Tag: Novel

Running Toward Love (Chapter 3)

Chapter 3

Leo grabbed his lunch tray and piled some food on it. Lost in thought, he wandered up to pay for his food. He heard a familiar voice behind him say, “What’s safe to eat around here? Everything at my old school tasted like salted cardboard.”

Leo turned his head and saw the boy from last night. “Ah. We meet again. Reese? Right? They have pizza almost every day, and it’s edible. I’ve got the spaghetti today. I’m hoping it’s as good as it was last year. Overall, the food isn’t great, but it’s ok.”

“Yeah, I’m Reese. Thanks for the directions last night and the culinary suggestions today. I promise I won’t only talk to you when I need help.” Reese grinned.

“That’s quite alright. You can talk to me anytime. Do you want to sit with my friend and me? He’s waiting for me over there.” Leo pointed to where Brandon was sitting.

“I would, but there’s this girl I’m supposed to meet with.”

“A girl? I suppose that is more important. Have fun.”

“No… uh… not like that.” Reese blushed. “I need to find out the details for cheer tryouts. I was on the cheer squad at my last school, and it was fun. I wanted to try and do that here, too.”

“A cheerleader. I would have guessed you for a lacrosse star.”

“I tried that, but I like cheerleading better. I also play baseball in the spring.”

Leo heard Brandon calling his name. “Sounds fun. I gotta go before my friend starts chewing on the table.” Leo laughed. “The cheerleaders usually sit over there.” He pointed across the cafeteria. “See you later, Reese.”

Reese smiled and walked where Leo pointed while Leo walked over and sat by Brandon.

“It’s about time you got here! That’s the last time I wait for you for food.” Brandon reached over and took one of the trays from Leo. “Now spill the tea. Who was that hottie you were talking to, and was he the guardian angel you hinted at this morning?”

“He is Reese. I met him last night on the beach. He’s not my angel. He’s just a new boy. Sounds like he’s trying out for the cheer squad. My angel’s name is Charlie, and he and his mom rented the cabin by the old lighthouse while exploring our glorious little town. That’s why he happened to be on the beach yesterday.”

“Wait? Exploring? Please tell me you didn’t fall for a tourist, Leo!”

“Yes, he is a tourist, but you didn’t see him. You didn’t talk to him. Bran, I haven’t thought about anyone else since the whole thing with Jazz. I planned to get through this year and maybe start over in college, but when I looked up into Charlie’s brown eyes, I fell.”

Brandon rolled his eyes. “Maybe he’s hot. Maybe he’s fun. But how long is he staying, Leo? You’re just going to get hurt again.”

“He’s staying until the end of the week, I think. Who knows what can happen between now and then. Maybe he’ll stay longer. Maybe we can do a long-distance thing. I felt a strong connection, Bran. I know he did, too.”

“We’re not done with this discussion. Spill the rest of the story. The fight with Matt and this angel saving you.” Brandon said, eating lunch and waiting for his best friend’s story.

Leo relayed to his friend all the events from the previous day between bites of his lunch. The run with his brother, the argument and fight with Matt, and finally, the rescue by Charlie. He even confided in him about the second dizzy spell at the mall. He finished by telling him about the second meeting with Charlie and the near-kiss.

“Wow. That was quite a day. I don’t think that much happened to me all summer! First off, how are you feeling today? Any dizziness or headaches. That sounds serious, bro. You gotta tell Kam or me every time it happens. Tell us even if you don’t want to tell your mom yet.” He reached over, putting a hand on his friend’s shoulder.

“Ok. Ok. I promised Kam already. I promise to tell you, too. And I will tell my mom if it keeps happening. I’m not an idiot.” Leo rolled his eyes at Brandon.

Brandon smirked. “Now, on to the good stuff. When are you going to see your hot little tourist again?”

“Today after school. He wasn’t sure what his mom had planned. If he’s not busy, I’ll meet up with him and give him the grand tour. Maybe show him the Village and get some junk food for dinner.” Leo laughed. “Mystic Village fried dough should win him over.”

Brandon rolled his eyes. “With all the running you’ve been doing, I don’t know why you continue to put that crap in your body.”

Leo laughed. “It’s the best! It is my biggest weakness, diet-wise. I’ll just run an extra mile tomorrow. That reminds me. Aren’t you friends with Max? From the track team? Kam wants to try out, and I considered joining him.”

Brandon looked at his phone. “We have to get to class. I’ll talk to Max and find out about tryouts, then text you the details. If I don’t see you later, have fun and wish Kam good luck for me!”

The two boys put away their lunch trays and headed toward their next class.

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The first day of senior year, finally behind him, Leo walked towards the gym to meet up with his brother and look for Max. According to multiple texts from Brandon, cross-country tryouts were held today. Now Leo was glad he skipped the morning run. Brandon said that Max would meet Leo and Kam at the track. Leo got to the gym and found Kam waiting for him. The two boys headed toward the track to look for Max. Leo spotted Max waving to him from the track infield. Max and a few other boys looked like they were doing pre-run stretching. The two brothers walked over and joined them.

“Hey, Leo! I was surprised when Bran told me you were interested in running this year. Aren’t you a senior? And is this your brother?”

“Yeah, I’m a senior. I just started running this past summer, mostly as a way of burning off anger issues.” Leo chuckled. “This is my brother Kameron. He’s a freshman, and he’s the one who suggested trying out for the team. I’m kinda along as support.”

Max stuck his hand out to both brothers. “Nice to meet both of you.” He glanced at Leo. “Running is an excellent choice for a mood enhancer, and it looks like you already have a runner’s body.” Max grinned. “Brandon mentioned track. You know we’re trying out for cross-country today, right? Indoor Track will start in November and Outdoor Track in late March.”

“Yep. We’ll try our hand at cross-country first. I prefer the long-distance stuff anyway. Little bro is the one who is looking forward to the shorter, faster events in track.”

“Ah-ha! So, Kameron is our speed demon, then?”

“Yep!” Kam laughed. “I outrun Leo all the time short distances. I’ll need to build up my endurance to run the longer races. I’ve only just started putting any effort into running.” As Kam was speaking, other boys started showing up at the track. Some were stretching, others jogging around the track to warm up before the tryouts began. Leo, Kam, and Max started running a warm-up lap. By the time they completed one lap, the coach had arrived, and everyone gathered around to listen to him speak.

Coach Stevens spoke loudly and paced back and forth in front of the boys. He was a middle-aged man but tall and incredibly fit. The coach could easily pass for forty instead of his fifty-two years. He spoke of past championships and future goals. He welcomed back current runners and thanked the new boys for attending tryouts. After his speech, Coach separated the boys into two groups. One group ran laps around the track, and the other ran around a small modified cross-country track. After each group finished, they swapped until both groups had run on both tracks.

Everything went well for Kam throughout the tryout, except for one thing. Kam decided to run a little too fast on the cross-country track, which was a failure. An epic failure, to be honest. The kind of failure that could have gone viral if only it had been caught on camera. Kam turned a corner and failed to see a giant mud puddle. By the time he finished sliding through the mud on his belly, he was covered from head to toe. Kam glanced over to the bleachers and saw that Tommy had arrived and was laughing hysterically. He also saw the new boy. The guy that Leo said he met last night. The boy was sitting by himself near the top of the bleachers, watching the tryouts.

After the tryouts, the coach pulled Kam aside and told him he would be on the JV team. He patted Kam on the back, said he expected him to do well if he trained hard, and showed the speed he showed today. He also encouraged Kam to try out for the indoor track season in November.

Kam ran over to the bleachers to fill Leo and Tommy in on what the coach said, and then they all walked back over to Max. Max made team captain, as expected. Kam made JV, and Leo made varsity. Max’s girlfriend joined the four boys as they left the track field. As they walked across the field, Leo turned back and saw Reese sitting in the bleachers. He raised a hand and waved. Reese smiled and waved back, then Leo turned and continued walking off the field.

“Becca, you remember Leo, right? This is his brother, Kameron, and,” Max trailed off, looking at Tommy.

Kam spoke up. “This is my bestie, Tommy. Nice to meet you, Becca.”

Becca walked with Leo as they headed for the school parking lot. “Leo, are you still going out with Jasper Anderson?”

“No. We broke up last year.”

“You’re better off without him, in my opinion. He’s a jerk and a stoner. You’re the one that dumped him, I hope.”

 “Yes. He was the biggest mistake of my life, and I’ve moved on from all that.”

Becca looked Leo up and down. “You’re hot. I know three or four boys and half a dozen girls who would fight to go out with you. Forget that jerk. Anyway, do you guys want to go with Max and me to get ice cream to celebrate.”

Kam answered for all three. “Definitely!”

They got to the ice cream shop, and all got their cones. Leo and Max shared stories about Brandon, wondering how they had never all hung out together. Leo noticed Kam and Tommy were whispering off in a corner booth. He thought it was strange but put it out of his head. Leo was distracted with thoughts about meeting up with Charlie later.

Becca noticed that Leo kept looking at his phone.

“Hot date later, Leo?” Becca smirked.

“Um, no. Well, sort of.” Leo blushed.

Kam yelled over. “Don’t let him fool ya. It’s a date. Loverboy can’t stop gushing about the guy.” 

“Shut up, Kam.” Leo rolled his eyes at his brother. 

Becca leaned towards Leo. “Tell me more. Is he cute?”

Leo sighed. “He’s not just cute. He’s totally dreamy. I met him out on the beach yesterday. I told him I’d text him after the cross-country tryout.” Leo said while looking at his phone again.

Becca stood up. “Well, let’s get you home then. Come on, Max, let’s go.” Becca led the way out of the shop, and they all followed. Max dropped Leo, Kam, and Tommy off and continued towards his home.

Leo was out of the car and sprinting towards the house almost before the car even stopped. He took the stairs two at a time, rushed into his room, and quickly picked out a change of clothes. He darted out of his room and into the bathroom. Leo jumped into the shower before Kam even got into the house. After the quickest shower of his life, Leo got dressed and texted Charlie to find out where he was. Leo started blow-drying his hair and did his best to make it as presentable as possible in as short a time as possible. Then, he ran out of the house. Glancing down to check for a reply from Charlie. He ran towards the fence but then thought better of it. His body was still too sore for jumping. He turned and went around and onto the beach.

He looked up and down the beach and spotted Charlie at the water’s edge. Leo walked up and stood next to the other boy, not saying anything for a minute or two. Then Leo looked over at him. “Sorry, I took so long. A guy from the team took my brother and me out for ice cream to celebrate. We both made the team. I made varsity, and Kam made JV.”

Charlie turned towards Leo, reached out, and grabbed both his hands. “That’s awesome! I’m so happy for you both!” He leaned in and hugged Leo.

Leo hugged him back before saying, “Thanks, Charlie. I’m happy that Kam and I are doing something together. I think running will be perfect for both of us.” Leo put his hand against Charlie’s face. “You’re so gorgeous, Charlie.” He smiled shyly.

Leo begrudgingly pulled his hand away from Charlie. “We better stop now, or I may decide to try for more,”

Charlie smiled. “You can try, but I’m not sure how far I’d let you get.” He winked.

Leo cleared his throat. “Anyway, what did you do today? I wouldn’t want to suggest doing the same things you already did.” Leo asked.

“We went out on a boat from the aquarium down the street and went on a whale watch. That took up a few hours. It was pretty out on the water, and we did see a few whales. Then mom went shopping, and I walked around town for a while and then came down here.” Charlie took out his phone and showed it to Leo. “Here are the pics of the whales.”

“Let’s walk this way.” Leo held out one hand until Charlie took it. Then he started walking up the beach, away from the lighthouse. “There’s a small carnival up here. It’s only here in the summer. This is the last week that it will be here until next May. There’s a Ferris wheel, a few other rides, carnival games, and junk food! Do you want to go? Have you eaten yet?”

“That sounds fun! No, I haven’t had dinner, and carnival food sounds perfect! Let’s go.” Charlie squeezed Leo’s hand tighter, looked at him, and smiled as they walked up the beach towards the carnival.

By the time they had been at the carnival for twenty minutes, Leo clutched a giant stuffed panda bear almost as big as he was.

“I can never win at these carnival games. Thanks for winning this for me, Charlie. I love him. I’m going to name him Charlie. Charlie the Panda.” Leo laughed, leaned over, and kissed Charlie on the cheek. “Let’s ride the Ferris wheel before it gets too dark so I can show you my town from up high.”

The Ferris wheel line was short, and the boys were in a seat in just a few minutes. They waited as the worker ensured they were buckled in, and then he locked the safety bar. The ride began to slowly turn, stopping and starting at first while other passengers got on or off. Leo pointed out some of his favorite spots in town when the Ferris wheel neared the top.

“One of the things I love the most is that we’re at the ocean, but just a couple miles away, we can swim and fish in the river.” He pointed off to their left. “Just past where the coastline bends in is the little spot where the town gets its name, Pebble Cove. Named that way because the beach there has more pebbles than sand. The cove is pretty, the water is great, but the beach is terrible.” Leo pointed out something different to Charlie each time the Ferris wheel went up. He showed him the Seaport Village, where the old tall wooden ships were displayed. He showed him the shops that were set up to resemble a colonial village, and he showed him many other sights.

Charlie grabbed Leo’s hand. “You really love your town, don’t you?’

Leo turned his head to face Charlie. “I do. I mean, I get annoyed by the crowds during tourist season. Most tourists are jerks who don’t care about anything but themselves. They leave trash everywhere. They drink. They fight. I’m not too fond of that part. But the actual town I do love.”

“So, you hate tourists, huh?”  Charlie huffed out a laugh.

Leo blushed. “Cute tourists with hot Australian accents are the exception to my rule.” Leo turned in the seat to face Charlie, and he leaned in. Charlie was so nervous that he was nearly shaking, but he went for it. Eighteen years was long enough to wait for his first kiss. He wasn’t about to wait one minute longer. Charlie grabbed the front of Leo’s shirt with both hands and pulled him close. Their lips met tentatively at first. Charlie’s lips parted, and Leo’s tongue darted inside. Leo leaned back against the side of the Ferris wheel car, pulling Charlie down on top of him. The seat strap dug into Charlie’s chest, so he ducked under it, freeing himself. Leo ran his hands up and down Charlie’s broad, muscular back. Charlie had one hand braced against the seat to stop himself from falling and his other hand on the back of Leo’s neck, pulling him closer as the kiss deepened.

Clang! A loud metal bang rang in both boys’ ears, and they looked up, eyes wide. The ride had stopped. Their car was at the bottom, and the metal bar swung open. The carnival worker was looking at them with a look that was half scowl and half smirk.

“Get off my Ferris wheel, you two! Take that somewhere else.” He waved off in a direction away from the ride. “And you,” he pointed at Charlie. “If I ever see you on my ride again without the safety strap, I’ll kick you off permanently!”

Charlie mumbled. “Yes, sir. Of course, sir.” Then he grabbed Leo’s hand, and the two boys ran off as fast as they could away from the Ferris wheel and the line of people standing there and watching the entire thing.

They slowed down when they turned a corner and entered a different part of the carnival. Charlie spoke up. “Hey, do you want to grab something to eat?”

“Yum! Junky carnival food sounds great!” Leo chuckled. “Let’s go find some deep-fried chicken and onion rings, and when we’re done with that, some fried dough for dessert!”

Charlie rolled his eyes at the choices but followed as Leo led the way to the food booths.

After they ate what passed for dinner, the two boys walked through the carnival midway, finishing their fried dough. Leo glanced over at Charlie and smirked. He stepped directly in front of Charlie and looked up at the taller boy, then pulled Charlie’s face down to his own. As Leo leaned in close, his tongue darted out, and he slowly licked just to the side of Charlie’s mouth on both sides, then pulled back.

“What was that for?” Charlie beamed, his eyes burning with desire.

“Powdered sugar. I love it. I didn’t want to see it go to waste.” Leo shrugged and grinned and started walking again. They were passing through the carnival games when Leo suddenly stopped.

“I want to try and win something. This looks like a fun game. You won the panda for me. Now I want to win something for you.” Leo was hugging his giant panda as he spoke.

“Awe. I’m glad you like your panda, but you don’t have to win me anything. It’s sweet of you to want to, though.” Charlie replied.

“I know I don’t have to. I want to. Now hold onto Charlie, Jr.” Leo handed the panda to Charlie. The game had six big metal milk jugs, and the object was to toss a baseball into one of the pitchers—two dollars for three baseballs. Leo won four times and traded up for the prize he wanted. Sixteen dollars later, he handed a giant stuffed dolphin to Charlie.

“A dolphin to welcome you to our little fishing town.” Leo leaned in and kissed Charlie.

“Should I name him Leo?” Charlie smirked. “Nah. I won’t copy you. Pebbles for Pebble Cove.”

“That’s perfect.”

Charlie pulled Leo close and kissed him before pulling back and looking down into his eyes. “There are too many people around right here. Let’s walk somewhere else.”

Leo’s eyes lit up, and a devilish grin spread across his face. “Absolutely brilliant plan. Let’s go!”

The two boys headed towards the carnival exit, but Leo pointed between the fence and the Ferris wheel. “Back there. Behind the Ferris wheel. No one will ever go back there.” He pulled Charlie along by their linked hands until they were just outside the reach of the carnival lights. Now, in near darkness, Leo turned and faced Charlie. He placed one hand flat against the older boy’s chest and firmly yet gently pushed him up against the fence. Leo freed his other hand from Charlie’s grasp and slowly ran both hands up Charlie’s body until his hands were at the collar of Charlie’s light blue button-down shirt. Leo pulled on the collar, forcing Charlie to bend down slightly. Leo leaned in, and the two met in an open-mouthed kiss. Charlie was older. Charlie was taller. However, Leo was in charge. Leo broke away from Charlie’s mouth and started licking and kissing Charlie’s jawline, then moving up to his ear. After nibbling on Charlie’s ear, Leo began kissing the older boy’s neck.

Leo let go of Charlie’s collar, and his hands found their way to the top button of his shirt. He unbuttoned the top button and kissed the newly exposed skin. His fingers were shaking just a bit with nerves, and he undid the next button and then the next. He kissed and licked his way down with each button he released. Lower and lower. He was halfway down Charlie’s chest when he felt the other boy run his fingers through his hair and grip the top of his head.

