~Part 1 Chap 5~
She ducked, the blade sang through the air where her head had once been. She counter attacked with a punch put her fist met only cloth and air, Warabe had moved too quickly for her. She brought the scythe around, it’s silver blade flashed as though it anticipated the impact. Warabe saw her move and he immediately leaned back.
There was a horrible grating noise throughout the floor. The fighters paused, both shocked. Warabe held his cheekbone, and let the ax-like weapon he’d been using clatter to the ground. Devin was frozen in the middle of her attack, crouched near the ground she saw the crowd surround them. Each class, everyone fought Warabe, no one had so much as hit him, much less beat him.
“Class dismissed.”
Everyone looked around as his voice echoed off the walls. It had only been a half-hour. Warabe ignored their confusion and strode to the corner with the red circle, stating he wanted to go to the basement. His thin figure warped and he was no longer there.
Devin unfolded from her crouch and blew her brown-blond hair from her eyes. People shrugged and began heading for the red circles and going back to their rooms. She began to walk, and then stopped, hearing a slight shhhf of a dragging foot. She smiled slightly and spun, grabbing a handful of invisible hair.
“Ow! Why do you have to that?” Jackie asked, appearing out of thin air, “What’s the use of being invisible if you do that every time?”
Devin smiled and released her, “At least you know you still need to work on it, besides, you can still stalk Chad.”
“Yeah, speaking of that, have you noticed that the ones without powers have been disappearing?”
She hadn’t really; she didn’t pay attention to it. She didn’t know much about her classmates; sure, she’d picked up their names somewhere along the lines but didn’t know much more.
“Maybe they’re sent home?” She replied, “Ow! Why’d you do that?”
Skelacat took her claws from Devin’s leg, “They’re not sent home! They’re fed to that thing!”
“What thing? You mean the door?”
“And you’re the smart one of you two? Yes the door.”
“The door?” Jackie asked.
“That door out back that Melody and her followers went into breathes.”
“Whatever you say.”
Bunny-Chan darted around the room, followed by a baying James; the fox had taken to chasing her. Bunny-chan leaped up into Jackie’s arms, she quivered and her eyes darted around the room.
Devin looked at Jackie trying to comfort her, her brown hair had changed to a shiny black, and she had discovered she no longer needed her glasses since they’d arrived. Everyone had changed it seemed, Jasper’s grey eyes took on a silver sheen, brighter then his wings, and even Chad seemed to have grown. She didn’t feel any change, nor did she see any. She felt slightly left behind.
She stepped into the circle, waited for Skelacat, and went to the top floor. She had just flopped onto her bed when there was a knock on her door. Groaning, she answered it and a girl with big doe eyes was on the other side. Hawk feathers stuck out of her plumy brown hair.
“So this is your room! I was wondering who it was!”
Devin glared at her for making her come to answer the door.
“I was wondering because I heard singing when I first day I was here.”
“Yes, I know I’m terrible, you don’t need to rub it in,” Devin replied, starting to close the door.
“No! It was good!” She held the door open, “I’m-”
“Hazel. Yes I know your name, what do you want? I really don’t feel like chatting.”
“Yeah, um, I was going to throw a party tonight and I’m inviting everyone, except for the teachers of course. So you want to come?”
“No.”
“Please? I want everyone there and so far you’re the only one who hasn’t agreed. Of course we’ll need to make our own music because my radio/iPod stereo doesn’t work here.”
“If I lend you my iPod for the party then will you leave me alone?”
“Yeah!”
Devin ducked back into her room and grabbed her iPod. She handed it to Hazel.
“There.”
“Will you come?”
“I’ll consider it,” she growled, slamming the door before Hazel could say anything else.
Devin sighed and flopped down on her bed, staring out the window at the pumpkin and purple sky. It had grown on her, and she liked the look of a sunset all the time. Then, she jumped up and ran into the closet. She created a backpack; due to the miracles of loopholes she could create a virtually bag. It was a simple black backpack with a red zipper, light as the rest of the created items from the closet yet as durable too.
Devin then began creating as many pieces as she could think of, taking them off and putting them in the bag. She was startled by Skelacat’s voice.
“You’ve changed too.”
She was shocked and looked up to ask her what she was talking about, but instead caught her own reflection. Skelacat was right, she had the same eyes but her face was slimmer, her baby fat was gone; the rest of her was toned from the week of grueling lessons Warabe put them through. It wasn’t as extreme as Jackie’s transformation but it was staring her in the face.
