by D. C. Akers
Taking a deep breath, Gordon walked with a sense of purpose past the stalagmite-infested shoreline and down into the body of water. He waded through the water with Alek held firmly in front of him, guiding the way. The staff was vibrating fiercely in his hand, but Gordon ignored the warning. All he could think about was the child and that she needed his help. Maybe Alek is sensing the child’s fear, he guessed.
“I’m coming, don’t be scared. I’ll be right there.”
As Gordon approached the child’s body cringed in terror. She reached for the floating rabbit and pulled it close to her.
Gordon stared down at the girl. The skin on her arms was ashen white, and upon closer inspection he could see that she had several deep gashes on her arms, some shallow scrapes, and her hands were bleeding.
Good Lord, what’s happened to this girl?
He moved closer to comfort her. She was sobbing into her hands and clutching the rabbit.
“It’s okay, I’m here. Everything is going to be all right,” he said.
As Gordon shifted Alek around to better see the child, he noticed a black mass moving over the child’s legs in the water. Quickly, he brought Alek close, and what he saw made his stomach turn.
Hundreds of black spiders were swarming over the girl’s legs and moving up her dress onto her waist. Gordon reached down for her.
“Come quickly, there are spiders—” but before he could finish his sentence the child reached out and snatched his arm with such force that he winced in pain. Sharp, bone-gray nails dug into his flesh. Shocked, Gordon looked up at the child, and for the first time, he saw her grotesque face.
Red glowing pupils surrounded by milky white irises stared intently back at him. Streaky black veins riddled the child’s face. Her emaciated eye sockets were tinged with black and her thin cracked lips were pallid and bloodstained.
Gordon fell to his knees with a splash; the pain in his arm was so excruciating he found it almost impossible to move. Alek’s vibrations intensified and the purple gemstone surged with an intense brilliance.
Gordon tried his best to focus, Calling on the element of Water. His connection with the element was weak, but from the corner of his eye he could see the water swirling on either side of him to form long, spinning funnels. He could use the water to suffocate the creature, if only he could maintain the connection long enough.
The child sneered, her eyes rolling back into her head until only the whites of her eyes were visible. She opened her mouth, revealing several rows of long, serrated teeth.
Gordon struggled desperately, trying to pull himself free, but she was too strong. Her grip tightened, nails digging into Gordon’s flesh so deeply that they punctured the muscle and scraped the bone. The creature let out a bloodcurdling scream as it pulled him closer.
With deadly precision the Viper struck Gordon’s neck, tearing into his flesh. The Calling of the Water he had conjured only moments ago began to dissolve, and Gordon felt himself go weak.
It was at that moment Gordon Delcour knew he was going to die, and that he would do so at the hands of the monster they called the Viper. His body went limp, and Alek fell from his dying grasp into the bloodstained water.
Chapter 6
The sun was setting when Travis and Sam finally made their way back inside and up to Sam’s room. They didn’t see any sign of Sarah, which meant she was avoiding them. That’s actually a good thing, Sam thought. If Barry had really broken up with his sister, she was probably in her room mending her ego. After all, no one ever broke up with the Queen of Mean, much less cheat on her. Sam almost felt sorry for Bone Head Barry, but then he thought better of it.
“Wow, you weren’t joking. Your room is clean. You feeling all right?” Travis asked, his wide eyes surveying the room.
Sam ignored the sarcasm; he was more interested in a rather large detail that seemed to have escaped him with all the chaos in the garage. Travis looked different. His bangs weren’t hanging in his eyes like normal. Now they were combed back and his hair was parted neatly to one side. His clothes were different too—they didn’t involve the color orange.
“Travis,” Sam said, amused.
“Yeah?”
“So, what’s up with the hair and the new clothes?”
“What?” Travis asked. “That’s crazy talk.” He looked away, pretending to be interested in how clean the room looked.
“Really. I’ve known you forever … well, like almost forever and I think I would know if you looked different.”
Travis’s cheeks began to flush and he still would not look directly at Sam.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he replied. His tone was calm but everything else screamed I’m so busted! “Don’t you have a shower to get in?”
Sam couldn’t help but grin. He knew what this was about—it was about Sarah. She had actually been nice to Travis the other day for the first time in his life and that had given him hope. A fool’s hope, but Travis wasn’t going to give up on her no matter how uninterested she seemed. His subtle persistence wouldn’t get him far, however. If there was one thing Sam knew for sure, it was that girls like Sarah didn’t date guys like Travis. Sarah had said something similar herself when other, less attractive guys had asked her out.
“Beauty never really dated the beast; that’s something ugly people say to make themselves feel better,” she had said. His sister was pretty much a cold-hearted man-eater, and she wouldn't think twice about casting your ego and soul into Siberia. If Travis didn’t watch it, his would end up there too.
Travis looked over at Sam inconspicuously, not sure if he believed him or not. Sam didn’t say another word; he had tried to reason with Travis in the past, regarding his sister. But Travis didn’t get it or he didn’t care, Sam wasn’t sure which. But he did know the Queen of Mean needed her minions, and if Travis wanted to wait in that line, so be it.