“Yeah. Oh my God, Leo, that’s amazing.” Charlie said as he gently applied pressure, urging Leo even lower. Leo was on his knees in front of Charlie. More buttons unbuttoned—more kissing and licking. Leo finally released the bottom button on the shirt and spread the shirt open. Leo’s tongue darted out and into Charlie’s innie belly button. Charlie moaned and gripped Leo’s head even tighter. Leo rubbed up and down the front of Charlie’s khaki board shorts, feeling just how into this Charlie really was. Charlie moaned even louder. “Leo. Oh, God, Leo. Wait. Stop.” Charlie grabbed Leo’s shirt and pulled him back to a standing position. Charlie’s eyes were glazed over with lust, and he was breathing heavily. He took a deep breath and began to speak before Leo could cause him to change his mind. “We have to stop. I want you so bad, but not here. Not now.”

“Why? Did I do something wrong?” Leo had a worried look in his eyes.

“No. Oh, God, no. Absolutely not. It’s just that I,” Charlie hesitated and blushed before speaking again. “I’ve never done anything like this before. The kiss on the Ferris Wheel was my first ever kiss.” He put his hand up to stop Leo from interrupting. “I know we’ve just met, but I want more of my firsts to be with you. Not here, though. Not in a muddy field behind the carnival where anyone could,” As if on cue, a loud noise interrupted them.

Crash! Bang! “Hey! You two! What are you doing over there?! You don’t belong back here! The carnival is closed!” A voice yelled.

Both boys nearly jumped out of their skins. Leo spun and looked towards the yelling and saw a carnival worker. The man was emptying trash into a bin and had seen the boys. Leo grabbed Charlie’s hand, and they ran off into the darkness. They ran through the exit and out onto the beach. They never even slowed until they were near the path leading to Leo’s house, where they finally stopped.

 

Running Toward Love (Chapter 2)

Chapter 2

Charlie wasn’t sure how much further they would have to walk when Leo motioned for him to turn towards the right. They walked past a couple of picnic tables and across a grassy area to a fence at the edge of the beach. “This is it. I live right over there.” Leo pointed at a house across the street. “Will I ever see you again?” Leo asked, looking directly into Charlie’s eyes.

“I sure hope so. We’ve rented that cabin until the end of the week. What are you doing tomorrow?” Charlie replied with a grin. “I’d love to hang out sometime when I’m not saving you from a maniac.”

“School starts tomorrow. I could meet up with you afterward if you want.”

“What year of school are you in?”

“I start my senior year of high school tomorrow. You said that you just graduated, right?”

“Yep! I’m so glad I can finally focus on what I want to do rather than what the school wants me to do! I would have guessed you for a college boy, too. You look about the same age as me. I’ll be nineteen next month.”

“I’ll be eighteen in two weeks, not far behind you. Anyway, I need to get home before my brother sends out a search party. Should I look for you after school tomorrow?”

“I’m not sure what my mom has planned. Give me your number, and I’ll text you when I know our plans,” Charlie said.

Leo took Charlie’s phone and put in his contact information. When he handed it back, he leaned in and gave a surprised Charlie a quick kiss on the cheek. Leo grinned at a speechless Charlie, then turned and jumped the fence and walked home without looking back.

The kiss shocked Charlie. Leo kissed him! It was just a kiss on the cheek, but still, it meant that he probably liked him! Leo flirted the whole time, but the kiss was still a surprise. Charlie’s grin nearly split his face in two as he turned and retraced his steps back to the cabin by the lighthouse.

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Leo went across the street and into his house, where he found his brother Kam sitting at the kitchen table, staring at the door. As soon as Leo was in the house, Kam was on his feet, asking his brother question after question. “What took you so long? Are you alright? Hey, what happened to your face?”

“Kam! Stop with the questions. Let’s go to my room, and we can talk there.” Leo said as he led his brother up the stairs and into his bedroom. Leo sat at his desk and motioned for Kam to sit on the bed. “I’ll tell you everything that happened, but you have to promise not to tell anyone, Kam. Not anyone! Understand?”

“Yeah. Of course. Like always. We always keep each other’s secrets and watch each other’s backs. We’re brothers.” Kam held his fist out to his brother. Leo complied, and they bumped fists and grinned silly grins.

“Ok. Well, here it goes.” Leo told Kam about everything that had happened since they split up until Leo returned to the house. Kam listened without once interrupting. When Leo finished, Kam gave out a low whistle.

“Wow, bro. You had a busy morning after I left.”    Kam said.

“Yeah, I know, right! Scary. Awful. Amazing. Confusing. I don’t know what to feel right now!” Leo ran his fingers through his hair and slumped back into his chair.

Kam scowled, then looked at his brother. “First, we have to worry about Dad and what he will say about your bruises. He’ll flip out if you tell him it was about Jasper.”

“Hmm. Hey! I’ll tell him I went swimming after our run, and a surfboard clipped me. I’d rather he thought I was an idiot and wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings than deal with him going off about Jazz again.”

“That might work for dad, but Jasper and Matt will have to be dealt with eventually. Now, what about this boy, Charlie? Do you think you’ll see him again? Should you even bother? You said he’s a tourist just here until the end of the week.” Kam stared intently at his brother, waiting for answers.

“He’s super-hot! That hair and those eyes. Mm-hm. I sure hope I see him again. I gave him my number and asked him to text me tomorrow when he knows his plans. Yes, I know he’s a tourist, but he makes me smile. I haven’t smiled because of a boy in a long time, Kam.” Leo said with a grin. “Plus, there’s just something about him. I can’t even explain it. The connection was immediate and strong. Maybe it was him saving me from Matt, but I looked up into those dark brown eyes, and my heart skipped a beat. At that moment, I felt more for him than I ever felt in eight months with Jazz. So, yes. Yes, I plan to see him again. I hope he feels the same way! Who knows what can happen in a week? Maybe he’ll stay!” Leo spun the chair around, leaning against the back, looking at his brother.

“You just met him, and he’s a tourist. Enjoy the week, but be careful. I’ll reheat breakfast. Mom, Dad, and Allison went to the mall for last-minute school shopping. Mom said she’d take you and me later today.” Kam disappeared down the hall, and Leo gathered some clean clothes and headed towards the bathroom to shower.

After Leo’s shower, he took a good long look at himself in the mirror. The bruises looked terrible, but he could move without too much pain. Nothing felt broken. Mrs. Davis was probably right about that; thank goodness his ankle already felt better! He had Charlie to thank. Matt probably would have done even more damage if Charlie hadn’t been there to stop him. Leo quickly shook thoughts of Charlie out of his head before he became distracted, and his food got cold again. He finished in the bathroom and went downstairs to join his brother for breakfast.

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After breakfast, the two boys entered the living room and played Xbox. After killing each other a dozen times in Call of Duty, they turned the game off. Leo started channel surfing, and Kam took out his phone and started texting. Soon, their family returned home from the mall, and Leo and Kam left with their mom. Once at the mall, their mom explicitly instructed Kam on what she expected him to buy but just handed Leo some money. They each went their separate ways to find what they needed.

Leo nearly finished shopping, thoughts of the upcoming school year clouding his mind. Thoughts of dealing with Jasper, thoughts of Charlie, all these thoughts ran through his head. His vision started spinning, and he felt himself begin to sweat. He leaned heavily onto the checkout counter.

“Sir? Are you ok? Sir?” The cashier spoke to Leo and grabbed his arm as she saw him start to lean forward. To Leo, the entire store began to spin and go dark. He lost his grip on the counter and fell to the floor. Hands grabbed him, but the voices sounded far away, and everything was dark.

Leo felt something cold and damp against his forehead, and he faintly heard someone saying his name and talking to him. He opened his eyes, and things weren’t so dark, and the spinning had slowed. He closed his eyes again, leaned back against the counter, and listened to the voice talking to him. The voice sounded familiar. Leo opened his eyes again. The spinning stopped. He blinked. The first things he saw were the EMT uniform and the stretcher. Leo groaned. He did not want to end up at the hospital. Leo wasn’t ready to tell his mom that the dizzy spells were back. He looked up, and when he saw the face of the EMT, he smiled. It was Kyle, the same EMT who had saved his life six years ago.

“Hey, Kyle. Fancy meeting you here. I hope you’re not planning on putting me on that thing.” Leo pointed at the stretcher.

“Hi, Leo. It has been a long time. Which is good, considering my line of work.” Kyle reached over and removed the cold rag from Leo’s forehead. “How are you feeling? What happened?”

“Kyle, can we move over to the bench out of the store?” Leo started to push himself up off the floor.

Kyle helped Leo to his feet and held onto his arm as they paid for Leo’s purchases. They then walked out to the bench and sat down. “So, what happened, Leo? The cashier said it looked like you got dizzy and passed out.”

Leo looked down, then looked back at Kyle. “I think it was just a bad anxiety attack. There’s been a lot on my mind lately. But I’ll be candid with you, Kyle. I’ve had a few dizzy spells and headaches. At least a couple a week. I’m a little worried.”

“Do you want me to take you to the hospital now, Leo? With your history, it’s better to be safe than sorry. It might just be anxiety, but it might be something more.” As he talked, Kyle took Leo’s blood pressure and pulse readings. “All your vitals look good, but I am happy to load you into the ambulance and take you to the hospital. Is your mom here in the mall?”

“Yeah. Mom and Kam are both here. I appreciate you looking after me again, Kyle, but I don’t want to go to the hospital. If the dizzy spells continue, I promise to tell Mom. I promise. I really do think it’s just the anxiety.” Leo told Kyle all that had been going on in his life. The breakup with Jasper, the fight with Matt, meeting Charlie, worries about school, everything.

“Wow. That is a lot. It could be the anxiety, but I’ll hold you to that promise about telling your mom if you get dizzy again. You know better than anyone how important this is. You can’t mess around when it comes to brain injuries. Please don’t make me sic Doc Danny on you! Anyway, if you’re sure you don’t want to go to the hospital, I have to get going.” Kyle stood up and rested a hand on Leo’s shoulder. “You sure you’re ok, Leo?”

“Yeah. I’m good now, Kyle. Thanks a lot. I’m glad it was you that came for me again. Spilling my guts and telling you everything probably helped more than anything else. I’m feeling much better.” Leo stood and gathered his shopping bags as Kyle said one last goodbye, tossed his medical bag onto the stretcher and left.

Leo glanced at his watch. “Damn!” He hurried off toward the mall food court, already fifteen minutes past the time his mom had said for him to be there.

————————————————————————————————————

After they got home from the mall, the boys put their things away and went to the backyard to help their dad set up for the barbecue. “What happened to you?” Leo’s dad asked him.

“I was swimming this morning after my run. I guess I drifted out too far without realizing it, and the next thing I knew, a surfboard crashed right into me. It hit my face and my ribs. I’m pretty sore, but I’m ok, Dad.” Leo said, hoping his father would believe the story.

“Hmph! Be more careful out there. You could have hurt yourself worse or hurt the surfer. Pay attention to your surroundings, Leo. Now get the food from your mother. Kam, help your brother and bring the plates out, too.” Their father said.

When the boys returned with all the food and other supplies for the barbecue, their sister, Allison, came out with them. The boys set the stuff on the picnic table, and Alli began setting it up.

“Nice shiner, big brother,” Allison said.

“Thanks,” Leo said, shaking his head and repeating what he told their father.

Alli smirked and whispered, “Matt?”

Leo sighed, shook his head, and motioned for his sister to walk with him. Once they turned the corner of the house, he said, “Come on, Alli, you know dad would freak out. Please don’t get me in trouble. Please.”

“Of course not. It would be best if you talked to Jazz, though. As much of a dick as he turned out to be, I don’t think he’d want to see you get hurt.” Allison said.

“I know. I’m sure I’ll see Jazz at school. I’ll say something to him. Maybe he’ll keep Matt away from me. I hate asking him for a favor, but maybe it’s the only way.” Leo said. “Anyway, let’s get back before Dad gets mad.”

————————————————————————————————————

After dinner, Leo told his mom he was going for a walk on the beach. As he was about to leave the house, Kam caught up to him. “Hey, Leo, want me to come with you?”

“Nah, bro. I am only going to take a walk and chill out for a bit. I’m not going too far.” Leo blushed and smiled. “Maybe just as far as the lighthouse.”

“Ah-ha! Ok, bro. Have fun! Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” Kam laughed.

“Well, that leaves my options wide open!” Leo clapped his brother on the shoulder, turned, and left the house. He jogged across the street and leaped over the fence onto the beach like he’d done a million times before. This time, though, he winced in pain when he landed. Mentally cursing himself for his stupidity, he turned and started walking up the beach toward the lighthouse, hoping to see Charlie.

About halfway to the lighthouse, Leo saw a lone figure standing at the water’s edge, throwing rocks into the sea. He looked close to make sure it wasn’t Matt, but it wasn’t. It was Charlie. Leo walked up behind the other boy. Leo saw a look of intense concentration on Charlie’s face, apparently lost in his thoughts and not paying attention to his surroundings. Leo leaned in close. “Hey, gorgeous. You come here often.”

Charlie jumped and spun around. “Leo! You scared the crap out of me!” Charlie clutched at his heart, took a deep breath, and then laughed. “I didn’t think I would see you again until tomorrow. How did I get so lucky?”

Leo shrugged and smiled. “I guess I wanted to see you again tonight. I can’t stay long, though. It’s already late, and tomorrow is the first day of school. Walk with me back towards my house?”

“I’m glad you came. I wanted to see you again, too. Yeah, let’s walk.” Charlie held out his hand towards Leo. Leo took Charlie’s hand, and the two walked back towards Leo’s house, hand in hand.

About halfway there, they heard someone yell from off to their right. “Hey! Hey, guys! Wait a minute!”

Leo cringed and nearly hid behind Charlie before he realized that the voice did not belong to Matt. He turned and saw a boy about his age running from the beach parking lot toward where he and Charlie stood.

The boy ran up and stopped right in front of Leo. “Thanks for waiting. I… I’m kinda lost.” The boy huffed out a laugh. “We just moved here a couple days ago, and I was out walking around the neighborhood, but now I don’t know where my street is. Can you guys send me in the right direction for Spruce Street?” The boy ran a hand through his short, sandy brown hair. He looked at Leo, but then he blushed and looked down, unable to maintain eye contact.

Leo smiled and blushed a little. This guy was cute, but Leo was standing there holding hands with Charlie. After nearly seven months of being single, he meets two cuties on the same day. What are the odds?! Leo cleared his throat. “Uh, go back through that parking lot you were just in, and then take a left. Take your first right and then another left. Spruce will be the second left. It’s actually only one street away from where I live. Welcome to the neighborhood! My name is Leo.”

“Thanks, Leo. I’m Reese. Maybe I’ll see you at school. Have a good night!” And with that, Reese turned and ran back toward the parking lot, disappearing into the growing darkness.

Leo and Charlie walked silently for a while, each casting quick glances at the other before Charlie finally cleared his throat, breaking the silence. “So, are you excited for senior year? Have you decided on a college yet?”

“Yes, for the first question, and no for the second one. I’m still not sure what I want to do with my life. Probably business management, but my dad is trying to push me into something science-related. Everything in my life is just so confusing right now. That’s why I’ve started running every morning with my brother. It’s the only time I can focus and think things through. I’m even considering trying out for cross country or track. Kam is, too. He will be a freshman this year, so this is the perfect time to get involved. They might not want a senior who has never really run before.” Leo shrugged.

“That would be so cool if you both made the team! I’m sure you can do it. Is that what you were doing on the beach this morning? Training?”

“Yeah. We were running on the beach, but I stopped to rest, and Kam went ahead. That’s why I was alone when Matt found me.”

“That dude was a jerk. I’m glad I showed up when I did.”

Before they knew it, they were at the fence across from Leo’s house. The sun was setting, and it was dusk but not dark.

“I guess this is my stop.” Leo looked up into Charlie’s dark eyes; Charlie was a good three inches taller. “I’ll see you tomorrow, I guess. I’ll text you when I get home, and you can tell me your plans.”

“That sounds great. I’ll make sure that I have some free time to meet up.” Charlie leaned in, very close to Leo.

Leo leaned back and felt his back press firmly against the fence. Charlie was so close that Leo could feel his body heat. “O-ok. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

Charlie leaned in even closer. He thought about kissing Leo, then chickened out at the last minute. Charlie wasn’t sure how far they wanted this to go, knowing he was leaving in just a few days.

Leo sighed, still looking up at Charlie. “I have to go.” He leaned in and gave the other boy a quick hug. “Good night! See you tomorrow!” This time, Leo went around the fence instead of jumping over it. He returned home as Charlie turned and started walking back towards the lighthouse, smiling like an idiot.

————————————————————————————————————

Leo rolled over and turned off his alarm clock two minutes before the alarm would have buzzed, 5:03am. He was about to get up, but then he realized that he shouldn’t run this morning, just in case. Two dizzy spells yesterday convinced him to take it easy, at least for today. Leo slung his arm over his eyes and relaxed. No running meant he didn’t need to get up and into the shower for at least another half hour. He let his mind wander over the events of the previous day. A lot happened. His morning run ended with a dizzy spell, and then there was the fight with Matt and Charlie rescuing him. Then, Charlie takes care of him at the lighthouse, the panic attack at the mall, and finally he met up with Charlie again. He thought they were about to kiss for a moment, but then it didn’t happen. Maybe next time!

Today was the first day of senior year. He supposed that he should hunt down Jasper and talk with him about Matt once he was at school. Leo didn’t want to talk with Jazz, but the harassment and fights had to stop. He also thought about possibly trying out for track and pushing Kameron into trying out. Most of all, Leo was thinking about getting through the school day, returning home, and hanging out with Charlie.

All of this replayed in Leo’s mind as he lay there in bed. He glanced at the clock again, 5:42. Time to get up and get ready for school, or as his best friend Brandon called it, prison.

————————————————————————————————————

Leo looked at the lock screen on his phone as he left Starbucks at 6:52. He still had plenty of time to catch the bus. He peered over at Kam. “You ready for your first day of high school, little bro?”

“Yeah. For sure. I mean, maybe a little nervous but excited, too. Are we still trying out for cross country or track or whatever?”

“Yeah. I think Brandon knows someone on the team. I’ll find out about tryouts and text you.”

The two brothers strolled to the bus stop and joined their neighborhood’s small group of kids. Leo spotted the new boy he met last night and waved. He was about to go over and say hi, but the bus pulled up. Then, the boy was lost in the crowd of kids. Leo sat on the bus next to his brother and looked around for the new boy, but he didn’t see him. Kam arched an eyebrow at his brother. “Who is he? Obviously, not your tourist friend since he’s on the school bus.”

“No. Just a guy I met on the beach last night. He was lost and asked for directions. He lives on Spruce Street. I guess he just moved here.”

Kam smirked. “Maybe you should rethink your tourist crush. Why bother with someone who will only be here a few days when you have a new cutie to set your sights on.”

Leo sighed. “I know Charlie is only here for a few days, but I like him, Kam. I don’t know anything about this other guy besides the fact that he just moved here. He’s probably straight. Who knows.”