“Thanks for bringing that to my attention,” She murmured, turning back to the present job.
“What exactly are you doing?”
“Making a bag full of supplies just in case I need to leave in a hurry.”
“Good idea,” Skelacat replied, sitting on her haunches and watching her.
Devin finally ceased creating new clothes and made a black backpack with a neon green zipper for Jackie, also . She hid the backpacks under her bed and took out the map of the building. After a few moments she groaned.
“Even if I did create a plan to escape they could always just stop us as we went from each level!”
“Why don’t you simply do a spell to search for hidden passageways or rooms?”
“I would but I don’t feel like casting a circle or anything right now.”
“Then don’t.”
“What if there’s a nasty out there! Just waiting for me be unprotected?”
“Your not unprotected, you have me. Besides, there isn’t any nonphysical threats to you in this realm.”
“Really?” She asked incredulously, “Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?”
“You never asked, or expressed interest.”
Devin rolled her eyes and turned back to the map as Skelacat padded up to her side, enjoying the flow of magical energy. As soon as she brought her hand back off the paper red lines began to appear, secret tunnels. There were at least a dozen of them, one even at the end of the hall. Devin cheered, hugging Skelacat as she found one that took a few twists and turns but ended outside. She memorized the tunnels and ran out the hall to Jackie’s room, Skelacat bounding behind her.
“Jackie! Open up!” Devin yelled as she pounded on the door. The door opened and she accidentally hit her friend.
“Oops, sorry! But I need to talk to you!”
Jackie rubbed her head but motioned for her to come in, “So what’s up homey?”
Devin tossed the backpack she’d made for Jackie on the bed and waved her hand, the chair from the desk flew through the air and landed just as she sat, already abusing her abilities.
“I want you to fill that backpack with clothes, supplies, anything you need in case we leave. Just imagine the clothes and take them off, they’ll stay, and put them in backpack. Another thing, I found a bunch of secret tunnels that we can use.”
“Cool! Hey, are you going to that party?”
“Probably not, you?”
“Yeah, apparently Chad agreed to go because he thought I wouldn’t be going and I’m going because I thought he’d be going.”
“Aw, he just can’t get away from you. What‘re you wearing?”
“I was just trying to figure that out, what do you think?”
“Green and black checkered shirt, skinny pants, and a skull bow.”
“Hmmm, let me go see how that’d be,” she replied, coming out a moment later in the outfit Devin said.
“Perfect! Thanks!”
Devin smiled and bowed, “Glad to be of service, what’s going on with you?”
“Nothing more since we talked the last time, you?”
Devin absent mindedly picked up her drawing case and flipped though it, “Not much, Why don’t you start filling the bag? I want to make sure you actually do it.”
Jackie sighed and grabbed the backpack before heading to the closet, “Your way to paranoid.”
Devin ignored her and continued flipping through her pictures, the brightly colored manga held nothing really surprising. Chad, mermaid, Chad, character from a show, she rattled the names off in her mind. Then she came across a new picture, this one was an unfinished scene. There were four people in it, and scrawled across the top was one word-
Skeletals.
“Hey Jackie? What’s this?”
Jackie poked her head out of the closet, “Uno momento.” Then she was sitting next to her, “Oh, that’s us! See?” She pointed to one with a scythe that was sitting on a tombstone, “You,” then to a black haired girl hugging who was obviously Chad, “Me and Chad,” and finally pointed to a boy with wings, “Jasper. I’m going to draw Skelacat, Bunny-chan, Jamez, and Zanac but haven’t yet.”
Devin nodded, then got up, “I’ll see you later, have fun stalking Chad.”
She strode to the door, passing Bunny-chan kicking in her sleep before walking down the hallway and back to her own room. Skelacat walked through the door before she got a chance to open it and there was immediately the sounds of a chase. Devin opened the door to spilled ink, flying papers, and her bed moving. A white rat ran up her leg and settled in her pocket, staring out at the moving bed.
Skelacat’s head popped out of the linins, her tail flicked back and forth under the sheets.
“Here ratty, ratty, ratty…Don’t worry, I wont hurt you! I just want to have some fun!” Skelacat sang, her eyes crazy.
Devin pushed the rats head back in her pocket before untangling Skelacat and making the bed.
“What do you think your doing?” Devin asked her, “I told you not to hurt them!”
“The vermin was atop your sheets,” she replied, licking her paw, “I didn’t want you to fall ill.”
