going to tell me I was fat and he would never like me. I tried to prepare myself.
“Hey, Mrs. Kelp,” he said, breaking into a toothy grin. He shook his head. “What a bunch of idiots. I hope they didn’t get to you.”
“Not even close,” I lied.
“Good. Worst Photoshop work I’ve ever seen. Awesome job on the geography quiz, by the way. I’ve never lost before.” He smiled again. “I’ll get you next time.”
I flushed. “We’ll see about that.”
“See you Monday, Mrs. Kelp,” he said, and continued down the hall.
I watched him go, and I barely heard the nasty comments as people walked by.
—
That night my family went out to dinner, and as we walked through the restaurant, I saw Ashley—Allison Black’s second-in-command—sitting with her parents and two younger sisters.
There’s this weird thing that happens to bullied people. We go out with our families and we see our bullies with their families, and there’s this moment where maybe we both realize that people aren’t supposed to act like this in the real world—that it’s not really okay to spend your whole afternoon trying to make someone cry. The hostess led us right by Ashley’s table, and the second she saw me she flushed bright red and looked away. Hey. I was supposed to do that.
I realized that she probably thought I would call her out in front of her parents. Expose her for being so terrible. And that maybe, somewhere deep down, she was embarrassed. But I also knew that nothing would change at school the next day.
As we sat down, the waitress bustled about, making sure to unfold Tom’s napkin on his lap and pouring his water first. Tom always gets doted on at restaurants. People can be a little weird around him too. Like the server will say, “And what can I get you?” before realizing a blind boy wouldn’t know who they’re referring to. Then they always get a little flustered and look at us for help or lightly touch his arm. I think we forget how much we talk in looks and gestures. When you take that away, people get awkward. I kind of enjoy watching it. I know, I’m a jerk.
After finally getting our orders, the waitress—a pretty woman that had Stache looking a little flustered himself—hurried off, and my mom turned to the family.
“Who wants to go first?” She gets right to the point sometimes.
“I’ll go,” Tom said. “By the way, is our waitress hot?”
“Tom!” my mom said in a hushed voice. “Why would you say that?”
He shrugged. “Dad’s voice sounded weird.”
I snorted and Stache went bright red as my mom scowled at him.
She shook her head and turned back to Tom. “How was your day, Tom?”
“Okay,” he said. “I think my EA’s boyfriend might be cheating on her.”
She sighed. “What did I tell you about eavesdropping?”
“She was talking pretty loudly. He keeps coming home late and yesterday he smelled like perfume—”
“Laura,” my mom said, cutting him off. “Your turn.”
“Well,” I said, “my class spent most of the day calling me Mrs. Kelp.”
“Why?” she asked.
“They were implying that I was married to a boy in my class.”
My dad almost spit out his beer. “What boy?”
“Relax, Stache,” I said calmly. “Just a joke. A mean one. But as it turns out, it didn’t bother Liam and everything is cool.”
“Do you like this Liam?” my mom asked with a smile.
My dad watched me closely.
“Maybe,” I muttered.
My father took another drink of beer. “No boyfriends until—”
“I’m thirty-five and living on my own,” I cut in. “Yeah, yeah, Stache.”
Not a real rule by the way. Though at this rate it was certainly possible.
“And don’t you forget it,” he said.
The waitress returned with our cutlery.
“Can I get you guys anything else?” she asked.
“I’ll take another beer,” Stache said, about five octaves higher than normal.
Tom giggled and my mom rolled her eyes.
Yep. That’s my family.
—
That night I sat on my bed thinking about what Eldon had said. He did have a point. I’d gone to school today, even though I’d wanted to stay home. I’d taken the abuse, I’d cried, but I hadn’t left. And because of all that, I found out that Liam wasn’t even upset. Just because I stuck around.
Kind of what I should have done with softball. Instead I quit, and now I just looked at the old boxes in my closet and felt like I had let myself down.
I opened up the guide and started reading more of the Guide to Monsters section. There was some general information on the monsters, including where they came from. Daniel the Dragon Killer, the first Monster Crusher from Riverfield, had written an account of his visit.
Only a few people have ever had the misfortune of visiting the monster realms, including me. There are many of them, and all are dark and awful. Some have rivers of lava running through, casting everything in a red glow, though there are streams and lakes as well, as even monsters must eat and drink. What they eat I do not know: each other, maybe, and bats and fish and the oversized rats that scour the tunnels.
I have only been to one monster realm, which we called the Dead Mountains, since it is a cavernous place with towering mountains running through it…it is the closest realm to Derwin. I won a battle there against Scarab the Scourge barely.
I saw a note on the side, written by someone else.
Then he decided to go back and was killed. Bad idea.
I frowned and kept reading Daniel’s account.
I don’t know what the monsters really want, but they hate humans. They’ve been fighting each other since the moment they met, and I suspect they think of us as monsters too. They seem to only have one goal: wipe out the humans in the Under Earth so they can reclaim it as their own. But I think the goal is greater: wipe out ALL humans, so that only monsters remain. One day, I suspect that will lead them to the surface too. In the meanwhile, we must hold them at bay. But the Dead Mountains is just one of their realms: we know of many others, and who knows what else lies beneath our feet.
Another person had written a postscript below it.
Note: He really was a cheery fellow, wasn’t he?
I sat back and thought about what Daniel had written. How many monsters were there? What if they got onto the surface? Could we even stop them?
My cellphone beeped, and I immediately scooped it up.
Did you see Carl today? That shirt was so hot.
Thank you, Shal. The second one was from Mia.
Check your wall. Awesome.
I hurried over to my laptop and opened my profile. I literally laughed out loud.
A picture of Allison Black was the first thing I saw. Except it had been slightly altered. Her face was covered with warts, tinted green, and somehow her nose had been extended and bent. A hat had been added over her long black hair. At the bottom it said:
The Wicked Witch of Riverfield.
It was posted by Liam R. Kelp. You courageous fool.
>
I had a message in my inbox. It simply read:
This is how you use Photoshop.
Did I mention yet that I love him? This sealed the deal. Allison would probably find some evil way to get back at him, but oh well. The picture already had eight likes.
Make that nine.
After staring at the picture for a while longer, grinning from ear to ear, I threw on some workout clothes and headed for the panel. I still sincerely doubted that I was going to become a great warrior, but at the very least I wasn’t going to quit.
Sometimes you just had to stick around.
I crawled into the elevator and shot downward, now holding onto the lever with one hand and not even worrying about screaming. Nodding at Porton, I hurried through the village, heading for Arnwell. I noticed that the streets were a lot quieter today, though the sun sphere was shining brightly as ever. I stepped through the towering arched gate and saw that for the first time the courtyard was completely empty. The Warrior’s Way stood alone, and weapons were scattered across the cobblestones, as if everyone had suddenly left and not bothered to clean them.
“Eldon?” I called. “Hello?”
There was no response. I stepped inside the courtyard. Where was everybody? I figured they had to be in the castle. Maybe they were eating or something.
That’s when I felt it. Something was watching me.
I slowly turned around, my muscles tensed. Then I looked up. There, crawling down the wall over the gate, was a massive, furry black spider. It bared its glistening foot-long fangs, hissing loudly as it did, and prepared to jump directly on my head.
Chapter Seventeen
I screamed and took off the other way, glancing back to see the monstrous spider drop down onto the spot where I’d been standing. It was easily a metre tall at the tip of its furry black abdomen, and its hair-covered legs spread at least twice as wide. Combined with eight beady black eyes, two grasping mandibles, and those glistening fangs, I’d never seen anything more terrifying in my life.
“Eldon!” I shouted in a panic. “Lee! Someone!”