“I just don’t want to see you get your heart broken again so soon after Jazz. Be careful, bro.”

“Totally. I will. We’re here. I’ll text you after I talk to Brandon. Have fun.”

————————————————————————————————————

Leo spotted Brandon in the parking lot as soon as he got off the bus. He jogged over to catch up to his friend before he reached the building. “Hey, buddy, what’s up? Didn’t see much of ya this summer. How’re things with Brett?”

Brandon clapped Leo on the back. “Great, my friend, just great. Sucks he’s going to school so far away, but I’ll still see him on weekends. The perils of dating a college boy, I guess! Now, we need to find you a boyfriend.” Brandon smirked.

Leo chuckled. “I’m kinda working on that myself.” He blushed and smiled.

“Really?” Brandon turned and looked at his friend. “Whoa! What the hell happened to you?” He said, seeing the bruises for the first time.

“Matt,” Leo said with a grimace. “I’ll tell you all about it in between classes. There’s a lot to the story. Good things and bad.”

“He needs a good ass whipping. Want me to sic Brett on him?” Brandon asked.

“No. Matt already got his ass whipped. That’s part of my story.” Leo grinned.

“You beat up Matt?” Brandon asked, surprised.

“No. Not me. My guardian angel did.” Leo grinned.

“Now, I’m interested! You better tell me the whole story! I want juicy details!” Brandon laughed. “See you at lunch.”

 

Running Toward Love (Chapter 1)

Chapter 1

Leo rolled over, reached for his phone, and saw that it said 4:47. Ugh. Even earlier than yesterday. Sleep, for Leo, was becoming harder and harder to come by. He just couldn’t shut his brain down. He felt his entire world collapsing around him, and he could do nothing to stop it. He needed to go for a run. Running focused his scattered thoughts. Leo slid out of bed, grabbed a pair of shorts and a t-shirt from the pile of clothes on his desk, and walked into the connecting bathroom towards his brother Kam’s room. Once in the bathroom, he splashed icy water on his face and ran his fingers through his tangled, curly black hair. Leo desperately needed a haircut. He would start his senior year of high school tomorrow, and his hair looked like a giant black rat’s nest. Leo wet his hair and pushed it back out of his face. He slipped his shorts on over his slim hips and peered into Kam’s room. His brother still slept soundly.

“Kam, wake up. It’s time to run.” Leo flopped down on the bed next to his brother. The two boys looked remarkably similar, though Leo was three years older. The significant difference between the boys was their hairstyle. Both had jet-black hair, but Kam kept his hair cut short in an almost military-style haircut. Leo wore his hair almost to his shoulders, and the long, curly hair continually fell across his face. Leo flipped his hair out of his face again, pushing against his brother’s back. “Come on, Kam. Get out of bed. You said you wanted to run with me!”

Kam groaned. “Leo, it’s just after 5 am. What’s wrong with you? Sleep in. It’s the last day of summer break!” Kam glanced at his cell phone and then looked at his brother. He saw the pleading look in Leo’s eyes, and he relented. “Ok, ok! Give me five minutes.” Kam threw back the sheet and got out of bed. He padded slowly to the bathroom, glancing back at his brother. “The beach again?”

“Of course! Maybe we’ll go for a swim to cool down afterward.” Leo grinned at his brother even though troubling thoughts clouded his mind. At seventeen, such heavy burdens should not continually invade his mind.

Leo tried to put the troubling thoughts out of his mind while waiting for his brother to return from the bathroom. Maybe the run would help. He was glad that Kam ran with him. They had some of their best talks while they ran. Kam exited the bathroom dressed in tan cargo shorts and a red tank top. He wore no shoes since they would be running on the beach, and they preferred to run barefoot. Leo glanced up when Kam entered the room. “Ready, bro?”

“Yeah, let’s go.” They quietly left the house, trying not to wake anyone else up. They broke into a jog, crossed the street, and jumped the fence onto the beach, landing with a soft thump in the sun-warmed sand. Kam nodded his head towards the south. “To the lighthouse this time, Leo?”

“Sounds good to me. That’s just over three miles. Down and back should be about six and a half. The last time we went that way, we did it in fifty-seven minutes. Let’s beat that today. Let’s go.” The boys set the timers on their watches, bumped fists, and took off down the beach.

While they ran, Kam tried engaging his older brother in conversation. He knew his brother well enough to know that he had a lot on his mind. “Leo, what’s up with you? Talk to me. You know it’ll stay between us.” He gave Leo a light push to the shoulder.

Leo swatted his brother’s hand away. “Don’t make me hurt you, Kameron. Yeah, you’re right. A lot has been running through my head. I haven’t even been sleeping much.”

“Talk to me. I might not have any advice, but maybe it’ll help to say it out loud.” Kam said as he kept pace with Leo, stride for stride.

Leo sighed. “Starting senior year is one thing. With all that drama with Jasper last spring, I hope everyone has forgotten about it and moved on to other gossip. The breakup was hard enough, but his outing me at school hurt bad. Ugh. I still have feelings for that jerk, even after what he did. I’m scared I’d say yes if he asked me out again.”

“You better not, Leo. I’d punch both of you. That asshole cheated on you! You walked in on them, for crying out loud! That scumbag can’t even deny it, Leo. I know you can’t control your feelings, but you’d be an idiot to even think of going back to him.” Kam’s face showed the anger he felt, not anger at Leo, but at Jasper for what he put Leo through.

“I know. I know. I won’t do it, but I’m just saying that seeing Jazz every day won’t be easy. We were best friends for ten years before we even started dating.” Leo said, trying to calm his brother’s anger. “I won’t go back to him, Kam. I promise.”

“You’ll find someone else before you know it, Leo. Forget about him.” Kam said.

“Yeah, well, that brings me to the second problem. Dad. He’s still not accepting that I’m gay. If I got a new boyfriend, it would probably make it even worse. And I feel like shit that dad and mom argue about me all the damn time. Allison’s attitude about it improved greatly from last year, but Dad hasn’t changed even a little.”  Leo said, sadness creeping into his voice. “Why can’t they all be like you, little brother?”

“I am quite awesome, aren’t I?” Kam smirked. “I don’t know. You’re right about Alli, though, and mom. They have both turned it around. They’re not waving pride flags, but they’re getting there. I hope Dad comes around, too, Leo. I really do.”

The boys reached the halfway point, the lighthouse. They started their return trip when Leo stopped and dropped to his knees. He felt dizzy. Kam noticed that his brother was no longer at his side, and he turned back, “Leo, you ok?” Kam knelt, resting his hand on his brother’s shoulder. “You don’t look so good. What’s wrong?”

Leo took a deep breath, looked up at his brother, and smiled, even though the world was still spinning out of control around him. “I’m fine, Kam. Just a little tired, I guess. Go on ahead, and I’ll catch up. I know you planned on meeting up with Tommy later. Just go on ahead. I’m fine.”

“Bullshit. You’re not even close to fine. Tell me what’s wrong, Leo.” Kam kept one hand on his brother’s shoulder and placed the other under Leo’s chin, forcing him to look into his eyes when he answered.

“Ok. Ok. There’s been one more thing bothering me lately, but it’s probably nothing.” He pulled back from his brother just enough to sit on the sand. “I’ve had these dizzy spells. And headaches. Bad ones. You can’t tell mom, Kam. Promise me. Not yet. I’ll tell her if they get any worse or don’t go away soon.” He looked pleadingly into his brother’s eyes.

Kam sighed. “It’s from the accident, isn’t it? You think it’s more than just your migraines. God, Leo, you have to tell her. I promise I won’t rat you out, but you should tell Mom soon. We almost lost you back then, and I couldn’t even begin to imagine losing you now.” Kam made a show of wiping the sweat off his forehead, hiding the fact that he also wiped tears from his eyes. Kam’s thoughts drifted back to six years ago when he was only eight and Leo was eleven. Leo died, only for a couple of minutes, and the medic brought him back, but Leo still had a lot of lingering problems.

“Kam, it’s probably nothing. I’ll keep an eye on it. She’ll have me in the doctor’s office the next day if I tell her. I’ve had enough doctors, hospitals, and tests to last a lifetime. The six-month check-ups are bad enough. I don’t want more tests if I can avoid it. I promise I’ll tell you everything and tell Mom if it worsens. Please? Ok?”

Kam still looked concerned but stood up to go. “Alright, if you’re sure. I’ll hold you to that promise, though. See you later at home. If you take too long getting back, I’m coming to look for you.” Kam turned and headed towards home, leaving Leo alone on the beach.

Leo took a few deep breaths as he watched his brother disappear into the distance. The dizziness started to pass, but now he had a severe migraine. Leo needed to get home and take one of his pills. He forced himself to his feet and started walking towards home.

Leo heard him before he saw him. Matt Henderson. The guy that Jasper cheated on him with. Leo started to walk faster. Matt yelled from behind him. “Kennedy! Hey, Kennedy!” He ran up beside Leo and grabbed his arm. “Hey, I want to talk to you. Stop walking.”

“What do you want, Matt? I have nothing to say to you. Not today. Not ever. Just leave me alone!” Leo tried to escape the bigger boy’s grasp but couldn’t pull away. Leo pulled back harder, and suddenly Matt just let go, and Leo fell to the ground. Looking up at Matt with a scowl forming on his face, Leo said, “You’re an asshat, Matt. A boyfriend-stealing skanky asshat!” Leo fought back the tears, not wanting this jerk to see him cry. Leo started to get up, and the next thing he saw was Matt’s fist hurtling towards his face. Before he could react, Leo felt pain explode on the right side of his face, and he fell back onto the sand.

Matt roared, “Do you think you can say things like that and walk away, Kennedy? No way! And I didn’t steal Jasper. You couldn’t keep him happy. I can.” Matt drew his foot back and began kicking Leo.

Leo saw Matt’s foot swinging towards him and quickly covered his face with his arms. He felt the kicks strike his arms, sides, and back. He rolled himself into a ball to try and protect himself from the attack. Leo felt himself starting to blackout. Then he heard a yell and the thump of two bodies colliding. More shouts and thumping sounds closely followed the collision, and then Leo heard screams of pain and rage. The kicking stopped.

Leo opened his eyes and found the most beautiful face he had ever seen hovering just above him. For a moment, Leo feared that he was seeing the face of an angel. He wasn’t sure if he was dead, dreaming, or just hallucinating. It had to be one of those. This guy was far too beautiful to actually be here. Leo blinked a few times to try and clear his head. The face above him smiled and spoke. “Hey, are you ok? My name is Charlie. If you’re feeling up to it, we better go before my new friend over there gets back up.” Charlie extended his hand down towards Leo.

Leo couldn’t even respond. The beauty of the guy in front of him left him speechless. Jet black hair combed back, framing a tan, smooth face. Slim features but a strong jawline. And those eyes. The darkest brown eyes that Leo had ever seen. He felt butterflies fluttering in his stomach and thought he could forever lose himself in those brown eyes. He blinked again and saw the boy’s hand extended down towards him, dripping with blood. Leo finally found his voice. “Oh, my God. Are you hurt? Your hand is bleeding. Did Matt do that? Is he still here?” Leo tried to get up but groaned in pain, clutching his ribs and falling back to the sand yet again.

Charlie lightly touched Leo’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about me. Most of it isn’t even my blood.” He pointed behind him. “If that’s Matt, then he didn’t leave. He’s too busy spitting up blood and deciding if he wants to get up or do the smart thing and stay where he is. Let’s leave before he makes his decision.” Charlie grabbed Leo’s wrist and gently pulled him to his feet. “Can you walk with help, or should I just carry you?”

Leo swayed on his feet and leaned into Charlie. “I couldn’t walk on my own, but with some help, I think I can. My left ankle hurts like hell, and I might have a broken rib or two, but if you help me, I can walk without you carrying me. Though that does sound divine.”

Charlie smiled despite his anger. “Save the flirting for later. Let’s get you out of here.” Charlie looked back at Matt and emitted a low growl. “If I didn’t need to get you out of here, I would pick him back up and knock him down a few more times. It didn’t look like he would stop kicking you anytime soon when I arrived.” Charlie slipped his arm around Leo’s waist. “Put your arm around my neck. I’ll help you to the cottage where my mum and I are staying. It’s just over there.” He motioned with his head towards the lighthouse. He couldn’t point as both his hands were busy supporting Leo.

Leo groaned in pain and leaned more heavily against Charlie, his head coming to rest on the taller boy’s shoulder. “I didn’t know anyone lived in the lighthouse,” Leo said. Even with all the pain, he didn’t mind the close contact with this boy. He let Charlie lead him down the beach towards the cottage near the lighthouse.

“Mum and I rented it. We are here on holiday,” Charlie said. “Let’s get you inside and look at your injuries. We can talk once we get you inside.”

Half carrying Leo, Charlie slowly made his way to the cottage. Once inside, he glanced around, looking for his mum. “Mum! Are you here? I need some help out here!” Hearing no response to his yells, Charlie guided Leo towards the couch and helped him to sit. He pulled the ottoman over and made Leo put his feet up. Charlie knelt next to the other boy. “Are you sure you don’t want me to take you to the hospital or call your parents? You look pretty beat up.”

“No. I’m fine. Just let me rest here. I don’t want to have to explain to my dad what happened.” Now that he could sit back and relax, Leo looked closer at his rescuer. His eyes raked up and down Charlie’s body, absorbing his beauty. Charlie wore a worn grey t-shirt, tan board shorts, white ankle socks, and red Nikes. He was slightly taller than Leo’s, 5’9”. He must spend a lot of time on the beach or at least outdoors. His athletic body was a deep golden tan, probably from time in the sun. Leo’s gaze returned to Charlie’s face and that beautiful hair. How much hairspray did it take to keep it that perfect? Charlie had a sly grin and a twinkle in his eye as he looked back at Leo.

“See something you like?” Charlie’s grin opened into a broad smile.

“You’re not from here, are you? Your accent is pretty hot.” Leo smirked.

Charlie laughed, “No. As I said, we are on holiday. We’re from Australia, the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, to be specific. I just graduated from school, and we have always wanted to see America. This was the perfect time for a holiday. Perfect timing to save you, too.” Charlie continued to lock eyes with Leo.

Leo sighed. “I knew it. Even without the accent, I would have known you weren’t from here. I would have noticed you.”

Charlie’s smile faded, and he looked at Leo with concern. “I enjoy your flirting, and I don’t care that you’re gay, Leo. But you don’t know me. I just as easily could have joined in with the guy beating you. You need to be more careful revealing your sexuality to strangers.”

Leo blushed and looked down. “I know. I know. You’re right, Charlie. I couldn’t help myself when I saw you. I’m not usually this forward. There’s just something about you.” Leo sighed.

It was Charlie’s turn to blush now. “Anyway, let me check out your injuries and see if I need to talk you into going to the hospital. I’m going to nursing school when I get back home. Mum is an emergency room nurse, and I have learned a few things from her. Tell me if anything hurts.” Charlie reached forward and lightly grasped Leo’s right ankle. He carefully watched Leo’s face for any sign of pain or discomfort. He grabbed Leo’s foot with his other hand to see if he could bend his foot with no pain.

Leo yelped in pain. “Ow! Yeah, that hurts when you bend it.”

Charlie let go of Leo’s leg and foot. “It’s swollen and tender, but it’s not broken. I’ll wrap it in an ace bandage and give you some Tylenol for the pain. Now, let me check those ribs. Off with your shirt.” Charlie blushed just a bit as he said that. He looked up at Leo’s face and gasped. “Holy hell. I didn’t realize he also hit you in the face. You have a big bruise on your cheek that extends down to your jawline. Does it hurt?” Charlie reached up and touched Leo’s face. “Let me go get you an icepack for that.”

“I’m still thinking about you asking me to remove my shirt. I usually expect dinner and a movie first, but I can make an exception in this case.” Leo reached up and pressed Charlie’s hand more firmly into his face. He looked Charlie in the eyes. “The icepack can wait. This feels better.”

Charlie blushed under the intensity of Leo’s gaze. He felt his body reacting to Leo’s touch. Charlie smiled but pulled his hand from the younger boy’s grasp. He said, “I need to check the rest of your injuries. Let’s get that shirt off.”

Leo gave a half-smile and sighed. “To be honest, I need you to help me with that. My ribs and side hurt, and I’m not sure how high I can raise my arms.”

Charlie sighed and thought Leo might exaggerate his injury to get him to remove the shirt. Their eyes locked as he grabbed hold of the bottom of the t-shirt. Charlie’s fingertips slid up Leo’s sides and arms as he pulled the shirt over Leo’s head. Leo’s body quivered and broke out in goosebumps, and he let out an audible moan. Charlie set the shirt on the couch and adjusted the growing bulge in his pants while Leo’s gaze was elsewhere. He let out a low whistle when he looked at Leo’s right side. “Leo, how bad does that hurt? It’s already turning purple, almost your whole right side, and onto your back.” Charlie gingerly touched the bruised areas. He put his hand flat against the side of Leo’s ribs. “Hey, take some deep breaths for me, please.” Leo took two deep breaths, groaning slightly each time he inhaled. Leo opened his mouth to answer, but movement over Charlie’s right shoulder caught his attention.

The boys heard someone loudly clearing their throat from the cottage doorway, and a female voice said. “Charlie Davis! What is going on here?”

Charlie’s hand pulled away from Leo as fast as if his skin was on fire. He spun around and said, “Mom! You’re back! This is Leo. Another boy beat him up down on the beach. I brought him here to see if we could help him. You weren’t here, so I did the best I could.” Charlie was talking so fast it was almost as if he didn’t want to give his mother a chance to respond.

“He’ll be lucky if you didn’t do more harm than good.” Mrs. Davis shook her head. “Move aside, boy. Let me look.” She sat on the ottoman and began examining Leo’s injuries. She looked back at her son. “Well, don’t just stand there. Go get me two ice packs and my nursing bag.”

Mrs. Davis looked intently at Leo. “Leo, is it?”

“Yes, ma’am. Sorry for the intrusion. If you hand me my shirt, I can leave. I am feeling better already. I don’t need the hospital. I’m sure of it, and don’t bother calling my parents. They’re not home anyway.” Leo blushed and looked down under the intense gaze of the older woman.

“Nonsense. And my name is Helen, not ma’am. I would be grateful if you could tell me why you do not want proper medical attention. And why you don’t want me to call your parents. Are you in trouble, son?” Helen stared at Leo with a look of concern.

“I told you. My parents are at work. And I don’t need a doctor. I’m ok.” Leo said.

Helen waved her hand at Leo. “I know when a teenage boy is lying to me. I have two of my own, and countless others have come through my emergency rooms. If you don’t want to tell me, say so. Don’t lie to me.” Helen said, glaring up at Leo.