“I resent that!” A voice said, a voice emanating from her pocket.
Skelacat’s ears twisted towards Devin and she looked over her shoulder at her before jumping and attacking her pocket furiously.
“Hey! Stop that!” Devin yelled, grabbing Skelacat and holding her out at arms length, she kicked a few times, then calmed down. “I’ve never met a talking rat before and I intend to hear what he has to say! So don’t attack him!”
“Fine,” Skelacat grudgingly muttered.
Devin put her down and pulled the rat from her pocket. She set him in the palm of her hand.
“Finally! That cat is crazy!”
“I can still give you to her,” Devin replied, completely serious.
“I mean she’s beautiful! Lovely eyes!”
“Nice save, anyways, what do you have to say?”
“I suppose your not used to hearing a rat talk, so let me explain. Here, every animal can talk, but they choose not to. Animals come in three colors, white, black and grey; we were all killed by humans. The white ones were killed in broad daylight, black during the night and grey during dusk or dawn. The white ones are like ghosts, we can walk through walls and such. The black ones are like zombies and the grey ones are like vampires. Those are the ones you need to look out for, they’ll do anything to cause you pain. The black ones are annoying but not too dangerous, and most white ones are like me. Before you ask how I died I was stomped to death by a woman. I wanted to thank you for saving me, then I heard you saved my friends from being eaten by Rawning. Then you saved me just now. I need to tell you to leave this place. I cant explain why to you but I can send you to someone who can.”
“Okay, who?”
The rat chuckled, “At midnight, stay out in the halls. Lucile will be there but you can get around her by taking her key, she’s like a giant windup toy. Be careful though, she may seem harmless but her hands can morph into different weapons. When your asked for aid to help free him then say yes.”
There were three knocks on the door, signifying it was time for dinner. Devin got up and strode for the door, Skelacat at her heels. Skelacat glared at the rat as she passed it, obviously telling him that he’d better not be there when she returned.
“I’ll be watching, it should be a great show,” the rat laughed from the bed.
ƒ‚
After dinner near everyone headed out back to the party, Devin passed them heading the other way and went to her room.
“You really should go,” Skelacat murmured, “You need to have some fun instead of just staying up here.”
“I’ve been to enough parties where people invited me because I was the one of the only people they could invite.”
“Just go, even if you just stand in the corner.”
Devin sighed and began walking for the door.
“What are you doing?”
“Going to the party, like you said I should.”
“Not like that your not.”
Devin proceeded to look herself over and sniff her clothing, “What’s wrong with this?”
Skelacat sighed and butted her into the closet, telling the closet what to put on Devin, “Darkwash wide-leg jeans with rips at the knees and one thigh, no a bit lower. Black boots, black and red striped fitted sweater, make the hem a bit higher, so it shows some skin. Thumbholes in the sleeves, boat neck, and a tarnished chain for the jeans. There! That’s much better, now you can go to the party!”
“You’ve been reading fashion magazines again haven’t you?”
“Maybe.”
Devin chuckled and rubbed her head before walking out the door and towards the party. The closer she got the louder it got, the sound of music and people rand throughout the air. As soon as she stepped outside Hazel ripped the iPod off the stereo and ran up to her.
Hazel rattled off a bunch of names angrily, “And where’s the party mix? What am I supposed to do with this?”
Devin smiled politely and pushed past her. With the sudden stop of the music people stopped dancing and started talking with each other. She walked past them all and into the center, where she danced slowly without any music. She could feel eyes on her, but she didn’t care, she just smiled, closed her eyes and kept dancing to her own strange music.
Suddenly she could feel someone’s hands on her waist and a voice broke through into her calm state. The music rose into the night air as he sang.
¯Like a gift from the heavens, it was easy to tell,
It was love from above, that could saved me from hell,
She had fire in her soul it was easy to see,
How the devil himself could be pulled out of me,
There were drums in the air as she started to dance,
Every soul in the room keeping time with there hands,
And we sang-¯
She opened her eyes and was startled to see it wasn’t her imagination, Jasper held her and sang with his eyes closed. It was obvious that he knew what he was doing and he knew the song. At first she felt like pulling away but a stern look from Skelacat told her not to. She instead let him lead the slow dance and fell into step.
¯Like a piece to the puzzle as it falls into place,
You could tell how we felt by the look on our faces.
Spinning in circles with the moon in our eyes.
No room left to move in between you and I.