Sam turned and gathered his things and headed into the bathroom to take a shower. He was still covered in dirt after having dealt with the garage. Once Sam had closed the bathroom door Travis sat aimlessly on his bed, staring at the collage of dragon posters on the wall. He wasn’t quite sure how Sam managed to get any sleep at night with these creatures staring down at him like that. They were scary, not to mention some were just flat out weird. There were dragons of every shape, size and color; some had thick, long serpentine bodies covered in a scaly skin. Others looked more like reptiles or lizards with massive bat-like wings, wedge-shaped heads, and long, tapered necks. They all had powerful legs, ending with sharp talons or claws. Some were fire breathers, others ice breathers.
Travis continued to stare, lost in the sea of magnificent colors, when he heard what sounded like a faint moan coming from the hallway. He turned his head slowly, waiting to hear it again.
Again the soft moan came from somewhere beyond Sam’s door. At first Travis thought Barron had gotten into the house again. But after hearing it a third time, it sounded more like a person than an animal. He got up from the bed and tiptoed to the edge of Sam’s bedroom door. The whimpering became louder and for a moment it almost sounded like someone was crying. Travis peeked out around the door, looking both ways down the hallway. There was no one in sight, but the sounds seemed to be coming from Sarah’s room.
Travis moved quietly down the hall, stopping just inches away from Sarah’s closed door. His heart was beating so loudly against his chest it sounded like he was knocking on her door already. Travis had never been this close to Sarah’s room before. He had always steered clear of it, knowing that she would probably kill him if he got too close. Hoping no one would come down the hallway, and that Sarah wouldn’t open the door, he moved a bit closer. He could just imagine that conversation.
“Hi Sarah. Oh, what am I doing standing by your door, you ask? Why, I’m stalking you, of course.”
That would not be good. It was bad enough that Sarah hated him but to be her stalker too, well that was a bit much, even for him.
Agai
nst his better judgment, Travis inched closer, placing his ear on the door. He stared down at the bedroom light seeping into the hallway from beneath the door. He could hear faint whimpers and sniffling. He had never heard Sarah cry before. In fact, in all the time he had known her, Travis had never seen any emotion, other than pure annoyance, from Sarah. But maybe that was because he was Travis and she was Sarah.
He couldn’t imagine what on Earth could make Sarah cry like this; she was the toughest girl he knew. She had the perfect life—everyone loved her, guys wanted to date her and girls wanted to be her. Nothing about this made any sense.
The crying became softer. She was mumbling something between her sobs but he couldn’t make it out. He strained to hear more and pressed his ear against the door. He heard something about Barry being such a jerk. Not realizing the door was not properly latched, he pressed his ear harder against the door and fell right into the room.
A loud thud rang out as Travis’s face slammed into the wooden floor. Sarah let out a high-pitched squeal and jumped back against her headboard.
“Travis, what are you doing?” she yelled.
He flopped around in panic, trying desperately to regain his composure. But there was no hiding the fact that he looked like an overturned turtle trying to right himself.
“I’m sorry, Sarah, I’m sooo sorry!” he said as he got to his knees and looked up at Sarah’s horror-stricken face.
“TRAVIS. WHAT. ARE. YOU. DOING!” she yelled again.
Travis’s mouth fell open, flabbergasted, as the events of the past few minutes flooded over him. She was fuming and she had every right to be. He had invaded her privacy. He got to his feet, his hands out stretched as he tried to plead his case.
“Sarah, please I am so sorry … I heard you crying from the hallway … I thought something was wrong!”
Sarah glared at Travis from her bed. Her knees were pulled close to her body and she gripped her pillow in one hand and her cell phone in the other, as if she was ready throw them at any minute.
“You were eavesdropping on me, Travis, in my own house!”
Travis’s mouth was still open but nothing was coming out. This was not going well at all.
“No … no that’s not it at all, you were crying, you see, you were upset. I … just wanted to make sure you were okay?”
“Well, how do you think I’m doing now?” she asked, still furious.
Travis was again caught off guard, “Well … I … um …”
“I’m not good Travis, NOT GOOD!” she yelled. “You had no right. This is my personal business, NOT yours! Do you understand that? CAN you understand that?”
Travis lowered his head. This had all gone horribly wrong. He had never meant to eavesdrop; he just wanted to make sure she was okay.
“Sarah, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to, I just …” He struggled with the words. “I care about you,” he said finally in frustration. The words were out before he even realized it.
The room fell silent as they both stared at one another. Travis swallowed nervously. He didn’t know whether to run, apologize again, or just keep his mouth shut. Sarah’s furrowed eyebrows softened and her mouth fell open. They continued to look at one another in silence until Sarah finally closed her mouth and cleared her throat.
Travis debated throwing himself out of the window. How in the world had he let that come flying out of his mouth? He could feel himself blushing, but he wasn’t the only one. Sarah was turning red too. There was an uncomfortable air between the two of them now. They awkwardly glanced around the room, looking anywhere but at each other.
After a long silence, Travis finally turned to leave the room, completely mortified. This was the final straw, he was sure of that. He felt like an epic idiot. He couldn’t even count the times he had made a fool out of himself in front of Sarah—there were too many. But today was without a doubt the most appalling display of stupidity he had ever conjured up in a single moment. Even he was impressed at how lame he could be.