Leo was about to tell Mrs. Davis about the fight when Charlie came rushing back into the room. He stepped in between Leo and his mother, handed the nursing bag to his mom, and set the two ice packs on the couch beside Leo. With his mom’s attention distracted, looking for her supplies, Charlie caught Leo’s eye. With a pleading look, almost on the verge of tears, he mouthed the words, “Please don’t tell her that you’re gay!”

Leo grimaced but nodded. Charlie sighed with relief. Mrs. Davis looked up from the nursing bag. “So, Leo, did you want to tell me what happened?”

“Yeah, um, it was just a guy from school. We’ve been in fights before, and my dad would be mad if I got in another fight. That’s why I don’t want to tell him.” Leo did his best to look as sad and pathetic as possible so Charlie’s mother would take pity on him. It worked.

“Ok. I won’t call your parents, but your dad is right. You shouldn’t be getting into fights.” While they were talking, Mrs. Davis wrapped Leo’s ankle in an ace bandage, applied the cream to his ribs and back, and had Leo hold an icepack over his eye. “How will you explain your injuries to your parents without telling them you were in a fight?” asked Mrs. Davis.

“I’ll come up with something before I get home. Thank you for not telling my parents, Mrs. Davis.” Leo reached over and grabbed his t-shirt from the couch.

“Here, you can keep this tube of ointment. It will help with the bruising on your ribs and back. You can also put some on your face if that turns black and blue.” She handed Leo a tube of ointment, pills, and a glass of water. “Some Tylenol for the pain. Do you have some at home?”

“I’m sure we do. Thanks again. For everything.” Leo slipped his shirt back over his head, wincing with pain. He gritted his teeth and stood up. Seemingly out of nowhere, Charlie appeared by his side. Leo felt Charlie’s hand on the small of his back, supporting him as he attempted to put weight on his sprained ankle.

“You ok to walk?” Charlie asked him.

“Yeah, I’m feeling a bit better. I’ll have a bit of a limp for a few days, but I’m ok. Thanks for everything. I need to head for home now.” Leo started walking towards the door.

Charlie followed Leo, and then he turned back towards his mother. “Mum, is it ok if I walk Leo back to his house? To make sure he can walk and that that boy doesn’t come after him again?” Charlie looked uncertainly at his mum.

Helen thought for a moment and then said, “Yes. Walk him home, but then come right back. If that boy is a problem again, call the police this time, no matter what Leo wants. Understand?”

“Yes, mum. Got it. Thanks!” Charlie ran out the door to meet back up with Leo.

The two boys started back down towards the beach. When they were away from the cabin, Charlie looked over at Leo. “Hey, Leo. I’m sorry I had you lie to my mum. She’s old school about the whole gay thing, and I didn’t want there to be a problem, at least until she finished helping you. I hope you’re not mad at me for asking you to lie.”

Leo leaned against Charlie’s shoulder for support as they walked. “No. I’m not mad at all. I understand. Most of the time, I wish I hadn’t told my dad about me either. My life would be a lot easier if he didn’t know. Overall, I’m glad I told him. It’s easier not having to lie, even though I have to deal with a lot of shit sometimes. I understand, Charlie. I’m not even mad a little.”  Leo looked over at Charlie and smiled. Charlie smiled back, and the two boys continued walking down the beach towards Leo’s house.

 

Rise of the Cursed Twins (Chapter 5)

Chapter 5

Bart walked across the hall to where Jonah said the washroom was. There was a big cast iron tub, a small washbasin, and a pile of towels. Bart took the basin out to the well and filled it up. Back inside, he stared into the mirrored glass on the wall. The deep purple bruise under his left eye and the red, raw cut on his lip angered him the most. He had other bruises on his chest and side, but they were covered by his shirt. The visible signs that he had been beaten were what fueled his rage toward the blacksmith’s apprentice.

The rage was building uncontrollably, and he knew what to do. As quietly as he could, he listened at Jonah’s door. No sound. Good, he must be asleep. The entire inn was quiet. Bart hoped that meant that everyone was sleeping. He took a last look to ensure no one was watching him and slipped quietly out of the inn.

Bart strolled back to the Blacksmith Shop, keeping to the shadows so anyone else who may be out on the street this late at night would not see him. He could typically control his anger better, but he couldn’t let the apprentice get away with the pain he caused him. The only way for him to get the rage back in control now was to release it upon the object of his fury, the apprentice. Bart was not afraid of the older boy or of the mountainous blacksmith, for that matter. Fear was just another emotion that needed controlling, just like anger. He eased himself into the shadows of the building across from the blacksmith shop and waited. He took a deep breath and released all his pent-up emotions, calming his mind about his plan.

Bart tried to keep entirely still, but he couldn’t keep his body from shivering in the cold. Night had fallen over an hour before. The blacksmith was already gone, but Andrew, the apprentice, was still in the shop. The darkness of the night was near total. Clouds had rolled in in what looked like preparation for a significant storm. Bart had to watch closely to ensure he saw the boy leave. Bart was fighting off sleep. He listened to the sounds of the night to keep himself alert. The rhythmic chirping of the crickets. The hooting of owls out hunting for mice. The wind of the impending storm blew through the trees. The howling of far-off wolves. He allowed all the sounds to wash over him, calming him for what was to come.

The only light source on the street was from inside the blacksmith shop. That light went out, and the apprentice stepped out into the night. Bart followed Andrew up the street, sticking to the shadows, trying to remain unseen and unheard. Andrew left the main road and started up a small path into the woods on the town’s edge. Bart followed him for another mile, picking up a massive tree branch along the way. Bart was sweating profusely now. His emotions were no longer under control. They now controlled him. He felt as if he was a passenger in his own body. He was scared. He was nervous. He was angry. He was oh so angry. Thinking back to Andrew standing over him in the street made Bart angry again. He tried to release his emotions and regain control over the situation, but he failed. His anger was boiling up uncontrollably inside of him. He could almost taste his hatred for the boy ahead of him. Bart quickened his pace and got even closer to the apprentice. Before Andrew knew Bart was there, Bart struck the back of his legs with the tree branch, knocking the boy to the ground. Andrew rolled over to face his attacker, raising his arms up in front of his face. Bart swung the makeshift club again, but not at Andrew’s face. The club struck with a sickening crunch, shattering the boy’s right kneecap. Andrew shrieked in pain and grabbed the remains of his knee, sobbing in pain.

 “You! Oh, God, it hurts so bad. Please don’t kill me. Please! He made me throw you out of the shop. It wasn’t my fault! Please!” Andrew’s tear-streaked face contorted in pain. His eyes were wide with fear, pleading desperately with the boy standing over him with a raised club, ready to strike again.

The club came down again, landing with a sickening crunch against the side of Andrew’s skull. The light faded from the boy’s eyes as the spark of life slipped slowly out of his body. Bart did not even notice these things. He rained blows down on the boy’s body until his arms were too tired to raise the club. It was like he was in a trance. The rage and hatred were in control. Bart’s mind blacked out, and when he woke up, he was sitting under an old oak tree, completely covered in hot, sticky blood. He looked over at the body of the apprentice. He could not even recognize the boy anymore. The body was just a red, pulpy mass of broken flesh and bone. Bart felt no remorse. He released that with all the other emotions. Bart took a deep breath and finally felt the emotions draining from his body.

Bart went back to the inn to clean up again. This time, he had to strip off all his clothes and sit under the well pump to get clean. Bart didn’t want to take the time to make the trips to fill the washtub. He tried to wash all the blood out of his clothes as well. Bart would be needing new clothes soon. His were all torn and tattered in many places. He returned to the washroom and dried himself off with one of the towels. He returned quietly to his room, never seeing Jonah standing in the shadows, watching.

The first rays of the dawn sunlight filtered through the dirty curtains and into the room where Bart slept; he groggily opened his eyes and looked around. For a moment, he did not remember where he was. Bart pushed himself up and off the cot, yawned, and stretched. He’d been staying with Cecilia at the inn for nearly a month, yet it still didn’t seem real. He couldn’t grasp the fact that he genuinely liked her. This had never happened to him before. He planned on moving on from the inn as soon as he had eaten and rested, but now he didn’t want to leave. He needed to know what about Cecilia drew him to her.

His thoughts then drifted to Jonah. Jonah was always watching Bart. Everywhere he went, there was Jonah. He might have to deal with Jonah. Everyone else at the inn liked and accepted Bart, everyone except Jonah. Bart’s hatred for the boy grew more uncontrollable all the time. He didn’t want to ruin what he had here with Cecilia, so he had to devise a plan to get Jonah to like him or get rid of him completely.

The day progressed much like any other at the inn—endless chores and errands. As always, Bart tried his best to avoid Jonah. But, as always, Jonah was never far away.

All these thoughts ran through Bart’s head as he finished his daily chores. Tired, he picked up the canvas sack and headed toward his room at the back of the inn. As soon as he entered his room, he felt eyes watching him. He spun around and saw a shadow detach itself from the wall. Bart took a single step back, embraced, and released the fear that tried to grip him. Bart faced the figure before him. All Bart could make out from the black-robed, hooded figure was a pair of pale yellow eyes and a glint of silver. Bart gasped. He had never seen a Shadowkin before, but he heard the stories and knew he faced one now. The Shadowkin were servants of the Enkali, the ruling class of all Talamh Arsa. From everything Bart knew, he believed that the Shadowkin could not do anything without the permission of one of the Enkali. Bart wondered why this one was here now, in his room. Why was it looking for him?

Bart felt the eyes of the Shadowkin looking intently at him, and he involuntarily shuddered. Bart felt as if something deep inside the core of his being suddenly came alive. His skin tingled, and the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. Bart felt waves of powerful energy emanating from the Shadowkin and washing over and into him. Bart felt more robust, more alive than he ever had before.

The Shadowkin’s yellow eyes widened in surprise. Bart flew across the room with one wave of the Shadowkin’s hand, crashing into the far wall. Bart expected to feel intense pain, but he hardly felt a thing. He looked up, and the Shadowkin stood there looking down at him. “You need to learn to control that magic, boy. If I did not know that you did not intend to use it against me, I would have killed you.”

Bart picked himself up off the floor. He brushed the dust and bits of sawdust off his clothes and out of his hair. He took a deep breath and released it slowly, calming himself before he spoke. “Magic? What do you mean? I have no magic. Who are you? What do you want with me?”

“You do have magic. Let us go outside and sit. My name is Ihlvo of the Shadowkin. We have much to talk about, Bartholomew.”

Bart’s young mind was racing. Magic? Him? He didn’t know magic, or did he? Was that surge of energy he felt earlier magic? Was that why he felt no pain when he smashed against the barn wall? Bart followed Ihlvo outside. He desperately needed to calm his nerves before talking to the Shadowkin. Bart tried one of the relaxation techniques he taught himself. He opened his senses to the night around him. He felt the cool night air wash over his body, chilling his pale skin and slightly ruffling his hair. He heard the crickets’ constant chirping, the mosquitoes’ buzzing, and the owls’ hooting. He smelt the smoke from the many fireplace chimneys around the village, keeping people safe and warm inside their houses. The air was also heavy, with the smell of the early spring flowers blooming around the town. He tasted the blood dripping from his nose. Bart could see by the light of the nearly full moon that he and Ihlvo were the only ones out in the yard. Now fully relaxed, Bart followed Ihlvo across the yard to a large oak tree. Ihlvo sat down and motioned for Bart to sit also. Bart sat down and leaned back against the enormous tree, feeling the rough bark through the thin cloth of his tunic.

Ihlvo began to speak. “Bartholomew, you are more than an abandoned orphan who no one wants. You have greatness inside of you. You are not even an orphan at all. Your father lives, and I am here to tell you of him.”

Bart interjected. “What? What about my mother? Do you know of her as well? I have longed to know about my parents and where I am from. I have never fit in with the families who took me in. I hated them all, and they hated me. All of them. They abandoned me and left me on my own when I was eleven years old. I was kicked out of the village with only the clothes on my back and was told never to return. Tell me of my parents, please, Ihlvo, please!”

“I will tell you everything I know, but first, I will show you. I can share my memories with you. I will show you what I can and tell you the rest. Take my hand and open your mind to me.” Ihlvo extended one hand towards Bart.

Bart was losing the control he usually had over his emotions. Parents! His mind was racing with what that could mean for him. Is his father alive? What of his mother? Why did they abandon him? Where are they now? All these thoughts raced through his young mind in the blink of an eye. He was nervous and excited to hear what Ihlvo had to say and see what Ihlvo could show him. His mouth was dry, and his hands were slick with sweat, even in the cold night air. He saw Ihlvo extend his long-fingered, grey-tinged hand towards him. Ihlvo’s skin looked dry enough to crumble away to dust at the slightest touch. The smell of rotting meat coming from the Shadowkin made Bart’s stomach lurch, but he gritted his teeth, relaxed his mind, and placed his small, pale hand into the much larger grey hand of Ihlvo.

Bart almost wrenched his hand away as soon as he touched the Shadowkin. Ihlvo’s skin was so cold it nearly burned. Bart felt as if all the heat from his entire body was draining from him through his hand. Bart grew disoriented and dizzy. His eyes started to burn like they were on fire, hotter fire than Bart had ever known. The sensations stopped, and Bart opened his eyes. He blinked, finding himself in an unfamiliar place. Bart realized that not only was he in a place he did not know, but he was looking out of Ihlvo’s eyes. This must be how memory sharing works. He was inside one of Ihlvo’s memories, reliving the moment.

Bart was outside a tiny hut where a tall, regal-looking woman stood beside him, motioning towards the door. This was very strange. He felt as if he was Ihlvo, but he had no control over his actions or movements. He could only watch as the events occurred, and muffled and indistinct sounds made everything hard to hear. Bart heard snatches of conversation or sometimes just a word here or there. In the vision, Bart waved his hand at the door, and the door exploded inward. He stepped into the hut and saw a woman cowering in the corner. Bart opened his mouth to speak, and he heard Ihlvo’s voice announce the presence of Andharia, Lady of the Enkali. Bart could not hear most of what she said, but he did hear Andharia say, “he was as deceitful with you as he always is with me,” and “Your child will be cursed to hate all those around him.”

The scene blurred and changed. Bart was once more outside the same hut. Three others were there this time: another Shadowkin, Andharia, and a tall bearded man wearing a jewel-studded crown. Bart heard Andharia call the man Bahaar, which meant he was Bahaar of the Enkali. The door to the hut swung open, and a ragged, dirty woman stumbled out, looking very distressed. She carried a cloth-wrapped bundle to Bahaar and attempted to hand it to him. Bart could not hear most of what Bahaar said, but it was crystal clear when Bahaar said, “No one must know this child is of my blood. Get it away from me.” The scene blurred and changed again.

Bart was now standing over the older woman’s body in the forest and speaking to the woman from the first vision. He heard Ihlvo say, “Yes. He ordered me to kill you, but give the boy to me if you want him to live. I will hide him far from Bahaar. He will be safe. Bahaar will not know he still lives.”

Then the woman said, “I want my son to live. Take him. His name is Bartholomew.” Then Bart watched in horror as Ihlvo took the baby in one hand, drew his sword with the other, and drove the blade deep into the woman’s chest. The scene blurred again. When Bart’s vision cleared, he was back in his body, sitting next to Ihlvo.

Bart leaped to his feet and backed a few steps away from Ihlvo. “Was that my mother? Did you kill my mother? And Bahaar is my father? Bahaar of the Enkali?”

“Yes. Yes. And yes. That woman was your mother. I did not choose to kill her. I was ordered to by Bahaar.” Ihlvo fingered the silver collar around his neck. “That is what these collars do to us. We Shadowkin are servants to the Enkali so long as we wear these collars. I had no choice, Bartholomew. We are both victims of the evil Bahaar.”

“I still don’t understand. Why did Bahaar want me and my mother dead? Why did you save me? Why did Andharia curse me? Is that why I always feel like this? No matter how I want to feel about someone, I always hate them.” Bart sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “It’s so frustrating to always feel so much hate.” Bart leaned back against the tree and slid slowly to the ground beside Ihlvo.

 

“I will tell you as much as I know. Try to listen and not interrupt.” Bart settled in next to Ihlvo, listening intently. Ihlvo continued. “Bahaar has a long history of dalliances with human women. None of these dalliances had ever resulted in a child until you. When Andharia learned of your mother’s pregnancy, she flew into a rage. She did not dare kill a child of Bahaar without Bahaar’s knowledge, so she cursed you to a tortured existence instead. Bahaar still did not know about the pregnancy. Andharia forbade him to see your mother and hid her pregnancy from him for as long as she could. He did not learn of the pregnancy until the day of your birth. He went to the human village when he learned that your mother was pregnant and in labor. No one knew how he would react. Andharia insisted on traveling to the village with Bahaar. He ordered Toznar and me to travel with them. You saw in my memory what happened next. Bahaar rejected you and ordered the death of your mother. He did not specifically order me to kill you, just to dispose of you. The vague wording of his orders allowed me to spare your life. I sensed great power in you. Never have I encountered a being with such a strong connection to the magic as you. If you can learn to use and control the magic, you could become a powerful wizard.”

Bart’s eyes grew wide as Ihlvo described the magic inside of him. He wanted to stop Ihlvo and ask him the hundreds of questions running through his mind. But, he bit his tongue, stayed quiet, and allowed Ihlvo to continue uninterrupted.

“I could find no loophole in Bahaar’s order to kill your mother. As much as it pained me, I carried out the order. I took you to a faraway village and left you on the doorstep of a human couple, hoping they would care for you as if you were their own. We Shadowkin cannot travel without permission from the Enkali, so I could not check in on you until this very night. I am pleased to find you well and beginning to discover your magical abilities. The dark magic of the curse is the reason for your deep hatred of others. The more you want to care for someone, the more you will hate them. You have more questions, Bartholomew?”

Bart looked up at Ihlvo, tears welling up in his pale green eyes, fists clenched at his sides, his body trembling with rage. His voice, through his gritted teeth, sounded like the snarl of an angry dog. “I hate them. I hate them both. I don’t even think it is the magic of the curse this time. I hate them so much. I hate Andharia for cursing me before I was even born, ruining any chance I may have had for a happy life. I hate Bahaar for having my mother killed and rejecting me. If I am as powerful as you say, I want to make them suffer as much as I have. I want them on their knees, begging me for their lives, and then I want to obliterate them.”

Ihlvo grinned slyly and patted Bart on the back. “You will have the power to do that someday. You must be patient for now. Magic takes a hard toll on the body. You must strengthen your body as well as your mind. I will be here when I can to teach you magic. Work hard at the magic and training your body, and you will realize your goals. Once you are strong enough, I must use your magic to free the Shadowkin from these accursed collars. With us at your side, you can take down Bahaar, Andharia, and the rest of the Enkali once and for all.