We forgot where we were and we lost track of time
And we sang to the wind as we danced through the night.¯
He held her closer as they moved and she allowed herself to sing along. The song floated on the breeze as more people began to join in and dance too. She almost laughed to see Jackie try to convince Chad to dance with her. Turning back to her own situation she felt Zanac land on her shirt, hanging upside down on her back. A breeze picked up and she shivered from the cold, laying her head down on Jasper’s chest she listened to his heart beat. It sounded strong and steady as they danced, the calm of it all lulling her into a dream-like state.
She finally realized that the song was over and pulled away. Zanac yelled at her for disturbing his rest. Devin pushed her way through the crowd and went back inside, her hands ran along the rough walls as she headed for the nearest red circle. Skelacat loped by her side to keep up with the unusually fast pace.
“Roof,” She ordered as soon as she reached it, almost leaving Skelacat behind.
She welcomed the fuzziness as she was transported to the top of the building and immediately strode over to the edge and sat with her legs dangling.
“I didn’t know you could come up here,” Skelacat murmured, looking around.
“Neither did I, I just said the first place that came to mind.”
A white bat flapped in front of her face, “What do you think your doing?”
“Leave me alone, Zanac” She replied, looking away and putting her chin in her hands.
“Moping isn’t good for you,” a voice behind her said.
“What are you doing here?”
“Making sure you’re not committing suicide,” Jasper replied, sitting next to her, “So what’s wrong?”
“I don’t know.”
“I kept waiting for you to kill me, or damn me for all eternity, but you didn’t so you don’t despise me completely.”
“I just like that song.”
He laughed, it was a comforting laugh, “So do I and I thought it fit nicely. I‘m sorry if I upset you.”
“Okay then.”
There was a moment of silence and Devin noticed that the stars had started to come out. The three moons and stars lit everything with a silvery light but she noticed the orange and purple sky was darker then it was when she arrived.
“I don’t blame you for disliking me, I mean, you don’t really know much about me and if you did then you’d probably never trust me.”
It took her a moment to respond, “I don’t trust you now, you cant make me distrust you anymore.”
“Would it make you trust me more if I told you?” She didn’t reply so he continued anyways. “In middle school I was…troubled.”
She cocked an eyebrow at this, “How so?”
“Well, I was never very good. I shoplifted frequently and stole money from my mothers purse. I snitched cigarettes from my father once and a while. I guess it was because I was coming to terms with my parents telling me I was adopted, I took the news rather hard. Then my girlfriend at that time committed suicide from an overdose. She wrote a note but I wasn’t told what it said. Her parents never liked me, nor her friends so I was essentially shunned. I never really blamed them, I mean, with how I was, still I became depressed and started drinking. Liquor is easy enough to get despite precautions. I even seriously considered suicide but decided drugs were just as good. I almost died and then decided as the year ended to try and go cold-turkey. I was still depressed but no longer the local druggie. Then school started, and my days were full and I was able to keep occupied. Then I saw you and immediately wanted to know you.”
“What do you see when you look at me? Do you see an outcast? A pretty thing you’d like to have and hold? What?”
He cocked his head to one side and looked at her for a long time. She got antsy and finally uncomfortable.
“Well? Do you see something you want? A girl who isn’t taken?”
“No, I see a girl who’s tortured herself, who has troubled herself with things out of her control, and wont let herself care,” he reached over and brushed some hair out of her eyes, “I see a girl I want to help.”
She grunted and walked away, she heard Skelacat apologize for her behavior behind her. She looked around but didn’t see a red circle, then leaned over the edge and saw a window. She searched for a open window but found none while feeling Jasper’s eyes on her back. She glanced back for a moment and saw him leaning back and watching her. She sighed and grabbed the ledge, hoped it would work and swung through the window.
The glass shattered and scratched her limbs and face, then the glass shards froze in the air as she dropped to the wood floor. As soon as her feet hit the ground she rolled forward into a summersault, unfolding from the ground she flicked her finger over her shoulder and heard the glass reform without a seam. Skelacat leaped through the roof behind her, her misty body phasing through the ceiling.
“You’re quite good at this.”
“Thank you,” she replied, bowing her head to the cat and walking past a girl who’d ran out of her bathroom in her pajamas with a toothbrush sticking out from her mouth. She pointed towards her and the window and burbled something around the toothpaste before Devin walked calmly out of her room and to her own. She glanced at the disk that worked as a clock. It was eleven.