He looked back at Sarah with his sad brown eyes “I’m sorry …” he whispered. He turned away with his head hung low and gradually walked back through the doorway.
“Travis … wait,” Sarah said softly.
Travis stopped and looked over his shoulder.
“It’s … okay.” she said, hesitantly. “I mean, it’s not okay, but I know you meant well.” The right side of her lip curled up slowly in a half grin. “You always mean well, I guess. I was just a little freaked out, you know?”
Travis nodded, unsure of how to respond. He had never really had a conversation with Sarah before.
“It’s just been a really bad day,” she said. Her words were sincere and Travis could tell she actually meant what she was saying.
“I would never do anything to hurt you,” he said shyly.
“I know … I’ve always known that,” Sarah replied, looking away.
“Sarah?” Travis asked.
Sarah turned and looked back at Travis. From the look on his face he seemed intimidated, and scared, like a little boy who got caught stealing from the cookie jar.
“If you don’t mind me asking, what happened? What’s wrong?”
Sarah’s eyes slowly filled with tears again.
“It’s a long story, Travis, and it’s stupid anyway,” she said, barely able to get the words out.
“Nothing is ever stupid if it can hurt you,” Travis said.
Her gaze softened, as if one of the many walls she had to protect herself had fallen. Travis looked at her. It was odd how much Sam and Sarah were alike. Always guarded, always careful, never letting anyone too close. It was like they were too scared to trust anyone.
“It’s Barry,” she said, wiping the tear that had fallen down her cheek. “He cheated on me with Mary Fisher last week when I didn’t feel like going out.”
Travis shook his head in disgust. He had never liked Barry and had always thought of him as a player. He was the typical jock—big head, big ego, and no brains.
“I’m sorry, Sarah. I know you liked him.”
Sarah shook her head and straightened herself up on the bed. “That’s the thing, Travis, I really didn’t. I really didn’t like him. I …” Sarah paused, then looked up at the ceiling, struggling to find the words to convey that she merely put up with Barry.
Travis raised an eyebrow. This was not what he was expecting to hear.
“Then why were you so upset?” Travis asked, confused.
“I was just angry, I guess, more at myself than anything. I mean, I didn’t even like the guy and yet I put up with so much of his macho crap. And then he has the nerve to cheat on me! What a giant waste of time!” she said, waving her hands in frustration.
“What a jerk!” Travis chimed in. This feels good, he thought. Finally someone other than him and Sam thought that Barry “I Walk On Water” Rogers wasn’t so great after all. Travis had to admit it—there was just something about Sarah hating Barry that made him feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
“Yeah!” she said.
“He has a really big head too,” Travis continued.
“He does, doesn’t he? Wow, I thought I was the only one who thought that,” she said, starting to smile.
Travis loved it when she smiled.
“God, he would go on and on about himself. Sometimes I would have my headphones in while he was talking to me, and I would just nod like I knew what he was talking about.”
Travis laughed, “Nice!” Sarah laughed too.
“So, why did you stay with him so long?” Travis asked.
It was like someone had slammed on the breaks. Sarah’s smile faded and she suddenly became silent again. Her eyes shifted and she looked away. He could tell this was a question she was not sure she wanted to answer.
“It’s … it’s okay Sarah, I mean if you don’t want to talk about it,” he said reassuringly.
She looked back at Travis. She seemed uncomfortable now, almost fragile as she crossed her arms.
“No … it’s okay.” Her voice was meek. “He … he made me feel better about myself,” she said. She was ashamed to admit it, but it was true.
Travis was really confused now.
“What, how?” His voice was riddled with aggravation. “Barry was a bully. He was mean to just about every person I know and in the end he wasn’t good to you either. So how in the world did he make you feel special?”
“Better,” she corrected him. “I said better, not special.” She looked back down at her bed.
“I don’t understand.” Travis could feel the blood rushing to his face. But it wasn’t Sarah he was mad at—it was Barry. It was the fact that this jerk could give Sarah something that he couldn’t, something that made her feel better about herself even though he was such a complete jerk. Sarah stared down at the bed, and for a minute Travis didn’t think she was going to answer him. Finally, she lifted her head and her eyes were latent with tears.
“Because when I was with him I didn’t feel like the worst person in the room. I …” she wiped a tear from her cheek. “I felt better knowing that there was someone out there worse than me.”
Travis felt his heart sink. Sarah looked humiliated. This was a side of her he never knew existed and now that he had seen it, he wished he hadn’t. It hurt him somehow to see her in so much pain.
He stood motionless for a moment, looking at the girl he thought he knew. What could he possibly say to that? Travis took a moment before moving from the doorway and walking toward Sarah, who was now staring aimlessly into her pink and white comforter. He stopped and sat down on the bed next to her.
“I never knew you felt like that,” he said, looking over at her. Sarah shrugged and pulled her hair behind her ear.
“I know. No one does.”
Travis fidgeted with his hands, not knowing what to do with himself.
“You just always seemed, well, like nothing bothered you, like you were okay with everything.”