Bart grinned. “When do we start?”

New Justyce – Episode 5

Episode 5: Mindwave and the Minotaur

“If you want to know what happened, I suppose I could tell you. As I drove through town, I turned onto Sunset Street, and that’s when it happened.” Bryson began his story of the fight with Taurus the Bull.

As Bryson drove through town, he took a right turn onto Sunset Street, and without warning, a car fell from the sky and landed upside down in front of him. Bryson slammed on the brakes but smashed into the other car’s side.

Shaken but unhurt, Bryson got out of his car and rushed to see if anyone needed help. Bryson got to the other vehicle, looked in, and saw two unconscious men. The vehicle lay on its roof, and both doors were wedged shut. Bryson peered in through the smashed windshield to see if he could pull the victims free. The driver was pinned in place by the steering wheel. The passenger hung upside down from the seatbelt and moaned softly. Bryson called 9-1-1 and reported everything he saw. After he hung up, Bryson crawled into their car to see if he could do anything while waiting for the paramedics. Bryson began feeling pain all over his body, then heard a voice. He looked at both men, and they were both still unconscious, yet a voice clearly said, “Oh God, please help me. I can’t feel my legs. I hope Brett is OK.” And someone different crying, “Oh my God, what was that thing. It looked like a bull. I can’t believe it picked up the car like a toy. Why can’t I wake up? Where’s William? I can’t see anything!”

Bryson shook his head. What the hell just happened? Was he hearing their thoughts and feeling their pain? Bryson searched to see if he could find the names William or Brett anywhere in the car, but then he felt different feelings. Bryson was now filled with white-hot rage and heard a roaring inside his head so loud it felt like his skull may bust in two. He fell to his knees and grabbed his head. Slowly, Bryson turned toward the road and wished that he hadn’t. Bryson found himself face to face with something that should not exist outside the movies.

The creature was seven feet tall and looked to Bryson like a minotaur out of Greek mythology, but he could still see human features beneath the dark brown fur. It had a brown leather-like hide that completely covered its massive body. The creature’s head closely resembled a bull, but the muzzle wasn’t quite so prominent. The monster also had large, sharply pointed horns protruding from its head. Its arms and upper body would put the bulkiest bodybuilders to shame, and its tree trunk-sized legs ended in hooves instead of feet. Bryson could not believe his eyes. He was almost too stunned and scared to react at all. Bryson tried to slowly back up but immediately hit the wreckage of the cars. Bryson nearly fainted from shock when the creature began to speak.

“Stand aside or share their fate. The stones they possess must be mine.” The bull creature stared at Bryson with glowing red eyes and waited for him to move.

The thoughts that ran through Bryson’s head were, “Could this thing be talking about one of the blue meteor rocks? Can he possibly know that I have one too? Can I live with myself if I let him do whatever he wants to these injured men? What do I do?” The words that came out of his mouth were, “Are you really a bull? I called the cops already. Should I call animal control instead?” 

The creature roared as it charged at Bryson. He reacted without thinking. Bryson ducked under the creature’s outstretched arms and extended his arms towards the bull, palms outward. He felt a power surge through him, and he saw the beast thrown through the air back towards the center of the street. The bull was even angrier now. “Who are you, little man? You must have a blue rock, too. Taurus the bull shall grind your bones to dust and take it from you!”

“Taurus the Bull shouldn’t refer to himself in the third person. It’s pretentious, especially for a heifer like you.” Quipped Bryson.

The bull lowered its head and charged again. Bryson tried to do the same thing he did before, but it didn’t work. Pain exploded in his right side, and he was lifted off the ground and tossed thirty yards down the street. Bryson smashed into a row of mailboxes. He looked back towards Taurus and saw the bull trying to pull one of the men out of the car. Bryson was scared, but he knew he had to try and protect the men from Taurus. Bryson groaned and stood up. He thought about how he had thrown the creature using only his mind. Bryson needed to access that power again. He looked around at the mailboxes and posts, broken and scattered at his feet. Bryson closed his eyes and pictured picking up a mailbox with his mind. When Bryson opened his eyes, one of the mailboxes was floating in front of him. He concentrated, and the mailbox flew incredibly fast and smacked Taurus right in the back.

Taurus snarled and turned to face Bryson, letting go of the man in the car. The bull strode forward, head lowered, and yelled. “I’ve had enough of you, little man. I’ll beat you into a pulp and then finish what I came to do.”

Bryson crouched behind the pile of mailboxes and started sending them out at Taurus. Taurus, caught off-guard by the sudden rain of metal, stopped and covered his face with his arms. Seizing this opportunity, Bryson let his new weapons fall and sent his power out at Taurus, sending the creature flying about fifty yards backward through the air.

Sirens wailed in the distance, growing ever closer, drawing Bryson’s attention. Bryson saw two police cars blocking the end of the street. The police were not attempting to move any closer. Bryson waved at the cops, trying to get them to come to help the men in the car. He didn’t even care if they wanted to help him fight Taurus. Bryson knew the cops saw him, but they moved no closer. While he watched, an ambulance drove up. The police initially stopped the ambulance, but Bryson heard raised voices. Then, the ambulance pulled onto the sidewalk and drove past the police roadblock. Help was on the way. Now, all Bryson needed to do was distract the giant homicidal cow.

Bryson positioned himself in between the ambulance and Taurus. The bull was back on his feet and ready for a fight. Bryson could hear the creature’s jumbled thoughts. “You’re from the docks? Who were you before you became Mad Cow Man?” Bryson asked with a smile.

“Get out of my head!” The Taurus yelled. “I’m gonna shut your wise-ass mouth for good.” Taurus charged at Bryson. Still listening to the bull’s thoughts, Bryson easily dodged the charge. He kept taunting Taurus and leading him further away from the paramedics and the two men in the car. It was too late when the bull realized what Bryson was up to. They were three blocks away when Taurus noticed the ambulance driving away in the other direction. He turned towards the accident scene when two army helicopters landed in the street.

Men poured out of both helicopters. Taurus started forward, then thought better of it and ran off, roaring in frustration. Bryson considered checking on the men in the car, but he caught random thoughts from the army guys. They planned on questioning him, so he decided to leave before they could grab him. Bryson darted down a side street and disappeared into the city.

“And then I ran off to my friend Grace’s apartment to get her input and help with everything. I think you all should meet her. She can help us.” Bryson said.

“That sounds good, but I’ll have to talk to my two brothers first,” Harvey said.

“I’m on board with whatever Harvey decides,” Ash said.

“OK. So, where was I? Oh yeah. I just arrived at Grace’s place.”

Bryson was out of breath when he reached Grace’s apartment. He took a few minutes to gather himself and then went upstairs and knocked on the door. Bryson heard Grace yell from inside the apartment, “Come in!” Bryson opened the door and went inside.

 “Bryson, what happened to you? Your clothes are all torn. Are you OK?” Grace asked.

“I need your help, Grace. Even more now than when I called you. Have you seen the news yet this morning?” Bryson was pacing as he talked. The events of the morning had him pretty freaked out.

“If you are talking about the meteors and the fires, I’ve seen all the footage. What does that have to do with the fact that it looks like you just went ten rounds with King Kong?”

 “Turn on your TV. Maybe you can see it for yourself. You gotta see this, or you won’t believe it. I don’t believe it, and it happened to me.” Bryson waited while Grace turned on the TV.

“What is this, Bryson? This can’t be real. Is this a movie stunt? Wait… is that you?” Grace looked from the TV to Bryson and back again. “What is that thing?”

“It’s not a movie stunt. I just fought a freaking minotaur or something close to a minotaur, anyway. It called itself Taurus the Bull, and he was hunting two other people, but I found myself right in the middle. Taurus was looking for these.” Bryson pulled the blue rocks out of his pocket.

“Are they pieces of the meteor?” Grace asked, reaching forward.

Bryson closed his fist around the rocks. “Don’t touch them. Something happened to me when I picked them up. I’m different now, Grace. I could read their thoughts, the two injured guys in the car and Taurus. His thoughts were jumbled, but I knew Taurus came from the docks, and there was a big explosion down there during the meteor shower. It must be all tied together. The rocks made Taurus into that monster and gave me powers.” Erik lifted Grace’s coffee table with his mind, spun it around, and sat it down.

Grace was in complete shock. She could not believe or understand what she saw, even though it was happening before her astonished eyes. Bryson had been right. She would have never believed it if Grace hadn’t seen it herself. Grace didn’t want to consider it even now. “This is a lot to take in, Bryson,” Grace said, running her fingers through her long dark hair. “What else can you do?”

“So far, I can read minds and move things. If I can do anything else, I haven’t discovered it yet.”

Grace looked closely at Bryson. “Your eyes have changed. They are a much brighter green than they were before. You’re not wearing colored contacts, are you?”

Bryson ran to Grace’s bathroom and stared at himself in the mirror. He came back into the room and sat down again. “They are brighter. It has to be connected. My friend Erik Reilly found a meteor, and his hair changed color. Give me a minute to send him a text. I have to see if he’s experienced any other changes yet.” Bryson sent Erik a text, which was not immediately answered. “I need to go look for him. Will you help me find out what’s happening, Grace? The army showed up while I was fighting Taurus. I know you have high-level contacts in the government.”

“I’ll do what I can, Bryson. Go look for your friend. Keep me in the loop. Lay low. You were on that video clip. The army will probably come looking for you. You may want to stay somewhere other than your apartment.”

“That’s a great idea, Grace. I didn’t even consider that. I’ll find Erik and let you know if anything else happens.”

“Buy a new phone. Call me when you and your friend are both safe. I’ll contact my sources and wait for your call.”

“Thank you, Grace. I knew that I could count on you.” Bryson ran out of Grace’s apartment, toward Erik’s house, and down the street.

————————————————————————————————————

“While Bryson ran to my house, I walked into the park. I would say that what I saw was unbelievable, but you both were there.” Erik said

Erik didn’t have a plan of action after leaving Bryson’s apartment. He decided that he wasn’t going to class. There was too much on his mind to focus on college. A pleasant stroll through the park might be just the thing Erik needed to clear his head. Erik started to hear noises when he was about halfway through the park. He slowed his pace and left the path. From behind a stand of bushes, Erik peered into the big picnic area in the park’s center. What he saw, Erik could hardly believe. For lack of a better word, two monsters terrorized a family near the barbecue pit.

One of the creatures looked like a mythological centaur. The centaur was a female with long chestnut brown hair that matched the color of her horse body. The second monster was something Erik had never seen before. It had the basic shape of a man, and Erik could see that it had human facial features, but the skin had a reddish hue, and things that the family threw at him bounced off as if the skin was a hardened shell. The creature’s left arm ended in a relatively normal-looking hand, but the right arm ended in what looked more like a giant claw. Erik wondered to himself if this could be his own fate. Were these monsters caused by the effects of the blue meteors? Would he turn into one, too? He’d have to find an alternate path to get home, but should he call 9-1-1 first? Could he do anything to help? Could paramedics or even the police help against monsters? Erik snapped pictures with his phone, then turned and ran back towards the school as he called the police.

“And that was when I ran into you guys,” Erik said.

————————————————————————————————————

“As Erik said, I got to his house, but he wasn’t home. His father had no idea where he might be, so I decided to retrace his steps back to a place where I knew he had been. The park was one of those places.” Bryson said.

Bryson ran the three blocks from Grace’s apartment to Erik’s house and banged on the front door. Erik’s father answered. “Hi, Bryson. What brings you here?”

“Hi, Mr. Reilly. Is Erik home?”

“No. The last I saw Erik, he was heading to see you. Didn’t he show up? That was quite a while ago.”

“Yeah, he was at my place earlier. I thought he’d be home by now. I’ll walk through the park and see if I can meet with him. He’s not answering my texts.”

“Is everything alright, Bryson? Is there anything I can do?”

“No, Mr. Reilly, there’s nothing to worry about. When you see him, tell him to text me.”

“OK. It was nice to see you again, Bryson.”

Bryson was a little alarmed that Erik wasn’t home yet. He should have had plenty of time to get here by now. Bryson turned and walked toward the park.

“I made it to the park and found Erik going supernova. I guess that catches us up. I am going to do my own research, and I’m also going to relay all this to my friend Grace. You guys don’t mind that, do you?” Bryson asked.

“No. That’s fine.” Harvey and Ash replied in unison.

After the four boys exchanged numbers, Harvey clapped Ash on the shoulder. “I have to get home and check in with my brothers. We should probably get off the streets anyway. I’m not ready for another fight! Do you need to go home, or do you wanna hang out at my place?”

“I have no reason to go home. Let’s go.” Ash looked a little sad, but he gave Harvey a small smile.

“Hey, guys, before you go, do you know anyone else who may have come in contact with the meteor rocks? Harvey, what about your brothers?” Bryson asked.

“Logan left early this morning but said nothing about the blue rocks. Gavin didn’t know anything about them because he looked confused when we saw the news report. Our dad is in the army. I’m pretty sure they know something because they activated his unit, and the only one at school that did anything weird was this guy.” Harvey pointed at Ashton and grinned.

“Yeah, the thing with the desk was bizarre, but now I know it was related to the whole superspeed thing I got going on.” Ashton shrugged. “To answer the question, no, I don’t know of any other freaks but us.”

“OK, guys, stay in touch. Harvey, text me after you talk to your brothers.”

“I will. See ya later.” Harvey and Ash turned, jogged out of the park, and took the turn toward Harvey’s house.

————————————————————————————————————

The trauma surgeon stormed up to the Emergency Room Nurse’s Station and slammed his fist on the counter. “What happened to my patient. The guy with the two crushed legs. I expected him in my operating room fifteen minutes ago. Now I find out that he isn’t even in the hospital anymore! Why wasn’t I updated! Where did he go?”

The nurse took a deep breath before answering the angry surgeon. “Please do not yell at me or any of the nurses, Dr. Jackson. I know that two men in lab coats came in with paperwork from the hospital administration. It permitted them to transfer your patient and another patient who came in simultaneously.”

“Where did they take them? They were in no condition to be moved.” The doctor said wonderingly.

“I’ll check the records and see if I can find out.” The nurse replied. She hit some buttons on the computer, clicked away with the mouse for a few minutes, and then looked back at Dr. Jackson. “Looks like they were transferred to Justyce Labs. That’s weird, isn’t it, doctor?”

“Very, but there’s nothing we can do about it. Caleb Justyce donates more money to this hospital than all the other donors. I don’t know what he plans on doing with those two young men, but the hospital would never say no to him.” The doctor scowled and left the nurse’s station.

————————————————————————————————————

As the other two boys ran off, Erik turned to Bryson. “All that power in the hands of teenage boys just trying to figure themselves out. I hope there aren’t many more rocks out there. This could be a global disaster.”

Bryson gave Erik a half-smile. “We’re not doing much better than them. You nearly went supernova! You’re right, though. Someone needs to take charge of this thing. We need to know who was affected, how many rocks are still unaccounted for, and why we all react differently to the meteors.”

“Harvey said the army is involved. Won’t they figure all that out?”

Bryson rolled his eyes. “Never trust the government, Erik. Even if they do figure it out, they’ll never tell us. If the government got their hands on anyone with powers, they’d be lab rats for life… or turned into military weapons. I’m gathering my own data, and I have a friend who is an investigative journalist who is also working on a few leads.”

“I trust you, Bryson. That’s why I followed your voice out of the fire.”

“You want me. I knew it.” Bryson smirked.

“Don’t ruin the moment, jerk face.” Erik blushed.

“Let’s return to my place and wait for Grace’s call.”

“Quick stop to check on my dad, and maybe some burgers on the way? Flying really makes a guy hungry.”

Bryson shook his head and laughed. “I wouldn’t know, but I’m hungry myself. Let’s go.”

————————————————————————————————————

After Bryson left her apartment, Grace Santos scrolled through her contacts. She almost clicked on one of her top government sources but thought better of it. Grace didn’t think anyone in the government would give her a straight answer to this, even if they knew. Instead, Grace called a number that she had not called in years. Grace called an old college friend, Caleb Justyce. Grace didn’t hang out in the same circles as Caleb, but she knew this problem would pique his interest. The call went to voicemail, so Grace left a message and waited.

Grace sat behind her desk and thought about Bryson, trying to wrap her mind around what he told her and what she had witnessed with her own eyes. Bryson had picked up her coffee table using his mind. An hour ago, Grace would have laughed at the idea. Her focus was now on how it happened and how to proceed. There wasn’t just Bryson to consider. There was also the monster he fought. How many others were out there? She knew that Caleb was the best shot at finding answers. Grace glanced at her phone again. Still no return call from Caleb. After a while, Grace decided to go straight to Justyce Labs and talk to Caleb face to face. Caleb was the most intelligent person that Grace knew. He graduated from high school when he was fifteen and had a master’s degree in mechanical engineering by the time he was eighteen. When Grace started college, Caleb was twenty-eight and working towards his third master’s degree. Now, he was thirty-seven and had his own research lab. If anyone could figure out what was happening, that man would be Caleb Justyce. Grace left her apartment, avoided downtown, and drove as fast as possible to Justyce Labs.

Grace paced in front of the entrance to Justyce Labs, peering through the windows. She saw no movement, and Caleb had not answered any calls or texts. Grace didn’t want to drive back home yet. Grace went for a walk while waiting to hear from her friend. She was close to the high school and explored in that direction. Bryson told her that he saw fires near the high school last night. Maybe Grace could find a piece of this troublesome meteor.

Grace saw the only unusual thing at the high school was that it was deserted. The school must have let out early today. She wondered if that was related to all the strange events going on. It had to be. She kept walking past the school but stopped short when she reached the baseball field. There were scorched patches of grass all over the area and a sizable crater right where the pitcher’s mound should be. Grace opened the gate and walked in.

Grace didn’t see any of the blue stones near the scorched patches of grass. Grace made her way to the crater. She guessed someone else must have removed the meteor that caused the hole because she saw footprints everywhere. At least two different shoe treads and one set of barefoot tracks. Grace knelt down and examined the indentation at the center of the crater. That’s odd, she thought. It looks more like a body’s outline than a rock’s shape.

As Grace stood up, she didn’t notice the other shadow that merged with her own. Before reaching the top of the crater, Grace felt a cold chill run up and down her spine. She shivered and rubbed her arms. Grace stepped into the sunlight and never gave the weird feeling a second thought.

Coming Soon: Episode 6 – Puzzle Pieces

 

Rise of the Cursed Twins (Chapter 3)

Chapter 3

The great green dragon, Colossus, soared through the bright blue, cloudless sky. His mission for Bahaar was complete, so he flew towards the north, looking for a suitable new home. He flew up and over a chain of mountains. Down the other side of the hills, he soared. Colossus spied a small town at the base of the mountains and at the edge of a great forest. He wanted to avoid towns, but he was curious about what kinds of creatures lived near where he might choose a home. He flew over the village. Gnomes. The corners of Colossus’s mouth twitched in what was as close to a dragon can get to a smile. Gnomes once freed Colossus from a very hefty burden and allowed him to explore the world. Colossus’s mind wandered back to that story as he continued his flight north, searching for a home.

 

A long time ago, a colony of gnomes lived in the northern kingdom. The gnomes were a peaceful race. Most young gnomes learned the healing trades, healing both plants and animals. Whether physicians or arborists, they helped as much as they could. Most gnomish families were comprised of a mother, a father, and three or four children. The eldest child, male or female, inherited the parents’ lands. Upon adulthood, the other children would complete their training in their chosen field and leave the family home. If they were lucky, they would find work within the colony. If not, they were sent out into the world. Gnome healers were the best in all the lands. They could be found in every kingdom in all the known world.

Within this colony, in the town of Gnarlack, there lived a vast family of gnomes consisting of nine brothers. A tragedy recently struck the family. Wild beasts killed their parents. Their parents regularly traveled back and forth between villages, and on one such trip, they never returned. The family estate was quite large, as were the flourishing physician practices left by both parents. Knowing he needed help, the eldest brother agreed to recognize the second eldest as an equal partner in the estate.

The younger seven brothers met one night after their elder brothers retired to their beds. The most senior spoke first. “My brothers, we must decide what we are to do. Our elder brothers are searching for wives and running the estate. When they start families of their own, there will be no place for us here, yet we are not old enough to start our own estates. Let us devise a plan so we are not displaced with nowhere to go.”

One of the younger brothers yelled out. “Adventure!”

Another young sibling chimed in. “Yes! Adventure! Let’s explore the lands outside the colony, my brothers!”

A third brother added. “All of us together!”

The eldest spoke again. “Do you all want this? It may be a tough life to leave the colony so young. With all of us together, though, we should be able to handle whatever comes our way.” He looked at the youngest, a tiny gnome of just seven summers. “Brody, you are the youngest of us. If you agree to this and are willing to risk the wild unknown, I will also agree to go.”

“Josiah, it was I who first shouted for adventure. I love our farm, our colony, but let us go and find new things.” Brody replied with a grin.

Josiah cleared his throat and looked from one brother to the next, looking directly at each one. “Very well, then. We will begin gathering supplies tomorrow and leave within a fortnight.”

————————————————————————————————————

The brothers gathered around the large, dark crevice in the earth. They left their town, their entire colony, behind weeks ago. They passed through several small human villages and met a few traveling gnomes. However, they mostly followed the mountain’s edge towards the west, looking for a passage through the mountains. They dreamed of traveling south. They knew of no gnome who traveled beyond the hills and wished they would find a way to be the first.

In their journey, they made no new discoveries or exciting adventures until now. Josiah dropped a stone into the crevice, and they could not hear it hit bottom. He looked at his brothers and spoke. “We’ve wanted an adventure. The south wall of this crevice looks climbable. Shall we go down into the crevice or pass it by?”

The third eldest brother, Ezekiel, spoke. “I say we go—all of us. If only one climbed down and all was well, time would be wasted returning for the rest of us. And if there is danger, it would be safer for all of us to be together.”

They all agreed on the plan and began the descent into the crevice.

 

The gnome brothers, now on the floor of the impossibly deep chasm, huddled together. Brody looked up, eyes wide. “I can’t even see the sky anymore. And what’s with the weird blue glow coming off the river?”

A wide river wound through the chasm, disappearing into the distance. The blue glow from the river dimly lit the abyss and made the gnomes’ pale yellow skin look almost the same shade of blue as their eyes. 

Josiah spoke. “Brothers, this is an extraordinary thing we have found. The chasm is so deep that we cannot see the sky, yet this river glows with a blue light. I’ve never seen or even heard of anything like this. Shall we continue ahead or climb out of this place?”

Brody answered. “Josiah,” he looked around the circle. “all my brothers, it is because it is new, different, and weird that we should go forward. We left our town to find a new place for us in the world. We wanted an adventure, and this is that adventure. I say we go forward, not back to the same old boring things on the surface.”

The other five brothers all voiced agreement with Brody. After a brief rest, they all got up and followed the river upstream. The river wound through the rock, sometimes winding one way and sometimes back the other way. The cavern surrounding the river was always uniformly large. The small-statured gnomes felt even smaller than usual in such a large cavern. Even Josiah, the eldest and almost an adult, stood barely four feet tall. The diameter of the cavern had to be over fifty feet.

The gnomes lost all track of time in the weirdly glowing caverns. There was no sun, moon, or stars to judge the passage of time. Days, weeks, months, they no longer knew. They were tired. They were hungry. They bickered with each other about every little thing, with one exception. They all agreed they had to continue forward and not back towards the crevice.

The sameness of their seemingly unending journey numbed their minds, and they almost failed to notice the sparkling green lights flickering all around them. The second youngest, Jaedon, noticed first. “Brothers!” Shouted Jaedon. “Look! All around us, even on us, sparkly green light! I’ve seen nothing like it since we’ve been down here. What can it mean?”

Matheus, the middle of the seven, replied. “Jaedon, you are right. It’s the first different thing we have seen down here in a very long time. Let us hurry. Maybe we are near the end of our journey.”

The brothers quickened their pace and rounded the next corner. As one, all seven stopped dead in their tracks. The tunnel ended in a cavern that was even more massive than the tunnel itself. The ceiling loomed at least a hundred feet over their heads. The glowing blue river ended at an enormous lake that glowed with the same blue light. A waterfall cascaded down into the opposite end of the lake. The waterfall flowed out of a crevice near the top of the cavern.

All of this amazed the gnomes. However, these wonders paled in comparison to the cavern’s lone occupant. A tremendous green dragon sat quietly beside the lake, staring at the gnomes. The dragon lowered its head until it looked straight at them with its massive yellow-green eyes. “Who are you, little creatures, and how did you find your way into my domain? I have been here for an eternity, and you are the first beings I have seen since the elders left me here. Why have you come to the source of all magic? If your intentions are evil, I will destroy you. Answer quickly, but answer true. I will know if you lie to me.”

While the dragon spoke, the gnomes fell to their knees and bowed their heads to him. Josiah lifted his head, looked directly into the dragon’s eyes, and stood. “Oh, great and powerful lord dragon, we are humble gnomes from the village of Gnarlack. Our parents were killed in the forest by beasts, and our two elder brothers took over the care of our home. We decided to adventure out to find our own way in the world. We discovered a massive crevice in the ground, leading us here. We knew not of the existence of this place or of you. If we are unwelcome, we will gladly leave and never return.” Josiah fell to his knees and bowed his head.

The dragon’s eyes narrowed in concentration, then he opened his eyes, looked at the group of gnomes, and spoke. “Stand, little gnomes, for I sense the truth in your story and goodness in your hearts. My name is Colossus, and I was the first living creature created by the Elders, whom you refer to as the Enkali. I stand guard over the source of all magic, and I have since my creation. The hole in the ground of which you speak should not exist. Since you spoke of it, I have searched with my mind and found seven such holes throughout the world. This troubles me. I possess great power, but I still cannot protect seven places simultaneously.”

Brody allowed his childish emotions to escape and interrupted Colossus’s speech. “Lord Colossus, sir. Oh, great and powerful dragon, there are seven of us. May we assist you?”

Colossus swung his massive head towards Brody. “Little one, silence your rude and loud tongue! However, you make an interesting point. Seven gnomes, seven chasms. The fates may smile on me this day.” He looked at them all in turn. “After thousands of years in this cavern, I am weary of my task. I long to see the outside world. Now, with those chasms, my task becomes even more difficult. If you all are willing, I could grant you immortal life and bestow upon you great power. There would be conditions and limitations, however.”

Jaedon scrunched up his tiny face and looked up at the dragon. “What do you mean by conditions and limitations?”

Colossus began to speak again. “What I mean, young gnome, is that though you would have unlimited access to the purest form of magic, you would only be able to wield it when someone casts a wish. The one casting the wish must make an offering fitting the wish they cast. Furthermore, the fulfillment of the wish must not affect the balance of good and evil. Keeping the balance is the most important task. I don’t mean the individual’s wish can’t benefit a good or an evil cause. It can. The wish may not unbalance good and evil for all time.”

The brothers began speaking amongst themselves. They made their decision, and Josiah stepped forward. “Lord Colossus, we came looking for adventure and our place in this world. You offer more than we ever dreamed possible. We wish to help you. What must we do?”

Colossus looked them over and nodded to himself. “First, I must test you, mind, body, and soul. Dip yourselves into the river of magic and return to me.”

The gnomes completed the task and returned to stand before Colossus. Brody spoke to the dragon. “Lord Colossus, we dipped ourselves into the magic. What more do you require of us?” Brody waited expectantly for an answer.

The dragon did not speak. He, instead, drew his head back and belched forth green fire. The dragon fire engulfed all seven gnomes. The gnomes screeched in pain and surprise. Then, as quickly as it appeared, the fire disappeared.

The gnomes looked at each other, and all started talking at once. Then, Jaedon disappeared in a flash of light. The remaining six brothers were all struck speechless. They turned and looked everywhere, looking for their missing brother. Auberon disappeared not a minute later.

Josiah spun around to face Colossus. “Lord Dragon? What happened to my two brothers? Have we failed your test?” Before Colossus could answer, a scream from Brody interrupted them.

“Josiah! Josiah! Ezekial and Zhalker disappeared, too! Shall we disappear next?” Brody buried his face into his brother’s sleeve and wept. Josiah turned towards where his remaining two brothers stood just in time to witness Matheus and Brody disappear in twin flashes of light. Suddenly, Josiah found himself alone with the great dragon. He turned and faced Colossus. “Oh, great and powerful dragon, have we failed? Are my brothers all dead? Am I next? In your infinite power, could you grant us another chance?”

Colossus looked down at the tiny gnome. “My little friend, quite the opposite is true. You have all passed the test and been accepted as the new guardians of the source of magic. I have been freed from my bonds. I am forever in your debt.”

“What happened to my brothers, Lord Colossus?” Josiah asked, concern still in his shaky voice.

“They have been sent to the other six chasms I spoke of before. The knowledge they need to perform their task has been given to them by the elders. You are the guardian of the chasm above us. I will tell you the rest of what you need to know.”

Josiah sighed in noticeable relief. “It is good to know that my brothers are alive and safe. I will never see them again, though, will I?”

Colossus bent his head down close to Josiah. “No, my friend, you most likely will not. Sit a moment, and I will tell you of your task as guardian.”

“As you wish, my Lord Dragon.” Josiah sat in front of the dragon’s snout and listened.

Colossus began. “As a guardian, you must protect the chasm from intruders. No one must be allowed to enter, such as you and your brothers did. Build a well over the mouth of the chasm. The well will become a symbol of the wishes that can be granted. You now have immortal life and unlimited power, but both are tied to the wish magic. Other beings that draw upon the magic draw upon it diluted through the land. The source funnels magic into all living things. That is the magic that those in the land above draw upon. Only you and your brothers draw upon the undiluted source. You can only use the magic in response to a wish, however. And even then, you may never unbalance the scales of good and evil. An individual wish may seem good or evil, but the wish must not alter the overall balance. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Colossus, I understand.” Josiah nodded, still listening intently to the dragon.

“One final thing before I leave you. You only remain immortal if you remain near your well. If you abandon your post as a guardian, your powers will fade, and time will catch up to you. Do you still accept this responsibility?” Colossus waited for his response.

“Yes, Lord Colossus, I understand and willingly accept this responsibility. I know the limitations and consequences of all you told me.” He bowed his head to the dragon.

“Do not fear, little gnome. One last bit of dragon fire to send you on your way.” Colossus breathed a puff of fire that surrounded Josiah. Josiah disappeared in a flash of light as his brothers had before him.

Alone again in the cavern that has been his only home throughout his unnaturally long life, Colossus leaned down and took a deep drink from the river of pure magic. Then, he, too, disappeared in a flash of light.

Colossus reappeared in a lush green forest. He looked around at all the things that he had never seen before. He breathed in deeply of the fresh, clean air. Finally, for the first time, he flapped his massive wings and rose into the air. He roared in happiness and excitement as he flew off to start an adventure of his own.

 

Colossus’s mind cleared, and he, once again, became aware of his present-day surroundings. He flew many miles while his mind wandered through the past. He was now near the intersection of two mountain chains, near the land of the trolls. He landed outside of Troll Nation and found a suitable cave for a home. Colossus was tired from his journey and settled in for a long, well-deserved sleep.

 

New Justyce – Episode 4

Episode 4 – A Firefly and a Pocket Watch

Oliver Mills was having a dreadful day. His girlfriend left him. Ollie’s landlord kept nagging him about late rent. Then his car wouldn’t start, and Oliver missed the bus. That caused him to walk to his job interview, and Ollie was already running a half-hour late. He wondered what else could go wrong today when Ollie heard the screaming. Great, someone was robbing the credit union. Ollie ran across the street to hide. He peered behind a bush and saw two security guards flying backyards from the credit union front windows. Ollie knew he should run in the opposite direction, but curiosity got the better of him.

Oliver heard more screams from within the bank, and then he saw something he couldn’t believe. A lady with a scorpion tail and a lion creature walked out of the credit union’s front doors carrying large duffel bags, presumably filled with money. Ollie stepped back to hide in the bushes, and his foot slipped on a metal object. Kneeling to look at whatever he almost tripped over, Ollie dug the item out of the dirt and brushed it off. It was an old pocket watch. Ollie doubted if it would even still work. Curious, he opened the front case and cleaned the glass face. The time looked right. Ollie checked his phone, and the watch’s time was exact.

Oliver pulled the crown to check if he could still set the time. The watch looked antique. Maybe it was worth something if it still worked perfectly. Ollie was about to push the crown back in when he noticed something else odd. Everything today was weird, but this was beyond all the rest. A butterfly hung in the air right in front of him, floating there, not moving. Oliver glanced around. He could move, but nothing else moved. He peered through the bushes. Even the monsters stood frozen in place. Ollie absentmindedly clicked the crown of the pocket watch back in place, and everything roared back to life.

 

 

Ollie scowled. No. It couldn’t be. It’s not possible. No way. Ollie pulled the crown back out, and everything froze in place. He thought, “If giant scorpions and lion-minotaurs are real, why not magic pocket watches that stop time?” He looked at the watch, then back at the scene in front of the bank. Ollie spun the hands of the watch forward. Everything moved forward at the same pace that he moved the hands of the pocket watch and then stopped when he stopped moving the hands.

Ollie noticed that forward in time, the scorpion lady drove her stinger into the chest of one of the security guards. He stepped out from his hiding spot and twisted the hands in reverse. Ollie watched as the tail pulled out of the guard’s body and the wound closed. Even the clothes knitted back together. Oliver Mills realized that he was now in complete control of time.

————————————————————————————————————

Two ambulances pulled into Newville General Hospital and dropped off their patients. There was a flurry of activity in the emergency room. Both William Fuller and Brett Greene were in critical condition when they arrived. William had numerous broken ribs and internal injuries. Blood was dripping out of his mouth and nose. Brett had cuts all over his face and upper body. He also had a broken left arm and crushing injuries to both legs. Both men had glowing blue rocks in the pockets of their jeans.

————————————————————————————————————

Erik led Cancer around the park’s edge and then caught a whiff of ozone. “That’s weird.” Erik thought. “There’s not a cloud in the sky, much less a thunderstorm.” He shot another fireball at the crab and floated higher into the sky to look around. Erik looked toward the lake and spotted the centaur on the boathouse. She had her bow raised. Erik looked to see what she aimed at and saw his two friends. Ashton was on the ground, and Harvey stood between Ash and the centaur. Erik saw that Harvey was the source of the ozone smell. Blue electric sparks danced around Harvey as he stood defensively in front of Ash. Erik noticed that Harvey was not moving to get out of the way of the arrow, so he turned toward his friends and flew as fast as he could, shooting flames out in front of him the whole way there.

Harvey felt the heat before he saw the fire. He looked up to see a flaming arrow disintegrating on its way toward him. Then Erik landed next to Harvey, covered in bright yellow fire. The centaur cursed and reached for a new arrow, but Erik let loose another stream of fire. Sagittarius reared up to escape the flames, causing her to lose her balance. She fell to the ground but quickly got to her feet. Sagittarius reached for her bow, which was ablaze on the ground near the boathouse.

Cancer ran up, slightly out of breath, to stand beside Sagittarius. “You can’t beat us! The Zodiac Club will destroy you all!”

“Just watch me!” Erik said, his eyes glowing white. The yellow fire first turned bright white and then became tinged with blue. Erik floated even higher in the air as his flames intensified and got hotter. Cancer first covered his eyes, then gave up and jumped on Sagittarius’ back, and the two raced off into the distance.

Erik’s flames just kept getting brighter and hotter. Ash and Harvey had to back away from Erik. The intense heat drove them back, and they shielded their eyes from the bright light. Both boys yelled as loud as possible, letting Erik know the monsters were gone. He didn’t seem to hear them.

Ash looked at Harvey. “What will happen if he can’t stop heating up, Harvs?”

“I don’t know, Ash. I don’t know.”

A voice from behind them startled the boys. It was Bryson Indiana. “Harvey? Ashton? What is going on? Is… is that Erik Reilly?”

“Yeah,” Harvey said quickly. “He can’t hear us. We were under attack by monsters, but they are gone now. We’re trying to tell him that he can relax and cool down, but he won’t listen! Can you help us?”

“Let me try,” Bryson said. He knelt and closed his eyes. Bryson tried to focus on his newfound powers. He sent calming thoughts out toward Erik to connect with his friend.

Erik’s mind was awash in flames. He couldn’t find his way out. Erik frantically tried to regain control, but everything got hotter and hotter. Then, a familiar voice called out to him. It was Bryson. Erik closed his eyes and let Bryson’s voice guide him out of the flames.

————————————————————————————————————

Ollie thought about the day he’d been having and decided to take fate into his own hands. Luck and fortune had spit in his face for years. It was time for that to change. Oliver left the crown pulled out and slipped it into his pocket. He first pulled the security guard out of the range of the scorpion’s tail. There, that was his good deed for the day. Now, it was time for Ollie to take care of himself. He found a pickup truck parked on the street. The driver was frozen in place just outside the truck. Ollie took the keys from the driver’s pocket and pulled the man onto the sidewalk. Then he went back to the front of the bank. Ollie took the duffel bags one at a time from the monsters, emptied them into the truck’s cab, and returned the bags full of rocks.

Ollie sat in the truck, took the watch out, and pushed the crown in. He started the truck and drove off. Oliver Mills was gone before the truck owner realized what had happened. He never looked back, or Ollie would have seen the scorpion strike the sidewalk full force with its stinger and yell in rage and pain.

————————————————————————————————————

Logan slid his phone into his pocket and turned off the TV. He looked over and saw his brother grinning at his phone. “Who are you talking to, Gav? Has Harvey answered yet? Anything new from Dad?”

“Nope. I haven’t heard from either Dad or Harvey. We should go look for Harvey right now. I have plans later tonight,”

“Plans?! Who are you texting? What are you planning?”

“I’m texting Becky. I told you I have a date tonight, don’t you remember?”

Logan’s jaw dropped, and it took him a moment to answer. “Yes, I remember you planned on going on a date, but that was before the town was attacked by monsters. It was before Dad was called up to active duty. Your date was before our little brother went missing. Most importantly, it was before you turned into Ice Boy or whatever you wanna call yourself. How can you still go on a date as if nothing happened?”

“All the superheroes date, don’t they? Like Spiderman and Mary Jane? Or Lois and Clark?”

“At least you didn’t say Spiderman and Gwen Stacy. She was murdered by the Green Goblin. Most superhero significant others have short life spans.”

“Logan, I know a lot is going on, and yes, we need to find Harvs before I go, but I need this one normal thing on this crazy day. You can understand that, can’t you? Plus, Becky is the hottest girl in school. I don’t know why she said she’d go out with a dork like me, but I do not want to screw it up before our first date.”

Logan raised his eyebrows. “I’m not hitting on my big bro, but you’re a hottie, Gav. And you’re smart and interesting. I don’t understand why you don’t have all the girls and half the boys fighting over you. Especially now with those cool blue highlights you put in your hair. They totally match your eyes. Becky is the lucky one, not you.”

“What are you talking about? I didn’t dye my hair.” Gavin reached up to touch his hair as he walked to the bathroom to look in the mirror. Gavin walked back out and stood in front of Logan. “I don’t understand. It must be a side effect of the ice powers.” Gavin shrugged. “You’re right, though. It does look good. I hope it stays like that.”

“Can we go look for Harvey now? If we find him and he’s ok, I promise I won’t complain about you bailing on us and going out on a date.”

Gavin grinned. “Deal.” Gavin reached over and ruffled his younger brother’s hair. “Thank you for what you said. It means a lot. Now, let’s go find our little brother.”

————————————————————————————————————

Erik was finally able to turn his flames off. He regained control of both his mind and body. The first thing he saw when he looked around was the emerald green eyes of Bryson Indiana. “I thought I heard your voice, but from inside my head. What’s happening, Bry?” Erik started to wobble, and Bryson guided him to a park bench and sat down.

“I think it’s those rocks, Erik. I don’t know how or why, and I also need to figure out why they affect different people differently. I can read minds and pick up things with just a thought. You… I don’t know… you turn into fire?” He motioned toward Harvey and Ashton. “They both have powers, and there are the people who have been transformed into evil, brutish monsters.”

“I don’t turn into fire. It’s like the fire is inside me. It’s always there waiting for me to call it forth. I’m learning to control it, but I’m not there yet.” Erik said.

“Maybe the people who turned into monsters were already evil. They were doing bad things, and it sounded like they had a master plan. I think there’s more of them.” Harvey said.

“There’s more to it than that.” Bryson looked thoughtful. “There are definitely more of them. I fought one earlier today that looked like an old Greek minotaur.”

“Wait… a bull, a crab, and a centaur. No wonder they called themselves The Zodiac Club. I sure hope there are not twelve of them!” Ashton quipped.

“That is a horrifying thought but one to keep in mind. I suggest we all keep in close contact while we’re figuring this out for our safety and to keep an eye on the monsters.”

Erik took a close look at Harvey. “You’re Gavin Kastala’s brother, aren’t you?”

“Yeah. I’m the youngest. I’m Harvey.” Harvey extended his hand and then quickly pulled it back. “Is… is it safe to touch you?”

“I could ask you the same question, electric boy,” Erik smirked.

Harvey looked thoughtful. “Good point! Also, if we’re naming ourselves, Thunderbolt makes a more ominous name than the electric boy.” Harvey huffed out a laugh.

Ashton slapped the palm of his hand against his forehead. “Oh geez, what’s next? Spandex costumes?”

“Maybe in your fantasies,” Harvey smirked.

Ash blushed. “No comment.”

“If you two are done awkwardly flirting, would you mind telling me how you ended up with powers? Did you both also find the blue meteor rocks?” Bryson asked.

Harvey and Ashton told Bryson about finding the blue rocks and Ash’s difficulties at school. “Then we met Erik in the park, and you know the rest. I’m not sure exactly what my power can even do yet. All I know is what happened during the fight.” Harvey said.

“Same goes for me. I have speed powers, I guess, but I don’t know much beyond that. Erik seemed surprised by his powers during the fight, too. You said you fought a minotaur. What’s your story, Bryson?”

Erik interjected. “If I can interrupt for a minute, I will say that I was shocked by my powers during the fight. I thought I was figuring out how to control them, but obviously, I was wrong. I’m unsure what would have happened if Bryson hadn’t shown up. Since we’re sharing stories, mine started last night during the meteor shower.”

Erik Reilly glanced away from his computer and looked out the window. A flash of light in the sky caught his attention. As he continued to stare, Erik saw what, at first, looked like a shooting star. He was puzzled. Erik knew he shouldn’t be able to see any star, shooting or not, through driving rain. Then, there was another bright flash of blue light. Specks of blue fell like rain in the meteor’s wake. Erik watched in awe as the shooting star broke through the clouds and exploded into several pieces. One large chunk fell towards the docks. However, the biggest and many little ones continued over Erik’s house and towards Newville Park.

Erik went outside to get a better view. He ran to the top of a hill right behind his house. Drenched in seconds, Erik brushed the water out of his eyes and watched as tiny meteors fell and hit the ground. Suddenly, a tree not twenty yards behind Erik exploded in flames. In his excitement, watching the small meteors hit, he lost track of the big one, but he thought it was still heading toward the park. 

“Wow!” Erik thought. The rain put the fires out quickly. Erik ran over to the remains of the tree. A small, glowing blue rock sat in the center of the blackened and burned tree. Erik waited for the rain to cool the stone, then reached to pick it up. He thought better of it at the last minute and continued staring at the rock.

The meteorite was about the size of a marble. Erik finally threw caution to the wind and picked it up. He almost dropped it as soon as he picked it up. It looked harmless. The stone wasn’t hot anymore, but it started to pulse in his hand. Erik could feel waves of energy coursing through his body with each pulse. He wasn’t sure what was happening to him, but Erik immediately felt different, more vital. He liked the feeling. Erik put the rock in the front pocket of his jeans and ran back into his house.

The following day, Erik Reilly rolled out of bed and turned on the television. He saw the news on every channel about the meteor shower and the fires. Oddly enough, there were no reports of any meteors being recovered. Erik thought that was bizarre. If he found one, others must have as well. Maybe they kept it quiet for the same reason Erik did, the strange behavior of the rocks. He had no classes today, so Erik decided to text his friend, Bryson Indiana. Bryson loved mysteries. He even had his own private investigator business. Bryson answered his phone immediately, and when he found out it was about the meteors and fires, he was interested. Erik turned off his television and practically ran out the door.

“And that’s when I texted Bryson,” Erik said, showing Harvey and Ashton the text exchange.

Erik: “Bryson, I need to come over and talk to you about something. It’s kind of important. Are you home?”

Bryson: “No. I’m on a case. Can it wait?”

Erik: “I don’t know. Something weird is going on. Did you see all the fires last night?”

Bryson: “Yes. That’s what I’m investigating. I’ll go home now. Come right over.”

Erik: “I’ll be right there. I’m leaving now.”

Bryson chimed in. “I was already investigating the strange fires, so when Erik said he had information, I went home to meet him. I had grown interested after seeing all the fire trucks the night before. It was unusual for so many fires to happen at one time, and I noticed that they formed a nearly straight line through town.”

Bryson Indiana woke up in the middle of the night to sirens. He stumbled out of bed and out onto his patio. The first fire trucks Bryson saw were racing toward the school. The fires were past the school when he looked closer, maybe at the baseball field or a nearby house. As Bryson turned toward his patio door, he noticed the other fires. There were small fires in what appeared to be a nearly straight line from the school in the south to the Newville Docks in the north. Bryson’s curiosity was piqued, but it would have to wait until morning. Right now, all he wanted was more sleep.

Bryson Indiana stepped out of the shower, still thinking about the strange fires he saw last night. Bryson felt there was an interesting story there that he had to investigate. After getting dressed, Bryson checked his appointment calendar. No clients were coming in today, but he did have a meeting with a reporter later that morning. Bryson’s private investigator business had finally started to take off last week. Three new clients! He didn’t need a new problem, but his curiosity wouldn’t let him not check out those mysterious fires. Bryson wanted to walk to Starbucks to get his morning coffee anyway. He finished tying his shoes, pulled on a hoodie, grabbed his favorite beanie, and ran out the door. Autumn had finally started to take hold in northern Virginia.

Bryson walked to the edge of Newville Park, noting scorch marks on several trees. He knelt to get a better angle to take some photos, and his trained eyes noticed a couple of odd-looking blue stones. He picked them up to look closer and nearly dropped them again. Peering at the rocks in the palm of his hand, Bryson saw that they seemed to glow and pulse with energy. He felt a surge of energy rush through his entire body. He looked around to make sure no one was watching, and then he slipped the two blue rocks into the pocket of his jeans.

Bryson stood next to one of the scorched trees and oriented himself to look straight at the part of the docks where he had seen the fire last night. Spinning around one hundred and eighty degrees, he faced the high school baseball field. Bryson still needed that coffee, but he was in investigative mode now. Starbucks was too far out of the way; he’d settle for Dunkin Donuts next to the school. He strolled down the street, scanning all the buildings he passed for signs of fire.

‘Brett’s Antique and Thrift Store’ must have been the destination of some fire trucks that passed his house last night. By the time he reached the antique shop, Bryson had four blue rocks in his pocket.

“That was when I got the text messages from Erik. While waiting for Erik, I rushed home and turned on the news to catch up on the stories about the meteors. I didn’t have to wait long. Less than ten minutes later, he was there.” Bryson said.

Erik rushed in and closed and locked the door behind him. “I see you’re watching the reports about last night. Have they said if any meteorites were recovered yet?”

“No. Maybe the meteorites were too small to find or were destroyed in the fires.”

Erik grinned. “I find that hard to believe. I found one right behind my house last night!”

“Show me! Did you see it fall from the sky? Are you sure what it is?”

Erik took the blue rock from his pocket and held it in his palm. “Before you touch it, I need to tell you something. Yes, I saw it fall from the sky. I pulled it out of the charred remains of that big maple tree in my backyard. My dad is gonna be angry. He loved that tree! But, as soon as I picked it up, it started giving off energy. The stone pulsed throughout my whole body. I feel different, Bry. I feel stronger. Hell, it even changed the color of my hair! Weird, right?”

“I noticed the hair. Bright red looks good on you.” Bryson winked.

Erik blushed. “Thanks. You don’t give up, do you?” Erik smiled shyly.

“You’re even cuter when you blush. Give up the straight life, bro. Bisexuality is the only way to go! So many possibilities!”

“Can we please get back to this?” Erik waved the meteorite in front of his friend.

Bryson smirked. “Ok.” He reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out his own four blue stones. “I went for a walk to investigate the fires and found these. I felt the energy pulses that you described. I haven’t experienced any physical changes like you with your hair, but you’ve had yours since last night, and I just found these an hour ago.”

“What do you think it means? What’s happening to us, Bry? I’m scared, but I’m excited at the same time.”

“I have no idea, but finding out’s my top priority. A friend of mine who is a reporter has helped with many of my cases. Grace should be able to help. I’ll call her. She has a lot of government contacts that I don’t have.”

“Reporter? Government? Can you trust her?” Erik thought for a moment. “Do you think we should turn these rocks over to the authorities?”

“To answer your first question, yes. I trust Grace as much as I trust anyone. To answer your second question, no. I can’t tell you what to do with yours, but there’s no way I’m turning mine over to anyone until I find out what they are and what they’re doing to us. If we give them to the army, the best-case scenario is we won’t find out anything. The worst-case scenario is that nobody ever sees us again. We’d be lab experiments forever once they learn about the energy pulses.”

“So, what do we do now?”

“Let me investigate and get Grace involved. You carry on with your everyday life. Go to class. Have fun. I’ll be in touch.”

“I knew you’d know what to do. That’s why I came here first. Thanks, Bry. I’ll text you if I notice any other physical changes or feel any effects.” Erik said as he left the apartment.

Bryson was on the phone with Grace Santos and headed for her apartment before Erik had been gone for five minutes.

“And that was when I ran into the Minotaur, quite literally,” Bryson said.

“Tell us! I saw something about it on the news, but it didn’t show much. What really happened?” Harvey asked.

————————————————————————————————————

Ollie pulled into a car dealership and flagged down a salesman. The salesman showed him a few cars out on the lot, and then Ollie asked to see the cars in the showroom. The salesman looked skeptical but agreed. Ollie spotted what he wanted almost immediately. “What about this one?” He asked.

“We can check out your loan options and credit reports at my desk. The price of that one is $78,592.00,” The salesman said.

“No loans or credit checks necessary. How much if I pay cash right now?” Ollie asked.

“No one pays that much in cash. What did you do? Rob a bank?” The salesman laughed.

“I did not rob a bank.” Ollie smiled. “But I do have the cash right here. An extra $10k if you stop asking so many questions.”

The salesman frowned. “I can’t take a bribe. Where did the cash come from? I’m calling my manager over.” He turned to walk away. Ollie sighed and pulled the watch out of his pocket. He pulled the crown and twisted time back just a few minutes. Then he pushed the crown back in.

“No one pays that much in cash. What’d you do? Rob a bank?” The salesman laughed.

“I did not rob a bank.” Ollie smiled. “But I do have the cash right here. An extra $25k if you stop asking so many questions.”

The salesman looked around, then bent closer to Oliver. “Let’s finish this conversation in my office.

Oliver Mills drove off the car lot in his brand-new cherry red Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R with white stripes and a black leather interior less than an hour later. Ollie’s difficult day was long forgotten; he pulled his phone out of his pocket. “Hey Siri, are there any luxury penthouse apartments for rent in Newville, Virginia?” He couldn’t stop smiling as he drove off into a brand-new destiny.

Coming Soon: Episode 5 – Mindwave and the Minotaur

New Justyce – Episode 3

Episode 3: Heroes and Monsters

“Ashton! Wait up!” Harvey yelled as he closed ground on his best friend.

Ash heard someone yell his name and stopped. He turned around and saw his closest friend, Harvey Kastala, running to catch up to him. Ash sat on a park bench and waited.

Slightly out of breath, Harvey sat down next to Ashton. “Hey, Ash.”

“Why are you here, Harvs? Shouldn’t you be in class right now?”

Harvey waved the hall pass in front of his friend. “I’m in the bathroom. Duh!”

Ash rolled his eyes. “Go back to school, Harvey. I’m fine.”

“What happened? I saw the vice-principal walk you off school property?”

“I’m not sure what happened. My desk fell apart, and the school blamed me. Destruction of school property. It’s been a weird day, Harvs.”

“I know. My dad’s unit is on high alert because of the meteors. They think there’s more to it than that.”

Ashton’s eyes grew wide. “Do you know what they think is going on? Are the meteors dangerous?”

“Ash, what are you not telling me? What happened at school?”

Ashton sighed. “You know me too well.”

“You’ve been my best friend since kindergarten. Now spill it!”

“Alright. Well, my strange day started before I got to school. I was passing by the antique store on Park Avenue. The store burned down in one of the fires last night. I stopped to check it out and noticed a bright blue rock in the antique store’s ashes. It was stunning, so I picked it up.” Ash pulled the rock out of his pocket and showed it to Harvey. “The damn thing started glowing and made my whole body feel weird. I’m not sure why I kept it.”

Harvey started to reach for it, but Ash pulled it back. “No! Please don’t touch it. At least not until I finish my story. Then you can decide for yourself.”

“It may be too late for that.” Harvey reached into his pocket and pulled out four small blue stones. “They’re a lot smaller than the one you have, but I felt the same energy pulses throughout my body that you described. So, please, I need to hear the rest of your story.”

Ash reached out, placed a hand on Harvey’s forearm, and stared deep into his bright blue eyes. “Oh, Harvs, what’s happening to us. I hope you don’t experience what I did today.”

“Just tell me, Ash. What happened?” Harvey asked.

Ashton relayed his story. He told Harvey about the floor tile, the pencil, and the desk falling apart. Ash explained that none of it was intentional. His body vibrated so fast that Ash could barely follow his movements, and he had no conscious control. “So, that’s my story. It can’t be a coincidence. It’s gotta be related to the stones, right?”

Harvey was about to respond when an older boy ran out of the park. Harvey thought he recognized him. Erik? Something like that. He thought the boy graduated with Gavin. “Dude, where’s the fire?” Harvey said as the boy ran over to where Harvey and Ashton sat.

“There’s not a fire, but two monsters are in the park, and I think they’re chasing me! We need to get out of here!”

“Whatever drugs you’re taking, you need to quit,” Ash said, then an arrow flew out of the trees and stuck in the bench right between him and Harvey.

————————————————————————————————————

“Gav, I know we have to check in with Dad but promise me we will come back and look for Obie. I know he’s close. I can feel his presence with the feather.” Logan said as he reached for the car’s door handle.

“Ok, Logan, I promise. As long as Dad doesn’t say that we can’t, I’ll bring you back here.” Gavin started to go around the car to get into the driver’s side. Before he could get in the car, Gavin heard a loud yell. He looked to the side just in time to see a large shape hurtling toward the vehicle. “Logan! Get down!” Gavin yelled.

Logan looked around, and his eyes widened in shock and fear. He dove toward his brother, barely getting out of the way in time before something big crashed into the car. The windows shattered, and the vehicle was knocked onto its side. Logan rolled over and looked to see what hit the car. He couldn’t believe his own eyes. What Logan saw stood on two legs like a man, but the similarities ended there. Where the creature’s massive leg muscles burst through its jeans, long dark grey fur showed through the rips. The same hair covered the creature’s bare upper torso. The beast’s upper body was humanoid and just over six feet tall. The broad shoulders and heavily muscled arms ended in large hands. Logan could see the once human face was distorted and covered in the same grey fur. The creature’s ears were pointed and closer to the top of its head than human ears. Still, the most shocking feature was the set of enormous, curved ram’s horns protruding from the sides of the monster’s head.

“What are you?” Logan asked, his voice shaking with fear.

The beast turned toward Logan and snarled. “I am Aries the Ram, and you will give me the blue stones, or I will crush the life from you and take them.”

Gavin leaped in front of his brother and faced Aries. “Stay away from my brother, you freak. You’ll have to come through me to get to him.” Gavin turned his head to look at Logan. “Get behind the car, Logan. Hurry!” Logan scrambled backward and crouched behind the overturned car. Gavin set his feet and faced his foe.

————————————————————————————————————

Caleb didn’t even bother knocking when he got to Christine’s house. He was too excited to see this boy she told him about. Caleb rushed into the kitchen and found his sister drinking tea at the table. “Where is he? You didn’t let him leave, did you?”

“No. Of course not. The boy is still here. He just woke up. He doesn’t remember what happened to him. I turned the TV on in the living room and made him some sandwiches. Take it slow, Caleb. That boy looks like he’s been through a lot.”

“What about the wounds on his back? You said his blood is blue and glowing?”

“Yes, and he’s healing remarkably fast. The cuts were open and raw last night. Now, they look like they’ve been healing for a week!”

“Amazing! Let me go talk to him.” Caleb said and rushed out of the room.

Caleb stopped just inside the doorway to the living room. His breath caught in his throat. At first glance, the view could have been mistaken for millions of similar scenes worldwide. A teenage boy was sprawled on the couch watching TV while practically inhaling sandwiches and potato chips. Then Caleb noticed the boy’s eyes. He had the brightest blue eyes that Caleb had ever seen, but that wasn’t what caught Caleb’s attention. The boy’s eyes weren’t exactly glowing, but they shone in the dim light. It reminded Caleb of how a cat’s eyes reflected low light, allowing them to see in the dark. The boy turned his head and looked directly at Caleb. A momentary jolt of fear shot through Caleb, but when the boy smiled, Caleb knew there was no evil in that boy. Caleb slowly moved further into the room. Not wanting to spook the boy, Caleb sat on the opposite end of the couch.

————————————————————————————————————

Harvey and Ashton both leaped off of the bench. “Dude! I thought you were joking. Who is chasing you?” Harvey asked.

“Yeah, I thought you said monsters, not crazy bow-wielding maniacs?” Ashton quipped.

“I did say monsters, and I meant it. One is a half-woman and half-horse creature from mythology. That monster is the one with the bow. The other is a guy who looks like he has a shell and a mutant claw for a hand! They’re not chasing me, but we need to get out of here! They’re in the middle of the park, terrorizing everyone in sight!” Erik replied, pacing back and forth.

“A centaur and a crab man? Are you trying to prank us? Where are the cameras?” Harvey said.

“Harvey, duck!” Ash yelled!

Harvey looked up and saw another arrow heading straight for him. Harvey didn’t even have time to react. Then something barreled into him, and Harvey landed on the ground on his back. The breath was knocked right out of his lungs. Harvey coughed and blinked and tried to roll out from under whatever landed on him, then he saw that it was Ash. “Ash? How? You were way over there.”

“I… I’m not sure.”

“I was looking right at you and didn’t see you move. You were next to me one second, and then there was a blur and a gust of wind, and you were on top of your friend.” Erik said.

“A lot of weird stuff has been happening today,” Ash said, getting off Harvey. “Maybe we should do as Erik said and get as far away from here as possible.”

Harvey leaped to his feet. “No! If they are hurting people, we need to try and help! I want to get a few pictures to send to my dad. These creatures may be the reason that his army unit was activated.”

“This idea is stupid, but I’ll show you where they are. You’ll change your mind and agree with me as soon as you see them.” Erik said in frustration, but he led the other two boys through the trees and into the picnic area in the park’s center.

“I thought you were exaggerating, but that does look just like a centaur,” Harvey said.

“She’s firing arrows right at that family. Harvey’s right. We have to at least try and help.” Ashton said and took a step forward, and then, in the blink of an eye, he was gone.

“Ash? Where’d ya go? Erik, what happened?” Harvey said, looking all around.

“It’s the same as when he tackled you. A gust of wind and Ash was gone. Wait. Isn’t that him over by the pond?”

“It can’t be. That’s over a hundred yards away. How could he….”

Erik heard a thump and turned to see why Harvey had stopped talking. When he turned, Erik first saw the mutant crab monster, but then he saw Harvey lying face-first on the ground at the creature’s feet. Erik clenched his fists. “Get away from my friend, you freak!” To Erik’s surprise, the monster took a step back. Then Erik felt a gust of wind, and Ashton appeared.

“Harvs!” Ashton yelled and knelt by his best friend. Ash looked up at Erik, and his eyes grew wide. “Erik! You’re on fire… and you’re… floating!”

Erik looked down at himself, and his eyes widened in shock and fear. Ashton was right. His entire body was floating a foot off the ground and was engulfed in flames.

————————————————————————————————————

“You are either brave or foolish,” Aries sneered.

“I will not let you hurt my brother,” Gavin stated, raising his fists.

“Gavin, come on! Let’s run!” Logan yelled from behind the overturned car.

“Too late for that, boy,” Aries said as he butted his horns against the car, pushing it further off the road.

“What do you want from us?” Gavin asked.

“The blue stones. Give them to me willingly, and I might let you live.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. We don’t have any blue stones,” Gavin said, slowly backing away from Aries.

Aries sniffed the air. “I can smell them. You can’t lie to me, boy. I’ve had enough talk. Prepare to die.” Aries lowered his head and charged.

Gavin dropped to his knees and raised his arms to protect himself. Gavin gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and prepared for an impact that never came. Instead, Gavin heard what sounded like breaking glass, and a loud thump came from behind him. Gavin opened his eyes and looked warily around. Shards of ice were everywhere, and Aries was between Gavin and the car. Gavin couldn’t figure out what had happened but quickly jumped to his feet to place himself between Aries and Logan.

Aries’ eyes narrowed. “I knew I smelt the stones. You’ve been affected by them, so now you must die!” Aries charged at Gavin.

Gavin side-stepped the charge and swung his fist at Aries. Before his punch struck its target, Gavin felt an extreme coldness run through his body. A cocoon of ice formed around his fist just as the blow landed. The ram was nearly knocked off his feet and stumbled away from Gavin. Gavin looked down in awe at his ice-covered fist. He thought how cool it would be if his whole body were protected by the ice, and then it happened. Gavin was covered in icy armor from head to toe.

Aries watched as the ice formed around Gavin. Hoping to catch Gavin distracted, Aries lowered his head and charged. He hit Gavin full force in the mid-section with his horns. Gavin was thrown back and smashed against the car. He was unhurt, but the icy armor shattered into a million pieces. Gavin saw Aries closing in on him and tried to move away. Gavin was pinned against the car and couldn’t get away fast enough. He raised his arms in self-defense, wishing he had something to throw at Aries. Streams of ice shot out of Gavin’s fingers and struck Aries square in the chest, knocking him backward. Frost continued streaming from Gavin’s fingers until the ram’s legs were frozen.

Gavin leaped to his feet and rushed to the car’s other side. “Logan, come on! That probably won’t hold him for long. Let’s get out of here.”

Logan’s dark brown eyes were wide open and staring. “Gavin, you’re a superhero!” He ran over and hugged his brother. 

“Whatever! This might make me believe your story about angels a little more. We can talk at home. Let’s get out of here before he breaks free,” The two boys turned and ran down the road as fast as possible, leaving Aries howling with rage.

————————————————————————————————————

“Hello. My name is Caleb.” Caleb motioned toward the kitchen, “My sister said you’ve been hurt. What is your name? Can you tell me what happened to you?”

“I…” The boy got a look of intense concentration on his face. “I think my name is Obadiah, but I am not sure. I can’t remember much of anything before last night.”

“That’s ok, Obadiah. Take it slow. How did you end up here at my sister’s house? Do you live nearby?”

“I woke up in the middle of a field. It was raining, and everything around me was burning. My back hurt. A lot. The only light that I saw led me here.”

“Can I see your back, Obadiah? I promise I won’t hurt you.”

Obadiah frowned but turned away from Caleb and gently lifted his shirt. Caleb’s eyes widened, and he nearly gasped. The wounds were still raw, but they looked like wounds that had been healing for days, not overnight. Glowing blue blood still oozed from several spots, but the lacerations mainly had scabbed over. Caleb sat back and looked intently at Obadiah.

“I know you don’t know me, and there’s no reason to trust me, but I would like you to stay with me at my laboratory. I’m a research scientist, and I can help you. They wouldn’t know what to do if you went to a regular hospital. They’d probably ship you off to the army base, and no one would ever see you again.”

“No! I won’t be locked away by the soldiers!” Obie looked directly into Caleb’s eyes. “I think I can trust you. I will go to your lab.”

“Do you remember anything before waking up in the field, Obadiah?”

Obie thought really hard. “I was falling. It felt like I fell forever. I think I was falling away from people who hurt me, but I was also falling toward someone. I think I was falling toward someone named Logan. I will go with you, Caleb, but only if you help me find Logan.”

Caleb nodded. “Of course I will. Maybe Logan will know more about you and where you come from.”

“Thank you.” Obadiah stood up. “I am ready to go with you now.”

Caleb said goodbye to his sister and led Obie out to his car. Caleb glanced at his phone and saw about a dozen missed calls and texts from Grace Santos. After listening to and reading the messages, he pulled his car onto the street and sped off toward Justyce Labs.

————————————————————————————————————

Erik screamed and started beating at his body with his hands to try and extinguish the bright yellow flames. “What the hell? Why am I on fire, and why am I floating?”

Cancer sneered and stepped closer to Ash and Harvey. “While your fiery friend is beating himself up, I’ll take care of the two of you. I can sense the blue stones. Give them to me, or the consequences will be severe.”

Ashton pulled Harvey’s unconscious body away from the crab creature and then stood between his friend and the terrifying monster. “You’re not getting the stones, and you’re not getting to my friends without a fight!”

“Ash! Duck!” Erik yelled.

Ash looked behind him and saw Erik with his arms out and intense concentration on his face. Ash didn’t hesitate. He dove on Harvey to protect him from whatever was about to happen. Just as Ash dove, he felt a searing heat above him. Ashton saw yellow fire emitting from Erik’s hands, striking Cancer directly in the chest.

Cancer ripped his burned shirt off when the flames stopped and threw it on the ground. “That hurt, boy, but I’m still standing. What else you got?” Cancer said, taking a step toward Erik.

“Damn! Those flames were hot, but they were too light and airy. I wonder if I can adjust the heat levels?” Erik mumbled to himself. He kept an eye on the advancing crab creature and tried to take a step backward. Erik was still floating and had lost his sense of balance. Erik did a summersault in mid-air as he stepped back before regaining control. Once upright, Erik threw another stream of fire at Cancer.

The crab slowed his advance. “That’s annoying, boy, but you’ll have to do better.”

Erik clenched his fists and closed his eyes in concentration. He pictured himself creating a massive ball of fire to throw at Cancer. Erik felt himself fall, and his feet hit the ground. Erik stumbled, but he stayed upright. When Erik opened his eyes, the flames covering his body had changed from a bright yellow to a dark orange. Also, he was holding a giant ball of fire. Erik threw the fireball as hard as he could. It hit Cancer with a thud, knocking him off his feet and sending him twenty feet backward.

Erik glanced over at Ashton. “Get Harvey out of here and help the others in the park. I got this.”

Harvey was awake but dizzy. Ash helped Harvey to stand, and the two friends disappeared into the trees, heading toward the park’s central section.

When Ash and Harvey cleared the tree line and looked down into the park, the centaur still fired arrows at people as they tried to run away. Ashton put a hand on Harvey’s arm. “I’ll be right back. Let me go and help these people.”

“I can help. Just let me clear my head. I’m still a bit dizzy.”

“Sit down, Harvs. I’ll be right back.” Ashton said and was gone in the blink of an eye. Harvey spotted Ash fifty yards away, knocking an arrow out of mid-air and helping a lady escape into the trees. Harvey couldn’t believe what he was seeing. His best friend was a bona fide superhero! He took out his cell phone and started taking pics and videos of the action.

Cancer got up and charged at Erik. Erik tried to form another fireball, but the crab was on top of him before he could get one ready. Before Cancer reached him, Erik tried to float but couldn’t get off the ground. Cancer struck Erik right in the midsection, and the two tumbled to the ground. Cancer knelt on Erik’s chest and raised his claw above his head, ready to strike. Erik raised both hands and shot a small fireball into the crab’s face. Cancer rolled off Erik, and Erik leaped to his feet. He willed his flames to get hotter again. Erik’s whole body glowed with yellow fire, and he rose into the air. That was the key. The orange and red fire was heavier and better used for fireballs, and the yellow fire was hotter, lighter, and perfect for flight. Erik was starting to figure out his power. He wondered what else he could do. He’d have to experiment when he wasn’t fighting for his life!

Finally gaining a little control over his new power, Erik fired shots of the yellow fire at Cancer, making the crab yelp in pain and roar in anger. Erik knew he couldn’t defeat the monster this way, but he tried to lure the creature away from his friends and the innocent bystanders in the park. Erik led Cancer to the east, away from the high school and toward the docks.

Ashton was busy dodging arrows and carrying people out of harm’s way. His confidence grew with each person he saved. Unfortunately, with overconfidence comes complacency. Ash failed to notice Sagittarius leap on top of the boathouse to gain a broader range for her arrows. Ash set a small boy down inside the tree line and turned back toward the lake. Before he could move out of the way, Ash was struck in the left shoulder with an arrow. The force of the blow caused him to stumble, and then another arrow embedded itself into his right thigh. Ash fell, moaning in pain.

Harvey saw the scene unfolding right in front of him, but he couldn’t do anything to stop it. Harvey yelled for Ash to turn around, but his friend was too far away and couldn’t hear him. Harvey stood up, slid his phone into his pocket, and ran as fast as possible across the park. Harvey reached Ashton’s side just as the other boy fell. Harvey looked up at the centaur, standing on top of the boathouse. “Leave my friend alone! What do you want? Why are you doing this?” Harvey barely noticed that his entire body felt tingly, and blue electric sparks ran back and forth between his fingertips.

“I’m here for the blue stones and will kill anyone with them. I will also kill anyone who stands in my way. That means your friend must die, and you too, by the looks of things.” The centaur said as she notched another arrow into her bow.

“I won’t let you kill him,” Harvey said. As Harvey’s anger rose, the electrical sparks multiplied and arced in the air around him. Harvey looked at himself in wonder, not understanding what was happening. Harvey didn’t even notice that Sagittarius had let loose the arrow and let it fly directly at his chest.

————————————————————————————————————

Gavin slammed the front door shut and locked it. He turned to his brother, “Logan, go to the family room. Stay away from the windows. We don’t know if that thing followed us. It might be able to track us!”

“That was scary, Gav, but you were awesome!” Logan said as he hurried into the family room.

“I… I’m not sure what I was or what happened.” He looked down at his hands, still covered with a light frost. Gavin wiped his hands on his jeans to try and dry them off. He sat on the couch and picked up the remote. “Let’s watch the news and see if there are any reports of other creatures like the one we saw.”

“Wow,” Logan said in awe as they watched short homemade video clips play on the television. “If we didn’t see what we saw, I’d think the footage of that minotaur was fake news!”

“Looks like the army is setting up checkpoints all over town. We should try to contact Dad and find out what’s up.”

“Ok. You text Dad, and I’ll text Harvs. If the high school hasn’t closed yet, it will soon.”

Logan wandered into the kitchen, looking for his brother. “Gav, Harvey still isn’t answering texts. I even tried calling, but it went to voicemail.”

Gavin gulped down the rest of his Mountain Dew and frowned. “I saw on the news that the high school closed and sent everyone home. He should be here by now.”

“Any news from dad?”

“Yes, but just vague stuff. ‘I won’t be home tonight. Don’t worry. Don’t leave the house unless absolutely necessary.’” Gavin shrugged. “He’s probably not saying anything specific in case anyone monitors his phone.”

“Should we be worried about Harvey?”

“We will look for him if he’s not home in another half hour. In the meantime, keep texting him. Hopefully, he’ll answer soon.”

“Got it.” Logan wandered back into the family room to watch the news for more updates about the strange events all over town. At the same time, he continued to text his younger brother.

————————————————————————————————————

Carl Chambers pulled the black van into the Newville Community Credit Union’s rear parking lot. He parked far away from the other cars. Carl shook his head, his golden mane flying wildly around his face, and glanced into the rearview mirror at Danielle Gordon. Dani was sprawled out on the middle seat of the van. “That was interesting. Even everyday things like driving will take some getting used to with our new bodies.”

“Yeah. We’ll have to customize everything. I can’t even sit properly with this tail. Some of us won’t be able to move around in public without attracting attention.”

Carl looked thoughtful. “You’re right. Especially once we begin our plans, we must find a new headquarters. Somewhere secret. They would find us at the union hall. We’ll move the meteorite and anything else important tonight.”

“You ready for this, Carl? We’ve mugged people, robbed gas stations, and other small stuff, but this is big.” Dani pointed at the bank.

“I’ve been ready for this for years. Let our reign of terror begin.” Carl threw his head back and roared.

The lion and the scorpion walked through the credit union’s front doors, and everyone stopped and stared. One of the security guards sauntered over with a smirk on his face. “Y’all can’t come into a bank wearing those silly costumes. I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

Dani sneered at the guard. “Silly costumes? How dare you address the Zodiac Club in such a bold manner!” Dani’s tail swung around and hit the guard square in the chest, sending him flying backward and out of the front window. He landed on the sidewalk in a shower of broken glass. The second guard barely had a chance to move before Carl grabbed him and threw him through the window to join his partner on the sidewalk.

Carl looked around the bank. He pointed at the customers with one big furry paw. “All of you get on the floor facedown, and you might live to see another day.”

As the customers obeyed Carl, Dani walked up to the closest bank teller and set a pile of bags on the counter. “Hello. My name is Scorpia. My friend Leo and I represent the Zodiac Club and would like to withdraw from your bank today. Fill up all these bags, and don’t try anything heroic. I don’t want to kill you, but I will.” Scorpia smashed her tail onto a nearby desk to emphasize her point, splintering it into kindling. The bank tellers quickly got to work filling the bags.

 

Coming Soon: Episode 4 – A Firefly and a Pocket Watch